Mission Impossible?

About a year ago, my husband came home with very upsetting news. His fasting blood glucose (FBG) reading was 110. That's right on the borderline for pre-diabetes. His cholesterol was also creeping up, and, as if to add insult to injury, these numbers were all from his 40-year checkup. You'd never know he had any medical issues. He's tall - 6'3", in fact, and very lean, never more than 220 at the most. Even at 40 he was out performing many of the 20-year-old "kids" he worked with every day. You see, my husband is in the Navy, so his physical health has been closely monitored for at least the past 16 years. He's exactly that guy you look at and hate for being so fit. But inside, apparently, it was a different story. This first notice that there was anything amiss came with a command from the flight surgeon : Get your numbers down in 30 days, or lose your wings. If we didn't find a way to improve his health dramatically within 30 days, we would lose his flight pay, he would be reassigned at best, and he might even lose his position and pension. After 16 years of service, we were about to lose everything.
As I write this today, my husband is at work, on base, doing what he loves. He's in wonderful shape inside and out, and we're both much happier and healthier than we were one year ago. What exactly happened? Well, he dropped his FBG 30 points, and his weight 20 lbs in those 30 days. Neither the flight surgeon nor the dietitian had seen anything like it, but there he was, strong, lean, healthy and determined to eliminate any question about his fitness. How did he do it? Well, our learning curve was more like a rocket launch. We tried everything we could right away, and have spent the past year enjoying a more leisurely sampling of menus and methods. Now that the panic is past, we've also focused more on the cost of good nutrition. Low carb often means lean meat, and that adds up quickly. Now that he's healthy, we experiment with less expensive meals that net the same health and nutrition for us in the long run.
This blog is his story of determination, my story of support, and our story of gleaning the best of everything out of a tough situation. We'll share what worked, what didn't, what had us pulling out our hair and what made us laugh our butts off, all in the hope that it will help you or someone you know overcome your own health hurdles and enjoy a long, healthy life. Thanks for joining us!