Angela Cronan, a 49-year-old nurse and military veteran, always considered herself fairly healthy. However, during a family trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, she realized she was suddenly struggling to keep up with her daughters while they were sightseeing. Feeling constantly tired and sore, Angela knew something had to change. A routine physical when she was back home revealed that her A1C level was 6.1—she was in the prediabetic range—and her weight had reached 230 pounds. Determined to avoid diabetes and regain control of her health, Angela decided to try Nutrisense. Soon enough, with the help of personalized insights and a supportive dietitian, she lowered her A1C, lost significant weight, and drastically improved her energy levels! Hi Angela! Tell us about yourself and what started this particular health journey. I’m 49, and I’m getting ready to turn 50. Back in June, I went to Edinburgh, Scotland, with my girls. It was so beautiful; the entire country felt like it was on a hill, and we were walking around, but I was always the weakest link. I kept thinking, "Wow, I can't even do this." I kept having to rest, and I was sore and couldn’t figure out why this was suddenly happening. So I came home and got a physical done, and my A1C was 6.1, and I was 230 pounds! I thought since I would be 50 this year, it was about time I started taking better care of myself. What was it like finding out you were in that prediabetic range? It was a shock. I had never been someone who ate horribly, so when I discovered my A1C was 6.1, I was like, "Wow, how did this happen?" It opened my eyes. I didn’t want to go down the road of becoming diabetic, so that’s what motivated me to take action. I didn’t have a lot of diabetes in my family, so it wasn’t about addressing family history so much as it was about realizing how my habits were leading me there. I knew that if I didn’t change something, it would only get worse, especially with my weight being 230 pounds. How did you discover Nutrisense, and what made you decide the program was the right fit for this journey? Since I’m in healthcare myself, I was familiar with tools like the continuous glucose monitor and with what you needed to do with diet and lifestyle to address conditions like prediabetes. So, it was actually when I was still in Scotland, during one of my rest times in the hotel, when I thought it would be so nice if I had a tool like this to help. I was lying down in the hotel in Edinburgh, and I thought I had to change my physical condition; I shouldn’t have felt like this. I was only 49. I started looking, looking around, and found out that since I didn’t yet have diabetes, I couldn’t get a lot of the preventive care covered by insurance. Then, when I had my physical back home, my paperwork said, "Patient counseled on diet and exercise," but I knew I hadn’t really received that guidance! I needed to figure out what I was doing wrong, so I started researching how to find that support. That’s when I found Nutrisense and thought I should try it for three months to see what happens. And what happened? Did the program help you understand and address your prediabetes? Oh yes. So, I signed up for the Nutrisense program; I used it for two and a half months, and just in that time, I lost 10 percent of my body weight! And my A1C, which started at 6.1, went down to 5.6. That was just in three months. I honestly didn’t even make drastic changes to what I ate. It was the little things. For example, I discovered that the oatmeal I ate every morning spiked my blood sugar. I used to have coffee with hazelnut creamer, and I didn’t realize that was also contributing to my spikes. I would never have known this without the glucose monitor and the insights from Rachel, my dietitian. Speaking of your dietitian, what role did working 1:1 via the video calls play through the journey? My dietitian was amazing. She would share her screen with me, show me my numbers, and break everything down so I could understand what was happening. She looked at my meals logged into the Nutrisense app, including when I ate them and how they affected my glucose levels in real time. She’d say things like, "Why don’t you try eating it in this order?" or, "Instead of having your coffee creamer, why don’t you try replacing it with this and see how you like it." I didn’t need someone to be my cheerleader—and I’m a nurse, so I know theoretically what I needed to do. I just needed someone to guide me based on my body, and Rachel did that perfectly. For example, she helped me switch up the order of my meals—eating protein and fiber first, then carbs last. I started taking apple cider vinegar pills, which also helped. I didn’t feel like I had to make extreme changes; Rachel’s advice was spot on. It was all about small, consistent tweaks. How did all this advice, and the program itself, contribute to your weight loss? One of the biggest surprises was how much weight I lost just by making a few simple changes. In two and a half months, I lost 10 percent of my body weight, from 230 pounds down to 206. Honestly, I didn’t even make that much of a difference in what I ate. Rachel helped me see that I didn’t have to deprive myself—I just needed to make smarter choices. I started eating more protein, switching out my regular coffee creamer, and discovered during this journey that I love snacking on red bell peppers with cream cheese. These small changes helped the weight come off naturally. It’s not just the scale wins. My silhouette has changed. I used to have what I called a "bicycle helmet" hiding under my shirt—my belly—but now that’s gone. I’m buying new clothes because my old ones are too big, and I feel much better in my skin. My daughters even tell me I look younger now, which feels fantastic. What impact did these changes have on your overall health and energy? I feel incredible. My energy levels are through the roof. I don’t feel like I’m dragging through the day anymore, and I walk around with so much more confidence. My weight is down, my A1C is under control, and I feel healthier overall. I used to struggle with low energy and poor recovery, but now I feel like I can take on anything. Even little things, like going to the eye doctor, wearing contact lenses now at times, and switching to regular sunglasses instead of prescription ones, feel like huge wins for me. I used to carry extra weight in my shoulders and arms, but that’s changed. My whole body feels different. I no longer feel like my habits weigh me down—I feel like I’m in control. That’s so good to hear, we’re glad! What would you say to someone considering Nutrisense, especially if they’re facing a prediabetes diagnosis or struggling with weight loss? You can read a book all day long. You can listen to a podcast all day long. But until you see how your specific body reacts in real time to certain foods, drinks, whatever, you're going just to live blindly and go in the wrong direction, not knowing that you're running into like a wall. And we're not getting the education that we need. Nutrisense helped me understand my body in a way I never could have on my own. The support from a dietitian and the real-time data were life-changing for me.
