It looks like I am getting around to my blog about once a week. That is OK, except that I get behind on reading my blog buddies' posts.
My life plan is continuing about like my last post with one new change. Alan and I are getting up earlier in the morning so that we can exercise after breakfast. Hopefully, that will start to show some new lower numbers on the scale for both of us.
We have a conference at a big, fancy hotel the end of October, so we decided to use that date to set some new goals. We both would like to lose 20 pounds over the next 10 weeks -- two pounds a week is a good goal.
So the battle continues!
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Whirlwind
It seems like the last few days have been a real whirlwind of activity, and I suddenly realized that I hadn't blogged since Friday! Where does the time go?
To summarize the days since then, I am hitting about 1500 calories on average, 1 to 2 miles per day on average, and I have lost 1 pound down to 234. My blood sugar numbers are a bit high because I really need more consistant exercise than I have been doing -- so I need to work on that.
I am off and running again today, so I will check in tomorrow. Have a great day!
To summarize the days since then, I am hitting about 1500 calories on average, 1 to 2 miles per day on average, and I have lost 1 pound down to 234. My blood sugar numbers are a bit high because I really need more consistant exercise than I have been doing -- so I need to work on that.
I am off and running again today, so I will check in tomorrow. Have a great day!
Friday, August 5, 2011
It's Good to Be With Friends
I went to quilting today for the first time since March, and it was really good. I had needed the time off to get my "life plan" underway, to get moved, and finally to have a good vacation. But it was so good to get back to friends who share my interests and many of my same struggles. What a great day!
The only bad news is that when I quilt all day long, I sit for most of the time. So I will have to be careful to make up for that the other days of the week.
Alan and I are doing pretty well on our new plan. We eat a moderate breakfast, a good sized lunch, and then I have a salad with a bit of protein and a bit of carb (like some crackers) for dinner. He just has water or sometimes watermelon for dinner. We are finding that we aren't missing our evening snacks in front of the TV at all. Amazing!
Both yesterday and today I hit a total of around 1600 calories, so I still need to cut that back to about 1200. My blood sugars have been excellent -- all in the "green" range.
We hope to do a lot of walking this weekend, so I will let you know how it goes.
The only bad news is that when I quilt all day long, I sit for most of the time. So I will have to be careful to make up for that the other days of the week.
Alan and I are doing pretty well on our new plan. We eat a moderate breakfast, a good sized lunch, and then I have a salad with a bit of protein and a bit of carb (like some crackers) for dinner. He just has water or sometimes watermelon for dinner. We are finding that we aren't missing our evening snacks in front of the TV at all. Amazing!
Both yesterday and today I hit a total of around 1600 calories, so I still need to cut that back to about 1200. My blood sugars have been excellent -- all in the "green" range.
We hope to do a lot of walking this weekend, so I will let you know how it goes.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
I'm Back At Last
We are finally moved in and back from vacation and back to the life plan full time.
We had a smooth move and a terrific vacation. We went to Texas to visit with family and meet the two new babies in the Horn clan -- Logan and Julie. Both are adorable, friendly, curious, and just everything else that is just perfect! We had great visits with the family, too many good meals, long drives in the Texas countryside, and lots of sleep and snuggles. Who could ask for more?
The downside of moving and vacation, of course, is lots of meals at restaurants. We both gained back some of our weight -- especially since Alan sprained his foot during the move and could barely walk for a couple of weeks.
I am back at 235 this morning.
But, Alan can walk normally again, and we are somewhat settled in our new nest -- so we are back to our life plan.
The doctor who looked at Alan's sprain also had a new suggestion for our eating plan. He said to eat all of your calories at breakfast and lunch and to just have water and more water for dinner. Alan is doing that, and I have modified it for my diabetes to eating most of my calories at breakfast and lunch and having salad or veggies at night. We will see how the new idea works for us.
Glad to be back!
