We started a really uplifting program called ‘You Are Not Your Numbers’ for our Diva Club meetings at the YMCA. This program focuses on helping us move past the blame and shame often tied to the numbers in our diabetes journey.
Whether it’s the number on the scale, our blood sugar readings, the size on our clothes, or even our age, these numbers can sometimes make us feel like we’re not good enough. We want to remind everyone that these figures don’t define us!
Together, we’re working to lift each other’s spirits and embrace who we truly are beyond the numbers.
In October 2022, Graffiti Glamor makeup artist Alicia Mitchell injured her foot. And she wasn’t able to walk without a cane Her healthcare professionals mistreated her, blaming the injury on her weight. But a follow-up conversation with her doctor ignited a fire underneath her. Alicia’s doctor said she was on the verge of having type 2 diabetes. Alicia received a similar warning a few years before and made some lifestyle changes, but juggling multiple jobs caught up with her. The long days and late hours pushed her health to the side. She admits she wasn’t paying attention to her body, routinely ate late, and lost track of herself.
Looking back, she wishes she was taught about healthy lifestyle choices when she was younger. “No one showed me proper portion sizes or spoke to me about the importance of exercising.”
Although both of her parents have type 2 diabetes, as well as several of her relatives, food was a form of love in her home. The food is comfort mentality is why Alicia feels no one held her accountable as she began gaining weight. She was so focused on work that the weight started to creep on without realizing it. She wasn’t aware of how much she was eating or how it made it feel. At the time, her weight began to escalate.
In June 2023, Alicia decided it was time to turn her health around. Although her work was active, she didn’t have a workout routine, so she began working out at a gym First, she went to the gym once or twice a week before working out with a personal fitness trainer At the same time, she began changing her eating habits Alicia became mindful of her portion sizes and how certain foods made her feel, in addition to cutting back on added sugar in her diet For someone who admits to having a sweet tooth that meant cutting down on sugar-sweetened beverages, cakes, and cookies, she works out daily and practices portion control.
Since beginning her healthy lifestyle modifications a year ago, Alicia says she has dropped five dress sizes. Her advice to others is to ‘see yourself for where you are and take care of yourself now. Could you make a change to be a better you in the future? ‘ She also urges others to take care of one thing at a time. “Take your time, and little by little, you will see a change,” Alicia added.
Join us for our Luther Vandross: Never Too Much birthday celebration featuring a Music Panel, Fashion Show, Live Performances, Style and Tea Vendors, and DJ DAN. C.E. on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at THREAD Lounge in the Renaissance Hotel in New York City.
Come dressed in your Big 80s Bling!
Luther Vandross was known for wearing rhinestones, silk tuxedos, and tailcoats on stage and Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tom Ford off-stage! He wasn’t afraid of bright colors, animal prints, geometric patterns, and fringe. His style and incredible showmanship brought him legions of fans worldwide.
We’re celebrating the Glitz, Glamour, and Romantic Elegance that made his concerts memorable and set him apart from other entertainers.
MUSIC PANEL: Luther’s Vocalist, Cindy Mizelle, and Luther’s Choreographer, James Ervin, discuss working on his recordings and stage shows.
MAKEOVER: Graffiti Glamour Makeup Artistry Founder Alicia Mitchell demonstrates the power of beauty to transform your health. Hosted by Max Szadek.
FASHION SHOW: Designers showcase their gorgeous creations inspired by Luther Vandross’s romantic elegance. See the latest styles from Harlem Heaven’s Hats, S Designs, Dig Ferreira Kynetik Soundz, Teresa Marie Collection, JM Designs, LPF Collection, and Modafleur, among others! Hosted by Catherine Schuller.
LIVE PERFORMANCE: Luther’s most iconic songs by vocalists Keith Anthony Fluitt and Christopher Faison.
DJ DAN.C.E. has developed his style of open-format DJing, which he refers to as RetroFitted. He developed his style of open format DJing, RetroFitted, playing the family of R&B music (Funk, Soul, Disco, House, and Hip-Hop) across eras. He also leans heavily into spinning Hip-Hop/Lo-Fi instrumentals, which he calls “Spinning the Essence.”
SHOP VENDORS: Support a dazzling array of small entrepreneurs, including True Serenity Tea (For the Love Of Luther Tea blend), Power Pieces, and Harlem Heaven’s Hats.
COCKTAILS & LITE BITES: Enjoy signature cocktails and delicious appetizers are available for purchase.
