I’m taking things to the next level with improving my health and it’s about to get real. I am working with a clinic whose sole purpose is to help people reverse type 2 diabetes. The primary focus will be dietary changes.

As part of this process I wrote down my health goals for the next year. I picked one year because that is my commitment with the clinic, but if I can achieve any or all of these goals before one year is up then all the better.

• I will lose weight to finally be at whatever the healthy weight is for me and have the knowledge and skills for how to maintain that weight.

• I will be a fit person at my healthy weight. I don’t want to be a skinny un-fit person. I am not planning to enter any Ironman competitions, but I will have good muscle tone.

• I will be off all prescription medication, which includes medication related to diabetes and blood pressure.

• My lab results specific to diabetes will be in healthy ranges demonstrating that I have reversed type 2 diabetes. This means fasting glucose < 100, A1C < 5.7, and fasting insulin < 8. I will be able to show my lab results to a doctor who doesn’t know me and ask if this individual has diabetes and have the answer be no.

• The rest of my lab results will also register in healthy ranges including cholesterol, all hormones, and markers for inflammation and cardiovascular health.

I can’t ignore my health anymore. The benefit of youth has been replaced by the risk of age.