I Am Strong

This morning I took an early walk down to the barn and back.  Our "road" is just gravel and big rocks -most vehicles cannot travel it.  We generally go on foot or 4-wheeler.  After the thunderstorm last night, big gullies were washed out, revealing huge chunks of rock.  Walking down this hill is an exercise in caution -walking up the hill is easiest in mountain-goat mode.

I made my way down the hill to the bottom, then cut into the woods and began running up the dry creek bed.        I heard Tony going by on his 4-wheeler, so I cut up a hill through the woods and back to the road.  As I waved to him I started a jog/climb up the hill, over the rocks.

And the Lord spoke to me.

"I made you strong."

Yes Lord, through you I am strong.  Three weeks ago, BD (before diabetes) I could not have done this.
You have given me strength every day to get on the treadmill, set at an uphill walk.  You have given me strength to walk and walk around the house, through the woods, to the barn and back.  You have given me strength through my weakness, to eat this meal plan, to take my supplements, to monitor my glucose, to write down every.bite.of.food.  To only eat one piece of pizza yesterday, and IT WAS DOMINO'S!

God, thank you - you have given me strength.  I am not just a middle-age woman whose blood resembles a Krispy Kreme - I am created in your image.  Through this affliction, I will trust in you.

And I WILL rejoice!!

One of those annoying healthy-living posts

Generally, I don't talk about health/fitness, et al.  Well, only once a year, around January 1, when I commit to eat healthier and get more exercise.  But.....

Yesterday I went to a womens' health fair, sponsored by a local hospital.  As I am now among the class of "un-insured or under-insured", I qualify.  It was very nice, very well done.  I had my glucose checked, my cholesterol and had a mammogram.  Then I got to discuss the results with a nurse and go over my numbers and what needs to be done to change them.

Overall, I am not in bad shape for a 46 year old broad.  Menopause did horrible things to my waistline (nicer to blame that than the four kids!), but overall, a little achy joints but otherwise pretty good.

I need to lose some weight.  Okay, knew that.  Blood pressure was 122/86, not bad, but should be 120/80 or below.  Glucose should have been 140 or less, was 153.  This was my main cause for concern.  I had gestational diabetes with three of my pregnancies, so I am very familiar with the diets, blood testing, etc.  Do not want to go back there, ever.  Having had GD, I am at a higher risk, so this bothered me.  I am going to have to go to a lab and take a regular fasting test and see where I am.  In the meantime, I got some cinnamon and chromium pills to take.  It is supposed to help you metabolize sugars better.  We will see.  When I told my results to my friend who went with me, she asked if I had be itchy lately.  YES!!!  I have switched soaps three times in the last week or so, in the evening my whole torso and upper arms itch-itch-itch.  She said that is a sign of high blood sugar.

Side note - I thought about Googling all this, but my kids' pediatrician told me to never google symptoms, you always think you have something far worse than what you really have.

Anyway, started taking the pills.  A nice side effect is that if you burp you think you had a snickerdoodle.

My cholesterol overall is 191, and it needs to be below 200, so that is okay.  The good cholesterol, however, should be at least 50, preferably 60, and mine is 45.  The nurse suggested flax seed oil or meal, and........regular exercise.  I bought a bag of flaxseed mill (surprisingly inexpensive, I always expect healthy stuff to be a price gouge) and have added it to my smoothie today.  I don't taste any difference.  And, I did a half hour on the treadmill.

So, there is the update on my physical health.  This little adventure yesterday got me thinking about my spiritual and mental health as well, and some of the tie-ins.  I need to think a little more, and will elaborate later this week.

Goal #5...

Exercise at least 3 times a week, besides my regular "on my feet all day" stuff.


Okay, this is a problem.  I hate - can I say "hate" - exercising.  I like to go for walks, but there are no roadways to walk on.  We live in a rural area, no sidewalks, barely even a shoulder on the road.  I really don't want my four sons to be walking down that road, probably wandering into the traffic lane, where cars come zooommmmiiinnng over the hill at you.  We can hike through our woods, but you really can't do that every day.  I have a very nice treadmill, but I don't feel like using it.  I have started stacking my magazines on it.  The idea is that I can ONLY read magazines while on the treadmill.  So, I have a stack of new, unread magazines.  This is really not working.  I tried using an exercise dvd and the boys laughed at me. 

Here's the deal.  I am on my feet most of the day.  I maintain the home, homeschool four kids, help with the business, care for the critters....I just don't feel like doing anything else.  When I have down time I want to be down - to lay down and read a book, check the computer, etc. 

But, I know that I should be doing this.  It is good for me.  It is really just such a low priority, though, that when I look at the things that NEED to be done (like, at least two loads of laundry every day!) that I want to get those things done and I (rapidly) lose any interest in exercise. 

I don't like this goal.  But I know it ties in with Goal #1, getting back to my Lifetime Weight Watchers weight.

I was down .6 today from last week, btw.  Slow and steady wins the race!

Anyway.  I just don't like doing it.  I could go do it right now.  I should.  It would require me changing pants, putting on my shoes, putting up my hair.  It would also require me getting off the computer. 

Okay.  I can do this.  I will do this.

I am off to go do this.  I'll tell you tomorrow how it went.