Losing Weight for my Master's & Beating Diabetes-Comments welcome and appreciated

[traceycooper]

Hi Jessi
hope the knee is healing nicely, & you get the insurance stuff sorted out!
That was an amazing thing you did by shaving all your hair off!! I'm super impresssed!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Thanks Tracey. The physical therapy finally worked itself out and I get to go the place that is just a short walk from my apartment. It's such a night and day difference. They seem to actually know what they are doing. I found out that my walking gate is messed up and I have flat feet, all stemming from being a dancer, and they are working with me to correct it so that I don't have the same problem on the opposite knee. He actually watches as I do the excercises and corrects my rather funky form. When I ask a question, he has the answer. I'm much happier.

Of course, I'm gonna be driving to Macon at leat once a week anyway for he foreseeable future. I just found out today that I either have prediabetes or early diabetes. As my insurance only covers the doctors and hospitals in Macon, that is where I am going for all the tests and follow up visits. I see the dietitian next Friday. Who knows, maybe it will make doing WW that much easier. There's always a silver lining, right?

I did lose .6 this week . And this was with it being Labor Day weekend and going to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival two days before WI. Yay for the travelling journal! Our meeting has a journal that goes with a different member each week, it's great because you can look at what others have done. Knowing somebody else would see it is probably the only thing that kept me accountable at the Ren Fest (and away from the 27 point turkey legs!)

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Things have been super crazy here, what with classes and everything. I think my students are conspiring to find new ways to drive me insane, and it's working! I do love them though.

I haven't been so great about watching what I eat, and I need to. I find that I do better when I'm at school because I bring my lunch and I'm on a schedule. I've been checking my blood sugar 4x a day, but it would help if I understood the numbers better. I still don't have the blood test results, I guess I'll get those on Wednesday. I just realized that between my knee and this whol (pre)diabetes thing I have some kind of doctor's appointment every day this week. Joy.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I am up .8 but that was not wholly unexpected given the week I've been having. I'm grateful that it wasn't more. I'm bound and determined to lose that weight next week (and hopefully then some).

Tomorrow I drive back down to Macon to find out the results of the blood test. I'm sort of hoping to get the definitive answer on whether or not it is prediabetes or diabetes so I can start figuring out treatment. I'm tired of being low and tired of being tired. I am anxious to start getting treatment and just get this sucker under control, be it through diet and exercise or pharmaceutical intervention.

 

[traceycooper]

Hang in there Jessie
I hope the results come back ok.
My 'little' students are driving me crazy too & i've only been back a week!!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I officially have prediabetes. The good news is that I caught it early so I can hopefuly stall the diagnosis of full blown diabetes, though it was indicated that it is probably a waste of time. She said that I was lucky I caught it early- my Hba1c was 5.7, the problem is how erratic my blood sugar is. It tends to swing very low and very high, she said my pancreas is starting to lose control of the insulin. At the moment we are going to try to control it with diet and exercise. She doesn't want to put me on anything because of how low my sugar dips at times. She told me to keep snacks in with me such as nuts, crackers and peanut butter, string cheese, etc. I meet with the dietician on Friday for more details on how they want me to eat.

The good news is that the rest of the bloodwork was fine. I've been a little worried about my thyroid- my mom has had hypothyroidism for a long time, so that is always in the back of our minds, especially with how tired I've been. The only other concern is my cholesterol. She said it's fine for now, but if I get full blown diabetes it would be too high. I'm hoping that the diet will help with that too.

The other good news is that I only have to test in the mornings and if I feel bad. It'll be nice not having to test quite as often. I have a follow up in three months to see how it's going.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Jessi, I am so glad its prediabetes, and that you caught this so early. I know you can take the steps to improve that, you have shown a lot of discipline with your food and exercise already.

I am also so glad you got the physcial therapy/insurance thing worked out. Sometimes all the dumb rules and policies within our healthcare system are unbelieveable. I am glad in your case the insurance company grew a brain!

Keep up the good work, you are doing really well! You are continuing to lose even with how busy you are, that takes determination!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Jessi,

I'm glad that you and your doctor were able to catch the prediabetes early. It sounds like exercise and a healthy diet will help improve your blood sugar. You CAN do it, Jessi!

You are doing a great job!!! Keep up the good work!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

saw the dietician who is also a CDE. She gave me a "prescription" for my diet. 30 carbs for breakfast, 45 for lunch and dinner, and I can have a 30 carb snack at night if I want. She also gave me a set number of protein and fat per meal (for weight loss), but since I am doing WW, she said it's fine if I just count points instead of worrying about the fat and protein component. I am supposed to go back to her once I lose some weight because then she will up it a little.

I am not supposed to eat snacks (or at least, no carbs between meals). She said they used to have people eat snacks (6 meals a day) figuring that it would keep the blood sugar more constant. She told us that is no longer standard wisdom for prediabetes or type 2 because the sugar doesn't get a chance to return to normal and instead stays elevated. If my blood sugar dips like it's tended to do, I'm supposed to eat 15 grams of carbs, then wait 15 minutes to see if it helps.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Tomorrow is back on track. I went out and figured out which of the Healthy Choice Steamers have a reasonable amount of carbs. The biggest challenge is going to be working in the kitchen. We can't store our food there because it is a health code violation, and the breakroom is on the other side of the store and then up the stairs. I feel like I'm missing half my break so I normally get something from the case. We now have healthier options like roast chicken, but the friend chicken just looks so good!

