While a diagnosis of Diabetes can certainly be daunting, it isn't the end of the world. For me, the diagnosis focused my mind about my health as never before. I have been taking blood pressure meds for over 20 years, IBS for more than 10 and fought with my weight forever. Some 20 years ago I finally kicked the smoking habit I had for 25 years. I had tried patches, filters and almost ended up in a hospital bed for overdosing on the gum, then I finally realized that smoking, as with any other long standing habit or addiction has two components... the physical and the emotional. The physical addiction to nicotine is about 7 days and for carbs is about 4to5. The mind refuses to believe that of course, as it tends to blend the physical need with the emotional desire. The key, in my experience is the motivation for the change. One MUST see more benefit in the change than the current behaviour. For smoking it is difficult because the mind finds it hard to believe that breathing easier and tasting and smelling better is more of a pleasure than that fag after dinner or with a drink even if you can save a fortune to spend on other pleasures. You must mentally run *TO* the change happily not run away from the current behaviour grudgingly.
I have found many similarities with quitting smoking and quitting carbs.... I love(d) sugar and cakes and breads and potatoes, just as I did the perceived pleasures of smoking a cigarette... not to say that I don't think about them still but I am very happy to be of a 'normal' weight after many years of yo yo dieting and without the struggle it took to loose in the past.... carbs were my nemesis all along and I dare say that had I not had a steady intake of refined carbs all these years, I wouldn't be a diabetic today.(Just my belief) I am very happy not to crave snacks and be distracted by thinking about when my next one will be. I am happy that my IBS seems to be moderating and that my blood pressure is coming down to the point where I need to have a discussion with my doctor about my BP meds... and I am elated that I have my energy back, my desire to move has returned and my sleep is more rested. It took me about a year to stop thinking about the desire to have a cigarette but it became easier every day.... Then one day I noticed that my sense of smell had returned and realized just how bad I, my cloths, my car and my home must have smelled to non smokers.....
Learn all you can about diabetes and all of the things that effect it. When I was diagnosed, I too was in a bit of shock. Then I went straight to the library and checked out about a dozen books on the subject. I have gone to tons of websites that talk about this subject directly and our health as it relates to our diet,lifestyle and metabolic syndrome. You will find two major camps with various iterations of each. One that sticks pretty closely to the standard conventional wisdom and the other that challenges that wisdom with an alternative view. After sticking with my doctor's advise for years with regards to my general health and seeing nothing but slow degradation, I have taken a hard look at the alternative. It is hard to get your head around using fat as a calorie source when you have had years of doctors, media and advertising telling you that it is evil.... but if you read the accounts here, what do you make of the fact that many actually lower their cholesterol numbers by eating the very thing that is suppose to raise it? It does require a leap of faith but look at it this way. By dumping the conventional diet and assuming a low carb one in conjunction with regular testing (and the understanding that you must eat less calories than you expend to loose weight), probably for the first time in years, you will loose your cravings for regular snacks, you will undoubtedly loose weight and your blood pressure will fall. These are all benefits that you can see in relative short order and if they prove not to be helpful, I can say with relative certainty that you won't be harmed by the effort.
While I agree with Grace that you don't have to do everything at once, I find that this lifestyle change is almost identical to smoking. 1) you go through a period of physical withdrawal and 2) it is the long period of adjustment from seeing the pleasure in the past behaviour dissolve into the new pleasure of seeing a new and healthier you. If diabetes has gotten your attention enough for a major change in your life then get stuck in, learn all you can about the things in your life that adversely effect your health.... and get rid of them.
Good luck
Kenny :thumbup:
