Like the old song from the band Journey says, "Wheel in the Sky Keeps On Turning." It's another day, and I find myself pondering things once again.
I stepped on the scale today to find that I am only 2 lbs away from being exactly 70lbs less than my highest recorded weight. That in and of itself is amazing, but what makes it even more gratifying is the fact that I'm only 1lb away from being out of the "obese" category for BMI (Body Mass Index). THAT is truly amazing!!
I have been "obese" on that chart for more years than I can recall. I've said all along that my goal in having gastric bypass was not to be supermodel thin, but most importantly is be HEALTHY, and my numeric goal is one that just puts me inside the chart for "normal" BMI. I'm 1lb away from the "overweight" category, and 33lbs away from the "normal" category. Absolutely amazing!!!
The weather is changing quickly here in North Georgia. Today we awakened to crisp and cool 52 degrees outside. As I took Ruby to the bus stop, we had to turn on the heat in the truck because I get cold so much more easily these days!! (Ruby sympathizes b/c she has virtually no body fat to keep her warm!). A year ago, I would have still been wearing shorts and a t-shirt in that temperature, but this sent me right to the sweater rack at the nearest Walmart! At the sweater rack, I was utterly SHOCKED when I found that a size "Large" sweater completely engulfed me, and a "Medium" fit just right!!! Additionally, this was in the Misses dep't; not "Women's World!" My mind is trying to wrap around all these changes. They tell you before you have surgery that your changes aren't just physical ones (though they are many), but a great deal of them are mental/emotional changes. "They" don't lie!!! It's very odd to look at myself as a "normal" sized person versus a plus sized gal. It's very odd to walk past the large sizes on a rack and go for the more moderate ones. It's very odd to bake 2 dozen cupcakes to take to church tonight, and have no desire to sneak and eat one. These emotional/mental changes are hard to get used to.
On a very happy note, we learned today that the baby Stephen & Autumn are expecting March 2013 is a boy, and that the pregnancy looks just fine on ultrasound. I can't wait to meet that new little guy, hold him in my arms and love him like only a Nana can!!! We are so blessed!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
4 month "birthday!"
Today marks exactly 4 months since I had my gastric bypass surgery. It's hard to imagine how much life has changed for me in that short amount of time! Some quick facts:
As of today, I have lost 61 lbs since surgery, and am down almost 70 lbs since my all time high.
My blood sugar numbers have been normal since right after surgery; I don't even stick my finger anymore!
My joints/lower back don't hurt like they used to. No more epidurals in my back!
All my clothes have had to be replaced. I can't wear hardly anything I could wear 4 months ago!
People who haven't seen me in a long time look at me very puzzled..then decide that they love my new haircut!
I am only 34 lbs away from my goal weight!!
This week I had to travel on business. My weight loss was evident in so many ways!! First of all, I ALMOST missed my flight and had to RUN through the Atlanta airport with a full size (very packed!) suitcase, a briefcase and purse. If you've ever been to the ATL airport, you know that it is HUGE!!
I was at a full run through much of it, and with all that "stuff" in tow! There is absolutely no way I could have done that at my all time highest weight (almost 70 lbs ago)!!! I was the last person to board the plane...they closed the door behind me! I dashed to my seat...a window seat! Prior to weight loss, this would have been a major source of anxiety for me. However, I'd already noticed in just boarding the plane and navigating the aisle with my stuff (I gate checked the big suitcase!) that the aisle didn't seem as small as it used to. When I arrived at my row, there was a gentleman sitting in the aisle seat. I told him I was booked in the window seat, but that it didn't matter to me as there was 1 empty seat on our row anyway. He scooted over to the window seat and I took the aisle seat. Funny...my arm didn't seem to hang out in the aisle! Now, the next step...the dreaded seat belt! Ordinarily, I have to let the belt all the way out, click it in place, then pull out what little slack was there. Amazingly, this time it fit with no adjustment whatsoever, and had SEVERAL inches to spare!!! That was an incredible feeling!!! My new body actually fit into the "regular" airline seat space, and I was pretty doggone comfortable! Later on as the flight crew came through to dispense drinks & snacks, I dreaded having to "suck it in" in to accommodate that big, ole cart. Much to my amazement...it didn't even brush my arm! My body was contained within the confines of my seat and arm rests. AMAZING!!!! On the flight back to ATL, the flight was PACKED, I was 3 rows from the very end of the plane, and I had a window seat again!! This time, the 2 gentlemen on the row with me were happy to get up and let me get into my window seat. I moved through the row with ease, sat down and VOILA! The seat belt once again fastened around me with no prior adjustment and with several inches to spare!! It was a very pleasant flight where I sat in comfort without even having to rub elbows with the fella next to me as I gazed down upon God's creation. I felt like a new creation!!!
