Last week, we shared the inspirational story of one of our readers Jill Knapp on how after finding out she had Type 2 Diabetes, she lost 100 pounds and then went on to enter a national beauty pageant!
Here is a recent podcast that we did with Jill, where she answered lots of questions and gave tips on how she lost the weight while raising a family and more!
We think you will agree that this sweet and gentle woman has so much wisdom to share
Thank you Jill for sharing your story!
If you need a fun way to keep exercise fun , check out this great product, called The Equalizer!
Style Expert Deborah Boland specializes in helping mature women to Tweak their Chic®!
A friend sent me hear this podcast. Is there anyway I can hear it?
Great Interview! I have type 2 diabetes, and I’m about 50-60 pounds overweight. I was overweight before I got diabetes, and now it just got worse. My sugar level is not really extra high, so I keep making the mistake of saying that it’s ok to eat what I want to, then I eat it and my sugar spikes. I have NO will power.
Everything thing you’ve mentioned I eat. Pasta, potato chips and potatoes.
I’ve tried to use the smaller portion plates but I was still hungry when I finished so I’d go back for more. I just don’t know what to do or how to do it, because my husband is diabetic also, but He will not change. He says he will, so I start cooking healthier, then he criticizes and complains. I’ve also been told that stress is not good for diabetics either.
Thanks,
PJ
I just heard this podcast. Found it on Facebook.
I needed this today. I am fat and need some motivation.
Hi Faith,
Jill has been amazing at sharing her story and has lovingly inspired so many. We are so glad you found it helpful! Keep us posted and let us know how you are doing!
Cheers!
JoJami and Deborah
I just listened to this. I literally felt like I was listening to a dear friend. Loved the podcast.
I am pummped after hearing thie podcast. YOu go girl! You look amazing and it shows that you worked hard. I just got a trainer and plan on following your path of weight loss and better help.
Olga
Saw this on facebook. My friend Cynthia had a link on her page. That is such a hard goal to meet. I will have to listen to this again. I could really use some motivation.
Hi Jorgina,
Welcome to our “family”..glad to see you here and participating!!!
I loved this post and interview. I am about 120 pounds ovre weight and I just got the diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes 2 wqeks ago.
It’s been so hard on me and I have been in tears with fear. A friend sent me this link. GREAT! Thanks fabulous over 40 for interviewing this kind lady. I needed so badly to hear her story.
How do you afford a whole new wardrobe? Now that would be hard. You look great and I loved your interview. The Glam Gals are great.
Great information and great interview. It’s inspirational for me living with type 2 diabetes to know I can make it.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments. The feed back has been wonderful and I appreciate it.
There have been a few questions brought up since my interview and I thought I would add a few things you should know about Type 2 diabetes
This information was taken from the American Diabetes Association and you can go there site anytime for more information about Type 2 diabetes. :-)
Facing a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, many people immediately ask, ‘Is there a diabetes cure?’ Unfortunately, the answer is no.
“Once you have it, you have it,” says R. Paul Robertson, M.D., president, Medicine and Science, of the American Diabetes Association, and professor of medicine and pharmacology at the University of Washington, Seattle. “You can make it go into remission, but it will always be there because it is a disease linked to your genetics. You can’t cure type 2 diabetes because you can’t make that gene go away.” But you can make significant strides against the disease, often to the point of quitting medication.
Type 2 Diabetes: Diet and Exercise Can Feel Like a Diabetes Cure
Most people end up with type 2 diabetes for two reasons. Their body has become resistant to insulin because they are overweight or obese. And their pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to overcome that resistance.
Diet and exercise are considered essential to treating diabetes. In fact, many people who eat right and work out every day respond so well it feels like a diabetes cure, especially if they lose a significant amount of weight and their blood sugar levels remain stable.
Unfortunately, by the time diabetes has progressed far enough to be diagnosed, the pancreas often has been damaged by the strain put on it. Many cells in the organ have ceased producing insulin altogether, and there’s no way to reverse the damage. That means if the patient slacks off on diet and exercise, the diabetes will return as strong as ever.
The good news: If you catch diabetes early enough, you can prevent further damage to your pancreas. That makes diet and exercise very important, and maintaining an ideal body weight crucial. In fact, some people can control their blood sugar levels through diet and exercise alone, without having to resort to medicine.
Can You Quit Your Type 2 Diabetes Drugs?
Depending on the medication your doctor prescribes, you may be able to cut back or quit taking diabetes drugs if you make enough progress with lifestyle changes, says John Buse, M.D., PhD., director of the Diabetes Care Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
When considering whether to reduce or cut a patient’s diabetes medication, Buse says he looks for an A1C count “significantly below seven” and notable progress in lifestyle adjustment — for example, consistent weight loss and regular exercise.
