I'm diabetic but I've finally figured out a way to live with it that works for me. Back in September of 2015 I was at the Doctor's ( Endocrinologist to be exact ) and she told me, " lose the weight or lose your feet ". The way she said it was like, " if you don't give a shit, I don't give a shit either ". I had been injecting insulin and leaving purple marks on my belly area but not doing me much good. Why ? Because I was eating the same stupid way. The insulin masked the damage but it was unsustainable. I was losing blood circulation in my feet due to excessive weight. I'm only 5' 5" feet ( 1.65 meters tall if I'm ramrod straight ) but I weighed 247 pounds ( 112 Kilos ) at the time so the tremendous strain in my body was evident. That night I pondered about my life and decided I was not going to commit slow motion suicide.
I went online and read about what to do and I finally found something I could live with. The problem with diets is that they do not work for 95% of the people. All calories are not the same. As a diabetic, your real enemy is ... sugar. Not only the sweet stuff like granular sugar in a packet but that which your body naturally changes into sugar like carbohydrates. The other thing is portion control. Eat well but don't stuff yourself. So I no longer consume much of anything made with potatoes, rice or wheat. So I only have once in a while French fries, steamed rice or bread for example. Portion control means teaching your stomach to be satisfied with less.
The first 3-4 months were rough since it is hard not to eat pasta or sourdough bread for example and of course, not going to the buffet. But I got used to it and now, if I eat more than usual, my stomach hurts. And eating mostly meat ( which I love ) means the carbs are not missed that much. The result ? I now weigh between 160 - 162 pounds ( 73 Kilos ) , I sl3ep much better, I feel younger and I'm able to perform sexually again. Not too bad for a 60 year old man. I don't use insulin any longer and I can keep my sugar levels in a normal range. My cholesterol is at 85 and my blood pressure is at 105/60 at 51 beats. I do moderate exercise, mostly walking up and down the hill I live at and not overdoing it. And like Gonzo I remain a pervert. So it can be done if you want to change.
Am I really healthy ? Not really. Just like a car that suffered a large accident, you can take it to the body shop and they can make it look good BUT that car will never be as good as when it came off the assembly line and people are the same way. I have permanent nerve damage on the bottoms of my feet and while they are no longer discolored like they used to be, I have to daily inspect them to make sure they are no cuts or wounds on them to prevent infection. My joints hurt in cold weather and eating anything with sugar makes my blood sugar spike horribly. So diabetes can be controlled but it can't be cured. Once you get it, you are cursed for life.