I’ve been solidly back on (and staying on) my blood sugar control program for one month today. My morning fasting blood sugar levels have been mostly between 100 and 110, with one slide up to 126. The only time it went above that was when I had snacks (summer sausage, cheese, and multi-grain crackers) at a friend’s house the night before. It went to 139. I didn’t panic or get discouraged. I just ate totally on program the next day and it went right back to normal range.
Because I’ve been doing so good, I’ve started adding back a little bit of food that isn’t on my program on a very occasional basis. I had a bag of microwave popcorn a few days ago. Another day, I had a couple of slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. There were no ill effects in either case.
Here’s some of what I’m doing right this time:
- I’m limiting the higher carb foods I don’t usually eat to one per day – and most days I don’t have any. In other words, I don’t combine pizza with beer and potato chips – or with carrot and celery sticks with poppyseed or Ranch dressing – all of which becomes too much for my system to process. I had my pizza with a glass of water and nothing else. I froze the leftovers to eat another time.
- I’m sticking with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads. All of the creamy salad dressings I used to enjoy are fairly high in sugar.
- I’m making sure to eat regularly so that I don’t get too hungry. When I’m over-hungry, my good judgment about what to eat goes out the window.
- I’m preparing foods ahead of time so that I don’t run out of energy and then eat something that isn’t as good for me because it’s easier.
- I’m keeping up with my Diabetes Management Journal, writing down what I’m eating and my exercise/activity so that I can track the impacts on my blood sugar. It also helps me to keep steady with my program.
I was doing really well with getting out and walking regularly, but this past week, I’ve been taking a break. My knee and lower back have been hurting and I don’t want to make it worse. Over the week, I’ve felt the improvement that resting has brought – and I’m planning to get back to walking when my body feels ready – I’m not going to push it. Fortunately, the lack of exercise doesn’t seem to have negatively impacted my blood sugar.
I’m looking forward to being more active again, though. I like it when my body feels strong and my mobility feels good. I’m going to start back to activity with bouncing on my rebounder, which is something that I’ve found to be so beneficial for me in so many ways over the years. It’s gentle on my knees and a great exercise. I just turn on some music and jump, usually for 20-30 minutes, but when I don’t have the energy for that, I’ll just jump to one song (which sometimes gets my energy up more and ends up being a few more songs!).
so it easily fits in the back seat of my car and has traveled with me a few times!
I’ve had my rebounder for over 20 years. It has traveled with me from Michigan to Florida to Colorado to Arizona. I love my bike, but I can’t always ride it. I can always jump on my rebounder. I’m grateful to have invested in a high quality one, which is so important because the cheaper ones can break – and I’m not looking to sustain any injuries. If you’re looking for a good rebounder, click here – this is the kind I have. (This is my first ever affiliate link and I receive a 10% commission if you purchase from them. This is a product that I do highly endorse.)
Well, heading into Thanksgiving tomorrow and I’m not worried. One meal isn’t going to make or break me on this program. I’m also not planning to eat carelessly. I’m not going to deny myself anything I really want, but I’ll watch the quantities and the combinations so that I keep my blood sugar fairly balanced. The days of over-eating on Thanksgiving are in the past for me. I’ll enjoy, but be mindful of staying healthy through this holiday season.
Disclaimer: Please be advised that I am not a medical professional nor a dietician. This site is not in any way, shape, or form providing any sort of diagnosis, advice, cures, or recommendations for medical or dietary treatments. I am simply sharing my own journey and experiences. Nothing I say is intended to replace proper medical care.
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My Dance With Diabetes 
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