Over the weekend, I read that the state of North Carolina is cutting off coverage of anti-obesity medications for state employees, citing soaring costs and a lack of agreement on pricing from drugmakers.
These anti-obesity injectable weight loss drugs are the rage from the Hollywood elite to shoppers at your neighborhood bodega.
Case in point: last year, at this time, I didn’t know anyone on these drugs. Last week, three friends told me they were either using or had taken the drugs. And all three knew countless other people using them.
These drugs work by making people feel fuller and eat less, with some side effects. Two of my friends admitted they suffered from diarrhea and stomach pain while using the drugs.
According to reports, patients who took the highest dose of Mounjaro, a diabetes drug from Eli Lilly Co. that’s in testing as an obesity treatment, lost an average of 50 pounds.
North Carolina’s decision affects a class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which treat diabetes and help with weight loss. Medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound have soared in popularity but are expensive and require long-term use.
According to Forbes, many more state-backed plans don’t cover GLP-1s for weight loss, but the ones that do are trying to limit rapidly increasing costs.
Connecticut introduced a trial lifestyle-management program for state employees seeking the drugs for weight-loss treatment in July after spending on the class rose 50% annually since 2020. Virginia tightened restrictions on which Medicaid enrollees can receive them for obesity.
When Ozempic is prescribed off-label for weight loss, it is often not covered by insurance. Why? Because the Affordable Care Act doesn’t mandate that health insurers cover obesity or overweight medications or surgeries.
Due to increasing costs, some health insurance companies and employers are also halting coverage of Ozempic, Wegovy, and GLP-1 drugs.
The private healthcare system Ascension stopped coverage on July 1, 2023, stating that weight loss and anti-obesity drugs will no longer be covered in its pharmacy benefit to its nearly 140,000 employees.
What does this mean to people taking the drug?
My friends using Ozempic and Mounjaro lost significant weight, but their insurance stopped covering the cost after six months. Without insurance, the average monthly price of Mounjaro is between $1,000 to $1,200, depending on the pharmacy. All three have gained back the weight they lost.
Routinely, when Ozempic is prescribed off-label for weight loss, insurance does not cover it. Why? Because the Affordable Care Act doesn’t mandate that health insurers cover obesity or overweight medications or surgeries.
If your health insurance no longer covers your prescription, is Noom or Weight Watchers a solution?
Although most of my friends think weight loss companies adding weight loss drugs to their arsenal is a cop-out, if you can no longer afford these drugs, these weight loss programs might help with weight loss maintenance.
Let’s start with Noom. For years, Noom has promoted itself as a psychological path to weight loss. Now, Noom believes adding these injectable drugs to your program makes the outcomes much better.
WeightWatchers members can also get weight loss drugs. The WeightWatchers telehealth clinic: a reworked version of Sequence’s telehealth services.
After Oprah appeared on the Red Carpet promoting The Color Purple, people speculated about her weight management. Oprah told People magazine that she’s using one of the weight loss drugs that are commercially known as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro.
Sadly, many one-time dieters see results from injectable weight loss drugs as far more reliable and easily obtained than from these habit-changing programs. But many of my friends who are desperately trying to lose weight feel taking these drugs is cheating. The weight loss industry has brainwashed them into believing weight loss is about willpower. I believe it’s about an individual’s body chemistry. Many people have a physical addiction to the fat, salt, and sugar formulas of popular foods. These people can’t stop at one potato chip; they eat the entire bag. Other people suffer from obsessive thoughts about food, which Rosie O’Donnell refers to as ‘food noise.’ In a recent interview, she spoke about how Mounjaro helped calm these thoughts in her head. I found her Plus SideZ podcast interview enlightening.
For many, these weight loss drugs are improving lives and health outcomes.
Novo Nordisk also offers a patient assistance program that provides Ozempic at no cost. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a total household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty line.
We’re talking with pharmacist Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES about the effectiveness of various weight loss drugs marketed for people with type 2 diabetes on March’s Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from Jessye Norman.
For the first time, a drug, semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk, has been shown so effective against obesity that people may avoid developing obesity health-related consequences reports The New York Times.
Many people with type 2 diabetes are already using semaglutide.
Three quarters (75%) of people who received semaglutide 2.4mg lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20%. No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss.
Up until now, the most effective weight loss treatment to help people lose 25 percent to 30 percent of body weight has been bariatric surgery.
Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free Virtual Cooking Party with special guest, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Zoom on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7-8 PM, EST. Jill shares her favorite quinoa recipes with us!
