Progress on the calorie activity front.

I know, it's been a while since I've updated this blog.  This summer was a time for me to commit to enjoying being healthy.  My shoulder is doing better (although, it will never be pain free and I'm good with that).

Since my diagnosis of Diabetes in January of 2012, I had made huge dents in my weight and taken my A1C down to a pre-diabetic level.  I've made great strides and my Doctors were thrilled with my progress.  For the most part, I was good with it too.  Then I did a show last fall and lost some more weight.  So, I thought I'd see what I can add in to take it to the next level.  I put no expectations on anything and just thought I'd try a couple things.

So, I decided to try eating only 1500 calories a day, allowing for an every other week splurge day where I can go up to 2000 calories.  I also decided to work towards 150 minutes of cardio every week. All of this I have been tracking in the MyFitnessPal app (feel free to connect with me, if you're on there too).

In June I was tracking my calories without making any changes.  I wanted to see where I was at the time, before changing it up.  I was averaging about 1800-1900 calories per day due to my protein intake, trying to offset carbs and still feel full.  Then in July, I started shooting for 1500 a day.  It took a couple weeks to get there, but eventually, I was able to start figuring out how to eat within my carb count AND calorie count.   I traded meat & cheese snacks for low carb nuts and veggies.  I also added more fruits to my diet and took out some of my crunchy munchy processed foods.

With the cardio, I didn't look for "cardio" workouts necessarily.  I looked for fun things to do that would get my heart rate up.  Hubby and I kinda took a break from squash, but the weather has been beautiful, so I've been walking the neighborhood (3 miles at a time) and going on at least one 3 mile hike a week (Picture at the top of this post taken at the end of one of our hikes....great reward!).  Meetup is a GREAT way to get out and go hiking when Hubby is busy (he isn't a hiker), so I take advantage of that whenever I can.  I'm even leading hikes now and I got new hiking shoes with gaitors so I can hike in the mud (pictured left) without getting my feet wet and my pants all yucky.  I don't always get in my 150 minutes, but I do tend to average 300 minutes per two weeks.  Some weeks I'll do more, while others I do less.

Now that the weather is turning colder...I'm not much of an outdoor, cold weather person.  I'll take advantage of days that are in the 50's, but beyond that it's inside exercise.  Our Meetup hikes are in the evenings and I don't like hiking in the dark (it's hard to see what's under my feet!).  So, hiking season is pretty much over (although I may lead a Saturday hike in November...we'll see what the weather does).

To prepare for winter, I went shopping for healthy winter foods (new post coming in a couple weeks).  I also am auditioning for another show, so that will get me out of the house.  I'll be painting sets and working around the theater as much as possible during the set construction (always a good workout).  I also discovered a group that goes line dancing.  So, I might go with them more this winter.  I went last week and had a lot of fun.  I have dance training, but it's been a while since I went to a class.  So, it's a fun way for me to honor the dancer, keep up learning routines and get some exercise.  I haven't tried my shoulder at Zumba yet, but I do have a Kinect game for Zumba that's fun and my Physical Therapist suggested some modifications.  So, hopefully, I can get back into that.  I'm not expecting to be AS active as I have been, once it gets cold, but I'd like to at least keep losing a little weight.

Speaking of weight, I've been dropping it with all this eating light and exercising.  I dropped 8 pounds in the first month.  I don't weigh myself at home often and only really go by what the Doctors scales say, but I'm pretty sure I've lost at least another 5 more (13 pounds, woo hoo!).  If so, then I'm only 8 pounds away from my ideal BMI and I have lost a total of 50 pounds since January 2012.  I have a Doctors appointment at the end of next week and another in December.  I'm hoping that I'll have hit my goal by then, but if not...I'll keep at it. Even if it means that I slack off to maintenance level over the winter and then gear up for the rest in the summer.

I didn't know it was possible to get back to this body again.  Since college I was pretty steady about the weight where I am now.  I had a few years where I went close to my ideal BMI, then my thyroid conked out and I gained a ton of weight.  So, my hope (not my expectation) is that I can actually get there soon.  We'll see.  Here's a comparison picture of my face from 2012 to now.  there's a definite difference!

