I just want to echo ZipperJJ in saying that Manda JO offered some fabulous, inspirational advice.
Some of my personal anecdotes, and a little more inspiration, if you want it…
I was diagnosed with type II diabetes almost 6 years ago. Like Athena, I had lost quite a bit of weight (which I had been attributing to “not eating so damned much”). I had thought I’d dropped about 20 pounds from my high…but, in fact, I had lost about 50 (that’s what happens when you don’t own a scale).
I was thirsty all the time, which was another big clue (but on which I was in denial) – I remembered an episode of MASH*, in which a chopper pilot was hiding his diabetes (because he’d be grounded if diagnosed), and he confessed to Hawkeye about being constantly thirsty. But, stupid fool that I was at the time, I was responding to that insatiable thirst by drinking…regular soda. Which was just making my blood sugar worse. On a typical day, I probably drank the equivalent of 6 to 8 cans of Pepsi.
As a result of all the liquid intake, I was also going to the bathroom frequently. I didn’t have any difficulty emptying my bladder, but I’d need to go again a few hours later. I remember going to see The Two Towers in the theater (which would make this late 2002), and not being able to sit through the entire movie (admittedly, 3 hours) without having to get up to go to the bathroom.
Other symptoms I had at the time were:
- Slow healing of wounds (I had a sore on one arm which took the better part of a year to heal)
- Pain in my feet (turned out to be neuropathy)
- In the final few months before being diagnosed, a strange odor on my breath
I should also note that I hated exercise, and didn’t even walk often, or very far.
I finally went to see the doctor, after spending several months worrying about what was happening to me. When I complained about a little tightness in my chest (undoubtedly due to the stress), he put me in the hospital. Nothing gets the attention of the emergency-room staff like a 40-year-old man with chest pains! They ran a ton of tests, and concluded that I had no cardiac issues (though the cardiologist scolded me for being terribly sedentary and out of shape).
But, as they were about to release me from the hospital, the GP on my case noted that my fasting blood sugar number was 210; he wanted me to come back later for a hemoglobin A1C test (which measures your “average” blood sugar over the prior 3 months). That test came back with a reading of 8.8 (a “normal” reading is between 4.0 and 6.0; as I understand it, over 6.5 is considered to be diabetic).
I made dietary changes (no more regular soda, for one thing), started on oral medications…and started exercising. At first, I was just walking, and doing a little weightlifting. I had been switching trains to get to a stop only a few blocks from my office; I changed to getting off the first train, and walking the rest of the way. That change, alone, added about 2 miles of walking per day to my routine, and I began to take longer and longer walks in the evenings. With those changes, I got my A1C number to just under 6.
Then, about a year ago, I decided that I wanted to do more, and get into even better shape. So, I started running. I started by following the “Couch to 5K” program, which gets you from no running at all to running a 5K in a few months. I took the training a bit more slowly than that program, but I’m now at the point where I can run for over a half-hour at a stretch, and have competed in two 5K races. The running has helped to knock another half of a point off of my A1C number; my endocrinologist tells me, “whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!”
Gah… After not having the problem mentioned in my OP since the date of the OP, I had to go to the bathroom 4-5 times in about 12 hours (although one was done at my usual “right when I get up” time, and the intervals weren’t regular… Plus, there were times I thought I was feeling the urge, but it went away after a while). And I didn’t drink all that much today (which is actually a separate issue). Hmm. Ah, well, I need to get a checkup anyway.
But I might as well take the opportunity to say that there have been some great tips so far. I’m away from home right now, but I think I’ve got a thing or two to try when I get there!
Further food substitutions would be great too, especially with foods that serve the same purpose as what I eat now (i.e. whole wheat pasta seems a more “attractive” option than quinoa, since no one eats quinoa buttered with parmesan cheese… Hmm, can brown rice be eaten under the same circumstances as white, like typical uses/dishes in, say, Japanese cuisine, without it clashing too much taste-wise?)
Keep it comin’!
As others have mentioned, pretty much anything that’s “white” and sweet or starchy (sugar, but also white bread, white rice, pasta, etc.) is likely to not be great for a diabetic (or someone watching their blood sugar). They tend to be very simple carbs, which your body converts very quickly (and, thus, can spike your blood sugar).
Replacing the simple carbs with complex carbs (whole grains) can help quite a bit. It takes your body longer to convert complex carbs, and so, they’re kinder to your blood sugar.
BTW, I concur with ZipperJJ’s advice on shoes for walking / running. Good shoes, for which you’ve been fitted, make a huge difference. I, too, swear by New Balance, but I have friends who swear by other brands (Asics, Nike, etc.). Unfortunately, it’s not cheap – the $50 New Balances they sell at Sports Authority don’t cut it; I wind up spending about $150 for my running shoes, but being able to run or walk without having to worry about my shoes not fitting properly is worth it.
You might be interested in this guy’s approach to managing diabetes - he manages it entirely through diet and does not use insulin. Anyone can use his recipes and dietary approach. Warning: he has some choice words for the ADA.
People are idiots. It’s happened to everybody before, regardless of fitness level. I’ve been running near-daily for over a decade, and I still get jeers every once in a while when I run. What helps is running in quiet neighborhoods; but I can’t avoid it completely. I’ve actually had people get all righteously offended that I ran past them – not that I touched them, or in any way interfered with their passage, just that I passed them at a pace greater than their own. Hell, I’ve had people become offended over my running clothes: she told me to “put some clothes on,” keeping in mind this was February, in Chicago, and I was pretty much covered head-to-toe. The only exposed skin was my face.
If you can’t ignore them as they deserve, then your only option really is to work out in your apartment where you can be completely alone. But honestly, just ignore them, they’re being stupid. It’s no actual reflection on you.
I’m thinking that if you have to ask how to get more active, you’re not really motivated enough to do it yet. You may be away from home now, but you could be climbing stairs instead of taking elevators, going for walks, etc. Lots of little things add up. See if you can start the little things and then the bigger things will come easier to you, motivation-wise.
Thirding the “spend the money to get good shoes” thing.
Since you’re going for a check-up anyway, you may want to ask your doc about / mention any leg, joint, or foot issues. If you have a sense of where you’re starting from, you will be more able to select shoes that work for you – not every brand, and not every shoe within a brand, will work for everyone. I very strongly recommend that you go to a store that specializes in running and will let you try out the shoes (briefly, either on a treadmill or right outside on the sidewalk) before you buy them. Shoes that seem fine while standing may not be fine when you’re actually walking/running in them. Everyone’s bio-mechanics are a bit different.
And yes, you’re not going to get away with less than $100 for good shoes. Spend the money, foot/leg injuries suck.
You may also want to try minimalist footwear like Vibrams and compare to mainstream runners like New Balance, to see if one suits you better than the other.
Also, start slowly – walk before you run. Being so sedentary will mean your foot/ankle muscles will be relatively weaker, and more prone to rolling. Plus your legs will probably get sore.
My experience was much like Hello Again’s. I needed help with motivation, so I also joined a karate class. It makes me get out and exercise, and the school I joined is incredibly tolerant of differing ability levels.