High Five From My Doctor!

In the past 2 weeks I have lost a total of 6 lbs. These were really the first losses I have seen. The question why was making me nuts! All of this rice cakes and water business and NOTHING! It was hard to keep going. It turns out that for my body weight I wasn't eating enough calories. My body would let go of any fat because with such a low calorie diet it felt like I was starving it. Now my calorie intake is a little higher and wha-la! I finally have some good losses. I am sure that I will see many more losses now.
Meanwhile, I have been to see my doctor. One of the common blood tests for a diabetic is the A1C. This test shows the doctor how my blood sugars have been during the past 3 months, give or take. A healthy adult should be right about 6-7. When I started this journey I was 11.5. Almost twice what I should be. My most recent A1C came back as an 8.2! This was just wonderful. I couldn't be happier. My doctor actually gave me a high five! This was huge in my progress.
Let's talk about today's lesson. Do not just start a diet. Do the research! You need to know if the diet is for you. many diets chance calories or types of calories depending on you weight, age, sex, etc. Ask you family doctor if the diet is good for you or if they have one that they prefer you to follow. Last, but not least, never stop trying! Not all diets give you instant weight results. Sometimes you will find that you have gained muscle and that weighs more that fat. Also, it takes the body a bit to adjust. The point is that getting healthier doesn't always show up right away on the scale. How do you feel? If you have more energy to do things then who cares about numbers!

God bless and healthy munchin'!

Safe Snackin' Sunday

A couple of quick safer snackin' ideas for you!

*Add a quarter of a tablespoon of cocoa powder to your plain greek yogurt.
*Top Multi-grain flat bread with fat free refried beans, salsa and one once of fat free shredded cheddar cheese.  Microwave for 45 seconds to a minute for Mexican pizza.
*A piece of fresh fruit is always a winner!

Until next time with more Safe Snackin' ideas I bid you blessings and healthy munchin'!

A Special Thank You!

I would like to take just a moment to thank Mr. Billy Belinc my amazing other half.  My first weigh-in was at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning.  It had snowed quite a bit and it was about 16 degrees outside.  He got up with me and walked me to my weigh-in.  He walked the entire way ahead of me trying to move the snow out of my way so that my feet wouldn't get too wet.  The second weigh-in was at 6:15 a.m. and again he was awake and walking with me.  It was him who held my hand all the way home while I cried over the results.  Too him I owe so much.  I love you bunches Billy!  Thank you for all of your support!

Weighing In

First Weigh-In with Mike Navin

Proof That I Weigh Too Much!

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a bit.  We have lots to cover!  I had my first and second weigh-ins with Mr. Mike Navin of Lean Body Fitness, LLC in Wyandotte.  He has been kind enough to be an official of sorts to make sure my weigh-ins are legit.  He has set up a schedule to meet me before he goes in to work on Friday mornings.  We are talking 6:15 a.m. folks.  Now that is a very nice man! 

We are meeting at Tongue's 2958 Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte with permission from their wonderful owner.  Mr. Navin weighs me in and then I get to enjoy one of their wonderful caffeine free, organic teas made locally in Trenton.  I tried the Moroccan Spice and I am SOLD!  It was the best treat.

Ok, back to business.  My first weigh-in was 266 lbs.  All of this time and I was still the same weight!  I didn't get discouraged though.  My sugar values have gone from a consistant 300-400+ down to a much more healthy 100-200.  This is HUGE in my journey.  I stayed focused on that.

My next weigh-in was much less successful.  I have been virtually without caffeine drinks of any kind and eating a 1200-1400 calorie diet for about 4 weeks.  I have been following an exercise schedule, though light in nature, effective I would guess.  Well, the next weigh-in showed a 4 lb gain!  I thought I was going to have a nervous break down!  I cried all the way home from that weigh-in.  No need to sugar coat how horrible that was to see.  I have been trying so much harder than I can even say.  My family spent the day trying to console my bruised ego. 

Interesting thing is that I have a new found energy for the whole thing.  The entire journey was to get me healthy and my sugar values are almost normal in just 4 weeks time after having me close to death's door all of the time.  REJOICE I say!!!!  Fat or thin is neither here nor there.  I just want to be alive and healthy to be with my babies. 

Today I carry on with my quest in the spirit that I began it.  Onward and upward!  Keep calm and carry on!  Lots of other cliches!  I will keep on this healthier path that I am on regardless of my ability to fit into a bikini.  Let's face it no matter how cute I am no one wants to see that at my age anyway! HA!

I weigh in again on Friday at 6:15 a.m. and I'm sure that this time we will see a change.  I have more energy and my positive outlook is even more charged than ever.

