How about an update Chas?

[Gomboman]

It sounds like you're doing great Chas. I'm hoping everything's going good for you so far. When you have time maybe you can give us all a quick update. You've done great things for this forum. I'm pulling for you.

[Chas]

Wow, thanks for asking! For those who have not followed this - I forgive you.   I had a big lump under my right arm, sort of on my back. It got painful so that I couldn't work or sleep. Ended up on a nice four night-five day package in the hospital. Two surgeries there and then some outpatient stuff later. But they discovered that I am diabetic. That was the real issue. So - here we are a month later:

I weigh in tonight after work - my goal is to be twenty pounds lighter than when I started this mess four weeks ago. I had dropped a little over fifteen pounds in the first three weeks - and it would be great to keep that rate of loss up, but everyone tells me not to count on it.

Also, the spousal unit and I went out last night to celebrate our anniversary and I had my first large meal in a month - wow, I had forgotten what it was like to overeat. Don't want to do THAT again. I think I'll walk to work today....

I feel great: really great. It's amazing what eating right and exercising will do for you. My wife and I walk together now. Couple miles three or four days a week, and we are ramping that up. I bought one of those pedometers and I try not to go to bed without at least 6000 paces on the thing. I almost walked around the block in my pajamas the other night - but I had a flashback to our member who locked himself out of the house   and I quickly got dressed before going out the door!

I still have a hole in my arm, but weekly visits to the surgeon to have him glance at it always yields the same result, "looks great. Just what it's supposed to be like at this point. That'll be a hundred dollars please." It doesn't hurt or bother me, it's just strange.

My blood sugar levels are almost down to normal. That means that if I can loose the rest of the weight and keep it off I will not have to take anything for diabetes and I will basically have walked away from it.

A word of concern: I have seen several friends diagnosed with this over the past few years. My sister died from complications of diabetes. It is not always preventable, but being overweight seems to increase the chances greatly, and once diagnosed, losing weight always makes if much easier for your body to balance blood sugars. Yes, skinny people do get this disease if they are genetically predisposed to it.

But by far, the huge majority of people who get it are tubbies like I was. Get out and move around! You want a wake up call - take mine. It's free, and I don't want to have to start comparing Blood Glucose numbers with any more of the people I know.

[drewstar]

That's great Chas  


I too lost a family member to Diabetes.   Your words about keeping healthy and how good you feel are inspiring.  (I need to step it up a bit.)

[Skellman]

 As Kevin (REO) Cronin once said "Keep Pushin".
Glad to hear you're doing well, Chas!

I took notice the other night regarding losing weight.
A friend of my son (a smart aleck friend) asked me if I was having a boy or a girl.
What a wise guy!

[East_TX_Spa]

I'm really happy for you Chas!  I should definitely take your advice and whittle away a good chunk of insulation I've accumulated.

Are you taking meals to the store?  Eating at Roly Poly or Casa Ole everyday and then sitting around on my reputation is making me swell up like a blowtoad.

Terminator

[salesdvl]

I'm glad to hear things are going well.  Stay motivated.

[Chas]

Are you taking meals to the store?  Eating at Roly Poly or Casa Ole everyday and then sitting around on my reputation is making me swell up like a blowtoad. Flabinator

Yes. last night was only the second time I had eaten out in a month. We stocked the fridge at the store. I have celery and carrots all cut up, and I make itty bitty sandwiches out of whole grain ultra light bread ("now improved with fresher sawdust") and very tasty sliced lean turkey. I bury the thing in lettuce and tomato, sometimes cucumber and mustard, and I am satisfied.  

That word has new meaning for me: "satisfied."  

I used to eat until I was tired...

[georgiapeach]

Congratulations Chas!  Sounds like you are doing a great job of taking care of yourself!  Gives me something to think about and start motivating myself also!  

Peachy

[Chas]

Fading away !!

I weighed in this evening: I have lost 5.8 pounds this week!

That puts me at over twenty pounds less Chas than a month ago when this began.

Wow!

Walkin' sure done me good....

[Campsalot]

Way to go CHAS!   WHooo Whooo Whooo!  Great people with great attitudes beat sneaky diseases!  

[Anoroc]

That is good news Chas.  I agree with your thoughts on over weight people and the increase likelihood of diabetes.

I am pretty short and have alwasy carried a few extra pounds so that weighs on my mind all of the time.

I sure wish the magic pill would come out already.  It would sure make things alot easier and faster.

Good luck and keep us in the loop.

[Brewman]

 Diabetes runs in my family- both my parents developed it in their mid to late 60's.  Both my parents were overweight as well.  As was I. 
I lost about 35 pounds a year and a half ago, and have so far kept it off.  
Compared to losing it, keeping it off is more challenging, but I've seen so many benefits it's worth it.
In addition to dropping down in weight, my blood pressure has dropped back to a normal range, my resting heart rate has dropped from about 80 to 60, and my chronic heartburn has disappeared.  
I'm still at risk for diabetes genetically, but maybe this will help.  Just cutting out all the sugar and fast food out of my diet has got to help.  
Beer was the hardest thing to cut back for me.

[Chas]

I lost about 35 pounds a year and a half ago, and have so far kept it off.  
 Compared to losing it, keeping it off is more challenging, but I've seen so many benefits it's worth it.

YOU are worth it. Awesome - way to go!

[Chas]

I have hit my first weight goal: I have lost 36 pounds. I have had to buy smaller clothes. People who barely even know me are noticing. People who don't know me are noticing - for example, people will come in and ask for the owner, I come to greet them, and they say something like, "no, he was an older guy I spoke with last time..."

I am also now walking 3.5 miles at least three times a week. It is almost painless: my back is not bothering me any more, I have no real sore muscles - it's not like I'm running or doing a heavy workout with the accompanying soreness and pain. I get my heartrate up, and keep it up for 1/2 hour at least. I vary the route so I see different things.

I did almost 6 miles of hilly terrain yesterday. My brother-in-law stopped by, and instead of just sitting and talking, we went for a walk.

If you are overweight - and this is a great time to be honest with yourself - I would encourage you to start SOME form of exercise. Don't start some big plan that is bound to fail. Start small, start simple - how complicated is getting out there and walking? - but START.

Don't end up with a little talk from the doctor telling you that you will now have to give up some of the things you love for the rest of your life.

This message brought to you by some who learned the hard way.

[96SC]

Chas.

I, like many others in here I'll bet, have diabetes and it can be a bi*ch sometimes to
control, but it is do-able.

Along with weight loss, excercise will help keep your sugar down along with helping you lose weight.  (walking, running and weight lifting).

Keep at it, we're all pulling for you.