Hang In There!

Ever since I have been Diabetic, I've had the opportunity to meet several people with Diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. Yesterday I ran into my husbands aunt that had just recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. They say 90% of Diabetics are Type 2, and 10% are Type 1, so Type 2 is way more common than Type 1. Anyways, we got to talking and she expressed how scary it has been to learn so much about her body and the changes that need to take place in her eating habits. Feelings I remember as clear as day. It's quite the shock to learn you have Diabetes, whether it be Type 1 or Type 2. Both are significant. She was explaining to me all the changes in her eating that had already taken place and how she hadn't exercised in so long, and now she's on the treadmill every day. I was so excited for her! Not because she was recently diagnosed and will now have to monitor every little thing she puts in her mouth, but for the fact that she will start to feel like she did when she was a kid. She will get that energy that she hasn't, most likely had in a long time. She will feel rejuvenated and accomplished by getting control of her eating. She will feel like she has control over her life.

I truly believe with all my heart, that if you have control over your eating, you can have control over anything in this lifetime. Everything we put into our bodies defines us. The food we eat controls how every organ in our body functions and how our brain works. It controls our moods and the stability of our hormones. Everything we put into our mouth controls our energy levels and how fast our metabolism works. Sometimes it can even control how long we live. It's truly the source to which we survive.

I remember Dr. Sohervardi telling me when I was first diagnosed to "Get control of your Diabetes before it controls you!". I had that flashback while I was talking to Brads aunt. I couldn't help but feel so excited for her, knowing that she was taking control. This concept doesn't have to only belong to all the Diabetics out there. If you are at a point in your life where you want change, whether it be change in your energy levels, change in your body weight, change in a new exercise routine, or change in just feeling better about yourself, this applies to you. You are the only one to take control of what you eat and how good you feel. I hate how it took Diabetes for me to know that, but now that I do, I want to share the benefits of eating healthy and the impact it has had on my entire life. It's hard. It's very hard. But it's hard for everyone who is watching what they eat.

Patience is the key factor! I remember when the media was making such a fuss over Oprah and her weight gain. She simply said, "It all comes back to my eating and exercise". I think of her as someone that has all the opportunities in the world. She has limitless money, access to every weight loss program known to man, knows some of the most incredible and knowledgeable nutritionists and dietitians in the nation, and in the snap of a finger can have any personal trainer at her door in a matter of seconds. But yet she still managed to put on weight. It's something that doesn't happen over night. Consistency is the answer. If you have had a bad eating day, that's normal. It's human to want a cookie or a massive hamburger! Don't beat yourself up! Some days you just need one. It's the long run that is the most important. They say if you have had one bad eating day, it takes 3 days of eating healthy to compensate it. Just get back on the ban wagon the next day and start over. It's a cycling process that takes motivation, effort, and like I say, patience. Don't wake up and say you will eat healthy every day for the rest of your life. Wake up and say, I'm going to eat healthy TODAY. Take it just a day at a time. You can do it!

So for all of you who are in the same boat, hang in there. The benefits are unexplainable. You don't need me to tell you-you'll be able to look and feel the difference that takes place all by yourself.