Partway there! Diabetes and lifting progress (pics)

*Edit -- I have no idea how to resize pics linked this way to keep them from being cut off, but they can all be seen here:
http://imgur.com/a/dwjao **

I'm a type 2 diabetic. I've never in my adult life been at an "ideal weight," but at one point I was very active, training 6 days a week in martial arts, and down to 180 lbs and a size 12 in jeans. (I'm 5'8" and carry a lot of muscle on my legs.) Most importantly, my diabetes was entirely controlled by diet and exercise. Due to a lung infection, I was unable to exercise for many months, so my activity level plummeted, and I became depressed and my eating habits got worse. The weight I gained put such stress on my body that when I recovered from the infection and decided to start out slow and easy, just walking at 2 mph on a treadmill while watching a couple of TV shows, I woke up the next morning with two swollen ankles, one of which was fine in a few days and one of which was actually sprained.

A few months later I tried again, taking very short walks this time, gradually increasing time and distance. Plantar fasciitis reared its ugly head. If you're not familiar, think shin splints but on the arches of your feet. I got custom orthotics, had cortisone injections in my heels (7 times over about a year and a half), had to use crutches for awhile, and actually had a handicapped parking permit for well over a year.

Pretty much the only pictures taken at the heaviest I got were with my grandson -- I didn't care how I looked, he's the one that mattered! SO cute! :oD Though there's a vacation one, too, at Universal Studios. Couldn't resist having a Blues Brothers pic!

247 lbs:




~240 lbs:




I discovered MFP and logged now and again, but usually fell off the wagon. I found that I could ride a stationary bike if I used hard-soled shoes (Vibram Fivefingers were/are my mainstay... the first day I put them on, I was able to put the crutches in a corner!!!), though only for about 10 minutes at a time before either my feet or my core would start to hurt. I lost a little.

~235 lbs:



~230 lbs with the 5-month-old cutie:



Then last September, I learned that my A1C (the test for diabetics that indicates average blood glucose control over the previous 3 months) was as high as it had been when I was first diagnosed: 8.5. Normal is below 6.0. My doctor started me on an injected medication, Byetta, as a last measure to try before resorting to insulin -- once you're on insulin, it's nearly impossible to get back off again. I experienced severe side effects from the Byetta, becoming so nauseated I couldn't eat at all in the morning, and instead of taking the shots twice daily I only took the morning one so I would be able to eat *something* later in the day. I pretty much felt like I had the flu all the time... and I was lucky to force 1200 calories into me in a day, and my BMR is 1850!! Not healthy, not fun, but some of the weight came off which afforded my poor feet some respite. Then he switched me to Bydureon, the once-weekly form of Byetta, and the side effects subsided. I decided to ride the wave of pure relief and pour it all into turning this around. I put major areas of my life completely on hold so I could dedicate my time to reshaping my relationship with food. Key for me was the Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies, which was so remarkable that I bought the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies. I tested before every meal, one hour after, and two hours after for several weeks to see how the foods I typically ate affected me and how the style of eating recommended in the book affected me. Mid-September was when I changed my eating. I logged and weighed everything. I was up to about 1500 cals/day and slowly increasing, and had begun measuring, when my granddaughter was born in October.

~220 lbs

(inches)
Bicep: 14.5
Chest: 42
Waist: 40
Hips: 46
Belly: 46.5
Thigh: 27



And it was October, so....



I worked hard on sticking to the principles I'd learned, on how to accomodate treats without spiking my blood sugar, overeating, or feeling guilty. I knew from my research I'd get the best long-term benefits from lifting weights, but was worried about my feet. My doctor agreed it would be ok for me to start lifting if I got my weight down to around 200 lbs. I read Starting Strength twice in my eagerness. I rode the stationary bike in front of the TV as long as I could, then when I was up to about an hour at a time I started mixing a little bit of walking in. When I could walk in the backyard for 90 minutes while talking on the phone, I began Couch 2 5K (LOVE Zombies, Run! -- it's fantastic!) and made it to week 6 before giving it up because it was finally time to start lifting (although I did actually run a very slow 5K race lol).

In December, I hit 206, which was halfway to my goal of 165. That's not a real goal, it's just a number I picked because I needed to pick one. Really, my goal is about 20-22% bodyfat.

I went shopping for size 16 jeans and some new tops....

~206:
December measurement (October measurement)
Bicep: 13.9 (14.5)
Chest: 40.1 (42)
Waist: 36.6 (40)
Hips: 43.5 (46)
Belly: 44.2 (46.5)
Thigh: 25.8 (27)



A side-by-side of progress from April 2012 (237 lbs) to December 2012 (206 lbs):



Unfortunately, I threw away the size 24 jeans too soon. I kept one of each other size, though, so this pic ranges from size 22 to size 16:



And a classic pose in the old size 22:




In January, I was finally able to begin lifting. I was so nervous about my feet and other previous injuries that I made my trainer start me out with an empty 9 lb. bar to work on squat form instead of the 45 lb. Olympic bar. By now, I'd increased my calories to maintenance (oh yeah, I have a Fitbit to help me get a better sense of how much I actually burn in a day in non-lifting activity), which is 2300 on non-lifting days and ~2700 on lifting days, depending on the workout. I knew I needed to spend time eating at maintenance to recover from all the time spent eating below my BMR. It made such a difference -- I don't feel sick and weary all the time anymore. And it allowed me to make the most of beginner gains in lifting, which is important to me because I want to be strong, able to lift and swing grandchildren without fear of self-injury!!!

The day before I began lifting, I took a set of pictures in the most unflattering, tight workout clothes I owned (which I used to wear when I was smaller lol) so that every bulge would show and I would be able to see progress. A few days ago, I took another set. Same clothes, same flat, unflattering poses, lighting as similar as I could manage given that it was in the backyard.

My weight in these pics is essentially THE SAME. I've been eating at maintenance up till the past couple of weeks, when I began eating at a slight deficit.

Left sides are from January, at 205 lbs. Right sides are from April, at 203 lbs.








April measurement (December measurement<--October measurement)
Bicep: 12.2 (13.9<--14.5)
Chest: 38.6 (40.1<--42)
Waist: 35.2 (36.6<--40)
Hips: 41.4 (43.5<--46)
Belly: 41.9 (44.2<--46.5)
Thigh: 24.7 (25.8<--27)


I no longer shop in the women's section, and I'm comfortable in size 14 jeans. And where once I needed crutches to get around, I can now do this!!!!!







My current best lifts: bench 125 (paused), squat 230, deadlift 285

Best of all, my A1C was down to 6.2 in November and I'm down to only one oral med for the diabetes. My doctor expects I'll be able to go off medication completely within another few months!!!