Renee McGowan – Low carb, not no carb!

Renee McGowan – DaVita Credentialing Coordinator – Brentwood, TN

Ok, so maybe I’m a little late for my “I Matched the Mayor” pin, but I’d like to sign up anyway! My goal is to eat “low carb,” i.e., less than 100 grams per day, for the month of August, as a beginning to a weight loss success story.

I have 3 children (all boys!), aged 6, 4, and 8 months! Being heavy, I knew that pregnancy had its challenges for me, but twice I was diagnosed (the second and third time around) with gestational diabetes, so kidney care is close to my heart (lol!). During my pregnancies, I was placed on a sensible low-carb diet, and it really worked for me. I lost weight both times around. But – then it came back.

In addition to the Match the Mayor program, the DaVita offering that really jump-started my motivation post-pregnancy was the Dialysis 101 class that I took as a new teammate. It really opened my eyes. I had no idea how difficult dialysis is, and how much our patients endure to prolong and improve the quality of their lives. And – how short some of them are. Considering how much diabetes contributes to kidney disease, and how high my odds are of being diagnosed with it, I decided that I want to become and remain as healthy as possible, not only to avoid dialysis, but to be there for my young family for a long time. I already started motherhood a bit late in life, and I need to hang around as long as I can…!

So thank you for not only challenging, but encouraging me toward a goal, KT, and best of luck with yours. One meal (and one decision) at a time…we can do it!

(fyi…I actually started July 28, and I’ve already lost four pounds!)