15th November 2020

 I’m disgusted with myself 😡😖

Put on and then some, have done nothing but eat total crap this week

Now feel bloated, sluggish, headaches, Nauseated, had a few Ergh sweaty moments etc 

Carbs, sugar n fat - nothing remotely healthy or in the “diet” zone

Got my lemon hot water to start the day, finally been for a walk (been ages 😕) 

Feel I need to confess and admit 

It’s been too freaking easy to slip into those old habits, but now I see why I felt so shite all the time! 

Two weeks AL, apart from the odd Twillight and decorating (which should keep me busy!) it’s all about me 

Just concentrating on today, like the addict I am

November 2020

So, I seem to have lost my way a little this month. 

Been Yo-Yo-ing on the scales - down 2lbs up 2lbs etc - infuriating and exhausting.

So today is the 1st of the week, 1st of the month and the start of the next 6 months in my journey.

I have basically had a month off; although it was reluctantly, angry at times, sulking at others and frustrated most of it!!

Week 26 starts a new, clean sheet.

I will go back to basics with the every day blog, weekly round up, food prep and meal photos!

I will go back to planning each day/week, each meal and each snack to get a balance and also some order.

I will go back to the intermittent fasting so my tummy knows who is Boss!

I will go back to the 20/20 walking (post and for how long) instead of the random times for the last month.

Gone are the long summer days/evening, easy to walk in - but I have lots of wet weather gear!   and now I have the long dark evenings of hiding in my conservatory dancing my little socks off! 

I have achieved SO much in the last 6months but now I need to finalise my journey, cement my new choices and add a few more good practices into the mix!

onwards and downwards!

Week 24 Round Up!!

So you can see by my stats that this week has not been good.

Not sure where my mind went but it wasn't a good place, so I just went with it in the end.

Yes my Cals and Fat are waaaaaay off! but I'm pleased that I logged everything and stayed in some sort of control.

Did I put on weight - yes, but thats ok too. I am now mid way to my final planned goal, Im also happy with how I am now, I feel comfy and able to do things. 

Its a little blip! I have taken this week as a little "holiday" and just enjoyed my meals, to a degree, with no guilt.

What did I learn???

That I don't actually like bread, or my body doesn't anymore.

I don't actually want to eat rice, spuds or pasta - even with it in front of me I chose not to eat it!

That I am disappointed with chocolate! it's not how I remember it, so the odd bit here and there is ok but I can't cope with the quantity that I used too.

That I do miss crunchy things - biscuits, toast, chips, crisps, crackers etc (basically empty carbs!) Now I did over indulge in toast and had a few shortcake biscuits and the odd plate of chips, but I avoided crisps and felt bored by the chips after a few of them..... again, like the chocolate they aren't as my head remembers them, so why bother!

I think I got all my cravings out of the way, and realised that I actually DO enjoy my new way of healthy eating. I don't like the bloated, sick feeling of over indulgence but the odd blow out snack or meal is ok.... this bodes well for the future.

So I'm back on track, starting this am..... my meals are planned for the week, I have juggled and changed a few things, I just need to enjoy prepping again! I think I got tired of that too.... but batch cooking/prepping is my next goal.

I also got rid of some work stress in the last week, things that were hanging over me are now settled.

Life is good and getting better......

Weekly Round Up Week 23

So thoughts on the week.....

A very random week, all over the place at work with covering sickness kind of threw my plans for food and exercise out of the window!

A nice weekend with Skippy but it always revolves around eating, so good and bad, I felt much more in control this weekend but we also went out for lunch AND dinner on the same day, followed by a hotel breakfast - but tbh it wasnt all that and I didnt over indulge.....

Hopefully work is less needy of me this week, not that I really feel up to much with the weather changing to dramatically, the plan to walk to work tonight was cancelled when it started to chuck it down as I left the house!

Still at least my food can be on track, tomo' is a day of batch cooking, so looking forward to that.

Onwards and downwards :)

Weekly Round Up 20

So this week we went on a mini holiday to York.

Beautiful city with the opportunity to do lots of walking, but also eat, hopefully I would now feel in control.....

Meh, not so much!

We booked an apartment so that we could plan 90% of our meals, which worked well for the most part, but sadly the hob/cooker was not up to much and I am (apparently) spoilt at home with 5 gas rings and able to cook multiple pans at once.

This only really became a problem on the first night (my expectations were high), we arrived, unpacked and then went for our first outing on a Ghost Tour, on the walk home we decided to stop for a beer in a micro brewery. I under estimated how hungry I had become (mostly having not eaten more than one pitta and some cheese spread all day whilst traveling) and was severely tempted by the bar snacks of wings, chips, etc.

