Diabetes Prevention Class #9: Manage Stress

I will say that this sabbatical has been pretty good for stress management.  I mean, except for the part where my kids are driving me crazy.  BUT, I'm not sleep-deprived, and I'm taking care of myself.  Those are all good things! 

Today, our lifestyle coach had a diffuser going when we entered.  It was amazing how that peppermint combination smell just made me take deeper breaths!  She also had some calming music.  At the end of the class she took us through a breathing exercise that was extremely calming.  Yes, this was very good.

I tend to carry stress in my shoulders, neck, and in my eating habits, so I loved that this lesson was a part of the overall scope and sequence of the course.  So good!

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Last Week's Weigh-In: 182.3 
This Week's Weigh-In: 181.7
Change: -.6 pound

Diabetes Prevention Class #8: Shop and Cook to Prevent T2

Yeah....I'm just trying to tell myself that I've been eating less Halloween candy this year than in years past, so I'm doing better than before!  Maybe that will work, haha!  Whooo...tough week with the sugar.

This week we talked about shopping and cooking, and I'm not the primary person who does most of these things, but I do remember when I had gestational diabetes and spent three hours at the grocery store looking at labels.  My husband called to find out where I was!

I'm going to try to make a trip to the store by myself this week and see what I  can do.  I've been snapping pictures of labels and food on scales on my phone.  I'm really trying!  It's forward momentum on the whole!

I would love to get to the point where we plan meals, but we're not there yet.  I have been subbing out Coke Zero instead of my regular "fully-leaded" Coke, so I feel like I'm getting a small win there, even with the not-so-good-for-me-sugar-substitute. 

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Last Week's Weigh-In: 184.9 
This Week's Weigh-In: 182.3
Change: -2.6 pounds

Diabetes Prevention Class #7: Burn More Calories Than You Take In

This week I won a t-shirt for turning in my two weeks of calorie trackers!  "Ask Me About Diabetes Prevention", it says on the back.  It will make a good workout shirt, LOL.

Some interesting facts we learned today.  1 pound = 3500 calories.  If you want to lose 1 pound a week, cut 500 calories a day.

We were given a sheet of paper that had last week's weight and the number of calories we would need to take in to maintain that weight (mine was 185 pounds, and 1681 calories).

The conversation this week centered on healthy swaps and also reiterated paying attention to serving sizes.  We talked about which Halloween candy has fewest calories (Milky Way, haha) because that's going to be a booger this week!

Pressing on...
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Last Week's Weigh-In: 185
This Week's Weigh-In: 184.9
Change: lost .1 pound

Diabetes Prevention Class #6: Get More Active

Wowza has this food tracking opened my eyes.  I mean, food labels are on my foods.  Why have I not been paying attention??  My weakness is eating out.  That food might be "healthy" but it is high calories...the servings are enormous!  So, I'm going to try to eat half and take half for later for future restaurantal endeavors.

That coffee I like in the mornings?  DD French Vanilla Swirl with cream? It put me over on calories two days this week.  Had I resisted, things would have been okay.

We had a get-together this week with some homeschool friends, and again, I may have overdone it, but I tried to practice moderation.  Halloween candy and snacks are going to do me in! 

Anyway, this week was about getting more active and about adding resistance training--we received a resistance band to use with our workouts.  This is for sure one area that I will need to get a little more vigorous in--walking, even on hills, is not going to be enough in the long run.  Not if I want to meet my goals.

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Last Week's Weigh-In:  188.9
This Week's Weigh-In: 185
Change: lost 3.9 pounds

Diabetes Prevention Class #5: Track Your Food

Yeah, so this was the week.  For two whole weeks we have to track our calories.  I'm am tracking carbs, too, because that's what I had to do during my gestational diabetes, and I'm just curious.

The big thing has been paying attention to labels and serving size.  I am mostly appalled.  This week we were given a set of measuring cups and spoons to help us keep serving sizes in mind.  I even got out the food scale that has only heretofore been used for Pinecar Derby.  I am on a roll with this measuring thing!

I did lose my wheels a little bit when I had a piece of delicious pumpkin roll that a friend made (holy moly, that was delicious!).  Also at a birthday party...there was a taco bar, so I ate some chicken by itself to "protein-up" after I ate a second piece of the cookie cake cookie (two pieces with cream in the middle!!).   I'm a mess, but I'm moving in the right direction!


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Last Week's Weigh-In: 189.4
This Week's Weigh-In: 188.9
Change: lost .5 pound

Diabetes Prevention Class #4: Eat Well to Prevent T2

This right here is why I need someone to hold my hand.  I have no self-control when it comes to Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.  As I'm eating them, I know that they are terrrrrible for me.  I'm a sugar addict.

