Mojo's Page of Thoughts

Okay, so I need to lose more weight. I also need more exercise. So how do I go about that?

First I have to look at the need. Why do I need to lose weight? Well, first of all so that I can better manage my Type II Diabetes. How does losing weight do that? By dropping the excess pounds I can get my body out of the 'insulin resistance' mode that it is currently in. Basically, I got so fat that my body began to ignore its natural insulin. Therefore my cells are unable to utilize glucose for food and energy. Hence, I have excessive amounts of glucose running around in my blood stream. Viola! Type II Diabetes. Fortunately this disease can be put on the back burner by losing weight and getting my body resensitized to its own natural insulin. Will that mean I am no longer Diabetic? Unfortunately, no. I will always and forever be a Type II Diabetic. But I can become a Diabetic that is not affected by the disease. That is the ultimate goal here.

Also, I have high blood pressure and high levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). My levels of HDL (good cholesterol) are a little too low. Again, I can thank my bad lifestyle choices for these conditions. By the way, losing fat will help with the blood pressure issue.

I have been plagued by sleep apnea for years as well. Fortunately I went to a sleep study and got help. I now use a CPAP machine at night to help me breathe so I can stay asleep and actually go into REM sleep mode. And if you didn't know this - the vast majority of sleep apnea sufferers are obese. If I lose the extra weight then there is a good chance I will no longer need a CPAP machine to get rested at night.

So losing my excess weight will help me to either eliminate or reduce the effects of high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and Type II Diabetes. Sounds great. What now?

Diet changes. This is huge. The only, I repeat, the ONLY way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn in a day. Period. That is the magic formula. There are no magic pills, drinks, or patches that will replace diet and exercise. There are people that will tell you that their pill, drink or patch will melt the fat from your body but they are just trying to profit from your desperation.

My diet change is this: low glycemic. That's it. Nothing fancy. Basically I will be choosing what I eat based on its Glycemic Index value. What does that mean? The Glycemic Index is a system that rates food based on how quickly and intensely a food affects your glucose levels. For example, a baked potato will spike your blood sugar whereas a whole-grain roll will not. It is showing how carbohydrates are processed and used by the body. This is important not just for diabetics but for anyone. I have seen both diabetics and non-diabetics benefit greatly from this way of eating. This is not some fad diet either. The Glycemic Index has been around since the early 80's and is becoming more understood and accepted in the nutritional community. In fact, there are a few commercials on TV now that sell pre-packaged meals and diet plans that are based on the low glycemic way of eating. It's about choosing the right kinds of carbs to put into your body to help control and regulate your glucose levels.

The other half of the fitness equation is the exercise. Cardio kills fat. So my fitness routine will involve walking, jogging, and running. I loathe and detest the idea of doing cardiovascular exercise but I understand that if I want to burn fat then that is what I will have to do. I will also be doing weight training. This is so that I can build muscle. Not to bulk up into some body builder guy or anything, but simply to improve the condition of my muscles. Muscle tissue burns fat for energy. So the more muscle I build the more fat I burn all day long.

This is not going to be fun. This will not be easy. But it will be worth it. I have to do this now or I am afraid I never will. I have already let myself go for years and it has finally begun catching up to me. I am a 34 year old diabetic. What else is it going to take to make me wake up and do something about my health? I certainly do not want to be a 35 year old heart-attack survivor. I quit a 19 year smoking habit on Feb. 3, 2006. Now it is time for the diet and exercise changes.

I am 5'10" tall. I currently weigh 250 pounds. This is about 70 pounds too much. My goal is to lose 70 pounds in one year. So by Oct. 11, 2007 I will weigh 180 pounds.

If I do not reach this goal then I will volunteer 10 hours of my time and a $100 donation to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which in my opinion is one of the most corrupt and deluded organizations in this country.

Okay, so my risk of failure is to give my time and money to an organization I can't stand. So what is my reward for success? Getting my health back.

I will definitely keep you updated on my progress!

-Mojo