What's your goal?  Whether it be cutting carbs or getting more exercise...share it in the comments.

Tuscan Chicken Skillet Recipe

I've been enjoying my summer and getting outside.  How about you?  My shoulder has been better (all though I still have days where it's a little niggle of an annoyance), so I've been able to do more this last month.  Yay!!!

This evening I tried a new recipe that I thought I'd share with you.  I've been watching my calories, so I can lose the last 20 pounds I need to lose for my BMI to be "Healthy".  So, I've been looking for low calorie, healthy dishes and I stumbled across a recipe for Tuscan Chicken.  I've changed it a bit below, because there are some things I just don't like (like sun-dried tomatoes) and I can't have a lot of onion.  I also don't like having to take things out of the skillet, then cook something else and then take that out etc... I want to throw it in and have it done.  Either way you do it... it's very tasty.

Original Recipe: http://paleoleap.com/tuscan-chicken-skillet/

My Recipe (a lot more soupy, but still very tasty).  I had a 3/4 serving of this with some salad, leftover corn, leftover parmesan broccoli and skillet potatoes.  Total calories for the dinner was 611.  Total starch carbs for the dinner was only 27 for the potatoes and corn.  Healthy, tasty and filling.  Feel free to substitute oil for the butter.  I've been cooking with light non-hydrogenated butter lately and enjoying it.

Nutrition Facts Provided by MyFitnessPal.com
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 278
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	4 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 120 mg	40 %
Sodium 551 mg	23 %
Potassium 314 mg	9 %
Total Carbohydrate 6 g (non starch)	2 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 53 g	106 %
Vitamin A	5 %
Vitamin C	6 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	5 %
*Percent daily value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Onion
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
12 oz. Sliced Mushrooms
2 lbs. Chicken Tenderloin
1 Cup Diced Tomatoes (2 large Roma)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Preparation:
Step 1: Melt some butter in a large skillet placed over a medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken and brown for 3 minutes on each side.

Step 2: Stir in the diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

How to eat out and eat less carbs.

As you know I'm not a big fan of cooking.  So, I tend to eat out a lot.  People wonder how I eat out and stay healthy as a Diabetic.  There's a myth that Diabetics shouldn't eat out.  I say it's how you order that matters.  That's why I have several tricks that help me eat healthy.

1)  Ask for a half portion of carb foods.  I've done this with full dinners (like Spaghetti) and with side dishes (like potatoes) too.

2)  Choose upscale fast food instead of drive-thru.  There are a lot of restaurants that let you pick your toppings etc....  They have a wide variety of options and they put it together as you ask for items.  I usually ask for a small scoop or half scoop of carb-filled items and then ask for double meat and veggies.  This cuts my carbs and I get some really good food in the process.  It's still a meal that fills me up too!

3) Add an extra side of veggies - I think most people are aware that you can change out a side of fries for a vegetable.  However, I learned early on that I wasn't eating enough carbs when I did that and I also wasn't filling up.  So, I've started ordering an additional vegetable. Yes, I order the obligatory salad and I make sure I have enough carb servings to make a meal.  Then I order an extra non-carb vegetable, so I can eat the right portion of carbs and fill up.  The more non-carb veggies I eat, the better my numbers are.  So, ordering extra helps.

4)  Order a side of something special.  Spaghetti is another of my weaknesses.  It's hard for me to go Italian and NOT order it.  When I do order spaghetti, I ask for a "side dish," "small order," or "lunch portion".  Now, if I"m familiar with the restaurant and know even a small order will be more than I should eat, I still ask them to give me half!  The wait staff usually look at me like I have two heads, but I tell them I'll pay for a small order, just give me half of what a small order is.  They usually bring it, put it down on the table and look at me like...is that all you wanted?  I usually look at them and say; "That's perfect!  Thank you." They let it go, but they still think I'm weird.

