It happened again this Sunday. One of my more “seasoned ” friends asked me when I was going to end my diet. He said I was looking too thin (I almost kissed him). Please don’t read this as my endorsement of trying to lose weight at all cost. I am in close contact with my physician and I know right where my weight needs to be. That being said, it does seem like I run across a lot of people who look at me like I am wasting away and they are worried. I am not upset with these people. In fact, I understand it completely. Especially coming from my older friends who are from the Depression Era. A lot of them don’t see losing weight as a healthy thing.

But even my younger friends sometimes have misconceptions about what living with diabetes means, at least in the Rundad home. So, I thought I would explain some of the misconceptions I have heard. Please understand, a lot of these apply only to me, and I am not saying they should be for everyone.

“All things in moderation”- This is one I hear a lot, and usually from people who are obviously living in denial. For me, I say “most things in moderation”. Not a big difference, but I have some things that just WON’T be in my life, moderation or not. tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks fall into this category. These were all a part of my life at one time or another(although the first 2 have been gone for a long time). They will not be a part of my life any longer, they just can’t be if I plan to stay healthy. But can I have the occasional burger or milkshake? Sure, as long as I control things and go as low fat and healthy with those indulgences as I can. You would be amazed at how good a milkshake made with low fat, no sugar added ice cream can be! “You are going to ruin your knees with all that running”. There is LOTS of research out there that has shown that running actually does not ruin your knees, but in fact, builds stronger bones and joints. But I understand this one a little. Running is not for everyone. But for me, it is essential. In fact, if given the choice of needing knee replacement later in life, or having the bypass surgery that seems to run in my family like baldness, I choose the knees every time. 🙂 Do you miss eating meat? This one comes up every once in a while. But not from anyone who has every shared a meal with me! 🙂 I am a carnivore! Now, I must say, I am a careful meat eater. I try to stick to lean beef, chicken and fish. I have lots of vegan friends and family, but I am not one of them. This is one area where I do believe in moderation being the key. 🙂 “When are you going to stop dieting?” Although at times, including right now, I have limited my calories, I am not on a diet. Diets are temporary and by definition have an end point, at which time you generally go back to your “normal” diet. I have chosen to monitor the foods I eat to help me control my body’s diminished ability to handle sugar. This means I will not be going back to my normal diet…ever. I can’t. If you let your guard down when you are a diabetic, bad things happen. I have chosen to not allow that to happen. And I don’t feel deprived. I LOVE my new lifestyle.

Again, I am not upset with my friends when they ask me these things. They are not my “pet peeves”. They don’t cause me to go postal and get all preachy. But I do see it as a chance to share the gospel of better living. And I promise not to become that guy that everyone wants to avoid for fear of a sermon. 🙂

Happy running,

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