Don't take your success for granted!

[MikeZ]

I was diagnosed T2 2 years ago and immediately took steps to take control of my health. I was lucky and reversed everything fairly quickly. I dieted diligently and exercised regularly. I almost viewed my diagnosis as a blessing. It forced me to make some changes. I lost 45 lbs. (3.2 stone) in the first year and I felt as if I had diabetes whipped. My HbA1c results were great! Three straight results of 5.7%

So then, life happened. I hurt my back and couldn't exercise for a month or so. Then our beloved chocolate lab, Bosco, died... and then the holidays came around.... and the kids moved back... and one left for college.... and on and on. In other words, just your basic challenges. The next thing I knew I had gained 2/3 of my weight back. My meter readings, (which I had not even bothered with for months), were back up... although not in the range that started all of this.

So why am I typing this? Because I learned something that I want to share. I know, without a shred of doubt, that I did not defeat diabetes. I merely controlled it. As soon as I stopped paying attention, I was back on the path to drugs and regular meter readings.

Not everyone can control and reverse their diagnosis. We can only make our best effort. I had some challenges but I also become complacent. If you are as fortunate as I and have the ability to take charge... do so, and don't stop doing so!

My current outlook is promising. I caught myself just in time to stop myself from giving up. My numbers, (and weight), are both moving down. It's clear to me that I need stay focused. It's not as if I knocked diabetes out and it is gone forever.

Mike

P.S. Just a little shout out to those that are not so lucky as those of us that can easily make life changes. I feel for you and wish you all the best. And to those of us that CAN easily make those changes... we really owe to those that can't to really put in the effort.

I will give you a strange analogy. I am bald. I would love to have a full head of hair. There are guys out there that shave their heads even though they have a full head of hair. In my mind, those guys can KMA. I hope that makes sense to some of you.

 

[Prem51]

Thanks for the warning @MikeZ, I know it's easy to think that you have beaten it and become complacent. I think I was heading that way too.
It's good that you have recognised this and are taking steps to get control back. At least you know you can do it.

 

[wiseowl_123]

Good morning @MikeZ my friend many thanks for your post,I can see how easy it would be to take recovery for granted and be over confident when I get the success that you have acheived in controlling my diabetes,much appreciated

 

[kittypoker]

Hi Mike. I'm borderline T2 and this is just the reminder to kick my behind in gear and try harder to avoid a diagnosis. Hubby is balding and refuses to shave the remainder. KMA indeed!

 

[connie104]

Hi Mike great post to remind those that have tamed their diabetes that it can be reversed back again .
I am in the position of "being in remission " as my doctor puts it and off medication and diet controlled, but I know I only have to revert to my old eating habits and I'm back to a full blown diabetic again . I feel it's like a hard job sometimes and takes a lot of self discipline but what's the alternative ? As diabetic complications are a lot harder to deal with .

 

[AtkinsMo]

The secret is, always have been, always will be, learn to love your new lifestyle fully adopt it and make it the norm, for ever! Learn to cook and eat gorgeous food that you love that fully complies with required dietary restrictions, totally embrace it, love the luscious things you can have and say goodbye to the other stuff for ever. It doesn't matter if you suddenly can't exercise if you are not doing a balancing act with carbs, just keep the carbs low and your 'readings' will stay low. Learn to comfort eat different things, a chunk of cheese and a pickle, egg mayonnaise, a spoonful of double cream, even with a pot of sugar free jelly if you must have something sweet.
I never, ever stray and I know I never will, no matter what the circumstances, because what I eat is what I love, no compromises, no cravings, no regrets, no desires for the things that made me ill! That is the key to long term success, find gorgeous low carb delights and stick to them!
Just read a review of Tom Kerridge's new book, that should make a good read and hopefully inspiring recipes. He doesn't call it LCHF, he calls it the 'Dopamine Diet' because he believes that the foods promote the feelgood factor and well-being, but looking at what he eats it's LCHF. This is the next one for my bookshelf.

"These are recipes that don't feel like diet food, and can be shared with friends and family. ... And lose weight the Dopamine Diet way. Thanks to his Dopamine Diet, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge has shed eleven stone over the past three years. That's the same as 70 bags of sugar."

 

[Brunneria]

Thank you.

