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For Leslie Lance, staying healthy has never been about dramatic changes. Instead, the 71-year-old Butte resident believes in taking one step at a time. Those small steps are paying off.
After learning she was prediabetic, Lance enrolled in the Intermountain Health St. James Hospital Healthy Lifestyles class, a Diabetes Prevention Program. After three sessions of the program, her A1C levels (a measure of blood sugar) continue to improve, and she is now close to moving out of the prediabetic range altogether.
“One of my friends had started going, and she was telling me that she was prediabetic, and when I found out I was prediabetic, she got me interested in going to the class,” said Lance.
The St. James Healthy Lifestyles Program is a yearlong group program designed to help people at risk for diabetes and heart disease make lasting lifestyle changes. Participants receive education and support related to healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management while building habits that can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“I was right toward the edge of being diabetic when I first started,” Lance said. “My numbers are going down. The last two times I’ve had my A1C tested, I’m only two points from being non-prediabetic.”
What began as an opportunity to learn more about diabetes prevention quickly became an important source of motivation and accountability.
“I’ve got the personality that I really need to keep focused on in order to make an improvement,” Lance said. “Committing to going to the class is so very helpful because not only do I gather information that I just wasn’t aware of, but being with other people doing the same thing is really helpful and very encouraging.”
For Lance, the greatest benefit of the program is the community that has helped her remain focused on her long-term goals.
“I think what I like the best is the discussion after the lesson,” she said. “Everybody can share their experiences. The community is there to help each other.”
Rather than attempting a complete lifestyle overhaul, Lance has made gradual changes to her eating habits and activity levels. She credits that approach with helping her sustain progress.
“It takes some time, so you have to be patient with yourself and just make little changes because little changes are what last,” she said. “If you try to make it all in one big jump, you’ll get discouraged along the way and you might give up.”
Today, Lance stays active by hiking with her dog, swimming, gardening and walking every day, even during cold winter days.
“If I can’t get out, I have one of those walking pads, so I’ll put it in front of the TV and I’ll just walk,” she said. “I like to do stuff that doesn’t feel like exercise.”
As she works toward her goal of losing additional weight and potentially eliminating her prediabetes diagnosis, Lance now encourages others to take advantage of the program.
“It is important to establish habits where they become a part of your life instead of just a job that you have to do. Sticking to it is your way to making that lifetime change.”
For information about the Healthy Lifestyles classes, call 406-723-2960. The next session begins on September 15. For more information visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/classes-events/detail/healthy-lifestyles-diabetes-prevention-pro
