Katetype2
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello All
This is a long one - not expecting everyone to read it all - it’s mostly for me to reflect and remember later.
So I’ll start off with the not so positive news, that being that I am in a phase of losing and gaining the same couple of lbs. Really not too concerned about it - I think I lose in phases and my body is just doing it’s thing until it’s ready to drop a bit more weight.
I have really focused on working out this week, with a mixture os strength training and walking. I have ramped up the steps I’m getting in across the week, taking advantage of the nice weather and lighter evenings. I did my first ever ‘leg day’ on my own in the scary bit of the gym. I’m making so good progress with my strength and endurance - all very pleasing.
Food wise, I’m still within all of my calorie goals - although I am eating slightly more on days that I do a lot of exercise. Nothing too excessive at all - I am still burning more than I consume. Of course, this may well account for the weight fluctuations, but I do think it is important to fuel yourself appropriately for exercise. To put things into perspective, I have eaten 1500 twice in the last week, but most other days it has been less. So you can see, it’s really not over-indulgence. I just think that the body is holding out to see if I quit before it releases the next load of fat.
Mounjaro symptoms wise, there is nothing to report really. A little constipation, which is mildly annoying. The appetite suppression is low - I think the extra exercise is playing a part here too.
Right - that’s the weekly review out of the way. Today also marks 6 months since starting my diabetes health journey. I began my lifestyle change on 18th November 2024, shortly after discovering I had been diagnosed with diabetes.
The time I found out now feels like a bit of a blur. I remember feeling scared and my anxiety went through the roof. Literally every waking moment was consumed with diabetes. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, worrying and trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do. I had wanted to make some lifestyle changes, but I was still in the process of building myself up to start when I found out. It ended up being the wake up call I had needed to plunge myself into action and I haven’t looked back since.
I figured that I could either sink or swim with diabetes. I wasn’t going to stick my head in the sand and hope it would go away. I decided that if diabetes is going to take me out one day, it was going to have a fight on its hands. Since that moment, my lifestyle has completely changed. I no longer eat food that doesn’t serve me. I have completely ditched fast food and concentrate on a high protein, low carb and low calorie diet. I don’t have cheat meals or cheat days. For me, consistency is absolutely key to my success. This means turning down lots of the things that I previously ate freely. Is it hard? Sometimes. Not having a birthday cake, saying no to office treats and not grabbing a KFC when I’m tired will never be easy. But it has become my new ‘normal’ and although the odd indulgence is tempting, it has often led to me giving up on myself in the past - so I don’t do it.
Fitness wise, the change in me has been huge. I have gone from being a person with almost zero movement in my life to being a gym regular. I have regained the mobility I had lost through years of working a desk job mainly from home. I had a traumatic relationship with exercise from my school days - I was the fat kid who was picked last and a constant disappointment to the PE teachers. So I grew up fearing exercise, feeling shame at my lack of sporting ability, and avoiding situations that were out of my comfort zone. I am now proud to say that I am enjoying my fitness transformation. I think finding the things I enjoy and doing them on my own terms has been key. Again, consistency has been key and I have started to look forward to my gym days. This six months has been the longest stretch of any attempts at getting fit I have ever had - I have usually quit long before now, but this time I really feel that I am only just getting started. I’m excited to see what improvements I can make in the next six months.
For a few basic measures of my fitness journey…
Step count on 18/05/2024 = 481.
Step count on 18/05/2025 = 12,274.
Leg press on 20/12/24 was 2 x 12 reps at 44lbs.
Leg press on 18/05/2025:
2 x 30 reps at 205lbs
1 x 30 reps at 235lbs
2 x 30 reps at 238lbs.
(EGym leg press)
So you can see, really significant improvements have happened in a relatively short period of time.
Mounjaro has now been a regular part of life for a good 4 months. It has definitely helped me to keep on track with all of the changes I have made. I have no regrets about using it and I would encourage anyone to give it a fair shot (with medical approval).
If you’ve been following my ramblings for a while, you’ll already know that the changes I have made enabled me to reduce my Hba1c from 60 to 41 in 3 and a half months. I’ve lost 4st 3.4lbs (or up to 4st 5lb depending on the day). I feel better, I look a bit better, and there are lots of little ‘none-scale victories’ that I keep noticing. The bath towel wraps around me, my gut doesn’t touch the steering wheel, my quads are beginning to get some definition, I can kneel on the floor without pain, I have dropped a dress size, I don’t fear taking up too much space on public transport, I pass through turnstiles easily, I fit in office chairs more comfortably, I am not in constant pain with my back, I don’t dread having to climb a flight of stairs, I can wear a bumbag around my waist, my double chin is less prominent, I have far fewer hot flushes, I sleep better, I feel less sluggish when I wake… All of these little things add up to a better quality of life.
So after all of this, I think I can chalk up my first 6 months of this new way of life as a success. I am proud of what I’ve achieved so far and genuinely excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 6 months. I have no intention of quitting this time.
My biggest hope is that someone out there who is struggling with a new diagnosis will see my story and see that change is possible. I know what it is like to be stuck in a cycle of destructive habits, wondering how on earth you’re going to turn things around. Whatever your age, ability or situation is there are things you can do to make a difference to your health - you just have to take the first step. Make the next health decision a good one - could be drinking some water, a five minute walk or swapping a bag of crisps for an apple - then make the next decision a good one, and the next… just keep going. You are worth the effort.
Thank you as always for all the love and support I get over here. It has made last 6 months so much easier.
Have a great week.
