The issue of weight is often in the thoughts of those around me. Especially my female friends spend hours watching it, obsessing over it and diligently managing it; plenty of guys I know do too. My brother in law has commented that, "Americans behave as if having fat is a sin, something so deplorable it shouldn’t be done." He speaks Spanish as his first language so his statements often translate somewhat dramatically in English. Yet, his comment is very on point when I reflect on my friend's beliefs and our media messages.
Type 2 Diabetes is a North American epidemic, Canadians and US citizens especially in colder climates are not only obese, but many are approaching morbidly obese body index rates. “Morbidly obese”, how could being this not be a sin, it sounds TERRIBLE. I’m aware that there are many folks that might be approaching “obese” per medical charts, but their cholesterol, blood pressure and other health measures are otherwise normal or healthy. Yet, our media and much of our culture seems to want to send the message that we all should be jiggle free. Then again, is that just what me and many of my women friends perceive due to our own predispositions?!
Either way, I’m currently pretty embarrassed about my body mass index, weight and reduced muscle tone. I’m more embarrassed about this physical failing than a number of other things I could be ashamed about, i.e. rising HBA1C tests or higher cholesterol. I may be more aware of these issues with my Diabetes, but I know this obsession is shared by many folks...with or without a chronic challenge.
I’ve known several T1 Diabetic men and women that have quit taking their insulin for brief periods. Some were trying drastic measures to see if they could live without it, and some were taking huge risks to drop weight. Without insulin to convert your food to energy then fat, your body will certainly drop some pounds while pumping acid through your blood. It’s an effective method, but certainly not a smart thing to do for any length of time. Diabetes and eating disorders are inevitably linked, as a kid you’re told carbs make your blood sugar high; your perception is that food is your enemy much of the time. (See, I have very good reason for being so anxiety ridden…this was tough growing up with.) I would guess that most T1 females dealt with a bout of what is called Diabulimia. Some eat and then puke, and some chew on food for a few moments to taste it and never swallow it, or others decide to not give insulin. I've read about a couple teenager girls that died from diabetic ketoacidosis after skipping their insulin too often to lose weight. This disorder is more risky than one might think, and the variations on insulin and eating disorders can be pretty extreme in the teen years and well into adulthood. (Keep a close eye on your teens, and if you think they're lying about what they eat....they likely are.) There is a book about Diabetes and eating disorders written by Maryjeanne Hunt that is a very good read, and will provide insight on how to turn your Diabetic loved ones on to fitness as a coping method (T1 Diabetes focused, more than T2).
I thought that going on the pump might help me lose weight after I had put on quite a few pounds while taking Lantus and Humalog. Well, perhaps the freedom to eat more easily on the pump resulted in the weight gain, or my sugars are lower all the time and I’m gaining weight due to that. In the 2 months of pump therapy I climbed about 6 pounds, I was horrified! Now in the third month, I’ve decided to give up one of my best friends, beer, and have been jumping on my home elliptical machine a minimum of 2 miles a day. I’m back down 4 pounds, and am seeing more muscle so feeling better. What is a challenge now is that I started seeing some lows when I workout hard, doing 4 or more miles. I start messing with my basal rates, and DOAH, the blood sugars do start bouncing back up. I find it so crazy how some days I need a ton more insulin, and others very little and I can’t really make any sense of it or identify patterns (well, monthly cycles are the one exception, massive insulin needed during those swings)….I feel like taking insulin can be like gambling; it's just luck sometimes.
Whether or not chubbiness is good or bad, I’m not happy with it and I'm about to commit to a 6 week long fitness challenge. Fortunately, it starts right after I get back from vacation so I should be all fat and happy as I start it. No diabulimia for me!! I'm going to do tons of cardio, make healthy choices and I’ll keep working with the pump to dial up the right amount of insulin to keep my sugars level and rebuild lost muscles. My challenge starts October 10th at Freedom Fitness in Burien, anyone else in?
Weight training is where it's at if you want to keep pounds off. I think a lot of women are scared of weight lifting because they don't want a certain look, but its proven to burn calories well after your workout, even days after.
ReplyDelete-V ;)
Weight training is where it's at if you want to keep pounds off. I think a lot of women are scared of weight lifting because they don't want a certain look, but its proven to burn calories well after your workout, even days after.
ReplyDelete-V ;)