God bless and healthy munchin'!

Being Prepared

We all know the importance of being prepared for things.  If we are speaking of our jobs or our families we are very good at being prepared.  For instance I have never used a set of jumper cables but sure as sugar they are in my car.  So let's talk about being prepared when we are dieting.  Superbowl Sunday was really rough around here.  My family was thrilled to be making all sorts of goodies to snack on for this occasion. (Disclaimer: Neither of them really like football! LOL) Anyway, the house was jam packed with things that I should never eat.  However, I was prepared.  I had good for me snacks to handle whatever cravings their snacks may send my way.  My favorite low-cal frozen dinner makes a garlic spring roll.  Those were a huge help in getting past the need for junk food.  I had chocolate rice cakes handy for sweet crunchy fun and I had cucumber slices and hummus to get me through the chips and dip.  All in all it was a successful dieting day.  The point is that I was prepared.  You need to be prepared every day for every meal or snack.  You should know every time you head for that kitchen exactly what you are going in for.  If you let yourself look around for something to eat you will find trouble. 

Here are my suggestions.  You need to treat this like you are training for a new skill.  We aren't just talking about losing 5-10lbs to fit into a dress for a special occasion.  We are talking about changing how you live to keep you healthy.  You need to get educated on how to eat and when to eat.  Also, it is a good idea to get out of your comfort zone here.  You need to try new foods.  Stop looking for a replacement for chicken strips.  Get rid of the idea of them all together!  There are so many foods out there that are packed with protein that can put away any more need for those crazy strips.

*  Sit down and write out a menu for the week including snacks.
*  Hit the grocery store to make sure that you have all of your ingredients.
*  Do your prep work before the week starts so you aren't taking too long to prepare.
*  Try new recipes to keep from getting bored.
*  Keep quick snacks on hand to keep you out of unexpected hurdles. (cake and cookies at the office)

One last note for you.  I have been using a website to diet this time.  So far I have found it to be very useful to me.  It is very detailed and gives me a place to track my sugar values.  I love how user friendly it is and it is FREE to use!  I suggest that if you are still looking for a diet to follow that you give this site a look.  http://www.sparkpeople.com/

Blessings and happy snackin'!

Fasting Blood Sugar Values 1/23/2012 - 1/27/2012

As you can all see from the chart I have posted below my blood sugars values are very, very high.  According to the American Diabetes Association my blood sugar levels should be 70-130 before any meal.  So let's explain what is meant by "fasting blood sugar value".  This refers to not having had a meal in 8 hours or more.  Now you can just imagine that if these are the values I am gettng before eating anything for the day what they are like after a meal.  Working on these numbers are my number one priority.  I am continuousy adjusting my insulin dosages with help of my physician.  I am hoping that my future postings of these levels are well within the ADA guidelines.

For more informations on proper monitoring of your blood glucose levels go to http://www.diabetes.org/.

Date	FBSV
1/23/2012	312
1/24/2012	217
1/25/2012	145
1/26/2012	279
1/27/2012	291
*Fasting Blood Sugar Value

GOD BLESS GUM!

I have had a serious case of the munchies today.  The problem is that no one is around the house today but me so I am my own "Snackin' Sheriff".  I do, however, seem to be one of those horrible cops from TV that is bought off by the bad guys.  Normally, I would be chewing on cucumber chips or something of the like that has crunch.  Unfortunately, there aren't any of those types of things in the house right now.  I remembered the 3 pack of gum that Santa put in my stocking.  SALVATION!!  Chewing the gum took my mind off of the snacks and got me through that.  I also recommend brushing your teeth when you feel like going back for a second helping of anything ever.  Nothing puts a stop to the need for more of those yummy dinner fixin's faster than that strong mint taste.

Moral of the story is to keep snacks on hand that will keep you out of trouble.  For me, keeping snacks on hand that will not change my sugar values is important.  So many "snack" items are carb based.  Raw veggies may not sound very appetizing but trust me the chewing will help you though it.  Think of it like this.  Smokers use those fake cigarettes so that their hands and mouth are still going through the motion without actually inhaling the horrible nicotine.  This really is the same thing.  Keep your chew factory busy in safe ways.

This brings us to new fun.  We're going to put into action "Safe Snackin' Sundays".  I will post a short list of safe snackin' recipes or ideas every Sunday.  I encourage and emplore you even to dish on some of your favorite dish ideas to keep me on track!

A bit of a stumble...

