Last week was not only my birthday, but also that of my partner. We had planned a quiet celebration dinner at a local steakhouse, and I had further plans at the weekend with friends and family. I knew going into that week that I was not going to lose weight, and had budgeted for it in my projection spreadsheet.
The damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been – I put on 1.7lbs but it definitely could have been worse, and as you’ve seen, I’ve been averaging a steady 2.3lbs loss per week, so I’ll quickly repair the damage and move on.
This week I’ve already been taking steps to fix my birthday blip – with a 36hr fast yesterday, a 1.25km swim last night around 21hrs into my fast, and then a run today.
Tomorrow I’ll be back to my second 36-hour fast this week, and then another swim, and to cap the week off, a third 36hr fast through Friday into Saturday morning, with a third swim Friday night. I’m confident that will reverse my 1.7lb blip completely and get me right back on track.
It’s really important when you’re on a mission like mine to keep some flexibility and accept that sometimes “life gets in the way”.
The important thing for me is the long-term target, which is not just about losing weight, but about reversing type 2 diabetes. And I still feel like I’m well on track to do that. If not by 27th of March , when I have my 3-month diabetic check-up, then very shortly after that I’m sure.
And if I don’t quite make my HbA1c number by next month, and I have to wait for my next check-up in June, I will definitely have beaten diabetes by then – of that I have no doubt! As long as I keep doing what I’ve been doing, I feel like I can’t really fail. I’ve changed my lifestyle and eating habits radically, and without it feeling like I’m depriving myself.
So if I don’t quite hit my target HbA1c in March, it won’t be the end of the world – this is a marathon, and not a sprint.
I recently was called in for my regular diabetic eye screening, and this showed the early signs of diabetic retinopathy. Nothing to worry about at this stage, but obviously that should have been expected given my diabetic neuropathy wake-up call in December.
It doesn’t change anything – it just means the stakes are higher than just the numbers on the scales. Every clean meal I eat, decision to run or swim, every 36hr fast, is a stride toward protecting my eyesight and reversing nerve damage before it becomes permanent.
And of course, no endeavour like this would be complete without life conspiring to “get in the way” again and again.
So, before my March 27 check-up, I’ve been very generously “volunteered” for two business trips. Next week I’m off to our Paris office for a two-day customer meeting, and then literally just before my March 27 GP appointment, I’m going to Barcelona for a two-day conference.
Both of these trips will have lots of opportunities for temptation, so it will be a real test of resolve. Business trips are usually stressful – even if it’s a stress I’m used to – and keeping to a strict eating plan is always going to be challenging under any kind of stress. There will be meals organized while I’m on these trips, and ensuring that they are diabetic/keto-friendly will be difficult. Certainly not impossible, but difficult nevertheless.
And meanwhile, let’s not forget that I’ve had a very real win last month already – having my GP halve my blood pressure medication because my readings have improved so much. My latest readings today were a great example – 118/76 which is an almost textbook healthy BP reading.
Those are the kinds of results that make sticking to my guns during business trips feel less like a chore and more like just par for the course.
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