Get Out of The Car

Seriously. 

Get out of the car. 

The car is the place of anonymous caloric offenses. 

If I get out of the car at the coffee place, I avoid the 15 cars waiting. I walk a few extra steps for the day. I carry my cup in. I get a plain coffee - I've gone to that, as my tolerance for carbs disappears like grains of sand in the wind. I actually interact with people - hard, but necessary. I put cinnamon in my coffee, which is good for my diabetic self.  I walk back to my car. 

If I sit in my car, I can change my mind. I can order something I shouldn't. No one will see me with the high calorie frothy drink, and maybe a pastry. 

Get out of the car. 

I've cut fast food out of my life. I won't get out of my car because I don't want to admit that I am going to eat that. But in my car...I can "impulsively" pull in for that craving for whatever forbidden food I am allowing to comfort me. In my car I can eat anonymously. 

It's such a small step.  

It can make a huge difference...literally!

e b e r

A Soda Discussion

Coca Cola and I go way back. 

I've been guzzling soda since high school. With great enthusiasm!! 

15 years ago I discovered Sonic, and route 44 cherry limeades became a big part of summer. Where I live hot weather lasts forever, and I always had a giant soda in my hand. 

Going to the movies? Large soda. 

Going out to eat? Glass after glass of soda. 

Then came diabetes. Five years ago, I drank my last regular soda. 

Unfortunately, I still wanted to fulfill my soda craving. So I switched to Coke Zero. Diet Dr Pepper. Diet root beer. 

Back when I drank regular soda, I swore I'd never drink diet. I didn't want to. 

Then diabetes. I drink a LOT of water everyday...but what do I do for flavor?? Iced tea, green tea, coffee - and water. I wanted more. 

Diet soda moved into prominence. 

I've read a lot about diet soda and what the consequences are. 

I've wanted to quit a long time. 

Just like the rest of the dietary changes I have made permanent in my life in my quest toward healthy, clean eating, soda took a process to release. 

I've begun to phase it out. I've gone all week without it. I just don't think glasses full of chemicals are good for me. The artificial sweetness makes me want more sweets. 

I'm drinking iced green tea as I write this. I've discovered a lot of delicious tea flavored that don't need any sweetener. 

Every day, life is full of choices. One day at a time leads to changes that matter. The journey continues to a healthier me. 

e b e r

Dealing With Down Days

Today has been a horrible day.  

I woke up in tears long before sunrise. My back, which had been settled into an uncomfortable yet manageable constant dull pain, had begun a raging tearing pain that ripped me out of my sleep. 

Heat, essential oils, medications. No avail. 

A day of continuous agony. Even as I write this, I am on heat, using oils, trying to breathe through. 

I'm frustrated. I have work to do. Exercise to keep my body in shape against the diabetes that marches on. Races to train for.

Bottom line, I'm miserable. 

I had to stay down today. I have to work. I must keep moving ... tomorrow. 

Today had to be a down day. 

It's hard. 

You have to listen to your body.  Today, I couldn't bend, sit, or move without a lot of pain. I have a high threshold and I don't take pain meds...until tonight. Tonight I took the RX I only use when I cannot bear it anymore. 

I am there. 

I am praying the combo of all the rest heat oils meds will make things tolerable tomorrow. I'm going to rest, pray, and hopefully get up to mobility. 

I cannot take it for granted. 

I have to take it seriously. 

Here's hoping for better tomorrow, and days forward. 

Listen to your body - it's the only one you have. 

e b e r

No Excuses

Disclaimer: if you haven't gotten a physical and spoken to your MD about exercise and diet, stop reading. Go do that. Come back. 

This weekend I ran my first 10k of the year. Although I live in southern climate, I ran into a brisk north wind, in 23 degree wind chill. 

My race preparation began days before when my spouse told me the forecast, inquiring "are still planning on running?" 

"Of course" I said, nonchalantly. 

Gulp. 

I don't major in discipline, so I have a system that gets - and keeps - me moving. 

I find a race, I schedule it, I pay for it. So there is a financial commitment. 

This keeps me moving, so I can train, and get stronger. 

Then I talk about it - to my spouse, to my friends and running community, to myself. It's the way I cheerlead myself forward.

Next come the clothes - the night before a race, I set out the run gear that's going to get me down the road safely, and in this case warmly! 

So when I got in my car on that cold morning, I was mentally prepared. 

Until I realized I forgot my earbuds. Rookie move!! Fortunately I was early and there was a store 5 minutes away. 

