1) Bread & Tortillas
I know, these sound counter productive when it comes to bringing down your blood sugars. Here's the thing, I love carbs. I have tried removing bread, tortillas, and even cookies from my diet before. It works for a while, but then I find myself binge eating ALL THE CARBS. I have found that replacing these items with healthier alternatives serves me better in the long-run. I get bread and bagels from ThinSlim foods. This is not the cheapest option, but for me it has been worthwhile. I keep their cinnamon bagels, everything bagels, and their Love-the-Taste plain bread in my freezer. When I am craving a sandwich, a breakfast bagel, or a burger (I use the everything bagels as a tasty bun alternative) I can retrieve them from the freezer without being tempted to munch on 40+ bread carbs that will do nothing but make me want more while spiking my blood sugar. these are MUST HAVES for me. Likewise, I cannot live without tortillas - nope, not exaggerating. I use Mission Carb Balance tortillas. I use them to make breakfast tacos, lunch wraps, pizzas (recipe coming soon!), regular tacos, and more. I'm not a huge fan of the whole wheat ones, but that doesn't mean you won't like them. Again, I am all about substituting alternatives that are close options to my comfort foods so that I don't feel like I am depriving myself of what I love.
I also make homemade breads, but those will be added to the recipes and my focus here is on the items I purchase and keep on hand. :)
2) Pasta
I tend to prefer Italian and Mexican food, though I like lots of different types of foods. These two tend to be my go-to for cooking. I'm not going to lie, my spaghetti alternative is not everyone's cup of tea and may even be seen as controversial. I buy Edamame spaghetti pasta. The same brand also has a black bean pasta that also has an amazing protein to carb ratio.
ThinSlim also has pasta, but I tend to use their elbow noodles for making macaroni and cheese instead of making spaghetti.
3) Flour
I keep almond flour, GF general purpose flour, and coconut flour available. These are my go-to for many of my homemade low-carb bread recipes.
4) Protein Powders
I have a mix of these. I have a plant based chocolate and an egg based chocolate protein powder. I tend to use 1/2 a scoop of each together when making my coffee fraps. I also keep Vanilla Jay Robb egg protein and unflavored Jay Robb egg protein. I use these two specifically in my baking. Not all protein powders are equal when it comes to baking, but I have found that if you like the flavor before baking and it is an EGG PROTEIN, they all tend to bake pretty consistently.
5) Sugar Replacements
This is tricky. Everyone has their own way of removing sugar from their diet. I tend to use sugar alcohols and coconut sugar. Both can still impact your sugars, but they have a much lower impact (for me anyway) then cooking with regular sugar. So, my current go-to's are Honey Tree Sugar Free Honey and coconut sugar.
I also have some refrigerated items that I like to keep for quick snacks. Some are processed, and while I agree that whole foods are the best way to go, I have found a way that works for me, my abilities, and my health. P3 snacks work really well for me as a quick snack that I can grab on the go. I'm sure there are other things, but these are at the top of my list. :)
Monday, October 22, 2018
Health & Diet: Shredded Chicken
It dawned on me when reading back over some of my past blogs that I never gave the shredded chicken recipe that I use as the base to SO MANY quick and easy meals. I make 2 large chicken breasts (approximately 1.75-2 pounds) at one time. Since it is just my son and I, the 2 pounds lasts nearly a week!
This is SUPER EASY and here are some of the meal ideas:
Taco Salad
Enchiladas
Tacos / Lettuce Wraps
Pizza
Spanish Chicken & Rice
The possibilities are practically endless.
Here is all you need:
2 large chicken breasts (1.75-2.25 pounds of chicken)
Favorite taco seasoning (I use a GF Taco Seasoning by McCormick)
1/2 cup of water
The secret is in HOW you cook the meat. Using a saute pan, I sprinkle a little bit of the spices down into the bottom first, and then place the chicken down into the pan. I sprinkle more of the packet on the meat and add 1/2 a cup (NOT the full cup that the spaces call for) of water to the pan. I bring the water up to a boil and then lower the temp to a simmer. Cover the chicken and let is cook slowly. If the water cooks off, you have the temperature TOO HIGH (Don't worry, just add more water and lower the temperature!). After the bottom of the chicken starts to look lightly golden and the chicken looks about half cooked, flip the chicken, recover, and continue cooking.
I typically cook my chicken for about 15-20 minutes (longer if it was frozen).