“We usually start by reducing the dose — this typically means splitting tablets — and seeing what happens. It can take anywhere from a week two to more than a month to see changes,” Buse says.
Researchers will continue to strive for a diabetes cure, particularly as the number of people with diabetes in the United States spikes to epidemic levels. For now, though, the best you can do for yourself is to eat right, exercise, lose weight, and watch for any complications that might develop.
Last reviewed: March 13, 2009 | Last updated: March 17, 2009
Nice story and very inspiring.
Loved this interview
I know my sister did nutrisystem about 3 times and each time she gave it up she gained back weight.
We listened to this interview today and she agreed with me to give it ago at making a lifestyle change. I love my sis dearly and she has type 2 diabetes and really has had so many years of yo yo dieting I am hoping she really does what Jill did and makes a lifestyle change.
Thanks for doing this interview Deborah and JoJami.
I love your site
Hi Atiyana,
Great to hear from you and we are so glad that you enjoyed the interview! It was sure a fun one to be able to share with you all!!!
I plan on passing this message along. I think it’s great to hear someone who has down a outstanding job on weight loss and getting diabetes under control.
This is a very powerful message.
I work for “The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases”
and really enjoyed hearing some good news.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for writing in! Wow… to hear that your needing inspiration like this is heartwarming. Jill is certainly someone that is special!
I have type 2 and her message gave me a great deal of hope.
Thank your for interviewing her. Did not think I had it in me to make the changes needed to get my health back. If she can do it I can too.
love your site. I have been a fan for along time.
Hi Shelia,
You are so brave to write us! We would love to hear about your progress! We are cheering for you as well!
Good luck!
Cheers,
JoJami and Deborah
I loved this interview!
How does she have clothes. Congrats to her!! It would be hard to have the money to buy a whole new wardrobe. Worth it though.
Hi DD,
We did ask her that exact question… she mentioned that she did not buy a lot of clothes during that time.
Also, we found a place that will rent you clothes (especially helpful, if you have a special event you have to go to and do not want to invest in something that you hope will be too big!!.)
I finally got to hear the whole interview!
Thank you Glam Gals It’s nice that you did this. I thought it was so neat to hear it live. I could not make that phone call and am glad you have it on your site. She has some great tips. That is so much weight to lose. She should be celebrating. She looks radiant.
Hi Lillian,
Yes, she really set a goal and stuck to it, even though it took her 2 years! We found it really inspiring that she did it on her own with out any fads! Wow!
Thanks for writing!
Inspiring message! I put a link on my face book page! What a positive influence! She look’s like she is so young!
Great story! She is very warm.
I just watched a whole show about celebrities losing weight and how most do a Jenny Craig or Nutritionis watch this:
Not that those are bad in fact I am sure they help many. The bummer is can’t we just lean to cook for ourselves? Why is we have to buy pre-packaged food. I liked Jill’s interview because as I was listening I realized she eat real food. She had a plan. She did no surgery, I did hear her talk about a support group but never talked about all of the fab plans out their.
It is nice to see someone real with weight problems just as she has and use her own power to change.
Congratulations, Thanks glam gals for having her on your show.
Just want to say thanks to Jill for her inspirational story, and to all of you who have been so receptive to her sweet message! She was a delight to talk too!
Good luck to all of you and lets keep sharing her message.
That is her goal…to help inspire as many people as she can!
Cheers!
JoJami and Deborah
What a journey! I really learned some things I did not know. Thanks for having her on your show.
She is an inspiration!!
She is AMAZING!!!!!!!!! She is such a positive influence on all who are lucky enough to be in her life!!! I’m one of them!! I am soooo proud of her and blessed to be her friend!!!!!! I love her!!!!!!!!
I could use all the help I can get! Great interview.
Happy Birthday! What a great interview! I was hoping I could make the call last night but with baseball was not able to. Loved what she shared.
WOW! That was wonderful! So many people in my family have Diabetes…. I will forward this link to all I know!!
I am a friend of Jill’s and loved hearing her talk about her weight losss journey. We live so far apart and it was wonderful just listening to her sweet voice. She has been such an inspiration to me.
The biggest looser is my favorite show also! Thank you so much for airing her interview! I saw her picture and she looks amazing. This information has given me hope. I am diabetic and I have about 80 pounds according to my Dr. Broken ankle, sick baby. All odds were against her but if she can do it so can I.
Such a personal interview! Loved it!
Glad you had it posted today. I could not get to my phone last night.
Really good interview! I have diabetes and have been so frustrated with the whole weight loss thing. I have some hope now. Thanks!
So sweet and inspiring! Beautiful
This lady has been through so much. What a wonderful person. She really has a great message. Very inspiring and very humble.
This was great!
Loved it! Kudo’s!
What a awesome interview! She is amazing! What I did learn she did it at a slow pace and that is so different then the normal quick fix take a pill diet!
Very Impressed!!