So, my Lingo CGM (continuous glucose monitor) arrived. I prepped my arm and placed the sensor. It did not hurt at all. I did, however, bleed like a harpooned whale.
So far, my levels have been between 76 and 110. I can’t wait to see how it goes tomorrow. Here is a photo of the sensor showing the needle.
I can’t believe it has been almost 8 months since I last posted. Where have I been? To be honest, no where. I’ve been in quite a funk lately – mentally and physically. I recently decided I needed to do something about that.
First, I started reflecting on my mental health. What is keeping me stressed and depressed and what can I do about it?
With the current state of the world, it has been hard to think positive about the future. It doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you are on. I have friends and family from all walks of life and I love them all no matter what. What I don’t like is the amount of hatred that is out there. I’ve decided that I am going to spread positivity. It is amazing how people react to an unexpected smile or a kind gesture from a stranger.
I’ve been dealing with family health issues on both my side and my husband’s side of the family. I find myself stressing. We are so far away from both sides of the family. Sadly, there is nothing I can do. So, I just pray. God must be up there thinking. “Oh no, not her again” LOL. Not really, He has been good to me.
I’ve also started to invest in my physical health. I looked into vitamin B12 shots and, after extensive research, started getting weekly shots. Well, it’s only been 2 shots so far, but it seems to have made a difference. Both my brain fog and severe exhaustion have lessened. If you ask my husband, he will say my energy has exploded. (I haven’t been caught singing and dancing in the passenger seat of the car in years. Today, I had a ball).
I’ve also been interested in how my body reacts to different foods and activity. I am awaiting my first CGM (continuous glucose monitor) delivery. They should be here on Monday. I plan to wear one for the next month and track how different foods affect my glucose. This will help me choose foods that are less likely to spike my blood sugar. More on that journey in a future blog.
I am feeling better and have more energy. I am hoping to share some insight and tips with anyone interested.
Please share any tips that have helped you.
Thanks for reading!
Goals have been set.
I met with the registered dietitian last night. I think it was a good session. We came up with three doable goals for the next two weeks.
Goal 1: Since my step totals have fallen off and I haven’t been hitting 5000 steps lately, we decided to set a goal for 5000 steps each day. I hit 5105 yesterday. Today, at 4:45 PM, I already have 5135 steps.
Goal 2: Since Physical Therapy is helping, my second goal is to continue with it AND to do my PT home exercises every day. So far, so good.
Goal 3: Continue tracking my food and posting pictures on the Nourish. Easy, peasy.
I’m feeling pretty good about those goals.
Thanks for reading!
I’ve been working on eating healthy and moving more. I am currently having physical therapy once a week to help with my lower back arthritis.
I have been so frustrated with my goal of getting healthier and moving better. I often feel like the rusty tin man. My joints don’t want to unlock. I’m tired of feeling this way and I am working on a plan for change.
Besides physical therapy, I have been getting massages again. Not the nice, relaxing massages. These massages have improved my flexibility so much. My therapist, Wendy, has found a way to unlock my knees. It hurts like hell while she is doing it and for two days after, but it is working.
I will be meeting with a nutritionist tomorrow after work to get some assistance. I will share what I learn and give updates on my progress.
Thanks for reading.
I can’t believe it has been so long since my last post! What have I been doing since then? Working on myself. Getting exercise. Trying to consistently eat healthy. Working on my mental health.
A new Planet Fitness has been going in near us and I have been impatiently waiting for it to open. I signed up as soon as they started membership sign-ups. They finally opened on August 31and I am working on getting myself organized to go three times a week on my way home. On top of his, we have been going to the local pool and swimming. If there is a lane open, I will do a lap or two. I’m new to lap swimming so I’m easing into it. If not, I do water walking, using the water resistance to enhance my workout. It’s going pretty well.
I have been taking the weight loss class offered by work since mid-July. I lovingly call it Fat Camp. Every Thursday for an hour we meet online – sort of like a WW meeting without the mandatory weigh-in. On top of that, I am taking a class called Full Plate Living Core Program. Basically, 75% of your plate is healthy food (vegetables, whole grains, fruits) and the other 25% are your indulgences (meat, dairy, bread, dessert). The 75% foods are all high-fiber foods that include water. It is pretty interesting. I’m not following the 75/25 completely yet. It takes time to get used to it mentally and physically. I do, however, see how it works.
