5 Times Type 2 Diabetes Challenged Me — and I Won

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.How we vet brands and productIn my experience, having type 2 diabetes means one challenge after another thrown my way. Here are a few I’ve faced — and conquered.Challenge 1: Lose weigIf you’re like me, then after you were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the first thing your doctor advised you to do was lose weigh(Actually, I think doctors are programmed to say “lose weight” to everyone, whether they have diabetes or not!)

After my diagnosis in 1999, I wanted to drop a few pounds but wasn’t sure where to start. I met with a certified diabetes educator (CDE) and learned how to eat. I carried around a little notebook and wrote down everything I put in my mouth. I started cooking more and eating out less. I learned about portion controlWithin nine months, I lost 30 pounds. Over the years, I’ve lost about 15 more. For me, losing weight has been about educating mysanattention.Challenge 2: ChaIn my life, there’s the “BD” years (before diabetes) and “AD” years (after diabetes).

For me, a typical BD food day was biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast, a pork barbecue sandwich and potato chips for lunch, a bag of M with a Cokesnack, and chicken and dumplings with yeast rolls for dinneDessert was a given at every meal. And I drank sweet tea. Lots and lots of sweet tea. (Guess where I grew upIn the AD years, living with my type 2 diagnosis, I learned about saturated fat. I learned about non-starchy vegetables. I learned about fiber. I learned about lean proteins. I learned what carbs gave me the biggest nutritional bang for the buck and which would be better to avoMy diet slowly evolved. A typical food day now is cottage cheese pancakes with blueberries and slivered almonds for breakfast, vegetarian chili with a salad for lunch, and chicken stir-fry with broccoli, bok choy, and carrots for dinner.

Dessert is usually fruit or a square of dark chocolate and a few walnuts. And I drink water. Lots and lots of water. If I can change my diet this dramatically, anyone caHEALTHLINE NEWSLETTJoin 400K+ Diabetes Newsletter SubscribReceive nutrition advice, tips on weight management, and the latestconditbreakthroughEnter your emaAlso sign up for our popular Heart Health NewslettYour privacy is important to Challenge 3: Exercise moPeople often ask me how I was able to lose weight and keep it off. I’ve read that cutting calories — in other words, changing your diet — helps you lose weight, while exercising regularly helps you keep it off. That’s certainly been true for me.

Do I occasionally fall off the exercise wagon? Of course. But I don’t beat myself up about it, and I do get back oI used to tell myself that I didn’t have time to exercise. Once I learned to make fitness a regular part of my life, I discovered that I’m actually more productive because I have a better attitude and more energy. I also sleep better. Both exercise and adequate sleep are critical for me to manage diabetes effectivelChallenge 4: Manage strHaving type 2 diabetes is stressful. And stress can increase blood sugar levels. It’s a vicious cycle.

Plus, I’ve always been an overachiever, so I take on more than I should and then get overwhelmed. Once I started making other changes in my life, I wondered if I could manage stress better too. I’ve tried a few things, but what’s worked best for me is yogMy yoga practice has improved my strength and balance, sure, but it’s also taught me to be in the present moment instead of worrying about the past or the future. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a stressful situation (hello, traffic!) and suddenly I hear my yoga teacher ask, “Who’s breathin’I can’t say I never feel stressed anymore, but I can say that when I do, taking a few deep breaths makes it better.