Build a Better Body

“I was predisposed to it,” said Rowe, 56. “My mom has it, my dad has it and my uncle died from it. I wanted to take precautions and stop it. I decided it wasn’t going to happen to me.”

What Rowe did was change her lifestyle. She started eating healthy and began bodybuilding.

“A bodybuilder’s diet is very much like a diabetic diet – small meals often, five to six times a day,” said Rowe, who lives in Sauquoit, N.Y. “No refined sugars, but you can have protein, fats and carbs with every meal. At 46 years old, I was prediabetic, so these types of eating habits fit right into my lifestyle. I am now 56 and diabetes free.”

Ten years ago, the 5-foot-5 Rowe weighed 122 pounds. “But 40 pounds of that was fat,” she said.

“I was clinically obese for a 122-pound person. Now, I’m 119 pounds, but my body fat is 10. … I finally allowed myself to be proud of myself.”

Dave Kingwater is affiliated with the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders.