I remember it well...it was one week ago today. I came home in a foul mood because I had gained 7 lbs. I set out this elaborate plan to eat well and exercise and vowed to keep you guys posted with any progress or setbacks. I am happy to report that, I weighed-in this morning at (3) lbs. less than last week. Needless to say, I am pleased. What is nice is that I don't feel like I deprived myself of anything. I eat three meals and snacks every single day, and I try to do something active (6) days per week. This past week was a little light on the activity. I did Pure Barre 3.5 times (the 0.5 coming from the day I had to sit out after thigh work). I ran twice - one 5K distance and one Quick 2. There were wedding festivities Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so that made it difficult to schedule exercise.
Today has been an interesting day for the ol' blood sugar. I don't know if my body is becoming more sensitive to insulin or if I am just eating fewer carbs at my meals, but I am getting low(er) readings after meals after just having given myself 2 units. Take this morning for example - I had my waffle stacker with a side of watermelon + Diabetic Roast + 2 Fiber Choice Tablets. I gave myself 4 units, mostly due to factoring in the watermelon. After breakfast, I began doing my Barbri Contracts practice test and analysis. 11:00 rolled around, and I read 65. Pardon? I did not feel funny at all. This is where I can factor in something I learned yesterday. My mom told me to download Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. For short, I will refer to it as Thinkreas. Anyhow, he lists secondary factors that influence blood sugar levels. Under the column of things that tend to lower blood sugar is "heavy brain activity." Now, I know I wasn't taking the bar exam, but I was in a testing environment that I simulated for myself, timed and all. Back to the 65. My remedy was 2 glucose tabs then a 15 minute wait to re-check. After 15 minutes, I ready 105, so I took one more and proceeded to finish my Barbri lecture. The lunch time reading presented another teachable moment. I had just read in Thinkreas yesterday about the importance of making sure your hands are clean before you test your blood sugar. So, I go to check. Remember, my last reading was 105, and I took one more glucose tablet. My pre-lunch reading said 213. That is one strong glucose tablet. No, remembering what I learned yesterday, I decided to clean a different finger with an alcohol wipe and try again...80. That is quite a difference wouldn't you say? A meaningful difference. If I were actually 213, I would give myself 2 extra units of insulin on top of what I need to cover my meal to correct the high reading. If I had done that, while actually being at a level of 80, I would have gone low after lunch. It pays to employ some common sense and know when to call bullsh*t on your meter. So, I made my lunch. I had (1) slice of Sara Lee 45-calorie bread with low-sodium chicken, a slice of American cheese, and mustard + an apple with peanut butter + string cheese. For this, I gave myself 2 units.
So, at 1:50, I am excited. I have finished my Barbri, and I can go run with all my gear. As is advised, I check my blood sugar before exercise. I gave myself only two units for lunch, and yet I read 105 about an hour and 20 minutes after lunch. So, then began my battle to get my sugar to a comfortable number so that I could run. I try, 6oz. of G2 and half a banana. Wait 15 minutes. 104. Really? I chew 2 glucose tabs, wait, 180. I put two more tabs in my shirt (I'll explain later), and headed out the door. I was intending a 4-mile run. I stopped at 2 miles. It wasn't that I was exhausted. I certainly could have kept going, but I didn't feel 100%. I popped a tab, and walked home. I know what you're thinking - you were all the way at 180 and only ran 2 miles, did you really need a glucose tab? Who knows. What I do know is that after 2 miles, one glucose tab, and a 2 mile walk home, I was 96. So, exercise, insulin, exercise + insulin, and extra factors can bring that number down quickly. See why I don't feel comfortable running at 105 while my insulin is still active? I called a lady about a Continuous Glucose Monitor today, which will make my life easier. I'll tell you about that if and when I acquire one.
Here is the usual. One Whole Wheat Waffle + Sugar-Free Strawberry Preserves + Muenster Cheese + One Fried Egg with a side of Watermelon.
Meet lunch. Yum.
Remember the reference to "all my gear"? I wear two watches on each wrist. One is the Garmin, the other is my iPod Nano. This allows me to run hands-free, and will eventually allow me to run with a continuous glucose meter.
So, you've gathered that I like Lululemon, right? Well, now I have an additional reason. This is the shirt mentioned above. But check it out...
You know those pockets they give you for your keys? Well, it is the perfect spot for my glucose tablets!
Man, it is the little things in life...
Some of the factors that have an effect on your blood sugar are listed above. That wasn't the whole list, but I highlighted the one I mentioned above. I am also thinking that running in the "heat and humidity" may also be factor.
This was dinner - taco salad. Its contents include black beans, multigrain tortilla chips, monterrey-jack cheese, salsa, light sour cream, ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning, and avocado.
No comments:
Post a Comment