I have lived with Type 2 Diabetes for longer than I’m willing to admit. Over the years I have tried all sorts of crap, that’s the only way to put it. I’ve taken several steps in the past few years that makes managing the diabetes easier. I’ve built my arsenal of supporters that include doctors, therapist, nutritionist, online community of support and I would say the most important my FRIENDS!
I am working with a pretty high A1C at the moment so the key is to make sure my nutrition is on point. It’s not perfect by any means but there is NO perfect 😉 I do my best. I’m a fairly emotional person and honestly its my strength and weakness at the same time. When it comes to diabetes it’s a major weakness. It’s extremely difficult separating my emotions from making food decisions. However with my team I was able to loose 50LBS in a little over a year.
I am still working hard on dropping weight. Some days it’s easy but others it’s a struggle, those are the days I lean on my team to keep pushing me. Recently I’ve asked myself what is the minimum I can do? Mine would be cardio/weights work out once a week and 40-60 minute lap swim also once a week along with walking daily. The weight has a lot of stress on the body and organs and I feel it. I’m constantly tried, never full and ‘always’ hungry.
Stress is also a major part of managing diabetes. This is the MOST difficult part of it all. Of course going to therapy is helping and I also picked up my favorite old hobby of painting. There is something so relaxing working with different colors on the canvas. I am a newbie to meditation but I try to do 5-10 minutes when I feel overwhelmed. Painting can be a time commitment so I do on occasion read fiction, it takes my mind away from the stress in my life. Type 2 diabetes is majorly affected by lifestyle and I feel like I’m doing as much as I can be. Of course I always feel like I can do more but in the long run I often backslide and gain weight back. I’m fine sticking with my minimums on days that are difficult. I’m only human!