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Last month, I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and Diabetes.  It came as a shock.  It shouldn't have happened to me. Anger, frustration, and even despair, were all emotions that I dealt with.  But out of it, determination became the most dominate emotion.  I am not going to end up on dialysis like my Mom.  I am going to get healthy.  Weight has always been a battle for me.  I have always had a belly.  with the exception of about 2 years when I was in the air force.  My weight had crept up to a high of 320 at one point.  I lost weight and got down to 260 about 3 years ago.  My weight slowly crept up to 285-290 lbs.  I was 286 lhs at the beginning of this year.  When I was dealing with my medical issues in July I had already lost 10 lbs and had settled in at 276 lbs. 

In the month since my diagnosis, I was determined to change my life style.  No more days without exercise. I needed to change my eating habits, not only eat less, but watch fat content, and stay away from processed food.  I have walked 3.4 miles almost every day. And for you flat landers, it is 3.4 miles of hills. It is paying off. To date I have lost and additional 24 lbs.  I am down to 252.  My ultimate goal is to get to 200 lbs. I will be successful. Failure is not an option.

I switched from drinking coffee, to green tea.  I have almost eliminated all soda from my diet. I started drinking water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar is unfiltered and has mother in it.  You can read more about the health benefits here.

My doctor said I could not ever be cured.  I am going to make it so that my blood sugar is controlled by diet alone, hopefully.  My blood sugars have not been above 140 even after eating bread.  I am not going to let someone tell me what I cannot do.  Rather I am going to believe in me.  I will keep you all updated.

I don't want to be reactive in my health care any longer.  Everything is my control. I control what goes in my body and how I care for my body.  I encourage anyone who is carrying that little extra weight, to make a choice, and take control of your life.  I know the benefits, I feel so much better than I have in 3 years.  I want to be the example for my kids, that they need to be proactive.  Watch out 200 here I come!!!!

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Took this the other day. There were five of them in the field across the street.