Type 2 Diabetes Remission: A Personalized Science Experiment

Understand your current health status (A1C, triglycerides, weight). Identify the risks associated with type 2 diabetes.

“If you're diagnosed with type 2 diabetes you carry the same health risk as somebody who's already had one heart attack.”

Imagine your life when you've achieved your health goals. How do you feel? What do you eat? How active are you?

“If I imagined my future healthy self and started Living that life now that would be the way I would achieve my goal.”

Check and record your blood sugar levels at various times (fasting, post-meal). Use a glucose meter and log the results in a tracking app.

“With every drop of glucose or every drop of blood I fed into my glucose meter I could tell immediately if I was moving in the right direction.”

Use a food tracking app (e.g., Lose It!) to record everything you eat and drink. Pay attention to portion sizes, carbs, protein, and fat content.

Track your sleep duration and quality using a fitness tracker (e.g., UP band). Note any disruptions or variations in your sleep schedule.

“When I didn't sleep or I jumped time zones or took a red eye my blood sugar was 20 points higher the next day.”

Monitor your daily step count, exercise duration, and intensity using a fitness tracker. Aim for a minimum step count each day.

Review your data and look for patterns. Conduct small, controlled experiments to see how different foods, activities, or sleep patterns affect your blood sugar. Log your findings.

“I became my own science experiment and I learned a lot.”

Use smaller plates and utensils (e.g., chopsticks) to slow down eating and be more mindful of portion sizes. Measure portions accurately at first.

“Portions were always my biggest downfall I come from the land of all you can eat shrimp and endless platters of pasta when somebody showed me what a real single portion of something was it was a huge disconnect for me.”

Chew food slowly and savor each bite. Avoid distractions while eating. Pay attention to your body's hunger and fullness cues.

“I promised myself I could have anything I wanted as long as I ate it with a knife and a fork trust me it feels ridiculous to eat a Snickers bar like this but it helped me be more conscious of what I was eating.”

Test your blood sugar after eating different foods to create your own personal glycemic index. Adjust recipes to lower the glycemic impact.

“I made a list of all my favorite foods and I went and did a glycemic a personal glycemic index with my glucose meter of each one then I went back to each food and I tweaked it adding a little fat removing a little sugar until everything fit in my plan.”

Incorporate small, planned treats (e.g., a scoop of premium ice cream) into your diet in a controlled way. Adjust other meals accordingly.

“Life's too short to live without ice cream and now I plan for a perfect scoop of premium ice cream every day.”

Look for opportunities to move throughout the day. Fidget, stretch, pace while on the phone, or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

“I learned to be in perpetual motion all all day every day looking for ways to move and to fidget because fidgeting can burn 200 300 calories a day.”

Take a dedicated walk for at least one hour each day. Pay attention to both the physical and mental benefits.

“I learned that my one hour of walking every day was as good for my head as it was for my body.”

Use a standing desk to reduce sedentary time. Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day.