Dblog day 6 - pictures

Just a couple snapshots of life with diabetes.

Let's get moving - dblog day 5

Exercise . . . love it or hate it?

I'd be outright lying if I said I love it. I'd be lying if I said I hate it. I'm more of a middle of the roader.

I like taking rugged canoe trips into the BWCA or Quetico Provincial Park. I love paddling all day, walking through the woods with a canoe on my shoulders, and slogging through thigh-high mud while dragging a canoe. Unfortunately, I can't do that every day. Shoot. All day consistent exercise is much easier to deal with. I turn my pump down most of the day, and test often. I don't seem to have many lows during those trips.

I walk. Every day when I'm working, I take Dixie for a short walk twice during the day. I cut my lunch short and walk with Dixie. It's not long, but it's consistent. It's a lot more fun doing in nice weather than it is in the middle of the winter, or when it's raining. Even then the two of us are outside.

I have a Wii Fit. I like to use it. (some of the activities more than others! I hate the bird flapping mission. I can't figure it out. I'm a master at the tight rope.) I use it, though not as much as I need to.

I have a house that needs to be cleaned. I remind myself that sweating while vacuuming an entire house is a workout.

During the summer months, I find it easier to get into a workout routine. I have weights, and like to use them a couple times a week. I through in some elliptical or walking, and find that I can easily fit it into the day.

School months are challenging. I'm not a morning person. I haven't been able to bring myself to waking earlier and working out. When I get home from teaching, I'm spent. And it's so easy to just crash. Really, when all is said and done, I only end up having about 4-5 hours M-F that are my own. Exercise often moves to the bottom of the list.

I need to keep working on it.

It's easy to think of when there's only 21 days of school left!

Oh, and by the way....Dixie loves to exercise. She loves walks, running, and digging. She doesn't mind getting muddy or rained on in the process.

To carb or not to carb

Hmmm. To carb or not to carb is today's posting prompt. I guess my answer is yes.

I have been counting carbs for my entire adult life. As a kid, I was on the old exchange system diet.

I don't eat low carb. Or, I should say, I don't make a conscious effort to eat low carb all the time. I tried limiting carbs when I thought that was the easy answer, but it made me feel sick and lethargic all the time and it ended quickly. Now I make eating decisions based on my current blood glucose and trends.

I'm a creature of habit. I usually eat the same thing for breakfast and the same thing for lunch every day. Breakfast is usually some kind of granola bar. (Luna, MoJo, etc) Lunch is a lettuce/vegie salad.

I'm not much of a snacker during the day. If I have a snack, it's because I'm low.

Dinner is a wild card. If my number is higher, I eat low carb. If my number is lower, I eat carbs.

I tend to avoid food that are frustrating to try and bolus for. This includes baked potatoes, white rice, pizza, and pasta. I have an allergy to many fruits (especially citrus). I like many vegies. I like to eat a dinner that contains three items. Not sure if I got that from my old exchange system days, but it's pretty programmed into me. Sometimes pickles have to count as the third item. :-)

Dixie, on the other hand, loves meat and the low carb lifestyle. She is quite content with a dinner of steak and chicken, thank you very much.

PS. Every year on my diabetes anniversary I eat chocolate cake and beer. Just saying that it's worked so far! 34 years!