I'm No Victim

My blood glucose levels depend on my body's reaction to the insulin my pancreas produces or does not produce, I can't control that.

I can control what I chose to eat. I can control what I put in the cart when I go to the grocery store and where I chose eat when I eat out. I can control when I chose to exercise, what kind of exercise to do and when I choose to sit on the sofa and watch TV instead.

I may be a "victim" of type 2 diabetes, but I am a diabetic who works at controlling the blood glucose levels of sugar in my blood. I pay attention. I educate myself, I follow up with medical checks.

Do I get tired of being careful?  You bet.  Do I wander from the path some times?  Yes.  But, more days than not, more meals than not, I work at healthy living with my diabetes. 

Eating healthy, walking, working out, taking medication are conscious choices -- all go into the mix of self-care.  My BG levels fluctuate.  I am asked to keep the level below 140 mg at the two hour mark (after a meal) and I work hard at it.  If I have a piece of pie or an extra fruit and my number goes up, I take responsibility for my choices and I go for a walk for 20 - 30 additional minutes.  That my friends is how it is done. ♥ 

If I forget this and start to complain about type 2 diabetes, remind me to read my own blog posts! 

First Friday in December

Since Thanksgiving, I have been self-sabotaging with poor food choices.  I am trying to lighten my days by "enjoying food" more.  I start the day out well but as morning turns to afternoon and the sun sets in the west things go haywire.  Each day in December finds darkness falling earlier.  Tonight I refused to forage in the kitchen for something to lift me my mood. I get it.  I miss the 5 o'clock visits from neighbors who stop by to visit baby blue while walking their dogs. I am missing daylight and my neighbors!

What can a person do to avoid sinking into a winter solstice depression that slows a person down until spring?  Here are a few things I am trying this December.  Yesterday at 4:30 I went to the gym to work out on the machines for a while.  I scheduled several sessions with a trainer for the hour when I am most tempted to eat the wrong things.  This morning I woke up with a blood glucose level of 159 (high for me). So I immediately put on some music and started to dance while I waited for my tea water to boil.  I have downloaded some 5 and 6 minute songs to my iPod.  Move to 2 songs in that set and I've gotten a good start to my cardio work for the day.  Dance to 3 songs and I'm half way to the recommended "dose" of PA (Physical Activity) for the day.

This morning I had a date with 5 girlfriends - we met up at the gym's pool for the Aqua-fit class. I felt wonderful this morning for having worked out.  We promised one another to meet up again at the gym on Monday morning too.

I came back to my office and spent the rest of the day feeling good knowing that I had succeeded in self care today - then the sun started to set.  I went hunting in the kitchen and found something that would serve me better had I given it away last night when company was leaving.  I enjoyed a brownie, no two brownies with a cup of coffee.  I wanted more.  I knew should not be going back into the kitchen for more and it took everything I had to stop the cycle that had started.  Brushing my teeth put a stop to the taste of chocolate that had triggered me to behave as if I did not have a condition extremely sensitive to carbohydrates.  It's interesting that an apple never leaves me feeling like I want to eat several more!

People take vacations from food plans. Parties and meals out give me all kinds of excuses to deviate from a healthy minded menu.  However, my diabetes never vacations. In fact, it will not appreciate being treated with ill regard during the season of short days and cold winter nights.

Creativity helps me get back on track.  So, I went to my office to cut card stock for Christmas Cards I have been making.  It was a good diversion that kept me out of the kitchen. After finishing with the card stock I turned to my blog.  It has been weeks since my last entry.   Dinner is ready.  I used the crock pot to make a soup from winter vegetables and a few bits of left over ham adding a can of beans for extra protein and fiber.  The soup is delicious.  I know because I taste tested it.  And it will not raise my BG level.