Health Issues

I normally don’t blog about personal or health issues, but I felt the need to address some health issues that more and more people are experiencing.

In about 2010 my wife and I applied for life insurance. After all the tests and blood work, it turned out I had type 2 diabetes.

At the time I didn’t know anything about the disease other than the myth that only “fat” people get it. I had no idea that how I was living was taking me down the path of destruction.

I thought I was healthy and fairly active. But I couldn’t really see what I was like.

I was very overweight, or fat, and not as active as I thought I was and my diet was horrible.

For a long time I looked for somebody to blame. It couldn’t have been my fault I was in this situation. It had to be somebody else.

Fast forward to January 2012… Now on Metformin and various other medications I went to see my family doctor. Thinking I had things under control. Man was I wrong.

My doctor was furious with my A1C and daily blood sugar levels and proceeded to “yell” at me about my situation. I was far to young to have this disease and I have way too much to live for.

He was prescribing MORE medication that in time, and if I kept up my current path, would destroy my kidneys and cause me to lose my eyesight and feet. All typical things for diabetics.

That was the wake-up call I needed. The fear of losing what I had taken for granted all these years. My “why” had become clear.

I’m a firm believer in you need a strong reason, your “why”, to do something in order for it to become real enough to do something about it.

Your WHY can be anything, more money, more free time… For me it was my wife and children.

With that finally realized, I started my journey to healthy living.

My family doctor sent to see a specialist in Vaughn that focuses in weightloss through wellness.

In January 2012 I was put on a very strict carb-reduced diet and I was determined to reverse the diabetes.

I was also very fortunate to have a few people in my life that know the importance of weight training and how it aids in the fight.

I shared my story with Jeff Van Dam of Iron Fist Athletics and he was open to helping me.

With his help and changing my lifestyle, I’m happy to say that today I am NO LONGER a diabetic!

My A1C are in the range of a “normal” person. That being a person that is not diabetic, and my daily blood sugar levels reflect the same.

I guess the main message of this post is to let you know that it IS POSSIBLE to beat various diseases! It took me a LONG time to realize that with hard work, diet and medical supervision ANYTHING is possible.

My “WHY” was and is what drove me to becoming what I am today and what I will become in the future.

Find your “WHY” and embrace the person you can become. Today I’m in the best shape of my life and headed towards a healthy and long life.

I’m happy to share more details of my journey and try to help get people on the right path. I am in no means an expert in any of this, just a guy that’s done it. I fight the same cravings and battles every day. But I have the love and support of my friends and family. That makes a huge difference.

If you’re reading this and you’re one of the people that have helped and supported me I want to THANK YOU. Without your support this would have been so much harder.

I’ll try to keep doing updates like this if it helps anybody. Please feel free to share my story.

Most Ontarians confused about HST and resale homes

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Information – Andrew Fielding Sales Representative

56% mistakenly believe HST applies to purchase price

 An Ipsos Reid survey commissioned by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) and released today reveals that 56 per cent of Ontarians mistakenly believe that the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) applies to the full purchase price of a resale home. In fact the HST is only levied on the various transaction fees associated with the purchase of a home that has been previously occupied (i.e. not a newly-built home).

Do you really understand your financial situation when it comes to buying a home?

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate – Andrew Fielding

I was reading a publication that came across my desk today and an article caught my attention. One of the most important parts of all realtor’s jobs is ensuring that our clients are as educated as possible about every aspect of the transaction.

Top tips to de-clutter your home.

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate

Having your house clean and ready for selling is one thing, but getting it de-cluttered is another. When somebody comes in to see your home, they’re trying to invision their “stuff” in the home.

I came across an article today that I think sums up the idea really well.

10 Things you should know about property taxes

Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate – Andrew Fielding Sales Representative Prudential Grand Valley Realty

I was reading an article about property tax today writen by John Spears in the Toronto Star, and thought it might be good to share.

For homeowners property tax is one of the most painful and visible taxes going. Instead of having the tax skimmed off their pay cheques at source, they generally have to cough up hefty installments either monthly or four to six times a year. Alternatively, they can see their mortgage payments swollen even more, if their lender insists on making the tax payments.

Marketing your home

Andrew Fielding – Sales Representative Prudential Grand Valley Realty, Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, you may think that all that’s required is a “for sale” sign strategically placed on your front lawn — but any real estate professional will tell you there’s much more to it than that.

While a sign on your lawn is of paramount importance to the sale of your home, a well-thought-out marketing plan is also essential. Your REALTOR^®, of course, is another vital component in the process, and one of the first things he/she will discuss with you is a marketing strategy designed to give your home maximum exposure.

Closing the deal

I had the chance to work with a first time buyer the other day and it got me thinking… How many people actually know what’s involved in closing “the deal?”

Here is a little information that may help shed some light on the situation…