How Diabetes Changed Me from an Overweight Glutton Into a Svelte Fashion Model

In photo from left to right: Joyce Edelman, her friend Soni, and Dr. Edelman

 

The independent living senior facility where I live serves a bountiful breakfast buffet every day.  There are tastefully cut up melons, oranges, berries, apples, bananas, hot oatmeal, cheeses, lox, pickled herring, hard boiled eggs, yogurts, jellies, raisins, nuts, prunes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast and matzo brei.  Everything you could dream of eating on a daily basis! This bounty caused me to repeatedly eat more than I needed.  It all looked so good and it was right there for the taking. Lunch and dinner were equally endowed.

This food heaven could not continue for me. Shortly after I moved into the retirement community, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I realized if I wanted to continue living and enjoying life, I would have to change my habits.

Luckily my good friend Joyce has a son who is some kind of world-renowned diabetes doctor. Joyce gave me a book he wrote called Taking Control Of Your Diabetes and I read it cover to cover. She also showed me some videos he made on what to eat and how to take care of yourself if you have diabetes. He was funny and made things easy to understand. I felt like it wouldn’t be that hard to start making some changes.

I started cutting down on the amount of food I was eating, and I also started swimming at the YMCA. I lost a few pounds pretty quickly which felt great. Then I acquired a gentleman friend, and there’s nothing like a new romance to make a girl want to look cute, so I kept at it. He is 98 years old but still a babe!

These changes caused me to lose thirty pounds over the course of several months. Instead of getting instant pleasure from the delicious food I was eating, I got more pleasure from hearing the  “oohs” and “aahs’ of admiration I received from fellow residents as I walked down the runway of a retro fashion show we had at our facility, as a model wearing a glamorous evening gown that never would have gotten on me several months before. My new diabetic lifestyle is extending my life and making it so much more enjoyable. It just goes to show you that it’s never too late to start taking control of your diabetes!

 

Dr. Edelman & his mom, goofing around…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

 

12 Comments
  1. Nargleman Edelman

    Mom..you are the best! Your son..Steve

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    I want Joyce for my CDE. Great job all!

  3. Looking good, Aunt Joyce!

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    You both look good! The picture of health. Keep up the good work!!
    Nancy

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    Great article and pictures.

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    I really like this story and it’s very encouraging but I must admit that the title is VERY offensive and shame inducing.

    I was close to not even reading it but since it’s a persons personal journey and there choice to call it this, I decided to explore.

    I appreciate the individual steps towards her major change and that bits of details were included…

    I really hate the food glutton term and maybe because I project my own pain and bullying I have experienced most of my life especially from medical people and often times strangers too! I think that obesity and food addiction is a real problem but using pejorative language and considering so many factors that go into it…. the simple yet insulting term food glutton is HORRID even if you see yourself that way, saying that doesn’t include sensitivity to others …

    It also surprises me that the comments so far say nothing of this or that this newsletter even allowed this terminology to be used in the title and just fall all over this story with full love which in another way should not surprise me since so many drs and RD and many who work with diabetes are really quite judgemental and have a one size fits all approach. This one young woman I know has a PhD in nutrition, fitness and related exercise physiologist and she was a athlete too but now very disabled from chronic painful disease… needs a power wheelchair many times. She admitted that before this happened to her,?when she was helping people with pain and or with weight issues, she truly believed they were making excuses, had no self control and other negative evaluations. I never forget the pediatric rheumatologist that I respected so much said to me as a teen, WHY DONT YOU JUST STARVE YOURSELF??!!!!

    Anyways enough ranting and raving about this especially because I’m pretty sure it won’t be taken seriously but at least I said my piece and I did enjoy the personal journey and glad I willed myself to read it despite immediate revulsion with the title

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      Hi Issadora,
      We totally agree with you. Dr. Edelman’s mom and her friend came up with the title because that’s how her friend referred to herself – it was on an individual basis only and not meant in any way to hurt anyone. Her story was a great example of how one person responded to a diagnosis and turned her life around.

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    OMG… I love this 🙂

    Dr. E. aka Dr. Genius, your mom is adorable.

    Thankful for you and your guidance the past sixteen years.

    Yes, I’m a type 3 (MOM of a type 1)

    Love and hugs.

    Nancy

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    What would we do without our moms who are so proud of us and our calling? They promote us no matter what, but they also learn from us and help others too. Loved this story and the pictures of a proud mom and son.
    thanks,

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