Take Charge of Your Health: Session 3

Losing weight does not have to mean dramatic restriction – and for most people, even modest changes make a meaningful difference in blood sugar. In this free class, Megan Ellison, RDN, CDCES of Sound Dietitians, LLC covers Chapter 4 of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide by Jill Weisenberger, exploring the science of weight management as it relates to blood sugar control, what habits actually drive long-term results, and the mindset and nutritional factors that make sustainable change possible. This is the third session in the Take Charge of Your Health series, offered through Stilly Valley Health Connections – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• Why weight matters for blood sugar – and how little it takes – how excess fat mass worsens insulin resistance by releasing inflammatory cytokines, why just 5% body weight loss improves insulin sensitivity and reduces fatty liver, and why the NIH-recommended pace of 0.5-1 pound per week is more effective long-term than aggressive loss that depletes muscle
• Beyond the scale: what to actually track – why BMI cannot distinguish fat from muscle, why abdominal fat is most directly linked to insulin resistance, and why metrics like waist circumference, energy levels, strength, and blood pressure can tell a more complete story than the number on the scale
• What the research shows actually works – data from the National Weight Control Registry on people who lost 70+ pounds and kept it off for 5+ years: daily breakfast, consistent meal patterns, less sitting, and roughly an hour of daily movement (mostly walking) – plus evidence that combining diet, activity, and mental health support significantly improves outcomes
• Mindset, intuitive eating, and your environment – common pitfalls like all-or-nothing thinking and the dopamine cycle reinforced by labeling foods as good or bad, an introduction to intuitive eating principles including the permission paradox and eating to 80% fullness, and simple environment shifts like keeping healthy foods at eye level and pre-portioning snacks
• Key nutrients that directly affect blood sugar – why Vitamin D should be tested before supplementing (over 50% of Pacific Northwest residents are deficient), why K2 should be paired with it, and how low magnesium, B12, ferritin, and calcium can each undermine blood sugar control in ways a standard blood panel may not reveal