One Foot In Front Of The Other

Posted on by 4 Paths To Wellness

One foot in front of the other.  That’s a mantra I’ve seen repeated many times in blogs on WordPress and from other runners on Twitter.  I put it to good use today.  After the 80 degree heat on Monday, today was overcast and in the upper 60’s.  Perfect running weather.  So off I went.  I’ve gotten into a routine of running a mile, walking a mile and then running half a mile.  That was my plan for today as I headed for the park.

I started out with a brisk walk for three laps before launching into my run.  The usual heavy legs started to set in around lap three, but I pushed through it.  It didn’t seem as bad today as I settled into lap five, the lap that takes me to a mile.  So I decided to keep going.  I usually run a mile and a halfway with a walking break after the mile marker.  So I figured I could get the mile and a half in one go.  As I headed into lap seven I still felt I had more in the tank so I just went for it.  I’ve never managed to run two whole miles in a single workout before.  I got close once but had to stop running one lap short of the first mile.

Heading into lap 10 I hit The Wall.  My legs just wanted to stop but I pushed on, refusing to come up short this time.  The One Foot In Front Of The Other mantra chanted over and over in my head as I followed word with deed and I completed my first ever two consecutive two mile run.  It was such a good feeling. I managed to complete my two mile run in just 21 minutes.  I’m really pleased with that time.  It shows I pushed myself hard.  I guess my fitness level is coming up.  I’m glad I took advantage of the cooler weather to push myself as I know the 80’s will be back after today and we’re going to a convention next week.  As long as I see progress that will give me the push to maintain my new healthy lifestyle.

When I got home I tested my sugar.  It was 88, a good number.  I love how my body is responding to my healthier lifestyle.  Getting more active is a great way to get diabetes under control.  I really feel upbeat and hopeful that I can get off medication altogether.  That’s my goal.  I’ll find out how close I am to achieving that when I go back to the doctor next month.  Running is part of my life now.

I am a runner!

Pushing Limits

Posted on by 4 Paths To Wellness

I have just smashed my personal best. I’m getting more serious about running. I’m even following some blogs about running. I just went for my workout in our local park. I walked the first two laps. Then I ran four laps in a row without slowing. I wanted to do five as five laps in that park is one mile. But I just didn’t have the legs. So I slowed to a walk and walked the next four laps. Then I just went for it. I managed to run the full five laps. That last lap was the hardest ever but I made it. I ran almost two miles. My new personal best!

They say “no pain, no gain.”  Well that last lap was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.  My legs just wanted to stop.  But I pushed through the pain barrier.  That feeling of accomplishment is worth all the discomfort.  And knowing I’m doing this for the sake of my health just makes it all the better.   I’m taking running more seriously now.  I want to push my comfort level and see just what I can achieve.

My fasting sugar this morning was 83.  I had oatmeal and toast for breakfast.  I went for my run two hours after eating.  When I came back my sugar was 88.  My sugar levels are so much better now that I’m active.  For anyone who is diabetic any activity is better than nothing.  From my personal experience the more active you can be the better your sugar levels will respond.  Getting active is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Getting Serious About Fitness

Posted on by 4 Paths To Wellness

A body in motion stays in motion.

This saying is never more true than when you adopt a new healthy lifestyle.  The more you move the more you want to move.  I go for a long walk and a run every day pretty much.  If I don’t have time to go for my walk then I run up the stairs for ten to fifteen minutes.  Either way I have to move.  I’ve incorporated sit ups and stomach crunches now as well as a routine with free weights.  I always feel so much better after a workout.

After any workout I enjoy a delicious Pro Flex protein shake.  This one is classic vanilla flavour and it’s delicious.  I also take Peak Performance supplements from our Wellness company. These supplements are largely responsible for giving me energy to fuel my running.

Talking of running, yesterday I achieved a personal best.

For the past month or so I’ve been walking and running more or less daily in our local park. I’d upped my session from 12 laps to 15 laps and I’d gone from running 1 lap to 4 laps in total, but never consecutively.

Until yesterday.

I ran the first lap, as usual. Then I walked 3 laps and ran the next lap. Then I walked the next three laps. Then I just went for it. I ran the 9th lap and didn’t stop until I’d run the 10th lap. Yep, for the first time I’ve run two laps consecutively.

But wait, there’s more!

I did it again, running the last two laps in a row. Oh, and I added an extra lap, running the 15th and 16th lap. I’d found out that five laps equal one mile, so I’ve walked over three miles and run over a mile in total! My personal best workout.  My goal is to increase my fitness until I can run all the laps.  It will take time but I know I will get there.

The one thing I do know is this new regime is my life now.  I have a goal to lose another ten pounds.  Once I get there I will work my butt off to make sure I don’t gain that weight back.

Fitness, it’s a lifestyle, not a fad.

Making Lifestyle Changes

Posted on by 4 Paths To Wellness

Dave Celebrating Dunkin

I haven’t blogged for quite a while.  I know that is something I need to work on.  My life has been busy these days, but that’s no excuse.

I’ve blogged a lot about how the Attain GC Control Shakes have helped me lower my sugar when it’s high, and that’s still true today.  I drink them every day and they still work wonders.

I joined a site called MyFitnessPal.com and learned a lot about nutrition and exercise from reading their message forums.  I now watch my calories and go for a walk virtually every day.  I even run now!  I can’t run for long at this time, but my fitness level is definitely improving.  Just a year ago if I had to run half a block to catch a bus I would break out in a cold sweat, my heart would be hammering and I would be literally gasping for breath. It would take me ten minutes to return to normal.  Now I can run a lap around our local park, which is probably about two to three blocks in length.  No cold sweats and while my heart rate is elevated, it returns to normal within a few minutes.  I walk fifteen laps of our local park pretty much daily.  I run the first lap, walk three or four laps, run a lap, walk a few, finishing up by running the last lap.

I’ve lost 17 lbs in the space of about six months.  I want to lose about another ten lbs then I will be at a good weight.  But the biggest impact my new lifestyle has had is on my sugar.  I went to the doctor in November.  My A1C was 7.2.  The doctor wanted to put me on another medication.  More drugs.  These ones stronger than the Metformin I’ve been taking since August 2008.

No way.

I have not taken the new drug he wanted to prescribe me.  Instead I looked into what I needed to do to get healthy.  For the past two weeks my fasting sugar has been averaging in the upper 70’s to the low 80’s.  Down from the 120 average I had in November.  I go back to the doctor in June.  I’m really hopeful that my A1C will be drastically lower.  My ultimate hope is it’s down enough for me to be able to get off Metformin.

Actually, I have a confession to make.  I haven’t taken Metformin in nearly two weeks.  I test my fasting sugar daily.  If I start to see a rise in my fasting levels then I will start taking the drug again.  Now I just need to add some form of weight training to my fitness regime.  I know extra muscle helps the body absorb sugar.  I have some free weights at home.  I intend to join a gym soon.

Being diagnosed a diabetic isn’t necessarily a slow death sentence.  There are things you can do to improve your situation.  It’s just a matter of wanting it  enough and being motivated enough to maintain a new healthy lifestyle.  I am determined to get my body back to a healthy weight and keep it there.

The first picture was taken about five years ago when I weighed about 215 lbs.  The second picture was taken a few weeks ago when I weighed about 176 lbs.

With enough will power you can achieve anything.