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Reply  Back to story:  ActionJacks Road to Redemption
 
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  #1   ^
Old Tue, Jan-11-05, 07:43
Kristine's Avatar
Kristine Kristine is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,659
 
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/145/145 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Default

Congratulations!!

It amazes me how mainstream medicine refuses to let this low-fat/high-carb crap die. It's absolutely unreal.

Much continued health to you!
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  #2   ^
Old Tue, Jan-11-05, 10:36
iwill iwill is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 489
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 248/140/145 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 105%
Default

Congratulations!!!
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, Jan-11-05, 14:33
lisaissa lisaissa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 307
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 180/137/110 Female 5' 1"
BF:
Progress: 61%
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Congratulations on your wonderful success.
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Jan-12-05, 13:12
omgiam30's Avatar
omgiam30 omgiam30 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 317
 
Plan: LowCarb
Stats: 223/192.2/150 Female 5' 4"
BF:getting better
Progress: 42%
Location: Minnesota
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That's sooo wonderful!!! Congratulations and much continued success.
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, Jan-12-05, 21:19
ncwingnut's Avatar
ncwingnut ncwingnut is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 289
 
Plan: Atkins/Paleo
Stats: 255/233/150 Female 5ft 6.5inches
BF:
Progress: 21%
Location: North Carolina
Default

Congrats! Fantastic work!
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, Jan-18-05, 09:05
Janine818's Avatar
Janine818 Janine818 is offline
New Member
Posts: 41
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 201.5/186.5/159 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 35%
Location: Somerdale, NJ
Talking Congrats My Friend!

Quote:
Originally Posted by actionjack
Well where do I start? Well I guess the best place is about 8 months ago...

I was 231 pounds and happy, my mornings were filled with sugar loaded cafe lattes and cream cheese and salmon bagels, my lunches were stuffed with Sushi and Thai food and snacks were pasties (donuts, iced buns, if it had sugar in it it was mine!) and Dinner was regularily going out for meals or KFC since I mostly couldn't be bothered to cook.

As far as I was concerned I was living life to full, fun times, great mates, good food and nice work environment, then slowly I noticed something was going wrong, it was weird at first I just couldn't put my finger on it, I just didn't feel right, I felt tired all the time even after 14 hours of sleep, I felt thirsty alot and was constantly going to the toilet and I craved sugar like it was an addictive drug, I was buying candy bars by the dozen and drinking alcopops like there was no tomorrow and I seemed to having a case of eye strain which never seemed to get better.

Then one night after a serious drinking binge, I work up at 3am needing a drink, I put 1/4 of undiluted cordial into my glass and topped it with water, 20 minutes later I was back, this time it was 1/2 a glass of undiluted cordial, I went back about 5 more times during that night (in between loo breaks) and in the morning when I woke up, I couldn't see more that 2 metres in front of me it was like having catrracts.

What did I do? I freaked out and started searching the web for my symptoms, but in the back of my mind I already knew, my mum had warned me about Diabetes, she said it ran in the family, she had it, her mother had it and if I wasn't careful I'd develop it too, but I thought like hey! I'm 34 I've got years till I have worry about all that. Well surprise, surprise, life sometimes throw's you a curve ball when your not expecting one and it hits you right where it hurts.

I went to the Doctor's and she confirmed my worst fears, I was now a type 2 diabetic with a blood sugar (BS) reading of 20.6 mmols (your average person is about 5), she proceeded to tell me that I will need to go onto a medically prescribed diet of mostly wholemeal carbs, avoid most dairy products, ditch all the stuff I loved to eat, need to take a whole battery of drugs, possibly go on insulin and then the coup de grace, she gave me my long term prognosis, if I could sum it up in one word, the word my friends would be bleak.

I was shellshocked, why me? I thought as I walked home because I could no longer see well enough to drive. I then did all the checks and tests the Doctor told me to, I followed their diet and took their drugs but something was wrong, my BS were going up, so the Doc would prescribe greater dosages of metaformin, one day my BS peaked at 25 mmols.

I thought if I don't take matters into my own hands then one day I'll be a blind, legless amputee waiting for either a stroke or heart attack to put me out of my misery because the pains from diabetes induced nerve damage were hurting so much. You know what I thought? Nuts to this, I ain't going out like that!

I looked on the web and found my salvation: 2 web sites
"What they Don't Tell You About Diabetes" http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/

and

The alt support diabetes website http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

They taught me about using Low Carbing as way to control my blood sugar, naturally very interested I googled a bit further and found out about other type 2 diabetics who no longer needed to take drugs and whose symptoms had vanished with the aid of exercise and a low carb lifestyle. That same day I walked 5kms (wheezing and sweating all the way mind you!) and chucked those evil high carb goodies into the bin.

You know what? I never looked back, my motivation was easy, whenever I looked at my legs I though how nice it was to have them, that alone stopped me from quiting. So on month one I lost about 14 pounds and my BS dropped to 6 mmols, I walked that bit faster and sweated less.

As the months progressed my weight loss stayed round about the same albeit I had a few stalls but I didn't mind I was getting fitter, I could walk faster, then walking wasn't enough I could jog some of the way, then I could run the whole distance, I was doing crunches and press ups and my blood sugar readings were averaging 4 mmols, My Doc couldn't believe it she had to constantly check her records to see if I was ever diabetic.

