How to Use This Workbook
This workbook is designed to work alongside each chapter of the book. It is not busywork. It is not designed to overwhelm you. It exists to help you translate understanding into action, thoughtfully, practically, and at your own pace.
Complete each section after reading the corresponding chapter. Be honest with yourself. There are no right or wrong answers, only information that will help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Introduction: Clarifying What You Want to Change – And What You're Tired of Carrying
What brought you to this book?
What were you hoping to find or understand?
When you think about your prediabetes, what emotions come up most often?
(Check all that apply)
What are you most tired of carrying?
What burden do you want to put down as you move forward?
What does success look like for you?
Not what you think it "should" look like, but what would genuinely feel like progress or relief?
What kind of support do you think you need most right now?
Chapter 1: Understanding Your Numbers and Risk Profile
Your Current Numbers
Record your most recent test results:
Fasting Blood Glucose:
HbA1c:
Date of test:
Other relevant results:
Your Health History
Family history of diabetes:
Other relevant health conditions:
Medications you currently take:
Previous attempts to manage blood glucose:
What have you tried before? What happened?
Your Risk Factors
Which of the following apply to you? (Check all that apply)
What This Means for You
Based on what you've learned in Chapter 1, what do you now understand about your prediabetes that you didn't understand before?
Your Questions
What questions do you still have about your numbers or your risk?
(These are questions to bring to a healthcare provider or coach)
Reflection
How does it feel to see your situation written down clearly, without judgement?
Chapter 1 Action Items
Action 1: Schedule Your Follow-Up Test
If your most recent test is more than 3 months old, schedule a follow-up blood test to establish your current baseline.
Action 2: Gather Your Health History
Complete the health history section of this workbook and bring it to your next healthcare appointment.
Action 3: Identify Your Top 3 Risk Factors
From your risk assessment, identify the 3 factors you have most control over and are willing to address first.
Chapter 2: Identifying Patterns Instead of Failures
Your History of Trying
List the approaches you've tried to improve your blood glucose:
Approach 1:
How long did you sustain it?
What happened?
What did you learn from this experience?
Approach 2:
How long did you sustain it?
What happened?
What did you learn from this experience?
Approach 3:
How long did you sustain it?
What happened?
What did you learn from this experience?
Patterns, Not Failures
Looking at your history above, what patterns do you notice?
Consider:
- Did you tend to start with very restrictive approaches?
- Did plans collapse under stress or disruption?
- Were you focusing on food alone while other factors went unaddressed?
- Did you lose motivation when progress felt slow?
What Was Actually Happening
For each approach that "didn't work," can you now identify what might have been missing?
Example: "I tried low-carb but my sleep was terrible and my stress was high, so insulin resistance probably didn't improve even though I was eating well."
Your reflections:
Challenging Self-Blame
Complete this sentence:
What You Know Now
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started those previous attempts?
Chapter 2 Action Items
Action 1: Reframe One "Failure"
Choose one past attempt and rewrite its story from a pattern-recognition perspective rather than a failure perspective.
Action 2: Identify Your Pattern
What is the ONE consistent pattern that has shown up across your attempts? (e.g., all-or-nothing thinking, lack of support, ignoring sleep)
Action 3: Choose a Different Approach
Based on your pattern, what will you do differently this time?
Chapter 3: Sorting Helpful Guidance From Harmful Noise
Advice You've Received
List sources of advice you've followed or considered:
Source 1:
What they recommended:
How it made you feel:
Did it help? Why or why not?
Source 2:
What they recommended:
How it made you feel:
Did it help? Why or why not?
Red Flags in Advice
Which of the following red flags have you encountered? (Check all that apply)
Evaluating Future Advice
Moving forward, what criteria will you use to evaluate whether advice is worth following?
Consider:
- Does it come from someone with appropriate qualifications?
- Does it account for individual differences?
- Is it sustainable long-term?
- Does it respect the complexity of blood glucose regulation?
- Does it build confidence or create shame?
Permission to Discern
Complete this sentence:
Chapter 3 Action Items
Action 1: Stop Following One Harmful Source
Identify one source of advice that meets the red flag criteria and unfollow/unsubscribe from it this week.
