This month marks my 1st quarter of tracking my diet and exercise on SP but I’ve improved my healthy eating habits since learning I was a type II diabetic in May 2011. It was then that my A1c measured 7.2 and my physician put me on 1,000 mg of Metformin a day.

This month my A1c measured 5.3 and Metformin was reduced to 250 mg a day. How did this happen? I thought diabetes was a progressive disease and yet it seems my efforts to defeat it are working.

For starters, after learning of my predicament I enrolled in a nutrition class for diabetics and took eating healthy seriously. Some of the measures immediately taken were the elimination of sugar cereals from the house and replaced with oatmeal and other healthy hot cereals. The ingredients to sweeten cereal now consists of adding ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/3 cup of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.) – No sugar. Whey and Casein protein supplements have also been added to my diet to accommodate the requirements of strength training and moderate cardio exercises.

White breads, pastries, candy, and KFC and other fast food eateries were eliminated. Other processed quick meals whether in cans, frozen or packaged were eliminated from our grocery list. Restaurant eating 3-days a week was stopped; now when we do partake it is on special occasions and with selected locations known for serving healthy meals.

Using SP tracking has helped in monitoring my activities, learning more about health issues and keeps me on target.

Being 6’ tall, I topped the scales at 206 last May with my body fat pushing 29% (measured with “Accu-Measure” calipers). Today I’m 177 pounds with body fat at 12%. My goal is to increase my body weight to a healthy 185 pounds targeting body fat downward to 9%.

To achieve this goal I monitor several strength training sites while continuing increasing my knowledge of staying healthy. I’ll be 73 years old on Saint Patrick’s Day and this goal is my birthday present. I don’t know if I can defeat diabetes but I sure as hell am going to give it a run for its life! Earl