NANCYfindw success in losing weight and MANAGING DIABETES

When Nancy Olson was diagnosed with diabetes last November, she knew she had to do something. Both her mother and grandmother had suffered from the chronic disease and her mother died at age 41.

“I thought it was a death sentence,” the 44-year-old Fargo woman says. “I didn’t want to be diabetic and end up like my mother.”

So Olson decided to change her eating habits and her lifestyle. With help from her health care team at Essentia Health’s South University Clinic in Fargo, she’s lost more than 40 pounds and dropped her blood sugar level to below what’s considered to be diabetic. Her cholesterol is also down.

On a recent shopping trip, Olson discovered she’d dropped five sizes in pants. “As I zipped those 16Ws up, I prayed to God that they’d fit,” she recalls. “I was in tears because it felt so good to get into that size.”

Like many women, Olson had tried to lose weight before. She says she found success by working with her family medicine nurse practitioner, Penni Weston, and Jenny Bednar, a dietitian and diabetes educator. “They told me I could manage my diabetes and live with it—that it’s not a death sentence,” Olson says. “It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet.”

“I let Nancy know that she can live a full and long life is she’s doing a few things right,” says Weston. “Losing weight was the number one thing. If you lose just 10 percent of your body weight, it has a huge impact on your overall health and numbers.”

Weston and Bednar counseled Olson to set small goals so she wouldn’t get discouraged. They also helped her develop a plan for eating and exercise.

“They educated me on what I needed to do and how to do it,” Olson says. “They took time to learn about me as a person and listened to my concerns. They explained things to me in layman’s terms, not big fancy medical terms.”

Olson was surprised when Jenny told her she needed to snack three times a day to better regulate her blood sugar levels and make her feel more full. “What! Snacking?” Olson says. “I thought snacking is bad because you’re putting food in your mouth and getting fatter.”

The key, Bednar explains, is small snacks packed with protein, such as an apple with peanut butter or low-fat cottage cheese on a cracker. Not a bag of chips. “Eat more protein than carbs,” Olson says, adding that learning how to count carbohydrates has been critical to her success.

Bednar explains the system counts each 15 grams of carbohydrates as one carb serving. “Eating carbs isn’t bad, but this helps get an appropriate portion size,” the dietitian explains. For example, Olson’s plan allows her eat 165 grams of carbohydrates a day, which is 11 carb servings.

Olson says these TIPS & ADVICE HAVE HELPED HER: w You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods, just eat them in moderation. “I can still have pizza but Jenny says get a thin crust or don’t eat the crust. Have a hardshell taco instead of a soft-shell and get chicken instead of beef.” w Eat less fast food and drink less soda pop. w Know when to stop. Don’t eat until you’re full, eat until you’re satisfied. w You don’t need to clean your plate anymore. Take half your restaurant meal home for tomorrow. w Plan your meals so you’re not hungry when you’re deciding what to eat.

Working the night shift as a fraud representative at a bank gave Olson an excuse for not exercising. She also works seasonally for a window-cleaning service. Now she’s finding ways to boost her physical activity. For example, Olson has set a goal to walk from her apartment near 25th Avenue South to her brother’s house at 62nd Avenue South. She’s already made it to 40th Avenue South via a bike trail.

Olson says she’s learned to set “baby goals” so she doesn’t get discouraged. She aims to lose a pound a week and now wants to get below 200 pounds. She also wants to get off her medications for diabetes and high cholesterol.

Olson says her team helps her stay on track with their support and encouragement. She regularly emails them questions via Essentia’s MyHealth. “We’re cheerleaders for her,” Weston says.

“Nancy is so motivated, but she understands she doesn’t have to be perfect,” Bednar says. “If you mess up, don’t feel guilty. Focus on what you can do the next day to get back on track.”

To make an appointment with Essentia Health’s dietitians and diabetes educators in Fargo-Moorhead, call 701-364-8900.