When I walked across the parking lot, the bitter wind blasted me. If I hadn't spent all this time preparing, I'd have turned on my heel and gone home. 

Instead, I ran that 10k. I wasn't fast, but that's not my goal. This race was about getting back into the swing of things. Less than a month ago I could barely walk, due to worsening back issues. 

No excuses. 

Excuses would have me back on the couch where I was 5 years ago, overweight, newly diabetic, back troubles flaring...and sedentary.

No excuses has pared me down 35lbs, improved my overall health, dropped me from a size 14 to a size 6, given me purpose. 

And everyday is a new day to confront excuses. 

Every. Single. Day.  

Never give up!!

By the way, I have a 15k, a 10k, a half marathon, and a 5k in the next 7 weeks. 

e b e r

Plan to Succeed!

They say those who fail to plan plan to fail. 

I think this is especially true in your day to day quest to live a healthier life. 

As I move through life, I conquer one challenge, only to find new challenges to conquer. 

Take for example eating at work - this is a continuum on my challenge list. 

Working as a nurse, we don't have opportunities to leave and go eat. Some days we are hard pressed to get get a break to eat! So my first challenge as a diabetic was to find healthy snacks and foods to have handy. I bought a insulated lunch bag, and brought healthy snacks and lunch options. Ideally I should eat something every couple of hours, so I bring handy things to eat that are low carb and not processed. 

Great. I put my lunch bag in the back fridge, and it worked. 

Then that fridge broke, coinciding with the holiday season. 

Now my bag went into the front fridge, in the room with all the crap - candy and cookies for sale, baked goods and candy from patients and staff. 

I'm great unless I see the tempting foods. I don't have them at home, for example, so my eating at home is healthy. 

Boy did I fall off the wagon yesterday in Christmas leftover land. And I had horrific blood sugars to show for it. 

Time for a new fix. 

Obviously I can't be in the front break room. At all. My discipline around Godiva is nil. 

Today I started my new plan. I put ice packs in my lunch bag, and an assortment of things I enjoy eating that are low carb. My bag is sitting by my feet, and I'm not stepping toe in that tempting break room. 

Lesson learned. Find a fix that works for you. Don't make excuses - own up to your areas of weakness, and find a solution! 

e b e r

Thanksgiving

I'm so thankful for my health! Even as I am awaiting word on a back condition, I'm healthier now than I have ever been. It's a daily journey that I am on - one that values the temple God put my spirit in on this planet. To take care of it the best I can!

So here comes the first of the holiday season traps - the thanksgiving meal! Everyone seems to throw all restraint out of the window.  Where a healthy human only needs 1500 or so healthy calories a day, most folks will eat 5-6,000 calories during their thanksgiving meal. How is that loving yourself?

So here are some tips to eating what you love, while loving yourself. 

* Portions!  If you have to have that dessert or fattening mashed potatoes and gravy, let a spoonful do. Even a full plate with lots of sample spoonfuls will have way more fat and calories than expected! And even too much of a good thing is bad - 4oz of meat is a portion size (a deck of cards)

* Fill up on healthier choices - white meat turkey, veggies, fresh veggie appetizers

* Make recipes as healthy as possible - low or no fat instead of full fat ingredients. 

*Avoid pie crust! That's where a lot of the fat is! 

*Don't drink your calories! Sip water with lemon or unsweet tea with the meal. 

*No seconds!

Yeah some of you are thinking I'm I kill joy, but eating mindfully is a daily choice. Every day. 

You're worth it!

e b e r

And Now...A Mental Health Moment

I hate November. 

I don't want to. I am trying to be mindful of my thoughts and actions as I head into November, but how I dread it. 

It has been one of my worst months, dealing with depression. I can be moving forward and doing well, but as November looms, the terrain changes. Solid ground turns to mire and suddenly I am struggling to walk, to breath, and I can feel the downward slide. 

I hate it. 

In November, a pivotal life changer happened. Then four years later my first love was killed in a car accident, two days after thanksgiving. In November, his mother died - a woman who was like a mother to me. Recently in November, my favorite Aunt died. And just to add a kicker, my dad just had a major medical situation...unfolding as I write. 

My therapists have told me to be aware of triggers. Well, November is ripe with them. I set my face and set goals. I have a plan on how to eat, how to make sure to exercise. I make sure my accountability folks are aware. 

I pray. A lot. 

My jaw is clenched, though.  I'm terrified. I HATE the slide, I hate depression. I don't want to feel that way. 

Pray for my dad. 

e b e r