Exercise - Plan B

So Plan A didn't work.  I think the problem is, is that I hate the gym.  No, I detest the gym.  Just the thought of going makes me want to run mosey in the other direction.  This time before TTC is all about trying to get as healthy as possible, and like it or not, that includes exercise so I need a new plan.

In coming up with a plan I need to answer a few questions honestly: 1) What will I actually do as a part of a consistent routine? 2) When can I realistically make time for 60 minutes of activity? 3) What can I keep up in the long term, not just over the next few months?

One of the things I really love is walking.  I love walking in NYC because there is so much to see (the stories you can make up in your head about the people going about their day in NYC is better than any TV show or gossip magazine).  Last year when I was successful at weight loss, I was walking home from work (2.5 miles) at least 3 nights a week.  But this year I have to work later, so when I leave work, I just want to get home to relax, spend time with my husband and try to not eat too late.  I also don't go directly home from work every night, so any time I have plans after work, the walk goes out the window.

So, I am going to revise Plan A, which involved going to the gym before work and instead, I'm going to walk to work in the morning.  It only adds 30 minutes to my commute, and I can easily fit that in the morning, with no unexpected or last minute plans that get in the way.  If I can do that 4 or 5 mornings a week, I think that would go a long way to help with my weight loss, and hopefully eventually weight management.

Let's see if this one works... I'd love to hear what other mommies are doing too, especially once the kiddies have arrived!

next goal... exercise

I still haven't had much luck with basal testing. I am often eating late which makes it hard to do the test. I tried to eat early (for me) tonight, and will see what I get tonight. My blood sugar control has been pretty good the past few weeks, although I still have some unexplained highs late in the late afternoon/early morning. I am going to a new endo on Friday (more on that later), and would really like to have all my basal tests done before then so he can look at them, so I will try this week.

Anyway, with my BS under pretty good control, my new focus is on exercise. I really want to lose weight before we start TTC, and even though I haven't been eating that much, it seems that as I get tighter and tighter control of my BS, it's impossible to lose any weight. I know that exercise in the answer, so this week, I'm hoping to incorporate an exercise routine.

Just as I've now make testing 8x/day part of my daily routine, I need to find ways to make it easier to exercise, or rather, more difficult to make excuses to not exercise. I've found that small changes have made it easier for me to test more often (such as leaving my tester on top of my desk rather than in my purse and under my desk), so I need to set myself for success with exercise too.

So, here's the new plan:

• Go to sleep by 11pm (NOT get in bed at 11pm)
• Wake up at 6:45am
• Work out from 7-7:45am
• Get on with the day!

My husband also wants to start working out more, so we're going to try to do it together. He's going to be my new trainer (now I just have to listed to what he says)!

Prepping my body for pregnancy - week one a success!

As we're getting more serious about having a baby, I need to start getting more serious about my health.  While my A1C is close to being at a healthy level (last one was 6.6), I'd like to get under or closer to 6 in the next few months before we start trying to conceive (TTC).  And, even though the doctor told me I don't need to lose weight before getting pregnant from a medical standpoint, I would still like to lose about 15 pounds (she encouraged me to do this if I want since starting at a lower weight would make me comfortable throughout the pregnancy).

So, this past week,  I've been working on both my blood sugar and my weight, with good results.  My blood sugar has been in the 80's, 90's and low 100's for most of the week, which to me, is impressive.  I still have some highs when I wake up in the mornings, but I've been playing with my basal rates and delayed boluses, which seems to be helping.

Battling my blood sugar is a very similar experience to me as battling my weight.  I find that both my blood sugar and weight are under control when I'm eating healthy and walking a lot, and that both get completely unmanageable when I'm eating badly and not moving much.  In both cases, too, my emotions are almost entirely dependent on numbers.  I tend to let the numbers, whether on the scale or on my meter, define how I feel about myself.  It's amazing how much better I feel about myself when my blood sugar and weight are under better control.  It's like Good Annie is beating Bad Annie, and it gives me a huge feeling of accomplishment.

So, it's no surprise that this week when I've had great blood sugar numbers, it's because I've been watching what I'm eating, and I've tried to walk home from work (2.5 miles) a few nights since it was so nice out this week.  I've been doing the low-carb thing, because whether you like the approach or not, there's no denying that it makes blood sugar control so much easier. 

I don't know if it's been easier for me this week because I have a great motivation, or what, but hopefully I can keep it up for the next few months and into my pregnancy!