My name is Julie Gentry. I’m 44 years old and I’ve known I was diabetic for almost five years now. I say “known” because, looking back, it’s likely that my problems started a little further back than that.
When I first got the diagnosis of Type II Diabetes, I was surprised. Wasn’t that something older people with poor nutrition or morbidly obese people got? I wasn’t even forty, grew up eating healthy food, and played sports in college. Sure there were some extra pounds around my middle, but that was pretty common in women with children, wasn’t it? It’s taken me near five years to get through the denial, anger, bargaining, and depression to the point of acceptance and management.
Nobody really knows what causes Type II Diabetes. That’s part of the problem. There’s obviously some genetic component since it runs not only in families, but is prevalent in some racial and ethnic groups as well. My mother’s brother had it and my father has recently been diagnosed. Yes, there is definitely a predisposition.
With that said, I’ve yet to meet a Type II Diabetic who starts this journey at a healthy weight. I’m sure there are some out there, but 100% of the diabetics I’ve personally met were significantly overweight when their diabetes was diagnosed. Yes, some have since become fit, but most don’t. Part of this is because even though the obesity contributes to the disease, having the disease makes it much more difficult to lose weight. It’s a terrible circle. But it’s not impossible; it’s only slower.
Join me every Sunday night as I post on my progress. Hopefully you’ll see some of yourself in the struggle and the triumphs, and have insights to share to make my journey easier. Because diabetes is such an anecdotal disease (no two people respond in the same way), you’ll want to discuss with your health care professional before making any changes to your own routine.
My thanks go to the regular weight loss bloggers as I guest blog each week. Make certain to read all of their interesting and informative posts.
Until next week.