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Defeating Type 2 Diabetes
Having her own cheering squad was thrilling for Denise, who'd had a lifelong problem with shaky self-esteem. As a girl, she says, "I felt like an outcast because I was so heavy. I couldn't run, do sports or find nice clothes that fit, so I'd get big sloppy shirts and jeans in the men's department to hide my body." After her first husband, John, who was also overweight, died of a heart attack at age 51, she was convinced that she'd never find love again. "I thought no other man would want me, looking the way I did." Too insecure to get involved in the dating scene, she met Gabe through an Internet support group for widows and widowers and married him in 1999.Although Denise was always beautiful to Gabe, he watched her personality blossom as the pounds came off. "The biggie is how much her self-confidence has increased," he says. "She used to be kind of shy, but now that she feels so much better about herself, she has much more fun when she meets new people. That shell she had around her isn't there anymore. I'll even see her looking at herself in the mirror and smiling, when she'd never do that before."
By July 2004, Denise had even more to smile about: Not only had she shed 75 pounds, but her blood pressure, which had been dangerously high at 180/90, had dropped to a nearly normal 135/70. And she had her blood sugar under such good control that her doctor was in awe. She'd defeated a killer disease -- without any medication. "My doctor has known me since I was seven years old, and we were both giddy with excitement at how healthy I'd become," she says. "He is confident that I am going to stay that way." However, she will always have to watch her diet, keep close tabs on her blood sugar and see her doctor for frequent checkups.
Although she'd originally hoped to lose an even 100 pounds, Denise had to be satisfied with shedding 97. Her weight loss stopped when she hit 158, which is ideal for her five-foot-nine frame. "Now that I've gone from a size 24 to a 10, I love to shop," she says. "It's mind-boggling to see something cute in a store and think, I can fit into that! And instead of hiding if anyone points a camera at me, I'm happy to have my picture taken. I even got a new driver's license because I don't look anything like my old photo."
Denise is also thrilled at how much younger she feels. "When I was heavy, it was hard for me to do something as simple as getting up when I was sitting on the floor with my grandkids. Now I can pick up Allyson and swing her around. Instead of huffing and puffing all the time, I zoom up the stairs without a second thought. And in the summer, I decided to try Jet Skis for the first time. I wasn't sure that I'd have enough strength to pull myself up and hold on, but when I did it, I thought, Wow, look at me!""
Some foods and behaviors benefit diabetes prevention and management more than others. Check out Beating Diabetes for 3 expert tips.
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