In May of 2013 I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic after starting a 6-week health program sponsored by my work. My fasting glucose was high (118 mm/dl) and my A1C was 7.6. I weighed 196 lbs and am 5’4”. I was cutting down on the rice and pasta and eating smaller portions of these foods. But since our daughter worked in Cold Stone I ate a lot of ice cream when she came home every night. But during the 6-week program mentioned above, I lost 10 lbs in 6 weeks with smaller portions, eating healthier foods, and very minimum exercise. I was still pretty sedentary with my job. Just changing the foods I ate helped lower my A1C to 6.4 after 6 months and being on 1000 mg of metformin. I asked my doctor if I could reduce my metformin to 500 mg since I had lowered [my A1C] significantly. I did all this the summer of 2013.

The time I really got serious about changing everything was the night I got the news that my wife wanted to leave me. That news devastated me and I just started walking to relieve the stress. I’ve walked probably over 500 miles since January 24, 2015—the day when I started the most significant changes. I didn’t use any of the three approaches you describe. I just ate better choices. The biggest challenge was going through a divorce and all the added stress of it. But I was determined to lose the weight and get off my meds.

I just ate normal foods. No special diet. Just ate less of the “white” foods (rice, pasta, bread, etc.). I still ate a lot of oatmeal for breakfast. I’m eating healthier, less processed foods, and I eat pretty much everything I like. I’ve done some probiotic cleanses. I’ve also started taking supplements that help control the glucose management. But I think the most significant factor was losing the weight and cutting out the processed foods. Maybe I should thank the ex for making me do something about myself since I couldn’t do anything to save the relationship.

I’m still maintaining this lifestyle. It’s gotten to be a habit with eating right and exercising. I continue to eat healthy. I get to eat what I want in moderation. I exercise every day now. I try to walk over 10,000 steps a day. I’ve been off all meds since March 2015.

What I would say to other Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics: Eat wisely. Stop the processed foods.

My current weight is 148 lbs. I’d like to get down to 130 lbs. and get my A1C in the normal range, which I think it is now. I don’t have the latest A1C value. Last one was 5.6, I think. 2-hr postprandial glucose after eating a full 3 Musketeers® bar was 115. I was pretty happy with that.

Weight: 196 ->148
A1C: 7.6 -> 5.6
Cholesterol – 160
Blood pressure, 110/68

NB