Yesterday's Stats:
Weight: 235
Calories In: 1270 Calories Burned: 113 Total Calories: 1157
BS Average: 122
We had a smooth move and a terrific vacation. We went to Texas to visit with family and meet the two new babies in the Horn clan -- Logan and Julie. Both are adorable, friendly, curious, and just everything else that is just perfect! We had great visits with the family, too many good meals, long drives in the Texas countryside, and lots of sleep and snuggles. Who could ask for more?
The downside of moving and vacation, of course, is lots of meals at restaurants. We both gained back some of our weight -- especially since Alan sprained his foot during the move and could barely walk for a couple of weeks.
I am back at 235 this morning.
But, Alan can walk normally again, and we are somewhat settled in our new nest -- so we are back to our life plan.
The doctor who looked at Alan's sprain also had a new suggestion for our eating plan. He said to eat all of your calories at breakfast and lunch and to just have water and more water for dinner. Alan is doing that, and I have modified it for my diabetes to eating most of my calories at breakfast and lunch and having salad or veggies at night. We will see how the new idea works for us.
Glad to be back!
Yesterday's Stats:
Weight: 235
Calories In: 1270 Calories Burned: 113 Total Calories: 1157
BS Average: 122
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Moving Along
It looks like we will be moving on Thursday. Obviously, I have been up to my eyeballs in boxes and getting ready to go. I wanted to move my sewing machines and fragile items myself, and Alan won't let anyone touch our computers! The movers will pack up the leftovers and get us hauled over to the new place.
At any rate, I will be off of the internet for probably about a week. Don't worry!
My blood sugar numbers have come down enough to lower my insulin again, and I am doing better with my exercise. Our doctor vist went well and he was pleased with how I am doing -- even if I haven't lost anymore. Hopefully the lower insulin and the increased exercise will fix the scale!
Have a great week!
At any rate, I will be off of the internet for probably about a week. Don't worry!
My blood sugar numbers have come down enough to lower my insulin again, and I am doing better with my exercise. Our doctor vist went well and he was pleased with how I am doing -- even if I haven't lost anymore. Hopefully the lower insulin and the increased exercise will fix the scale!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Good Start for a New Week
I had a good start for the new week. I walked 3.5 miles yesterday and had 1250 calories total. My blood sugars continue to come down closer to normal and my weight dropped back down to 230. Hooray!
This is a busy week. I took the truck in yesterday to have the air bag fixed and the oil changed, etc. There was a recall on the air bag -- evidently they have had some of them deploy for no reason. Ouch! I am glad to have that fixed so we don't have any nasty surprises.
I will be giving notice at the old apartment today and we will be talking to the movers this week. We will also have our last checkup with Dr. Wang. We will need a new doctor because of the new insurance plan, so we might as well find one that will be in Irvine. It looks like we will have a dentist and an optometrist right across the street from the new apartment. It looks like we will make up some of the higher rent in lower gasoline bills!
Hope you all are having a great week.
This is a busy week. I took the truck in yesterday to have the air bag fixed and the oil changed, etc. There was a recall on the air bag -- evidently they have had some of them deploy for no reason. Ouch! I am glad to have that fixed so we don't have any nasty surprises.
I will be giving notice at the old apartment today and we will be talking to the movers this week. We will also have our last checkup with Dr. Wang. We will need a new doctor because of the new insurance plan, so we might as well find one that will be in Irvine. It looks like we will have a dentist and an optometrist right across the street from the new apartment. It looks like we will make up some of the higher rent in lower gasoline bills!
Hope you all are having a great week.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Hip, Hip, Away, Away!
I have had a bunch of things to celebrate the past few days. First of all, I am officially in a smaller size! I have been tugging up my pants, so I decided to try on a smaller pair of jeans. To my amazement, a size 20 fit perfectly -- not too tight -- just right! Hooray!
We also went today to sign up for a new apartment in Irvine. We found a complex that we fell in love with. It is only 1 mile for Alan to walk to work. We figure most days I will walk with him, since I try to walk at least 2 miles in the morning anyway.
The complex is also next to a 44 mile long bike/hiking trail that goes both north and south. You can actually take it about 10 miles down to the Pacific Ocean, or north up past Tustin to several different parks. Since we love to walk, this is just perfect! We may just go to Walmart and pick up a couple of bicycles, too.