Action 2: Find One Credible Resource
Identify one credible, evidence-based resource that respects complexity and individual differences.
Action 3: Create Your Evaluation Filter
Write down your 3 non-negotiable criteria for evaluating future health advice.
Chapter 4: Mapping Your Personal Blood Glucose Influences
Your System Assessment
Rate each factor below on how much you think it is currently affecting your blood glucose (1 = minimal impact, 5 = significant impact)
Food choices:
Portion sizes/meal timing:
Physical activity level:
Muscle mass:
Sleep quality:
Chronic stress:
Hormonal changes (midlife):
Medications:
Your Biggest Drivers
Based on your ratings above, which 2-3 factors do you think are having the biggest impact on your blood glucose?
Sleep Reality Check
Average hours of sleep per night:
Sleep quality (1-5, where 5 is excellent):
What disrupts your sleep most?
Stress Reality Check
Rate your current stress level (1-10):
Major sources of stress:
How do you currently manage stress?
Muscle and Movement
Current activity level:
Do you currently do any resistance/strength training?
Have you lost muscle mass over the years?
Hormonal Factors (If Applicable)
Are you in perimenopause or menopause?
If yes, what symptoms are you experiencing?
Your Leverage Points
Based on this assessment, which areas offer the most opportunity for meaningful improvement?
What small change in each area might reduce strain on your system?
Example: "Sleep: Establishing a consistent bedtime 30 minutes earlier"
Your leverage points:
What You Cannot Control
What factors affecting your blood glucose are genuinely outside your control?
(This is not about making excuses – it's about knowing where to focus your effort and where to extend yourself compassion)
Chapter 4 Action Items
Action 1: Track One Factor for One Week
Choose ONE factor from your system assessment (sleep, stress, or movement) and track it daily for 7 days to gather data.
Action 2: Address Your Biggest Leverage Point
From your leverage points, choose ONE small action you'll implement this week.
Action 3: Release What You Cannot Control
Write a statement releasing yourself from responsibility for factors genuinely outside your control.
Chapter 5: Reducing Resistance and Rebuilding Trust With Yourself
Understanding Your Resistance
When you think about making changes to manage your prediabetes, what resistance comes up?
What Is Your Resistance Protecting You From?
Resistance is not sabotage. It's often a protective response. What might your resistance be trying to protect you from?
Examples:
- Protecting you from disappointment if this doesn't work
- Protecting you from feeling deprived
- Protecting you from the exhaustion of "doing it perfectly"
Your reflection:
Your Willpower Reality
When is your willpower strongest?
When is your willpower weakest?
How can you design your day to reduce reliance on willpower?
(Example: "Don't keep tempting foods in the house" rather than "rely on willpower to resist them")
Your Identity Check
Complete these sentences:
"When it comes to health changes, I see myself as someone who _____."
"I want to become someone who _____."
"What would someone who successfully manages their prediabetes do in this situation: _____?"
Rebuilding Trust
What would help you trust yourself more?
Your Smallest Next Step
What is the smallest action you could take that would feel like progress without triggering resistance?
(Think: so small it feels almost too easy)
Support Assessment
Who in your life supports your health goals?
Who might (unintentionally) undermine them?
What support do you wish you had?
Reflection
How does it feel to acknowledge that resistance is not a character flaw but a protective response?
Chapter 5 Action Items
Action 1: Take Your Smallest Next Step
Implement the smallest next step you identified—something so small it bypasses resistance entirely.
Action 2: Remove One Willpower Drain
Identify one situation where you currently rely on willpower and redesign it to require less effort.
Action 3: Schedule One Support Conversation
Reach out to one person who supports your health goals for encouragement or accountability.
Chapter 6: Five Pillars Overview and Self-Assessment
Understanding the Five Pillars
Pillar 1: Diagnose
Understand your starting point properly
Pillar 2: Design
Build a plan that fits your real life
Pillar 3: Deliver
Turn intention into consistent action
Pillar 4: Debrief
Review progress without blame
Pillar 5: Develop
Strengthen resilience and long-term control
Your Current Position in Each Pillar
Pillar 1: Diagnose
Do you have clarity on your blood glucose patterns, main drivers, and leverage points?
What would help you gain more clarity?
