Type 2 diabetes diagnosis: 6 months later
The last six months since my diagnosis have been a tale of two halves:
The first three months I was so freaked out by the diagnosis that I was eating the perfect diabetic diet: A lot of salad and vegetables, lean proteins, low carbohydrates and very little sweets. My blood sugar numbers quickly improved.
The second three months however have been more exploratory: how much can I get away with? How many sweets can I let back into my life without going overboard? What are the trade-offs?
I have dieted many times in my life and know that I can observe a strict regime for a while. I also know there’s a certain point where you begin to lose your willpower if you’re not eating at least some of the things you love.
A popular nutrition technique for diabetics involves drawing an imaginary line down the middle of your plate. The half to the left of the line should be all greens, salads and vegetables. The other half of the plate, on the right, is divided in half horizontally—with a lean protein in the top quarter and a low-glycemic carb like sweet potatoes in the bottom quarter.
I have found the perfect diabetic dinner to be grilled salmon with a salad and vegetables. I say “perfect” because I’ve found, via the blood glucose monitor, that I can also add on a cup of frozen yogurt and still hit acceptable blood levels two hours after the meal.
Perversely, the successes I’ve had—based on the blood-sugar readings—have let me fall back into some bad patterns. No, I don’t eat the whole carton of Haagen-daz in one sitting, as in days of yore—but I will eat half of it. But not that often.
I am very proud, however, of a lifestyle change I’ve made with the help of an iPhone app and an exercise buddy. I am walking: I walked 55 miles in November; 75 miles in October; 85 miles in September ( I did a lot of hoofing on vacation in Montreal); 65 in August; 55 in July.
I am a goal-oriented person. I want my gold star for performance. Having a GPS walking app that tracks my total mileage makes it more fun for me. I set a goal each month and try to hit it. It’s a little colder now, so it’s not realistic to shoot for as many miles as during the summer. Having a walking buddy helps you commit to getting out of bed on lazy weekend mornings; I highly recommend it.