Our new apartment is on the 3rd floor, so Alan joked that we were getting a new "stairmaster" for free! Across the street is a shopping center with a grocery, pharmacy, and just about anything else you might need. So I won't need the car to go shopping.
We are really pleased and hope to move in around the first week in July.
Meanwhile, I had some birthday goodies today -- so way too many calories. However, I did do 10,230 steps for 3.71 miles, so it wasn't all bad.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!
We also went today to sign up for a new apartment in Irvine. We found a complex that we fell in love with. It is only 1 mile for Alan to walk to work. We figure most days I will walk with him, since I try to walk at least 2 miles in the morning anyway.
The complex is also next to a 44 mile long bike/hiking trail that goes both north and south. You can actually take it about 10 miles down to the Pacific Ocean, or north up past Tustin to several different parks. Since we love to walk, this is just perfect! We may just go to Walmart and pick up a couple of bicycles, too.
Our new apartment is on the 3rd floor, so Alan joked that we were getting a new "stairmaster" for free! Across the street is a shopping center with a grocery, pharmacy, and just about anything else you might need. So I won't need the car to go shopping.
We are really pleased and hope to move in around the first week in July.
Meanwhile, I had some birthday goodies today -- so way too many calories. However, I did do 10,230 steps for 3.71 miles, so it wasn't all bad.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Back in the Groove
I feel like I am almost back into my groove, and that feels good!
Yesterday my blood sugar average was 153 at 74 total units of insulin. I walked twice and reached 10,472 steps. That came out to 3.8 miles. And my total calories were 1309 for the day.
Today my numbers were very similar, although my calories for the day came out to 1530.
Hopefully, after about a week I will get my blood sugar numbers down closer to an average of 100 for the day. Then I can start reducing the insulin again.
Since my insulin level is higher, my weight has been sitting at between 230 to 234. I sure can't wait to get into the 220s!
Yesterday my blood sugar average was 153 at 74 total units of insulin. I walked twice and reached 10,472 steps. That came out to 3.8 miles. And my total calories were 1309 for the day.
Today my numbers were very similar, although my calories for the day came out to 1530.
Hopefully, after about a week I will get my blood sugar numbers down closer to an average of 100 for the day. Then I can start reducing the insulin again.
Since my insulin level is higher, my weight has been sitting at between 230 to 234. I sure can't wait to get into the 220s!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Pretty Good Weekend
I thought this weekend would be a bad one, because my honey had to work long hours rather than go have fun with me. But it turned out not to be too bad. I made major progress on a baby quilt for my new niece, Julie. It has a large pink elephant appliqued in the middle. Fun!
I got back into my Bible study, and that helped a lot. I am going verse by verse through Isaiah at the moment.
I got my blood sugar average down to 165 on 74 units of insulin. So that was a big improvement, too. Part of that was getting back into the exercise after breakfast and dinner. Did well with the breakfast exercise, but not so good with after dinner. So I need to work harder on that this week.
My weight this morning was 233. Still up from where I had been, but going back down. So my plan for this week is just more of the same:
Daily Bible study and prayer
Get blood sugars level at about 100
Exercise for 1 hour after breakfast and dinner
Get the calories down to about 1400 intake
I got back into my Bible study, and that helped a lot. I am going verse by verse through Isaiah at the moment.
I got my blood sugar average down to 165 on 74 units of insulin. So that was a big improvement, too. Part of that was getting back into the exercise after breakfast and dinner. Did well with the breakfast exercise, but not so good with after dinner. So I need to work harder on that this week.
My weight this morning was 233. Still up from where I had been, but going back down. So my plan for this week is just more of the same:
Daily Bible study and prayer
Get blood sugars level at about 100
Exercise for 1 hour after breakfast and dinner
Get the calories down to about 1400 intake
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Reving Back Up
Yesterday went much better, although I still have a ways to get back to where I was. At least this morning I lost 2 of the pounds that I had regained.