I'm thankful for the tool I've been given to "recreate" myself. It is indeed only a tool! I still love to cook and eat good food. I still love junk food. I still love to eat out! But, I'm learning more and more every day what my boundaries are: no fried foods, no sweets, little to no red meat, etc. I have to very carefully manage my portion control because if I over eat, it's very painful! Dr. J Ryland Scott and his staff have taught me very well, and enabled me to begin on this journey. I will be forever indebted to him and everyone at Harbin General Surgery Clinic/Floyd Hospital Bariatric Clinic. They have been true blessings to me!!
And my journey continues, one day at a time..."Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23). Learning to use the tool I've been given...
As of today, I have lost 61 lbs since surgery, and am down almost 70 lbs since my all time high.
My blood sugar numbers have been normal since right after surgery; I don't even stick my finger anymore!
My joints/lower back don't hurt like they used to. No more epidurals in my back!
All my clothes have had to be replaced. I can't wear hardly anything I could wear 4 months ago!
People who haven't seen me in a long time look at me very puzzled..then decide that they love my new haircut!
I am only 34 lbs away from my goal weight!!
This week I had to travel on business. My weight loss was evident in so many ways!! First of all, I ALMOST missed my flight and had to RUN through the Atlanta airport with a full size (very packed!) suitcase, a briefcase and purse. If you've ever been to the ATL airport, you know that it is HUGE!!
I was at a full run through much of it, and with all that "stuff" in tow! There is absolutely no way I could have done that at my all time highest weight (almost 70 lbs ago)!!! I was the last person to board the plane...they closed the door behind me! I dashed to my seat...a window seat! Prior to weight loss, this would have been a major source of anxiety for me. However, I'd already noticed in just boarding the plane and navigating the aisle with my stuff (I gate checked the big suitcase!) that the aisle didn't seem as small as it used to. When I arrived at my row, there was a gentleman sitting in the aisle seat. I told him I was booked in the window seat, but that it didn't matter to me as there was 1 empty seat on our row anyway. He scooted over to the window seat and I took the aisle seat. Funny...my arm didn't seem to hang out in the aisle! Now, the next step...the dreaded seat belt! Ordinarily, I have to let the belt all the way out, click it in place, then pull out what little slack was there. Amazingly, this time it fit with no adjustment whatsoever, and had SEVERAL inches to spare!!! That was an incredible feeling!!! My new body actually fit into the "regular" airline seat space, and I was pretty doggone comfortable! Later on as the flight crew came through to dispense drinks & snacks, I dreaded having to "suck it in" in to accommodate that big, ole cart. Much to my amazement...it didn't even brush my arm! My body was contained within the confines of my seat and arm rests. AMAZING!!!! On the flight back to ATL, the flight was PACKED, I was 3 rows from the very end of the plane, and I had a window seat again!! This time, the 2 gentlemen on the row with me were happy to get up and let me get into my window seat. I moved through the row with ease, sat down and VOILA! The seat belt once again fastened around me with no prior adjustment and with several inches to spare!! It was a very pleasant flight where I sat in comfort without even having to rub elbows with the fella next to me as I gazed down upon God's creation. I felt like a new creation!!!
I'm thankful for the tool I've been given to "recreate" myself. It is indeed only a tool! I still love to cook and eat good food. I still love junk food. I still love to eat out! But, I'm learning more and more every day what my boundaries are: no fried foods, no sweets, little to no red meat, etc. I have to very carefully manage my portion control because if I over eat, it's very painful! Dr. J Ryland Scott and his staff have taught me very well, and enabled me to begin on this journey. I will be forever indebted to him and everyone at Harbin General Surgery Clinic/Floyd Hospital Bariatric Clinic. They have been true blessings to me!!
And my journey continues, one day at a time..."Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23). Learning to use the tool I've been given...
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
It's been a week since I last blogged...so here goes!
