Kasia Reduced A1c from 8.0 to 5.4 and Eliminated Metformin with Mastering Diabetes

And my name is Kasia. I live in Poland, near Warsaw, and, uh, I was insulin resistant, and I'm type two. Not really type two, but pre-diabetic, uh, for a long time in my life. [chuckles] Uh, as it happened, I was living under a lot of stress, and, uh, uh, eating and eating especially sweets was my way of dealing with, with stress and anxiety. So my blood sugar was rising, and I was gaining weight, and, uh, gradually the numbers were getting worse and worse. And, um, so finally I decided to go on some sort of diet, and I was-- my first choice was just to limit food and, uh, try to eat less. And then, uh, it didn't work, and, uh, then, uh, I decided to go on keto. And keto, uh, helped a little because I lost a lot of weight, but my insulin resistance didn't go away at all, and my numbers weren't, uh, that good. And, uh, later, as it happened, uh, I came across Mastering Diabetes approach, and I really liked the idea. So I, I got the book, I looked the book-- uh, looked at the book, I read some, and then I decided to join the small group. Oh, I did not have, uh, fasting glucose, but I had my A1C. Before Mastering Diabetes, it was, uh, around between eight and six point five. Uh, ei- it was earlier than after keto. It dropped some, it was six point five, but my weight was enormous. It was ninety-seven kilograms, which is, I don't know how many pounds it is, but ninety-seven kilograms, it's a lot. It's almost double in pounds. Well, mm, I think, uh, I was determined to take care of, of myself. You know, I was a little bit scared of the idea of eating just plant foods, uh, because I liked meat. I still like meat. Uh, and it was difficult to imagine that I'm have to-- I'll have to resign from all this and from, uh, and from cheese and, and milk and, and all this kind of stuff. [chuckles] So, but, uh, I think that the personality of my coach, Michelle, w-was really helpful. I, I think she, she encouraged me, and she kept me going through the first, first days. And, um... But my experience with diets was such that I knew that the beginning can be difficult also, so-- and I need to rely on something. That's why I decided to join the group because for me, the social support was maybe the most important factor. Well, this is a difficult question, Kelly, because [chuckles] I went through some ups and downs. Uh, especially last year was very, very difficult for me. Right now, my A1C is around five point four, which is pretty good. And right now, my fasting sugar is, uh, between ninety and one hundred every morning, so this is pretty good also. My weight is about, about, uh, eighty-seven kilograms, which is not that, not, not as little as it used to be because during Mastering Diabetes, I dropped over t-ten kilograms, which is over twenty pounds, quite a lot. But I gained it back because last year was very difficult for me. I went through the loss of the very significant person for me, who was my mother, and, uh, later on my house, almost at the same time, my house was flooded, and I was diagnosed with, with cancer. So it, it all was happening almost at once, and I had to deal with, uh, the re-- the consequences throughout the year. And honestly speaking, uh, Mastering Diabetes and the group kept me going. Of course, I had worse days when my, uh, desire to comfort myself with food and with sweets was coming back, and maybe sometimes it was even weeks, but I was always coming back. I want-- I knew that when I'm on, on this particular protocol I just feel more energetic, and I can deal with life, you know? And, uh, uh, it's so difficult to say that, but, uh, just recently I was diagnosed with another type of cancer. It is just past two days. I, I've been watching myself li- myself like a hawk doing, uh, all kinds of tests just to make sure that I'm healthy. But, um, nevertheless, it happened. I think stress had a lot to do with it. Th-that last year was very difficult. So my first reaction to this news, those news, was to tighten my, uh, tighten my lifestyle, meaning, uh, eliminate what is not good for me instantly. So that's this reaction that, that happens every, every, every time, you know? And maybe the, the most interesting thing for everyone would be that, uh, my lifestyle has changed a lot. I ha-- uh, before this interview, I was assessing what has changed permanently. First of all, I'm using much less fat in, uh... I, I have learned to cook without butter, without oil. I just u-use healthy, healthy fats, maybe a little bit more than, um, fifteen percent sometimes. Maybe it's sometimes be-between fifteen and seventeen or something like it. But, um, but on other days it's below fifteen, and, uh, it's not a problem. It's, it's okay for me. And, uh, I have also, thanks to Michelle and her consistent reminding how important it is to move, I have established, uh, a, an exercise routine which really helped me. I'm so much stronger right now. You know, I'm have resistance training twice a week and yoga session twice a week, and I feel so much better, and I walk a lot after every meal. That changed also. I pay attention. When I have my meal, I just try to move afterwards. And... Uh, I think it was crucial. It was crucial for... In my case, it was essential. I wouldn't make it without, without Michelle because-- and without the group because I made friends within the group. As a matter of fact, uh, we are still in contact even though I'm not on the program anymore. Uh, I have finished my program right now. And so, so but we, we are still in contact, so w-we are helping each other just to, by letting, uh, letting know what's going on. You know, uh, I have understood that I don't need to be perfect, sticking perfectly to, to the protocol, and I still can change my life. And, uh, it gives me strength. I, I have learned to be really... Oh, I forgot the name in [chuckles] the word in English. I, I, I have learned not to give up, to get up again, and, um, the invested wa- investment was certainly worth it because I have learned a new way of life, and it's very important for me now for what's going on. I, I think I might not understand, uh, correctly. Before Mastering Diabetes, my, um, A1C was between eight and six and a half. Five point four. Now it is five, five point four. Well, I, uh, significantly have dec-- I significantly decreased my blood pressure medication. And, uh, I have stopped taking any heart medication. I don't... A-as a matter of fact, I just have two medications right now, and I'm taking a supplement for my blood sugar, berberine. No, no medication. And I'm in contact with my, my doctor, uh, who is, um, taking care of not my pre- prediabetes and in-insulin resistance, and she proposed that I, uh, that I dropped Glucophage, which is metformin, right? Metformin. She, she proposed that I drop it. No, that's, that's all right. You can, you can use it. Mm-hmm. Just no- just nothing private, please. [chuckles] Yes. [chuckles]