Average BS: 184 Still too high
Insulin Level: 98 Total for the day
Exercise: 30 minutes after breakfast, 30 minutes after dinner
Steps: 6,114
Miles: 2.21
Yesterday's weight: 234
This morning's weight: 232
Average BS: 184 Still too high
Insulin Level: 98 Total for the day
Exercise: 30 minutes after breakfast, 30 minutes after dinner
Steps: 6,114
Miles: 2.21
Yesterday's weight: 234
This morning's weight: 232
Friday, June 10, 2011
Where Am I and Where Am I Heading?
Where Am I?
Well, I have regained a few pounds, so I am at 234 this morning. What is worse is that my blood sugars have soared up into the 200s again. I tried for several days to raise my insulin a little and increase my exercise, but it wasn't enough.
Where Am I Heading? My new goals for the coming week:
First, I need to get back into my prayer and Bible study time. I let that slip, but it is my primary weapon in this battle for change
Second, I need to get the blood sugar back under control. So I am raising my insulin back up to its previous high level. As I increase my exercise again, I will be able to reduce the insulin back down. But first, I have to get this into normal ranges. (I really do hate diabetes!!!)
Third, I need to get back to 1 hour of walking or other moderate exercise after breakfast and after dinner. This is a must to keep those sugars in control.
Fourth, I am going to watch my calories this week, but not obsess about it until my blood sugars are back to normal and steady.
Fifth -- CHILL OUT! I have been really stressed about things in my life for the past week, but worry never helps and certainly hurts. So stop it already!
Thanks again for all of the input and encouragement out there. Hopefully, I will see some pounds start to come off again soon.
Well, I have regained a few pounds, so I am at 234 this morning. What is worse is that my blood sugars have soared up into the 200s again. I tried for several days to raise my insulin a little and increase my exercise, but it wasn't enough.
Where Am I Heading? My new goals for the coming week:
First, I need to get back into my prayer and Bible study time. I let that slip, but it is my primary weapon in this battle for change
Second, I need to get the blood sugar back under control. So I am raising my insulin back up to its previous high level. As I increase my exercise again, I will be able to reduce the insulin back down. But first, I have to get this into normal ranges. (I really do hate diabetes!!!)
Third, I need to get back to 1 hour of walking or other moderate exercise after breakfast and after dinner. This is a must to keep those sugars in control.
Fourth, I am going to watch my calories this week, but not obsess about it until my blood sugars are back to normal and steady.
Fifth -- CHILL OUT! I have been really stressed about things in my life for the past week, but worry never helps and certainly hurts. So stop it already!
Thanks again for all of the input and encouragement out there. Hopefully, I will see some pounds start to come off again soon.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
AWOL and Thank God for Blog Buddies!
I've been AWOL from my blog as well as my new life plan. I got completely off track the past week and was too embarassed and ashamed to write about it.
How stupid can you get? That's the whole point of blogging each day -- so that you can admit when you've blown it and get back on track. Sigh!
So there I was, beating myself up over it, and I decided to start catching up on my blog buddies sites. Wow! Why did I wait so long to do that? You all are an amazing bunch that so inspire me! There were so many comments that went right to the issues I had been facing all week. Just what I needed to hear.
I think two things are really going to help me get back into the battle of a new life style. One was a comment that my brother-in-law posted on Facebook:
How stupid can you get? That's the whole point of blogging each day -- so that you can admit when you've blown it and get back on track. Sigh!
So there I was, beating myself up over it, and I decided to start catching up on my blog buddies sites. Wow! Why did I wait so long to do that? You all are an amazing bunch that so inspire me! There were so many comments that went right to the issues I had been facing all week. Just what I needed to hear.
I think two things are really going to help me get back into the battle of a new life style. One was a comment that my brother-in-law posted on Facebook:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What a Difference a Good Breakfast Makes!
Since I last posted, I raised my breakfast calories to about 400 to 450. Wow! What a difference!
It has made it much easier to get my total calories for the day down to around 1500 total for the last few days and to increase the time and intensity of my exercise. And my energy levels have stayed up throughout the day. Hooray!
