Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Weekly update, 8/25/09

What's New?

Whew! We're into the new school year! Yesterday was Thing 1 and Thing 2's first day of school, at a school that's new to both of them. They enjoyed their first day quite a lot, and Thing 2 made her transition into Kindergarten quite smoothly, even though it was a longer day that she used to have in preschool, with after-school center care until her brother gets done with his school day. Thing 1 reconnected with some of his old preschool friends at recess. So far, so good.

I'm glad the anticipation stress is gone. (Miz, you were so right about that: anticipation is often worse than the reality!) But it's a big adjustment for us parents, too, with new routines and people. (And not just the jump-out-of-bed-too-darn-early-and-do-the-get-ready-for-school sprint, but that is one of the biggies.) The school is small, in a remote location, and there's intense parent involvement. Connections form quickly, so that people can form carpools and work on fundraising and school volunteering and the like. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming; I feel a little awkward (socializing in groups is not my forte) but I think I could get used to this.

I'm still figuring out how to fit fitness into the new routine. I figure that my Tuesday-Thursday routine (gym classes, swimming) isn't going to be different, although I won't have the easy leeway to choose something else without planning ahead of time. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do on Mondays and Fridays. I may try to see if anyone from school wants to do a hiking group on one of those days, then I could shower at the gym. The other day could be a gym day, either before I start work or at lunch time. Still deciding.

Progress last week

7-day blood glucose average: 100 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting blood glucose average: 105 (met goal of less than 120) <-This has been creeping up. I thought it was just eating too late in the evening, but this morning's was higher than normal (but below 120) but I ate at a reasonable time and went to bed with my tummy rumbling a little. (Although it didn't need to, blood glucose meter reading indicated that I'd had enough to eat.) I think it might been the rough night last night.

Weight goal: -3.8 (This has got to be some kind of fluke. The scale reported the same, not-seen-in-over-13-years number three times, but it still *feels* like a fluke. Either that, or the cortisol-stress thing is a real phenomena. It was early in the morning, I could have been having a pre-coffee hallucination. Oh well.)

Food goals:
- Got in 4 meatless meals but no fish meals.
- Getting there with fiber; at least 5/7 days were over 30.

Exercise goals: Well, got in a little something nearly every day. I hit my goals, but not as hard as I would have wanted. Here's what I did...
- Tuesday: 30 minutes on the exercise bike at home.
- Wednesday: 60 minutes - BodyPump class. I pushed harder today and it felt *good*.
- Thursday: 30 minutes swim.
- Friday: 35 minutes run.
- Saturday: Nothing
- Sunday: 30+ minutes active play at the playground with the kids: climbing, chasing, and some dangling from the monkey bars and bench push-ups.
- Monday: 20 minutes strolling at lunch.

Misc. goals: If you count the hours, I'm meeting the sleep goal. We're still getting Thing 2 to stay in her own bed at night, and I've been having bad dreams. Not the most restful nights.

Goals for this week

7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or make progress toward goal.

Food goals:
- Keep tracking.
- 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
- Track fiber. Minimum 30 grams fiber/day. (Include both insoluble and soluble sources.)

Exercise goals:
Minimum of 30 minutes of workout 5 days/week, with 1 spin class, 1 BodyPump class, 1 swim, and 1 run.

Misc. goals:
- 7 or more hours sleep/night.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Weekly update, 8/18/09

What's New?

Stress, that's what's new...well, not exactly new, but I've been feeling deeply stressed lately, and it's not like me. Part of it is anticipating the start of the school year. While the kids are looking forward to it, I'm feeling anxious about it. Probably because it's a change in our routine: new place, farther away, and will Thing 1 have another crummy school year or will it go okay this time? It's going to take some time to get adjusted to waking up earlier (ugh) and figuring out how I'm going to get my exercise fit into my days. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely making it exercise-wise, and that's not how I want to feel. I want to feel strong, confident, and powerful! Capable of leaping tall buildings at a single bound! Or at least capable of making it across the finish line at the triathlon next month before everyone packs up and heads home.