We decided to come back to the apartment (it was nearly 9pm) to eat - that's when the old snappy dragon in me came out.... the hob was only supporting one pan and not getting hot quick enough - Im used to cooking the prawn/cabbage melt in 20mins this took nearly 45!!  

I was not impressed with myself and the lack of control; it left a sour finishing note to an otherwise brilliant day.

Over night we discussed; this was a "holiday", I was to relax a little and have the odd treat.

The next day was planned with bfast, snacks and a yummy at home dinner, we were so busy walking and sight seeing (and falling in love all over again, easy to do with my Skippy) that food was not an issue, although I did feel, a bit, that I was missing out on all the amazing smells as we walked markets and the river banks.

We had an evening/dusk river boat tour and both decided that if we saw a nice place to eat on the way "home" we would go for it.....

We found a Chinese HotPot!  omg what an experience!  Basically a big pot divided into 3 sections with differing flavours/heat of broth, you then choose from various meats, veggies and seafood to dunk (like a fondue!)..... what fun we had! and I calorie guestimated most of it.

Tuesday was supposed to be our day of chilling out, laying in, vegging on sofa with loads of movies and doing not much!  But Skippy was keen to explore, so off we went again!  Uh oh, we found the food market! Lots of little treats later and we did eventually end up on the sofa watching films.

Wednesday was a full on walking day, nearly 20k steps! We decided to go by train which forced us into walking everywhere! It was an exploring day of fishes and castles; once home we were in bed (and asleep) by 10pm!

Thursday was time to leave, but we managed a good roam in town before the drive home and back to normality.

I have found, since being home, that getting back into my change of eating has been a bit difficult. So basically bad habits of a lifetime are still with me. But I enjoyed a "naughty" lunch (shop cooked chicken with bread rolls and mayonnaise!) with Skippy yesterday, even some chocolate on the sofa in the afternoon, which tbh I didnt really enjoy, and today is a fresh start for my next few months of journey on the weight loss, keeping my sugars under control and increasing fitness.

We have another mini break booked for November, we should have been lazing on a beach in Morocco, but with current Covid thats a no go, so we have decided to decorate the lounge and have a few days in London seeing the Museums. 

We have opted for a B&B so good choices on lunches and some treat dinners are going to be in the plans.... thats NINE weeks away, so I am aiming another stone off (plus the 1lb I put on this week) and hopefully be more in control of my choices, not desperate to munch on anything naughty or feel I am missing out.

My Ultimate Aim is for the new way of eating to become a lifestyle not a diet, for my goal weight to be achieved, my Diabetes to continue to be in full remission, my Liver to be fully healed (having no clotting issues or fatty deposits) and for my fitness levels to be in a much more healthy range - The Ultimate Date for this is 4th May 2021 - this would be a year after diagnosis.   Its an aim......

Week 17 comments

So big changes to the blog this week. This is the first weekly update 😃

So other than a fantastic news week I also had a little wobble, but that was soon solved. Worked out what I was craving and worked it into my food plan for the week. Put me over on my salt but not by much! and doing it on a weekly plan rather than sharing daily doesnt show a huge swing on one day. 

Once said craving was sated I felt so much better and felt ready to move on with the next 3 months 💪

No new foods this week; working on a new menu to include more plant based foods and reduce my meat input. The fish I eat tends to be from a sustainable source and rich in Omega 3/6s so Im not ready to limit those yet, with my Liver still healing. 

Started walking to and from work this week too, got a bit hairy with some of the weather! but after a few days of not really doing my walking, even post meals, I felt very lazy/complacent and wanted to kick my own butt!

Im really starting to notice the weight loss in my clothes, not so much my face, though others do! and in strange places like my feet going a smaller size! and obviously my boobs are looking less voluptuous and more "tangerines in socks" at the moment! but the fat is shifting around on my body! no need for skin surgery just yet 😛

Still got a fair way to go, but the novelty of loss has not yet waned and my menu is still very varied. 

So, onwards and downwards for another week.

What is Insulin Resistance and HbA1C?

HbA1c

HbA1c is your average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last three months. If you have diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol or below.

HbA1c is what’s known as glycated haemoglobin. This is something that’s made when the glucose (sugar) in your body sticks to your red blood cells. Your body can’t use the sugar properly, so more of it sticks to your blood cells and builds up in your blood. Red blood cells are active for around 2-3 months, which is why the reading is taken quarterly.

HbA1c can change for lots of reasons, including:

• being unwell
• medicines, like steroids
• changes in lifestyle
• feeling very stressed or depressed.