Bottom line -- I am down to 229 pounds. Hip, hip, hooray!
It has made it much easier to get my total calories for the day down to around 1500 total for the last few days and to increase the time and intensity of my exercise. And my energy levels have stayed up throughout the day. Hooray!
Bottom line -- I am down to 229 pounds. Hip, hip, hooray!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Extremely Wishful Thinking??
Several of you pointed out my new weight -- 131! I wish!
Actually, that is very close to where I want to be eventually, so it must have been wishful thinking on my part.
I am unfortunately still at 231, but still working on it!
Actually, that is very close to where I want to be eventually, so it must have been wishful thinking on my part.
I am unfortunately still at 231, but still working on it!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The "Aha" Moment
I've talked quite a bit this past month about how stuck I have been as well as how discouraged and depressed it has made me. I realized that I had somehow switched from "lifestyle change" to "diet think."
Alan and I talked and prayed about it today, because he has had problems, too. A little while later, he came up with the answer. Both of us had cut back on our breakfast calorie intake.
By the time I did my morning exercise, I was out of fuel and never got "caught up" with my energy levels for the rest of the day. So I ended up eating more yet still feeling too tired to work as hard as I had been.
That old saying of "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner." still makes a lot of sense as a guideline. We increased our calorie intake by just 100 calories at breakfast this morning, and my energy level was better all day!
That having been said, I still fell on my face at dinnertime. We were watching TV, and mindless eating set in again. Oops! Thank heavens that tomorrow is another day, God willing.
Report Card:
Weight: 131
Calories in: 2295
Calories burned: 226
Exercise time: 75 minutes, 9291 steps, 3.37 miles
Average BS: 128
Alan and I talked and prayed about it today, because he has had problems, too. A little while later, he came up with the answer. Both of us had cut back on our breakfast calorie intake.
By the time I did my morning exercise, I was out of fuel and never got "caught up" with my energy levels for the rest of the day. So I ended up eating more yet still feeling too tired to work as hard as I had been.
That old saying of "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner." still makes a lot of sense as a guideline. We increased our calorie intake by just 100 calories at breakfast this morning, and my energy level was better all day!
That having been said, I still fell on my face at dinnertime. We were watching TV, and mindless eating set in again. Oops! Thank heavens that tomorrow is another day, God willing.
Report Card:
Weight: 131
Calories in: 2295
Calories burned: 226
Exercise time: 75 minutes, 9291 steps, 3.37 miles
Average BS: 128
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Ready for a New Day
I am feeling good this morning and ready for a new day of eating healthy and moving my body.
Yesterday:
Weight: 231
Calories In: 1740 Calories Burned: 415 Total Calories: 1325
Exercise minutes: 65 Steps: 9617 Miles: 3.49
Average BS: 146
Yesterday:
Weight: 231
Calories In: 1740 Calories Burned: 415 Total Calories: 1325
Exercise minutes: 65 Steps: 9617 Miles: 3.49
Average BS: 146
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mini Vacation
If you are wondering where I have been for the last few days, I took a mini vacation from worrying about weight loss while I figured out what was cramping my progress. Stepping away from the problem for a while helped a lot.
I realized that sometime in April, I switched my brain from "life plan" to the deadly "diet think".
For those of you who are Christians, you will understand when I say that I switched from living freely under God's grace to self-righteously living rigidly under the Law.
In other words, I stopped freely embracing daily choices for a healthier life and enjoying the process. That process was a free expression of my love of God, my family, and myself. Instead I was rigidly trying to stick to diet and exercise "rules" and beating myself up when I didn't get instant results. For me, that is a sure fire road to self-sabotage and failure, and this time wasn't any different.
So I have readjusted my attitude once again. I know that will be an ongoing process. It is just so easy to slip back into those old thought patterns and behaviors!
In the meantime, Alan and I had a great weekend. We drove down to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday and had a great day. We had never been there and were surprised at the large botanical garden section as well as the animal exhibits. We didn't worry about calories, but I took my pedometer and found that we walked over 5 miles during the day.
