Diabetes

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-24-2015, 11:37 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Soda used to be a downfall for me. I haven't had a problem without it, though. For me it was never really about the sweet tooth. It's the starches and grains.

Me too.....although I used to drink a lot of sports drinks and soda when I ate out.  For me....it was a combination of things.  It was mostly genetics.  It is rather prevalent on both sides of our family....although it didn't effect our parents or grandparents, many extended relatives had/have it, and my brother and I.  I am not real overweight (6' 2", 215 lbs.), nor is my brother.  We were both playing numerous sports all the way into our late 20s.  He rides bikes, lifts, and does some other exercise....I work a lot of hours, so I was hit and miss on the exercise....doing quite a bit of hiking.  However, once out of college, there was no more manual labor, and a lot of sitting.  I still hiked some, was as active as I could....but combining that with bad genes, smoking, and poor diet probably led to the onset.

Now, I avoid carbs like the plague.  I'll have a few beers once a month, but that's about it....save for the occasional cheat.  Sugar? Forget about it.  I. Just. Don't. Do. It.  My A1C runs in the low 6's, upper 5's.  My fasting sugar (mornings) runs from low 90s to low 100s.  I had a blocked artery that led to my discovery.  I was the stereotypical tough guy: you don't go to the doc unless you're bleeding or something's broken.  I wasn't getting checked out.  I don't recommend that method :snark: After the stay in the hospital, they determined I had been diabetic for at least a couple years, my A1C was 12. Even though I was a foreman on an underground utilities crew and was doing quite a bit of walking....shooting grade and staking at the time, it wasn't enough to stave it off. That was in 2008.  I gained a little weight a couple years ago, and the numbers started to climb again.  I got tough on the diet, and exercise when I can (although a 3 yr old and 5 yr old keep you pretty active...lol), and the pounds started dropping and so did my numbers.  Once you get accustomed to the lifestyle, bad foods make you sick to even think about eating.