You Pick.

Fifty-two days ago I started a weight loss challenge with M. We decided that before our cruise we were going to lose some weight.  He had to lose fifteen pounds and I had to lose ten.  We both have surpassed our goal and have a week left of the challenge. I see it all the time on social media that people with diabetes have a hard time losing weight. I think the biggest concern is stabilizing your blood sugar to try and avoid the sugar spikes.

For me, I wasn't going to focus too much on diabetes. Obviously I was going to take care of my diabetes and take insulin when needed but I wasn't going to make this weight loss about diabetes.  Why?  For me, thinking about losing weight takes a lot of my focus.  I love food. I love bad food mostly.  So, knowing that I was going to have to cut back on the junk/excessive eating was going to take a lot of brain power.  Like I mentioned in earlier blogs, diabetes also takes a lot of brain power even when you don't realize.   So, to add the pressure of trying to have perfect blood sugars was out of the question for the next two months. I was going to try my best, check my blood sugar at least four times a day, take insulin when I ate and treat lows.  It also helped that I have been eating the same foods for the past two months so carb counting has been pretty easy.

I wasn't going to let diabetes be an excuse for not losing weight. It is easy to blame diabetes. "It can't  lose weight because I have diabetes." Well, it may be a challenge but it isn't impossible. In fifty-two days I have lost eleven pounds. Did I work hard? YES! SO HARD! I worked hard but not once did I give up because of my diabetes.  I believe that any challenge is usually encouraged or discouraged by our own minds.

We have the power to accomplish anything - trust me, I climbed the tallest mountain in Africa with zero experience.  When our mind tells us that we cannot do something, we believe it. Likewise, when our mind tells us that we can, we try our hardest to fulfil that belief.  We can be our own worst enemies or our own best friends in any situation whether that is in weight loss, or diabetes.  You pick.