This week is my 1 year anniversary. It was a year ago that I was diagnosed as being in the very early stages of Type II diabetes -- which led to my change in lifestyle. So, I thought I would give little report.
I went on a low-carb diet and started exercising a little and lost about 30 pounds over 6 months. My blood glucose stabilized (with no meds) and my cholesterol numbers all improved. My doctor was thrilled with me. For months 6-9, I added back a few "healthy" carbs (whole grain stuff in small/moderate amounts) and lost another 5-10 pounds and my labs are still good. For the past 3 months, I have followed a low/moderate carb diet (but with only low glycemic index carbs) and increased my exercise. I haven't lost any more weight, but I've put on some muscle and my body is firming up a bit. I've hit a big plateau.
My goal for the next year is to maintain my current routines (and good lab work) and try to lose 1-2 pounds per month.
Clothes have become a major issue. I've lost 2-3 full sizes, depending on the specific item and brand. Even my feet are slightly smaller! Believe it or not, having to replace virtually all of my wardrobe has not been as much fun as I thought it would be. I hate spending all that money, knowing that I hope to be yet another size smaller next year. Also, I am now at an awkward size where it is hard to find a good fit. The large sizes are too big, but the regular sizes are made for taller people -- and most petite departments don't stock a lot of size 14's and 16's. So, I'm in-between the 3 different departments and struggling.
Today, I went and bought 2 new coats. It wasn't cheap, but all of my old coats are 2 sizes too big. I feel lucky that I found a couple that I can feel OK about at a reasonable price. One is a full length raincoat with a removable liner ... and the other is a short jacket/raincoat, also with a removable liner. Between the 2 of them, they should meet most of my needs. ... and I look real good in them!
So ... having been successful over this past year and met my goals ... I can say that it has been well worth the effort, but not all a bed of roses. Even success brings its challenges.
Good luck, everybody!
llg
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