After 1 year I don’t have a routine down for my Type 2 Diabetes and Low Testosterone diagnosis. I don’t sleep well. I’m constantly tired. I’m depressed. I think my doctor’s suck because with them it’s all about tests and prescribing medicine. There’s no discussion about lifestyle, and as much as I’d personally like to think it’s just eat less and run more to fix everything, it’s not.
Ultimately the best chance I have is to lose weight because it can reverse the diabetes and possibly remedy the other issue of low testosterone (which can be caused by type 2 diabetes).
So, the recipe seems to be take my medicine, eat right and exercise more. Only it’s not that simple. This is about pushing past the depression and lethargy, and making a habit out of a lifestyle change. It’s about a schedule that overrides other schedules, and in fact cutting things out in order to make room for the things that are becoming a priority. It’s about finding motivation when there isn’t any. It’s about learning new ways of doing things that I’ve done my entire life, and yes – I know it’s going to suck for a while.
It’s all about the plan, isn’t it?
When I checked my blood glucose this morning it was 191. I hadn’t been testing recently and decided to do so. It was a stark reminder to get my shit together.
Targets
Normal Blood Glucose
Fasting
Normal for person without diabetes: 70–99 mg/dl (3.9–5.5 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 80–130 mg/dl (4.5–7.2 mmol/L)
2 Hours after Meals
Normal for person without diabetes: Less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: Less than 180 mg/dl (10.0 mmol/L)
HbA1c
Normal for person without diabetes: Less than 5.7%
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 7.0% or less
Blood Pressure
120/70 blood pressure goal
Medications
- Metformin 500mg (Rx) – 2 pills twice daily to improve blood sugar control
- Loperamide Hydrochloride 2mg (OTC) – 2 pills twice daily as an Anti-Diarrheal because hey, Metformin
- Victoza 1.2mg (Rx) – inject once daily to stimulate insulin production
- Lisinopril 5mg (Rx) – 1 pill daily for blood pressure
- Testosterone 50mg/5g gel – 1 tube topically once daily for depression (which I have) and libido (which I have none)
- B12 Natures Bounty 2500mcg (OTC) – 1 pill daily
- Taurine Solgar 500mg (OTC) – 1 pill daily for stress, blood pressure
- Rhodiola Solaray 500mg (OTC) – 1 pill daily for stress
Equipment
- OneTouch Verio Blood Glucose Meter
- OneTouch Verio Test Strips
- Unistik Travel Lancets AT1048/Comfort, or OneTouch Delica Lancets
- NovoFine Plus 32G Disposable Needle 32Gx4mm (1/6″)