As you can imagine, work has been a little crazy. Between continued work on recovery from Hurrican Ian almost a year ago and the damage from the glancing blow we received from Hurricane Idalia last month, I work in the office and see how hard our Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Facilities Maintenance Techs and HVAC techs work to keep all the County facilities functional and pleasant for the citizens. From offices to libraries, recreation centers, pools, and parks – they are out there cleaning up after the storm and when things are normal, making sure everything is in order. It is hard work, so stop and thank them if you see them.
So, I am back. I have several books I need to review and some healthy recipes to share. Stay tuned…
Thanks for reading!
If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, there is help.
Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or go to the nearest emergency room.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org/.
988 is confidential, free crisis service that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline connects people to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals.
Crisis Text Line
Text “HELLO” to 741741
The Crisis Text hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the U.S. The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who can provide support and information.
Veterans Crisis Line
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255
The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that connects veterans 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a trained responder. The service is available to all veterans, even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare.
National Disaster Distress Helpline
Call or text 1-800-985-5990
The disaster distress helpline provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. The helpline is free, multilingual, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It’s time for another protein bar taste test. I’ve enjoyed the One Bars. I found a new flavor – S’mores! Who doesn’t love s’mores??? Looks yummy!
So, let’s take a look at the macros – 210 calories, 7 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 25 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 1 gram sugars, 20 grams protein. Not bad.
Let’s open up the package.
DELICIOUS!!!!! Good texture. Not too sweet. I could almost smell the campfire.
Have you tried the S’mores One Bar? Do you have another favorite flavor?
Thanks for reading.
My friend gave me this bar to try. She kind of liked it and wanted to know my thoughts.
The cross section made me excited to eat the bar.
The macros – 190 calories per bar, 8 g fat, 200 mg Sodium, 14 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 16 G protein. Not horrible but not the best.
Now for the taste. It was DELICIOUS! However, it was not filling. A Snickers holds me over better but also has worse macros. I think I would eat one of these bars occasionally as a treat.
Have you tried them? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
If you know me, you k no ow I love lemon flavored EVERYTHING! I had really high hopes for the Lemon Delight Think! Bars.
First, the macros. A little higher in calories than I would have liked and I was disappointed that there was NO FIBER at all.
So, was the taste worth the calories and lack of fiber?
In my opinion, no. The texture was weird and there was not enough lemon flavor for me. To me, it was like eating a sawdust bar that was dunked in lemon water. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion.
This is a bar that I won’t be trying again. That doesn’t mean you won’t like it. If you have tried it and like it, good. Maybe you can share your thoughts on what you like in the comments.
What healthy bar or treat should I try next?
Thanks for reading.
As I continue with my journey to get healthier and lose weight, I have been trying different food and different strategies and sharing them here. My newest strategy is practicing mindful eating.
What is mindful eating? Mindful eating is paying attention to the food you eat and using all of your senses when doing so. The opposite of mindful eating is mindless eating. We’ve all done that, right? Rough day at work. Start cooking dinner and sit down to watch TV…with a bag of chips or box of cookies. The next thing you know, you have eaten the entire box or bag. You don’t even remember tasting the food. Yeah, that’s really mindless.
So, how do you practice mindful eating? Here’s what I’ve been doing. I choose one meal a day to practice this. Today I chose to practice at lunch. The steps I followed:
That is how I practiced today. Have you tried anything similar? If you have, how has mindful eating helped you to eat healthier, enjoy your food more, and helped you lose weight? Do you have any tips or tricks you would like to share regarding mindful eating? Please comment below.
Thanks for reading.
When I decided to try different protein bars and “review” them, I didn’t realize how many delicious bars were out there. This has been a wonderful and tasty endeavor.
happen to be my favorite berry. I could eat them every day and be happy. When I saw that the One Bar had a blueberry cobbler flavor, I had to try it. It took a while for me to find them, but I finally hit the jackpot this weekend.
Look at how delicious this bar is.
It really does taste like the blueberry cobbler that your grandma used to make. The flavor is spot on. The consistency is chewy with a bit of a crunch. Altogether delicious. And filling. I ate half of one as a morning snack and, after two slices, I was satisfied.
How do the macros stack up? I think pretty good.
See if you can get your hands on one to try. I found mine at Walmart.
Have any protein bar suggestions for me? I’d love to taste-test your favorites.
Thanks for reading!
This {_______} life 