Remission is when a person with type 2 diabetes has healthy blood glucose levels for the long-term, without taking any diabetes medications. An HbA1c level of 48mmol (6.5%) or less is used to define remission.

For the majority of healthy individuals without diabetes a normal blood sugar level is less that 45mmol.

Insulin resistance 

The role of insulin is to allow cells of the body to take in glucose to be used as fuel or stored as body fat. 

Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don't respond well to insulin and can't easily take up glucose from your blood. As a result, your pancreas makes more insulin to help glucose enter your cells.

It also means that glucose is more likely to build up in the blood and this can lead to too high blood sugar levels. Causing alsorts of damage to tissues and cells.

Obesity and/or an inactive lifestyle, and a diet high in carbohydrates are the primary causes of insulin resistance.

It is certainly possible to reduce the effects of insulin resistance and there are a number of effective ways to do this.

• Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets
• Very-low-calorie diets
• Weight loss surgery
• Taking a lot of exercise in combination with a healthy diet

28th August 2020

So with amazing results this week..... Info to follow, I have made a few changes to my Blog.

At the start of the week I spoke with the Dietician who basically gave me a Gold Star!

Im doing everything correctly, setting achievable goals and hitting them. 

Advice: Continue on with the current plan!

Then I had my blood tests done and the results were fantastic!

My overall/joined Lipid levels were 1.9; in the lower range of normal!   My Liver is healing - clotting factor is still a bit squiffy, but that is the Covid+ damage lingering.

My antibody test came back as positive too, which is brilliant - 6 months on and I have a good immune response 😀

Finally my HbA1C (see my post on "What is an HbA1C)  was down to 36; thats not just lower, its not just pre-diabetic its within a NORMAL range!!

I am in FULL remission, so she will monitor me again in 6 months, if it stays that way then I will go to yearly!!

She was highly impressed. 😸

So now the goal is primarily weight loss to keep my insulin resistance at bay, heal my Liver, relax my joints and generally be healthy!

So with these fabulous results I am changing my Blog to weekly. Weekly & Monthly stats - with a weekly update on how I have done during the week, new menu choices, new foods discovered, pitfuls, exercise updates and the odd post on various Thoughts & Opinions!

Nuts - the benefits

So, my thoughts on Nuts!

Im literally learning that I love these little miracles of nature! 

They vary in flavour and texture and its wonderful, they can be used in salads if you are feeling adventurous or just munched as part of a meal or snack. Im sure there are lots of other ways to use them but this is early stages for me!

That said you cant eat them covered in chocolate or as nut brittle and still expect them to be good for you!! 

 

 

The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving.

That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.

They contain a good % of your daily Fibre, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese & Selenium.

Nuts are antioxidant powerhouses; the polyphenols in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that may cause cell damage and increase disease risk.

Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels, by lowering total and “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. This is great for cardiac health.

Several studies have also shown that blood sugar, blood pressure, and other health markers improve when people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome include nuts in their diet.

In addition, several research articles suggest that nuts may reduce inflammation, especially in people with diabetes, kidney disease, and other serious health conditions.

All of this adds up to a massive + in my opinion. I currently have various (plain) nuts to trial the ones I really like, but am only having in small quantities. 

Here are some links & articles if you dont believe me 😏

BBC Good Nuts!

Dietitian Today info on Nuts

Healthline - Benefits of Nuts

Eat Well Nut Article

Benefits of Lemon Water - supposedly!

Myth: I can't eat fruit if I am diabetic

enjoy eating with diabetes = useful link!

So I have been asked a few times now if its ok to eat fruit.... basically the answer is YES!!

However, it has to be fresh or frozen fruit - not smoothies or juice, dried, baked or canned (with syrup); basically any fruit that is altered in any way or has ADDED sugar.  

The point is to enjoy the fruit in its natural form, this way the bulk of the fruit fills you up. 

In addition, the sugar in fruit is not treated the same in the body as the processed added sugars.  

Fruit contains a mix of natural sugars; sucrose, glucose and mainly fructose. Many people have heard that sugar is bad for you, especially if diabetic; which is true. 

However, fructose is only harmful in excess amounts and you are unlikely to eat that much in one day/sitting by eating whole fruits.

Fruit is also a good source of other nutrients such as potassium, vitamins, minerals and flavonoids; all of which can reduce blood pressure, prevent heart disease and help our cells to work, and mine need all the help they can get!!

So my daily platter and odd bit of fruit during the day as part of my meal is not harmful.

Being diabetic HAS changed the way I eat and view my food, BUT no food is off limits, they just need to be monitored and I need to stay in control. 

