I’m a type 2 diabetic with high blood pressure. For about 3 years, I didn’t take any of my medications and I didn’t watch my diet or weight. I didn’t check my blood glucose levels nor did I monitor my blood pressure.

In early July 2016, I wasn’t feeling right most of the day and then about mid-afternoon, I suddenly became violently ill. I had uncontrollable vomiting and was so dizzy that I couldn’t even sit up. I didn’t have any insurance because I couldn’t afford it so calling 9-1-1 was an act of desperation after nearly 4 hours on the bathroom floor.

When paramedics arrived, they took my blood glucose and said it over 400, which is dangerously high. My blood pressure was over 200/170, also dangerously high. I spent the next several days in the hospital being stabilized, before being released. When I saw my doctor a few days later, I weighed in at 311.8 pounds. My A1C, how they measure diabetes these days, was 11.5 which also dangerously high. The incident also caused me to develop vertigo, which is very disconcerting for someone who has always had a great sense of balance.

I knew I had to lose weight quick in order to help get my blood glucose and blood pressure levels under control. I didn’t want to do any type of surgery and I couldn’t afford to get into a clinic or on some expensive program. Without insurance, it was up to me and I knew what I had to do.

I went on a strict diet. A staff member at my doctor’s office told me about a free website set up for diabetics that can help track diet, activity and also blood glucose levels. I highly recommend this site as it was a HUGE help to me – www.GoMeals.com. With the program, I was able to enter every thing I ate, drank, all of my activities as well as my blood glucose level. Tracking every tenth of an ounce of food was tedious, but having that record was a tremendous help in choosing what to eat and how much to eat. Without GoMeals.com, I’m not sure I could have done what I’ll share below.

I swore I would never count calories nor would I ever read labels on food items, but I knew that’s exactly what I knew I had to do.

For my height and weight, it was recommended that I limit my diet to no more than 1800-2200 calories a day. Like many of you, I’m impatient and wanted results faster, so I set a maximum daily intake of 1200-1500 calories.

I had an electronic postage scale that measured tenths of an ounce and I used this to measure how much of what I ate. I also did some research and not only limited my portions, but what I was eating. Instead of a lot of red meat (beef and pork) I went to poultry (chicken) and fish. I cut out many starches – potatoes, rice, bread, crackers, etc. I ate more ‘good’ vegetables and ‘good’ fruit. By ‘good’ I mean ones that are diabetic friendly and won’t increase blood glucose levels.

I started losing weight but not fast enough for my impatience. As soon as my vertigo got better, I began walking twice a day. At first it was about ½ mile each time and then progressed up to 2-3 miles each time. My walks weren’t casual but at a brisk pace.

The combination of dieting and exercise was the trick and I started losing weight faster.

I now everyone is different and lose weight at different rates, so I’m just telling you what worked for me. Yes, I was losing faster, but not fast enough and I lowered my daily calorie intake to 800-1000. I did keep my doctor informed and had approval to do what I was doing. With the lower calorie intake and walking, just 5 months after getting out of the hospital, I weighed in at 226 pounds for total weight loss of 83.8 pounds.

I was feeling better. My daily blood glucose readings were getting real close to normal and so was my blood pressure. My A1C dropped from that 11.5 to 5.2 (6.0 and above is considered diabetic). If I’m able to maintain this lifestyle, I could be free of the type 2 diabetes.

I’ll admit that it’s hard to eat so little and I often referred to my daily walking as my torture time. It’s not fun eating salads and veggies most of the time and a piece of chicken or fish that only fits in the palm of your hand. It takes a lot of self-discipline, but I had help from my wife and list of friends who held me accountable to and to whom I had to give weekly updates on my progress.

I know not everyone has the self-discipline to go as drastic as I did, but even if you could lose a couple of pounds every month and establish a new lifestyle of eating and exercising, it will make a world of difference in your life and future. It’s up to you and something you have to set your mind to and make it a life change, not just a temporary diet.