Prediabetes, Carbs and Working-Out

Man, do I ever love carbs. Bread, potatoes, rice—especially rice. Carbs are warm, soft-edged joy. They’re edible comfort. They’re a hug that doesn’t ask questions. So it was something of a heartbreak a few years ago when my pancreas and I stopped seeing eye to eye. I had been struck with pre-diabetes, the precursor to full-blown diabetes. It’s kind of like a warning shot across the bow, telling me if things don’t change, my body will put me in a world of hurt.

Type 2 diabetes runs in my family. You would never guess it, since none of us are particularly obese or even overweight. Maybe we just drew the short straw in the genetic lottery. As such, I have a hard time losing weight, always hungry and sleepy with a generous side of brain fog, after indulging in some carbohydrates.

Which meant I had to break up with carbs. Or at least dramatically reduce our time together. And yeah, the difference was immediate. The afternoon crashes that used to hit like a tranquilizer dart? Gone. The brain fog that made me feel like I was slogging through a pool of molasses? Also gone. Having a salad for lunch in lieu of a sandwich seems to work just fine.

And still, the siren call of carbs beckons. Whispering like an ex promising all the starchy goodness that we once shared.

But something odd happened the other day. I caved. I had pizza. A full slice. I braced myself for the crash, for the brain to power down like a dying phone. But… nothing happened. No fog. No food coma. I was fine. Alert, even.

That night, while scrolling past videos of cats doing taxes or whatever the algorithm thinks I need, I stumbled on something that made sense. A reel about how muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity. My exercise routine has changed over the past couple of months to incorporate more resistance training. I am by no means in contention for Mr. Universe, but I feel stronger.

I don’t know if this is why the pizza didn’t knock me out, but if working out means that I can return to the sweet embrace of sugar and starch (at least with moderation), then it's definitely worth lacing up my shoes and doing a few squats.

Incidentally, I’m no longer pre-diabetic… so I guess that’s also good.