The really complicated life of a Diabetic trying to get fit.

I am now well on my way with my Nike training as mentioned last week. I am still battling with adjusting my insulin levels for this new training. This is what my days looked like over the last couple,(To all those family members who read this and freak out and think that I am dying, I am not:)

EVENT NUMBER 1

On Friday I worked out the usual 20 to 30 minutes using the Nike training this was after dinner, I tested before eating dinner and it was a bit high, I think I had been taste testing the dinner too much we where having a Hungarian meal - Stuffed Paprika Peppers, you stuff your peppers with mince and rice and then boil the peppers in a tomato juice sauce. Yummy. I injected the normal carb counting way with a correction of lowering the insulin for the exercise I was about to do, it was just a guess that 4units less would be fine. I did the exercises, a cardio work out these went fine, I showered and we then watched a movie on DSTV all good. I did a test before I went to bed and it was 9.5 not good, so stupidly I injected a small dose to cover this as I thought that I had given myself too little insulin. This was stupid The next morning I had a visit from the ER24 paramedic with dextrose drip in hand hipppee.

When the dextrose had taken effect I asked Mr P what the time was and it was way past when I was supposed to get the car into the garage to be serviced. Eeck............rush,rush,rush.

EVENT NUMBER 2

On Sunday I worked out again all was fine except I still needed to eat 5 Super C's

EVENT NUMBER 3

Monday worked out again, did everything like I thought it was done and it took ages for Mr.P to get me out of bed and he was screaming at me that I don't look after myself and he can't find the test kit (Our youngest found it after he had left for work) the reading was 2.6.

I am trying to stay focused and keep it up but it is hard (not the work out) all the other crap that comes with it, but I know this will be way better for me if I just work it out and I will be fit at the same time.
I have found the most brilliant article see link below

http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes-control/exercise-and-diabetes/excarbs-exercise

It is all about EXCARBS and exercise for carbs and how to decrease the insulin and add carbs correctly.

It is quite a lot to go through but I have worked it out and I am going to try it out , I simply love people that give me formulas. Yes Yes we know it might not work as every Diabetic is different but it gives us a way to start correcting it as I can say that I am too scared to try and adjust doses and stuff just by guessing. Exercise is really hard to work out as you might test and your blood sugar is high even after exercise in the article link above (this is such interesting stuff) they say "the cause for this can be that during short periods of anaerobic exercise, the blood sugar can rise despite seemingly adequate insulin levels because glucose is mobilized very rapidly from glycogen stores to supply fuel. This can overwhelm the current insulin level and cause the blood sugar to go up." Now I am not saying I am doing any form of over strenuous activity or anaerobic exercise, until I read that it differs for everyone (those famous words again) but their definition of intense exercise is any thing that causes deep breathing but still allows you to carry on a conversation. I often would not be able to speak during parts of these workouts as I get fitter I will then have to adjust the insulin again as I am now doing the same exercises but they feel like moderate to mild exercises complicated I know.

If you don't do anything else read the last paragraph of the EXCARB article. If you are regularly have lows and don't adjust your insulin doses and then go exercise, do you blame the exercise or the fact that you probably where injecting too much in the first place.

I will keep on trying. Thanks to Diabetesnet for the article great piece of research, Mr P and my children (J thumbs up for finding the test kit)

I plan on getting into a pair of jeggings and looking good this coming December.

Bye for now

Kim 

It is now time for this Mom to take over the XBOX !!!

Since I started this blog after last going to see Dr X in October 2014 , I have not weighed myself,but this weekend I decided that I needed to find the long forgotten scale,dust the cobwebs off and replace the batteries which was probably why I stopped weighing myself in the first place.

I have for just over a week now been following a fitness program so I needed to try and keep track of how I was doing as I certainly need to loose some kilos. Luckily I have lost 3 KG's since Dr X weighed me even with Christmas in between. I will now keep better track of the kilos lost so we can evaluate how good this program actually is. I have not changed my diet, I am just doing the workout +/- 30 minutes 3 times a week.

What is this program? It is the Nike Kinetic Training for Xbox 360.

Their slogan is "Get Athlete Fit".

Day 1 - I take the kids to BTGAMES to buy a new Xbox game and they have a sale on, while looking for one the kids will like, I find the above mentioned game,I think I was at that point abducted by aliens and replaced with the fitness loving,workout freek who would buy this. Enough of the excuses,I did buy it and it was all me. Sorry to the rest of the family that have been roped into doing this with me.

I decided that on the weekend I/we would start this. Warning they do not in any way shape or form ease you in gently. To set up your profile and so they can personalize your fitness program you have to do a variety of tests, these seemed never ending to my couch potato self. They even checked how close you could get to touching your bottom arm with your top arm over your shoulder - I was a total fail at that, as in many of the exercises. You have a choice of working out with a very tall, strong,buffed man or a very fit looking woman, I chose the woman.My results of this test where shocking, and I also felt shocking, but strangely also motivated to keep going besides the point that the next day I could hardly walk, I used muscles that have been left dormant for many a year.