We get a lot of success stories on here - and every single one of them is an awesome personal truimph - but I honestly believe that the real battle is the one that comes after that. The ongoing daily vigilant grind not to lapse, not to YoYo, not to give in to temptation too regularly.

Really it is just a question of embedding it into our lives so that it becomes habitual and instinctual, instead of needing constant 'rewards' and 'quick wins' like we got at the start. And avoiding complacency.

 

[ickihun]

I was diagnosed T2 2 years ago and immediately took steps to take control of my health. I was lucky and reversed everything fairly quickly. I dieted diligently and exercised regularly. I almost viewed my diagnosis as a blessing. It forced me to make some changes. I lost 45 lbs. (3.2 stone) in the first year and I felt as if I had diabetes whipped. My HbA1c results were great! Three straight results of 5.7%

So then, life happened. I hurt my back and couldn't exercise for a month or so. Then our beloved chocolate lab, Bosco, died... and then the holidays came around.... and the kids moved back... and one left for college.... and on and on. In other words, just your basic challenges. The next thing I knew I had gained 2/3 of my weight back. My meter readings, (which I had not even bothered with for months), were back up... although not in the range that started all of this.

So why am I typing this? Because I learned something that I want to share. I know, without a shred of doubt, that I did not defeat diabetes. I merely controlled it. As soon as I stopped paying attention, I was back on the path to drugs and regular meter readings.

Not everyone can control and reverse their diagnosis. We can only make our best effort. I had some challenges but I also become complacent. If you are as fortunate as I and have the ability to take charge... do so, and don't stop doing so!

My current outlook is promising. I caught myself just in time to stop myself from giving up. My numbers, (and weight), are both moving down. It's clear to me that I need stay focused. It's not as if I knocked diabetes out and it is gone forever.

Mike

P.S. Just a little shout out to those that are not so lucky as those of us that can easily make life changes. I feel for you and wish you all the best. And to those of us that CAN easily make those changes... we really owe to those that can't to really put in the effort.

I will give you a strange analogy. I am bald. I would love to have a full head of hair. There are guys out there that shave their heads even though they have a full head of hair. In my mind, those guys can KMA. I hope that makes sense to some of you.

I know how you feel.
My mum and sisters don't have diabetes. They take their health for granted!
I cannot walk without pain at mo.
Heart is being investigated too. So physio got me doing upper body stretches only.
I'm never going to get my mobility back, at this rate. I'm fighting it everyday but I keep getting chest pains to remind me - stop!
Don't take your good health for granted!!!

 

[ickihun]

Thank you.

We get a lot of success stories on here - and every single one of them is an awesome personal truimph - but I honestly believe that the real battle is the one that comes after that. The ongoing daily vigilant grind not to lapse, not to YoYo, not to give in to temptation too regularly.

Really it is just a question of embedding it into our lives so that it becomes habitual and instinctual, instead of needing constant 'rewards' and 'quick wins' like we got at the start. And avoiding complacency.

In my experience though.
We are only human, not robots so will always have bumps in the road. But definitely the right road to be on!!!

 

[Mbaker]

I have used and continue to use visualisation techniques. I see diabetes as the grim reaper. It tapped me on the shoulder at diagnosis, my response has been to metaphorically put as much distance between it and me. My tools are diet, exercise, willpower and family support.

But here's and example. My daughter cooked fajita wraps yesterday (white wraps). When I got in there were 2 for me still warm in the oven. At first I refused these, then I thought let me unwrap these, I ate the insides with the supplied crushed avocado and a few black beans - delicious. I then had some Greek yogurt with nuts and was rewarded this morning with my second lowest reading. Just need to keep doing this type of alternative for life; personally I am grateful this is an option.

 

[Enclave]

Guess I am lucky, most of the high carb foods I really don't like now, got an extra dog to walk with, and numbers still within the normal range without counting any carbs ... I changed my life style .. and going back to my old life style is just unthinkable for me.

 

[zand]

Great post - thank you @MikeZ

 

[CherryAA]

I have had great success over the last few months,both weight and blood sugar but as I set out in my post "analysing xmas", in only three days of looser control ( and in that case just lots of proteins) I managed to have a 1.5 mmol deterioration in daily average blood sugar with the freestyle sensor increasing to 8.1.
It certainly seems to me that "reversing" is not going to happen. However I can also see that as long as I do keep on measuring it, the rapid responses given by my meter will hopefully keep me on track. I liken it rather to my old dieting ways. There have been points in my life when stopped getting on the scales on a daily basis . I used to kid myself that even though I wasn't dieting per se, I was now " maintaining" of course whilst that might have been true for the first week, after that I was already on the path to regaining the weight at which point I did not want to look and find all my previous efforts had been wasted.

