Focused on HEALTH, but WOW. (LONG)

happieharpie

I have been here since the middle of March. I'm 68, but I've managed to stay fairly healthy until a year or so ago, when my blood sugars started entering the low 100's, and blood pressure began creeping into the 130/80 range.
I have an excellent internist (weighs probably 140 # soaking wet, and one day not long ago he insisted that I have a trial of Metformin.

The goal, he said, was to prevent me from wandering into higher blood sugars, and possibly, a little weight loss, since I was carrying 257 or so on a very fine boned 5'4" frame. So Metformin made me hungrier, my a1c was OK, I stopped taking it.

Next, the blood pressure, slowly s l o w l y inching up- a trial of blood pressure medication. I became a fat (i'm comfortable with the word) low blood pressured zombie, through trials of SEVEN medications. My doctor's threat? I had to take one of the meds until I got used to it, and get my BP down and keep taking the medicine.

I refused. He said I was in denial. End of appointment.

Fortunately for me, the next step was soul searching. Probably for the first time in my life, I confronted what my eating habits were doing to me. I began a massive online search, not for ways to lose 50#s over a long weekend, but for natural ways to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.

Probably for the first time in my life I didn't "..... start on Monday, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, Ramadan, Uncle Horace's birthday.......".

I went to the store, bought Hibiscus tea, egg whites, veggies for omelets, and unsalted mixed nuts, all foods that were likely to reduce blood pressure (but WOW, also were tasty and ultra nutritious!) and started the same night. I do no refined foods, no added salt, no sugar, no grain, no dairy. It works.

I designed 3 mainstream menus that I alternate through the week. Sometimes I eat the same food 11 nights in a row, FOR ME, predictable and monotonous works GREAT. I don't need variety or want it.

Now entering July, I've lost 22 pounds, my doctor is grinning from ear to ear, my husband's grin is even wider, and I'm weighing what I weighed 14 years ago, before my last bad gain.

I LOVE MFP because most of us here acknowledge our individual differences and address them. It has taken me FIFTY YEARS to develop the insights I have about myself, my eating, and my weight, but AT LAST I am seeing myself as a work in progress.

In FIFTY YEARS, I have never had three solid months without a single binge or crave. I step on the scale every Wednesday morning (ONLY!) and I like what I see. FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!

I don't do FB (long boring story), but believe me, as long as I can read your posts here, you are truly my Friends, and Companions In The Fight! May all be well with you!

prgirl39

Wow!! What an inspiration! Good for you! I have been diagnosed with diabetes 2 months ago and I am too doing this journey. It is not easy but totally worth it. This is our life!!

Thank you for sharing! I so needed to read this! I know I am not alone.

Good luck and health! We are all in this together. You are not alone. You are a fighter, warrior!

Thank you, thank you!

Since I started my journey I feel like I am back in school. I do my motivational thoughts, sit on my computer, come here, do my research and prepare for my day. Progress has been slow, but it is still progress. I feel much better physically and mentally and for me that is a plus. I have been an emotional over eater all my life. Now I feel I have control.

alglenn2013

Good for you! What an uplifting story!

Good luck and way to stand up to your doctor! Sometimes medication is not the answer to a problem, and some docs are so quick to pick up the prescription pad. You took control of your health and you succeeded. Way to go!

prgirl39

I wanted to add that my doctor did tell me that she would not give me any medication because all I needed to do was exercise and eat right. That gave me the push I needed to start making the changes in my life.

Good for you for standing up to your doctor!

huisfi

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!