This Mother’s Day I feel compelled to give a ‘shout out’ to my mom. First I will tell you that she is the last person who would want any type of attention brought to her, however I feel that at least a certain part of her story needs to be told, for the world to hear.
Mom was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, just like so many millions of other Americans. That part of her story is not too unlike so many others - who at middle age begin to notice some weight gain and a struggle to keep their blood sugars under control. As is the normal course of events with diabetes her blood sugars continued to rise and more and more medications were required to manage the condition.
To her it seemed like a cycle that couldn’t be broken. She would experience higher blood sugars and have to take more insulin which caused her to gain more weight which caused her to have higher blood sugars which caused her to have to take more insulin which caused her to gain weight etc. etc. However, last year was a turning point for her. She reached a point where she had decided that enough was enough. She was tired of the fatigue and the overall discomfort that came with carrying the extra weight.
So it was late last summer that she and I sat down and developed a plan to turn things around. The first part of the plan was to begin a low-calorie ketogenic diet as we recommend through Preventive Medicine Center and the type of diet outlined here at LowCarb Express. Almost immediately she began seeing results. Within the first week we had decreased her insulin requirements in half. But more importantly she was feeling better. She was sleeping better, her overall energy level was significantly better, and her mood and outlook on life had improved.
After four months of following the meal replacement program and coming in for periodic weigh-ins, she had achieved her primary goal of losing 40 pounds. The tests that doctors use to monitor average blood sugar levels (hemoglobin A1C) had a dramatic improvement from well over 10 to 6.2%. (For those of you with diabetes you’ll understand how significant that is), and – she was on a fraction of the medication that she was on initially. The diabetes went from entirely out of control to well-controlled, lessening her risk for complications from diabetes such as heart disease, kidney problems, vision problems, neuropathy, etc.
For me it has been a truly inspiring and uplifting time. It has been so much fun watching mom get healthier. She is doing things she hasn’t been able to do in a long time with much more energy and vigor. The best part for me however is seeing her become more fully alive.
What my mom’s recent journey has taught me is that it is never too late to decide it’s time to make some changes. At age 70 she was able to significantly change the course she was on. I have also learned that the timing has to be right. A person wanting to make this type of change in their life has to be ready and motivated for change. Yes, there will be sacrifices but most people find that the payoff is well worth it. She has taught me that taking control of your lifestyle can be transforming in so many ways.
So thank you for inspiring me and so many other people around you, mom. I am very proud of you and so happy to be your son. Happy Mother’s Day to you and to all the moms who read this!