Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Checking in

3 weeks ago, I made a big list of things I've been doing to improve my health.  I'm checking in now to show my progress.

  1. Staying on top of diabetes management - this includes many blood tests per day, accurate carb counting, and scheduling and going to my doctor apointments every 3 months (and getting bloodwork done in advance so we can have something to talk about).  I've been testing 10-15 times per day and running LOW for the first time in a long time.  Also I'm faxing my glucose readings weekly to my endo for basal adjustments.
  2. Being aware of my thyroid symptoms and proactively getting bloodwork done to make sure my dosages are on track.  I had my thyroid tested, and it turns out the exhaustion I was experiencing was NOT because of my thyroid - my levels were perfect!  
  3. Eating healthier - We recently switched to Organic produce, dairy, and (when we can find it) meat.  I'm also making smarter choices when I order out, and we're eating at home more often.  This week, I haven't eaten out at all.  This is primarily due to the new budget we created, but I still count it in the "health" category because I've been eating better overall.
  4. Eating breakfast - I eat a healthy, balanced breakfast every day now, usually consisting of a hard boiled egg, some fruit, cheese, and water.  Yep, still eating my healthy breakfast, and this week I've added a yogurt to the list mentioned 3 weeks ago.  Last week I just had toast with peanut butter, but that's because we didn't have the other stuff (whoops)
  5. Drinking plenty of water - We recently got stainless steel bottles that are 100% BPA free, and mine can hold 1L.  I keep it at my desk and do my best to down 2 of those in a day.  Usually I only get through 1 - 1.5, but it's way more water than I used to drink.  I've consistently been drinking 1 litre a day, but only sometimes make it through 2.  This is an area where I'm still working.
  6. Not drinking other stuff - I've given up soda.  Can you believe it?!  I was a diet coke junkie, and now I drink almost exclusively water.  That's gotta be healthier, right?!  In addition to water, Scott and I bought some fancy green tea leaves from Teavana and some blueberry tea from Whole Foods.  We mix those together and I have about 1 cup per night, but sometimes I skip it.
  7. Minimizing the amount of "sweet stuff" I eat.  I'm a sweetaholic!  My favorite foods are buttercream frosting and caramel.  And I have seriously reduced the amount of sweets I have in a given week.  This is helping with #1.  In the past 3 weeks, I think I've had 1 cookie.  Total.  In THREE WEEKS.  And it feels good to not be controlled by the sweet stuff.
  8. Avoiding artificial sweeteners.  Those things probably aren't very good for me, so I'm trying to give them up.  Which means cheating on #7 is a lot harder. Check and check.  No artificial sweeteners in 3 weeks either, except for the occasional diet coke I've had (2 in 3 weeks, I think?)

Things I'm not doing that I should be:
  1. Exercising!  I don't do this...ever.  I have a gym membership, I just need to use it. Still pretty weak here (get it?  because I don't go to the... nevermind).  We went once and I enjoyed it.  Now I just need to drag my lazy self back there.
  2. Logging my blood sugars.  How do I know if I am doing a good job if I can't watch trends?  I suppose I can't.  I am currently researching meters with good computer interfaces that allow me to upload my data and it does the graphing for me for easier analysis.  Hopefully I'll find the right meter for me that will make this process easier.  Logging has always been a struggle for me.  I must admit, I'm doing an AWESOME job at this!  I've started using an Excel spreadsheet that Kevin created and I've been logging not only blood sugars, but also what I eat and when I exercise (ahem, see #1 - not much logging required right now).
I have to say, I do feel healthier.  And I never feel guilty over my eating habits anymore, which is a really great feeling!  And, as a bonus, I've lost almost 5 pounds.  I'm not doing this for weightloss, but if it happens (healthily), I'll take it!

2 comments:

Scott K. Johnson said...

Nicely done! Can you feel that positive momentum?

Jenni said...

I can, Scott. Thanks for the encouragement!