The nice thing about making shredded chicken, if you notice that it hasn't cooked all the way through, just put it back in the pan to continue cooking. Once it is done, you will need 2 forks. The chicken should be tender enough that you can pull it apart using the two forks. I typically hold the chicken in place with one fork and use the other fork to scrape the chicken WITH THE GRAIN to pull it apart. Once the chicken has been shredded, add it back into the pan with the spiced water.
The only thing left for you to do is ENJOY! :)
This is SUPER EASY and here are some of the meal ideas:
Taco Salad
Enchiladas
Tacos / Lettuce Wraps
Pizza
Spanish Chicken & Rice
The possibilities are practically endless.
Here is all you need:
2 large chicken breasts (1.75-2.25 pounds of chicken)
Favorite taco seasoning (I use a GF Taco Seasoning by McCormick)
1/2 cup of water
The secret is in HOW you cook the meat. Using a saute pan, I sprinkle a little bit of the spices down into the bottom first, and then place the chicken down into the pan. I sprinkle more of the packet on the meat and add 1/2 a cup (NOT the full cup that the spaces call for) of water to the pan. I bring the water up to a boil and then lower the temp to a simmer. Cover the chicken and let is cook slowly. If the water cooks off, you have the temperature TOO HIGH (Don't worry, just add more water and lower the temperature!). After the bottom of the chicken starts to look lightly golden and the chicken looks about half cooked, flip the chicken, recover, and continue cooking.
I typically cook my chicken for about 15-20 minutes (longer if it was frozen).
The nice thing about making shredded chicken, if you notice that it hasn't cooked all the way through, just put it back in the pan to continue cooking. Once it is done, you will need 2 forks. The chicken should be tender enough that you can pull it apart using the two forks. I typically hold the chicken in place with one fork and use the other fork to scrape the chicken WITH THE GRAIN to pull it apart. Once the chicken has been shredded, add it back into the pan with the spiced water.
The only thing left for you to do is ENJOY! :)
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Health & Diet - Goal Update 2
I'm annoyed and excited all at the same time! I have discovered that I need to adjust my goals just a bit.
Let's start with the annoyances so that I can end on a good note. Ha! I wanted to lose 30 pounds before we go to Disney, but this whole losing weight after 35 is NOT for the faint at heart. Especially when you compound the age with multiple medical conditions. That is to say, though I am almost 6 weeks into this process with only 3 and a half weeks left before we go... I have not hit the half-way point to my 30 pound goal.
Staying positive and motivated - I have continued to lose weight. It took me the first month just to lose the first 5 pounds. I was a bit frustrated and discouraged, but I remained motivated and have stayed active despite the rain. LOVE ReFitRev on Youtube videos, and they definitely keep me on my toes! So, where am I in this process? I am 1/3 of the way through to my first goal. I have lost a total of 10 pounds; no small feat, but not where I had hoped to be.
I am excited that the weight is starting to come off more quickly now that I have conquered the first plateau. I am also excited that my blood sugars are looking AMAZING. Though I am not at my final goal, I have brought my sugars down TREMENDOUSLY. My 30 day average is now 144 and my 14 day average is at 141. This is not only WAY down from the 220 where I started, but I have also moved into the trial phase of no meds!!! My sugars has dropped down to 120 while on the lingering 2.5mg of glipizide. Today marked the first day of trying to maintain with only the support of my supplements. Praying that I continue to keep it in range while watching the averages continue to come down.
Overall, much more to celebrate than complain about. I am more mobile, I am working out or walking 1 to 2 times a day, I am eating healthier and experimenting with what recipes work for my blood sugars and what don't. It is a process that God has had His hand in every step of the way.
What are your goals? How have you conquered your plateaus?
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Health & Diet: Strawberry-Banana Bread
I am really excited to be sharing this recipe. I absolutely LOVE banana bread. I took my mom's old recipe and decided to give it some adjustments as my DS is gluten free... Then I realized how many carbohydrates are in banana bread - even when gluten free - and I needed to add protein while cutting down the carbs. I was pleased with the results, but my best friend said "can you make it strawberry?" I, of course, said sure! I made the strawberry bread; we all enjoyed it, but it wasn't enough for this dear friend of mine... "What about a strawberry-banana bread? I bet that would be really good!" She was right; the recipe turned out AMAZING! Let us know what you think in the comments!
