Diabetes Health Type 1: These Simple Tips Helped Me Lose Weight
People keep asking me questions about my weight. “Whose diet are you doing?” my co-workers inquired. “Wow, you lost weight. I really like the new you” said a customer at work. “You look great. I don’t think you need to lose any more weight” remarked a sweet friend. It seems that people have noticed my 22lb weight loss, and they all want to know how I did it. There isn’t a big juicy secret, but there are some simple tips that help keep me on the right track.
The first thing is exercise. I’d be lying if I said it was possible for me to lose weight without exercise. I work hard to be healthy. I have lived with Type 1 diabetes for the past 21 years. I figured walking would be great for my circulation, heart, and blood sugars. I have gotten up at 5:30 in the morning since late January to get onto my treadmill before work. I keep doing it, despite my desire to stay in my soft sheets every morning when the alarm sounds. I make sure to walk at least 30 – 45 minutes, almost every day of the week.
I don’t go out to eat. My husband and I used to eat out at least three times a week. We decided to give it up to save money and our waistlines. We will treat ourselves to a special dinner at a restaurant for a birthday, but other than that, it is a rare occasion. It’s funny, now that I’ve been exercising and doing so well, I find myself choosing a healthier entrée when we do treat ourselves. A “cheat meal” isn’t so much of a cheat. I feel like I’d be cheating myself out of good health if I go too overboard.
We plan our meals. Every week before going grocery shopping, we decide what we’ll eat. Some weeks, especially when I have to work on the weekend, we take it easy and thaw something from the freezer that we made previously so that it will be an easy week. Many of our meals and snacks are low in carbohydrates. I also make sure to keep my portions on the smaller side. Our shopping list usually contains lots of fresh produce, cheese, eggs, nuts, unsweetened almond milk, and meat. We get low-carb tortillas for late night quesadilla cravings and a loaf of low-carb bread in case we find ourselves running out of meals, and we need to prepare a simple sandwich for dinner. These things save us from steering toward a drive-thru restaurant since they are quick and easy and guarantee that we always have something we can quickly prepare.
If I decide to eat carbs, I try to make sure it isn’t a high fat, high-carb item. Occasionally I will have a Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow ice cream bar. These bars are not low in carbohydrates, but they are small, low in fat and calories, and a nice change of pace. They don’t seem to upset my blood sugars with the right insulin dose, and they keep me from straying too far towards a cheat.
I bring snacks wherever I go, and not just because of my blood sugars. I don’t want to find myself hungry while I’m out and about. I know I’ll buy something I’ll regret later to scarf down. I also always want to be prepared for my lows, so I usually have some regular crackers or juice boxes handy.
Losing weight with diabetes is possible. It’s not easy for anyone to lose weight though it seems incredibly easy to gain at a scary rate. I found myself at my all-time highest weight the last few years, unable to budge. I knew I had to try something different. If you want to lose weight, I hope you’ll try some of the simple tips that helped me. It takes some work and dedication, but I feel so much better than I did, and I am so much happier being healthier.