5)  Go ahead be weird.  I have accepted that I have to order most things "special order" and my requests are weird.  I get that wait staff are confused and don't understand.  I don't care.  It's my body and I'm going to do what I need to do to keep it healthy.  If they don't like it, then that's their problem.  Go ahead be weird.  In fact, make it a point to earn nicknames or get people to tease you about the way you eat.  Then proudly own that you are doing something different and brag about.  Watch as other people start joining in.  You'll be surprised!

Yes, I'm a Diabetic.  Yes, I can eat out and keep my numbers in their optimal range.  I just order to fit what I need.  What are your eating out tricks?

A consult with the Doctor helps.

For the last few years, I've been dealing with a shoulder injury from a car accident.  This injury flares up and prevents me from doing some of the activities I like to do.  This year, I'd had enough and really wanted to get rid of it once and for all.

I tried Massage Therapy, Chiropractic and Physical Therapy.  None of which made me feel like I could fully use my arm without a flare up. Every single one of these practitioners thought they could fix it and every single one of them ended up shaking their heads, not knowing why I still had pain and flare ups.  As a last resort, I went to a surgeon who diagnosed it as tendonitis.  He gave me some pills and referred to me to a pain clinic.  This made me really nervous.

For those of you don't know, most of what pain clinics do is give you a steroid shot into the joint or muscle to help alleviate pain.  These steroids are commonly known to make sugars go high.  Not that it happens with everyone, but it is a very common side effect.  Not a side effect any Diabetic likes to hear.

I wanted to go to the pain clinic armed with information.  So, I talked to my Endocrinologist.  He was very helpful.  He talked to me about where I am in the disease and what the risks are.  He gave me some sound advice on how to minimize a high.  He also defined what "high" means for me.  He mentioned that his office could help get me on insulin, if it goes too high.  He did NOT say "Don't do it."  In fact, given how in control I am and my plans for more activity if the shoulder pain goes away, he encouraged me to do one and see what happens.  Reminder: I AM NOT A DOCTOR and this is certainly not what works for everyone, but this is what was recommended for me.

I was still feeling a bit skiddish though.  Insulin?  I don't even know how to do insulin?  Do I want to find out in the middle of a high?  Do I want to push the limits...even if it means my glucose will come back down?  Eeeks!  Scary stuff, if you ask me.

Next step was to get information from the Pain Dr.  She, too, said the long-term gain is worth the short-term risk.  She said the glucose can be managed if we need to.  She also said one shot might just do it.  It's also going to be a shot next to a tendon, NOT in a muscle which is a lot less risk for high glucose.  That's 2 Doctors who have said it's worth it.  Was I convinced?  No.  I had to go ask my family Doctor.

What did the family Doctor say?  The long-term benefits outweigh the short-term risk.  Glucose can be managed.  I'm so well-managed that even if I do get a high, it's not even going to affect my A1C.  Do it!  She said.  Ok.  Three Doctors saying this isn't as big and scary as I think it is.  That's enough.

So, I decided to move forward with the shot.  I let my Endo know that I'm moving forward and I'm in contact with his office nurse.  So, I can call her if I need anything and they will help me from there.
This is why it helps to talk to the Doctor.  Now I know that my glucose can be managed and that I have a team behind me, if I need.  It also helps to have a Hubby in a medical field who is supportive of this decision as well.

I decided to do it in spite of my fear...because I have to live life and I can't let a painful shoulder slow me down...especially if I can get rid of said pain (prognosis is good).  I have visions of swimming, dancing and kayaking without pain and flare ups.  So, I did it!

Yesterday, I got the shot, I guzzled tons of water and took a couple walks (as directed by the Endo).  I'm not sure I needed to do that, but I'm happy with the results.   I'm over 24 hours out and my glucose is staying well within my usual limits, which I'm grateful for.  So glad I talked to everyone so I'd know what to expect and how to take care of myself.  I'm sore, but I'm good.

Lessons from the road.

