When my doctor told me that I had diabetes, I was scared and surprised. I knew my weight was much higher than it should be — but diabetes? I asked my doctor if losing weight or exercise could help my diabetes.

My doctor said diet and exercise can do good things for diabetes control. It is just as important as medication. Exercise makes it easier to control your blood glucose (sugar) levels. My doctor told me I should do physical activity at least 30 minutes a day.

Since I hadn’t exercised in a long time, I started slowly. At first, I did 10 minutes a day of walking. Then, every day I increased a little at a time. I tried to exercise five days a week. I made it part of my everyday routine. It was hard but I stuck to it. By three months, I was up to walking 45 minutes a day. I had more energy and felt much better. Every month, I started seeing my weight drop by a few pounds. After six months I had lost 20 pounds.

On my next visit to the doctor, my diabetes was at my goal A1c. The doctor was impressed at the changes I had made to improve my health. My blood pressure and cholesterol were also better because of my exercise and weight loss. I don’t feel scared anymore. I know I can do what I need to do to keep my diabetes under control.