Kristi Ray Ledgerwood knew she had to change her lifestyle after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes back in February. The 42-year-old had seen the impact diabetes had on her family firsthand telling TODAY that she lost her dad, grandmother and another family member to the disease.
Ledgerwood weighed 329 pounds at the time. She could barely walk without pain, and had several health problems, including having arthritis in her spine. She had tried many different exercise plans and diets over the years to help her lose weight but she was never able to stick with any of them.
Her doctor recommended a low-carb diet this time around to help control her blood sugar. Ledgerwood said she knew her health was the most important thing and she knew she could not quit.
Low-carb diet works wonders for Ledgerwood
She has now lost 130 pounds thanks to her low-carb diet, medication, and a walking routine. She is now well on her way to attaining her goal weight of 140 pounds. She has also recorded various non-scale victories, with her A1c levels going down from 8.4 to 5.0 and her fasting glucose level dropping from 280 to 85.
Ledgerwood can now sleep all night in bed and she can walk five miles a day. She also can play with her 9- and 12-year-old children in the park instead of watching them from the vehicle. She now has more stamina and she has reduced the dosage of her blood pressure medication.
Ledgerwood has managed to control her blood sugar by limiting her carbohydrates to 30 grams per meal and getting most of her carbs from whole grains, veggies, and beans. She now only drinks water, a total of 120 ounces per day. She said that she missed drinking soda in the beginning, but now she does not even think about it.
Injectible medication curbed Ledgerwood's appetite
Ledgerwood also no longer eats white foods like pasta, bread, or potatoes. She now centers her diet around vegetables, berries, protein, and high-fiber foods. For her protein intake, she eats mainly steak, bun-less burgers, chicken, and eggs.
Other than monitoring her carb intake, Ledgerwood said she does not track what she eats. She explained that having to track everything she puts in her mouth does not work for her.
Her doctor prescribed back in July an injectable medication that is used to treat adults with Type 2 diabetes. Along with helping Ledgerwood control her diabetes, it also has the added benefit of curbing her appetite. She rarely snacks nowadays, and she does not eat anything in the evenings after dinner at 6 p.m.
For breakfast, she eats scrambled eggs or low-carb breakfast tacos and has a protein drink. Among her choices for lunch are a chicken quesadilla, snack plate of cheese and meat, or a low-carb wrap with pickle and a fruit. She then has some type of meat and a vegetable like broccoli for dinner.
