Diabetes

[Killer Joe]

UGH! Normally, for me, this topic has brought up many bad feelings but not much anymore lately. I feel I just had to get this off my chest and you guys have known me for many years now so here's my story:

For those of you who are not too familiar with this horrid disease it's a killer that takes about 30 to 40 years to kill you. To keep it in control the choices are insulin/medicine or diet and exercise.

I have diabetes and I have a long family history of it, too. I was diagnosed in 1997 (around the same time I started playing Magic), anyway I have had ups & downs with it, under control through diet and exercise and then many, many bouts of NOT having it under control. Well this month marks a serious milestone for me.

I have had my diabetes under control through diet and exercise for an entire year this month. This time last year I weighed 235 lbs. and at 5' 6" I was chubby, cha-cha-cha-UBBY!. Today, I weighed in at 159 lbs. but damn it, I'm still only 5' 6"

My daily blood sugar level average is around 90-97 which is very good, in fact it's excellent, for a diabetic. I have never taken insulin but I do take med pills to help me but I may soon not have to take those anymore.

If you have it or know someone who does please know there is hope but it has to come from themselves. Not my family or my wife's family could help me, I had to do it on my own.

It all started with me walking 10 minutes in one direction and then turn around and walk back. From there I started to be careful of what I stuffed in my mouth (less bread is a good start). I kept track of my blood sugar readings everday which helped me to adjust my eating habits to get better results.

Today, I work out everyday in some form or another in the way of cardio (interval training), calisthenics (crunches and push ups), and medium weightlifting (barbell training one week and then dumbbell training the next). I subscribe to a diabetics magazine as well as Muscle & Fitness.

I feel good. Life is good.

When I'm gaming now I try to cut back on mindless snacks and bring my own Wheat Thins and almonds pre-counted out for one serving and I always drink plenty of water, PLENTY!!!! I try to get in about 48 to 64 oz. per day.

Diabetes sucks. There won't ever be a cure in my opinion. So I have to keep ever vigilant, ever scared, and stay knowledgeable about it's death grasp on me to keep me in check.

There is hope, and it's right there inside of everyone who's afflicted.

~Mark

 

[Ransac]

I didn't know your name was Mark, too... huh. I guess you're not all bad (though, living in Pittsburgh automatically gives you a 98 on the "bad person" scale).

My dad has diabetes as well. He had it since he was in high school and had to quit basketball and track as a result (he was great in both before he was diagnosed). Prince RXI and I don't have it... moreso we haven't been diagnosed with it, yet. We haven't seen any of the symptoms (knock on wood), which apparently include cheering for teams with horrible people on them (my dad is a Yankees fan ).

48-64 oz per day is about right (I think I drink much more, but I'm a vocalist. Gotta drink more).

Is your 159 a good thing or a bad thing? I.E.: have you lost too much weight or are you pleased with your place?


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Killer Joe]

I went to Duquesne University here in Pittsburgh and our vocal department had water coolers at every corner while the instrumental floor had one, just ONE dinky rusted water fountain. So, yes, I know vocalists need water, appearently LOTS of IT!

My 159 lbs. is near excellent for my height but that stupid BMI chart (Body Mass Index) still indicates that I'm overweight, but only sleightly whatever.

My weight loss was definitely intentional my original goal was 180 lbs. but when I got to that point I was diagnosed with an inactive thyroid. My doctor perscribed meds for me and BAM! I dropped another 15 lbs. in about three weeks.

I've been at my current weight now for about three weeks and I think I'm going to try and keep it there. I weigh myself every morning before I workout just keep me 'in-check'.

I'm happy with my weight and I kind of dodge the bullet with not having too much loose skin because I've been doing AB exercises since last December so I do have a little but not much and not much either in stretch marks mostly because I lift weights (well at least I think that's why).

Symptoms that I had were blurred vision at times, always tires, always thirsty, I would sweat profusely after large meals, wait, every meal was large .

I got diagnosed not because from a regular doctor visit, it just so happened that I had to have blood work done for a screen test to be certified to work as a Teacher in New York State and diabetes is on the check list. The nurse came into the exam room and asked how long have I been a diabetic. SAY WHAT!?! The next doctor visit you have just ask if you're at risk for diabetes, it's scary, yes, but if you catch it early you'll avoid the problems like amputation and permanant loss of sight.

Yes, we have the same first name which tells me you never read "The Road to Tourneyland" articles.

ps - will ya kick a few Browns and Indian fans around the city for sport for me?

 

[Spiderman]

Hey, congratulations on keeping it in check!

My wife's best friend's mom had diabetes and she passed away a couple of years ago - she was only late 40's, I believe. She just stopped taking care of herself (maybe she didn't care overall?) and it overwhelmed her.

So keep it going, that's awesome!

 

[Ransac]

So, yes, I know vocalists need water, appearently LOTS of IT!

Absolute. You see, vocalists have "reverse Wicked Witch of the West syndrom." We turn into dust if we don't drink 26 glasses of water a day...


...oh. And we get to use any bathroom we want.

My 159 lbs. is near excellent for my height...

Congrats!!!

I do have a little but not much and not much either in stretch marks mostly because I lift weights (well at least I think that's why).

