Shedding Weight to Walk Anew
Shedding Weight to Walk Anew
by Bryan Winter | San Francisco, CA
On my last Camino, I started off overweight and flew home after an ankle sprain on the first day in Lisbon. Recovery was slow, but I was out walking within a month. At my next physical, I found that my A1C (blood sugar level) was 8. Obese and a Type 2 diabetic (T2D), I turned to Dr. Google and found that if an overweight T2D could lose 5% of their body weight, diabetes could be reversed. I lost 5% in 2 weeks. I never took the prescribed Metformin, as my glucose readings were already within range.
The cure for me was not pharmaceutical, but dietary. When, what, and how I ate was the solution.
- When: Intermittent fasting—eating only during daylight hours, for me specifically between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- What: Low-carbohydrate diet (with a low glycemic index) and no ultra-processed foods.
- How: Eating meats, fat, protein, and vegetables first, and then any low-carbohydrate foods.
Eight months ago, I weighed 211 pounds, had a body mass index (BMI) of 33, and A1C-8. Now, I weigh 168 pounds, have a BMI of 26.3, and A1C-5.8. I’ve lost 20% of my body weight, 40 pounds, by controlling when, what, and how I eat, and walking daily. I’m a recovering T2D that can now walk the Camino with a total pack weight far less than the body weight I’ve shed.
