First diary here. I am sure that there is a whole lot of stuff that will occur to me right after I push the go button that I will wish I had included. Since I cannot wait to find out what those things are...
I can't guarantee to any of you that you can be diet controlled, but that's not the ultimate goal. I don't think that it needs to be, but you must give it your best shot. My advice is probably best suited to those of you who've been recently diagnosed. Personally, I spent nearly 5 years on Glucophage XR before I finally got my shit together. I am not suggesting that getting your shit together is all you need to do to accomplish your goals. That was what i needed. Your mileage may vary.
I'm no expert, and I expect to get as much out of this as you do. I'm not trying to usurp the authority of your physician. What they say definitely has top priority.
Please keep in mind that I'm not speaking to you specifically. I don't know you. So I'm going to make some broad generalizations:
1.You're obese.
2.You're lazy.
3.You're stubborn and you don't like being told what to do.
So, that makes this all the harder to deal with. My doctors husband, also a doctor, is a type 2 diabetic. She says that it is as difficult to motivate him as any of her patients. Knowing better doesn't seem to make any difference. She has told me that out of hundreds of patients and 3 decades of practice I am her only diet controlled type 2 diabetic. This is a person who is not subject to hyperbole. She calls me a miracle. I call me a fighter. I am not going to go out on my knees.
There is only one reason I weighs 180 pounds, and that is because I've lost half of my body weight. As far as I'm concerned, there is only one effective way to lose the weight that you must lose, and then keep it that way. You must exercise. A lot. It took me years but I finally achieved my goal in '06. Now I'm diet controlled. No medication. I took myself off of meds, not my doctor (This is something that I do not recommend you try, always consult). When my doctor asked why, I told her that for me it was a crutch. Risky? You bet. But risky behavior got me here. After quitting the meds, I did not dare to not get it right. Big pharma would like to keep you on the hook, they run TV ads with happy fat people in the kitchen--eating for gods sake! I realize that for most of you drugs like Glucophage are a godsend, and that you may never get away from them, that is O.K., but at the least you can try to minimize your need.
I've heard all of the 'soft' advice from knowing physicians/experts about brisk half-hour walks three times a week. No! You must engage in heavy aerobics every day. Every day, no days off, no holidays, and no bullshit. I worked out on Christmas day. I tell you that it should be at least one hour every day. Better yet, two. No, I'm not kidding. If at the end of an exercise session you can't peel your shirt off, throw it against the wall and have it stick then you're not working hard enough.
I think that a better name for type 2 diabetes would be 'Fat Bastards Disease'. Ironically, the nature of type 2 diabetes is that the 'cure' is behavior which is the opposite of what got you into this situation in the first place. You must obsess. You will have to change the person that you are at the most basic level, it's your only chance. Every bite, every breath, and every drop of sweat has to mean something to you. Obsess. Never let it go. Drive yourself nuts, drive everyone around you nuts.
Ask yourself: Do you have an enabler? Is a loved one still bringing home boxes of chocolates, pastry? Is Domino's knocking at the door? If so, it's time to get pissed off. Throw it in their face, take that pizza, toss it on the floor and say "There you go, you clean up the mess, you bastard."
Diet: I stopped eating meat. These days you don't know what is in it. Minimize the caffeine, diuretics only make it more difficult to lose weight. Don't eat high fructose corn syrup, don't eat hydrogenated oils, partial or otherwise. When I have toast I smear it with butter. Toss the margarine. If you think that you need 2000 calories a day then I would suggest that you eat 1400-1600 a day. Your goal isn't a BMI of 25, or whatever number you might find on a chart, your goal is to be skinny. Thin is in. You must get rid of all of that nasty visceral fat that is wrapped around your liver and pancreas. Make damn sure you're hungry when you do eat. Not peckish but stomach rumbling real hunger. Eat beans, legumes, nuts, whole grains, pasta, fruit, and vegetables. As Jack LaLanne said "If it tastes good, spit it out." If you don't know where you can get protein, other than from meat, then what the hell is wrong with you? You're reading this, you own a computer. If you need me to tell you then you aren't taking this seriously. Meat protein is not your friend, your kidneys are already on the ropes.
At 9am this morning my blood glucose was 84. I then breakfasted on a nice big bowl of my favorite cereal (Kirkland organic raisin bran, no corn syrup), which I measured at 102 grams of carbohydrate and 44 grams of sugar, with milk. Considerably more than a standard serving. I did this to prove a point. My blood glucose at 11am was 87 (no I didn't 'cheat' and exercise, I sat here typing this and scratching my 'nads). Why? Aerobics, pure and simple. I am 48 years old. My blood pressure before breakfast was 108/65, my heart rate 41. To me a bicycle ride is 30 miles on an MTB in top gear. A 'hike' is 2 or 3 hours, off trail, much of it vertical, in the buttes of central Arizona. When I do sit-ups, I do a thousand. When I work the heavy bag, I do it for an hour. When I go to bed at night, I wonder to myself: Did I do enough? Was I lazy? Will my resting heart rate be even lower when I get up? Will my glucose be in the eighties where it belongs?
I know what you are thinking: "Ganja, when the hell am I supposed to find the time for all of this exercise"? No excuses! Your energy levels will go up rapidly. I sleep 5 hours. When Sunday turned into Monday I was on a treadmill and Stairmaster at the gym.
Find yourself a piece of exercise equipment, Craigslist is great for this stuff. It is chock full of barely used equipment for pennies on the dollar. I know where you spend most of your time now. In that comfy chair where the T.V. Is located. That is where your exercise machine must go. The spare bedroom or attic or garage wont do, thats why the damn thing was barely used in the first place. If you don't have to walk around it you will end up ignoring it. It needs to be right in the way. Let it dominate the room. Elliptical cross-trainers are highly recommended. But mix it up kiddies! Don't get hooked on just one form of exercise.
See a dentist! Periodontal disease will jack up your blood sugar.
Do not eat late! Nothing after 6pm.
Do eat six small meals a day. Glorified snacks are quite enough.
Be selfish, do this for you. Perhaps one of the biggest problems with type 2 diabetes is that it doesn't really manifest itself in your physical appearance so that your family may wonder "Why is he so angry? What the hell is with that guy?" Screw 'em. Shutting down my enablers has been one of the hardest things for me to do. Maybe if type 2 diabetes came with gaping pus-sucking wounds all over your face it would be easier, but that's just not so.
Whatever you do, don't give up. You'll backslide. Don't let that bother you. I am certainly not perfect. Keep on keeping on. Good luck. Now, I am off to one of my favorite play grounds, the Sullivan Buttes of Big Chino Valley. I look forward to hearing from you.