I've seen plenty of people who consistently work out that have stretch marks. From what I understand, it probably how well, you're eating or taking vitamins (and what you do while showering). Health and Skin Care are the only ways I've heard of to get rid of stretch marks (or avoid them completely), though I wouldn't know personally.

Yes, we have the same first name which tells me you never read "The Road to Tourneyland" articles.

Nah, I decided to move my computer to a place where I couldn't view pages from my bathroom. No other reason to read them, now.

ps - will ya kick a few Browns and Indian fans around the city for sport for me?

Sure, can you loan Troy Palomalu to me for this?


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Mooseman]

Hey KJ, did the landscaping job help you stay active?

I didn't see KJ for about 8 weeks and when he showed up at the Lorwyn Pre-Release he looked so different.
Glad to hear that things are going better, but you are slacking in my new year's resolution..... to make me play more magic.... we haven't played in months.....

 

[Killer Joe]

From August of '06 to May of '07 I was walking on my treadmill six times a week for 30 minutes at a reasonably fast pace, well for me anyway, and doing just some light lifting with 20lb dumbbells. By May I had lost about 35 lbs. but it took all that time to do it.

In June I started to do landscaping work which really kept me busy and sweating hard. The money was good and I was getting healthier. That's when I started to lose more weight.

By Mid-July I had already started to do more weight lifting and read articles from fitness mags and really became knowledgeable about working out.

Come September I was in near full swing; I had bought a standard 100lb barbell set at Dick's Sporting Goods, I borrowed a weight bench from the guy I landscape for and I got more dumbbells to use from 5 lbs. - 25 lbs.

Now in October I am exactly where I'd like to be weight and lean muscle-wise. At band practice I've been mistaken several times for a high school band student by on-looking parents and once yelled at by a chaperone for wandering off from the band; she too thought I was a band student after a half-time football game.

See, I shaved my head and wear a baseball cap all the time and got rid of my gote' so you have to look me right in the face to see my grey in my mustache.

I also can wear lots of cool gamer clothes, too yipee!!!!! I'm a size 32 jeans and wear a medium t-shirt (size 16 neck). But dang it, I'm still short

 

[Spiderman]

So now you get carded at restaurants, huh?

 

[Killer Joe]

So now you get carded at restaurants, huh?

Well, no, not really, but in my defense, I don't drink.

Mooseman: Yeah, I know we haven't been playing much lately. We'll just have to try before the end of the year.

 

[Oversoul]

My 159 lbs. is near excellent for my height but that stupid BMI chart (Body Mass Index) still indicates that I'm overweight

The BMI chart is garbage.

 

[BigBlue]

That's great news!

I am fortunate enough to never have had any serious illness. Until recently when my Dr says I have both High BP & High Cholesterol... I have lost about 20 lbs through diet (nothing fancy - just watch my carb intake)... I have tried the exercise thing, and like you say it has to come from within... I just cant seem to keep a schedule. I'll do great walking 2-3 miles a couple times a week - then nothing at all for a month... It's tough. Congratulations to you!

 

[Killer Joe]

"Time" is the real enemy when it comes to exercising. Try this for starters:

A two-week Cardio schedule:

Week 1: Simply walk at a brisk pace (on a 1 - 10 effort scale make the walk a level 5) in one direction for 10 min. then turn around and come back at the same pace. Do this 4 days a week.

Week 2: Walk for about three min. in one direction then turn around and sprint back to your starting point. Rinse. Repeat until 20 min. has elapsed. The effort scale would be more like 9/2. "9" for sprinting and "2" for walking. When I do it I walk for 90 sec. then sprint for 30.

Then start at week 1 again.

That's 20 min. per day, 4 x's a week. 80 min. a week in exchange for your health. Also try drinking more water say like 12 oz. five times a day. That's easy and no time or effort is required except an extra trip or two a day to the restroom.

We are all too busy to exercise but we can cheat time with simple cheats like the one I mentioned.

You can expand this routine to 30 min. for week 1 but keep week 2 at 20 min. You can also add 3 sets of push ups. Set One: 20 - Set Two: 15 - Set Three: 10. You can do them on the days you don't do cardio.

I am the laziest person I know so if I can do it you can, too!

 

[Ransac]

My exercise routine is usually 30 - 90 minutes on an elliptical (depending on whether or not the place I'm at has ESPN Sports Center on or not. ). The elliptical at my apartment complex exercise room has an "X" setting that will tell me how to run and changes it every minute or so (lean back, run backwards, etc).

If there are free weights, I'll take 5 or 10 lb weights on each hand and run on a treadmill for an hour (THAT'S a way to start building some lean muscle).


That's my routine. I'm pretty good about being consistently about exercising... when I exercise at all. I sometimes go a few months without going to the gym, but I'm starting another positive trend now.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Killer Joe]

Excellent!

I also use the time to think about DnD and Magic, I'm not that interested in Sports unless it's a Pittsburgh team

 

[Almindhra]

Wow, I can't even imagine you at that weight. I liked how you looked before, but oh well! Health is more important than being studly!

Congrats on your road to new health.

 

[Killer Joe]

Glad to see you still lurk around here Mindy! <I still know your real name, I didn't forget you >

I wish I knew how to send a pic to my self via my cell phone so I can post it. I hate new tech