Losing weight as a student and a diabetic…

Been meaning to write another blog post here for ages, but for some reason never did, but this morning just seemed like the perfect time to do it.

Sunday i went the gym, and did week1 day1 of the couch to 5k. i think i need to do the workout 3 times a week.

For those of you not “in the know” about the c25k, this is week 1:  Brisk 5 minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Then 5 minute cool down walk.

well the 5 minute warm up walk was ok! the first set of jogging i was a bit nervous about… i was the fat girl on the treadmill between all this fit and healthy men who seemed to be able to run for ages. I was doing itbeing glad every time the walk came round again, and thinking “they must think i’m so strange alternating speed like this” but i told myself that it’s a gym, people come there to get fit but they have to start somewhere! Plus everyone is too engrossed in their own thing to bother about me.

The first couple of sets were ok, but by 15 minutes through the whole thing (i’m counting the warmup here) i was nackered, and by 20 mins through the whole thing, i was thinking to myself “i really can’t do this… i’m gonna have to give up and just walk the rest of it” but hey i kept going, slowed the walk section down even more to recover, then got onto the jog section with enough energy to finish that thing! Woohoo!!!!!

I think it must be easier on the treadmill than outside, since it stayed perfectly flat etc, but i did have a few issues with losing my balance (lol! good thing those bars/handles are there!), and with slowing the speed down once i mustnt have slowed myself down cos i nearly ran straight off the front!  But hey i actually finished the half hour! Was nice and sweaty after which indicated i had put at least some effort in to me. Then did 5 mins of very slow cycling on like very easy level for a bit of a “rest”, then rowed 1000m, before hitting the shower.

I have workout 2 planned for thursday evening. I was planning on a workout this morning before uni, but i had work to do this am, since i dont have this evening to work cos i am going on an education course, about my diabetes.

Right i think thats all i wanted to talk about. Doing better this week than last week. Need to up my water intake during the day tho - drinking plenty in the evening but will try and drink more during the day today. And not to snack too much. (I will snack some since i have a day of working in the library planned).

have a great day all of you. Lucy

hey everyone. i had fun at the gym yesterday. my induction he just showed me how to use this electronic key thing you have to use - you have to check yourself in with it, then put it in each machine before you start going. (if you havent checked in the machine wont work). and this key thing then stores all your information - distance, calories, what youve been on, what weight you lifted etc. after that i stayed for a workout. didnt do much, just 15mins walking 15 mins cycling. but i was looking forward to going back again today and trying some other the other things out.

but guess what. i didnt get up till gone 2pm. its now half 3 and i was about to go but since it shuts at 4 saturdays theres no point. i couldnt believe i didnt wake up till 2. i am useless at having lie ins normally! i went to bed at midnight last night, got woke up by the alarm i forgot to switch off at 6am, got up, went the loo and thought i’d have another hour then get up and make myself usefull. almost a full 8 hours later i woke up again!!! looked at the clock and thought it must be wrong, but it wasnt.

i had been tired, this first week back in the routine after holidays had been tiring, but i was amazed i had slept so much. must have been more exhausted than i realised. am still nackered though - could go back to bed for another nap! still look nackered too. i always have huge dark rings under my eyes. ever since i was a kid really. never been able to get rid of them. i do have a tonne of work to do today though.

plan for today, what little is left of it is: to walk into town, tidy my flat (big job cos its a tip!), do some filing, then paperwork, then uni work etc. then sleep some more. its getting dark out side already and i’ve only just got up. cant believe it, and kinda annoyed that i wasted my whole saturday. but then kinda confused that i managed to sleep that long (it was only untill a few months ago that i could never sleep more than about 6/7 hours, always had problems sleeping, now i am at the other end!). i am still constantly tired. (combination of high blood sugars, low iron, etc). so maybe it was good for my body to get some rest.  or maybe i got too much.

ah well, i’m off for a lay down. try and gather the energy to go out!

well, the weekend i ate pure rubbish. friday it was like ah well i weighed int his morning and lost… 1 little treat wont matter. which i am ok with i think that is fine. but then at the weekend i was away seeing my family, kinda stressed about it being back to work this week, feeling a bit down and rubbish and i just didnt eat to my usual plan. Still, i am back on track is the important thing, and ate fine yesterday, although my blood sugars were crazy all over the place. turned out the 2 bottles of “no added sugar” squash i had bought a while back, the second bottle i had acidentally picked up a non sugar free version. they looked the same and i didnt notice. so still eating fine today, and have chucked that squash away! had breakfast, lunch, and a litre of really lite ribena, and it is only 4pm, but i am ravenous,so am going to make a sandwich or something that will fill me up a bit, and have a nap, to sleep off this awful headache, then get down to some work.

i am still suffering from tiredness - constant feeling of being completely exhausted the past dayy or two. its a symptom of my blood sugars being high i know, and theyve still not come down completely yet to normal since they were high all day yesterday. also a symptom of having low iron i think? something else i have. and i have a third condition, which also has a symptom of making me tired! so the combination of all that today is making me exhausted! am hoping i feel more awake soon cos i have to plan lessons for work tomorrow!

i bought a gym membership yesterday too. for 6 months. i have my induction on friday evening at 6pm. no idea what happens in an induction - will they just show me the machines, or get me working on them or weigh me or something i guess? so its take some apropriate clothes? haha you can tell i havent used a gym for quite a while. look forward to being able to exercise though! and hopefully i will feel awake enough to be going, and the exercise usually leaves me with more energy too! should help with the weightloss too, and i am the most unfit person in the world it feels so it will be good for that too!

anyway, i hath rambled enough! hope everyone is doing just fantastic! Lucy

Well… friday today - weigh in day. My first one  since trying to lose weight again… and i am down 2 pounds! now to start working on next weeks loss… The challenges are really motivating for me too!