I feel like my resolve is being seriously tested at the moment especially on the diet front because no matter what I do I appear to be revolving around the same 2 kilos. However what is different is that despite this, I can see that I am still controlling my BS fairly well and that is what really counts.

 

[dawnmc]

I was diagnosed T2 2 years ago and immediately took steps to take control of my health. I was lucky and reversed everything fairly quickly. I dieted diligently and exercised regularly. I almost viewed my diagnosis as a blessing. It forced me to make some changes. I lost 45 lbs. (3.2 stone) in the first year and I felt as if I had diabetes whipped. My HbA1c results were great! Three straight results of 5.7%

So then, life happened. I hurt my back and couldn't exercise for a month or so. Then our beloved chocolate lab, Bosco, died... and then the holidays came around.... and the kids moved back... and one left for college.... and on and on. In other words, just your basic challenges. The next thing I knew I had gained 2/3 of my weight back. My meter readings, (which I had not even bothered with for months), were back up... although not in the range that started all of this.

So why am I typing this? Because I learned something that I want to share. I know, without a shred of doubt, that I did not defeat diabetes. I merely controlled it. As soon as I stopped paying attention, I was back on the path to drugs and regular meter readings.

Not everyone can control and reverse their diagnosis. We can only make our best effort. I had some challenges but I also become complacent. If you are as fortunate as I and have the ability to take charge... do so, and don't stop doing so!

My current outlook is promising. I caught myself just in time to stop myself from giving up. My numbers, (and weight), are both moving down. It's clear to me that I need stay focused. It's not as if I knocked diabetes out and it is gone forever.

Mike

P.S. Just a little shout out to those that are not so lucky as those of us that can easily make life changes. I feel for you and wish you all the best. And to those of us that CAN easily make those changes... we really owe to those that can't to really put in the effort.

I will give you a strange analogy. I am bald. I would love to have a full head of hair. There are guys out there that shave their heads even though they have a full head of hair. In my mind, those guys can KMA. I hope that makes sense to some of you.

I like bald men, Jason statham, Bruce Willis my partner. There are some women that couldn't care less about hair on heads.
But good point about being vigilant.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thanks for your story, very thought provoking.

I'm another that believes we can only control, not reverse. This requires vigilance and finding a sustainable way of doing it. Quick fixes rarely work in the long term.

It's also one of the reasons I don't believe we should use strenuous exercise as a way of bringing levels down. As time progresses, this type of exercise will diminish due to life, age, or whatever. Then it will be diet only, which may require a lot of tweaking once the exercise has lessened/gone.

 

[britishpub]

Thanks for posting @MikeZ

It's uplifting to hear the success stories, and great to see posters happy when they feel that they have "reversed" the original diagnosis, but we all need to hear stories like yours, where someone has had to face up to the reality of T2D, and accepted the fact that they need to be eternally vigilant.

I wish you every success in regaining and continuing to be in control.

 

[Robkww]

I was diagnosed T2 2 years ago and immediately took steps to take control of my health. I was lucky and reversed everything fairly quickly. I dieted diligently and exercised regularly. I almost viewed my diagnosis as a blessing. It forced me to make some changes. I lost 45 lbs. (3.2 stone) in the first year and I felt as if I had diabetes whipped. My HbA1c results were great! Three straight results of 5.7%

So then, life happened. I hurt my back and couldn't exercise for a month or so. Then our beloved chocolate lab, Bosco, died... and then the holidays came around.... and the kids moved back... and one left for college.... and on and on. In other words, just your basic challenges. The next thing I knew I had gained 2/3 of my weight back. My meter readings, (which I had not even bothered with for months), were back up... although not in the range that started all of this.

So why am I typing this? Because I learned something that I want to share. I know, without a shred of doubt, that I did not defeat diabetes. I merely controlled it. As soon as I stopped paying attention, I was back on the path to drugs and regular meter readings.

Not everyone can control and reverse their diagnosis. We can only make our best effort. I had some challenges but I also become complacent. If you are as fortunate as I and have the ability to take charge... do so, and don't stop doing so!