**This recipe contains 2 special ingredients: Honey Tree Sugar Free Honey & Jay Robb Unflavored Egg Protein Powder**
DRY Ingredients
**This recipe contains 2 special ingredients: Honey Tree Sugar Free Honey & Jay Robb Unflavored Egg Protein Powder**
DRY Ingredients
1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
2 cups gluten free almond flour
1/2 cup Jay Robb Unflavored Egg Protein Powder
1 tsp baking soda
WET Ingredients
1 cup thawed, drained, & mashed previously frozen strawberries
1 cup thawed, drained, & mashed previously frozen strawberries
1 cup mashed bananas
1 & 1/4 cup Honey Tree Sugar Free Honey
2 sticks of softened butter (can exchange for apple sauce, decreases fat but increases carbs)
3 large eggs
3 egg whites
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, sift the ingredients, and then set the bowl aside. In a new bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients in with the wet until everything has been combined. Recipe makes either 2 loaves, 24 muffins, OR 1 loaf and 12 muffins.
Prepare your pans, oil or grease them as needed. Evenly distribute into your pans of choice. The muffins typically cook for 20-30 minutes and the loaves typically cook for 45-60 minutes.
Prepare your pans, oil or grease them as needed. Evenly distribute into your pans of choice. The muffins typically cook for 20-30 minutes and the loaves typically cook for 45-60 minutes.
ADDED TIPS:
1. I have found that the bread turns out lighter/fluffier if I separate the egg whites and whisk them until they form peaks and THEN fold them into the other wet ingredients.
2. For an added boost in strawberry flavor, add a 1/2 teaspoon of dry sugar free strawberry flavored gelatin mix.
NUTRITION INFO:
(per muffin / slice when bread is sliced into 12 pieces) *amounts are approximate*
NUTRITION INFO:
(per muffin / slice when bread is sliced into 12 pieces) *amounts are approximate*
Carbohydrates: 16.6
Sugar: 1.6
Sugar: 1.6
Fiber: 1.8
Protein: 5.9
NOTE:
Protein: 5.9
NOTE:
It is not unusual for a typical strawberry-banana bread recipe to have 20+ carbohydrates, 10+ sugar, & only ONE gram or less of fiber and protein! There may not be a huge drop in carbohydrates, but there is a HUGE drop on sugar and a boost in protein. These, mixed with the lower carbohydrates, mean that the bread in this recipe is much less likely - when eaten in moderation based on recommended serving sizes - to cause drastic spikes in blood sugar.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Amber's Journey - Mourning the living
***Trigger warning: this post deals with circumstances surrounding a dying loved one***
"What can I do to help? What do you need?" These questions washed over me as tears ran down my face. I answered honestly with "I don't know", and we both sat for a few minutes in silence as I miserably failed at trying to collect myself. Even as I type this, the emotions are raw and overwhelming.
How do you mourn a man that is dying while he is still alive? How do you accept that the life that you felt God had promised you and the love that you knew in your heart God had laid out for you would never be? How do you walk away when everything in you feels as though it is being ripped to pieces? When do you know it is time to stop fighting for someone else's life and walk away because they don't want you to watch them die. When is it time to stop riding the roller coaster of being together one day and being pushed away the next? Sometimes, for your own health, you have to just STOP.
These are just a few of the questions that have swirled around my head over the last few weeks/months. Even after the moment I decided that it all needed to stop, the questions continued. Am I doing the right thing? Am I a terrible person for leaving a dying man to die alone? Is this really what he wants? How do I know I am doing what is right for him, or me, or my son?
I am solid in my decision that it is time to walk away; the swirl of questions don't change what I know I need to do. I have to sever all ties. It is what he wants, and it is what I need. He isn't thinking in his right mind, but I still have to respect his choice. He wants to die alone. He doesn't want a girlfriend, or a friend for that matter. By his own words, I am the last connection to anyone outside of his family. He has lied to his kids over the last few years, they don't know we were more than just friends, they don't know that I was fighting to keep him alive when he was done fighting for himself. I don't know what they think about my exit, but I am certain that they have no idea about the truth. I wanted to protect them, I wanted them to have their father for as long as possible. I didn't want to give up, but it is impossible to force someone to want to live.
My wanting him to live doesn't mean I don't believe that there is more to life after death. I believe in God; I believe in Christ; I believe in heaven. We are Christians, so I don't doubt that he will continue on without pain and will be in a better place after death. His current state of mind believes that I must not believe in these things if I am wanting him to live. Wanting someone to live does not mean that you can't rejoice in the peace of knowing that death is not the end. BUT HE ISN'T DEAD YET! I believe there is a difference between accepting death and giving up on life. He could live, he could continue to fight and try, but he has given up. I can't change that.