Not sure why (probably stress, etc.), but suffice it to say, my food choices took a nose-dive. I know better, and yet I ate a bunch of garbage foods. I made lots of good choices in there, but I need to buckle down and ease back on the fat and salt and non-nutritive carb choices. Why does it feel hard sometimes to just stick with the bleepin' PLAN already??? I guess it's a good reminder (aside from what the scale says) of how physically bad it feels for me to eat too much of those things: I feel puffy and bloated, and yesterday I had a headache. I haven't had a headache in a long time, but running helped.

Sorry to be so negative, when things really could be worse (and are for so many people), but I guess I just felt like sharing. It's not always sunshine & rainbows & heaving pectoral muscles (you've got to imagine that last bit intoned ala our California governor for best effect) up in here, but they'll be back (<-that part you do NOT need to imagine intoned ala our California governor. ;-)

Progress last week


7-day blood glucose average: 106 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting blood glucose average: 106 (met goal of less than 120)

Weight goal: +1.8 (did not meet goal...and with last week's gain, I'm +2.4 lbs above my recent low. *sigh*...)

Food goals:
- Got in 4 meatless meals and 3 fish meals. Wow!
- Getting there with fiber; at least 5/7 days were over 30. (I didn't track much over the weekend, so I might have gotten there on Sunday, too.)

Exercise goals: Well, got in a little something nearly every day. Missed one swim and a proper bike workout. Here's what I did...
- Tuesday: 40 minute run and 20 minute dog walk.
- Wednesday: BodyPump class
- Thursday: 60 minutes total; walked the dog, did the 15 minute Dance Express video and 8 minute yoga segment ("runners") on the "Yoga Conditioning for Athletes" DVD. (I like this DVD. There's one really long segment, which I've only done part of, and a bunch of "mini" segments targeted for various sports. Very peaceful and doable for beginners.)
- Friday: Active rest; played with kids at the incoming Kindergartners' evening picnic.
- Saturday: Walk on the coast trail after dinner with family and our visiting friend.
- Sunday: Rode my bike 2.6 miles (round trip) to pick up breakfast for the family.
- Monday: 40 minute treadmill run at the gym and some arm strength exercises with weights.

Misc. goals: Met the sleep goal, although it's been somewhat interrupted, since we're working on getting Thing 2 to sleep in her own bed all night. She starts out there, but she developed the habit of wandering over in the middle of the night.

Goals for this week

7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or make progress toward goal.

Food goals:
- Keep tracking.
- 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
- Track fiber. Minimum 30 grams fiber/day. (Include both insoluble and soluble sources.)

Exercise goals:
Minimum of 30 minutes of workout 5 days/week, with 1 spin class, 1 BodyPump class, 1 swim, and 1 run.

Misc. goals:
- 7 or more hours sleep/night.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Can a girl have too much eggplant?

I usually don't post on the weekend--I try to disconnect a bit--but I happened to be online printing something, and I felt like writing....

I went a little crazy at the farm stand yesterday, and now I'm facing a mound of produce to cook. I already grilled two eggplants and ate them both. (No one else in my family likes eggplant. Oh darn.) I think I'm going to make a variation of Lynn's vegetable paprikash next. (With cauliflower instead of cabbage, because I bought a big ol' head of cauliflower and forgot about needing cabbage for this one!) Then, what do to with a bunch of kale and a butternut squash? Any ideas?

We enjoyed a really nice time with one of our friends yesterday. It was his birthday, so we bbq'd some steaks and went for a nice walk on the coast trail after dinner (which we needed, desparately). (Our friend happens to be a very talented technical writer, who recently got laid off. If anyone knows an SF Bay Area company that is looking for one, please do let me know. Wish we could hire him at my company!)

Well, off to see what the not-seen and not-heard Things 1&2 are up to right now...usually, I feel comfortable when it's one or the other state, but not both. :-) Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

PMS and Type 2 Diabetes: A Tricky Combination

MizFit's timely (for me) post today, "PMS Cravings & Active Rest," reminded me of something that frustrated me beyond belief at first: why, every so often, did my blood glucose levels rise (both fasting and post-meal with stuff that usually didn't raise them much), out of the middle of nowhere? Until I realized that "out of the middle of nowhere" was typically PMS week, and no wonder I felt extra irritable about it! I then read in Sheri Colberg's excellent book Diabetic Athlete's Handbook (highly recommended, especially for insulin-dependent athletes) that women tend to be more insulin resistant during the time between ovulation and the start of one’s period (luteal phase)? (p. 41, Diabetic Athlete’s Handbook) It's all those raging girl-hormones at work.

