Sugar Savvy: Who are They and Where Can I Send the Thank You No...

More Hope for us Type 1 Diabetics!

Sugar Savvy: Who are They and Where Can I Send the Thank You No...: "This is a wordy post, and if you are not slightly invested in a cure for type 1 diabetes this will be b.o.r.i.n.g. for you and you have my..."

Monday's Motivator!

The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers.

~Brian Tracy, Motivational Speaker

XOXO,

Tip of the Week ~ Add some veggies to that meal!

I am a huge fan of the Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice frozen meals for lunch.  They are quick and easy to heat up and a healthy option for working moms on the go.  The only problem is that they are not very filling.  

I have a solution: add some veggies!  I learned this trick from a friend who introduced me to Weight Watchers in college.  It's easy to bring a small-sized can of green beans, carrots, peas, corn, etc to add to the meal.  Green beans in particular seem to go well with many of the meals.

So if you are looking to healthfully add to your frozen lunch, give canned veggies a try!

XOXO,

Workout 55 of 2011 (cardio and abs)

Today I still cannot find my other tennis shoe which meant my only option was the elliptical (I wear flipflops on it).  I did 20 minutes on the elliptical followed by some ab work.

I'm feeling pretty good but I hope to find my other sneaker so I can do a Jillian workout soon!

XOXO,

Workout 54 of 2011 (cardio, weights, abs)

I have recently taken up crafting which has cut into my workout time this week--yep, that's an excuse and it's 100% the truth.  Today I finally worked out, doing 15 minutes on the elliptical followed by 10 minutes of various Jillian Michaels' compound and ab moves.

I did not complete my short term goal of 4 workouts this week, and I am disappointed in myself.  HOWEVER, I will not beat myself up over this and instead will focus on achieving any goals I make for next week.

XOXO,

Most Recent Weigh-in

I am really proud to say that before today, I don't know when I last stepped on a scale.  I was becoming too chummy with the scale--translation, I would think about it more and want to weigh more than once a week--so I decided to ditch it.  Today I was nervous knowing that I'd have to weigh at the doctor.  Common sense had already told me I hadn't gained weight because my clothes still fit the exact same; however, having been inconsistent with my workouts and having eaten out a lot recently, I wasn't sure the scale would be my friend.  BUT it was!  Despite slacking off on my workouts and eating out more than normal, I still weigh 141!

Talk about relief! :)

XOXO,

Monday's Motivator

"Suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret."

This week I WILL workout 4 times.  I'm committed to that goal.  What are you committed to this week?

XOXO,

Workout 53 of 2011 (Circuits 1,2 & 7 of No More Trouble Zones)

Tonight I decided to revisit what might be my favorite of Jillian's DVDs, No More Trouble Zones.  Thanks to my workout inconsistency lately, my muscles are not as strong as they were and I had to use 2 pound weights for some of the exercises.  If you've never tried this DVD, you might not know it's pretty rigorous.  While you don't do any "cardio," your heart rate stays up thanks to all the compound movements.  I usually break a sweat midway through circuit one.   This evening, after circuits 1 and 2, my arms and legs were already shakey so I decided to just do one more--circuit 7.  That brings me to my favorite thing about this DVD, you can go to the circuit menu and mix up the order of the workout or choose only the circuits you want to do.  LOVE it!

Here's a preview of the DVD:

XOXO,

Tip of the Week ~ Ditch the "fat" clothes

Weight Watchers taught me many things.

1. If you bite it, write it.

2. Butter spray is amazing on light popcorn.

3. Get rid of the clothes you shrink out of!

If you get rid of the big clothes, you have more incentive to stay fit.  If they are sitting around staring at you, they are a safety-net that I know you don't want to need.  So give them away.  Donate them to a good cause or have a garage sale and make some $.

Dress your body in clothes that fit!  I recently read somewhere that thin people are more likely to be hired than overweight people.  Interestingly, it's not a "fat' thing, it's a clothes thing.  People who are thin are more likely to wear fitted clothing that appears neater and more professional.  Overweight people tend to wear looser clothing that often comes off as sloppy.  So there's a lesson here for people of all shapes and sizes.  Wear fitted (this does not mean spandex-tight) clothing or at least the right size.  Wearing too big or too small may give off the wrong impression of your professionalism.  Food for thought, or well, clothes for thought.

XOXO,

Workout 52 of 2011 (Cardio, weights, abs)

Nothing exciting out tonight's workout.  I just did 20 minutes on the elliptical along with some compound arm/leg movements along with some ab stuff.  Gavin woke up from a nightmare at the end so I did not get to do as much ab work as anticipated.  My oldest is curled up next to me right now on the couch.  Time to coax him back to his bed!

XOXO,

Monday's Motivator

"It's a lifestyle.  Train like there's no finish line." ~unknown

Have a great week!

XOXO,

Tip of the Week ~ Change one thing at a time

When we decide to lose weight or get healthy, we tend to try to change all aspects of our life at once, get overwhelmed at all the changes, get frustrated and quit.  I've made that mistake MANY times.  I'd try to start exercising and dieting at the same time and would give up after a week or two.

