When I was first told I had diabetes in 1994, I was
already on the way to tremendous weight gain and poor eating and exercise
habits. I hated exercise with a passion! I thought I got plenty while walking
the halls as a nursing supervisor; but I was wrong.
Once I made up my mind that I needed to add
"real" exercise to my daily routine along with keeping track of what
I ate, I set out to accomplish my combined goal of acceptable blood sugar
(glucose) levels and exercise. Little did I realize how the two actually were
co-related. (Yes, even nurses sometimes fail to realize the two are somewhat
co-dependent.)
I began by simply walking around the block slowly every
evening after supper. It took a lot of discipline just to do that! But I
persisted. After a few weeks, I added a second block. Then, every three weeks,
I added another block until before I knew it, I was walking a mile every night!
Soon I found myself waking up an hour and a half earlier
and adding a short walk before my shower. I also found I could keep adding more
distance in the evening. I began to challenge myself to see if I could walk the
distance in a shorter time. I became adept at creating "games" to
walk to -- such as: how many steps does it take to go around one block; or how
many cracks in sidewalks from one spot to another. I was having fun!
So, I got on the scale the other day to discover that in
a little over a year I have lost 63 pounds! Now I am doubly motivated. I only
have 60 more to reach my ideal weight of 138 pounds! You know what? I think I
will make it, and when I do I won't stop walking.
My blood sugars are coming down right along with my
weight. I used to average 160 - 170 before meals and had to take insulin along
with my oral medication. Today, I only take the insulin if my blood sugars get
above 150 in the two hours after meals. It hasn't been the easiest thing to do,
because I really had to change my eating habits along with all the walking; but
together the eating and exercise changes to my daily routine have done wonders
for both my weight and my attitude about diabetes.
Now I am asked by doctors and even people at the local
fitness center I recently joined to talk to other diabetics about what I've
done to take and stay in control. I'm not the only person who has ever gained
control and I won't be the last. Everyone has the potential to do it. It takes
determination, stick-to-it-ness, and learning to tell others "NO!"
when they try to sway you into cheating or not exercising. In the end, the
rewards are much greater than that initial feeling of sacrifice.
Just do it!
Jerry F
Canton, TX
132557