The emotional roller-coaster has been hard. There have been times that he wanted me by his side. Times that he has held me in this process and times that I have held him. Then, there have been times that he has pushed me away - HARD. He doesn't want a girlfriend, doesn't want to care about someone else, doesn't want to be responsible for the lives of others. In the past, these ups and down were just taken and I stayed strong )or at least as strong as I could) because I knew it would change. I shrugged off the mood swings and the indecision as being part of the sickness. More recently, we talked about moving in together. Growing a life together amidst the storm. It wasn't meant to be. The flip came suddenly and it was devastating. The discussion of moving in together took a turn when he went back into pushing me away. To him, we were never together, never an "item", and we would never be married so I needed to give up on that.
I pulled the plug. I knew that if we continued our friendship, we would continue the roller-coaster ride: acting like a couple when it was convenient and then him halting everything any time he began to feel guilty. He claims it is all for me. He doesn't want me to watch him die. If he pushes me away now, then I don't have to watch him continue to decline. I understand, but I don't agree. He is, in a way, stealing my ability to properly mourn. I won't be able to go to his funeral, I can't hold his hand in his last days, and I can't be true to myself by standing with him in his darkest days. I know there will be healing through Christ, both for me as well as for him, but the pain is very real and very overwhelming.
Pain is just a piece of the puzzle. I'm angry. Surprisingly, to me, I am not angry with God. I feel that God has given us free will, and it is not God's fault that a man He loves is making such destructive decisions. I am mad that decisions are being made for me, on my behalf, by someone who by most accounts, shouldn't be aloud to make legal decisions, someone who has admitted to not being in his right mind. Sadly, he is not the first to do this and he won't be the last. I have other family members that are pulling away from their support as their health declines. When toxins invade their bodies and their minds, it changes them. Telling people you love that you don't want them around you DOES NOT show them how much you care. It tells them that they never really mattered, a completely different message than the one you are trying to give.
If the decision had truly been mine, I would have stayed. But the swings had become abusive. I know there may be others with stories similar to mine. You cannot stay in a situation that has become abusive. If you love someone that is dying and they are taking it out on you, get help and support. My personal belief is that we should stay and stand by the people that we love. In my story, we were not married. We did not live together, and there were children involved - specifically, I have a special needs child to take into consideration. Splitting my focus between a child who needs me and a man who needs support but doesn't want it was putting an extreme amount of stress on my own health. I couldn't continue the up and downs of "I want you here" followed by "I don't want you". I am emotionally drained and I need to take time to heal.
The journey to healing starts with accepting that I cannot help someone who doesn't want the help. I have to let him make the choices for his own life. He is dying, but he can slow it down if he wants. I can't slow it down for him, the only person that can choose to continue to live is him. I will purpose to NOT shut down. Instead of stuffing the emotions down and pretending this isn't happening, I will allow myself to feel. Mourn the loss of one of life-long best friends. Mourn the loss of a man I truly loved. Mourn for my son's loss of a father figure. Mourn the life I believed to be what God had for me, for us. Mourn relationships built with his family. Mourning a man who is still among the living, though he seems to want to be among the dead. I will give myself permission to feel angry, sad, hurt, devastated, and any other emotion that I can't think to name at this time. I will continue to trust that God will work this for good and that He has my back, even amidst the storm.
This is just a part of my journey. There is hope for a beautiful new future, but for now, I will mourn the living.
"What can I do to help? What do you need?" These questions washed over me as tears ran down my face. I answered honestly with "I don't know", and we both sat for a few minutes in silence as I miserably failed at trying to collect myself. Even as I type this, the emotions are raw and overwhelming.
How do you mourn a man that is dying while he is still alive? How do you accept that the life that you felt God had promised you and the love that you knew in your heart God had laid out for you would never be? How do you walk away when everything in you feels as though it is being ripped to pieces? When do you know it is time to stop fighting for someone else's life and walk away because they don't want you to watch them die. When is it time to stop riding the roller coaster of being together one day and being pushed away the next? Sometimes, for your own health, you have to just STOP.
These are just a few of the questions that have swirled around my head over the last few weeks/months. Even after the moment I decided that it all needed to stop, the questions continued. Am I doing the right thing? Am I a terrible person for leaving a dying man to die alone? Is this really what he wants? How do I know I am doing what is right for him, or me, or my son?
