"Pokemon Go helped manage my diabetes."

#PokemonGO: I debated whether or not to post this, but in the end if it helps someone else get healthy, or motivated, I figure it's worth it. Please note - I'm not a doctor, and I'm not advocating for playing Pokemon Go as a substitute for a doctor's advice. This is simply my story.---I was shocked when I learned I had developed type 2 diabetes - it's not something that runs in my family, and past trips to the doctor didn't show anything critical other than elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. Fortunately, while my blood sugar levels were serious, they weren't immediately dangerous. It wasn't like I was going to lose a foot or go blind any time soon, but my numbers proved those were very real possibilities if I continued down the path I was on. I was sedentary, eating poorly, with no real motivation to change. That day was my wake-up call.My doctor and nutritionist explained to me how to manage my diabetes, and I opted to try lifestyle changes before going on medication. The ways to manage diabetes are the same as for losing weight - eat smart, exercise often, and sleep well. My sleeping habits were never bad (I'm a morning person, and get a full 7-8 every night), and changing my diet proved to be easier than I expected. Once I developed a taste for salads and veggies, and was able to move past cravings for sugary drinks and desserts, eating didn't seem like an obstacle anymore.Here's the thing though: I hated exercising. I still do. I've had stints in my life where I was into jogging or going to the gym, but those phases never lasted long. It was always a chore for me to break a sweat, and I always had an excuse to avoid doing so. The time sunk into exercising didn't seem worth the effort, especially considering the extra things it meant (the shower after working out, having to manage laundry for work out clothes, etc). Pokemon Go changed my mindset.I've always played Pokemon Go, but I didn't seriously start playing until my diabetes diagnosis. Pokemon Go was my exercise incentive. Now, instead of seeing those notifications and thinking "oh, maybe I'll find X shiny this week" I'd say to myself "I am going to find X shiny this week!" Even if I didn't, the point was I was out on my lunch hour walking, out after dinner walking, up early and out the door on weekends to familiar haunts and new places to explore. I no longer was making excuses not to exercise; exercise was now an excuse to play Pokemon Go.I remember breaking the 50km weekly reward for the first time, a goal that once felt insurmountable. Now it feels like a paltry task, like it's a given. I remember thinking hatching a 10km egg would be a week-long affair. Now I know it's something I can knock out in a day or so. I'm moving more, and more consistently, than I have in years. It's helped me lose weight and feel better, and I've yet to break a sweat.My most recent blood work shows my blood sugar levels are back to a safe level. Pokemon Go has been a driving force in attaining that, and will continue to be in maintaining it. I know we like to discuss a myriad of things about this game we all play, such as various tips for the meta, our trophies we find in shiny and max IV Pokemon, the litany of bugs in every update, and ways to improve it. But at this point I'm appreciative of the game for what it is at it's most basic level: an exercise tool that actually works for me.I'm thankful to have something that motivates me to get outside, explore new places, and stay healthy. I know I wouldn't have been as successful without it. From the bottom of my heart, thanks Niantic! via /r/pokemongo http://bit.ly/2GVY0Wi