The Plan ...

As with most challenges, in order to succeed you have to start out with a plan. And I think in order to have a plan you have to have goals. So I've been jotting down some thoughts about what I'd like to see happen over the course of the next several months. By the end of 2020 I would like to:

• Bring my A1c to under 6.0
• Have my average glucose readings below 100 points
• See average blood pressure readings of 110/70
• Reach my goal weight of 110 - 115 pounds
• Have a BMI that is normal for my height and weight
• Eliminate the need for ongoing medication
• No longer feel aches and pains due to inflammation

My plan is to eliminate sugar and all processed food from my diet. My meals will consist mostly of meats, healthy fats, eggs, and lower carb vegetables with a limited amount of dairy. I intend to exercise on a daily basis, most likely following Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds routines and walking on our property to help build endurance and stamina. I'd like to get to the point where I can add weights and resistance bands to my exercise. I intend to limit my carbs to no more than 20 total carbs per day. I plan to drink only water and tea (both hot and cold). I also plan to implement IF (intermittent fasting) starting with a 16/8 window (11 am - 7 pm) and working into an 18/6 window, eating 2 meals per day between 12 pm - 6 pm. I also plan to do some longer fasts -- perhaps 24 - 36 hours. 

I have a stack of books all focusing on reversing diabetes through diet and exercise that I plan to start reading. There are several experts in the field that I follow on Youtube and I'll be watching their videos daily to learn as much as I can.  I'll be posting on what I'm learning on a regular basis. 

I'm also planning to start trying new recipes and will post those that I like. I'm definitely a creature of habit and once I find something that I like, I tend to stick with it. I'm realizing that eating the same things over and over can get boring so I'd like to try new things. I'll admit I'm not much for cooking. It just isn't that much fun to cook for one. However, I'm planning to start doing freezer meals on the regular to eliminate some of the kitchen time and wasting so much food. I think there's going to be a big learning curve involved but I'm going to force myself to make the effort. 

So that's my plan. I'm sure it will change as I get going but I hope to achieve all of my goals by the end of 2020. Then it's just a matter of maintenance!