- Messages
- 1,594
- Type of diabetes
- Family member
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
Here is my diabetes journey over the last eight months.
My name is Yoland Howden, I am a retired Primary School teacher and I will be sixty later this year. I am divorced with two grown up children. I have just started up my own interior design business. I also show my West Highland White Terriers.
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes on 8th October 2013. I had been feeling unwell for a long time prior to diagnosis, exhausted, low energy levels, sweet food cravings after eating a decent meal, night sweats, raging thirsts, frequent urination especially at night and finally an optical disc haemorrhage. Family nagged me to go and see my GP as they were so worried about me.
Diagnosis was a real kick up the butt, I weighed 12 stone 11lbs and at only 5ft 1 inch tall I was morbidly obese with a BMI well over 30. I've been overweight for more than ten years but my health had taken a huge downward spiral in the space of twelve months. Because I felt so poorly and had no energy I stopped doing any exercise, a vicious cycle. My GP put me on Metformin and sent me on the DESMOND course to educate me on the disease and help me with correct nourishment, I found this extremely useful.
I joined Weight Watchers the same week and applied for the twelve weeks free vouchers through the area health authority ... it took a while as the scheme is new and no-one seemed to know much about it! I found being part of a group of fellow weight watchers enormously supportive; our leader, Emma Tromans, makes the meetings fun and I've made so many new friends through staying to the meetings.
This week at WW I weighed in at 8 stone 12.5lbs, that's a whopping 54.5lbs gone forever! I haven't weighed 8 stone something since just after giving birth to my son nearly 35 years ago!
I saw my GP on Tuesday and because of the weight loss my HbA1c levels are now 5.6 and within normal range, so my body is functioning normally again.
He has taken me off the Metformin and I am now diet controlled.
I have turned my I eating habits on their head! I eat about seven times a day, three small main meals and three or four healthy snacks. My main meals are mainly protein and loads of fresh veg, no potatoes only sweet potatoes, followed by fresh fruit. My snacks are fruit and nuts and oatmeal biscuits. I don't eat any butter or full fat cheese, I only use olive oil. I eat only 0% fat or very low fat dairy products. I have also stopped drinking alcohol, not that I was a huge drinker!
I walk my dogs regularly and go to the gym too. I am actively busy all day long either working or gardening. I have so much energy now, I even surprise myself at my output! This is now a way of life for me, no going back to what I used to do. I hope this helps other sufferers of this terrible disease and maybe gives others hope that with discipline and determination they too can beat diabetes!
My name is Yoland Howden, I am a retired Primary School teacher and I will be sixty later this year. I am divorced with two grown up children. I have just started up my own interior design business. I also show my West Highland White Terriers.
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes on 8th October 2013. I had been feeling unwell for a long time prior to diagnosis, exhausted, low energy levels, sweet food cravings after eating a decent meal, night sweats, raging thirsts, frequent urination especially at night and finally an optical disc haemorrhage. Family nagged me to go and see my GP as they were so worried about me.
Diagnosis was a real kick up the butt, I weighed 12 stone 11lbs and at only 5ft 1 inch tall I was morbidly obese with a BMI well over 30. I've been overweight for more than ten years but my health had taken a huge downward spiral in the space of twelve months. Because I felt so poorly and had no energy I stopped doing any exercise, a vicious cycle. My GP put me on Metformin and sent me on the DESMOND course to educate me on the disease and help me with correct nourishment, I found this extremely useful.
I joined Weight Watchers the same week and applied for the twelve weeks free vouchers through the area health authority ... it took a while as the scheme is new and no-one seemed to know much about it! I found being part of a group of fellow weight watchers enormously supportive; our leader, Emma Tromans, makes the meetings fun and I've made so many new friends through staying to the meetings.
This week at WW I weighed in at 8 stone 12.5lbs, that's a whopping 54.5lbs gone forever! I haven't weighed 8 stone something since just after giving birth to my son nearly 35 years ago!
I saw my GP on Tuesday and because of the weight loss my HbA1c levels are now 5.6 and within normal range, so my body is functioning normally again.
He has taken me off the Metformin and I am now diet controlled.
I have turned my I eating habits on their head! I eat about seven times a day, three small main meals and three or four healthy snacks. My main meals are mainly protein and loads of fresh veg, no potatoes only sweet potatoes, followed by fresh fruit. My snacks are fruit and nuts and oatmeal biscuits. I don't eat any butter or full fat cheese, I only use olive oil. I eat only 0% fat or very low fat dairy products. I have also stopped drinking alcohol, not that I was a huge drinker!
I walk my dogs regularly and go to the gym too. I am actively busy all day long either working or gardening. I have so much energy now, I even surprise myself at my output! This is now a way of life for me, no going back to what I used to do. I hope this helps other sufferers of this terrible disease and maybe gives others hope that with discipline and determination they too can beat diabetes!
