Well hello! I know I haven’t been posting many recipes lately, and I do apologize for that. I have been changing my diet, exercise schedule and attitude about everything. Not to mention, getting the lab tests done for my Diabetes!

As you know, I was a bit worried about the last a1c reading I had which was a little above 7. I decided I needed to change to improve this number. The doctors also told me that in order to have kids in the future, my a1c needs to be below 6. I’m not going to lie, this freaked me out a bit. So I switched things up for the better and saw a huge difference!

Diet – Veggie Up!

I have been cutting down a lot of foods I eat and sticking to tons of veggies and a small amount of protein. I’ve also been on a huge seafood kick lately – for some reason, I feel better eating seafood than I do when I eat chicken, pork, or beef. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like it, my gut just feels better when I don’t!

We have also been extremely busy in preparation for the wedding… and oddly enough, I have lost some of my appetite due to stress. Fear not, of course, I am still definitely eating! Making more veggie/fruit smoothies for morning – not juicing – but smoothies, to make sure I get all the fiber, vitamins and minerals from the meat of them. I attempted the all smoothie diet for a couple days and that didn’t go over so well. All in all, I’ve made it a point to eat tons more veggies – specifically via smoothies and simple soups.

Exercise – 30-Minute-Minimum – Gympact

I’ve also increased exercise. I downloaded this app called Gympact. This is an interesting app. Basically you set a goal whether it is to work out 2-7 days a week (minimum 30 min workout, double days do not count), or eat more veggies. Every time you reach your goal, you MAKE MONEY. Granted, it’s not a lot, it may be $1 or $2, but hey it’s better than nothing! IF you MISS a day after week’s end (Monday through Sunday range), you will be CHARGED MONEY. This value can be changed such as $5, $10, $50 etc. You have the option to take a break if you’d like as well. So, if you’re sick, on vacation, injured etc., you can pause your regime on the app. So far, my goal is 4 days a week at the gym.

My personal goal is do at least 30 minutes of cardio at the gym, and then 30 minutes of weight lifting. I am seeing a HUGE difference with the combo. Cardio immediately decreases the blood sugar, whereas lifting weights is more of a prolonged decrease over time (2-4 hours). Not only have my blood sugars been so much better, but my energy is much better throughout the day!

RESULT?

Lab tests were done on Monday, July 21st. The results came back Tuesday. What was my a1c? 6.2!! My average blood sugar has been 131. It is so relieving to know that the hard work pays off. Lab results don’t lie (usually). I’ve got to remember to keep this up and to strive for the next goal… I would like to see my average lower, so this is what I’m striving for – 5.8 a1c.

I’m excited about the progress I’ve achieved thus far and am ready for the next goal! Let’s do this!