This is my "Before" picture. I was recently declared diabetic. After losing my job at the end of 2008 and failing to get another as my entire industry began shrinking, I gained more than 100 lbs over the next couple of years from being largely sedentary and didn't even realize it. My family saw me daily so they didn't realize how bad it was either. It got harder to walk very far and breathing became more difficult with even the slightest exertion. I developed a hernia as well. Sleep issues, too. Sigh.
At this point, thanks to Obamacare, I now have insurance again. My doctor tells me that many of my health issues can be solved or at least gotten under control by losing weight. About 100 lbs preferably.
He's realistic enough to say that diets don't work. He says to start out by eating smaller portions of what I normally eat, then integrate more healthy stuff in the mix, also taking into account carbs, proteins, sugars, sodium and calories. And give up Cokes. For good.
This I have done...and I've lost 20 lbs (by my scale) since December! 9 of those in just the past month!
Last week I started taking my daily glucose levels and, with a goal of remaining under 130, I have remained between 93 and 111.
And today, friend and protégé Dee bought us a treadmill with her tax refund! I'm going to beat this. All of it. Wish me luck. Send your good thoughts. They WILL be appreciated.
Look for the "AFTER" picture this time next year!
I was diagnosed back in November of 2012. Unfortunately, I had gone into ketosis by the time mine was diagnosed and my levels were in the low 500's. I lost about 30 pounds in just under six weeks and had no idea why, which is what prompted me to go to the doctor.
ReplyDeleteSince the diagnosis, I have lost another 40 lbs by watching meal sizes and servings, exercising at least 30 minutes a day (walking/ recumbent bicycling), and reading food labels. My sugar is managing to stay in the 110 - 120 range now and I feel great.
I'm no longer on several medicines that I'd taken for over 20 years.
Good luck with your program. I will be looking for your "After" picture next year. It can be done and it sounds like you have a great support group behind you.
I wish you the best of luck. -- Jeff
ReplyDeleteThe best of luck to you, please keep blogging!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it and it will be worth it. Can't wait to see the next picture you post.
I too was in dire need of making some changes. As of one year ago I have lost 71 lbs. ME. I have a whole new outlook on life. Good for you for taking up the challenge. I believe in you my brother.
ReplyDeleteMy mother became a diabetic at about age 45 and she was told to lose weight which she did and lived till the age of 77 so diabetes doesn't have to be the death sentence that it's made out to be. Good luck with your weight loss and I'm glad you've benefited from Obamacare - here in Great Britain we've had free health care for all since 1948 but we also have conniving politicians who'd love to get rid of it or "reform" it as they like to say.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you, Steve! You can do it!
ReplyDeleteDoug
I was diagnosed about a year and half ago and was in the same situation. I had too many pounds. I gave up all forms of cola and fast food and within a year lost over sixty pounds. I drink only water, unsweet ice tea, and diet green tea now. I think giving up the cokes was one of the best things that helped me lose the weight faster. I changed my eating habits but could only go so far. I'm not a vegetable eater and that's what they want you to eat. I went to mostly chicken and fish, with some other meat thrown in now and than. I gave up most sweets. I've just tried to eat better. I downloaded an app to my phone that tracks how many calories I am eating throughout the day and that has been a big help, having to key what I'm eating in has made me look at what I'm eating and think about it. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteAll my best wishes to you, Steve.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for you, Steve. Cutting out all cokes, sodas, etc. is a huge help, as all the high fructose corn syrup is the fastest way to increase caloric intake with no real macronutrient benefit. Drinking plain water will help fill you up when you feel the urge to binge.
ReplyDeleteSome things that helped me lose weight that may help you:
- Increasing caloric expenditure through walking. As everyone has read by now, sedentary lifestyles are as bad or worse than smoking, I set a timer while working and every hour got up and walked for about 10 minutes at as fast a pace as I could. I used a product called Fitbit (about $50) which clips on your belt and tracks your total mileage for the day and the number of steps you have taken (as well as a best-guess estimate of your caloric burn), and uploads it to your personal webpage. It;s not essential, but it provided me with a good metric and made me realize how much of my time was totally sedentary.
- Try to eat the same (healthy) meals every day, so as to have a better sense of caloric and macronutrient intake. My diet now is lean meats, most of my carbs from veggies and legumes.
- Use treadmill time to watch TV movies, and use walking time to catch up on podcasts.
- Set specific goals, and reward yourself in a small way when you achieve them. Ever ytime I dropped 5 more pounds, I would buy myself a t-shirt or a book I wanted. A big drop (10 pounds) meant something a little more expensive. Silly, but it helps keep oneself on track.
Keep up the good work!
Mike C.
Good luck to you. You'll do it. This isn't a shameless plug but a website that my doctor recommended to me that I really like is sparkpeople.com for setting goals, meal and portion suggestions etc. check it out it may be a help
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've gotten down 20 lbs since December but am having trouble getting any further than that.
Daily glucose levels have been beyond excellent, though! With my doctor saying to try to keep it below 130, I'm averaging 97-105 daily!