MEET LYDIA
My Struggle: At 25, I had a doctor tell me I had diabetes and I needed to take care of myself, but I didn’t do anything about it. I was young and naïve. Around 2015 is when I say I was officially diagnosed and first given medication, but I still didn’t change my bad eating. Then I started getting really bad. I wasn’t able to see very well, I was going to the bathroom a lot, and I started gaining a lot of weight. It was a wakeup call.
My Change: My brother introduced me to a new diet plan. I noticed his weight and his attitude, and I wanted that. The diet teaches you how to cook, how to eat, how to serve yourself. I’m Hispanic. The biggest challenge is staying away from things like tortillas, bread, or chips. But I did it. After just three weeks, I went from daily blood sugar of high 200’s to below 100. At first, it makes you feel good because you are doing something right. After three weeks, I started feeling physically good. I was eager to check my blood sugar because I wanted to do better every day. It became almost like a fun journey. In the beginning it was hard because you hate eating as a diabetic. But as I started seeing the results and feeling better, I started looking for more carb-friendly food and recipes catered to my needs. I now enjoy food again. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I pat myself on the back and have nachos. But I have to take care of myself now.
My Advice
If someone had talked to me when I was younger and explained to me how serious this was, I don’t think I would have gotten so bad. This might sound weird, but now diabetes is the air I breathe. It’s my lifeline. I have to take care of myself for my family. I know to others that might sound crazy, because you aren’t putting your kids first. But if I don’t put myself first, then my kids won’t get taken care of because I won’t be here to take care of them.