I continue to learn on my journey to good health...the good and the bad! I've made bad food choices a couple of times in the last week and have paid for it with a not so nice bout of "dumping syndrome." Dumping syndrome isn't just the symptom the name implies; oh no...it's much worse! About 1/2 an hour after you eat something that disagrees with your new stomach, you start feeling kind of light headed and hot all over. Once you realize what's happening, you know you can't fight this and have to go rest! It sends me to bed, usually for the rest of the day (it's only happened to me in the late evenings after dinner). As you go through the bout of DS, your stomach is very unsettled and you wish you could just be rid of whatever you ate. Unfortunately, that relief doesn't come and you have to suffer through it. The DS symptoms last about an hour or so where you're hot then cold, break out in a sweat, have severe stomach distress, feel very groggy & light headed. Then, the overt symptoms lift and you are left to feel like a dish rag that's been wrung out too hard!!! I also feel poorly the day after...almost like a DS hang over! Thankfully, I'm quickly learning which foods my new tummy will and will not tolerate and once I find one it doesn't tolerate, I quickly remove it from my foods list!
Last week, I made it back to the gym one day for water aerobics. Thus far this week, I have made it back 2 times; once for Water Aerobics and once for BodyVive. Both really wore me out, but BodyVive downright whooped me!!! I soldiered through it (mostly on the low impact level) and was quite proud of myself for making it through! BodyVive was last night, so I'm sore today, but it hurts so good!!!
I'm down 32 pounds now. My clothes are too big and I'm having to dig deeper into my clothing stash to find things that fit! I had to buy 2 pair of work pants at Goodwill last week (rather than paying full price elsewhere for something I'll only wear for a short time!) because all my work pants were falling off!
Best of all, my blood sugars continue to be completely normal, I'm off all meds with the exception of allergy meds and restless leg syndrome meds, and I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!!!!! Thank you God and Dr. Scott for this new life!!!
I continue to learn on my journey to good health...the good and the bad! I've made bad food choices a couple of times in the last week and have paid for it with a not so nice bout of "dumping syndrome." Dumping syndrome isn't just the symptom the name implies; oh no...it's much worse! About 1/2 an hour after you eat something that disagrees with your new stomach, you start feeling kind of light headed and hot all over. Once you realize what's happening, you know you can't fight this and have to go rest! It sends me to bed, usually for the rest of the day (it's only happened to me in the late evenings after dinner). As you go through the bout of DS, your stomach is very unsettled and you wish you could just be rid of whatever you ate. Unfortunately, that relief doesn't come and you have to suffer through it. The DS symptoms last about an hour or so where you're hot then cold, break out in a sweat, have severe stomach distress, feel very groggy & light headed. Then, the overt symptoms lift and you are left to feel like a dish rag that's been wrung out too hard!!! I also feel poorly the day after...almost like a DS hang over! Thankfully, I'm quickly learning which foods my new tummy will and will not tolerate and once I find one it doesn't tolerate, I quickly remove it from my foods list!
Last week, I made it back to the gym one day for water aerobics. Thus far this week, I have made it back 2 times; once for Water Aerobics and once for BodyVive. Both really wore me out, but BodyVive downright whooped me!!! I soldiered through it (mostly on the low impact level) and was quite proud of myself for making it through! BodyVive was last night, so I'm sore today, but it hurts so good!!!
I'm down 32 pounds now. My clothes are too big and I'm having to dig deeper into my clothing stash to find things that fit! I had to buy 2 pair of work pants at Goodwill last week (rather than paying full price elsewhere for something I'll only wear for a short time!) because all my work pants were falling off!
Best of all, my blood sugars continue to be completely normal, I'm off all meds with the exception of allergy meds and restless leg syndrome meds, and I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!!!!! Thank you God and Dr. Scott for this new life!!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Well, it's been WAY too long since I've expressed my heart on the pages of this blog. Time to make up for that!!
Since my last post over a year ago, I have continued the #1 battle of my life: weight control. Again last year I lost upwards of 40 lbs, only to see it slowly creep back on! By the end of the year, I was only 3 lbs less than I'd been at the end of the previous year. Additionally, I was watching my Diabetes numbers (daily blood sugars and Hemoglobin A1C) climb, my cholesterol was running very high, and my lower back pain was getting worse and worse. All these problems were being caused or aggravated by the extra weight. I had told myself in Dec. 2010 when I was diagnosed with Diabetes that I was going to give myself 6 months to make a significant change in my weight, and if I did not lose it, I would pursue a surgical alternative. I gave myself 12 months, and when I saw my failure, I knew what I had to do!
