Taoin Sisu

4.8 yesterday for fasting, yay! 5.1 for fasting today, boo! Went for a walk yesterday evening (to the chemist to get new needles, they call them lancets). Will go for a walk tonight this time to the shops to get batteries as the monitor batteries are running low (sigh).

Thinking I'll trial skipping supper again and see how my fasting goes tomorrow, as that seemed ok for fasting last time. I'm not hungry then and don't think I really need it.

Managed to juggle getting Matthew ready and having a decent breakfast at a later time, testing and snacks went fine at work, boss and colleagues were understanding and supportive. I think I might need to up my lunch carbs at work a little...

I'm glad I don't have a thing about logging numbers and getting all worked up, or this could easily do my head in.

I am feeling better for having a good breakfast and because I have a snack at home time at work before heading home I don't feel the urge to stop at the shops and get chocolate/chips to eat on the bus, so that works out. Too tired to prep meals/snacks the night before so squeeze it in in the morning along with getting Matthew's snacks and lunchbox ready.

Feeling tired. But off to work. Going to be late as Matthew had a melt down before preschool (didn't want to put his jumper on and it's cold!)

Had my first hypo today. Wasn't bad. My fasting levels were getting better, I've gone from 5.5 to 5.2 and today was 5.0 (need to be under 5.0 for fasting).

But then I started getting really irritable before my post breakfast reading. We were out and about and I needed to take the test in the toilets for privacy at the shopping centre. Needed to be between 4 and 7, I hit 3.9. That's only 0.1 under right? But I felt off and was worried I was heading down. Grabbed a quick takeaway cappuccino with 2 sugars (17g carb) to up my sugars while hubby was distracting our son. Felt better quickly but our son Matthew had a melt down when he noticed I wasn't there so John brought him to me while I was in the queue and then he tried to grab my coffee (sigh).

So for lunch I tried upping my carbs a bit, got a solid 5.5 post lunch, then slightly lower carb snack (needs to be 15g, I had 11g to compensate for lunch), then very low carb snack mid afternoon (1g carb). Had to go for walk early as it was going to rain and I got reflux. 

Feeling ick so I upped carbs for dinner. My limit for meals is 45g, I had 46g and then immediately needed to go and lie down and fell asleep. Woke up at 9pm with alarm to treat my blood sugar, and scored 6.4, which is under 7 but my highest so far. So today I've gone from hypo to fairly high, just from fluctuations in my carb intake. And we're taking tiny fluctuations.

My evening is the highest it's ever been, I can't stomach a supper before bedtime and not sure what readings I will get tomorrow after fasting but guessing higher than 5.0.

Ugh. Thinking I really should have just had the cappuccino with the 2 sugars and then after that tried to eat normally (eg 15g carb snacks, 35g carb lunch). My hypo corrected quickly but then I went overboard and it ended up all over the place.

But yesterday seemed to have not half bad readings so maybe I can use yesterday's intake as a guide? If I keep my snacks at 11g to 15g and my main meals 33g to 40g, and make sure I get enough for breakfast so I don't go hypo ie include either egg or Greek yoghurt maybe that will help.

I'll start fresh tomorrow and get a good night's sleep tonight. And I'll drink plenty of water through the night. 

I have 8 days left before I see the specialist and I need to get the fasting sugar under control. I'll see what the next two days bring.

Quick summary: I'm Taoin Sisu, I am a working mum 3 days a week, a SAHM 3 days a week and 1 day a week my gorgeous special needs preschooler is in childcare to be just me.

I've done 2.5 challenges and had to abort the 3rd challenge when I got pregnant with my second child and morning sickness became too much.

Current status:

I'm almost back into the swing of things and currently at 20 weeks pregnant. But I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes 2 weeks ago. I made some dietary changes (it wasn't too hard I was basically eating healthy by then anyway) but I saw the diabetic educator at the hospital 2 days ago and now I've gone hard core. Food diary (My Fitness Pal) carb counting as per guidelines from hospital, blood sugar testing 4 times a day, regular meals and snacks, no crap food. At all. Also having to walk 30 min per day, just started that. Using an app called Mysugr to keep track of everything.

The hospital will want my food diary over the next two weeks, I have to email them my blood sugar test results twice a week, and on 21/05/2018 I have an appointment with a specialist who I have been assured by 3 other mums is a complete "evil b*#@h" to quote who left 2 mums in tears, while the other made sure to take her mum with her as a support person. Quick to recommend insulin and c-section, and blame the mother for the issues. So, there's that coming up as well.

I am stressed but not daunted. I will rise to this, my family and baby are depending on me. Hubby was severely traumatised by last emergency c section when our son had to be resuscitated 3 times, and our son needs me at home, so hoping for natural, but in the end whatever is safe for healthy baby.

