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!