A New Lifestyle...

Those of you that have known me forever know how long I have struggled with my weight and eating habits. I've never been one to eat breakfast, and most days (when I'd run errands) I'd skip lunch too and just have a really big dinner or have a late lunch and a late dinner. Sadly, the years of my poor eating habits combined with hereditary health problems, have taken their toil and have forced me to where I am now.

Being on a strict diet really isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm still able to eat a lot of foods that I love, I just have to carefully measure everything and refrain from seconds. Still, it's manageable. I have already eaten breakfast and lunch and still have dinner and two snacks to go, so I'm not hungry at all right now. However, the hard thing for me is avoiding sweets. I'm addicted to sugar. At this very moment, there is a pecan pie, and two cream cheese coffee cakes sitting on my kitchen table screaming my name. I really really really want a piece, but know if I do, it could result in my sugar going to high again and another trip to the hospital...which I will avoid at all costs. It's not that I didn't have good care while there, but it was kinda lonely, and there wasn't internet connection. *giggles*

The doctor and dietitian both told me to keep a chart of my blood pressure, my blood sugar and my meals for each day. I didn't do it last night, because I was still learning how to use my blood sugar monitor, but have kept up with everything since I woke at 5:30am this morning. This is a sample of what my health journal looks like:

SATURDAY - Feb 15th, 2009

5:30AM - STATS

• BP - 129/81
• HB - 81
• Sugar - 212

6:00AM - Breakfast

• 1/4 c cottage cheese
• 2 mini banana nut muffins
• 1 1/4 c strawberries
• 1 c 2% milk (suppose to have skim, but not been to store yet)
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese (suppose to be fat free, will get at store soon)
• 8oz water

6:30AM - Medications

• 1 Omeprazole {generic for Prilosec OTC} Pill (Acid Reflux)
• 1 Metformin {generic for Glucophage} Pill (Sugar)

11:45AM - STATS

• BP - 92/68 (checked 3x's to verify top number)
• HB - 71
• Sugar - 257

12:20PM - Lunch

• 1/4 c tuna fish
• 1/2 lettuce leaf
• 6 grape tomatoes
• 1/2 c broccoli
• 1 c Raspberry Fat Free Yogurt
• 1/2 Ruby Red Grapefruit
• 8oz water

It's very weird for me to eat so much for breakfast and lunch. I'm far from hungry right now, but should have eaten a snack an hour ago, dinner around 6pm and then another snack about 9pm before bedtime. OH YEAH...that's something else...my sleeping schedule. I've never been one to have a normal bedtime. I would just sleep when the urge hit, or wouldn't sleep at all. Now I have to force myself to get in bed by 10-11pm, so that I can try to get between 7-8 hours sleep each night to promote a healthier lifestyle. It kinda didn't happen the last 2 night, cause I had been taking naps throughout the day for the past 3 days. So I'm making it my first goal for this week to stay awake during the daytime hours so that I can sleep at night.

My mind feels back to normal again, but my strength is taking it's time. I want to be up cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming the floors, doing laundry, working in my bathroom...but I'm soooo tired. Just getting up and walking to the bathroom, or fixing my meals exhausts me to the point I have lie down. I told Tommy I'm gonna clean the kitchen today, but he said not to worry over it and it would get done whenever...but just knowing the dishes are piled in the sink is making me crazy.