Liz Cambron, Ph.D.
Liz Cambron, Ph.D., has been living with diabetes for six years. She turned her diabetes diagnosis into an academic career in diabetes research and became a health coach to help others reach their own goals.
Diabetes discovered by mistake
I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2014 when I started grad school. It was actually discovered by mistake.
After an intense workout, I fainted and hit my head on my dining table. After seeing my primary doctor, it turned out to be low blood pressure, but after a few more labs they also noticed my A1C was around 6.5-7 per cent. At that moment, I bawled and thought I failed my body.
Everyone on my mother’s side is diabetic, so it almost felt inevitable. We don’t discuss it unless one of us is having a complication, then everyone shares their remedies or recipes from their experience.
Becoming a health coach
I started Beachbody programs back in February of 2019. I had tried every fitness fad under the sun, but nothing worked. Beachbody was the whole package: fitness, nutrition, and support. The programs were physically challenging but they also incorporated mindset and self-care. I had struggled with depression and anxiety all my life, and that played a really big role in my health, especially with emotional eating and alcohol abuse.
Diabetes doesn’t define me. I’m many things like a daughter, sister, first-generation Mexican-American, dog mom, lover of heavy metal, but diabetes isn’t one of them.
Through Beachbody, I resolved those issues and learned more about nutrition and myself. That opened a whole other level in my life I didn’t know was achievable. For the first time, I could say I was genuinely happy to be alive.
It was that feeling of happiness, self-awareness, and being healthy that made me decide to start coaching. As a coach, I get to share the opportunities and resources that helped me with others so they can live happy, healthy, fulfilling lives too.
Managing T2D is all about trial and error and even after almost 6 years, I’m still trying to figure out what’s best for my body. I think that is the biggest struggle for some people.
Finding the positives in Type 2 Diabetes
This is the healthiest I’ve been because I focus on both nutrition and fitness. I’d say a positive of living with diabetes is that because it affects so many people, I’ve been able to relate and bond with so many in the community, including my family.
I remain positive and share my experiences with my Beachbody community. They help encourage me and remind me that it’s a process, not a quick fix. Knowing that my struggle and journey are inspiring people gives me joy.
We can be victims or victors. The choice is ours. Working out is hard. Eating healthy is hard. Complications from diabetes are hard. Pick your hard.
For a long time, I used my disease as an excuse. Diabetes doesn’t define me. I’m many things like a daughter, sister, first-generation Mexican-American, dog mom, lover of heavy metal, but diabetes isn’t one of them. Don’t let it define you.