My low carb plan follow's a general rule of thumb keep my carbs roughly below 30g's on an average day, that's it, the how wasn't so important, I borrowed ideas from Atkins, from the South Beach Diet, from the Low GI diet infact I borrowed from everything and everyone that gave me the results that I needed and combined it with exercise and guess what? Today I reached my Goal of 160 pounds.

On reaching my goal, what can I say it was a long struggle and it isn't over, this is a way of life as well as a way of eating, many diabetics have fallened off the wagon and are paying for it now or trying to get back on their plans again, I'm hoping that my self determination and knowledge (forewarned is forearmed) is enough to keep me going for the long game and I pray they will be enough.

I'd like to thank the low carb forum and everyone who is on it, especially all those I corresponded with, you all played a major part in my success, I found out I wasn't alone, that there were others with even more difficult crosses to bear which made my problems pale in comparison, there was the constant encouragement, the kind words which raised by soul when I was down, the praises which kept me going and the slaps to the back of the head when I started to stray from my path.

Once again I would like to say thank you all, keep the faith and may we all achieve our dreams.

ActionJack


What an inspiration you are to us all. Thank you for sharing your story.
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Jan-20-05, 19:25
danakins's Avatar
danakins danakins is offline
Getting back to me
Posts: 8,192
 
Plan: LC WW
Stats: 176/167.2/145 Female 5'7" in
BF:
Progress: 28%
Location: Sugar Land, Texas
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Wow! I was a die-hard AJ fan before but this was simply moving! You've done wonderfully and it shows inside and out.

I'm proud to know you, albeit in cyberspace!

Kudos and head-swells,

Dana
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Mar-10-05, 19:20
HLFAN's Avatar
HLFAN HLFAN is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 338
 
Plan: Atkins since sept 22/02
Stats: 205/165/150 Female 5'8
BF:32/28/22
Progress: 73%
Location: toronto
Exclamation Amazing story

Hi Actionjack, you look beautiful. Wow, what a difference! You know, My girlfriends brother died of diabetes in his forties, living in a nursing home after he lost a leg and went blind. Your story should be on tv as an inspiration to others. Way to go.
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Mar-11-05, 22:25
Sweetcake's Avatar
Sweetcake Sweetcake is offline
AKA: Carol
Posts: 2,804
 
Plan: High Fat Low Carb
Stats: 235/135/135 Female 5' 4"
BF:? Not any more!
Progress: 100%
Location: Long Island, NY
Default

Congratulations on your accomplishment!!
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Mar-22-05, 14:18
Rachelle's Avatar
Rachelle Rachelle is offline
~version 2.0~
Posts: 7,677
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 186/173/145 Female 62 inches
BF:YES.
Progress: 32%
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Default

Awwww.. I had no idea you had come thru such struggle to this place.. I'm extremely proud of you for making it and sticking with it.. and inspiring us all You are one hottie who I'm proud to know

Muahhhhhh!!!
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  #11   ^
Old Tue, Apr-05-05, 11:24
Lessara's Avatar
Lessara Lessara is offline
Everyday Sane Psycho
Posts: 7,075
 
Plan: Bernstein, Keto IFast
Stats: 385/253/160 Female 67.5
BF:14d bsl 400/122/83
Progress: 59%
Location: Durham, NH
Default

That is an amazing story!! I have to admit I suspect I'll do the same regarding my diabetes for just in the week of low carbing my sugar hasn't gone up past 150!! Which is great an my A1C test came back 6.6. So I just need to stick with it. My mother who also has diabetes type 2 lost 100 and she didn't need meds anymore however she thought she cured herself and with diabetes once you have it you always do. But if you keep your sugar down you don't need meds and that's what's important.
I do understand your diabetes can get worse just like the type 2 coming on suddenly. So you should keep checking your blood.
Thanks again for the story its a motivation for me.
Congrats on your success!!
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  #12   ^
Old Tue, Apr-05-05, 11:57
nikotyme's Avatar
nikotyme nikotyme is offline
Twinkle Toes
Posts: 1,136
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 300/280/150 Female 5 feet 1 inches
BF:
Progress: 13%
Location: Atlantic Canada
Default

Bravo Action Jack

You're on the growing list of my "Inspirators".

Way to go.
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  #13   ^
Old Thu, Apr-07-05, 16:52
adelk's Avatar
adelk adelk is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: just cutting carbs
Stats: 244/236/160 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 10%
Default

Congratulations that's really great. You have come a long way and I hop eI can have the willpower and strenghth you have on my journey that is just beginning.
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  #14   ^
Old Fri, Apr-08-05, 16:42
moondanzr's Avatar
moondanzr moondanzr is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,439
 
Plan: Drs Bernskins
Stats: 260/232.4/160 Female 5' 7"
BF:lots
Progress: 28%
Location: central MA
Default

Wow! Action Jack!!!

Truly a very sucess story!!! And I can read all your hard work! You inspire me to keep with the program as I have been known to slip up from time to time...
But it is amazing what this WOE can do...and you are the living proof!
Sincere congrats and your story was very wonderfully written.
LC hugs,
nancy
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