First things first: I don’t believe or partake in new year resolutions.

Having said that, it happens to correspond with the new calendar year that I revist my First Strides to a Mean, Lean Machine Regime. My approach this time, however, will deviate somewhat from where I began some 16 months ago when I began that blog series; I now have more knowledge and, most importantly, better goals and tools to succeed.

One complication, which I face when “dieting”, is diabetes. I’ve had diabetes, type 1, for nearly 20 years. Paradoxically, similar to Diabetes, Type 2, is that although i regulate the disease with diet and exercise, I cannot control solely it by those means as is the case with Type 2. Without delving much into the complications of diabetes, my primary obstacle with many diets, namely low carb, is the need for balancing carbs with insulin. Whereas a non-diabetic will regulate and metabolize his/her sugar (and carbohydrates) naturally, I must account for any carbs I ingest with an insulin injection.

As type 2 diabetics typically reach their hyperglycemic status as a result of poor eating and exercising habits, i.e., by high demands on the pancreas for insulin, a type 1 diabetic can do the same – the difference, however, is more frequent injections. In short, eating poorly and exercising deficiently not only make me fat but a masochist for injections! Weird.

Near the end of last April, I began working at a bakery. At this time, I was heavily involved in boxing and maintaining a strict diet. At the time, I weighed in at 148 and was securely physically and cardiovascularly fit. Sadly, the eight months that followed carried a burden along with them: a single pound for each month to be exact. Perhaps it was my boyfriend’s leaving the country, other people’s comments on losing weight, or the fact that my underwear was a little too snug one morning that encouraged my considering approaching the diet once more.

Now, before I proceed any further with this talk of “diet”, I think that it is important to eschew from the malopropism of ‘diet’ to adjustment. Diets have the reputation for temporary fixes. My goal here is to return to eating well and healthily – although getting there, will require work much similar to a diet.

Goal

The transition avenue I have chosen is high proteins and low carbs husbanded with habitual exercise. Initially, I am avoiding the sweets from the bakery as they are readily available and delicious, but still very bad. (I do, however, plan on feasting on a cupcake once I am closer to my goals and proportionally consume.) At the onset of this weight watershed, I weighed in at 156lbs with an approximate  13.6% body fat (BF). More disturbing than bumping bellies when offering hugs or not seeing my shoes (I jest) is knowing that 13.6% BF is probably the toughest to rid oneself of. Obscene.

As with all people hoping to lose weight or change habits, each person’s goals are vastly different. I don’t want to say that I want to be ‘skinny’ or ‘high-school skinny’; rather I want more concrete and measurable goals to work toward. They are surely weight loss but muscle gain and body transformation. Attaining these goals, I hope to reach below 10% BF. With working out and gaining muscle, I forsee my losing approximately 9lbs would ensure my goal attainment.