About a year ago, I was getting between 80 and 100 units of insulin a day. That's a lot! Part of why I was getting so much insulin was because I was eating a lot of carbs so I had to make sure I was taking enough insulin to control a stable blood sugar after I ate those carbs.
Looking back now, I can't believe how much I could eat! I would go to McDonald's and order a Big Mac and Fries and finish it with no problem. I was eating fast food all the time, and I was always eating Little Debbie cakes (I mentioned in a previous post that Little Debbie was my bitch!), and other sweets.
About a year ago, I started to cut back on what I ate. I stopped eating so much junk and fast food. That stuff causes you take a lot of insulin and it's so unhealthy not just for diabetics but for anyone! I cut down on portion sizes, and I started to snack on fruits and vegetables instead of cupcakes and cookies.
Fruits and veggies have a lot lower carb count than junk food! The lower the carb count, the lower the amount of insulin you will have to take! Now, don't get me wrong. I still cheat and eat cookies and other junk occasionally but it's not near as much as it use to be!
Not only did I change my diet, but I joined a gym too! I started going to the gym a few times a week. Going to the gym and exercising is so much easier when you go with a friend. I went with one of my best friends and we would start off on the bike. We would talk so much that we would lose track of time so we would easily be on the bike for 30-45 minutes. Then, we would switch to another cardio machine and work out on that for another 30 minutes or so.
Exercising and doing a lot of activity can be such a pain if you have diabetes! The more active you are, the lower your blood sugar is going to be. I was getting so frustrated with going to the gym because I couldn't keep my blood sugar in a normal range while working out.
At the beginning of a workout, my blood sugar will be at a good level. After only minutes of working out, my blood sugar will drop. I have to stop and sit down for a few minutes to drink some juice or eat a granola bar. What's the point of working out if you're just going to have to eat halfway through?! It can be very frustrating, but you have to figure out what works for you. Does your blood sugar need to start off at a higher level before a workout? Do you need to eat a bigger snack before you hit the gym? I'm still trying to figure out what works for me!
If you use an insulin pump, you might have to suspend your insulin delivery while you work out or you might have to set a temporary basal rate a couple hours before you plan on going to the gym. There's a lot to think about when you're a diabetic looking to get more exercise!
At my heaviest, I weighed 175 lbs. I am now almost 40 lbs lighter weighing 136 lbs! If I can do it, anyone can do it!
Before losing weight, and after!
Looking back now, I can't believe how much I could eat! I would go to McDonald's and order a Big Mac and Fries and finish it with no problem. I was eating fast food all the time, and I was always eating Little Debbie cakes (I mentioned in a previous post that Little Debbie was my bitch!), and other sweets.
About a year ago, I started to cut back on what I ate. I stopped eating so much junk and fast food. That stuff causes you take a lot of insulin and it's so unhealthy not just for diabetics but for anyone! I cut down on portion sizes, and I started to snack on fruits and vegetables instead of cupcakes and cookies.
Fruits and veggies have a lot lower carb count than junk food! The lower the carb count, the lower the amount of insulin you will have to take! Now, don't get me wrong. I still cheat and eat cookies and other junk occasionally but it's not near as much as it use to be!
Not only did I change my diet, but I joined a gym too! I started going to the gym a few times a week. Going to the gym and exercising is so much easier when you go with a friend. I went with one of my best friends and we would start off on the bike. We would talk so much that we would lose track of time so we would easily be on the bike for 30-45 minutes. Then, we would switch to another cardio machine and work out on that for another 30 minutes or so.
Exercising and doing a lot of activity can be such a pain if you have diabetes! The more active you are, the lower your blood sugar is going to be. I was getting so frustrated with going to the gym because I couldn't keep my blood sugar in a normal range while working out.
At the beginning of a workout, my blood sugar will be at a good level. After only minutes of working out, my blood sugar will drop. I have to stop and sit down for a few minutes to drink some juice or eat a granola bar. What's the point of working out if you're just going to have to eat halfway through?! It can be very frustrating, but you have to figure out what works for you. Does your blood sugar need to start off at a higher level before a workout? Do you need to eat a bigger snack before you hit the gym? I'm still trying to figure out what works for me!
If you use an insulin pump, you might have to suspend your insulin delivery while you work out or you might have to set a temporary basal rate a couple hours before you plan on going to the gym. There's a lot to think about when you're a diabetic looking to get more exercise!
At my heaviest, I weighed 175 lbs. I am now almost 40 lbs lighter weighing 136 lbs! If I can do it, anyone can do it!
Before losing weight, and after!
