Friday Funnies and grumbles

I am sitting on a heating pad on my couch, where I have been for the last 2 days. Well, minus the trip to see the doctor. I somehow managed to pull a muscle or something in my back. The spasms started on Tuesday and got progressively worse Wednesday and Thursday. To top it off, I thought I might be coming down with something. I was feeling so worn out and my blood sugar was wonky (a technical term!) which is usually the first sign of illness. So, off to the doctor I went, because I do not play games when it comes to my health. If I feel off, there is a reason and something needs to be done about it!!

Guess what? I am perfectly healthy. Aside from being a diabetic who is super sensitive to blood sugar changes I mean. Well, my mental health is questionable too, but that's for another day. Turns out I feel so crappy because my blood sugar levels are high because I am in pain. The doc assures me that this is normal, I am just a bit more sensitive to the changes than most, and everything will return to normal when the pain is gone. I guess being sensitive is good, it means I catch most things before they get out of hand (like the cat scratch fever I had after a particularly bad kitten bite) but at the moment I am not a fan!

OKAY!! That's enough of the grumbles! Here come the funnies:

much cuter that the original

why my cats are banned from the bedroom at night...

amen

yep

:)

works with cats and kids (so I'm told)

And a little inspiration to go:

Weigh in Wednesday #5 (Post Thanksgiving addition)

I haven't been blogging much. I didn't even do my Friday Funnies last week and that is the easiest post to create as there is very little thought required! I just haven't been feeling very bloggy for a while now. I sit down at the computer and all my thoughts disappear.

Currently my oldest fur baby, Jonah, is attempting to crawl in my lap. He is 19 years old and is really starting to show his advanced age. He is losing some weight and sleeping a lot more. And wanting to cuddle. He has always loved me best but he has never really been a lap cat. He will sit beside me on the couch but hated to be held. But lately when I sit down he crawls up on my lap and just purrs his heart out. I love it, but I worry. I am not ready to let my baby go!

 

 

Jonah

Anyway! Here are my current numbers:

Weight: 254.8lbs  (last week 254lbs, up 0.8lbs)
Fasting blood sugar: 121 (last week 91)

I actually managed pretty well over the holiday, at least until Sunday. Then I kinda derailed on leftovers and gained 2lbs. All in all I am happy enough with these numbers. I really thought it would be worse!

Me on an average day!

I better run, I have some kitchen cleaning to do and I need to walk a bit before work! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

God Bless!

Weigh in Wednesday #4 (pre-Thanksgiving addition)

This week has been a struggle. My blood sugar has been a bit wonky and I am not feeling so great. The hubby has been sick and so is my carpool buddy, so Lord only knows what my body is trying to fight off!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and with it a 4 day weekend for me. So I fully expect that I will be reporting weight gain by this time next week. Well, actually I have to report some weight gain today, since I have gained about a pound since last Wednesday. Here are my current numbers:

Current weight: 254lbs
Current Fasting blood sugar: 99

My weight has been fluctuating a lot over the past week, the highest number being 256. It is so FRUSTRATING!! But I just keep plodding away (literally since my primary exercise at the moment is walking) and trying not to be too discouraged. Life is, after all, a series of hills and valleys, highs and lows. Why would weight loss be any different?

Do me a favor, will you? Keep me in your prayers. And my hubby, he is trying to quit smoking and is really struggling. He wants to quit, but has smoked for his entire adult life, it is a huge part of his day and his identity. He needs God's strength and his inspiration to find a new way to live cigarette free.

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!! :)

Love this!!

Weigh in Wednesday #3

Happy Hump Day!

Are you as excited as I am that Friday is in sight?? This feels like it has been the longest week, probably because I know Thanksgiving is right around the corner and with it a 3 day work week and 4 day weekend! :)

Of course, Thanksgiving means food and food means weight gain. And frankly, days off mean laziness and that also means weight gain! This is something I have to work on, this laziness. I just haven't been motivated to exercise on my days off, and if I don't exercise the weight creeps back up.

Now, let's take a look at this week's numbers:

Current Weight: 253.4lbs
Current Fasting Blood Sugar: 117

Last week #'s were 255.8lbs and 99 for the blood sugar. So I have lost a total of 2.4lbs since last Wednesday! Sad thing is, I had lost those 2lbs by last Friday, gained them back over the weekend and had to lose them all over again. Dang creeping pounds, they keep finding their way back to me! But still, we are making progress, so I will take it. I just have to keep reminding myself that I didn't gain the weight overnight and I am not going to lose it that way. I started this weight loss effort in October and I weighed in at 263lbs. 10lbs in about a month and a half isn't going to set any records, but it is more that I have managed to lose in a long time. My current weight is the lowest it has been in 2 years (at least)! :)

That's all for today, I have to wrap this up and get on my feet for some walking!

Weigh in Wednesday

Image source

Holy crap, I really can't believe I am even attempting to write this post. I have been debating with myself for a couple of weeks about this idea of 'Weigh in Wednesday". The idea came to me while I was reading "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown. If you haven't read it, well, you should. It is a very interesting look at our fear of being vulnerable, and how overcoming that fear will allow us to connect to the world around us in a new way.

To be fair, the book has NOTHING to do with weight loss, so why it triggered this idea was a bit of a mystery at first. I literally couldn't understand the connection my own mind was making between being vulnerable and a post about my progress (or lack of it) in the area of weight loss. But the mystery didn't last long, because I know what my biggest secret is. I know the thing that I NEVER share with anyone, the thing that embarrasses and humiliates me. The numbers on the scale. I do not ever tell anyone how much I weigh. EVER. So, when this idea presented itself my knee jerk reaction was "HECK NO!". But the notion has remained in the back of my mind. It won't let go of me, so I am going to do it. I am going to give you the numbers I hate the most in this world.

