diet diary update

Yay!!

I have been going to the clinic since the 6th of March.

I have had my meal plan since the 26th.

Yay!

I have lost fourteen pounds so far. This is exciting. It hasn't been the easiest thing to do, but, no where near as awful as one might have thought.

I am still having trouble eating as often as they want me to. Three meals and five snacks a day is a lot of food. And it is mostly good healthy fresh food so there is always some prep work involved.

I still think it is worth it. Yes, it is a pain in my backside having to measure and write down and track everything I eat. Yes, it is annoying having to drive into Hamilton so often to get weighed and poked and measured and attend lectures.

But my sugar has been great the last few weeks and now my blood pressure has dropped by a significant margin. This is why I am doing this. This is my reason for starting all of this in the first place. The weight loss is just a very happy side effect!

emergency

It's communicators week!

I could bore you with long rambling statements about when and why to call 911...

I could regale you with tales about my co-workers...

I could complain about the stress of my job...

Not gonna do it.

Nope.

Today I have another issue that is boggling my brain...

Why don't people move over to the side of the road to let emergency vehicles pass?

I can't understand this.

What if it was your house that was on fire? Your loved one in a car accident or having a heart attack? Your business being robbed?

Wouldn't you want the fastest, safest response possible?

I know I would.

diet update

My entire reason for starting with the diet clinic was to get my blood sugar and blood pressure levels under control. For some time I had been getting readings that while not terrible were higher than I was happy with.

Imagine my surprise when I met the diabetes doctor this week to be told my sugar was fine. It's my glucose meter that has a problem!

Does this mean I am going to revert to my old lifestyle and quit the clinic?

NO WAY!

So far I have lost about ten pounds. I feel better. I have a little more energy. And I am still concerned about my blood pressure. The testing I have undergone so far also discovered that I have a heart condition. Nothing too serious, my heart just runs too fast. So, yet another pill I am now on for life. And increased doses of some of the others. Too many more and I won't have to worry about counting calories or carbs, there won't be any room for food.

Florence Y'all!

A few years back I took IMAG on a trip to Ohio. See I owed him for a wager we had made when I was pregnant with Thing 1. Bob Seger was touring again so off we went.

What a trip. The November weather was perfect. Sunny, not too much snow! It was Thanksgiving weekend so the roads were not too horrible on the Friday. That's cause all of the people were shopping. Black Friday and all. The hotel was great. The people we met were all friendly, even the ones who realized we were from a foreign land, Canada!

We got lost on the way to the hotel. See the concert was in Cincinnati, Ohio. The hotel (which turned out to be about ten blocks away) was in Kentucky. We stopped for directions in a rather dangerous looking hood. But the only problem there was our own sense of misgiving.

We did some exploring and found my next home.
A perfect little cottage in a ravine. TLC required.

Went for dinner at a local pub/bar in a little town in Kentucky. We asked the waitress for directions back to the hotel and she couldn't help us at all. We were less than 20 miles from the place but she had never been there. In fact she had never left her hometown. Ever. Entire life. She had to be in her mid twenties. The owner however was very helpful. He wrote us down directions that started by asking which way the van was facing and telling me to turn around!
I think he even put in the name of the Officer who would have the radar gun operating in a obviously well known speed trap. Two and a half pages for a ten minute drive. But they were perfect! Landmarks and all.

Saturday daytime we decided to go exploring and shopping. If you ever wondered what the survivors of a nuclear bomb look like, go to a K-mart on the day after Black Friday. Not only did the store look like it had been the victim of a raid, the staff were all shell-shocked! But, again, friendly.

Off to the concert that evening we asked the reception at the hotel to call us a cab. She suggested that we take the tank instead. The tank? Ok. Little scared now! Turns out the tank (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky), would pick us up right at the door, drop us at the concert and do the reverse after the show for only two bucks each. I am not the worlds biggest fan of buses, but, hey, this is supposed to be adventure so off we go.

At the concert hall I found a new kind of coat check, this one was for your guns. Seriously.

