Being able to eat 200 to 300g of carbohydrates a day effortlessly. Losing weight without worrying about it, even if you’re not perfect on your diet. Watching 25 pounds come off in just a few months, from following a single program, and most importantly, feeling certain for the first time in far too long.
This all became a reality for Polly when she found the Mastering Diabetes Method!
A Surprise and Some Uncertainty
Polly was first diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) when she was pregnant with her daughter at age 42. But despite the fact that she’d been diagnosed, there was no real follow-up from her doctor, so she wasn’t worried and didn’t take time to worry about it.
But after her daughter was born, her blood glucose and her weight kept rising, until she had an A1c of 6.5%, well within the diabetic range. Again, it was a shock to hear this, but her doctor didn’t focus on the diagnosis or give Polly a plan of action. They just told her that losing weight was a good way to keep her blood glucose down, and that was it.
So, following that strand of advice from her doctor, she looked for quick weight-loss strategies and switched to a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. If you’ve read much on Mastering Diabetes, you know what to expect from a diet like this, but Polly certainly didn’t. She was just following her doctor’s recommendations!
The Results of Incomplete Advice
And what ensued was a constant struggle over the next 7 years as she tried to lose weight, constantly bouncing between 145 pounds and 165 pounds with little feeling of control over her life.
It got to a point where every day was colored good or bad depending on whether or not she’d lost weight – a real rollercoaster – and the whole time she didn’t feel healthy. She had a lack of energy, was tired all the time, and felt discouraged that her body wouldn’t do what she thought it would do.
It felt like she’d lost the control she had over her body when she was young, and could no longer predict what would make her lose weight, gain weight, and feel better.
Discovering Mastering Diabetes
Polly remembers vividly that it was 2 am on March 28th, while she was sick and tired of the constant uncertainty, that she started researching diabetes, and found the Mastering Diabetes book. And she’s glad she found Mastering Diabetes first because now she knows how misleading some information in the diabetes space can be.
Instead, she didn’t have to unlearn any old habits, and joined the DIY program on April 1st, just a few days later. And from there, the results were amazing. She hadn’t joined just to lose weight, but sure enough, it came off effortlessly, and Polly lost 25 pounds in just a few months, even though she knew she wasn’t following the method perfectly.
Taking the Next Step
Then, in June, Polly felt like she could use more help, and joined small group coaching. She loved connecting with other people, realizing that so many other people faced similar and different struggles and challenges and successes and sticking points.
And what she liked most was the attention from coaches. She found them to be excellent listeners, very responsive, and very attentive despite all of the variations and unique challenges people were facing.
“They always came up with just the right thing to practice that week!” Polly explains.
Polly was loving her new success, and in July attended her first Mastering Diabetes retreat. And with that immersion, she was amazed. Even though she’d approximated the lifestyle (ranging from 75% of the time to 90% of the time on good days), she hadn’t ever gotten it totally dialed in with all four pillars.
But with four full days, attentive coaching, and learning about what happens to your body when you eat that way and exercise… well it was eye-opening!
“You think you’re experiencing everything, even approximating it, until you settle into that intensive experience. And everything changes!”
Sticking With It
The next tool that Polly found helpful was the weekly meal plan. Suddenly it was like the green light ingredients came to life, with vibrant colors, simple and beautiful foods, and simple, straightforward preparations. To this day, she still gets excited to see what’s coming up every week.
And overall, Polly explains that what she finds so amazing about the program, and so rewarding, is the security, that comes from eating those foods. When she was trying to lose weight, she couldn’t figure out what would make her feel good.
But green light eating and the weekly meal plan have become a solid foundation, it’s a solid rock that she can sit on, that’s sturdy, steady ground underneath her.
“I find when I eat that way I feel very calm, secure, and I know what to do to make myself feel good. I didn’t have that before, so I’m very grateful for the whole program, the support, the tools.”
Polly helps take care of her parents, who’ve always eaten well and exercised, and are very healthy, but still need some help here and there, and if it weren’t for Mastering Diabetes and eating green light foods, she doesn’t think she could be as present, or available, or as steady for them.
It’s a powerful feeling, she explains, that she feels good enough and secure enough to be there for her parents, and she knows it would have been different on the merry-go-round of not succeeded on the other diet.
Her mind isn’t on losing weight, it’s not on fear of diabetes. It’s on the many, many other things to love in life, and along the way, she’s eating 200-300g of carbohydrates per day, and loving it.
Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Polly!