I just have to brag!

[Dissie]

I have been dieting but not really...just making better choices. When I first joined this site I weighed over 200. Like 208 to be truthful.

I went to the Doc on thursday, had to refill my meds. Well I weighed 142 with shoes and clothes on! Now I know, I am still overweight, but thats a big reduction!

My doc was so proud, she said, I was her poster child for diabetes. I had type II due to my weight, but its gone and I am no longer on meds for it. My A1C was 4! Normal is a 7, so a 4 is wonderful! Means my bloodsugar for the last 90 days was extremely low! Due to my weightloss and exercise!

My cholesterol was a bit up, but not extremely, she said meds not needed, just to watch fried foods.

She lowered my blood pressure meds, she stated, I don't need them, but she wanted to wean by body off them. So very low dose now. Tiny pills!

I feel better, but would feel even better about myself if I got back to my high school weight. 25 pounds to go!

EDITED to add: My thyroid messed up and that is the main reason I gained to begin with, plus my eating didn't help, but now that my thyroid is under control, the weight is coming off and that is due to my diet and exercise!

[racrgal]

Congrats Dissie! You've done awesome!!!

Is your diabetes doctor also your thyroid doctor? If not, your thyroid doc may want to see you as well. Such a large weight loss can throw thyroid meds out of whack. Mine go "off" with a 5 lb fluctuation. Again CONGRATS on a healthier you!!!

[elsie]

That is fantastic, Dissie!!! I am so happy for you!

[Dissie]

Racr, its the same doc, and oddly no, my synthroid meds hasn't been changed. Just had blood tests done 5 days ago and all is well she says. ;) I might have to ask her about that. She wants to see me again in 2 mos to see if I am ready for high blood pressure meds to change again. Although, I do feel different somehow with the med change. Maybe that will go away this week.

[Kchurchill5]

What fantastic news. Yes ... diet and just mild exercise, along with healthy living can make such a difference. I have seen so many friends with type II that are NOW on NO meds like yourself. Just with diet and exercise.

I think it is fantastic!! Great job. My mom was type II later in life - age 55 or so. And Dad had Graves Disease (thyroid). So far, neither; but I do need to watch.

Congrats; and well done!

[racrgal]

Dissie, it's wonderful that your thyroid meds didn't go out of whack. I can sure tell when mine go goofy but then again, I've had every stupid complication imaginable.

Congrats again on a trimmer, healthier you!

[Dissie]

Thanks Ladies! I appreciate the comments.

It is so much harder the older you get to lose weight. I keep hearing how the older you get, how your appetite also gets less, well let me tell you, it isn't happening here! I just learned to replace it with healthier choices. And trying to eat less carbs-staying under 50 a day isn't that hard! ;) And if I go over, no big deal, I just try again the next day! I don't go crazy either and try to go less carbs the next day, just back on the wagon! (My main thing was pasta and now I replace with dreamfields and still can have pasta, just a smaller serving than I used to have of normal pasta) I just eat more of the salad, plus I get my pasta! I have never had a sweet tooth, so that isn't a problem. But I do love salty and thats not a great thing!

Anyway, thanks ladies and I feel so much better and also feel so much better about myself! I almost don't mind being in pics anymore!

[QueenBea]

I'm just reading this now. Dissie, that is awesome!!!!!! You go girl.... You have every right to brag ;)

[Shadows1]

I was 235lb (I am a guy) type II also. I went down to 165lb then for some reason I am gaining again, up to 200lb. I eat small portions and only 2 meals a day. My A1c is staying around 7.

I am proud of you for loosing the weight and keeping it off.

[Dissie]

Shadow, an A1C of 7 is good! Shows you are controlling it with diet!

The only reason mine is so low, is I don't eat sweets and I really watch my carbs. I drink diet sodas, nothing in my coffee, and water.

What has really helped me is my job. I walk lots at my job. I mean, lots. Probably 15 miles a day or more. My co-worker wore a pedometer and it said 22 miles one night. So, I am not exaggerating at all. I work in a factory, and I am a cart puller, which means, I wait for the workers to fill a pallet with the product and then its my job to pull it off the floor and encase it in plastic for the forklift drivers to carry to the warehouse. I have 10 machines I am responsible for, so I am constantly grabbing pallets and throwing down new pallets, back and forth, all day long! So, it really is the exercise of walking all day long at work that has helped me lose and keep the weight off. (We had a new girl start 3 weeks ago, and she was skinny to begin with, she has lost 16 pounds already.)

Shadow, maybe try watching carbs...Nothing hard, try 100 per day to start with and see how that works. I hardly eat bread anymore, but you know what? If I want a sandwich or a hamburger bun, I just have it for that day and then go back to not eating carby bread. They sell lowcarb bread and its not that bad. Honestly!Pretty good if you toast it and add sugarfree jelly! ;) I have been doing the lower carbs for so long, I don't even count anymore because I hardly ever go over 50 now, but in the beginning I did have to count. And I did the TOTAL carb count too, add carbs and sugars and then subtract the fiber.

Good luck to you and let us know how your progress is. Your A1C is good! You can be proud of that!

Also, have you had your thyroid checked lately? You might be gaining because of that.