Understanding portion control to every element of a menu is coming slowly. My brain still wants a massive plate of comfort food, but my body is actually not allowing that any more.

I'm learning to listen to it. 

What have I changed??

So since diagnosis 20 days ago what have I changed??

My whole life has turned upside down to be honest.

I have gone from junk food junkie to "on my way to becoming a foodie guru" on all things nutrients!

I labelled/calculated what I would of eaten on a typical day on my NutraCheck app (love this! and its free) and it was shocking how much fat, salt, sugar and calories I was eating and the lack of fibre.

I maybe brave enough to post these in a few months time...... just not yet, Im sort of ashamed. 

I have started to compile a list of meals that are easy to prepare, have a balanced amount of energy between the carbs, protein and fats.  I am trying to stick with the advice given by my Diabetic Nurse to reduce my carbs where possible and increase my proteins. Adding increased fibre into the mix often gives those all important nutrients and macro nutrients our bodies need. And dont get me started on salt!!

But what is the difference between all these food groups! So far I have learnt this......

not all foods are equal!

They come in SO many forms that I intend to break down each group in other blogs. Mutliple sources of conflicting advice, Govn advice, food industry advice, friends, family and Specialist Nurse advice - it all gets very contradictory and overwhelming.

I have cut out big  areas of food though.

ANY and ALL forms of fast food..... MacD, KFC, Pizzas, Nandos, Chinese, Indian & Fish N Chips

not saying I cant make versions of these at home!! but no more high fat, salt, MSG and addiction for me!

Also chocolate, in all its forms - its just such a nonono for me now; it will spike my blood sugar, show up for all the world to see on my three monthly bloods, make me feel awful and send me back to oblivion.

Cadburys make go out of business, I have warned them 😂

Crisps, chips, high fat roast spuds etc etc

not saying I will NEVER have them again, but in moderation, once my weight is down (and I feel in control) and home made.

Learning to cook again is hard work, I was always reluctant and often cut corners but Im learning this is for ME!

Bottom line is my life NEEDED to change, I have thrown myself in at the deep end with the help of  The Hubby aka Skippy who tastes, advises and critiques my offerings.

I will get better at this, soon it will be easy peasy! I hope 🤞

After all this is DO or DIE (or have limbs removed and organs leave the premises again) 

Time to care for me......

Day One - Here I go again.....

So, here I am again - May 2020 (year of Covid19) and I'm still fat, not even podgy, just plain old fat!

Seems my food demons have risen again, well to be fair they never really left! 

New Year intentions were soon gone by the end of January......

Whilst weight wise I'm NOT back to where I started at my heaviest (many moons ago when I sorted of started this blog); I'm not far off.

And now I can add in my newly diagnosed diabetes to the fun of my disintegrating, abused body!

I think I might be the only person in the world to say that getting Covid19 saved my life.

Firstly it shut all the junk food outlets - HooBloodyRa!

Then I really did get sick and my appetite dropped.

Thirdly I ended up at the Hospital again as my bloods were so deranged I was falling off my perch

Blood Sugar 37+

Lactate 6.7

Triglycerides off the chart..... not so much blood in my veins as a fat sludge with sugar particles.... 

I can blame Covid19 for not being able to  walk for any period without getting puffed but not being able to see my feet, do a sit up or fit in to 90% of my clothes without looking like a stuffed sausage or Demis Roussos - thats ALL me. 

I can no longer pretend I am comfy in my own skin.......

Every day now, whilst I get reuse of my lungs and get over this general exhaustion (thank you Covid19)  I spend several hours reading and researching about T2DM, various diets (I feel reviews and opinions coming on!) and planning meals.  With the odd peek at diabetic foot ulcers; dont if you dont have to......

I have seen enough literature and spoken to enough knowledgeable people to understand its NOT the exercise that really matters, although it helps to strengthen, tone and make you feel generally better, its the food I  put in my mouth thats the issue...... and I certainly have my food demons; already I can feel them gnawing at my brain.

Although postprandial walking does have its place....... more on this later!

I am not sure how to deal with these critters, they have been with me from childhood and whilst they are scary, I also know they are pathetic.  But deal with them I must, this is no longer a case of being a porker, this is organ damaging, limb losing, life shortening reality.

I am starting the blog again to try and focus myself, maybe get some friendly support, keep my food diary on track and hopefully get the odd kick up the arse!

I am planning to show daily food diary with pictures, logging the calories, carbs, proteins, fat, fibre and salt content - mostly so I can show my Diabetic Nurse and Dietitian in a few months.  Also for me to show my progress, good/bad days etc etc

My plan today, and every day,  is just to GET through  the day with no slip ups.