In January of this year, I attended the Bariatric Education Class at Floyd Medical Center hosted by Dr. J Ryland Scott in Rome. I knew before I even got there that this was the route I was going to take. As soon as my insurance paperwork was processed, I made an app't to consult w/Dr. Scott. I saw him in mid-late March, and really got the wheels turning. After a couple of nutrition appointments, detailed food diaries and another app't at Dr. Scott's office (w/his wonderful PA, Jason), I went in for surgery on May 14. MY NEW BIRTHDAY!!!!! I can never thank Dr. Scott or his staff enough!!
Tomorrow, I will be one month post-op. I do not regret my decision. I am THRILLED to report that my blood sugar numbers are completely normal, and I am off Diabetes medication!! As a matter of fact, I am off of all my med's with the exception of allergy medicine and restless leg syndrome medicine. My back and joints do not hurt near as much as they used to. And as of today, I am down TWENTY SEVEN POUNDS!!!! (I lost 10# prior to surgery on the prescribed protein shakes and have lost 17# since surgery). For the most part, I FEEL GREAT!!!! I do struggle with the new parameters of my diet; how much to eat, what to eat, when to eat, etc. If I screw up, I pay for it in a major way by getting deathly ill from "dumping syndrome." That stinks!!! But knowing that this is the price I pay for getting back into good health, I'm willing to live & learn every day!
2 days ago, I was able to return to my gym and start exercising again. I ran into a lady there (whom I dearly love & respect) and shared my decision with her. She was astonished and said, "You didn't need that surgery! You aren't that overweight!" She didn't mean it as a way of being unsupportive. She was just truly surprised that I'd gone that route. It amazes me how many times people have said this to me! Pre-op, I was almost 100# overweight. I may not have looked like I was that overweight b/c I'm tall and carry it well, but the scales don't lie. Neither do other medical measurements such as blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. Again, I do not regret my decision at all! I'm thrilled to be on the road to good health!
I'm going to try to keep up w/my journey through this blog. I'll post again soon!
Since my last post over a year ago, I have continued the #1 battle of my life: weight control. Again last year I lost upwards of 40 lbs, only to see it slowly creep back on! By the end of the year, I was only 3 lbs less than I'd been at the end of the previous year. Additionally, I was watching my Diabetes numbers (daily blood sugars and Hemoglobin A1C) climb, my cholesterol was running very high, and my lower back pain was getting worse and worse. All these problems were being caused or aggravated by the extra weight. I had told myself in Dec. 2010 when I was diagnosed with Diabetes that I was going to give myself 6 months to make a significant change in my weight, and if I did not lose it, I would pursue a surgical alternative. I gave myself 12 months, and when I saw my failure, I knew what I had to do!
In January of this year, I attended the Bariatric Education Class at Floyd Medical Center hosted by Dr. J Ryland Scott in Rome. I knew before I even got there that this was the route I was going to take. As soon as my insurance paperwork was processed, I made an app't to consult w/Dr. Scott. I saw him in mid-late March, and really got the wheels turning. After a couple of nutrition appointments, detailed food diaries and another app't at Dr. Scott's office (w/his wonderful PA, Jason), I went in for surgery on May 14. MY NEW BIRTHDAY!!!!! I can never thank Dr. Scott or his staff enough!!
Tomorrow, I will be one month post-op. I do not regret my decision. I am THRILLED to report that my blood sugar numbers are completely normal, and I am off Diabetes medication!! As a matter of fact, I am off of all my med's with the exception of allergy medicine and restless leg syndrome medicine. My back and joints do not hurt near as much as they used to. And as of today, I am down TWENTY SEVEN POUNDS!!!! (I lost 10# prior to surgery on the prescribed protein shakes and have lost 17# since surgery). For the most part, I FEEL GREAT!!!! I do struggle with the new parameters of my diet; how much to eat, what to eat, when to eat, etc. If I screw up, I pay for it in a major way by getting deathly ill from "dumping syndrome." That stinks!!! But knowing that this is the price I pay for getting back into good health, I'm willing to live & learn every day!