On the plus side I have free access to the diabetic educator and can ask for referral to a dietician, so I have a free "heath coach team", my testing gives me  quick feedback on my diet and how my body is coping, I have external accountability in spades thanks to the "specialist from hell" and internal motivation as baby needs me to be good. Hey, that's an awesome recipe for success right? Even if I'm pissed about it all.

My diet is pretty damn good, my blood sugars are under control in the daytime, but my overnight fasting is too high. Good motivation to go for that walk after dinner.

I've joined a gestational diabetes mum's Facebook group and they have some good tips to help, but even with everything I'm doing, the fasting result may be due to the hormones the placenta is producing, which is out of my control. If it continues I might need to be on a night dose of insulin (needle in tummy, ow!).

I won't log everyday here, but I'll do what I can. The next challenge starts the day before the specialist appointment, so I'll be setting up my challenge in the rebels then. Main goal: get my fasting sugar under control.

So, this is me kicking gestational diabetes to the curb:

Er, hopefully

1 minute ago, Wobbegong said:

Oh no! I hope you feel better soon, @Taoin Sisu! You should definitely feel free to chill out and skip this challenge if that's what you need, but if you ever want any encouragement or a friendly ear, don't hesitate to stop by! 

Thanks @Wobbegong! 

Hi!

And here's a gif:

What worked best previously was walking every day and tweaking my diet, tracking my food and making my health a priority.

Recently meal prep with support from NF peeps here has been great.

But I just wanted to check in and say hi to the peeps because I won't be participating in the next challenge.   In between pretty feral morning sickness and gastritis that can't be treated (because hey, still in first trimester) I've lost 5kg but not in a good way. Definitely not recommending the crackers and tap water diet I'm following at the moment. Hence the sound of crickets from my last challenge page...

However once things get easier I'll be joining up in a future challenge when ready so I can get my nutrition back on track (tweaked for bub no. 2) 

Just wanted to say good luck, and I'm still around and will join you guys later once my little preggo journey gets a bit less, er, nauseating. Have fun! 

Thanks for the support guys!

My meal plan included salads that I would pack in mason jars for lunch, which included baby spinach, home made pesto made of spinach and basil, Vegemite on crackers and hard boiled eggs for snacks, plus avocado, almonds all good sources of folate. I was hoping to introduce vegetable soup as well, so great excuse to incorporate broccoli, another good source. Plus I like chickpeas and have wanted to try home made hommus for a while now. It all sounds good, but morning sickness might throw it out the window.

Unfortunately, I'll need to mix up my protein for the lunch salads as cooking the chicken will only work the one day (can't keep for longer than that when preggers). Might introduce some canned tuna.

Starting to get morning sickness though, so not sure if I'll manage the porridge I normally eat for breakfast. Had a fruit juice icypole this morning while lying in bed and then had a couple of arrowroot biscuits.

Just had toast and Vegemite for dinner, couldn't cope with what I'd cooked earlier.

Wait and see.

Someone just shifted the goal posts...

Two things happened over the last few days. Firstly, hubby ended up in excruciating pain in his right wrist (he's left handed) progressing worse and worse with no history of trauma. Saw the doctor and he's got carpal tunnel syndrome.

The day after he was diagnosed, I started getting suspicious that my period was late ... turns out I'm pregnant! (About 5 weeks)

On the plus side, the meal plan I had set up for my challenges is actually quite good for pregnancy (I'm surprised how much folate I've included in my meal plan without trying).

On the minus side, I'm obese, almost the biggest I've ever been. To add the weight gain of a pregnancy on top of that... woah!

I'm worried about Matthew getting the attention he needs when all of this is going on, and there's a limit to how much help hubby can now give me with a busted wrist. He'll see the specialist 01/02/2018 and then we'll use private health insurance to get a quicker surgery.

So I'm still going to do the challenges as I can. I won't be logging my food, just trying to eat with good nutrition, plenty of water (although I'm back onto the ginger cordial). I'd like to set up a gentle walking habit, just waiting for my energy to increase. Fell asleep twice while watching TV with my toddler today in the couch.

Week 2 (for me anyway).

I've made breakfast, lunch and snacks for the week and have just started logging again. I'm taking porridge with me to work and I'll eat there before I start work. Last week I stopped off at the café before work and would have a cappuccino with a breakfast wrap so I'll be cutting down on calories there. Plus I'll have an instant coffee.

I'll fill out the rest of MFP for the week in advance while in the bus to work.

On Friday I have to plan the meal prep for dinners for the month. I was meant to do it last Friday but just couldn't face it all. I need to plan what I'll be putting in Matthew's lunch box for preschool for his start date at the end of January too.