The show itself was amazing. Beer in glass bottles right at your seat. (at the ACC they take away the lids from your plastic water bottles so no one gets hurt). Seger hadn't lost too much for all the years and Alto Reed was phenomenal. We had brought glow necklaces and bracelets along and shared them with the people sitting near us. Three rows on the floor were lighting up the night for all to see! IMAG and I were waving our little Canadian flags proudly. This actually prompted someone to inquire if we had come all the way from Canada to see the show. IMAG responded in his typical fashion with "no, we just like the flag". Another person on seeing same flags invited us, complete strangers, to come party with them after the show. We graciously declined as we were due to check out of the hotel early the next day.

Took the tank back to the hotel. Imagine if you can over 40 drunk and loud over 40's together on a bus. It was just about the most entertaining trip I have ever had, being the only completely sober one, apart from the driver (I hope he was anyway). We accidentally got on the wrong bus and ended up with an extended tour of the area. The last couple off of the bus actually apologized to us that they had only brought the two seater car that night or they would have gladly given us a ride back to the hotel. Have I mentioned yet how friendly everyone was?

My experiences with our neighbours to the south had been limited to New York and Michigan prior to this trip. My opinion of all things American were radically changed! I can't wait until I can once again go off exploring parts of the U.S.A. It was one of those trips I will remember with a smile.

support?

Imagine trying to completely change your life.

Now imagine trying to do it all alone.

I was at the clinic last week for one of the many tests you undergo in the beginning. There were a few people in the waiting room but it wasn't too busy. I couldn't help but notice the woman who was there for her first visit. On this day you get weighed, measured and your breathing is tested. Then you are back to the waiting room. Lots of papers to fill out and you are off to meet the dietitian for the first time. No meal plans yet, just a check in and some more paperwork. Back to the waiting room until the doctor can see you. While you are waiting the reception staff try to book your next appointments so you can get your testing done quickly and get started with your new life.

There are a lot of appointments at first. This woman I noticed is doing her paperwork while her partner is sitting there looking all miserable. The receptionist is trying to book an appointment for her for the next day for some of the tests. She checks with this male and his response? "I was planning on sleeping in tomorrow, make it for some other day."

I feel for her. This journey is going to be tough enough without having someone sabotage her efforts. I wish her all the best.

I can't even begin to imagine how horrible this would be if I had to do it with someone negative around me. It is involved. You have to plan your day. You have to weigh and measure every bite you put into your mouth. You have to write it all down to show the dietitian.

But it works. I really think now before I eat anything. Is it carb heavy? Enough protein? Any fiber? And I thought checking for sugar content was a pain!

So this clinic is not at all what I was expecting. I go in thinking that they are going to sit me down and tell me what to eat and send me on my way with a list of expensive foods I must buy from them.

Nope.

This is serious stuff, folks. They are checking my breathing. They are checking my heart. My liver. How many calories I burn sitting still over a 24 hour period. They weigh you and check your heart every visit. They have doctors who meet with you and confirm you are healthy enough to do what you need to do. An exercise stress test! This is great fun for someone who has walking difficulties. Let's get on a TREADMILL!!!!

No special food to buy. A serious diet plan that you can actually live with!
I am supposed to eat 8, yes 8! times a day. This sounds great in theory. Hard to do. Somedays I feel like all I am doing is eating.
Is it working?

Yes.

My sugar is much better all ready and as of my last visit I have lost 8 pounds. Since the 6th of March!

It is a lot of work. I have been driving in and out of the city several times a week for the last few weeks to make all of these appointments. It is a big commitment. But, I think I am worth it!

And so apparently does IMAG as he has been nothing short of fantastic with all of this.

The diet diaries begin

About three and a half years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Not really a big surprise, it runs in my family. But I had been tested ad nauseum all my life and it always came back fine. So it was a bit of a shock when my doctor sat me down and said my sugar was so high he was surprised I wasn't dead.....hmm, can you say wake-up call?

We immediately started a regimen of pills and Yeah! started losing the weight that had been a source of much trouble over the last few years. Had a pretty good handle on it for about three years. Then all of a sudden the wheels fell off. Could no longer control the sugar and the weight loss had come to an almost complete standstill.

So off to the good doctor for help. Asked him to send me to a dietician to help me figure out what I was suddenly doing wrong.

And so begins my diary....I am now going to a weight loss clinic. They are going to help me lose the weight and control my blood sugar.

I am going to share my experiences with you as I make this journey.

If it is as successful as I am hoping and my quest inspires any of you to want to try this clinic, contact me and I will share the info.