My current outlook is promising. I caught myself just in time to stop myself from giving up. My numbers, (and weight), are both moving down. It's clear to me that I need stay focused. It's not as if I knocked diabetes out and it is gone forever.

Mike

P.S. Just a little shout out to those that are not so lucky as those of us that can easily make life changes. I feel for you and wish you all the best. And to those of us that CAN easily make those changes... we really owe to those that can't to really put in the effort.

I will give you a strange analogy. I am bald. I would love to have a full head of hair. There are guys out there that shave their heads even though they have a full head of hair. In my mind, those guys can KMA. I hope that makes sense to some of you.

Mike
Your first paragraph is exactly where I am as of Friday past - 5% after 3 months diagnosis from 7.7%. Your subsequent paragraphs illustrate life's journey and as "normal" people all we can do is our best, throughout this journey, to maintain a healthy lifestyle that can assist in controlling our T2. We shouldn't celebrate too much when times are good on the journey or be too downcast when more difficult. The motto must be "I've done it once so I can do it again" - even if similar results are not achievable, improvement is. Good luck.
Regards
Rob

 

[Robbity]

Definitely initial success is only the starting point, as @MikeZ has so aptly and inspiringly pointed out.

Success as far as I'm concerned is not in my initial 6-7 month "miracle" sprint, but in my following fairly stable two and a half years long term marathon, though often in the face of things that are well beyond my control. I can happily (99.99% of the time) keep to my LCHF lifestyle, but my worst enemies tend to be stress and/or illness both of which will raise my glucose levels, and make it sometimes extremely frustrating when I'm doing everything "right" management wise, but still end up in a long hard uphill battle.

Robbity

 

[PoppyPetal]

As this post and the other comments show getting the levels down is only the beginning. I have realized even in this short 9 month period that my bs behave when I lchf. As soon as I eat that piece of cake which has been put under my nose they shoot up. Although my doctor says I'm in remission I fully realize that you must lchf for life and to stray too far away from this path will take me right back to square one. I know we are only human and the odd slip up is neither here nor there in the overall picture so the couple of occasions when I have eaten carby sugary things I just shrugged it off and went back to my usual lchf way of eating. This is one thing that I never ever was able to do on any previous low calorie plans, once I had eaten something bad inevitably led to a binge and then off the diet. Lchf is a sustainable way of life.

 

[Freema]

I was diagnosed T2 2 years ago and immediately took steps to take control of my health. I was lucky and reversed everything fairly quickly. I dieted diligently and exercised regularly. I almost viewed my diagnosis as a blessing. It forced me to make some changes. I lost 45 lbs. (3.2 stone) in the first year and I felt as if I had diabetes whipped. My HbA1c results were great! Three straight results of 5.7%

So then, life happened. I hurt my back and couldn't exercise for a month or so. Then our beloved chocolate lab, Bosco, died... and then the holidays came around.... and the kids moved back... and one left for college.... and on and on. In other words, just your basic challenges. The next thing I knew I had gained 2/3 of my weight back. My meter readings, (which I had not even bothered with for months), were back up... although not in the range that started all of this.

So why am I typing this? Because I learned something that I want to share. I know, without a shred of doubt, that I did not defeat diabetes. I merely controlled it. As soon as I stopped paying attention, I was back on the path to drugs and regular meter readings.

Not everyone can control and reverse their diagnosis. We can only make our best effort. I had some challenges but I also become complacent. If you are as fortunate as I and have the ability to take charge... do so, and don't stop doing so!

My current outlook is promising. I caught myself just in time to stop myself from giving up. My numbers, (and weight), are both moving down. It's clear to me that I need stay focused. It's not as if I knocked diabetes out and it is gone forever.

Mike

P.S. Just a little shout out to those that are not so lucky as those of us that can easily make life changes. I feel for you and wish you all the best. And to those of us that CAN easily make those changes... we really owe to those that can't to really put in the effort.

I will give you a strange analogy. I am bald. I would love to have a full head of hair. There are guys out there that shave their heads even though they have a full head of hair. In my mind, those guys can KMA. I hope that makes sense to some of you.

Wise words and Yes we need to keep focussing and also understand that some are much Haarder knocked out of This disease than maybe the luckier ones of us