I am solid in my decision that it is time to walk away; the swirl of questions don't change what I know I need to do. I have to sever all ties. It is what he wants, and it is what I need. He isn't thinking in his right mind, but I still have to respect his choice. He wants to die alone. He doesn't want a girlfriend, or a friend for that matter. By his own words, I am the last connection to anyone outside of his family. He has lied to his kids over the last few years, they don't know we were more than just friends, they don't know that I was fighting to keep him alive when he was done fighting for himself. I don't know what they think about my exit, but I am certain that they have no idea about the truth. I wanted to protect them, I wanted them to have their father for as long as possible. I didn't want to give up, but it is impossible to force someone to want to live.
My wanting him to live doesn't mean I don't believe that there is more to life after death. I believe in God; I believe in Christ; I believe in heaven. We are Christians, so I don't doubt that he will continue on without pain and will be in a better place after death. His current state of mind believes that I must not believe in these things if I am wanting him to live. Wanting someone to live does not mean that you can't rejoice in the peace of knowing that death is not the end. BUT HE ISN'T DEAD YET! I believe there is a difference between accepting death and giving up on life. He could live, he could continue to fight and try, but he has given up. I can't change that.
The emotional roller-coaster has been hard. There have been times that he wanted me by his side. Times that he has held me in this process and times that I have held him. Then, there have been times that he has pushed me away - HARD. He doesn't want a girlfriend, doesn't want to care about someone else, doesn't want to be responsible for the lives of others. In the past, these ups and down were just taken and I stayed strong )or at least as strong as I could) because I knew it would change. I shrugged off the mood swings and the indecision as being part of the sickness. More recently, we talked about moving in together. Growing a life together amidst the storm. It wasn't meant to be. The flip came suddenly and it was devastating. The discussion of moving in together took a turn when he went back into pushing me away. To him, we were never together, never an "item", and we would never be married so I needed to give up on that.
I pulled the plug. I knew that if we continued our friendship, we would continue the roller-coaster ride: acting like a couple when it was convenient and then him halting everything any time he began to feel guilty. He claims it is all for me. He doesn't want me to watch him die. If he pushes me away now, then I don't have to watch him continue to decline. I understand, but I don't agree. He is, in a way, stealing my ability to properly mourn. I won't be able to go to his funeral, I can't hold his hand in his last days, and I can't be true to myself by standing with him in his darkest days. I know there will be healing through Christ, both for me as well as for him, but the pain is very real and very overwhelming.
Pain is just a piece of the puzzle. I'm angry. Surprisingly, to me, I am not angry with God. I feel that God has given us free will, and it is not God's fault that a man He loves is making such destructive decisions. I am mad that decisions are being made for me, on my behalf, by someone who by most accounts, shouldn't be aloud to make legal decisions, someone who has admitted to not being in his right mind. Sadly, he is not the first to do this and he won't be the last. I have other family members that are pulling away from their support as their health declines. When toxins invade their bodies and their minds, it changes them. Telling people you love that you don't want them around you DOES NOT show them how much you care. It tells them that they never really mattered, a completely different message than the one you are trying to give.
If the decision had truly been mine, I would have stayed. But the swings had become abusive. I know there may be others with stories similar to mine. You cannot stay in a situation that has become abusive. If you love someone that is dying and they are taking it out on you, get help and support. My personal belief is that we should stay and stand by the people that we love. In my story, we were not married. We did not live together, and there were children involved - specifically, I have a special needs child to take into consideration. Splitting my focus between a child who needs me and a man who needs support but doesn't want it was putting an extreme amount of stress on my own health. I couldn't continue the up and downs of "I want you here" followed by "I don't want you". I am emotionally drained and I need to take time to heal.
The journey to healing starts with accepting that I cannot help someone who doesn't want the help. I have to let him make the choices for his own life. He is dying, but he can slow it down if he wants. I can't slow it down for him, the only person that can choose to continue to live is him. I will purpose to NOT shut down. Instead of stuffing the emotions down and pretending this isn't happening, I will allow myself to feel. Mourn the loss of one of life-long best friends. Mourn the loss of a man I truly loved. Mourn for my son's loss of a father figure. Mourn the life I believed to be what God had for me, for us. Mourn relationships built with his family. Mourning a man who is still among the living, though he seems to want to be among the dead. I will give myself permission to feel angry, sad, hurt, devastated, and any other emotion that I can't think to name at this time. I will continue to trust that God will work this for good and that He has my back, even amidst the storm.