I did get one of the ADA books that has the nutrition info for every food known to man, so that should help me make better choices.

On the 27th I am participating in the walk for diabetes. It's a 3.7 mile walk around the Plaza in Kansas City. I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it is beautiful. I'm excited about going there. I am hoping that my knee is in better shape by then. It hasn't been bad, but I started back at the grocery store kitchen , and it's definitely protesting after an 8 hour shift. I also twisted my ankle a couple of weeks ago. I was taking out the dogs in heeled sandles when my foot twisted, my ankle literally touched the ground. It's not super bad, but it's still sore, and it looked fairly swollen at the end of today. I got a brace, and it does help. I'm hoping it goes away without a trip to the health center. I feel like I'm falling apart at the seams! Hopefully things will calm down.

 

[traceycooper]

HI Jessi
glad the Dr got to you early - i hope the diet & exercise plan helps

You walked in heels!!!?? i have trouble in heels if i'm out for a meal never mind about walking in woods & parks!! hope you wear your trainers now

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

The heals aren't like normal heels (and we weren't really walking, just taking them out to do their business.) They're by Isotoner and they're more akin to wedges than heels, I don't even feel like I have a heel on them at all, they're super comfy and give me at least a little height. I like being able to look my students in the eye, of course, they're still taller than me, but it makes things a little more even.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

The carb counting isn't as hard as I feared it would be, at least for now. In fact, I find that I'm actually consistently eating lower than the limit she set for me. I'm proud of myself because I went to Ruby Tuesday's today and was very tempted to eat soemthing less than healthy, but I got a plain grilled salmon and boxed up half of it for tomorrow. I even got a walk in with the puppies.

On September 27th I'm going to be participating in the Step Out for Diabetes Walk in KC. You can find the link in the bottom of my signature, you guys will get a kick out of the picture I'm sure!

 

[Joanna71985]

Good luck with the walk Jessi!

 

[traceycooper]

Love the pic on the link Jessi
Well done on making a healthy choice at dinner

 

[Amy&Dan]

Jessi, you are doing very well. That is awesome you got salmon at Ruby Tuesday, its so hard to do well when you eat out. Good for you walking in that walk, that'll be good exercise and raise some money/awareness! Keep up the good work!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Yesterday did not go so well, I forgot my lunch so I was stuck eating the school lunch. After looking up carbs for the entree, I gave up and decided ignorance was bliss.

Today went better. I remembered my lunch, and I discovered the little individual Kellogg's Pops packets I have stored in the classroom are only one serving of carbs each. Combine with milk ,that's my two servings for breakfast. I was worried that they would be higher in carbs and I wouldn't be able to have my milk with them.

I went to KFC for dinner, and just about blew it. I had budgeted for mac and cheese and they were out, so I got cheese curds. I haven't been feeling well and only ate about half my meal. I made an effort to listen to my body, and I think it worked. I wasn't feel well yesterday so I didn't WI, I'm doing that tomorrow.

I think I'm coming down with whatever illness is going around the special ed program. Half the girls in my grad classes are sick, one of our paras in the class I teach has an ear infection, my mentor teacher is halfway to a sinus infection, and I got spit in the eye by a student on Monday. I've got that whole discombobulated floaty feeling, and I think I'm getting a bad cold. I picked up some decongestant and I'm hoping to nip this thing in the bud.

 

[Joanna71985]

I hope you feel better soon Jessi!

 

[traceycooper]

oh dear jessie - i hope you feel better soon!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Wow! I haven't updated in awhile. I'm participating in the BL challenge, and updating there kind of feels like keeping the journal here. LOL.

I lost 1.2 this past week . If you've been following my journal, you know that I've been losing between .2 and .5 every week, so this was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't really been counting points, so I didn't expect to really lose that much.

I went back to counting points yesterday and am also keeping track of carbs. I also cooked my dinner for the first time in God only knows how long. I have been noticing my blood sugar creeping up, so I've started testing at night as well. I think I'm experiencing what is known as the Dawn Phenomenon- your liver releases Glycogen (stored sugar) to combat a nighttime dip in blood sugar. I am going to have a Glucerna snack shake every night before bed this week to see if that results in a lower sugar in the morning. Next week, I'll go back to not eating anything after dinner and see if that really is the culprit.

I'm debating whether or not I want to WI tomorrow or Thursday. My normal WI day is Tuesday, but I missed it last week and weighed in on Thursday instead. I think I'll weigh myself when I get home and decide if I need the extra two days.

I'm also gearing up for this weekend- it's the Diabetes Walk. I am now a Student Advisor for Alpha Phi Omega (co-ed service fraternity) and the Pledges donated money at their meeting tonight. I go to beg money from the Actives tomorrow night, and the chapter might make an official donation as well! I'm looking forward to the walk. I'm sure 3.7 miles will give me lots of activity points, and I get to see my boyfriend for the first time in forever!