When I was 19/20 years old I managed to drop about 30 pounds and kept it off for a couple years. After I married in 1981 I started gaining weight again, and the mid-80's saw me hit 200 plus. I started WW again and again and again (and I dabbled with TOPS and a couple other diets -- South Beach and The Four Corners Diet). My highest WW start weight was 275. My lowest start weight (after marriage - can't remember earlier numbers) was 225. The closest I came to getting under 200 pounds again was in 1996. I had lost 50 pounds and reached 202 lbs. ... I was almost there ... then I sabotaged myself and regained that 50 pounds and more.
In 2003 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and started taking my very first long-term medication. Previously I had only taken the odd antibiotic now & then. In 2004 I was diagnosed with diabetes and gained 2 new long-term medications. That was a bitter pill to swallow and I was in denial for a brief time. My success at controlling my high blood sugar comes and goes. Mostly it goes.
In 2005 my father died of a heart attack, which I knew was related to complications from his out-of-control diabetes. I knew I had to do something to prevent going the same path, but couldn't find the motivation to do anything about it. I did take my first stress test and was told my heart was fine.
Last year I had cochlear implant surgery to improve my hearing (I have a hereditary hearing loss) and my doctor insisted I take another stress test before the surgery. This time a problem was found. I had a blood flow problem and they wanted me to get an angiogram after I healed from my CI surgery. Well I dragged my heels and didn't get the angiogram until earlier this month (my CI surgery was in Sept. 2008 and I was healed by early Oct.). A "minor clog" was found, but the cardiologist said it wasn't blocking anything so nothing more needs to be done at this point, other than continue my high blood pressure med and cholesterol med (a new med I inherited last year). I was relieved, but at the same time worried about that "minor clog". I most certainly don't want it to get worse. So I decided to return to WW again.
January 20th I went to my first WW meeting in about 10 years. And I dragged my sister-in-law with me. My start weight was 254 lbs. I lost 4.8 lbs my first week and my current "official" weight is 249.2 lbs. On my home scale I've dropped a couple more pounds, but it won't be official until I step on the WW scale at meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3rd. My sister-in-law topped me by losing 5.8 lbs. We both got bookmarks on Tuesday, but only my SIL got a 5 lb star to put on it. I found out the stinker had been exercising, while I had been laying back awaiting my 2nd week when I would get my starting to move booklet. Serves me right for being lazy. Now I need to get busy and top her next Tuesday. ;~D
Last year I bought Dr. Richard Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution", but didn't read too far in it. I picked it up again the other day and I'm determined to get through it. His diet is very strict, but I've had success on a low-carb diet before (The Four Corners Diet). I lost 30 lbs in a couple months (9 pounds the first week!) and my blood sugar normalized. I wasn't on a nasty merry-go-round of too high or too low. After my initial success on 4 Corners back in 2006, I started backsliding when my mother-in-law's health circled the drain. It was a looong year and I packed that 30 lbs back on me. After my MIL began to get better I tried to restart 4 Corners, but couldn't find my earlier resolve to stick with it. Low carb is perfect for diabetics. The weight just fell off me, particularly in my tummy where type 2 diabetics tend to gain weight, and I felt more energetic, but it takes a huge commitment to stick with it. And until now I just couldn't find the motivation and strength to do it.
As strict as 4 Corners is, Bernstein is stricter. With 4 Corners I just stopped eating bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes and sweets. Bernstein doesn't allow any of those, and he doesn't allow fruit. With 4 Corners I got to keep tart apples and berries. It's going to mean a HUGE change in my diet, but my blood sugar situation is getting too scary. The way I can quickly swing between 250 (or higher!) and under 80 is harmful to my body, and I already have diabetic neuropathy. I don't want to acquire any more diabetic complications.
Usually I'll start to shake around 80 and I previously had never been under 72. Tonight when I left work (around midnight) I felt weird, but I wasn't shaking. Yet. I can't remember feeling that weird before, so as soon as I got in my car (that's when I began shaking) I tested my blood sugar. I freaked when I saw it was 52. I quickly sucked down some glucose tablets and waited several minutes before driving home. By the time I got home I was in the mid-90's and fine again. Normal blood sugar is between 80-100, and when I'm low-carbing I'm able to keep it in that normal range. No seesawing up & down. I need to do that again before I end up losing control of my car one day and wake up in the hospital. If I wake up at all.
So ... I'll still use the WW POINTS system, but I'll stop eating bread, potatoes, cereal, pasta, starchy vegetables, some milk products, sweets, and fruit. Losing fruit might kill me at first, but hopefully I won't miss it after awhile. And I will start taking a daily multivitamin and calcium+D to make sure I'm getting all needed nutrients.
No comments:
Post a Comment