“I was raised on a ranch where we grew all our own food. It was definitely organic. We also had chickens who were cage-free and pasture-raised! I believe I had a healthy diet as a child. We only had dessert maybe once a week when my mother would make a cake. As a teenager, I did not eat fast food.

“I went to two different Adventist colleges where they served only vegetarian food. I liked this diet and continued eating vegetarian during my first ten years of marriage.

“Suddenly my two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I knew it was not from her diet. We changed to eating meat since we had to keep close track of her diet. I no longer made vegetarian dishes with many ingredients.

“By the time I turned 40, I had gained weight; and I tried diet after diet with little success. When I was 62, my endocrinologist, who was treating my thyroid, warned me I was pre-diabetic and recommended that I change to a
Mediterranean diet. My A1C remained at about 6.0% for a few years, so I was not motivated to eat low carb as she had recommended.

“After about five more years, my A1C rose to 6.2%. She told me to eat only 60 grams of carbohydrates a day. I still did not take it seriously.

“Finally, they diagnosed me with diabetes with an A1C of 6.5% when I was in my early 70s. I was shocked into suddenly taking it all seriously. After my period of denial was over, I changed my diet to low-carb, moderate-protein, and higher-healthy-fat.

“I knew I had to lose weight immediately as I weighed about 175 pounds, which is way too much for my height. I joined a class at Kaiser and lost some weight, but I had about 12 pounds to go to get to my goal weight of 130 pounds.

“I joined Weight Watchers for one session of 12 weeks with the goal of losing my 12 pounds in 6 weeks and then maintaining it and finally becoming a lifetime member. My A1C was now 5.8%. I was very strict and did not eat nearly enough during those 12 weeks. I also started doing some intermittent fasting, and I achieved my goal. I am a lifetime member! I am
really enjoying the virtual meetings online and attend 3 or 4 a week. I am also enjoying sharing with other diabetic members.

“I am now using the information I have to encourage others to eat a healthy diet long before they become pre-diabetic. I know so many who have been told they are pre-diabetic, yet they continue eating the SAD (Standard American Diet).

“Since the Weight Watchers class, I have been reading and learning much about diabetes. I had no idea that it can lead to so many other diseases. I don’t know why it took me so long to get it, but I realize that this is a disease that I
could have avoided.”

Rose Millard