This is just a part of my journey. There is hope for a beautiful new future, but for now, I will mourn the living.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Health & Diet - Keep it moving!
I recently set the goal to walk... and walk and walk and walk. The goal of 2 miles per day really seemed like a far-off accomplishment, but it no longer feels quite as overwhelming. I should clarify, it doesn't feel as overwhelming when split into TWO separate 1 mile walks. 2 miles all at once doesn't even seem too far-fetched... as a FUTURE goal.
Future goal, because I think I nearly died the other night when I walked 1.7 miles with my son. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I told my roommate as we left that I only planned to walk a 1/2 a mile because I was already not feeling real well (I'll go into some of my medical stuff in a minute)... Then we started and I decided we would do our 1 mile route. When we take the 1 mile route, we come up on a playground at the 0.85 mile mark. I know that it is the 0.85 mile point because I made the mistake of asking my DS if we should continue for the rest of our normal route OR if we should go the long way by going back the way we had come. Without hesitation, my DS replied "Let's go the long way so that we can spend more time together!" So we did... and I made it! I was hurting, but I made it.
I have mentioned that I have multiple health conditions related to pain. I have RSD/CRPS predominately in my left hand and arm which has led to compensation injuries to my right arm and both of my shoulders (that will be important later). I arthritis in my back along with compressed disks, degenerative disk disease, and bone spurs. I also have arthritis and nerve pain in my ankles/feet, and a cyst in my left knee. I am likely forgetting something, as if all that wasn't enough, ha! Exercising takes mental preparation and an inner dialogue that this is truly for the best. The more I move, the better I will be able to move. Walking was the logical place to start and my back no longer spasms after spending less than 5 minutes at the sink to wash dishes and my foot/ankle pain has been better each morning... then came the rain.
Anyone with chronic pain knows that rain means an increase in pain and stiffness. Plus, it isn't easy to go for a walk when you are getting 5in of rain and nearby streets are flooding as the lightning flashes. I REALLY wanted to just use the rain as an excuse to NOT get moving. It is SO easy to say "I can't walk today; it's raining." It would be easy until I go to get out of bed or do the dishes. Remember, moving hurts, but it has been lessening my overall pain.
So, we kept it moving! If you haven't seen the ReFitRevolution on YouTube, they are worth looking into. I made a playlist of 5 songs - let's be real, that is about as much as I can handle. All 5 songs are worship/praise and both the first and last songs are slower and perfect for a warm-up and a cool-down. I can mostly keep up with 2 of the songs, the 3rd is challenging for me so I just sort of fake it since I don't get all of the moves JUST right, ha! I did not let the rain slow me down.
The rain cleared, even if only temporarily, and it was time to brave the neighborhood for a walk. I sat down with a program that allows you to map out a walk and it tells you the distance. I decided to challenge myself to a 2 mile walk. Yep, the 1.7 mile walk made me feel like I was dying, but I have been determined to conquer some of my pain and other health issues by getting active. I let me DS know what the plan was, because he is great at holding me accountable, and off we went. Guess what?!?!? I did it. I walked 2 miles, and it felt AMAZING!
Future goal, because I think I nearly died the other night when I walked 1.7 miles with my son. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I told my roommate as we left that I only planned to walk a 1/2 a mile because I was already not feeling real well (I'll go into some of my medical stuff in a minute)... Then we started and I decided we would do our 1 mile route. When we take the 1 mile route, we come up on a playground at the 0.85 mile mark. I know that it is the 0.85 mile point because I made the mistake of asking my DS if we should continue for the rest of our normal route OR if we should go the long way by going back the way we had come. Without hesitation, my DS replied "Let's go the long way so that we can spend more time together!" So we did... and I made it! I was hurting, but I made it.
I have mentioned that I have multiple health conditions related to pain. I have RSD/CRPS predominately in my left hand and arm which has led to compensation injuries to my right arm and both of my shoulders (that will be important later). I arthritis in my back along with compressed disks, degenerative disk disease, and bone spurs. I also have arthritis and nerve pain in my ankles/feet, and a cyst in my left knee. I am likely forgetting something, as if all that wasn't enough, ha! Exercising takes mental preparation and an inner dialogue that this is truly for the best. The more I move, the better I will be able to move. Walking was the logical place to start and my back no longer spasms after spending less than 5 minutes at the sink to wash dishes and my foot/ankle pain has been better each morning... then came the rain.
