Let’s introduce you to Jim. Jim is a 42-year-old Type 2 diabetic. It had been two years since Jim became worried about his health and reluctantly visited his doctor. Blood tests that followed showed a very high blood sugar level of 404 mg/dL (22.42 mmol/L). He received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and like most people with this disease, he unknowingly had rising blood sugar over a number of years prior to the diagnosis. What matters now is he is finally cognizant of his condition. However, even though he knows he must treat his condition by following a healthy lifestyle, Jim has struggled to make any significant progress. At first, he felt a surge of motivation and energy that helped him make some changes. He felt he was on the right track, and thought he had what it takes to treat his condition once and for all.
Somewhere down the line, though, it all fell apart. His efforts, at first resourceful, eventually went to waste. He gained back the weight he had worked hard at ridding and his food choices were once again what they used to be – unhealthy! He stopped going to the gym and exercising. He stopped checking both his blood sugar and weight measurements to monitor his progress.
Worst of all, he went back to the same sedentary lifestyle he had to begin with – a lifestyle with little to no physical activity, with an unhealthy eating plan to go along with it.
You probably know someone like Jim. Someone who seemed like they were on the right track to bettering their health, when suddenly they steered off-course. Sooner or later, they are back to square one. Unfortunately, matters get worse from there.
If you’re a Type 2 diabetic, Jim may have a strong semblance to yourself. On being diagnosed, you felt you had to do something about your high blood sugar levels and weight gain lest your health deteriorated even further. You made some progress and got excited about it. But eventually it all fell apart.
There could be many reasons why Jim and others in his position have failed to follow through on treating their Type 2 diabetes. Perhaps it’s because fully treating this form of diabetes does not occur overnight. The same principle applies to regaining a lean physique.
Many people fail before they succeed because they are often guilty of making too many changes at once. Make too many changes to your lifestyle, and although it may bring you short-term success, consistency will be an issue. You will risk mental burnout, and potentially see all your efforts go to waste.
It’s better to make one lifestyle change at a time. Introduce positive changes slowly. That way, you can build a foundation. Without this foundation, you risk losing it all. It pays to be patient and to do things right the first time.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.