Not feeling the best depression wise but just taking little steps, and once Matthew has been settled in preschool for a month or so I'll be feeling better and able to focus more on my health goals.

Ok, so this week I prepared chicken salads and hard boiled eggs for snacks for my 3 work days. Now I'm off to do another couple of salads for my home days.

Hanging out for my day off Friday. I'm in the slow process of tackling some organisation of the house/toys situation to make things easier and I'll be planning my meal prep for next month (shopping lists, etc). I also want to get started on a journal for my NFA stuff.

Tonight I'm going to bed early. Kate finishes at work, little sleep due to wake ups from Matthew (thunderstorms and hot weather) and stress have exhausted me. 

Off to bed .... Zzzzz....

5 hours ago, fleaball said:

Welcome back! Cheering for you.

Thanks Flea!  

On 09/01/2018 at 3:12 AM, Hypotheticalfox said:

Slow and steady, right? My daughter was in and out of hospitals for her first 4 months or so and it can be DEVASTATING. Nothing else mattered and then getting back out of anxious sick child mode is... well, it’s over a year and a half later and I still have anxiety about her health, so I can’t fully say what it’s like once it’s gone.

I like the idea of setting a challenge to get back to a place where you know you can be. Meal prep is a pain when it’s happening, but it does make the week easier (eventually) reducing stress. I’m with you on black coffee... I’m strictly tea/water right now because it would be punishment to have to drink coffee black (and I actually like tea).

Best of luck on your challenges. Go you!


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When Matthew was born he had to be resuscitated 3 times and was in intensive care on life support for a month. When they're little and in hospital you don't forget it. But it's easier now he's 4 and walking, babbling (with some words and sign language) and generally being an all round charmer and goof 

I know meal prep is key. Man it's a pain though! Meanwhile next week is tackle coffee addiction week... hmm, maybe tea is the way to go... thanks for the idea! (And the support!)

On 09/01/2018 at 1:43 AM, Bean Sidhe said:

Welcome back

 

I think with everything you have going on, taking it slow and steady this challenge is a good idea.

 

Good luck getting the transition set up. I know the transition at least with Eldest Agent was always the hardest part, but his quirks are different. .

Here to offer support

Thanks Bean! Every kid's quirks are different, aren't they? I guess after going through it with one it was easier after that?

Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it.

Ok, so end of last November, snack bang in the middle of the last challenge my 4 year old special needs toddler was in hospital for a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy/grommet insertion, then a week later back in emergency for a post op bleed.

And I tanked. Big time. I'd lost 2.5kg and then gained it again. But that's ok. 

This challenge is about taking it really easy and slowly. Putting into place some of the good habits I'd managed to establish before I derailed. 

1. Meal Prep.

2. Logging calories.

3. Replacing coffee with water (can't do black, no sugar, so...)

Next challenge I'll add walking/workout, sleep, tidying and meditation, but right now I'm limping. My toddler is due to go to preschool at the end of the month and there are some other challenges around that, so this challenge is just about getting started again.

Really s-l-o-w-l-y. Just the above. Nothing else right now, because I can barely cope at it is.

Hi guys, I'm Taoin, I've done two challenges that were OK but the last one bombed and I lost progress. I'm hoping to respawn in this one.

And here's a gif (if it works!). My reaction to 2017, summed up...

I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to in 2018. I guess to get some traction on my goals, so I progress instead of falling back? I have a year and about 25kg to lose, I want to see myself at least 10-15kg lighter and see what a difference that can make?

For what I fear, my toddler is more progressing to preschool at the end of the month and he has Down Syndrome so there are a lot of issues. Not sure how we'll be able to cope and if I have the energy to work on my health goals when there is so much going on with him. Also I've had some issues with depression last year, and I'm worried I'll slide back into it. But I have to start somewhere though, so here I am...

On the plus side, I'm here! Yay me! 

On 15/12/2017 at 8:30 AM, scalyfreak said:

 

So today is Long Bath Day?

Unfortunately we don't have a bath, but I did spend a whole, blissful 3 hours sleeping to catch up, yay!

Thank you for all of your support everyone, it's really helped! I think if it hadn't been for this I might of just given up for a while and put it all in the too hard basket.

The last couple of days home with Matthew have been really rough, he's bored and irritable and wants his mummy to be happy and fun and most of all to do as she's told! 

Matthew is in childcare today for the first time in 2.5 weeks and mummy has a whole day off to herself. So today is recharge and recover and figure out where I'm going next with my goals.

Sigh. Ok, so maybe I should have called this challenge "Taoin loses her way".