I have been really lazy all week… havent done a single drop of work, unless you count tidying the flat. I have so much paperwork to get done! Still in holiday mode though, and using the diet as an excuse to go cook new recipes instead of do work! will have tog et my head down this evening… blogging here first, then going food shopping in town to make sure i have everything i need for the week though first!

In a bid to make it easier for me to eat right during the week when i am busy, and to vary what i eat a bit, recently i have been trying new low carb (and meat free) recipes:

1. FRITTATAS -  tried spinach broccoli mushroom and parmesan ones yesterday  - they were even nicer than the spinach and onion ones. So i have those parcelled up in the fridge/freezer ready for breakfasts this week.

2. STIRFRYS - I chopped up a load of veg and put it in 3 tubs in the freezer for stirfrys made even quicker - all  have to do is empty the tub into the wok.

3. TUNA + VEGETABLE BAKE - tried this the other day and it was lovely.  Bought some more vegetables, that i will chop up and freeze that would be good for things like this meal, (fresh veg goes off before i am done eating it since i cook for 1), and i have 2 tins of tuna left in the cupboard, so this is something easy to make too.

4. “QUICHE” - Ok this didnt quite go to plan, the base was too crumbly. The top half is lovely though, and i have a load of it left, again sliced and wrapped in tin foil. Its kinda like a mushroom frittata the top half i guess. Had it with cheese and lettuce the yesterday for lunch and it was nice. I am thinking quiche and salad in a little tub might be ok for lunch this week at uni, then sandwiches the second half of the week at work.  I always have sandwiches at work for lunch cos i need something quick. But then its carby, and my blood glucose levels are better without those kinds of foods. But then i think since the rest of my day is so low carb i might be ok with it. More experimenting needs to be done.

5. CHOCO-NUT MUFFINS!! - still trying to get the recipe right for this, since i am making it without using flour or sugar. The first batch were ok warm, but horrible cold. The second batch were loevel warm, and alright cold, but tasted a bit odd. Having said that i did have one last night, warmed in the microwave for a few seconds in a bowl with a spoonful of total 0% greek yoghurt, and  some blueberries (cos theyre on offer in sainsburys ) and it was truly delicious. Havent dared to work out the calorie content of them yet, it has a load of ground almonds in which i think are high, being nuts? but they are only small, and i still lost weight for having eaten them! Will write down what i put in them next time, and work it out.

6. CAULIFLOWER GRATIN - this was also amazing. kind of like cauliflower cheese but no flour was involved. Really easy too and its truly amazing how much you can do with a cauliflower!

Next on my list of things to try is a curry, and also tofu. i might combine the two and attempt a tofu curry. Although i have been given bad reviews on tofu, i want to try it, so maybe a tofu and vegetable curry may  be worth trying. Curry freezes well too. Also going to try out making cauliflower “rice” to go with it. Thats tomorrows task!

If anyone specifically wants the recipe for any of these i will write it up, just let me know.

Ok i have realised that to get anywhere with changing to a more low carb diet i will have to learn some new recipes. Get more creative in the kitchen. Especially with being vegetarian. So whilst i have another couple of days off i am trying to find new recipes to cook. Today i tried baby frittatas. Here’s the recipe i used:

1. Cook vegetables. I used half an onion and a large handful of spinach, put them in a wok sprayed with olive oil fry light spray, and cooked the onion for a bit, then added the spinach till it was wilted.

2. Mix 1 egg and 2 egg whites (add more egg whites and veg to increase the recipe to make more frittatas) in a bowl/jug, then add the vegetables, and some grated cheese/parmesan/whatever.

3. Mix it together well and season with pepper if you like. Spray a mini cake tray (like for fairy cakes etc) with the spray oil, and spoon some of the mixture into each hole, not filling them completely.

4. Bake in the oven (preheat it earlier) untill they are set, mine took about 15 minutes.

Its a bit experimental - i guess you could add pretty  much any veg and cut out the cheese or try and variety. Quite good that its so flexible though - just use whatever veg you have leftover!

I am not sure if they freeze well or not, i wrapped them in pairs in tin foil, labelled with permanent marker and chucked in the fridge for making a quick meal - with salad/stir-fry or alone.

If anyone has any more recipe ideas, for things that preferably freeze well and aren’t too carby, point me to a link or whatever! Or if you can improve on my version of frittatas above!