2 days ago, I was able to return to my gym and start exercising again. I ran into a lady there (whom I dearly love & respect) and shared my decision with her. She was astonished and said, "You didn't need that surgery! You aren't that overweight!" She didn't mean it as a way of being unsupportive. She was just truly surprised that I'd gone that route. It amazes me how many times people have said this to me! Pre-op, I was almost 100# overweight. I may not have looked like I was that overweight b/c I'm tall and carry it well, but the scales don't lie. Neither do other medical measurements such as blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. Again, I do not regret my decision at all! I'm thrilled to be on the road to good health!
I'm going to try to keep up w/my journey through this blog. I'll post again soon!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Making Memories
A few weeks ago, someone very precious to me passed away. She was a doctor that I worked with at Kaiser Permanente'. Her name was Dr. Susan "Sue" Garrison. She was in incredible lady! Not only was she a kind, compassionate and highly competent physician, but she was so much more! The very first time I ever met her (at my interview for KP Georgia), I liked her! She was a straight to the point kind of gal; no beating around the bush! She was SMART as a whip, good at listening, and would give advice which was usually right on the mark! In my short time working with her, she became a friend, a mentor, and like a sister in many ways. She was diagnosed with Leukemia about 3.5 yrs ago. She fought a very hard battle; went into remission 2 times, but the disease persisted, and eventually took her away from us.
Sue is very big part of who & where I am today. While I was still her nurse, I decided venture down the career change path, and applied to be a part of the team that works with our electronic medical record. I put Sue down as a reference on my application. When the project director called her for a reference, her response was, "I only have 1 thing to say...HIRE HER." He did, soley on her say. There is no way she could have ever known how that changed my life, and the life of my family. It has made me very happy to be in this field, and the pay is better than it was as an LPN, which enabled my family and I to have a better lifestyle. I think I told her "thank you" for this. I pray I did.
This incredible lady taught me some invaluable lessons in life, and ultimately in death. She showed in her every day life that anything worth having was worth working for. She lived a life of deep integrity. She genuinely cared about her patients, her co-workers, friends and family. When Sue was in her late 30's, she became mom to an incredible little boy named Matthew. THIS was her ultimate joy in life!!! MATTHEW made Sue whole!! She SHONE throughout her pregnancy. She rejoiced at his birth. She cherished every moment of his life. Sue didn't want to leave him, but she had no choice. My heart breaks most for Matthew's loss, but I pray he will know that he was her greatest joy!!!
I went to Sue's funeral 3 wks ago today. Of course, it was quite emotional not only because of the obvious reasons, but it was compounded by the fact that she was only 45 years old; just 2 years older than me! Such a tragic loss of life so young! As I stood in the beautiful Catholic church, the service began. They rolled the casket from the back of the cathedral, and draped it with a beautiful white cloth, which I supposed represents purity. They said a prayer, then began processesing in. Matthew and his father, John, were walking right behind the casket which held the body of the woman they both loved more than life itself. John was holding Matthew's hand; being the strength for him during such a time of sorrow. Matthew was such a trooper!! He didn't cry or fall apart at all. He was quite the little gentleman. Seeing him there, walking behind his mother's casket, did something to me deep inside. I thought about how much Sue wanted him before he was born. I thought about how much she cherished him every moment of every day since he was born. And my heart was broken in two!!! No child should ever have to bury his mother. Especially at such a tender age!!
If there is any good in this tragic story, it is the fact that John, Sue and Matthew lived life to the FULLEST. They spent lots of time together traveling, exploring, and doing things as a family. They loved to read, and read to Matthew avidly. They made LOTS of memories with young Matthew!!!
This got me to thinking. Am I making memories with my children??? I have been blessed with 4 wonderful children, and 1 grandchild (with another one on the way!). Two of my children are now grown, one is 15 and the youngest is almost 10. What am I doing to make their lives and time spent with me memorable? If I died today, would they be able to sit around with one another in a few years, talking and laughing about good times with Mom? I'm afraid not enough. Yes, I know there's some...but not enough!!!!
So...my "Sue" resolution is to MAKE MEMORIES!!!! Sue touched my life in so many, many ways. Now, I need to follow her example and make my children the NUMBER ONE priority. I'm working on it! We recently bought a new camper so we can spend more family time together. Ruby is home from school today because of an ear infection, but is feeling better, so she and I got out and worked in the yard. We had a wonderful time! I want to spend more time with Russell, Trista, & Stephen as well. I pray God allows me time to spend with them, doing things we enjoy and will make great memories with.
I'm gonna log off of here now, and go figure out something else to do with Ruby. Making memories...here we come!!!!