I found during that day and the days since that I can see a marked increase in my strength and endurance in walking. My pants are also getting really loose!
Talk to you all again tomorrow!
I realized that sometime in April, I switched my brain from "life plan" to the deadly "diet think".
For those of you who are Christians, you will understand when I say that I switched from living freely under God's grace to self-righteously living rigidly under the Law.
In other words, I stopped freely embracing daily choices for a healthier life and enjoying the process. That process was a free expression of my love of God, my family, and myself. Instead I was rigidly trying to stick to diet and exercise "rules" and beating myself up when I didn't get instant results. For me, that is a sure fire road to self-sabotage and failure, and this time wasn't any different.
So I have readjusted my attitude once again. I know that will be an ongoing process. It is just so easy to slip back into those old thought patterns and behaviors!
In the meantime, Alan and I had a great weekend. We drove down to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday and had a great day. We had never been there and were surprised at the large botanical garden section as well as the animal exhibits. We didn't worry about calories, but I took my pedometer and found that we walked over 5 miles during the day.
I found during that day and the days since that I can see a marked increase in my strength and endurance in walking. My pants are also getting really loose!
Talk to you all again tomorrow!
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Good Friday
Well, I made some changes based on my talk with Alan this morning. We will see over the next few days if they show up on the scale! Overall, it was a good day with my exercise balanced throughout the day and smaller meals.
Weight: 232
Calories: 1380
Exercise minutes: 95 Walking, recumbant bike, and treadmill
Average BS: 121 Much better!
Weight: 232
Calories: 1380
Exercise minutes: 95 Walking, recumbant bike, and treadmill
Average BS: 121 Much better!
Getting Unstuck
OK -- I've been stuck at around 231 for almost 4 weeks now. Enough already!
Alan and I talked this morning about what might be the problem, now that I am exercising again.
It really comes down to too many calories which is due to too much insulin. It is obviously time to lower the insulin again and exercise harder for a while to get my blood sugars down -- but then I will be able to lower the calories and get off dead center and lose some more weight. I hope!
Wednesday: Thursday:
Weight: 228 (A fluke?) 232 (stuck, stuck, stuck)
Calories: 1520 1670 (still too high)
Exercise minutes: 60 90 (going up)
Average BS: 137 128 (still a little high)
Alan and I talked this morning about what might be the problem, now that I am exercising again.
It really comes down to too many calories which is due to too much insulin. It is obviously time to lower the insulin again and exercise harder for a while to get my blood sugars down -- but then I will be able to lower the calories and get off dead center and lose some more weight. I hope!
Wednesday: Thursday:
Weight: 228 (A fluke?) 232 (stuck, stuck, stuck)
Calories: 1520 1670 (still too high)
Exercise minutes: 60 90 (going up)
Average BS: 137 128 (still a little high)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A Lovely Rainy Day
We had a nice gentle rain today -- always refreshing. And it was quite cool this morning, which was perfect for working out with the windows open in the exercise room. An older Chinese gentleman kept me company on the recumbant bike next to mine.
Most of the older Chinese in the apartment complex were born on the mainland and know only a little English. In fact, I have enjoyed listening to their English lessons in the study room next to the exercise room. It is a little like first grade for the 70 something crowd! They are always very friendly, though, and we can usually make ourselves understood to each other in simple terms.
Report Card:
Weight: 232
Calories: 1530
Exercise minutes: 35 3,526 steps
Average BS: 151 I kind of bounced around a bit on that today
My hubby is working late again today, so I am going to relax and wait for him to get home.
Most of the older Chinese in the apartment complex were born on the mainland and know only a little English. In fact, I have enjoyed listening to their English lessons in the study room next to the exercise room. It is a little like first grade for the 70 something crowd! They are always very friendly, though, and we can usually make ourselves understood to each other in simple terms.
Report Card:
Weight: 232
Calories: 1530
Exercise minutes: 35 3,526 steps
Average BS: 151 I kind of bounced around a bit on that today
My hubby is working late again today, so I am going to relax and wait for him to get home.
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