I crack up at our Apple Watches during UT vball games. Mine wants to start a workout, and dh’s asks him whether he has fallen. 
On days that we go to games, I do a lesser daytime workout, because I know the walk to and from the venue and the elevated heart rate during the game is good for at least a couple hundred calories!
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My Apple watch thinks I’m on the elliptical when I file my nails 
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Dayum, you must have some kind of nails! 
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I’m going to file my nails more
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I received $1200 in Google Store cash a couple years ago relating to buying in a Pixel. One of my purchases with that Google Store cash was a Fitbit. At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested in a tracking watch, but needed to spend the cash on something, and the Fitbit seemed like one of the better options. Since then, it’s become one of the Google cash purchases that I’ve appreciated most. I no longer use the Pixel, but continue to use the Fitbit each day.
It provides stats like below for workouts. This is from my HIIT workout earlier today. The HR is not precise, but shows a peak and trough with each interval. However, the functionality I find most useful is tracking my walking, as shown in 2nd screenshot; as well as having a non-obtrusive clock like a standard watch. I also like that it provides notifications, such as being able to read verification pin codes when phone is on counter; provides V02 max estimate, HRV tracking, sleep tracking (including sleep stages), and other stats. It’s more comfortable than any watch I have previously owned, and has additional useful features beyond that. It doesn’t have the functionality of a Garmin with GPS tracking and such, but it is simple and positive addition to my workouts and life.
My biggest complaints relate to lack of precision and the SW/FW implementation. I am intentionally using an older FW because the newer ones have some problematic additions such as useless daily “cardio load” recommendations that can’t be permanently turned off; and awful workout tracking changes. An example of the latter is asking if your workout as done after breaking for a few minutes, with only a “yes” option to the question, making the only options to click “yes” or not be able to display anything useful on the watch for several minutes.
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My assigned wellness coach decided she isn’t a “good match” and has instead sent me a list of diabetes educators/dieticians to work with (I am newly , tentatively, dx w prediabetes). This happened once she found out I already exercise every day and am a normal weight. All her diagnosis input was essentially “go read stuff on the American Diabetes Assoc website”. And it mostly says talk to your doctor… She did have a good suggestion of upping my weights so I am working on that. I seem to have puny, puny arms , lol.
The CDE only sees people with a doctor referral. My doctor keeps saying she can’t refer me, and has no reason why. My next step is to ask my OB/GYN if she can refer me . Oy, American “healthcare”.
In the meantime, a friend who is actually diabetic dropped off paper ADAssociation food guidelines placemats – she had saved them and they are so simple, but at least a start of figuring out what the heck to eat. A well meaning vegan friend gave me a book that purports to “reverse” diabetes/preDiab. by eating a massive amount of carbs and protein, but I did some checking and the author’s claims are controversial at best. Maybe not a place for beginners to start.
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Uh, I’m no nutrition expert, but conventional wisdom is that when you eat too many carbs, your body will break them down into glucose, which is a type of sugar. And one’s blood sugar level will rise. I’d certainly consult a doctor and/or a nutrition expert for sure.
The other thing I’ll mention is that IF (Intermittent Fasting) or time restricted eating (TRE) can help people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes control blood sugar (it also MAY help reduce weight too). There’s plenty of literature on the Internet to do a deep dive, but here’s one article:
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More thoughts (based on consultation with a nutritionalist, after I had A1C 5.7 and decided not to take referral to the health clinic’s endocrinologist**).
Food/nutrition tracking can be helpful… I use MyNetDiary but there are lots of app choices including MyFitnessPal. Originally it was mostly to track calories, but after getting to weight goal (prior to the A1C concerns) it became interesting for nutritional analysis.
It’s good to try to get enough fiber and consume plenty of water.
** Details are probably a repeat story. Endicrinologist consult usually would be a good thing, but I did have reasons for declining that recommendation done by a backup PCP used for my physical that year. Local endcrinologits had no appts for 5 months… and I figured by then there would be new blood test needed, which would probably mean an extra specialist appt, self-pay on high deductible plan. If I went to the sister clinic an hour away, all future appts would need to be at that location. I had in prior 2 years already lost 20 pounds (15% of body weight), started a running hobby and done careful food tracking. So I was concerned about just getting generic beginner tips. The next year my PCP was impressed with my decreased A1C, but he did think the referral (also based on high cholesterol based on very high HDL) had been overkill.
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I am tracking my food fairly closely – having a lot of conflict between hitting 25 g of fiber and less than 130 of carbs in a daily basis. I am resigned to doing that with very little help at this point. Bloodwork to be repeated in a few weeks and we’ll see what we see, I guess.
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I bet you’ll see some bloodwork improvements.
For folks who don’t care about calories and fat (ie not me, not most people), copious amounts of nuts could be a tasty way to get lots of fiber.
I sometimes add 1T chia seeds to other foods to get 4g fiber, but even that small amount is 58 cal, 4g fat (but only .4g sat fat). Only 5g carbs 
As discussed before, the more items you need monitor… the trickier the juggling act. (I am thankful to not have salt/sodium concerns)
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I’m happy to report I’m back to the 42 year old level.
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My daughter will be running a half marathon in late April and is encouraging me to join her. I’m in pretty good shape but haven’t run more than a few miles for some time. Looking at a 7 week training schedule I think I could probably do it.
I’ll try a 3-4 mile run today. We’ll see how it goes.
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still DIY-ing but I have lost almost 7 pounds so that’s not nothing. PCP reluctantly gave me a referral ; dietary said they are too busy with diabetic ed to take me as “only” pre-diabetic. Gave me a phone number for another clinic in town but it is disconnected. Have read a fewmore studies that link rosuvastatin and elevated A1C. PCP says she’s unaware of any link. Blood tests in about a month.
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Yea on the weight loss!
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Psyllium powder can help with the fiber intake.
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Well, I started the training routine. I ran 3 miles and it wasn’t pretty. But I’m motivated to do this with my daughter so I’m going to try to keep going.
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Have you considered doing it the Galloway method?
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@sushiritto, have you decided on a watch? I received an email from bike tires direct that said their garmin watches were 30% off and I thought of you.
Meanwhile, in my corner of the world I make my Apple Watch happy every day, mostly by walking or playing pickleball these days. I’m trying to find a new kitten, probably a bengal, but open to the right adoptable kitten that will save me lots of money and still bring me joy. Who needs a job when you can look at cute kitty pics every day :).
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His half marathon training plan is a 17 week schedule and I have only 7 weeks. I looked at his plan and it’s actually fairly similar to the plan I’m using. Both plans alternate between running and resting days and gradually increase training distance to about 12 miles, then taper off, with the only notable difference being that the 7 week plans asks me to run 4 day per week instead of 3.
Of course going from zero miles per week to a 13.2 mile run in 7 weeks isn’t the optimal plan, and I’m not sure I’ll stick to it.
One reason I’m posting about it here is to keep me motivated; I’ve made a semi-public pronouncement and I don’t want to admit to quitting.
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