As you know, last week I was at a conference (My first since being diagnosed with Diabetes).  Before that, I stayed with my Dad for a few days.  There are several lessons I learned on this trip that are not only Diabetes related, but also just "being healthy" related.  Here they are.

1. Pack food if you can - I packed a cooler to take to my Dad's so I'd have choices.  Best decision ever!  It made eating at his house for lunch and snacks very easy for me.  I had fresh veggies, fruits, meat and my favorite lower carb bread.  Plus cheese and turkey sausage.
2. Planning ahead to get up early doesn't work for me - So, I'm very aware that when I don't get enough sleep, my sugar is higher in the morning.  I thought I'd be smart and take time a few days before the conference to get on an early morning schedule.  Well, the first night I only got 5 hours of sleep.  Not enough to keep the sugar at my norm.  However, it did help me adjust to getting up early and I was good for the next couple days.
   
   Then the back fire.  I couldn't sleep the first night of the conference (too excited and too many things running through my head...could not shut it off!).  I only got 4 hours of sleep that night...ugh!  Another higher than usual morning.  So that was two high mornings.  Next time, I'm not preparing.  I'm just going to get there and sleep when I can.  Take one high morning, instead of two.
   
3. I have to take more down time AFTER the trip.  I've been tired all week, which hasn't helped my numbers much because I don't really want to exercise.  I figured I'd bounce back fast if I took time out in advance.  Nope!!  I don't work that way.  From now on, I'll back load my trip with time off.  It's Wednesday and I'm still tired...so I think I need a week off AFTER my trips and I need to work right up until the trip.  I'll try that next time.   For now, I'm giving myself some space to recoup, but this weekend...I'm back to moving again.
   
4. Eating at white table cloth restaurants means lots of tasty veggie options.  When Hubby and I eat out around home, we usually go to the bar & grill or buffet style places.  While I can find things to eat, there are usually only one or two dishes that I make work for me.  When I was visiting my Dad, we went out to nice white table cloth style restaurants, which was a nice treat.  There were always plenty of tasty veggie options, plus lots of low carb dinner options.  In fact, (dare I say), at times it was hard to find enough carbs!  Must raise my level of income so I can do that more often.  SO much easier to eat out that way.
   
5. When the conference is full of Gluten Free and Vegan people, there is plenty of healthy food to eat.  I never went hungry and there were always plenty of choices for me at the buffet line during meals.  It was very easy for me to eat.  I didn't even need my leftover snacks from Dad's house. 

Again, planning ahead works when it comes to the food.  Obviously, when it comes to sleep, I don't do so well on planning ahead for that.  I live, I learn and I change it up next time.  That's how I find what works.  What about you?  How do you find what works?

Conference Conundrums

So, I'm getting ready to attend my first conference since I was diagnosed with Diabetes.  I'm an organizer for this one, so I have a lot of duties to attend to throughout.  As I've been planning, I've been thinking about when/what I'm going to eat during our long 14 hour days.

The good news is, there are scheduled meal breaks!  You can't change the time on a meal that the hotel is providing.  So, meal times are set.  So is the schedule for the entire conference.  I've just spent some time going over when we are scheduled to eat.  It looks like the biggest gaps are 5 hours and the shortest gap is 2.5.  Given I need to eat every 3-5 hours, then this should work out well for me.

Here are a couple potential challenges that I'm looking at what I'm going to do to prevent/cope with them.

Challenge #1 - Activity
I will likely be moving around the conference venue a lot.  I'm in charge of making sure the Emcee has everything she needs, plus making sure signage is visible and everything looks good for our guests.  This means a lot of walking and possibly a little running.  I have no idea how much of this I'll do, but it could be quite a bit.

Concern - The last thing I want is to have a low.  Those 5 hour breaks could be a bit too long.  I may need an extra carb or two to keep that from happening.

Solution - Eat!  I plan to eat bigger meals (3 carb servings) before the longer breaks.  That way I have plenty of fuel.  I'll also eat at every opportunity there is to eat.  Two meals and one snack are provided for us each day.  So, I will definitely eat at all of them.  I've budgeted out 9 carb servings (I'm allowed 11) for the day.  Then there's room for 1 or 2 snacks if I get hungry during one of those long breaks.  Now, I can just count carbs per meal and know I'm on track.

