Beginning to See Success....

So, today I am happy.  I cinched my belt one notch tighter.  I take this as a good sign that progress is being made.  My blood sugar is also coming down well. Two weeks ago I was shocked to see the numbers between 250 and 280 or so. Normal is under 100! Wow!  The past couple of days I'm seeing number below 200, and before dinner tonight it was down to 156. It's exciting to see that getting back on the Metformin plus being on this low carb program is working so well. I have plenty to eat and never feel hungry. My energy level is so much higher, and I no longer get sleepy after lunch. I even do well in the evenings and don't fall asleep in my chair. I'm getting used to 30 minutes each day of exercise, and actually look forward to my walks.  It's the first time I've ever really noticed a complete change in how I feel after beginning a diet. This is different. I like it.

Day 4

It suddenly occurred to me that I should begin to blog about my journey to become healthy. It would seem that if I commit to do this publicly it should hold me accountable, and perhaps even motivate someone reading this to begin his/her own journey as well. 
     So, today is Day 4 of Step 1, and is based on the book "Diabetes Miracle" by Diane Kress. Step 1 lasts for 8 weeks, which is good since I know there is an end and it will not last forever. My day 1 was on April 22, 2012. This means that Step 1 logically should end on June 17.  
     As luck would have it, on Day 2, someone brought some chips and dip to work and I made the mistake of eating TWO of those supposedly healthy blue tortilla chips. Did you know that 6 of those chips contain 19 carbohydrates?? 19!!  For 6 chips!!  So, those two innocent looking blue chips that I ate (surely they could not be too fattening) contained over 6 carbs which threw me over the carb limit.  And guess what?  The consequences of going over your carb limit on this plan is to ADD 3 DAYS to Step 1, which means it now ends on June 20, instead of June 17.  Ok, so that is a motivator to watch those carbs!!
     It turns out that there are many things I can eat on this plan other than carbs, so I am doing ok so far [except for those stupid chips]. And the really neat thing is that my Visalus Body by Vi shakes (the shake mix that tastes like a cake mix) work ideally into the program. Each shake has only 2 net carbs! Step 1 does not require these shakes, but, hey, they taste great, are filling, easily portable, and are super easy to make. Works for me! I drink at least two of these shakes each day, along with other healthy foods, and sometimes three shakes since a snack before bedtime is a requirement for Step 1. That's a new one for me... first time I ever heard that I get to have a bedtime snack! So maybe this isn't so bad after all....

A Turning Point in My Life (continued)

Down 15+ pounds since beginning my journey, my energy level has escalated, and I’m feeling great!  I like the taste of the products, find them filling, and actually look forward to drinking them.  Surprised me! Actually they taste like sweet cream cake mix, so what’s not to like?

I have to smile when I think about the Vi Shakes that I drink for two meals a day… Initially I was concerned since I was such a big eater, and feared that I would not feel satisfied. I have found this not to be the case, and am allowed snacks between meals if desired.  What makes me smile, though, is remembering my childhood when I was so busy playing with my friends that I really found being called home for meals to be an intrusion in my busy life. I recall wishing that food came in a pill so I could just swallow it and be done with rather than have to bother with sitting down to the table and eating. Well, these shakes are similar, don’t you think?  I just mix them with almond milk and whisk them down. They’re also portable so I can take them with me to have as a handy snack or meal wherever I go.

So that’s the good part for me, personally. The Faith and Fitness program is beginning to develop as I interact with people both locally as well as internationally. Our mission is the same regardless of our location – to feed the hungry children in our world.  We are able to do this through donations of $24, which will feed 60 nutritional meals to hungry children. That’s $.50 per meal which is a real bargain. If you care to join us in this mission, please contact me at dianashores@gmail.com and I will give you the link to make this happen, on our site, or show you how you can do this for your own church, mission, or non-profit organization which raising money for it at the same time. 

That’s it for now… more later.     Diana