Diabetes Class is Underway!

Gwen and I went to our first diabetes class last night... We didn't learn much.

But in the defense of the Lifestyle Center, we weren't exactly the target audience for an "intro to diabetes." As I observed the other people in class, there was a huge range represented. Some were obviously still in the midst of denial and anger about their diagnosis, talking to each other at a break about how they weren't going to hang around for the whole class. Thankfully, they did.

And then there were a few that clearly had no previous understanding of what diabetes really was. Other than the name itself, they didn't have any idea about what a carbohydrate was, or how other nutrients were converted into glucose by the body.

While I didn't learn much new about the pathophysiology of diabetes or the building blocks of a good diet, I did gain a more practical understanding of how this disease ties together so many of us from so many backgrounds. And I feel for those that that have less education, fewer resources, and are generally less empowered to take charge of their treatment and regain control of their lives. As much as I've been rattled and scared by my diagnosis, I at least have the benefit of good information and the advantages to understand it and put it to use.

On a slightly different note, however, I was a little disappointed about my weight last night. While I have by no means gotten my diet under control, I have been eating wayyyyy better than I used to. And I even feel like I've lost some weight in the tightness of my clothes and all. But on the scale, I had lost only about a pound or so over the last two and a half weeks. I'm trying not to be discouraged about it, and I'l chalking it up to the fact that insulin can often cause weight gain. But I certainly don't want that to happen, so I'm going to be trying to continue and intensify my efforts at eating better and incorporating exercise into my routine, and I'll see if that helps by next week.