Challenge #2 - Food Options
As an organizer, I have access to the person who ordered the food.  I was most concerned about the one snack we get in the day.

Concern - I can't live on bagels and muffins (which is usually what conference snacks are).

Solution - I asked about the snacks. Thankfully, we have a large Gluten Free and Vegan contingent, so the snacks are built around them. Nuts, popcorn, fruit, cheese and veggies will be available.  Yay!!  I'm SO glad I asked.  Now I know that it won't be a problem to get a carb and non-carb at snack time.

So, I just need to make sure I bring a carb snack to prevent lows. What?!  Usually I have to bring veggies and protein for trips.  For once, I'm actually going to need carb.  Easy!  Some diabetic snack bars should do just the trick.  If I get hungry 2.5 hours in, I can eat.

I thought this was going to be a bigger deal than it is.  It would have been, had I waited until I got there.  I find that planning in advance when travelling and/or doing long days, works very well.  Ok. Now that I've figured out the food, I can go back to conference planning activities.

It's ok to play with your food if you are diabetic.

People think I'm crazy when I order sandwiches out.  They give me the "Are you supposed to eat that?" look.  I can eat anything.  It's how much I eat that matters.  Especially with sandwiches, my rule is "If you didn't make a mess, you didn't do it right."

For example, the picture above.  This is an example of what my plate and hands look like after I've had a really good, juicy burger at a restaurant.  Messy!  I don't go sticking my tongue out with food in my mouth or do anything crude like that.  I just make a mess and usually need extra napkins.  Why?  Because I have a trick to eating hamburgers.  It helps me eat only half the bun (notice there's no meat on that burger bun above).  This works at most NON-fast food joints.   Fast Food burgers have a tendency to stick together too much for this....that's why I order a double from the cheap menu...it's a smaller bun.  Here's The Burger Trick:

Step 1) Make sure both bun pieces are separated from any cheese or sauce.
Step 2) Re-position toppings so they are still on the burger part, not just between bun.
Step 3) Use fingers to push burger and toppings (if possible) so they are hanging over the edge of the burger.
Step 4) Take a bite.
Step 5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the meat is gone.

My Husband makes me laugh, because every time I order a burger he asks; Are you playing with your food again?  My answer is always a resounding "YES! Of course I am."

I find that if you order the smaller burger (usually 6-8oz) at most restaurants, the bun is a little big.  So, I've been known to push everything to the edge and then peel off a good 1/4 to 1/3 of the extra bun from the beginning.

I do a similar thing for The Wrap Trick.  They usually fold over excess wrap around the side.  There is also a bunch of wrap folded up at the bottom to keep everything in.  Who needs to keep everything in?  Unwrap that puppy and let all the veggies and protein shine.  Then eat it more like a taco.  Depending on how much the wrap is stuffed, I can sometimes get it to only half the tortilla.  At a minimum I skip 1/3 of the wrap. Oh, yes, and I have some very messy hands.  That's what they make napkins and soap for though.

Then there's The Sub Sandwich Trick.  Subs are one of my serious weaknesses.  I absolutely love fresh baked sub buns stuffed with meat and veggies!  So, what do I do?  There are a few options here.

1)  Take out the bread - Some restaurants have an option to scoop out the excess bread in the middle of the bun. This is a great start to cutting bread carbs, so I look for this first.
2)  Order it cut - Order a 6" or 7" sub (depending on the restaurant) and make sure they cut it in half.
3)  Move it over - Take out the innards of one half and stuff them into the innards of the other half, throwing away half the bun.

This way, you get a big gigantic, stuffed to the gills sub and only eat half the bread (or so).

With all three sandwich tricks, I still get bread in every bite.  It's just not as much as I'm served, which can save up to 20 grams of carbs for a sandwich.  Leaving me room for some fruit, yogurt etc...  Yummy!

What are your sandwich tricks?