It's Never Too Late to Change

I know that many of us reach a certain age, and it seems too late to make significant changes in life. I know; I'm one of them. I don't feel like I'm old or anything, but it's coming - soon. It may seem like it, but it's actually never too late to make changes, especially when it comes to better controlling type 2 diabetes.

The years leading up to my diabetes diagnosis

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a couple of years ago. All the years before my diagnosis, I overate, often consumed processed foods, and tried countless fad diets.

Of course, nothing stuck to make long-lasting changes. I would eat well, lose some weight, and then stop. It seemed like nothing would change. But it did; my health took a turn for the worse. Even after being diagnosed with pre-diabetes, I still didn't make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Trying different treatments for type 2 diabetes

Once I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I thought, "What now?" It was difficult for me to make nutritious food choices regardless of the detrimental outcome. Luckily, after not seeing a change with using a particular diabetes medication, I asked my doctor about Ozempic, as I'd seen advertisements.

After my doctor started me on Ozempic, I was sick at first. My body had to adjust to it. And I'm not making any medical claims because we're all different in our journey. But after I adapted to the medicine, I noticed I ate less. My eating habits improved. As a result, I lost 30 pounds fairly quickly and then leveled out. In total, now, I've lost about 60 pounds.

No one is perfect, and certainly not I

The truth is that I'm not perfect. I do eat the "wrong" foods sometimes. Between celebrating the holidays, going out to eat, and Mardi Gras season, I find it difficult to make choices that will keep me on track with diabetes management.

Changes can be small and slow

Here's the thing, though, the changes I've made have been small and slow but impactful. Sure, I may have a piece of King Cake once in a while, but I only eat a small dinner or a few sweets. When I eat, the portions aren't over the top. Now I know my appetite and eating less is a side effect of my medicine, not because of my willpower, but if it works, it works.

Benefits of having a normal A1C

The bad news is that I can tell when it's time to take my weekly injection because I get more hungry. I also fear that it will be hard to stay where I am if I ever stop this medication. But the good news is that my A1C is perfectly normal now. I've gone from having a high A1C in the type 2 diabetes ranges to having a normal A1C now. I like that I'm keeping my health in check, eating better, and have lost some weight. Not to mention the health benefits of a lower A1C level.

You can make changes

I can't take full credit for my changes, not all of them anyway. But there is still time to make changes. No matter your age, weight, or health, you can make changes. You can experience improvements.

It's funny, when I was a kid, I thought when you became an adult, you could do what you wanted, and no one cared how you looked. That's not true, as we all know. I want to be healthier, look better, and enjoy life more. And there is always time to do all of that.