Well, talk about cruelty! :-) Especially when I can no longer satisfy PMS cravings with a bag of Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips and a pint of Phish Food.

Scoot on over to MizFit's article and read all the great ideas for dealing with the cravings. (See comment #49; tuff's Frozen Peanut Butter Cups recipe looks very tasty!) MizFit mentions why we should seek out more Omega 3 sources when cravings hit, even if they don't seem particularly appetizing. There may be something to it, though: I have been consuming more Omega 3 sources on a daily basis (fish oil pills, flax, chia...occasionally fish and walnuts, but not as often as I ought to) as well as choosing less processed carbs, and I have noticed that I don’t have super strong PMS cravings anymore. (I wonder if Metformin affects PMS food cravings? I couldn't find anything particular about this.)

Even so, sometimes I just want a "schmall schmackerel (as opposed to a "mackerel," even though that would probably be a better choice) of something sweet", as Pooh-Bear would say. Here are my go-to items. Some of these would not have worked for me earlier on, when I was working to get my blood sugar levels regulated and to eliminate my sugar cravings. I still check things that I introduce back in with my meter, and I count the carbs toward (vs. adding them on top of) a meal or snack. I'm happy I did the up-front work (exercise, making better food choices), though, because before diagnosis, I never thought I'd be able to eat some of these items again if I had diabetes. Any-hoo, with no further ado....

Well, there's a little more "ado"...

Disclaimer: The foods/products that I mention on my blog are my own personal preferences, and they work for me...they might not float your boat or be your best choice for your diabetes. Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about them. Also, for what it's worth, I am not compensated for mentioning ANY products in my blog.

Okay, no more "ado," I promise:

When only chocolate will do (chocolatey/sweet/salty/creamy): I find dark chocolate *very* satisfying and fairly carb-friendly for the 70% variety…just plain, or sometimes with peanuts or peanut butter. (I found that after eating clean for a few months, I lost my taste for milk chocolate. Too sweet.) Or here's a very simple hot chocolate recipe.

When I want comfort food (sweet/salty/good fats/creamy/warm): Oatmeal and peanut butter with some sugar-free maple syrup. I really love the steel-cut oats these days...I'll be trying oat bran next and see if I like it as much. I put a 1/4 cup of milled flax seed in my oatmeal for extra nutritional goodness.

Because I'm weird this way (warm/fats, good and bad/creamy/mushy): Coffee, half-and-half, and chia (ground or whole seed--different textures, same...odd-but-goodness). I know, it IS weird, but it works for me sometimes when my green tea+chia doesn't satisfy.

An apple a day...(sweet/salty/fats, good or bad/cold/mushy+crunchy): Good ol' apple and peanut or almond butter. Or cheddar cheese. My favorite variety, Gravensteins, are in season right now; if you can find them, try them! They have a wonderful tart + sweet flavor.

And the ubiquitous (sweet/sour/cold/mushy...crunchy/good fats optional): Nonfat Greek-style yogurt with fresh fruit. I like mine with berries, oranges, or apples. I also put cinnamon in mine, and sometimes milled flax seed, other times some walnuts and a tiny drizzle of honey. I also found this Chia Goodness cereal stuff that's acceptable carb-wise if just sprinkled on...the cranberry/ginger flavor is quite strongly flavored but works well in yogurt, its consistency being similar to granola.

Processed, but quick (sweet/salty/crunchy/sticky/FAST): I like the South Beach Living peanut butter & chocolate crispy meal bars (1 carb, 2 lean meat) or their high-protein peanut butter cereal bars (1 carb, 1 lean meat). Read the label and see if it works for you...they're not the cleanest-of-clean eating, but I find them to be darn convenient and okay for me in moderation. (Like now, when I need to pound something down before hitting the gym.)

Because I'm human (whatever strikes my fancy--not recommended, but....): I have been known to eat some potato chips. (This works best if I plan for an measure out an ounce into a dish, and sit down, and savor them...otherwise, I'm picking out of a bag and it's too easy to lose track.) I've also bought sugar-free candy and eaten more than I'd planned to eat. I don't go as crazy as in the pre-D days, and I usually feel physically icky the next day, so it's something that is tending to happen less often over time. Especially if I work in reasonable amounts of stuff I really like (see "when only chocolate will do") into my regularly scheduled feedings. And don't get me started on salted, roasted nuts...still a tricky food for me.