Current weight: 256.6lbs
Fasting blood sugar: 125


At the first of October I started a new weight loss plan. It was simple really, I went from 3 large meals a day to 5 to 6 much smaller meals and I started walking. Before I started adding steps to my day I was averaging about 2500 steps (I have a very sedentary job). That is NOT much. I wanted to get in at least 10,000 a day (still working on that!) so I started walking in the mornings before work, often times standing in front of the TV (like being on a treadmill, only no treadmill required). At first my blood sugar went nuts, so I had to really monitor it and my diet closely. It has leveled out now, which makes things much easier. Prior to October, my fasting blood sugar was running around 140 to 150 in the mornings. (For those not in the "know", that is high. Normal blood sugar usually stays around 70-90 and anything above about 125 is considered diabetic.) So, I am very happy with my 125 this morning.

Now, my weight, that is another matter. At the first of October I weighed in at 264. It took 2 weeks to lose 4lbs and then 2 days to gain back 2. And that is the way it has been, I will lose a few pounds and gain a little back over the weekend (relaxing too much). I get so frustrated by the whole process! I am having to fight for every single ounce I lose, and I HATE every second of it. I know without a doubt that if I am not careful I could gain back every bit of the 8 pounds I have lost in a matter of hours! It is frustrating and embarrassing and makes me feel like a fat slob and a failure..

That last sentence is precisely why I think I need to share these numbers here. It is embarrassing. It is frustrating. And I do feel like a failure. Going "public" is scarey. It puts me in a very vulnerable place. I am going to risk it because I feel like hiding these numbers gives them too much power over me. So, I am going to try this "weigh in" every Wednesday. I don't know how long it will last. I hope a long time, with numbers that continue to decrease (realistically I know that won't always be the case). I hope I don't bore you too much, I hope you understand where I am coming from and why I need to do this. And I hope you will pray for me.

Sometimes trying to be faithful is frustrating

As part of my focus on faithfulness this month I have been paying close attention to my diet, exercise and blood sugar. May I just say that it is a very frustrating process? I have been very careful, monitoring every move I make and every scrap of food that I eat. My blood sugar was wonky at first but is starting to level out, and that is wonderful. But the rest of it, well it is slow going. Very slow.

My phone has an app on it that tracks my steps over the course of the day and I have been working to increase them since I realized that I was only walking about 2500 to 3000 steps in a day. Since I started I have been averaging between 8000 and 10,000 steps daily. Along with that I have seriously cut back on my calorie and carb intake. The result? I have lost 2 lbs. Well, it was 4, but 2 came back, I guess they missed me.

This is why I hate to diet. HATE it. Every since pound I lose is an effort. And let's face it, I am lazy. If I am putting forth the effort, I want some impressive results! Still, I am going to stick with it. I am going to do my best to stay faithful to this process. Speaking of, I have to go, I have to get in at least 2000 steps before work and I have 23 so far. Fun times!

Have a great day!

It's all about the numbers

Back at the first of the year when I was considering my "One Word" one of the things that I decided was that I needed to be more faithful in dealing with my health. I am an overweight, middle aged diabetic, I really needed to be more faithful about my diet and exercise. Uh Huh.....That worked for all of 5 minutes. I have 0 staying power when it comes to this aspect of my life. I have been really fortunate in the years since I was diagnosed that my diabetes has remained fairly stable. No major swings in my levels, no major health concerns arising from it. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't be vigilante.

So, with this new month and the return of my focus on Faithfulness I decided to get really proactive. I have an app on my smartphone that tracks my steps per day and allows me to add additional exercise. It also tracks my calorie intake. I started using it. And I started walking more, adding extra steps into my daily routine. I also started eating smaller meals more often throughout the day and more closely monitoring my blood sugar. And it is working. My blood sugar is staying lower over the course of the day. In fact, last night it was almost too low. After having a fairly high calorie and carb dinner of homemade pepperoni pizza I was walking in my bedroom (this is what you do when you can't afford a gym membership or a treadmill) when I started feeling light headed and dizzy. When I checked my blood sugar, it was 87. Now, for a "normal" person this is a great number. For me, this is low. And my body doesn't like low. I am crazy sensitive to anything outside of my usual normal range of 100-140. End result of this 87? I had to stop the exercise (which naturally lowers blood sugar) and eat a small serving of ice cream (not a real hardship) which brought my numbers up to 106. End result, I did not reach my step goal I had set for myself, but this morning my blood sugar is right back in my normal range at 134.

Really the whole incident is just frustrating! I am trying to do the right thing here, I really need my body to cooperate! It is so hard for me to do this, to be so aware of my diet and exercise. I would much rather just ignore it, to eat what I want and sit here in front of this computer, rather than getting up and moving. But I know I can't do that. With diabetes you have to stay aware. The complications of ignoring it tend to creep up on you and by the time you realize it, it is too late to reverse the process. So, I will stick with it. I will be faithful. One day at a time.

______________________

I suppose this is a rather odd post for a faith based blog. But I do have a strong belief that God wants me to be faithful in all things. The practical, physical things as well as the spiritual. He care about more than just my soul. Yes, it is his primary focus, my heart and my soul. But he gave me this human body, it is designed by his hand. So, I think it is safe to assume he would like for me to take better care of his gift. Don't you?