Search the Community

Last challenge was about surviving a hectic April and May. While I survived, I managed to raise a lot of questions. This challenge will be the first steps towards getting those questions answered. Question #1: Reducing carbs has been great for my blood sugars. Could a ketogenic diet be even better? I've read numerous studies on the subject now. All of them seem to suggest that keto is a great way for folks with diabetes (and everyone in general) to control their blood sugar. The downside as I see it, is trying to stay on such a diet in the Western world while everyone around is no where close to it...including your own family. So, my goal is to begin transitioning to keto and see how it goes. If it goes well, I will continue down this path as long as things continue to go well. The first step, will be to watch net carbs and work on getting them lower. I will most likely be eating too much protein and not enough fat to get to ketosis. It will likely look very Paleo. There are a couple of apps I'm going to try out on my phone to see if they are more helpful than MyFitnessPal has been. Not that it hasn't been helpful, but it is lacking in this regard. My goal is to be under 60 net carbs by challenge end. Question #2: I love running, so I don't want to give it up. I also really like lifting heavy things. Notice the difference? Guess which one wins out when time gets short? Lifting heavy things has a better long term effect on my blood sugar numbers. Can I figure out a way to make it a habit as much as running is? Another case for technology perhaps? Well, maybe not quite like that. There are a couple of apps I'm looking at trying out this/future challenge(s). The first one is going to be an app called FitBod. I've always done my own lifting routines. I'm going to try to follow someone else's. I like how this app takes into account your goals and recent progress and comes up with the next workout in the progression for you. Kinda feels like having a personal trainer. My goal is to get 3 strength building workouts in per week (and however many miles I can fit in between, last week was 12 the week before was 6.5) Question #3: Quiet time and stress relief seem hard to come by. Can I come up with a way/schedule to allow for the time? I should probably turn to technology for this as well. We'll see. But, for now, I'm going to work on giving myself 15-30 minutes a day of time to just reflect. That's it. That's the whole goal. 15-30 minutes a day. Question #4: I've had a lot of people asking me questions over the last few months, thanks to my appearance change. There are a lot more people with diabetes than I ever knew, and a lot of them have no idea where to start or begin to make lifestyle changes. Is there something I can do to help them out? I've been toying with the idea of a blog specifically for this. The problem is there are a lot of blogs out there. To the point that they seem to add to the confusion. When everyone seems to have an opinion that runs counter to everyone else, who do you trust? I think my best answer to that is to simply answer the questions people have been asking me in person. What do you eat now? What does your exercise regimen look like? How did you find something that works for you so well? In truth, these are questions I got from both of the doctors as well. So, I'm going to start something and see if it has any legs.