How I coped with Insulin Resistance – Diana Zhekova, Winner of the Inspire Campaign
The long-awaited moment has come, so it’s a pleasure for us to announce the winner of the “Inspire” campaign – Diana Zhekova. Below you can read the whole story:
Before I tell you how I fought with myself and the disease all by my own, I will give you a little background. I’ve been playing sports all my life. Starting with swimming from a very young age, followed by 9 years of folk dances, athletics and ending with fitness. I have had moments where I have struggled with being overweight, but food and sports have always helped me. After my first step in the gym, I have been doing fitness for 8-9 years, and some time ago I discovered my passion for boxing. So far, so good, isn’t it?
In April 2018, I was diagnosed with insulin resistance. Along with the diagnosis, I received a recommendation to go to magnetic resonance imaging, as there was a suspicion of a benign formation in the head. After months of stress and panic attacks, this was the icing on the cake. And the worst thing was that I had to live it alone and there was no one to tell me “I’m with you, everything will be fine.”
At such a moment, a person has two options – either to be a victim or to emerge victorious. I chose to fight and not allow a disease to determine my lifestyle and appearance. To change externally, we must begin with the changes internally. And I had to deal with exhausted psyche, low self-esteem, lack of adequate information about the fight against the disease and some 20 extra pounds. I stood in front of the mirror every day and wondered if this was my body and how exactly I would handle everything without anyone’s support.
Here comes the moment when my information screening skills helped me a lot. I began to take an interest in the subject and look for balance in food. Of course, the gym became my best friend and I visited it 4-5 times a week. Physical activity improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin, so in people with insulin resistance, activity is very important.
After 2 years of regular strength training, balanced diet and periodic calorie deficit, I reached the best shape in my life. I lost 22 kilograms slowly and healthily and even my abdominal press appeared. There was no sign of that plump and insecure girl. After twice sharing my transformation with a wider audience, I received many messages from people suffering from the same health problem. Unfortunately, they wandered in a sea of information (usually wrong) and did not know where to start. I thought that after this ordeal, I could at least be useful to these people. To provide them with meaningful content and alternatives to make their struggle an idea easier.
Every day, someone discovers that he has insulin resistance. Many people suffer from it, some do not even suspect it, and the sources of information in Bulgarian are quite limited. That is why people consult doctors, acquaintances, etc., who often harm them more than they help them. Providing free useful information has become my cause and for more than a year now I have been communicating with many such people through my social media profile, publishing useful data and healthy recipes that fit their health.
In addition to all this, they receive support and motivation that they are not alone on the path to a healthier life. And my transformation makes them believe that if I can, they can too.
If you have reached the end of my journey, thank you. I decided to get involved, not because I would win a prize, but because I have the opportunity to reach more people who need my help. I believe that together we can do more to talk about a serious problem that is not to be underestimated. With the right information, everyone can achieve a lot, and my mission is for anyone with insulin resistance to have access to it.