Anyone with chronic pain knows that rain means an increase in pain and stiffness. Plus, it isn't easy to go for a walk when you are getting 5in of rain and nearby streets are flooding as the lightning flashes. I REALLY wanted to just use the rain as an excuse to NOT get moving. It is SO easy to say "I can't walk today; it's raining." It would be easy until I go to get out of bed or do the dishes. Remember, moving hurts, but it has been lessening my overall pain.
So, we kept it moving! If you haven't seen the ReFitRevolution on YouTube, they are worth looking into. I made a playlist of 5 songs - let's be real, that is about as much as I can handle. All 5 songs are worship/praise and both the first and last songs are slower and perfect for a warm-up and a cool-down. I can mostly keep up with 2 of the songs, the 3rd is challenging for me so I just sort of fake it since I don't get all of the moves JUST right, ha! I did not let the rain slow me down.
The rain cleared, even if only temporarily, and it was time to brave the neighborhood for a walk. I sat down with a program that allows you to map out a walk and it tells you the distance. I decided to challenge myself to a 2 mile walk. Yep, the 1.7 mile walk made me feel like I was dying, but I have been determined to conquer some of my pain and other health issues by getting active. I let me DS know what the plan was, because he is great at holding me accountable, and off we went. Guess what?!?!? I did it. I walked 2 miles, and it felt AMAZING!
Monday, September 17, 2018
Health & Diet - Goal Update
I am currently working on a couple of other new blog posts, but I thought I would stop to give a quick update on my goals.
At the start of this journey, my 14 day average for my blood sugar was over 200, at the last update, it was at 187. I am excited to say that less than a week later, the average is down to 164!!! I am only 2 weeks into this process and I am already more than 1/2 way to my first goal of getting my blood sugar averages below 150!
Weight loss has not come as easily as managing my blood sugars. I mentioned before that I have PCOS, and it has always impacted my metabolism. Losing weight has never been easy, but DANG, I feel like losing weight after passing 35 is even harder!!! I have lost weight, don't get me wrong. There is just something about 3 pounds in 2 weeks that feels like my 30 pound goal may not be obtainable... Time to add in the exercise.
Yes, I am complaining about not losing weight and I'm not exercising yet. They say that something like 80% is diet... Well, my blood sugars are proof that I am doing better there... So, WHY oh WHY won't the weight just melt off??? I am complaining and grumbling, I know. Tell me you have never felt the same way or thought the same things?
One of my goals has been to walk. I've slacked on this as I was on my cycle and, let's just be honest ladies, I didn't FEEL like getting out of bed, much less going for a walk - one of my upcoming blogs is on the pain pf periods. Plus, there has been a LOT more rain around here, which just furthered my reasoning for not going on a walk.
The walks start TODAY! We, because my DS goes everywhere with me, are going to go for a 1 mile walk now and a 1/2 mile walk before bed... Ready, set, GO!
At the start of this journey, my 14 day average for my blood sugar was over 200, at the last update, it was at 187. I am excited to say that less than a week later, the average is down to 164!!! I am only 2 weeks into this process and I am already more than 1/2 way to my first goal of getting my blood sugar averages below 150!
Weight loss has not come as easily as managing my blood sugars. I mentioned before that I have PCOS, and it has always impacted my metabolism. Losing weight has never been easy, but DANG, I feel like losing weight after passing 35 is even harder!!! I have lost weight, don't get me wrong. There is just something about 3 pounds in 2 weeks that feels like my 30 pound goal may not be obtainable... Time to add in the exercise.
Yes, I am complaining about not losing weight and I'm not exercising yet. They say that something like 80% is diet... Well, my blood sugars are proof that I am doing better there... So, WHY oh WHY won't the weight just melt off??? I am complaining and grumbling, I know. Tell me you have never felt the same way or thought the same things?
One of my goals has been to walk. I've slacked on this as I was on my cycle and, let's just be honest ladies, I didn't FEEL like getting out of bed, much less going for a walk - one of my upcoming blogs is on the pain pf periods. Plus, there has been a LOT more rain around here, which just furthered my reasoning for not going on a walk.
The walks start TODAY! We, because my DS goes everywhere with me, are going to go for a 1 mile walk now and a 1/2 mile walk before bed... Ready, set, GO!
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