Before and Since

Before

and since

"Before and After" are the usual conjunctives, but this chapter of my journey isn't yet over; so, I'm naming this post "Before and since".  

My physician told me in early 2010 I had to lose 18 pounds in two months (by the end of June) or start taking insulin pills for my pre-diabetic condition. I'd tested with a fasting glucose twice in the past year, and both times I was borderline-diabetic or what is called pre-diabetic.  Long story short, not good.  Not good for me, nor for my major organs, my  eye-sight or blood pressure, and not good for my pocketbook.  Speaking of blood pressure, I had also been on high blood pressure pills for about three years.  

In 1996, a major work-related depression and ptss took me from my normal 140 pounds down to 118.  A year of therapy-and-drugs later, I weighed in at 150.  By early 2010, I was fluctuating around 181-187 pounds.  See "Before" above.  Not a pretty sight.

The end of May, 2010, I started on a diabetic diet.  Simply put, you eat no more than 30gms of carbs plus one protein every two-to-three hours during the day.  Drink six to eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day.  I limited myself, but didn't totally deny myself, of sugar-foods and snacks.  What little I did allow, I measured no more than 1/4 cup with a measuring cup.  And no more than once a day, if that.  Exercise during the summer was easy...I worked up to three mile walks in an hour from one-mile in an hour, bought a bicycle and rode that, and worked out at the gym three times a week alternating what machines I used.  I gradually kept increasing the exercise by either doing it faster, longer or with something heavier.  

I took up dancing...alone, in my apartment, as much as possible, combining exercise moves and stretches with dance.  I turned off the TV and stopped lazing around, and turned on music and started dancing around.  MOVE.  Move.  Just move. 

I wrote down everything I put in my mouth, so that I could look back and know what worked and what didn't during any week-period.  It was also my way of monitoring myself, because I know I'm my own worst enemy.  My belief is that the happier I became as a person, the easier it was for me to take care of just me, and that's made all the difference in the world.

Six months later I'm 23 pounds lighter (lost another pound in the last week or two, for those of you who last heard "22 pounds lost!" from me a couple weeks ago).  I am off the high blood pressure pills completely and maintain normal pressure.  I typically weigh myself about once every two to three weeks, choosing instead to concentrate not on weight-loss but on health.  I did measure my body at four points at the beginning knowing that if I did this right, my size would decrease as muscles developed and fat disappeared.  Those measurements were/are:

The dates are 6/1/10 - then 9/1/10 - and today 1/1/11

Right upper arm:  14 1/4" - 14" - 13"

Waist:  39 1/2" - 38 1/2" - 36 1/2"

Hips:  47" - 43 1/2" - 41 1/2"

Right Thigh:  26 1/2" - 24" - 23 3/4"

I'm truly happy with what I've accomplished so far, but I have a long way to go, thus the "since" instead of the "after".  I'm not at my AFTER point, yet.  This food-management will always be a continuing part of my elder-care now.  :)  However, it's not hard at all anymore, and I still manage to have my McDonald's Mocha Frappe at LEAST once a week! 

I have tried lots of diets before and never was able to lose weight, including doing exercise.  This diabetic diet plan seems to work for me, and I'm happy to share it with any of you.  If you want a copy of my diet plan (including sample weeks of what I ate), just send me an e-mail request.