Diabetic, Obese, too many meds and not a routine kinda gal

Mo11yT

I really need to get serious. I have so many meds to take daily that I feel like a pharmacy. I just started insulin and every day I say to myself to just do it and everyday when I get home, I say tomorrow. I have really great tools like mfp and fitbit site and work sites. I have an exercise bike and everyone at work seems to be on weight watchers except me. I know I need to do this. I just need to work on so much, I am overwhelmed. I also feel like a whiner. You are all inspirational. What finally did it for you????

JenMc14

Start small. Pck two goals and accolish them this week. After two weeks of making that a habit, pick two new goals. You can start by making a list of 10-20 goals and picking two new ones every other week or so. Start with things like switching caloric beverages for water (except milk) and logging food. The next week or so, weigh and measure food, take a 10 minute walk every other day. Slowly move to cutting calories and adding more exercise. In no time, you'll have some nice habits and be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

You may want to also talk to a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes counseling to get some ideas of how to portion your meals to control your sugars.

healthygreek

My motivation was firstly my health. My LDL was too high. Someone close to me had blocked heart arteries and had to undergo getting 3 stents. As I was getting older, I knew I wanted the healthiest life possible for me. I did lose weight and now have normal LDL without the use of drugs-just by eating well and exercise alone.
I understand that diabetes negatively effects heart, eyes, blood pressure, skin etc. For me all this would cause me to seriously consider changing my lifestyle and I hear you are ready to make some positive changes. Don't wait till you damage your health irreversibly. Please love yourself enough to start making the changes necessary to improve your health. A very dear friend of ours lost his life last year in his early 60s. He waited a little too long to begin changing his lifestyle.
Living a healthy, strong life is great motivation for you.
You don't need to starve yourself you just need to change what you put in your body and start moving your body.

saraemart

One day at a time. I fall off the diet, exercise thing all the time but the important thing is to get back on. I agree with starting small. My steps where to get off the bus one stop before my stop and walk. Then I started walking 6 blocks to catch the bus versus right outside of work. Next I added in a 30 minute walk during lunch. I do have to admit though that I've had a bad month and now have to start over but that's ok.

JaceyMarieS

What finally did it for me was a diabetes diagnosis. I started eating "better" the next day, did some research (Bloodsugar101.com is a GREAT resource for diabetics! ) and decided that low-carb/high fat was going to be my new lifestyle. Once I lost a bit , I started to exercise.

Feeling better became its own reward

YolieCreator

My husband and I have been trying for 4 yrs for our second child. I haven't been to a doctor, but feel my weight is a big factor. Wanting another baby and my risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes is what is pushing me to lose the weight. I am hoping to lose about 120 lbs total. If you can get in to see a nutritionist or see your doc they can better guide you on what goals you should be setting for yourself. Good luck!

My advice is to start with one or two things at a time and be sure to make yourself. If you make it a habit it will become more natural to you over time

Vdoll1981

I feel you, honey! I'm right there with you. Getting that diagnosis of diabetes is what threw me over the edge. I cried all that night, and freaked out because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to eat anything I liked, and pretty much threw a tantrum for the first few weeks. Then I went to some diabetes management classes that my health insurance sponsored, and it really, really helped. I learned the importance of keeping carbs in your diet, because that's what regulates your blood sugar. I learned the importance of the right protein and in the right amounts, and I learned that everyone is going to struggle with it but you have to keep pushing forward.

Being on this site and forcing myself to track has made it much easier, and I can manage my carbs and directly link them to my blood glucose and how I feel. And after hearing how much exercise can drop your blood sugar, I picked that up as well.

It's scary. It's hard. It feels like you're having to completely uproot your life and that your only option is to eat nothing but lettuce all day. It's not that bad. You can get to the point where you're having more energy, where you enjoy what you eat, where you know what to eat to make you feel better, and where you find your happiness again.

You can do it.

heywithers

The simplest advice I can give you is to not even think about the excuses not to. When they pop in your head think of something totally different and just start making changes as if you have no other choice. It's really not as hard as your brain is trying to convince you.

neandermagnon

Start small. Pck two goals and accolish them this week. After two weeks of making that a habit, pick two new goals. You can start by making a list of 10-20 goals and picking two new ones every other week or so.

You may want to also talk to a registered dietician who specializes in diabetes counseling to get some ideas of how to portion your meals to control your sugars.

^^^^ this

focus on one thing at a time, and also try to focus on building new habits and routines. It will be a lot easier in the long term if you get yourself into good habits you can stick to than if you're relying on willpower and determination constantly. you say you're not a routine kind of a person, but everyone has habits and routines, e.g. get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed, eat breakfast... that's what i mean... for example if someone's in the routine of reaching for stuff like cocopops for breakfast, change that routine to eating eggs or a more healthy kind of cereal - make sure it's a breakfast that you enjoy though!! Self torture does not work. Just one example... another could be walking to work instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift... these things become habit after a while, e.g. you get in the building and automatically go up the stairs instead of automatically pressing the lift call button.

Start by changing small things, then you can add more things as you go along, like going to an exercise class or even starting doing strength training (there are many benefits to this), or making other healthy food substitutions or taking a healthy packed lunch to work instead of eating in the cafeteria. With the MFP food diary, you can start just by tracking your food (i.e. not worrying about calories etc to begin with) and then you can get a good idea of what eating habits you need to change... it can be really illuminating and the big advantage of counting calories is you know when you have calories left over for food that's considered less healthy, so it's not like you even have to give up any foods that you really love, you just learn how to fit them into your calories while making sure your body's getting the nutrition it needs...

if all this seems overwhelming at first, don't worry, that's why it's best to just focus on one or two things at a time, make them habit, then add the other things bit by bit as you go along, and it seems a whole lot easier than trying to do everything all at once... and before too long you're in a much healthier lifestyle and seeing the lbs slowly go away. (slow and steady fat loss is the healthiest and most sustainable, always remember that and avoid fad diets and anything that promises rapid weight loss like the plague.... the body burns fat slowly, if you lose weight too quickly then most of it won't be fat)

dpollet2

When I started back up again, the first week all I did was log my food. I didn't change a thing about what or how much I was eating. That is a real wake up call! Plus it makes it easier to see what small changes you can make the next week.

Mo11yT

Well, I gotta start sometime in earnest. I was sick to my stomach for past few days. Today, I ate the half peanut butter sandwich on ww bread and celery and carrots. Tonite... who knows, fish maybe with something. gonna rain so I will stationary bike it tonite.

Yukongil

it's no biggie...really. It is just a series of small life changes. Move more, eat less crap.

When I was diagnosed back in August with diabetes, I was in the hospital from an out of control infection in my leg and had and A1C of 12.7. I took it serious from then on, made little changes; stopped drinking what few sugary drinks I did have (the occasional root beer, or sweet tea with dinner, juice, etc..) replaced them with water or non-sweetened versions, cut back on the starches, made better food choices when it came to the carbs I did eat. Even snuck in a treat or three along the way. But I counted everything, walked or weight trained at least 3 times a week, and in two months after my first disastrous A1C, my next blood test showed it at 6.8!

Now, not to make light of it, as I've slipped, slacked off or what have you, it starts and ends with you and your desire. You can give up and throw in the towel and you'll suffer because of it (trust me on this, I'm paying for it now), or you can start each day anew with the goal in mind of not letting it beat you. Win or Lose the next day is a new battle, but you have to start if you hope to win the war.