Growing up Filipino American, I assumed meals always included something fried, something fatty, or a nice tasty combination of both. So when I was diagnosed in my mid-30’s with high cholesterol, I had a choice. Change the way I eat and move my body, or take a pill? It was an easy decision for me. Why give up fried chicken or pork lechon when I could take a pill instead? For the past ten years I ate foods that I craved. Garlic french fries? Yes! Pecan Pie? Double yes! Anything with bacon? Triple yes! All I needed to do was pop a cholesterol-reducing pill into my mouth every night, and I would be fine. Or so I thought. Last fall, I switched to a new doctor and went in for a physical. He told me that he wanted to take me off the cholesterol medication, and he ordered some lab work to assess my cholesterol and my sugar levels. He also suggested I could lose a few pounds. A few days after getting my blood drawn, I received the results. Even with my medication, I had high cholesterol levels that surpassed the healthy range. Not only that, but my blood sugar levels marked me on the higher end of being pre-diabetic, right on the cusp of borderline diabetes. That’s when something inside me clicked. "My pre-diabetes diagnosis woke me up to the realization that I was letting my health run on autopilot to habits that weren’t serving me." I made a declaration to myself in that moment that I needed to take back control of my health. My pre-diabetes diagnosis woke me up to the realization that I was letting my health run on autopilot to habits that weren’t serving me. If there were a way that I could prevent myself from becoming diabetic, I would figure it out and do it. And that’s what I did. It’s been seven months since I’ve received that diagnosis, and here are the results so far. I’ve been losing weight steadily, to the point where I’ve lost roughly 20 pounds to date. Without taking any medication, my cholesterol levels have reduced to well within the healthy range. And although I’m still technically pre-diabetic, my blood sugar levels have dropped dramatically. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned and applied on this journey to health. What’s great is that you can apply these same lessons to any area of your life.
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"Five Questions to Get You Focused and On Track." The other week, I shared my results with my Diabetes Prevention Program group, and one person commented, “What a great story! I want to have a story like that.” I replied, “You can have a story like that. Each of us has it within us to create the stories we want for our lives.” Throughout this journey, I’ve become clear that my pre-diabetes diagnosis was a catalyst for change. Here’s the overall lesson I learned: Life presents you with opportunities that are sometimes masked as problems. Perhaps you may be experiencing challenges that seem insurmountable, whether they’re in the areas of health, home, finances, career, business, relationships or life in general. But what if these difficulties are serving as an alarm going off, urging you to wake up? Where in your life are you being called to wake up? If there’s one thing I’m taking away from this experience, it’s the knowing that you and I are capable of far more than we might realize. There’s a spark of greatness in you waiting to emerge. Maybe it’s calling you out. All you have to do is wake up, show up, and embrace the truth of the greater you that you already are. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. |
About JoselitoJoselito is a spiritual life coach helping people create a purposeful, spiritual path to career and financial freedom. Sign me up to receive the free newsletterPopular Blog Articles Beware (Be Aware of) these 5 Unhelpful Money Stories How my body told me to quit my job How I was offered an all-expenses paid cruise after making my Vision Board Today I choose to live my GREATNESS You are not your stories. You are the story-teller. Your job is not your Source. |