Instead, try changing one thing at a time.  For example, diet.  Take a month to focus on eating healthy and get used to the new lifestyle.  Then add the workouts.  You are more likely to stick with it if you don't overwhelm yourself with a complete lifestyle makeover overnight.

Don't set yourself up to fail.  Don't expect perfection.  Take one step at a time and you will reach your goal!

XOXO,

Diabetes Tip ~ Pump at the Pool?

My pump and the old-school insulated insulin/syringe cases

Supposedly my pump is water-proof but I've heard horror stories of it not being as water-proof as advertised, making me hesitant to even try bathing with it.  My 3 pumps (yes one died and another's demise will be showcased in this post) have never gotten wet just as a precaution.

I figured out a few years ago that I could bolus my hourly basal rate, remove my pump to swim, and return and repeat every hour.  I followed this routine during every visit to the pool and on the first 2 days of our vacation in 2008.  On day 3, I placed my pump in my pool bag like normal and went off to enjoy the lazy river.  When I returned an hour later, the clouds had shifted and my bag was in the sun.  The pump continued to work, until the next morning when it stopped functioning entirely.  Did I mention we were out of town?

It was a HUGE hassle seeing as how I had no long-acting insulin nor any syringes (nor a prescription for either).  Plus, being a weekend, it meant I had to wait until Monday for my new pump to arrive.  Thanks to other people's misfortune's, Animas (the pump company) figured out what likely happened.  The bag created an oven, allowing the pump to be in over 105 degree conditions--it's limit is 104.  Thus, it broke.  In Texas, we OFTEN have days over 100 meaning I'd have to be extra-careful.  That experience TERRIFIED me of the summer months. 

In the past couple of years, I've tried not to spend much time outside in the summer, and when we would go to the pool, I'd just bolus 2 hours worth of my basal rate, leave the pump at home, and hope all would be okay--usually I went low and/or high.  When we went on vacation again last summer, I left the pump in my hotel room and went back every hour to bolus more insulin.

This summer I figured out a trick that I can't believe I never considered before.  I take a small ice chest and keep the pump inside an insulated insulin holder, inside a plastic baggy.  I leave it at the top so it doesn't get too cold (or wet).  I can easily take it out to bolus my basal rate every hour (or whenever necessary).  So far it has worked out great and has helped to prevent the lows and highs I had come to associate with pool time.  I am so relieved to have a better, healthier option!

XOXO,

Workout 51 of 2011 (Cardio, weights, abs)

Today I decided to start with some compound movements including deadlifts with hammer curls, squat and press, and static lunges with tricep kickbacks.  I love the way my body feels when I do these movements.  Jillian is a genius for pairing arm work with moves that raise your heart rate.  I love tricking my body into cardio!

Next, I did 15 minutes on my elliptical and discovered that my favorite water cup fits in the water bottle holder on my machine!  I find that drinking water throughout my workout (especially during the hot summer months) ups my endurance significantly.

Finally, I finished up with my FAVORITE ab circuit from No More Trouble Zones.  It is worth it to buy this DVD just for this ab circuit.  My abs will burn for days after doing it.

XOXO,

Tip of the Week ~ Celebrate the Small Victories!

Toast Yourself with a Margarita Light at Taco Diner

Be proud of every accomplishment and share it with your family and friends.  I LOVE hearing about others' milestones (big or small) because they inspire me to go after my goals.  I get excited for other people and enjoy sharing in their victories.  I love cheering people on and supporting them in their journeys.

That's the fun of social networking.  Facebook, Twitter, Blogger...  It makes it so easy to share our news.  So share it!  Maybe your story will inspire someone to make a positive change in his/her life.

XOXO,

50% done! Workout 50 of 2011 (Ripped in 30 level 1)

Woohoo!  I finally hit workout 50!  I swear the last 10 workouts have been tough to get done.  Thankfully, Monday is my last day before summer break so I will have plenty of time each day to fit in a workout without excuse.

I could be mad at myself because I've only worked out once a week for over a month, but instead, I'm going to pat myself on the back for doing at least 1 workout a week.  1 is better than none!  We should applaud ourselves, not beat ourselves down.  Positive reinforcement works much better than negative and prevents resentment.

So if you are like me and suffering from a spring slump, find something positive to focus on and try to get a workout in today like I did!

XOXO,

Sugar Savvy: A Very Likely Hero.... at Least, For Me

Diabetes is not a death sentence!  Read the story below about a man who is the oldest living person with type 1 diabetes.  He's had it for 85 years, diagnosed at age 5.  I too was diagnosed at age 5 and have now had it for 23 years.  I hope to have as much success with my care as this man.

Sugar Savvy: A Very Likely Hero.... at Least, For Me: "This man's story probably did not come across your radar this weekend, but it did mine. My mother-in-law brought him to my attention and t..."

XOXO,