I do try to begin each day with the sunshine in mind.  By that I mean that I try to remember my childrens' smiling faces to keep me going.  Today has been a bit of a stumble.  In theory I would only post about the happy, positive ways I like to think I am trying to live by.  However, I understand that in order to help others understand how it is to live with this I must tell it all good and bad.

Last night was a more painful night than others.  The cold that has set in here in Michigan in normal for this time of year but this is the first year that I have had to live with my arthritis and neoropathy coming at me as a team.  The arthritis flaring this bad is a new thing for me.  I have been dealing with it being this painful for about 4 months I suppose.  I did always believe that when someone would say, "I know its going to rain. I can feel it in my trick knee." that it was pure tale.  Well, not so much.  The colder and more damp it is outside the worse it feels.  The swelling on the joints in my hands is very apparent today. 

Last night the pain was so bad that I decided maybe a hot shower would help with the pain.  The house was quiet and everyone was asleep.  The first moments in the shower were relaxing.  I moved to grab some shampoo and before I knew it there I was in the bottom of the tub.  My mind was spinning and I could feel the shooting pain in my left leg and hip.  This was just lovely.  I tried everything to get up on my own but no luck.  What humiliation this is.  I have to call for help.  This is just what my family needs to see.  Not only does it scare them terribly but the naked, fat chick in the bottom of the tub crying is not easily forgotten to say the least.  I called for Emily my 18 yr old daughter and she came running to my rescue.  (I really am going to have to up her allowance!)

The point of all of this is today I should be reinvented because of this.  I should be eating rice cakes and water determined not to let something like that happen again.  Instead, I awoke with the appetite of a wild monster looking for any snackin' that might make me forget about how useless it felt to not be able to help myself last night.  Before I ate everything in the house I sat down and I'm writing this to you.  Everyone, at any given time, can stumble but that doesn't mean we have to fall all the way down the hill.  Yes, last night was horrible.  Today is a BRAND NEW DAY!  I am going to fight this need to self destruct today.  There are lots of fruits and veggies in the house and they will be my munchies today.  Unfortunately, there may be lots more nights just like that one ahead of me.  I am just going to do my very best to keep them from happening.

Every day is a fresh start.  Most people wait for a new season or even a new year to make a fresh start on things.  I promise myself, my family and most certainly God, that I will make every day a BRAND NEW DAY.  Sounds pretty good, don't you agree?  What are you going to do with this BRAND NEW DAY?  I would just love to hear!

Crazy Idea #1

I have found that doing for others always seems to come first in life.  This means many things.  If your man is a mechanic, but you have bad breaks on your car, you might understand this.  Everyone seems to be better at helping others than they are at helping themselves.  How many times have you stopped dead in your tracks to give money to the Salvation Army bell ringer?  I always search for any change I have for them!  However, I never seem to be able to remember to put my spare change into that jar in my room marked "Our Future".  I have a point here I promise.

Here is my idea.  Losing weight for myself is not always easy.  My idea is that I will lose weight for charity.  I am going to dedicate myself to a cause.  I will donate $1 per pound that I lose to my favorite soup kitchen here in Wyandotte.  I am almost sure that I can get family and friends to pledge to donate for this as well.  They all want to see me healthy and who doesn't love a good cause?  I will start this very moment with this one.  I weighed myself an hour ago and I am at an alarming 261 lbs.  Here is a picture of my daughter Josie and myself.  We will use it as the "before".  I will try to find a more public outlet for this, but for right now I will just pledge this for myself. 

  I will post my weight again in a week's time so that everyone knows where I am with it. 

Wish me luck!!

Today is a Brand New Day!

How exciting! My very first post. I thought long and hard about what to say but I think that just digging in is the best option. I am a diabetic with MANY diabetic based problems.  I find that keeping my sugar values in check is harder than it sounds. Yes, I am an adult and I do understand that adult decisions come with adult ramifications. (Thank you dad.)  I do understand that a piece of cake can potentially kill me.  However, lots of things come in to play when you are going about living life.  I am truly a chunky chick by nature.  I am bored today...yup, I want a snack.  I am sad today...yup, I want a snack.  I am busy today...nope, I didn't pay attention to what I was eating.  All in all I am terrible about watching what I eat and when.  I am forever coming up with new and sometimes crazy ideas on how to manage my disease.  I decided that I needed a way to find everyday encouragement to be much better behaved.  I will be posting EVERYTHING!  I promise not to hide a thing.  A true example is that right this minute my sugar is 333 and my weight is 261.  Neither number is one that ANY girl would want to make public.  I am hoping that going forward I will have great things to share with you about progress, progress, progress.  I will share with you recipes that I have found that are helping me and exercises that I can do even with my limited abilities.