So, I was all gungho to get on this diet and lose the weight quickly. Instead my self-control crumbled and I have basically been on a wild sugar binge for the last month and a half. I've put on a little weight.
It just wasn't working for me. I guess I'm a rebel... when I try to restrict myself so tightly, I end up rebelling against myself. I am a complicated person.
So, I have gone on to do a lot of research and have actually turned back to my Dr.'s original advice. I bought The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. He's actually located here in my home town. He works with patients that have advanced type 2 diabetes; specifically those with kidney damage. He has done a lot of research into the hormonal causes of obesity and has his patients use intermittent fasting (IF) as a way to take the weight off quickly and safely. It is in combination with a low carb diet. But there are no calorie restrictions.
If you're interested, you can find more information about intermittent fasting at the Diet Doctor website: https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting
There are 5 key components to getting healthy:
1. Stress management
2. Cardiovascular health
3. Rest
4. Fasting
5. Diet
1. Stress Management
If you've followed my story at all you know that anxiety has been a challenge for me. Ironically raised cortisol actually aids in weight gain. So being stressed all of the time can make you fat. I was on meds for my anxiety for a while. Now I'm doing much better and am off of them, but I do not do a very good job of managing stress. So, I will be adding meditation into my daily schedule. Each day I will get up 20 minutes earlier and meditate.
Adding exercise into my routine will help with this as well.
2. Cardiovascular Health
Type 2 diabietes affects heart health so it is vital that I get it under control. So, simply by losing weight and managing my blood sugar levels, I will be increasing my heart health. However, I want to do more than that. I need to add more exercise into my routine. So I am stating here for myself and all to see that I will commit to getting 10000 steps at a minimum of 5 days per week building up to 7 days per week.
3. Rest
This is pretty self-explanatory. I will commit to getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
4. Fasting
I will complete 3 23 hour fasting periods per week. This means that I finish eating by 7pm on day 1 and on Day 2 I break that fast at 6pm.
5. Diet
I will not be calorie counting. I will be taking an approach that is low carb and low sugar. I need to add in more green vegetables. I will also be taking a multi-vitamin and topping up my vitamin D and vitamin B.
So, that's the plan. I think the meditation and the exercise will be the toughest parts. I have tried meditating in the past and always feel a little weird about it. I find it tough to focus. I commit to giving it my best. The exercise is something very tough for me. I used to love the gym and lifting weights. My favourite cardio machine was the step machine - you know the one where you climb stairs (not the stair master).. I am so far from that person right now. I need to figure out how to work full time, be a mom and find time in my day to exercise.
I need to get this under control if I want any quality of life later on.