Finally, my original go-to when in processed carbs/sugar detox mode (warm/sweet/spicy): Good Earth Original tea. I like it because it tastes much more flavorful and sweet to me than regular herbal teas. I also like mint tea with sweetener.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Weekly update, 8/11/09

What's new?

I have to give a shout-out about Christie O's "Monday Mantra" post this week. The last paragraph sums up beautifully how I felt on my bike ride yesterday morning, and why I decided to play a little "freestyle Scrabble" with my kids after I got back, and why I stopped for some gourmet coffee after the post office this morning on the way to work. (And why this is going to be a short post! :-)

Progress last week

7-day blood glucose average: 100 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting blood glucose average: 98 (met goal of less than 120)

Weight goal: +.6 (did not meet goal)

Food goals:
- Got in 4 meatless meals and 2 fish meals. Wow!
- It's official: I have ditched the coffee goal! Calorie-wise, the coffee goal was like picking at a splinter in my little finger (half-and-half) while ignoring the timber lodged in my arm (nuts).
- Getting there with fiber; 4/7 days were over 30.

Exercise goals: Met my exercise goals, except for one run. Here's what I did...
- Tuesday: Spin class
- Wednesday: BodyPump class
- Thursday: Swim
- Friday: Active rest; set up/clean up at company picnic.
- Saturday: Two segments of a new DVD I bought, "10 Minute Solutions: Dance It Off and Tone It Up," picked because a friend of mine was enjoying it and it had a resistance band, which I wanted for future travel strength exercises. (The title made me chuckle. How can I "tone it up" if I've already "danced it off?") I did the abdominal dance segment, which reminded me of how challenging I find highly choreographed workouts (my midriff hurt!), and the upper-body toning (which I ended up doing more with my hand weights than the resistance band...Thing 2 confiscated it and used it mostly as a jump rope).
- Sunday: Walking at the Seymour aquarium in Santa Cruz and "playout" at the park with push-ups and hanging from the bars...I did manage to shrug myself up a teensy bit. Someday, I will do a pull-up!
- Monday: 14-mile bike ride and 5 minute jog. (I've done spin/treadmill bricks, but it feels very different after a real ride!) It took 1 hour and 20 minutes, but I really enjoyed it (sunny weather makes a difference!) and I felt like I could have ridden much longer.

Misc. goals: Did well getting back on track with the sleep this week.

Goals for this week

7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or make progress toward goal.

Food goals:
- Keep tracking.
- 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
- Track fiber. Minimum 30 grams fiber/day. (Include both insoluble and soluble sources.)

Exercise goals:
Minimum of 30 minutes of workout 5 days/week, with 1 spin class, 1 BodyPump class, 1 swim, and 1 run.

Misc. goals:
- 7 or more hours sleep/night.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

A Tale of Two Evening Snacks (and a recipe)

On Tuesday evening, around 10 p.m., my stomach rumbled. I felt hungry. So I decided to feed it something. I wanted something that would have low impact on my blood sugar, so I decided to eat a packet of cashews. I ended up eating two "Just a Handful" packets of cashews, and then I looked at the label. Holy coronitas! 410 calories???

Yesterday evening, I felt like a little somethin'-somethin' after dinner, of the dessert variety. I went crazy and made 2 cups of hot cocoa! Wooooooo!!! But it looked something like this:
- 2 cups of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (80 calories)
- 1/4 cup half-and-half (80 calories)
- 3 heaping tablespoons of Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened, 45 calories)
- 3 tablespoons of Torani sugar-free vanilla syrup (like the stuff you put into latte drinks) (no calories) <-The irony is not lost on me, Biz, splenda is probably not worse than the corn syrup solids in fat-free half-and-half. :-)
Heat the above and wisk like crazy until the chocolate is fully incorporated.

It was goooood, so chocolatey that it was practically a mocha in strength. 205 calories, half that of yesterday evening's two-handfuls-of-nuts. It was *exactly* what I wanted.