Sue is very big part of who & where I am today. While I was still her nurse, I decided venture down the career change path, and applied to be a part of the team that works with our electronic medical record. I put Sue down as a reference on my application. When the project director called her for a reference, her response was, "I only have 1 thing to say...HIRE HER." He did, soley on her say. There is no way she could have ever known how that changed my life, and the life of my family. It has made me very happy to be in this field, and the pay is better than it was as an LPN, which enabled my family and I to have a better lifestyle. I think I told her "thank you" for this. I pray I did.
This incredible lady taught me some invaluable lessons in life, and ultimately in death. She showed in her every day life that anything worth having was worth working for. She lived a life of deep integrity. She genuinely cared about her patients, her co-workers, friends and family. When Sue was in her late 30's, she became mom to an incredible little boy named Matthew. THIS was her ultimate joy in life!!! MATTHEW made Sue whole!! She SHONE throughout her pregnancy. She rejoiced at his birth. She cherished every moment of his life. Sue didn't want to leave him, but she had no choice. My heart breaks most for Matthew's loss, but I pray he will know that he was her greatest joy!!!
I went to Sue's funeral 3 wks ago today. Of course, it was quite emotional not only because of the obvious reasons, but it was compounded by the fact that she was only 45 years old; just 2 years older than me! Such a tragic loss of life so young! As I stood in the beautiful Catholic church, the service began. They rolled the casket from the back of the cathedral, and draped it with a beautiful white cloth, which I supposed represents purity. They said a prayer, then began processesing in. Matthew and his father, John, were walking right behind the casket which held the body of the woman they both loved more than life itself. John was holding Matthew's hand; being the strength for him during such a time of sorrow. Matthew was such a trooper!! He didn't cry or fall apart at all. He was quite the little gentleman. Seeing him there, walking behind his mother's casket, did something to me deep inside. I thought about how much Sue wanted him before he was born. I thought about how much she cherished him every moment of every day since he was born. And my heart was broken in two!!! No child should ever have to bury his mother. Especially at such a tender age!!
If there is any good in this tragic story, it is the fact that John, Sue and Matthew lived life to the FULLEST. They spent lots of time together traveling, exploring, and doing things as a family. They loved to read, and read to Matthew avidly. They made LOTS of memories with young Matthew!!!
This got me to thinking. Am I making memories with my children??? I have been blessed with 4 wonderful children, and 1 grandchild (with another one on the way!). Two of my children are now grown, one is 15 and the youngest is almost 10. What am I doing to make their lives and time spent with me memorable? If I died today, would they be able to sit around with one another in a few years, talking and laughing about good times with Mom? I'm afraid not enough. Yes, I know there's some...but not enough!!!!
So...my "Sue" resolution is to MAKE MEMORIES!!!! Sue touched my life in so many, many ways. Now, I need to follow her example and make my children the NUMBER ONE priority. I'm working on it! We recently bought a new camper so we can spend more family time together. Ruby is home from school today because of an ear infection, but is feeling better, so she and I got out and worked in the yard. We had a wonderful time! I want to spend more time with Russell, Trista, & Stephen as well. I pray God allows me time to spend with them, doing things we enjoy and will make great memories with.
I'm gonna log off of here now, and go figure out something else to do with Ruby. Making memories...here we come!!!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Stress meter!!!
I keep saying this week that my stress meter is pegged...AND IT IS!!! It seems like one thing after another, including a death in the family, some unanticipated news, MAJOR stress at work, etc, etc, etc. It goes on and on!!! But, through it all, I am claiming these verses: "But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your SALVATION. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me!!!" Ps. 13: 5-6
Health update: I am now down 25 lbs since I began life changes w/the Diabetes diagnosis. PRAISE GOD!!! Yes, I have a LOT further to go to reach that idea BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25....but I've already brought the BMI down 4 points, so I'm very pleased! I'm eating right (most of the time!) and am working out 4-5 times per week. I feel GREAT!!!! In spite of all that, my sugar is consistently running a little high in the mornings. That concerns me. I have followed the nutritionist's advice of a high protein snack before bed, but with or without it, the #'s are just a bit high. I will discuss that w/Dr. Osterloh at my next visit.
Ever onward & upward!!!
