Living well with diabetes, one workout at a time: Kathryn's story
A nurse and former 'couch potato' reclaims her health
"I was a couch potato," says Kathryn Henry about her physical condition in November 2006. She had gone from being normal weight for her height in her 20s and 30s to an unhealthy 232 pounds at the age of 61. At an annual exam, her doctor told her she now had type 2 diabetes.
A registered nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Henry was well aware of the potential complications of diabetes at her age and weight.
She thought, "I don't want to be blind in a wheelchair, a double amputee waiting for a transplant."
Up until then, her few attempts to lose weight didn't work. Henry says, "I wouldn't lose anything and would think, 'What the heck, who cares.' And I would walk by the Abbott Northwestern's LiveWell Fitness Center every day on the way to work and think that I should go in. But I'd keep walking."
Fitness and nutrition counseling
After her diabetes diagnosis, Henry finally walked into the LiveWell Center for fitness and nutrition counseling. Her first step was to have an evaluation that would help the Center staff set up a plan for Henry to lose weight, gain strength and control her illness.
"They did an hour-and-a-half fitness evaluation. I could barely last 15 minutes on the treadmill, even at a low speed," she recalls.
Susan Masemer, manager of the Center, also remembers Henry's evaluation. "When I originally put her on the treadmill, Kathryn's aerobic capacity was quite limited. In addition, her body fat measured at 41 percent — more than 11 percent above healthy levels — and her strength and flexibility were below average as well."
A new routine
With her fitness and nutrition plan in hand, Henry began a new routine. She would visit the Center before her work shift. As she got her daily workout "out of the way" she would also get energized for the day ahead.
"I did a fitness test after two months because the Center staff could already see the results of my regular exercise and dietary changes," recalls Henry. "And as of December, I had already replaced eight pounds of fat with lean muscle."
Nearly one year later, Henry's body fat has dropped to 25.9 percent. After steadily working on the weight machines three days a week and using the treadmill five days a week, she's weighing in at 160 pounds (59 pounds less than her November 2006 weight).
A drastic difference
Masemer recalls a story that Henry shared about how drastically her body had changed: "Kathryn had gotten out of her car in her garage, and when she walked by the trash can, she realized that for the first time, she didn't need to turn sideways to get through the narrow space. As she's lost the 60 pounds, she's had to replace her clothes many times because her old ones were falling off."
Her doctor noticed the difference as well. Henry says, "When I went to see her in September and then in January, she said I was a model patient. She had never seen anyone change so drastically. And now my cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose readings have all dropped into the normal range, without medication."
Managing diabetes through diet and activity
Henry's intent is to manage her diabetes through a healthful diet and regular physical activity for as long as possible.
"I see people taking medication just to cover their diabetes so they can eat whatever they want, and that's a mistake," she says. "This is a progressive disease. If you don't manage it, then you get severe complications, and they will come more quickly.
"When I first got this diagnosis, I thought for sure I'd have to go on medications. But not yet."
Henry's joy is evident in her voice as she reports her successes. "I'm not losing weight and changing my lifestyle so I can be a hot babe. I'm just managing my disease the best I can.
"Even changing my diet hasn't been that difficult to stick to. If I want to eat something, I'll eat it. I'll just do it purposefully and planned, instead of punishing myself or giving up. But even as I give myself permission to have a hamburger and fries, I find that I'm craving salad and lean things."
More joyful and energetic
Masemer and her fellow LiveWell Fitness Center staff members have noticed differences in Henry beyond the physical.
"She is so much more joyful and energetic," says Masemer. "She doesn't even look like the same person as her check-in photo from when she joined the Center. There's a youthfulness and vitality, an emotional change where you can tell she feels good about herself."
Dialog home page
LiveWell Fitness Center What it takes to lose one pound in one week Stick with your physical activity plan
Source: Abbott Northwestern Hospital's Institute for Health and Healing, Healing Journal, summer 2007; Kathryn Henry, RN, Abbott Northwestern Hospital; Susan Masemer, manager, LiveWell Fitness Center
First published: 10/29/2007
Last updated: 10/29/2007
Reviewed by: Mary Frederick, RN, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic
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