You Have Diabetes

Back in early December I went to the doctor for a check up because I hadn't been in over 2 years.  It was a Tuesday morning.  We did the normal check up stuff and then I had to go get some blood drawn for some tests.  No big deal.  Then, Wednesday afternoon I got a call from the Nurse saying I needed to take another blood test because they say something on my blood work.  She said, "Now don't freak out, but they think you have diabetes".  WHAT?!?  I did freak out.  I immediately went online and started researching diabetes and it's effects.  I decided right then and there that I had to change.  I didn't want to lose my eyesight or any limbs.

History
I have been fat my entire life.  I was always the biggest kid in school.  I learned to deal with it.  There were some nasty kids but mostly I wasn't picked on too much.  I learned to use humor to gain friends and get through life.  After High School I gained even more weight.  I was working during the day and going to school at night which meant that most of my meals were fast food.  I was 19, I could fix it later, right?  WRONG!

I ballooned to 510 lbs.  My Mom suggested we check out this place called The Wish Center.  It was a bariatric surgery center.  We went to an informative meeting, went through all the insurance hoops and finally I was able to start the process.  There were multiple sessions with a dietitian, therapist and doctors.  I had to set some weight loss goals before they would schedule my surgery.  I lost 30 lbs before my Gastric Bypass in June of 2003.

The recovery was tough.  I had to be on a liquid diet for 6 weeks, then soft foods for another 4 weeks.  I could only each about 1/4 cup of food at a time.  I had fantastic support from my Mom, Dad, Sister and extended family.  I completely changed how I ate and the pounds dropped off.  By December 2003, I had lost a total of 140 pounds.  I was feeling great.  I finished college and began looking for a more permanent job and a partner.  I found my partner in January of 2004.

Roger was amazing.  He was everything I wanted in a boyfriend.  The only problem was, he lived 70 miles away.  I began staying at his house for multiple days and in May of 2004, I moved in.  I was lucky that most of my job could be done over the computer so it was fine to move away.  But, I needed something else.  I worked odd jobs until I got a pretty good part time job in September which turned permanent and full time in March of 2005.  We were married on February 12th, 2005.  That's when the weight started creeping back up.

As a new wife, I wanted to please my husband so I made sweets, big dinners and treats.  I began to figure out ways around only eating the small amount of food and without the watchful eye of my support system, I totally sabotaged myself.  The weight crept back up without me really noticing until I finally did.  For the last 5 years, I just ignored it.  Until that phone call in December.

Wake Up Call
I guess I always knew that I needed to lose weight.  I just never found the time.  Or, I would try for a few months, get a little off track and then just completely derail.  So the call that I had diabetes flipped a switch in my head.  It was the motivation I needed to change my habits and get myself healthy.  My readings were borderline.  My Doctor wants my A1C to be below 6 and mine was 6.9.  My morning glucose/blood sugar was 133 and she wants me to keep it between 80 and 120.  There was 2 weeks before the call and my second doctor's appointment.  In that time I had lost 8 lbs.  That also was a great motivation to keep going on the path I was on.

Diabetic Diet
I immediately cut out carbs. I was eating vegetables, lean proteins and small amounts of fruit.  I cut off soda and caffeine completely.  I haven't had fast food for a month.  My wallet and my waistline are thanking me.  I began journaling my morning blood sugar and my food.  I joined MyFitnessPal.com and downloaded an app called OnTrack that helps me track my blood sugar.  I was eating awesomely.  I was eating vegetables at every meal and salads for lunch.  But, my blood sugar was completely erratic.

Here is an example:
7am:  1 tomato, 1 avocado, 4oz mozzarella cheese
12pm:  4 cups lettuce, 4 oz chicken, 2 tbsp oil & vinegar
5 pm:  chicken breast, sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and kale
The next morning, my blood sugar was 139.

8am:  6 oz sirloin steak, 2 eggs, 1/2 a tomato, 2 slices of whole wheat toast
1 pm:  6 oz chicken, 4 oz mozzarella cheese
6pm:  4 slices of thin crust chicken and spinach pizza
8pm:  3 bread sticks
The next morning, my blood sugar was 109.

I was getting super frustrated.  I didn't understand why on a day I ate so well that my sugar was high and on a day where I wasn't as good, it was lower.  After a week of this, I finally called the advice line of my medical facility for some help.  She explained to me that you need to have some carbs.  By me not eating any or very few carbs during the day, my body was making up for it by releasing extra glucose into my bloodstream to make up for the lack of carbs/glucose/sugar in my system.  I was harming my progress without even realizing it.

I am back on track and staying the course.  I will continue to update on my journey.  I will share what works for me and what foods I find helpful.  I am now in-taking between 25-45 carbs per big meal and no more than 30 for snacks.  I don't plan on weighing myself very often.  I am going on how I feel and how my clothes fit.  So far, I have much more energy and am able to actually do things after work without coming home and just laying around.  My next goal is to add some exercise into my routine.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask them here or you can message me.