My Journey With Weight Loss – Foot Care

I had a lovely call with my aunt today. After we got caught up on everything she said tell me you are not trying to lose more weight, you are thin enough now. I assured her that I am not losing more weight but that I am also going to continue to run to help keep myself where I am now. Not sure that she really believed me

I woke up this morning with my toe hurting again but in a different spot. I’m not too concerned about it as there is no redness or swelling but I will keep an eye on it. That made me realize that foot care would be a good topic for today’s post.

As a diabetic taking care of my feet is extremely important. With what happened to my brother I learned that the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation is diabetes. Diabetics can be prone to ulcers occurring on their feet and if the infection gets out of control it can lead to gangrene and ultimately amputation. I am determined to avoid any foot infections at all costs though I admit with my weight loss and exercise routine my blood glucose levels are completely normal so my risk at this time is pretty low.

A number of things I do for my foot care can apply to anyone but especially if you run or walk as much as I do. It starts with the proper footwear. I now tend to wear compression socks when I run. These can really help with the circulation in your feet and are actually quite comfortable. The downside is they are quite expensive (about $25/pair). Next of course are my shoes. I have wide feet and often shoes are tight on me. For my runners I wear a 1/2 size larger than what I normally do and always get them in wide. Of course the podiatrist has recommended I go to a different brand of runners that he feels will be a better fit for me. As for high heels, I wear them rarely but if they are tight I take them to a shoe repair shop and get them stretched until they fit comfortably. Wearing the right size shoes helps prevent things like calluses. I also make sure to keep my toenails short and cut straight across which helps avoid ingrown toenails.

The final thing I do which is one of the most important is I inspect my feet daily. I look for any signs of change, check for redness or swelling and investigate anything that feels even the slightest bit painful. The reason this is so important is that catching things when they have first started can get the issue dealt with quickly. I’ve witnessed my brother avoid having his feet checked when he feels pain an look where that led to. So, every morning before I put on my expensive socks and runners I do a check of my feet and so far (other than the corn) all has been good.

Take care of your feet especially if you work them as hard as I do mine. Yes, I’ve had to invest significant money into my running footwear but I think it is so worth it.