K x
This is a long one - not expecting everyone to read it all - it’s mostly for me to reflect and remember later.
So I’ll start off with the not so positive news, that being that I am in a phase of losing and gaining the same couple of lbs. Really not too concerned about it - I think I lose in phases and my body is just doing it’s thing until it’s ready to drop a bit more weight.
I have really focused on working out this week, with a mixture os strength training and walking. I have ramped up the steps I’m getting in across the week, taking advantage of the nice weather and lighter evenings. I did my first ever ‘leg day’ on my own in the scary bit of the gym. I’m making so good progress with my strength and endurance - all very pleasing.
Food wise, I’m still within all of my calorie goals - although I am eating slightly more on days that I do a lot of exercise. Nothing too excessive at all - I am still burning more than I consume. Of course, this may well account for the weight fluctuations, but I do think it is important to fuel yourself appropriately for exercise. To put things into perspective, I have eaten 1500 twice in the last week, but most other days it has been less. So you can see, it’s really not over-indulgence. I just think that the body is holding out to see if I quit before it releases the next load of fat.
Mounjaro symptoms wise, there is nothing to report really. A little constipation, which is mildly annoying. The appetite suppression is low - I think the extra exercise is playing a part here too.
Right - that’s the weekly review out of the way. Today also marks 6 months since starting my diabetes health journey. I began my lifestyle change on 18th November 2024, shortly after discovering I had been diagnosed with diabetes.
The time I found out now feels like a bit of a blur. I remember feeling scared and my anxiety went through the roof. Literally every waking moment was consumed with diabetes. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, worrying and trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do. I had wanted to make some lifestyle changes, but I was still in the process of building myself up to start when I found out. It ended up being the wake up call I had needed to plunge myself into action and I haven’t looked back since.
I figured that I could either sink or swim with diabetes. I wasn’t going to stick my head in the sand and hope it would go away. I decided that if diabetes is going to take me out one day, it was going to have a fight on its hands. Since that moment, my lifestyle has completely changed. I no longer eat food that doesn’t serve me. I have completely ditched fast food and concentrate on a high protein, low carb and low calorie diet. I don’t have cheat meals or cheat days. For me, consistency is absolutely key to my success. This means turning down lots of the things that I previously ate freely. Is it hard? Sometimes. Not having a birthday cake, saying no to office treats and not grabbing a KFC when I’m tired will never be easy. But it has become my new ‘normal’ and although the odd indulgence is tempting, it has often led to me giving up on myself in the past - so I don’t do it.
Fitness wise, the change in me has been huge. I have gone from being a person with almost zero movement in my life to being a gym regular. I have regained the mobility I had lost through years of working a desk job mainly from home. I had a traumatic relationship with exercise from my school days - I was the fat kid who was picked last and a constant disappointment to the PE teachers. So I grew up fearing exercise, feeling shame at my lack of sporting ability, and avoiding situations that were out of my comfort zone. I am now proud to say that I am enjoying my fitness transformation. I think finding the things I enjoy and doing them on my own terms has been key. Again, consistency has been key and I have started to look forward to my gym days. This six months has been the longest stretch of any attempts at getting fit I have ever had - I have usually quit long before now, but this time I really feel that I am only just getting started. I’m excited to see what improvements I can make in the next six months.
For a few basic measures of my fitness journey…
Step count on 18/05/2024 = 481.
Step count on 18/05/2025 = 12,274.
Leg press on 20/12/24 was 2 x 12 reps at 44lbs.
Leg press on 18/05/2025:
2 x 30 reps at 205lbs
1 x 30 reps at 235lbs
2 x 30 reps at 238lbs.
(EGym leg press)
So you can see, really significant improvements have happened in a relatively short period of time.
Mounjaro has now been a regular part of life for a good 4 months. It has definitely helped me to keep on track with all of the changes I have made. I have no regrets about using it and I would encourage anyone to give it a fair shot (with medical approval).
If you’ve been following my ramblings for a while, you’ll already know that the changes I have made enabled me to reduce my Hba1c from 60 to 41 in 3 and a half months. I’ve lost 4st 3.4lbs (or up to 4st 5lb depending on the day). I feel better, I look a bit better, and there are lots of little ‘none-scale victories’ that I keep noticing. The bath towel wraps around me, my gut doesn’t touch the steering wheel, my quads are beginning to get some definition, I can kneel on the floor without pain, I have dropped a dress size, I don’t fear taking up too much space on public transport, I pass through turnstiles easily, I fit in office chairs more comfortably, I am not in constant pain with my back, I don’t dread having to climb a flight of stairs, I can wear a bumbag around my waist, my double chin is less prominent, I have far fewer hot flushes, I sleep better, I feel less sluggish when I wake… All of these little things add up to a better quality of life.
So after all of this, I think I can chalk up my first 6 months of this new way of life as a success. I am proud of what I’ve achieved so far and genuinely excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 6 months. I have no intention of quitting this time.
My biggest hope is that someone out there who is struggling with a new diagnosis will see my story and see that change is possible. I know what it is like to be stuck in a cycle of destructive habits, wondering how on earth you’re going to turn things around. Whatever your age, ability or situation is there are things you can do to make a difference to your health - you just have to take the first step. Make the next health decision a good one - could be drinking some water, a five minute walk or swapping a bag of crisps for an apple - then make the next decision a good one, and the next… just keep going. You are worth the effort.
Thank you as always for all the love and support I get over here. It has made last 6 months so much easier.
Have a great week.
K x