Pillar 2: Design
Do you have a plan that fits your actual life with realistic, sustainable strategies?
What would help you design a better plan?
Pillar 3: Deliver
Are you taking consistent action using systems rather than willpower?
What is your biggest barrier to consistent delivery?
Pillar 4: Debrief
Do you review progress regularly without self-blame and adjust rather than abandon?
What makes debriefing difficult for you?
Pillar 5: Develop
Are you building confidence, developing self-trust, and feeling more capable over time?
What would help you develop greater capability?
Where You Need the Most Support
Looking at your responses above, which pillar needs the most attention?
The Gap Between Knowledge and Implementation
On a scale of 1-10:
How confident are you that you know what needs to happen?
How confident are you that you can implement it consistently on your own?
If there's a gap between these two numbers, what would help bridge it?
Reflection
How does having a framework change how you think about managing your prediabetes?
Chapter 6 Action Items
Action 1: Focus on Your Weakest Pillar
Choose ONE action to strengthen your weakest pillar this week.
Action 2: Bridge the Implementation Gap
If there's a gap between knowing and doing, identify ONE resource or support that would help bridge it.
Action 3: Set a Pillar Review Date
Schedule a date to review your progress through all five pillars.
Chapter 7: Daily Actions and Habit Mapping
Your High-Leverage Actions
Based on everything you've learned, identify 3-5 specific actions that would have the biggest impact on your blood glucose.
Action 1:
Why this matters for me:
How I will implement it:
Potential barriers:
How I will address barriers:
Action 2:
Why this matters for me:
How I will implement it:
Potential barriers:
How I will address barriers:
Action 3:
Why this matters for me:
How I will implement it:
Potential barriers:
How I will address barriers:
Movement and Muscle
Current movement:
What movement are you already doing consistently?
Strength training plan:
What resistance/strength activities could you realistically add?
When will you do this?
Food and Meal Timing
Current eating pattern:
Describe your typical eating rhythm (timing, regularity, etc.)
What needs adjustment?
One small change to make first:
Sleep Improvement Plan
One change to improve sleep quality:
Stress Management
One stress management strategy to implement:
When will you practice this?
Habit Stacking
Choose one new habit and "stack" it onto an existing habit.
Example: "After I brush my teeth at night, I will do 5 minutes of stretching."
Your Weekly Plan
Create a simple weekly plan that includes your highest-priority actions.
Tracking Progress
How will you track whether you're implementing these actions?
Reflection
How does it feel to have a concrete plan rather than scattered intentions?
Chapter 7 Action Items
Action 1: Implement Your Habit Stack This Week
Start practicing your habit stack daily for the next 7 days.
Action 2: Prepare for Your Weekly Plan
Do any preparation needed to make your weekly plan successful (meal prep, schedule workout times, set reminders).
Action 3: Set Up Your Tracking System
Create or set up the tracking method you identified (checklist, app, calendar, etc.) and use it for at least 7 days.
Chapter 8: Reflection, Review, and Resilience Tools
Your Progress Review
Since starting this book/workbook, what has changed?
What's Working
What actions or strategies have been most helpful?
What early signs of progress have you noticed?
What's Not Working
What has been harder than expected?
What barriers keep showing up?
What needs to be adjusted?
Debriefing Without Blame
Looking at what hasn't worked, what can you learn?
(Remember: setbacks are data, not evidence of failure)
What do you need to change in your approach?
What do you need to accept as outside your control?
Your Burnout Warning Signs
How do you know when you're starting to burn out?
What will you do when you notice these signs?
Building Resilience
When things get difficult, what helps you keep going?
Who can you reach out to for support?
What reminder do you need to hear when motivation is low?
Your Definition of Success
How has your definition of success changed since starting this book?
Self-Trust Check
Complete this sentence:
Long-Term Planning
Three months from now, what would you like to be true?
One year from now, what would success look like?
What support will you need to get there?
Chapter 8 Action Items
Action 1: Schedule Your First Progress Review
Set a date for your first formal progress review (recommended: 2-4 weeks from now).
Action 2: Create Your Burnout Response Plan
Write down exactly what you'll do when you notice your burnout warning signs.
Action 3: Celebrate One Win
Identify one thing that's working or one small win, and acknowledge it properly.