My logging is hit and miss, my meal prep is down the toilet, I've barely left home let alone gotten any walking done as Matthew has not been easy post op recovery, and the housework has only been done sporadically and reluctantly because Matthew will wander out to the back room and point to the vacuum cleaner, which means I plug it in, he pretends to vacuum clean for 5 min and then he gets bored and I take over, because after all, getting the vacuum cleaner out and plugging it in its the hardest part, right?

I have currently escaped due to Matthew being asleep and hubby giving me a free pass. And am having dinner at Macca's... Enough said.

However Matthew has been given the all clear by the ENT today at the hospital and is due to start childcare this Friday, which is a day off for me, the first toddler free day I'll have had in 2.5 weeks. 

So respawn on Friday. I'll have 10 days to make something of this challenge.

I will say that my quest to have a "default day", where I can do the minimum to keep on even in adversity has failed. However what have I learned so far?

1. I would have continued to log if I had entered all of my slow cooker recipes in MFP in advance. I've been stymied in logging because we end up having dinner and I have no idea what the calories are and no energy to put the recipe in. 

2. My meal prep was screwed by exhaustion and upset by having to stay in hospital with Matthew.

3. I need to start walking daily to get anywhere and pay closer attention to my diet, however I'm still stuck with difficulties with exhaustion at night time and early wake up times by Matthew. 

4. While the slow cooker meals definitely helped, I don't think the recipes will work out. The ones I did calculate are higher in calories than I'm used to, and the cooking times suggest 6-8 hours but they were getting overcooked. The concept works, but I need to tweak things.

I am utterly not motivated at the moment, and Friday will be a day for me, but I think with some tweaking I can get back on the horse.

Maybe I should reset the challenges to the tweaks above so I am ready to start again next challenge?

I love my toddler so much, however I knew it was going to be difficult with his surgery and recovery. His behaviour has suffered (although his sleep has improved) and right now I'm just trying to get through one day at a time. I have no idea how he is going to cope with childcare on Friday after I've been with him and catering to all his needs one on one for 2.5 weeks, but I know logically he'll be ok.

After Friday he had one more week at childcare for 4 days while I'll be working, then we both get Christmas break together. Next challenge for him will be going from pull ups back to cloth undies for toilet training, doing "picnic lunches" with me and hubby to try and get him used to eating a packed lunch for preschool, moving him to a toddler bed and out of his sleepy bag. Too many challenges and I don't feel up for any of it, but we don't have a choice. Preschool starts end of January, he's outgrowing the cot and sleepy bags and he's making no progress with toilet training while in pull ups (we had to switch back to pull ups at request of childcare, as his pediatrician prescribed daily laxatives for his low muscle tone, and the rest of it is TMI).

Thanks for your support guys, and sorry I've been scarce lately.

Roll on Friday...

Matthew is back home, no more bleeding and it looks like we can start to wean him off the pain meds too.

Week and a half and everything should be back to normal...

Sigh. Matthew back in hospital, had a bleed this morning at 4.30am. Stopped but needed to go into emergency, currently in observation 

HiThanks @Bean Sidhe@scalyfreakand @Diadhuit for posting. Matthew is home and ok. He needs pain meds and it's a bit difficult but I'll post more when things get a bit easier. 

Thanks @Bean Sidhe and @scalyfreak, D day is tomorrow  I'll post back when it's all done... 

On 27/11/2017 at 5:56 AM, Bean Sidhe said:

 

I would love to be able to get out the door in 5 minutes ever. Instead of 5 minutes waiting on people to do coats.

 

 

well, that means your streak starts at 1 again tomorrow. You will get there. Any chance of going out later today?

I wasn't able to as I was working yesterday and today. Matthew has his operation tomorrow and then I'll see how he goes with recovery. I might be able to go at nighttime when things settle down a bit. 

Ugh, spoke too soon. Had a crap day yesterday from being so tired, and Matthew was up through the night. Not enough sleep and I'm exhausted. 

2 hours ago, Bean Sidhe said:

Great job getting your walk in. Getting the habit started is the hardest part. I am completely okay with boring alarm screenshots.

But even if it took you 20 minutes to get out the door, you did it. Maybe tomorrow it will only take 15 minutes.

Thanks Bean! Eventually I'm hoping for 5 min out the door... 

2 hours ago, scalyfreak said:

Are you using an app to track your walking?

 

Depending on your personality, you may find it motivating to see daily progress. "You have walked 4 days out of 7 this week", for example. Some find ti has the opposite effect, so  if it doesn't work for you, then don'tdo it.  

I have loop habits tracker app on my phone to track. Actually it tells you how strong your habit is out of a percentage. Because I walked today, I'm at 5%