By Guy, on Virta for two months
I was in the hospital for a routine procedure when the doctor handed me what felt like an imminent death sentence. I was told that my A1c was above 9.0% and was immediately diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The medical staff spoke to me like it was my fault for getting so sick and spoke down to me. They asked me what I had been eating and how I didn’t realize I was so sick. The next few weeks were a mixture of hospital visits and trips to the pharmacy. My doctor told me that medications were the only solution to manage diabetes and prescribed metformin and glipizide.
To make matters worse, the medications didn’t even work well for me, as my numbers kept increasing. In response, my physician kept increasing my dosage. Even at 500 mg of metformin and 15 mg of glipizide, my average blood sugar stayed high around 175 mg/dL. Overall, I was not eating well or taking care of myself, but I didn’t know what else to do. At the rate I was going, I thought I would be lucky to reach my 70th birthday.
But then in February, I received an email from my employer, announcing the launch of an exciting new benefit called Virta. The email noted how Virta could help me reverse my diabetes and I was instantly intrigued. I went on the website, watched all the videos, and read other patients' success stories. This sold me on Virta. I decided right then and improving my health was more important than french fries, so I was ready to give Virta a try.
The transition to Virta has been quite easy. Previously, my go-to foods were peanut butter sandwiches or fish and chips with a dark beer. But through Virta, I learned that this kind of high-carb diet was making me sick. Instead, I worked with my Virta health coach Laura to find some food substitutions that work for me. My favorite foods now include eggs and protein for breakfast and salads for lunch. By making these changes to my eating habits, I saw results right away. My blood sugar is down to an average of 100 mg/dL and my Virta doctor said that I no longer needed glipizide at all.
Because of Virta, I can make plans again and see a life past 70. I am looking forward to spending time outdoors, hiking and taking pottery classes. My health now allows me to do all of those things. My long term goal is to be completely off metformin. Because of the results I have seen so far, I now know that it is possible. I would tell anyone struggling with type 2 diabetes to try Virta. Virta is not a diet, and it’s not a gimmick; it is a real science-based way to change your life.
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