So Now What?
So here is an even bigger issue for me and possibly others out there who are discovering similar problems with their once-perfect health. Carbs turned to sugar, and when I realized that it was not a good moment.
That knowledge alone came close to giving me a heart attack. And on top of that, I thought Keto was a form of Karate. There was no time to taper down or ease my way into a new way of life. I had to act immediately and change what I was eating and drinking.
Inventory Time
As I looked through the cabinets and refrigerator, there was almost nothing that I could eat. I had a couple of can goods, some water, and a bunch of food I could no longer eat. Looking at every label, I was shocked to find high amounts of sugar, carbs, or both.
So, I thought no big deal. I can find myself a list of what I can eat, run to the grocery store, and Wala, problem solved. What was I thinking? The grocery store looked just like my kitchen at home. Lots of food and nothing I could eat. Maybe I can learn to fly as well? Bouncing around from one article to the next, one opinion to the other, and one disappointment after another was confusing and frustrating, to say the least.
I was trying to find out what was available and scrounge up enough knowledge about affordable foods to keep eating. Was I asking too much? And what makes it all so difficult to bear is that I am the pickiest eater you have ever met. It is so true. No one could make all this up.
It is On! I Got This!
So here I am, a skinny man, a picky eater, and someone who knows very little about food. My feet are burning and swollen, and my vision seems to be getting worse by the hour. At this point, I am simply praying I find food before I go blind and can no longer see to get to the store or read the labels on the food. I was frantically reading all the blogs and advertisements talking about losing weight or buying some product for diabetics. I could not find one that didn`t focus on weight. What? Is this Skinny discrimination again?
I put up with all the weight-loss competitions at work, and did I complain? No, I took it like a grown-up. But now they ignore me, and I am going blind, and my feet are puffing up like a hot air balloon.
So I am screaming at those articles and googling skinny diabetics and any term to find something that isn’t fat-free and is sugar-free. But, unfortunately, that combination is a rare one. Even those who put the word lean in their title only tried to get fat people to read their blog.
It was nothing to do with skinny diabetics!
Then it hit me. I must be the only one. Who would have thought?
So I managed to find a few ( and I mean very few) things that I could search for at the store. You know, like seeds and grass, yum. And filling, I might add. Why would someone go on about seeds as part of a diabetic diet like that is a meal or even a snack? Child, please! I swear I spent hours going up and down one row after the other reading labels. Not easy with blurry vision. As it turns out, there is less than 25% of food in most stores that do not have sugar. And, most of those have too many carbs, which I cannot understand for the life of me.
Is this some sick joke? Do you mean to tell me I spend 45 minutes looking for something without sugar only to find out the carbs are too high?
You know what? Screw it! I’m buying a chocolate pie and some Twinkies, and I’m out of here.
I joke sarcastically, so I hope you have a sense of humor and do not take all that I say seriously. Diabetes is a severe disease, but we can still have a laugh or two, even if it means laughing at ourselves. There is no choice when faced with the possibility of losing your vision and health. While I was already going to the gym, that has little to do with my condition.
The cause: Eating sugar and garbage combined with drinking cokes all the time, my own doing.
However, I plan to overcome this and inform others how they can too.
Southern disclaimer: Every soft drink is a “coke” in the south. Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Coke is all coke. We keep it simple.
