A couple years ago my doctor prescribed a blood glucose monitor for me and instructed me to start using it.
I did not.
I'd gotten my A1c down to about 6.5 to 7. I felt like I was doing everything right. I lost a good deal of weight. For instance, I think in 2017 when we moved here I was probably around 240-250 and since the start of the pandemic I've been between 210-220. I won't mourn the fact that when I had covid I got down to about 195 (I have longed to break 200!) but didn't manage to stay there because ... well. Food started tasting like food again. And I gained the weight back even though I was actively trying not to creep back up.
And, I was hungry. And to be honest. Bored.
In August my A1c was 7.5. I just had it retaken last week and lo and behold, it was 8.3. Disappointing but not surprising.
All this past winter, I did nothing. My knees were bothering me, going up and down the stairs was difficult. I'd wake myself up rolling over in bed with the pain. I was eating pasta, pizza, chocolate. Baking a lot. I love to bake. More chocolate. And I was a star player on Team Triscuit. I could go through a box a night. Easily. Some peanut butter? Yes. Oh, sliced cheeses! Oh, yes please. The only way to make sure I wouldn't eat a box of triscuits was to buy anything other than the plain/original kind. I do not enjoy all the different flavors. Meh.
And yes, let us not forget about the beer. So much beer.
Doug's bloodwork and labs were a lot worse than mine. So about 3 weeks ago, he decided to go zero carb. Back to the Atkins Induction/Keto/Whatever you gotta do to get the numbers down. He started walking daily. For a solid hour. Walk as far as he can for a half hour, turn around and come back.
He'd try and guilt me into going, but he goes at like 4pm and I'm honestly still working until at least 5:30. And he walks so fast. So much faster than I do. So I hate struggling to keep up with him.
He stopped taking the dog because the dog does not walk, he sniffs, and stops, and sniffs some more, and you have to drag him.... so you never get up to a good speed with him. I take him down to the Pokemon gym down the street and come back, and that would be a workout for my arms, but not for actual cardio/exercise.
I just got some cortisone shots in my knees a week ago, so my knees actually feel like a million bucks, but I haven't gone on longer walks. I'm realizing how horribly out of shape I am. I walked to the dentist the other day, it's about a half mile maybe, and I took a Pokemon detour, did the appointment, and then decided to do more pokemon detour. Not sure how much of a walk it all was but it was goodly. Doug said he was starting to worry about me being gone so long. It felt good to take a big stroll, at my pace, without the dog, and just do it.
But I've had a couple surprises of over 200 and an over 300 later in the day which made me panic.
The photo here is the first time I used it a week or so ago, before I had the cortisone shot, which they wouldn't give me if my numbers were too high.
Notice the arrow above the green line, this is I guess "good?" "Acceptable?" I think it is too high but the instruction manual says it isn't bad reading wise until we get to ... 200. Or below 70. I'll never be below 70.
I guess my trends are good according to the monitor dealie here, just a few "oh my" readings. And I am now here to keep testing. After being someone who didn't want to test at all. Now I am a little obsessed and want to test all the time. Which isn't helpful either.
So for right now, for the next 6 weeks (and 2 weeks already doing it), my life will be low carb/no carb and hopefully more walking. I've also stopped having alcohol daily. For months, it was super easy to just finish work, and go make a big ass wine spritzer or G&T or grab a beer from the fridge. And the Triscuits. I went 10 days with no alcohol, and then had a Saturday & Sunday "treat" for myself. This whole week, nothing.
Tonight, I'm planning nothing. I drank everything that I would normally drink already (ie: Wine and Vodka) and all the tonic, so I can't turn to a G&T. So I am drinking seltzer with lemon.
I should use the blog to record the foods and the glucose, it's kind of boring but, it's a place. This will be part of posts going forward I guess.
Blood Glucose:
9am: 179
6pm: 159
Food:
11am: Leftover chicken breast, a lot of leftover green beans, a bit of cream cheese, herbs, lemons mixed together as a "sauce."
2pm: Handful of Mixed Nuts
3pm: 6 celery sticks with Peanut Butter
6pm: Bowl of chili, no beans, with cheese & sour cream
Coffee
Water
Seltzer
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