Life After a Weight Loss Reality Show...

STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

As you know, you are NOT ALONE!

Several years ago, my friend Angela and I were on the first season of X-Weighted. Viewers saw us sweat, complain, cry and laugh...and lose weight. After the show ended Angela continued to lose weight (and the old fiance), married a new love, renovated a couple of homes and has essentially found a level of personal peace that she greatly deserves. I am immensely proud of my gal Ang!

Unfortunately, just like Trainer Paul predicted, I gained the weight back eventually.  And after starting a business with my partner John, I gained even more weight!

After several attempts to lose weight since, I reached the point psychologically that weight loss was just not possible. I can hold down a radio job, start a business from scratch, do freelance work, be a full-time step-parent and more...but lose weight? Nope! Losing weight was the one thing that just wasn't happening, just was not possible.

Along with the escalating weight, I was unable to sleep through the night, I was obssessively hungry, cranky, impatient and felt a fatigue that was at times crippling....I blamed all of it on a life that is more than I could manage.

Then...early this Spring, my vision was blurring and I became thirsty. I don't mean, 'Gee, I'm a little dry'...I mean 'HOLY CRAP, I'M FREAKIN' THIRSTY!!!'  Upto 6 litres of fluids a day!

I know what you are thinking: DIABETES! Correct, my friend!

And being diagnosed has been second biggest medical blessing of my life (being diagnosed ADHD was the first!).  What I knew about Type 2 Diabetes was appallingly little. So, since diagnosis on May 25th, I have been on a HUGE  and empowering learning curve.  Through medication and shifting to a low glycemic index diet I have dropped three sizes and over 40 pounds  AND my sugar levels have dropped from a shocking 23 to a more moderate 9 (and I am really working on lowering that # as well). My vision is back to normal and I no longer drink swimming pools of water daily.

Along with feeling better than I have in 8,9 maybe even 10 years...I have hope! I now know that I can lose weight.

But I share this with you not to brag or slap myself on the back...I share for one reason: you need to know that you could be pre-diabetic and THAT could be why you have struggled with weight.

Denial is both self-serving and self-sabotaging. I am the poster child for that!  I also know what it is like to feel despair when you cannot control your relationship with food. We live in a culture that is so very unforgiving of the obese. Being obese is a medical condition, not a moral one.

It's my hope that you will shift from blaming yourself for having a lack of willpower and instead look closely at your body and what it is really trying to tell you!!!

Below are a pair of photos and signs/symptoms that I would like for your to read carefully without prejudice.

Take care of yourself and feel free to comment or email me.

Nicolle
PWD Type 2




December 2010






July 2011

 From Wikipedia...

' Prediabetes typically has no signs or symptoms. Patients should monitor for signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus. These include the following:^[9]

• Constant hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Weight gain
• Flu-like symptoms, including weakness and fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow healing of cuts or bruises
• Tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet
• Recurring gum or skin infections
• Recurring vaginal or bladder infections

[edit] Cause

• Sleep disorders
• Family history of diabetes
• Impaired glucose levels and/or metabolic syndrome
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Increased triglycerides levels
• Low levels of good cholesterol (HDL)
• Overweight or obese
• Women who have had gestational diabetes, had high birth weight babies (greater than 9 lbs.), and/or has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)^[10]

These are associated with insulin resistance and are risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Those in this stratum (IGT or IFG) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Of the two, impaired glucose tolerance better predicts cardiovascular disease and mortality.^[11][12][13]
In a way, prediabetes is a misnomer since it is an early stage of diabetes. It is now known that the health complications associated with type 2 diabetes often occur before the medical diagnosis of diabetes is made.^[14]"