Catching up..

I have some blogger catch-up today.
I just posted the update on my Primal Stride Challenge experience.  I have to say that this has been really great for me.  I love having the main website to check in with everyone, to celebrate all our successes and to get/give encouragement on the days things didn't go as planned.

I also need to catch up on my Diabetes 365 photos. . one picture each day to illustrate something in my dlife.  I have a couple for today because they sort of go together.

 

So, here's how these are related and why they are TODAY'S Diabetic 365 photos:

These are new shoes that we bought over the weekend.  Since I lost so much weight during the onset of the 'betes, I also lost a whole shoe size. So, many shoes were replaced.  Aren't these cute?

My boss and I also recently relocated our offices and I have a real office, with a real door and I'm SO thrilled about that.  But, the wall where my desk is situated is an outside facing wall, so cold, cold air creeps in through the electrical outlet.  Since the 'betes' I've noticed my feet are colder all the time anyway. . so, this has been unbearable today as it's the first day I've been able to sit at my desk.

The other picture there is the space heater which will be hiding under my desk first thing tomorrow morning.  It's a long explanation, but you can see how it all goes together, I hope.

I'm excited for tomorrow. . .I finally meet with the CDE to get started on insulin therapy.  There's a part of me that thinks, "this will change EVERYTHING" and another part of me that doesn't want to be too disappointed so I try to tell myself, this will just get my fasting BG down.  I don't really know what to expect, but I've been dealing with the unknown for a whole year now.  At least, I know how to deal with what I don't know yet. . ha ha  I'm hoping this truly changes everything now.

I DO know that with my fantastic husband who watches me like a hawk and can see even the slightest change in my demeanor, the girls who are concerned and offer to help in any way they can and with my friends and diabetic online community, I'll be just fine.  I've received so much help, love, care, information, emergency phone numbers and people offering a shoulder to cry on. . I'm a lucky gal.

So tomorrow I boldly go into the CDE's office, learn to jam more needles into this old, tired body, and take one more step toward a healthy future.  Thanks again to all of you who are so encouraging, enlightening and educating.  Cyber-Hugs all around!

Final Day of Week 1 - Primal Stride Challenge Update

This morning, I was up at 5am, ate some breakfast and walked 4 miles with my walk-at-home video. I wish I had a better view, but with it -20 outside. . . After working out, I pulled on the winter wear and popped outside to help Dear Hubby shovel the snow. We got a couple of inches overnight, so it was quite a workout to get the sidewalks cleared. Final blood glucose after all that was 195.

I'm so excited about this next week! I'd like to continue trying to get up early but will switch to my bootcamp workout. It does a better job of getting my BG down. The crunches are SO needed and I love me some veggies. I'm not just planning on a different veg each day, but perhaps a few I've not tried before. This will be fun! I'm also starting my insulin therapy, FINALLY! So, that will certainly help as well.

I'm so happy we've all done so well! This first week was a tough one, with sleep being such a difficult change in most people's lives and routine. Keep up the good work everyone! Check in tomorrow!

Primal Stride Challenge Update 1.5

Today was VERY interesting.  I woke up on my own, no alarm at 4:30 and. . you know. . the first thing you have to do in the morning. . and decided I'd just lay down for a few more minutes.  I woke up again at 6am, and BG was too high to work out again.  It's probably also why I was so tired.  I made sure to drink alot of water today and move around.  I'm still unpacking in our new office space, so that's SOME exercise.  I just tested again and I'm at 265. So, I probably won't be exercising tonight.  We'll try again tomorrow.  I at least  feel like I'm making the effort and I'm trying to encourage the other participants.  It's what I do. . :-)

I'm very excited about the next challenge!

I can SO do this!  I LOVE me some green veggies AND I REALLY need the crunches!  I think I'll break them up into smaller sets throughout the day with one big blast in the evening.  It's hard to count from 1-250, it feels like such a LONG way to go.  I can certainly do 50 at a time throughout the day.  So, DA, if my office door is closed, I'm not sleeping. . I SWEAR!  I'm crunching!

I hope you'll join me in this. . it's much more as a team!  If you need more info, go to www.primalstride.com.  If you post on twitter, use #primalstride so we can find your tweet.  G'nite all!

Primal Stride Challenge Update 1.4

Wow, am I having computer issues tonight! I haven't been able to upload pics and I wrote a big ol' blog post and it didn't save.  I got some weird internal error from blogspot. I've got a bunch of stuff to accomplish tonight, so. . a quick update:

I made it up at 5am this morning and did 4 miles with my Leslie Sansone walk at home audio.  I altered the workout though. . whenever I was supposed to be walking, I jogged in place.  It really got my heartrate up and then I also added some of the moves from my kickboxing video.  Instead of the little kicks she tells people to do, I did some kicks and punch combinations from kickboxing.  So, overal. . a pretty good workout.

I was excited my blood glucose was 111 fasting.  But, disappointed that, again, it went up from working out.  I finished at 156. . that sucks.  I also noticed that today, instead of hovering in the 200's, I got down to 151 after lunch.  That was a nice little surprise.

It's getting easier to get up early.  I'm actually quite surprised and think I'll try to keep this new schedule.  I get to work so much less frazzled, more alert and, I'm sure, in a much better mood as I've already been up several hours, rather than just trying to get my day started.

Talk to you all tomorrow.  Have a restful sleep and we'll catch you bright and early at 5am!

Primal Stride Challenge Update 1.3

Today, it was much easier to get up at 5am.  I think I also went to bed a lot earlier last night. . which always helps.  I'm generally not a morning person, as my family would agree, and usually don't start feeling human until around 10am. But, I will admit, getting up early has been good for me.  This morning, after exercising, I browsed an online recipe site and will surprise the family with low-carb blueberry muffins for breakfast.

It's way too cold to walk outside. This morning at 5am the thermometer read a whopping 13 degrees!  Yeeouch! The gym doesn't open until 7am on the weekend, so I put on my Leslie Sansone, Walk at Home audio and covered 3.5mi in my living room.  It's not ideal, but it helps me keep on pace for the challenge.

I was happy my fasting blood glucose was 175 this morning, but a bit disappointed that working out, once again, made it go up to 198.  That's what happens when you don't have any insulin in your system. (I'll put the logistics of that at the bottom of this post so when you  get there, if not interested, you can go about your day.) I see the Certified Diabetic Educator on Friday for my insulin lessons and prescription.  It will be interesting to see how much of a difference adding insulin to my regimen will make.

That's my update for this morning.  Go make it a great day! If you want to learn about the insulin/exercise thing. . read on, otherwise I'll be back tomorrow morning.
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Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of your pancreas.  It's main function is to help regulate the amount of glucose in your bloodstream.  As the glucose level rises, the pancreas releases insulin.  Insulin then acts like a key, opening the door of each cell so glucose can enter to be burned as fuel.  With Type 1 Diabetes, I don't have enough insulin, so when I exercise, my muscles are needing fuel to burn.  There's no insulin to open the cell doorways for the glucose, so it remains floating in the bloodstream.  The muscles, starving for energy, signal to my body that they need fuel and the liver releases glucose from it's storage to provide that fuel.  Unfortunately, with no insulin to let THAT glucose enter. . the cycle just continues adding more and more glucose into your bloodstream.

That's why it's so important for Type 1 diabetics to test their glucose levels before, during and after exercise.  If you happen to be caught in that cycle, your liver could send you right into diabetic ketoacidosis. .which could require hospitalization and even lead to coma.