Testing whether willpower can outsmart metabolism, again.
Getting up for a piss three times a night is starting to kick me in the arse. Things need to change.
Back in 2022, I made substantial changes to my lifestyle. It followed a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis along with a hypertension issue. Oh yeah, my cholesterol was way too high, too. My doctor wanted to prescribe a ton of drugs. I refused to take them, but eventually I settled on taking blood pressure meds. The only way out was to lose weight, fast.
I read books, watched endless YouTube videos and finally came up with a solid plan. I would use a combination of fasting and a low-carb diet, combined with daily exercise, to get the weight off, and therefore avoid having to take all of the different medicines that my doctor has proposed. And off I went. I fasted, ate well, exercised every day, and just kept on goingβno food after 6 pm, no sugar, no eating outside of my feeding window. The weight fell away. My wife could not believe what she was seeing. I was literally shrinking before her eyes. My blood glucose was coming under control, my blood pressure was starting to normalise, and I was sleeping better than I had for years.
Then I became a truck driver, and things changed!
Suddenly, I no longer had the opportunity to be on my feet as much throughout the day. In fact, I could be sitting in my truck for up to 15 hours a day and only getting out to stretch my legs a few times. I was sleeping in the truck all week and lost motivation to exercise (who really wants to be walking laps in a truck stop after dark?). The months went by, and the weight began to creep back on. My blood sugar was going in the wrong direction. Then, arthritis hit hard. My mobility was severely compromised. My job was causing the problems. I had several months off work, unable to do anything other than eat painkillers like sweets. I was fucked.
My mood changed. Not only was I having to battle the constant pain from my arthritic hip, but I was also having to fight to keep my job. The stress was exhausting and added to the weight gain I was now experiencing. Despite my best efforts and my family's support, I struggled. It was clear that I needed surgery, but there was no date for that in sight. I soldiered on, but my health was in steep decline.
I was treading water until I had my hip replaced in June 2025. Overnight, the pain had gone. Sure, I had post-surgery discomfort, but the arthritic pain was gone, completely. Between then and now, I have managed to find a job that allows me to be mobile and physically active. I lift boxes and drums of product, I have to climb up and down the back of my delivery vehicle, and I am home every evening, able to sleep in my own bed. Great! But, there's a problem. My blood is a mess: too much glucose and too much cholesterol. My doctors have put me on Metformin and Jardiance, in addition to Ramipril and Amlodipine. This is why I am up three times a night, having to pee.
So, I have decided to return to where it all began. I am going to use the fasting/diet/exercise plan that I used before. I will start my week with a 36-hour "Monk Fast", followed by daily 16-8 intermittent fasting. I will eat low-carb foods, drink plenty of water and take a little salt and ACV daily to support electrolyte absorption. By my calculations, I should be under 100 KG by the end of March 2026. My goal is to put my diabetes into remission by this time next year. If I can maintain my weight between 90 & 99 kilos, I am sure I will be able to stop taking the medications that I am on. My sleep will improve, and because of the job that I now do, I should be as fit as a butcher's dog.
Wish me luck!