Well. 2008 has simply flown by. 2009 is going to be one hell of a scary year. My course is getting more intense, i have only a few months till i either qualify as a teacher or don’t cut it and have to rethink my life. I also plan to move towns once i finish this course, currently thinking of a particular area, but i dont know anyone there, and would have to see where i can get a job. A lot of new starts really. Also having to get a career - never had a proper full time jobs before. i have only ever been a student, and had part time jobs. I want/need to learn to drive too, so yet another new thing to think about!!

Overall thats a lot of new things, and a lot of new change. Which really is super scary to me at the point in time, but in a way its also quite exciting. Seems like i’ll start to build a proper life for myself this year - could be anywhere doing anything, but by the summer i need to know where my life is going. Scary stuff eh? The scariest part of it is that inside i sometimes feel like i’m still just a kid. Doesnt seem 5 minutes since i was a kid at school myself. Yet now i’m teaching them. How did that happen?!

In all of this i think the one thing that needs to remain consistent is my weight loss. Once i start losing weight that is! I need to keep on losing it steadily, and keep on going down. And my health needs to improve, and keep on improving. Thats what i want most for 2009.

I had a lie in today. its lunch time and ive only just dragged myself out of bed and come on here to read a bit. I want to start 2009 in a clean tidy organised flat. which means i have a hell of a lot of work to do today!!! Better get cracking!!!

Yesterday i had an appt with my nurse for the results of my regular MOT if you like, and my cholesterol was in the desirable category! was completely normal. the nurse seemed surprised to see that. i think she was expecting me to have high cholesterol, i hadnt had it checked before and i was too. next task:get it into the very desirable category!

my blood pressure was still high though. so am seeing the doc about that today and to up my diabetes meds hopefully too. (they have to increase the dose slowly). she also mentioned a weight loss clinic they run, and asked me if i want to lose weight. i was like yeah of course. so i have to talk about that with the dr today too.

diet wisei am making an attempt to get back on track. i know its carbohydrates as well as sugar that are bad for diabetes - cos the carbs turn into sugar. so i didnt buy any bread yet this week, and have chucked away the pasta/rice from my cupboard. going to try some recipes out this week too. do some experimental cooking. cos i need to vary my diet a bit more to eat healthier and stay that way.

going to treat myself to a shiny new wok today have a walk round the city centre, and hopefully get some paperwork done!

Well i havent blogged the past couple of days cos i’ve been busy with work. But the holidays begin today!! I’m off to stay with family tonight for a week or so. Theres a lot to be done before i go though. My flat is a complete mess (embarrassingly messy in fact) - been that busy this week i have just left it. And i can’t believe how bad its got! So thats job number 1. Then theres the packing to do, presents to wrap, work to do before i leave etc etc. But to be honest all i want to do is sleep! I am so exhausted, and so ready for a break!!  Will get myself moving shortly.

I admit my eating has been rubbish lately. As always i have big plans for over the holidays, none of which ever get done. in a perfect world here’s what i would like to do:

1. Get used to eating a better diet - get into a habit of it.

2.  Get up to date on my paperwork! (I am like weeks behind on it).

3. Get ahead on my planning.

4. Have a really good rest. Sleep lots. Relax. etc.

5. Test my bgs / experiment with what food does to my bg, - so i can get my diabetes under better control.

6. Start to lose a bit of weight!

But yeah. dont worry, i realise it is christmas. No way am i gonna get any of that done, save number 4!! Will see what i can do with the rest though.  After christmas i will have only 5 weeks left at my current placement, the amount of time i teach goes up a lot, and i just so need to be super organised from the start.  I am so ready for a break though first!!

Think i may have a bit of a sleep before cleaning/packing actually. i am exhausted. This constant exhaustion is because of constant high blood sugars though. Really need to work on getting them down, will help me in keeping up with the work if i dont have the constant exhaustion hanging over me.

Well hi guys, whoevers reading this…

I’m Lucy, and i’m 21. I started gaining weight at 16, and just never stopped. I just put more on and on. Occasionally i would lose some, sometimes quite a bit, but i would always end up gaining back more. Its time for it to stop really.

Recently had a kick up the backside, which came from being diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2. Man it makes me ashamed to say that. I know its not completely my fault - my pcos puts me at higher risk for it, and theres a genetic link too. But my weight can’t have helped i guess. I’ve been diabetic for 1 month now, and had my 1 month checkup yesterday. Was more ashamed to find i had actually gained almost 3kg in that month. Having the nurse check my weight every time i see her at least though is yet another motivator. Someone checking up on me really helps. I go back in 2 weeks time - and i REALLY want to have lost weight, and definitely not to have gained any.

I have pcos, diabetes, my blood pressure is usually high when it is checked, and i am waiting for cholesterol tests to come back. no doubt they’ll be high too. But at 21 i shouldnt be getting all these things. feel like i got all the old lady illnesses. weight loss would really help my control of my diabetes, cos right now its not well controlled. At the moment it feels like its me living with the diabetes. It should be the diabetes living with me. And it will be, in time.

Anyway, i guess i am procrastinating from doing any work, and will get off now. But i hope keeping a blog, even if no-one read it, will help me keep on track. I need someone to keep checking in on me. Keeps me on track.