It all started when my doctor noticed my A1C level was nearing the pre-diabetic range. She called me after a recent set of blood work and asked me something that changed my life yet again. “Do you want to deal with diabetes at this stage of your life?” My answer was a resounding “no.”

She then recommended that I cut out all fruit and anything sweet from my diet, including honey. “If it has more than 3 grams of sugar per serving, leave it be.”

The first week was the toughest. I have a sweet tooth and grabbing a few chocolate chips and some peanut butter on my way to the gym helped me with energy, or so I thought. One of the changes I made was when I got a craving for sweets, I made a concoction of organic almond butter (that has nothing but almonds in it) mixed with monk fruit sweetener. It worked like a champ and the fat from the almond butter helped me with energy at the gym when going in to complete my FitFAB workouts.

The first week was tough and I would grab the almond butter + monk fruit creation most every day. Then as things progressed into the second week, my cravings subsided. Four weeks later and I have zero sugar cravings.

A month after my first blood panel we rechecked my A1C and it had dropped significantly. “Great job!” she exclaimed on the phone when she was going through the results with me. “You are doing great!”

It has now been over a month and I have lost 16 lbs. I have lost zero strength at the gym and feel fantastic.

You can do it too! Simply cut out that sugar and enjoy all of the rice, pasta, and bread you want as long as it isn’t sweet.

Richard Bagdonas

Your FitFAB Sherpa