Mel
Health update: I am now down 25 lbs since I began life changes w/the Diabetes diagnosis. PRAISE GOD!!! Yes, I have a LOT further to go to reach that idea BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25....but I've already brought the BMI down 4 points, so I'm very pleased! I'm eating right (most of the time!) and am working out 4-5 times per week. I feel GREAT!!!! In spite of all that, my sugar is consistently running a little high in the mornings. That concerns me. I have followed the nutritionist's advice of a high protein snack before bed, but with or without it, the #'s are just a bit high. I will discuss that w/Dr. Osterloh at my next visit.
Ever onward & upward!!!
Mel
Friday, January 28, 2011
Lifestyle changes
I mentioned in my prior post that I learned on Dec. 29 that I have diabetes. The good news is that we caught it early, and my numbers aren't terribly high. My wonderful doctor, Kate Osterloh, feels confident I can make changes and reverse the diagnosis. I'm working hard to do that!!!
Most of my life, weight has been a battle for me. Mom says that even as a baby, I never seemed to be satisfied after feedings; I was always hungry! Well, that has continued on through my life up to this point; I still have a ravenous apetite. I am working hard to learn how to work around this. I met with a nutritionist last week and she gave me some wonderful guidelines about how to structure my diet taking into account carbs, protein, and calories. As a diabetic, the carbs are most important to maintain a healthy blood sugar. In my weight loss efforts, the calories are important. Protein is also very important in many ways. It's a challenge to learn these parameters, but I'm doing my best to rise up and meet the challenge! I have always struggled in this. I'll get a burst of "will power," and will do really well for a month...maybe 2, or even 6! But then, I get exasperated and fall off the wagon. Right now, I'm doing really well. I'm managing the diet well. I'm exercising 5 days a week. I feel great, have more energy, and do not crave the "bad" foods I have soooo loved. How long will this last? I pray it will be a lifetime thing! The thoughts of being an uncontrolled diabetic terrifies me. I can't imagine losing my eye sight and not being able to see the ones I hold most dear, my beautiful home, and all the wonderful things God has created in this world. I also can't fathom losing parts of my body, like toes, feet, legs, etc. and not being able to walk beside my husband and hold his hand, run to scoop up my grandson, or enjoy a long, lazy walk with Ruby. THESE things give me more motivation than I ever imagined! The thoughts of losing my abilities terrifies me. I have to beat this disease!!!
A while back, I came up with an acronymn about my weight. I stated that I know my weight is controlled by "M & M's." My MOUTH and my MOTION. I have now added another M to that acronym. MOTIVATION!!!!
As a footnote...we returned to our gym, CAIR, last Monday. I have worked out there 9 times since. I feel GREAT and am so happy to see my friends & instructors at CAIR, and appreciate their encouragement!!!
Most of my life, weight has been a battle for me. Mom says that even as a baby, I never seemed to be satisfied after feedings; I was always hungry! Well, that has continued on through my life up to this point; I still have a ravenous apetite. I am working hard to learn how to work around this. I met with a nutritionist last week and she gave me some wonderful guidelines about how to structure my diet taking into account carbs, protein, and calories. As a diabetic, the carbs are most important to maintain a healthy blood sugar. In my weight loss efforts, the calories are important. Protein is also very important in many ways. It's a challenge to learn these parameters, but I'm doing my best to rise up and meet the challenge! I have always struggled in this. I'll get a burst of "will power," and will do really well for a month...maybe 2, or even 6! But then, I get exasperated and fall off the wagon. Right now, I'm doing really well. I'm managing the diet well. I'm exercising 5 days a week. I feel great, have more energy, and do not crave the "bad" foods I have soooo loved. How long will this last? I pray it will be a lifetime thing! The thoughts of being an uncontrolled diabetic terrifies me. I can't imagine losing my eye sight and not being able to see the ones I hold most dear, my beautiful home, and all the wonderful things God has created in this world. I also can't fathom losing parts of my body, like toes, feet, legs, etc. and not being able to walk beside my husband and hold his hand, run to scoop up my grandson, or enjoy a long, lazy walk with Ruby. THESE things give me more motivation than I ever imagined! The thoughts of losing my abilities terrifies me. I have to beat this disease!!!
A while back, I came up with an acronymn about my weight. I stated that I know my weight is controlled by "M & M's." My MOUTH and my MOTION. I have now added another M to that acronym. MOTIVATION!!!!
As a footnote...we returned to our gym, CAIR, last Monday. I have worked out there 9 times since. I feel GREAT and am so happy to see my friends & instructors at CAIR, and appreciate their encouragement!!!
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