This week's class was a fantastic reminder that I can do this.  We talked about servings and what the plate should look like.  It's not rocket science, people, but I seriously needed a swift kick in the pants to remind me.  Allison came and did a guest demonstration on sugar content in beverages and serving sizes in fruit (with sugar content)--they have a lot of neat props over at the DANC that will make your stomach churn if you see how much sugar is in "no sugar added" juice.  Blech.  We also talked about carb intake.

Seriously, though, this information is common sense, but not common practice--at least in my life.  So, this is where we try to make good choices (but also know that next week we will have to begin tracking, so I'm eating like I'm going to have to track my food next week and not this week, LOL.

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Last Week's Weigh-In: 190.8
This Week's Weigh-In: 189.4
Change: lost 1.4 pounds

Diabetes Prevention Class #3:Track your activity

That's right.  I didn't start with class #1 or #2.  Here's the story..

My friend Allison is a nutritionist at the Diabetes and Nutrition Center (DANC) here.  For a couple of years, I have seen her post about Diabetes Prevention classes through the hospital, and I have been interested (family history of Type 2 and personal history of gestational diabetes), but my schedule would not allow.  Either they met during the day when I could not go, or they met when my husband was deployed and I could not go.

This fall, though, something was different.  I'm on sabbatical from teaching which means that I can do things I haven't done before (demands on my time are different) and for the first time in a couple of years, I have a husband around who is not deployed.  Both of these two things coincided, so I decided to go to the information meeting.  At the meeting, I knew that I wanted to sign up.  This was going to be my gift to myself this year!

I missed the first two classes because we weren't sure if we were moving or not (it was still up in the air), but when we finally knew that we were going to be here, I showed up.  September 24.

I had missed the first two classes, but the ladies got me caught up.  The third lesson was on tracking activity.  One of the great things that I've started in September is walking 10,000 steps a day, so I was already getting more than 150 activity minutes per week (the minimum recommended amount).  Most evenings I have been walking the neighborhood while listening to podcasts and audiobooks.  Three miles, whether or not I need the steps.  I'm feeling really good.  Today was 29 days in a row of that!  (Most of them were 3-milers).

My other impetus this month was that my family was participating in an Alzheimers Walk up in Pennsylvania that I couldn't attend due to double unemployment, so I was doing parallel walk and training for them.  That walk was yesterday, and I've been walking with Charity Miles (app) to raise money for the Alzheimers Association.

This is a good thing, and I'm feeling really good about myself!  I'm so thankful for this opportunity to take this class!


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This Week's Weigh-In: 190.8

This program has a goal of losing ~1 pound per week for healthy weight loss.  Our goal is to lose 5% of our body weight in 6 months. For me, at this weight, that is 10 pounds.  In a year's time, I would love to be down to a manageable 140 or making healthy progress that way.

Goals

Today is the start of the rest of my life!  I've been making excuses and taking hiatuses and whatever, but this is the day I decide to do what I need to do no matter what!

Goal:  10,000 steps per day, no excuses.

Since my last post, I turned 40.  I started this blog nearly 13 years ago one way or another, and I intend to keep it up, even intermittently. 

Movement matters!  That's my mantra. 

Stomach Bugs and Terrible Weather

That's right.  I'll make an excuse.

In mid-January, they were all sick, my four children.  For two weeks, someone was vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.  And in the midst of that, I got sick.

You know that these are super bugs and strains of sickness when the teachers get taken down.  Left and right, my comrades were falling, and I just hoped it wouldn't be me.   Until it was.  And then I was in denial.  Until I had to leave school because I was in so much pain and on the verge of bursting out in tears if someone asked if I were okay.  No eye contact, because that would bring on the tears.  Thank the Lord for his provision that I had copies ready from the week before.

It took a week to fully recover.

Killed my step streak.

I lost weight (not an approved weight loss plan).

So, here I am, mid-February, and I have fallen off the horse.  10k step days are hit or miss.  I haven't been for a run because it has been cold and wet for FAR longer than it needs to be in January/February in the Deep South, and I right??  What happened to our balmy weather from December when I started this whole Couch to 5K thing?

Excuses.

My husband has changed his work schedule, so I don't have mornings to myself, and we can't occupy the same space in the mornings (or have not yet been successful) unless we are in the throes of getting the kids out the door to school.

Oh, and I got kicked out of ClassFit. 

Yeahh.....so there's that. (Another story for another day...)

Still working through my issues, but have big plans to get back running.  After this week is over, of course, because it's supposed to rain...alllllll week.

So maybe I can focus on getting my step count back up there while making laps indoors.  Yes, that will be a start.