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Medicine Show: Watching Weight Wane

  • Monday / March 26, 2012
Medicine Show: Watching Weight Wane 1

Medicine Show: Watching Weight Wane

Medicine Show: Watching Weight WaneToday is the first day of the rest of my … oh fuck that noise!

With the smell of hamburgers wafting into my bedroom window from Frank’s Deli’s grill exhaust, I contemplate the task at hand. Sadly it’s not a cheeseburger deluxe. Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, again! It was something I had about six to seven years ago. At that point I was tipping the scales in the 270 lb neighborhood. But through chemi-chemi-chemicals, diet and exercise I was able to control it and normalize my blood glucose levels. Once the weight came off I had no problem controlling things minus the chemicals.

So here I am again. Hitting the 265 lb mark and, yes, type II diabetes. I have a feeling it was a culmination of many events and many bad habits. I would venture to say that the increase of carbs in my diet, bread, pasta, Frank’s French fries, & TJ’s pizzas, set me up for a visit from the outrageously high glucose monster.

In late February I started feeling increasingly tired, for no apparent reason. By the first week in March I was drinking more and more water, to the point I was drinking almost 2 gallons in a day and my mouth was still dry. My eyesight changed suddenly in one day. There were also other symptoms. I knew what it was. I had read enough with my previous bout to know the diagnosis before seeing a doctor. Type II diabetes! Woo hoo!

Not having insurance, I found the Visiting Nurses Association of Central Jersey and made an appointment. Long story short … on my first visit my blood glucose was 425 mg/dl … which is mega-bad … not in a good way. So the nurse I saw prescribed two medications, plus I had blood drawn. She also suggested I see a dietitian in the clinic, soon. So I did.

On the day I met dietician Janet Blum, she cut right to the chase. You need to lose weight and we need to get it off fast. The faster you lose the weight the sooner we can wean you off the drugs. She recommended Take Shape For Life. We talked about it and told her I’d have to sleep on the suggestion before I drank the Kool Aid.

And here I sit today, after having gone for a walk on the Asbury boardwalk, waiting for my first Medifast food order. It consists of bars, shakes, soups, oatmeal, and other pre-packaged meals. I will have to eat 1 meal every three hours and a “Lean & Green” meal that I will cook myself. This combination is supposed to put my body into “fat burning mode” after the third day. I’m told I may lose 5 lbs in the first week, and after that 20 lbs or more in the first month. So, we shall see what we shall see. I start anything new with a modicum of skepticism. It’s how I roll. ;)

In the 2 weeks I started changing the amount of food I’m eating, as well as trying to keep each meal under 60 gm of carbs, I’ve already lost 5 lbs.

I am excited to see how much I can lose on Take Shape For Life, plus trying to rewire my brain to start adding walking and other exercise into my day to day routine. I’d say wish me luck … but I don’t believe in luck. So wish me better (read optimal) health instead. :)

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Joe Streno

artist . musician . photographer . retired apple computer consultant . residing on planet earth with his two cats rudie, & rocco & living to tell tales about it

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