Okay, I’m going to take a deep breath and carry on. For those of you who already know all about the diabetes and stuff, you can skip some of this, but since this is my first fitness post, I need to give some background.
I’ve always struggled with my weight and even got fired after 15 years with Weight Watchers because my weight was creeping up. There is a lot of obesity in my family, and I’m just glad I didn’t end up as overweight as a lot of my relatives. At one time, I got down to a size 6 in jeans. I don’t expect to ever be THERE again, but I would be happy with a 10. Oh, who am I kidding, I REALLY want to be an 8. š
On December 14, I was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes. This is type 2, the kind that, although it’s hereditary, it can be prevented with proper diet and exercise. However, my diet and exercise was NOT proper. LOL. I had suspected for a couple of weeks that I was diabetic because of some symptoms, the most suspicious one being horrible thirst. My blood sugar was in the high 300’s, and according to my A1C test, it had been for some time. My doctor said my red blood cells looked like sugar frosted flakes. Ick. Anyway, I decided I would be the one in my family who took control of my diabetes. I saw my grandmother get sicker and sicker because she ate what she wanted and did no exercise. She lived to be 70. I see my mom following the same pattern, although she’s 78 now. But her kidneys are shot, and she doesn’t see as well as she should. And she’s had a couple of heart attacks. I want to break this pattern. And I also want to warn people of what can happen if they ignore their health. See, my doctor also put me on blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. Guys, you DON’T want to go there.
So today is the first post for Fitness Friday, which will be linked on A Heart More Focused blog (when she gets the post up today), which I learned about through my friend, Amber West. My future posts shouldn’t be this long, but I thought I needed to do a background for all this.
Anyway, with the deep breath….before I learned I was diabetic, my weight had climbed to 193. It’s now at 182, so I’ve lost 11 lbs. My goal is to get to 140. Anything less than that, especially since I’ll have extra muscle weight, I think would be too small. But we shall see. I may adjust that if it looks like I’m carrying extra weight at that number. But if I’m in my size 8’s? Well, that’s my REAL goal. š
Who wants to join me? I’m so thankful that Amber made me aware of this. Is anyone brave enough to jump in? Amber and Erika are posting measurements along with their weights. I’m not THAT brave. LOL
lauralynnelliott.com 
I’m so proud of you for taking charge! 11 pounds is a HUGE step toward your goal!
Thanks, Kait! I feel good about the weight loss. Exercise has really helped. And my blood sugar goes down after every session. š The goal is to be healthy.
Awesome job on losing 11 pounds. I don’t know if I’ll join in on posting on Fridays, but I’ll be here to cheer you on. š
Thanks, Fallon! I appreciate the encouragement.
So proud of you for taking charge and making a change. We want you healthy and sticking around with us for a loooonnnggg time. ā¤
I want to stick around, too. So much to do! I don’t want to miss any of it. š
Congratulations! I’m so happy and really proud of you taking control of your health. You CAN do it, it feels GREAT, and it gets SO much easier as you go along.
Thanks, Susan! I know you did great with your weight loss and health habits. I’m already wearing some clothes that were a little too tight. I’ve got some really cute shirts I want to wear this summer. š But the most important thing is the health.
Congrats! Not only is losing 11 pounds a big deal, but doing it for your overall health and not simply cosmetics deserves a gold star. I plan to start a small weight-loss, get-back-to-fitness thing myself tomorrow. Good luck with your journey!
Thanks! Good health has to be the number one goal. The cosmetic thing is a by-product. š
Good luck to you, too!
Congrats on the weight loss! That’s fantastic. I’m not brave enough to go public with my stats, but I am trying to improve health this year too. Right now, I’m sipping a fresh carrot-celery-apple-ginger juice (to do penance for last night’s ice cream). I think balance is a good thing š
Thanks, Michelle! I’ve never been brave enough to post my weight before, but when Amber did it, I thought I would be brave, too. š
Okay, I am NOT going to drink stuff like that. Hahahahahaha. I’m trying my best to get off of so much red meat and eat more fish. Some changes have to be gradual.
