#SuckItDiabetes

 

How ironic is it that I started going back to the gym on “National Quitters Week?” By the way, I did not realize it was National Quitters Week until I heard about it from listening to The Joshua Mentality podcast. My goal last year was to go to the gym 3x week and at least hit 6,500 steps per day. This goal might seem like nothing to the average avid gym goer and walker, but this was just perfect for me since I was relatively inactive. I was able to track my steps with my Fitbit and I liked the visual example of where I was at reaching my steps goal. There were some weeks that I hit my goal and some weeks I didn’t. I have a gym membership and I can pull up the app and see “my check-ins”. It kept track of my check-ins in 3 ways: it pulled up the calendar and the “check-in” days are circled, a percentage for the “past 30 days”, and a percentage for the month is shown as well. I thought that was a great way to measure my progress towards my goals and I didn’t know this feature existed until now. Looking back on my progress last year, I can say that I am satisfied with some parts of it and know that I can improve on the other parts.  

I started getting serious about my health following multiple incidences with my blood sugar levels and realizing how much it impacted my health. I had gotten a new PCP and I appreciated her warmth, her attention, and thoroughness. She sent me for bloodwork and for the first time, she educated me on my bloodwork levels: 7/2020, my average blood sugar level was 266 and my A1c was 9.6. My PCP sent a referral to the Diabetes Management course through Advent Health and that is the first time I truly learned about diabetes and its effects on the body.  After taking this course, I became aware of my eating habits, my activity level, and so on. After my conscious efforts, my blood sugar level was 145 and my A1c 6.7 in 4/2021. Based on my glucometer, my current average blood sugar for the last 90 days was 135. I’m working on it but it’s not easy, my daily goal for every time I test is between 120-140 but sometimes, I miss.

Did you meet your goals on becoming healthier last year if you made such goals? Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t because you can always pick up where you left off! Becoming healthy and changing those hard habits in your life are not that easy to do. The commercials, celebrities, and personal training videos make it all look so easy but it’s the discipline and perseverance that matters. You should be proud of yourself for just wanting to be healthy because that’s where it starts! Next, make those SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic (or Relevant), & Timely. You also want to keep in mind why you want to accomplish your goal or what value it will add to your life because this will give you motivation to keep going. This is my #1 goal between now and May which I will be using as an example. What I’m looking to change: weight loss because it will improve my Type 2 Diabetes & my overall health.

Goal: I want to lose 20 pounds by my next birthday.

Action Step 1: Weigh myself 1x weekly (Sunday) and log my weight in my Fitbit app for progress.

Action Step 2: Exercise at the gym 4 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) for 1 hour, 10:45am-11:45am (this will also log it in my Fitbit app automatically & my gym will log in my “check-ins”)

Action Step 3: Achieve step goal of at least 6500 steps per day (this will also log it in my Fitbit app automatically)

One last thought: remember that you are a wonderful creation made by our Creator. You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the secret place! All bodies-shapes & sizes- are beautiful because God made them! There’s a difference between losing weight because you want “society” to accept you versus losing weight to be healthy. Remember that God loves you and accepts you no matter what “shape or size” you are. Remember that the relationship between you, your body, and your Creator is the most important one!!

Warm Wishes,

Carline

copied from health.harvard.edu

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