I was in this come hell of high water, I couldn't be up staged by my kids. I bought a tube of Moov for those of you that don't know it is a wintergreen type gel that has become my trusty friend. Here is a picture of her.

In a nutshell the whole Nike program uses the kinetic to make sure you are doing the exercise correctly, when going to a gym aerobic classes I only once got corrected on my form. This "game" tells you every time if you are doing it wrong and corrects you, the better your form the more Nike Fuel you get so you are always trying to better your results. You can also cancel a drill if you really can't do it,this option I use for the dreaded Burpees but one day I might try them again ouch.I shiver even typing that word.

Mr P commented during one session when I did something wrong and I said out loud Sorry, he said to me "Did I hear you correctly apologizing to a TV Game." It does feel very real. What is also a plus though is you can swear at her, call her names, make rude signs at her,(if of course you have the energy to lift your finger during the workout.) and she won't hear you or even know.

There are even some fun drills like split decision where you have to move through different gaps in glass without breaking the glass, I have a few bruises on my knees from dropping so fast to the floor during this game. There is also Dodge Ball, I hated this as a kid and I still hate it but at least I don't have the nasty kids laughing at me this time. (You never know what my own kids are doing secretly in their rooms, they know better then to try it within ear shot of me.)

I would rate this up top in fitness programs, there are a few glitches like Nike Lady keeps telling me to put my hands on my hips, when my hands are on my hips, then I swear at poor Nike Lady again. I never expected the game to be fault free it is after all just a game and not a real person in your living room but it does come damn close.Warning you need quite a bit of pace after 2 sessions when we had to jump on the couch to complete a drill I have moved the furniture around which gives us a little more space, we still could use some more, they do say on the box that you need 2.5m of space, I will measure.

I will try and keep this up I am starting to feel a bit better after each session. I don't think I will ever be athlete fit but any form of fit is great with me.

The trick is being a Diabetic that I must now work out the correct doses of insulin so my blood sugar does not drop low and I then have to correct this by eating a packet of Oreos. This sort of defeats the whole object.

Lets get fit in 2015.

Bye for now

Kim

A brand new Diabetic year, time to do our best.

We are now full steam ahead into 2015. I hope that everyone had a well deserved break with not too much of a break from your Diabetes Management.

I have read many a post lately regarding everyone else's New Year resolutions,especially the Diabetic ones:

• Test more often
• Go for a Biannual HBA1C test
• Go for an eye test

It carries on,but we all know what should be on our Diabetes list of do better items,so I will not bore you.

One of the favorite resolutions I saw was " To live your life like a Labrador" 

I have a yellow Lab and I have been watching her since I read this,and it proves to be a great resolution.

My Lab manages to have a good balance between sleeping,exercising and eating. She gets great joy out of either of these activities. Her enthusiasm over the smallest of things is a fantastic way to live ones life.

If I could tap into some of her endless energy I am sure it would be of great assistance with my Diabetes.

She is also a very friendly dog. She welcomes all visitors,human or otherwise and has a way with both young children and the more senior Grannies and Granddads she meets.

I am writing this as I sit watching my family both human and furbabies at a rest bench in Walkhaven - a dogs paradise. The rest bench is for the humans and not for any of the dogs here as they all seem to be going at 100 miles per hour,even the older greyer haired furbabies continue their slower walk/plod around the dam. I can truly say I wish I could live my life more like any canine here.

Things for the New Year.

My new year songs:
Everyone hurts by The Corrs (Unplugged)
It says just hold on- when we are experiencing Diabetes burn out,just drag yourselves back up,refocus,regroup and get back on with your life.

Anything by Hedley- I love the part about "You can be an X box tester" But the point is we can really do anything - I read this post 5 ways people with Diabetes are more successful (take a look at it.)
http://insulinnation.com/living/5-ways-people-with-diabetes-are-more-successful/

My word for the year - Experience
Have new experiences -  Don't be afraid! or
Experience old things differently such as next time we go to Walkhaven take a bird book & binoculars and see how many birds we can spot. Or make a new CD of songs the kids and I know and like(Do the kids and I really like and know the same songs?) and turn down the windows and sing out loud all the way to school.

My New Year's Quote by Author,political activist & lecturer Helen Keller. "Your success & happiness lies in your resolve to keep happy,and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties" 

I will try my best to live more like my Lab,but first on my list this year is to buy earplugs to drown out the sound of Mr. P and the said lab's snoring every night.

Happy New Year, may it be a good one.

Bye for now.

Kim