Hi Lauralynn, I’ll join you. I went on a strict diet last year, lost nearly 12kg, then put it all on again after coming off the diet. Apparently this was because I’d put my body into starvation mode and rapid weight gain afterwards is the result. So I started again, making little changes to my diet. I’ve gone from 80.7kg to 80.1kg a couple of weeks ago. That’s very little, I know, but it’s a start. I want to get back to about 70kg, which I did reach last year.
Hi Kevin! It’s nice to hear from you. ( I can’t wait to read Fountain of Forever.)
That word “strict” is probably what got you in trouble. When I worked for Weight Watchers, we always stressed that you have to eat ENOUGH as well as not too much. It’s easy to go overboard when you’re really trying to lose weight, but slow and steady is the best way to go.
Okay, now I have to go convert kgs to lbs so I’ll know what your numbers mean. LOL
Yes, I’ve learned to go slow and steady the hard way…
That’s scary and eye opening. I think we all take our health for granted and think “what’s a few pounds?” But so quickly a few pounds increases and the weight creeps up.
I, luckily, don’t have diabetes in my family history. There are weight issues, heart problems, and strokes, however. I want to be proactive so I’m never in that position. I also don’t want to take any shortcuts to weight loss and maintenance because that’s how my grandmother used cigarettes and she’s slowly losing the ability to leave her house due to emphysema.
Health is an important factor in our quality of life and it’s never too late to better ourselves.
Thank you for being so open and encouraging! I’m excited to be on this journey with you! Congratulations on the 11lbs!
Hugs!
Hi, Erika! Isn’t it funny how much faster the weight can put on then it can be taken off? Not fair. I really wish I had kept my weight off 20 years ago when I was in that size 6. It would have been easier. But, like you said, it’s never too late to improve.
I look forward to our journey together. š
Congrats on losing the 11 pounds (that’s almost as much as my bowling ball ways!). The first steps are the hardest. GL š
Thank, Chris! My bowling ball weighs less. LOL
My mom is Type 1, so I really should pay more attention to my diet and exercise. I hate needles, so you’d think seeing my mom give herself shots would be enough motivation.
That’s great that you are already down 11 pounds! I’m not quite sure what my weight goal is. I know that I was really thin (even if I didn’t think so at the time) when I was in the 140s, so I’m thinking I’d be pretty thrilled to be somewhere in the 150 range.
Thanks again for doing this with us – it really does make a difference to have others joining in!
I wish I had been more aware of what I was doing to myself. I knew my family history. The awful part for me isn’t the needle itself, it’s being TIED DOWN by something. Like I can’t go to sleep early because my shots are supposed to be at least close to 24 hours apart. It’s a pain.
I’m happy to be a part of this group. We need to recruit more people!
Hmm… I guess it’s time for me to get a scale because I haven’t weighed myself since after my fourth kid was born, and I hate to say it but I was 200. š¦ Ever since, I’ve been too scared to look. *takes deep breath* I’m guessing I’m in the same ballpark as my mom. Probably 220. I’d be happy with 160 right now. The lowest I ever got was a size 12. When I got married, I was at 14 for pant size. The sucky thing is I’ll still have the baby belly, so I never want to look at myself naked in a mirror. I want to lose weight so I don’t end up with diabetes, though. The least of my problems is how I look.
I’ll get a scale and brave it. *gulps*
Congratulations on losing the 11 pounds! I know it’s not easy to do. I wish weight was as easy to take off as it is to put on. š
I did actually get up to 202 at one point last year, and I panicked and lost 9 lbs. then stopped. I had been at 193 for a long time until this diabetes thing happened. I’m still doing well. Not to jump the gun before Friday, but I’ve actually lost a couple more lbs. since this post. š
My goal is better health rather than looking good. But the looking better is a nice by-product. I’ve actually found a few articles of clothing that I can wear that I haven’t worn in awhile. That always feels good.
Good luck with your efforts as well. You REALLY don’t want diabetes. When I first starting taking shots, they didn’t hurt. But they’ve started hurting lately. I don’t know if my skin is getting more sensitive or what. š¦