A Routine Screening That Changed Everything
In February of 2020, Aimee’s workplace did a routine bloodwork screening for their employees. Aimee was taken by surprise when she was given the results. Her fasting blood sugar was 362 and her A1c was 14%.
At first, she was in denial. Aimee never would have expected a type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 29. Yet here she was, being faced with that reality. At 29 years old, she thought her life was over; that she would have to give up everything she knew and loved for the rest of her life.
Her doctor told her that she could just keep eating whatever she wanted, and they would just adjust the insulin dosages accordingly. But this didn’t feel right to Aimee. She wanted to learn what was ideal for supporting her body with this condition.
Searching For A Better Way
A friend at her church suggested that she look into Mastering Diabetes. When she did, she was surprised to find that she was allowed to eat all the foods she had thought she wasn’t supposed to eat with diabetes – such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and potatoes. It felt especially exciting for her because she had wanted to be plant-based for a while. When she’d tried to make the transition in the past, she would always revert back to her comfort foods.
A Rocky Start with a Valuable Lesson
Aimee read the Mastering Diabetes book and started watching the weekly webinars. She was ready to go all-in and jumped into the method with full commitment. In retrospect, she realized that she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Once again, it didn’t stick. She had trouble making it sustainable for herself and fell back into her old habits.
However, this was a blessing in disguise. The experience gave Aimee the opportunity to see how she felt and what her blood sugar control was like while she was following the Mastering Diabetes Method, in comparison to how her body and her blood sugar were affected when she would stray. She became even more committed to finding a way to make the method stick.
She decided to go more slowly in the transition process and make the changes over time, so that she could pay attention to what was and wasn’t working and adjust accordingly as she went. This ‘slow and steady’ process worked much better for her.
Seeing Real Results
A few months later, Aimee headed in for a routine doctor’s appointment. When she first saw her new A1c results, she thought they’d gotten it wrong. It seemed too good to be true. But the numbers were correct – in just a few months, she had brought her A1c from 14% down to 5.6%.
During that time, she shifted from eating less than 100g of carbohydrate per day to eating approximately 300g of carbohydrates per day. Meanwhile, she was using less insulin. Aimee’s insulin sensitivity has skyrocketed. Whereas she used to take one unit of insulin for every 5 grams of carbohydrates, she now takes one unit of insulin for every 30 grams of carbohydrates.
In addition, prior to her diagnosis, Aimee had lost a lot of weight. By following the Mastering Diabetes Program, she was able to restore her body to a healthy weight. Now, she maintains it with ease.
Header | March 2020 | July 2020 |
|---|---|---|
A1c | 14 | 5.6 |
Fasting Blood Glucose | 150 | 85 |
Weight (kg) | 132 | 150 |
Carbohydrates p/day (g) | 100 | 300 |
Fat p/day (g) | 100 | 20 |
Aimee says her taste buds have completely changed. She doesn’t miss the foods tied to her old diet anymore. She can taste the vibrancy and freshness of fruits and vegetables in a way that she never did in the past, and today she craves these foods over everything else.
She also has much more energy than she had before. Aimee used to hate running, but now she loves it. She’s also started rock climbing and lifting weights – and her blood sugar is stable while doing all of those things! Whereas she used to feel stressed about working out because she never knew what was going to happen and her blood sugar levels would spike and crash unpredictably, the Mastering Diabetes Method has helped her to feel mentally confident because she knows exactly what works and what to do. The results are consistent and it makes exercising all the more enjoyable to have eliminated that variable.
Aimee’s Advice
To anyone just getting started, Aimee suggests starting slowly and change one meal at a time. Start with breakfast, find what you like and what works for your body, and go from there. In addition, she says to give yourself grace to learn as you go. You won’t be perfect at the beginning. Expect to make mistakes, and just let yourself be fully committed to the learning process. Pay attention to what arises and adjust as needed.
Aimee has become passionate about the Mastering Diabetes approach. It’s not a short-term fix for her, nor is it just about her diabetes. It’s a lifelong lifestyle and she’s grateful to be able to share it with others.
