Confessions of a Pre-Diabetic: It stares at me from the deep recesses of the pit and mocks me. I am surprised by how quickly I agree that I want what’s being offered; yet I hesitate.

This isn’t the first time I had faced this foe and I’m certain it won’t be the last – an empty cookie wrapper in the bottom of a trashcan.

My son did not resist the urge and had another. I determined to stand firm.

As the years pass by it becomes clear that no one can eat like they did when they were ten and feel good afterwards. In my own circle of influence I am often involved in deep conversation about calories, carb counting and the impact processed foods have on a diet.

It seems strange. In years past there would be conversations about sports scores, cars and weekend plans. Today? It’s often about food.

Yet, as much as I agree with the notion that a better diet is worthwhile, and I know that eating wisely also makes you feel good – I still stare at the cookie wrapper with envy.

It is interesting that an obsession with food throughout your life can become an even greater obsession when trying to avoid health complications from being overweight or being told you’re pre-diabetic.

There can be moments of fight or flight. You want to reach out and pummel your body into such perfect shape that you look like you did when you were young. On the other hand you may want to run away from the diagnosis and treat it as if it doesn’t exist. Fight – flight.

It can be dangerous to assume that diabetes is inevitable because there will be no fight in your battle – just a relentless march toward what should be avoided. There will be little resistance to returning to life as normal and waiting for the doctor to prescribe some pills to help you deal with diabetes.

For me? I slowly watch the weight come off as I determine to make better choices. I walk more, ride my bike more often, pay attention to product labels and am well acquainted with the term, “Portion control”.

Diabetes has been labeled a pandemic in some circles, yet it often gains a collective yawn from individuals who often believe if it is ignored it will go away like a common cold.

In my case I have an office job that requires very little physical exertion. What that means for me is having to find ways to work out the physical side of life at times other than work. Frankly with the stress of life in general the answer most of us choose is simply to crash when there are moments of downtime.

If I’m going to succeed in my quest I will need to become an expert at what it takes to reverse course. I will need to be intentional about my new course as a lifelong quest – not simply a fad that will fade away when the doctor says things have improved.

I envision an Olympic athlete. They pay the price to get into shape and run the race. Do they then abandon the workouts when they have finished the race? Not if they want to stay competitive. A victory may be won, but there are more ahead. This is how I like to picture my current battle.

So today I stare at an empty cookie wrapper and am able to walk away basking only in the memory of a taste. Am I a martyr? No. I choose the term “Overcomer.”