My journey actually began on 1/1/2010 and no it wasn't a resolution that got me started, it was a blood sugar reading of over 300. I have been a diabetic for almost 10yrs but for the last 4 I pushed it to the back of my brain and left it there. I would half heartedly check my sugar and try to eat well but I just wasn't serious about it. I then went for years without checking it and acting like it wasn't there. I would never say the words "I am a diabetic". I guess I felt if I didn't say it, it wasn't true. Well on the aforementioned date, I hadn't been feeling myself for a while. I was tired and sluggish and I just didn't have the energy to do anything. I just chalked it up to me being lazy. I woke up that morning and a little voice said, "check your blood sugar" when I did I got a scare which you could say, scared me straight. I immediately called my doctor and he gave me some suggestions and also encouraged me to call the office and make an appointment for a check up. I was terrified to eat anything for the next couple of days. I decided then and there that I had to change something or I would get to the point of no return. First thing I did was cut back on how much I was eating, cut out all sodas, regular and diet. The only thing I drank was water. I kept my appointment with my doctor. He took me off of metformin and put me on janumet. I weighed in at 280+lbs. I started taking my readings faithfully every morning before I ate breakfast and in the evenings before I ate dinner. I could see the difference in less than a week. My readings were less than the target amount every reading. I had to go back to the doctor a month later, but my regular doctor was on vacation, so I saw one of his colleagues. When the nurse weighed me, the scale said 262. I asked her what my weight was the last time I was there, she said 284. I was shocked I felt maybe the scale was wrong although I had been weighing myself at home. I thought that my scale was wrong. Well the doctor was flabbergasted that I had lost over 20lbs in a month, so he weighed me again. Took my coat off this time and the scale said 259lbs. He said whatever I was doing to keep it up. I left out of there with a renewed sense of accomplishment. At that time I wasn't exercising at all so I added that to my routine. I started Leslie Sansone's Walk away the Abs, doing 1 mile every other day for about 2 weeks. Then I moved on to the 2 mile. I also did an aerobics dvd from Prevention. Blood sugar readings never greater than 130 now, staying between 94 and 127, no matter when I take it. I went to see my regular doctor in March and I weighed in at 250 so I lost about 30lbs in 3 months. I have never been known to finish anything I start so there are some people who don't think I will keep it up but I feel in my heart that I am finally ready to make this change. This isn't a diet for me, it is a way of life. I am not following any diet plan, I am just tailoring what I like to fit into my plan. I have cut down on fast food by 95%. I might have fast food, once a month. I also watch my intake of sweets, which I love. I don't have much of a will power when it comes to sweets, so I make sure they are not in the house and I keep my distance from the snack machine at work. I normally eat cereal for breakfast and a piece of fruit. I know what kind I should eat but to keep on track with that, I eat the ones I like, which unfortunately are the sweet ones. I have a snack a couple hours after I eat breakfast, usually a fiber bar or more fruit or a 100 calorie snack of some kind. I always make sure that I take to work exactly what I am eating for that day. That insures that I don't do any stress eating or mindless eating. Lunch is usually a frozen low calorie meal or leftovers or a sandwich using bread tops that are 100 calories for 2 slices. I limit my fluids to water, Fuze slenderize drinks, low fat milk and tea. I have another snack a couple hours after lunch. Dinner is usually something I cook, normally not very low calorie, I just don't eat as much. I have a dessert of some type, skinny cow, popsicle or pudding. One day a week, usually on Saturday I eat whatever I want for one meal, within reason. I am now exercising at least 5 times a week. As of this morning, I am down a total of 40lbs with 60lbs left to go.
