Boredom, Pain and a bright Future

Day 16 & 17

Seventeen days of only juice. Yesterday I was so sick of drinking the stuff. I felt as though I couldn't swallow another mouthful. Maybe the problem was I had an unexpected drive to the hospital to pick up a grandchild early Saturday morning. I got up and left at 5.30 am. The bottle of vegetable juice I had ready for such an occasion came in handy. So my first juice for the day was a commercial one. It had no added sugar or preservatives, but had a metallic taste. I had about 350 mls and couldn't go any further. The rest of the day I had several herbal teas, but any juice seemed unpalatable.

I didn't have anymore until 7.30 pm, and then only drank about 200 mls. I wanted real food, badly. Once again, I had about 50 mls of orange juice mixed  in water. It tastes like nectar now! I worried my  eating problem was larger than I thought. This wasn't the Carb Monster. He's been banished! I figured it was simply my long standing love of food.

This afternoon I returned to the Lifestyle Change Program, only to discover that everyone was feeling the same. Peter Pratt had a fancy name for the condition - Boredom! I feel better now and juice was tasty tonight, or has my attitude change? Besides, I can do this. There is only 14 days to go!

Cold! Yes, many of us are feeling the cold acutely. I guess it isn't surprising. We are taking off layers of fat and putting little fuel into our body.

And I'm struggling with pain. First it was the right knee, particularly in the muscles behind the knee. It is much better but the last few nights I've missed a lot of sleep because my hips are sore, too painful to lie on. I never could sleep on my back. Last night it was a little better, to my relief, but in the lecture this afternoon, both my knee caps were aching! This is trying, but I'm hoping it is the body bringing healing to my weakest parts and that is exciting. We'll see what happens in the next few days.

My fellow adventurer's results are inspiring. Many have lost 10% of their body weight and more. They look better, feel better and have dropped much of their medication. All this will be for nothing if we don't make a permanent lifestyle change. If we return to our old eating habits, guess what will also return?
Our weight and our diabetes.
So I'm determined to start looking at our new lifestyle. It is exciting really... but more about that next blog. Just like the picture on the right, a new day has begun. Yay!

Now it is bedtime. I'm hoping my hips let me sleep. They must be getting better as I haven't reached for pain killers tonight.

I'll be back on Tuesday to report on the next two days.

Why am I doing this madness?

Day 9

Anyone who thinks drinking only juice is easy, I'm here to tell you it isn't! Yes, it that sort of day. My stomach, expanded previously by generous portions of amazing food, is feeling empty, very empty. The juices all taste either blah or bland.

Yesterday morning's juice ended up splattered all over our pavers, mixed with assorted-shaped slithers of glass. I was thankful I  had already drunk about 500 mls and I hadn't chosen my crystal glass . The drink I concocted last night tasted foul, so I stopped about 300 mls short of the 750 mls I usually drink. I went to bed after drinking one juiced orange. Maybe that is the cause of so much grief today.

I was called for Grandma duty this morning and picked up Miss 6 from the netball courts to take her to a party at Hungry Jack's. Twice they gave me cups of boiling water so I could make herbal tea. I loved the fact I could access ice to cool them down. I didn't want their food, but I really wanted the food at home - cheese, bananas, a pear, or coffee!

My juice at lunch time was....well juice. I'm over it!

I must return to the WHY. (See yesterday's blog) Why am I doing this? Some think I'm mad, others disagree but many are cheering and supporting me. That's great but it's not enough. Why would I do such madness? To control diatetes? Yes, but that isn't enough to make me continue. A raw tomato with salt and pepper wouldn't harm my blood sugar. Not would a mountain of coleslaw and grated cheese. So there has to be a bigger why.

In the last few weeks at the Lifestyle Change Program, we have been encouraged to write down our motivation ready for such times as this. I gave it a lot of thought but never actually wrote anything down. Today I need such a list so here goes...

• I want my strength back. The combination of diabetes and medication has reduced my capacity, physically and mentally. S
• I want to be able to travel anywhere at any time, to speak all over the world. T
• I want to make sure no hidden enemy is attacking my eyesight, the nerves in my fingers and toes or my brain. E
• I want to write eight more books and when they are published be able to run and not grow weary.E
• I want fullness of life. L
• I want to feel ten years younger. Y

STEELY. This is my vision. I feel better for having written it. It will strengthen me.

What is your focus? Do you have a compelling why big enough to make you change your lifestyle? Or will you succumb to the pressure, as I did, and take medication...as it is easier?

PS I just created this poster to go on my wall. What do you think?

Little victories and the Hill that Pained me.

Day 6 Of Lifestyle Change Adventure

I woke feeling a little better, maybe a lot better than when I went to bed. The Carb Monster was savage yesterday afternoon and evening and I was relieved when the family left early and I could retreat to bed! However I managed to host a birthday party and join them at the table with my spiced-up tomato juice which I drank from a fine china cup and saucer.

Whilst assembling the lasagna, I talked to my friend who is supporting two of us through this adventure. This helped me notice when I licked my fingers, after getting Ricotta cheese on them. I ran to the sink and washed my mouth out. Extreme maybe, but I am very determined to see this lifestyle change succeed. The conversation also stopped me from eating the stray piece of grated cheese or scraping our the frying pan to get the last of the sauce on my finger. I also asked others to help to clean the kitchen. These are strategies for success as Peter, our coach, would call them.

This morning, I went for the first walk for a couple of weeks. I love to walk early enough to watch the sun send its first rays of light over the world. It reminds me God begins everyday fresh and new. Enthused, I left my normal concrete path and tramped across the open paddock. The ground is rough. It still has the ridges and troughs from when it was a farm and grew pineapples. I was about a kilometre from home when my right knee started to complain, loudly. It took an hour to get home, as I rested about every hundred metres on strategically place green boxes that belong to the electricity company.  

All this is good news. Last Sunday I learned that one of the advantages of drinking only juice is the release of micro-nutrients into the system to bring healing to old injuries. I hurt this knee about five years ago, so I'm claiming this pain as a healing work.

So far today I'm not hungry, so I'm hopeful the worst is over. I've stopped all my medication and this morning my blood sugar was 7.7. I can only get better from here.

Here's to good health!

Busy Hungry and a tad disappointed.

Day 4

The day was busy, so busy that I'm late in writing this blog.
It was a hard day. I felt hungry for most of it, in spite of large servings of good juices and four or five cups of herbal tea. Still the stomach complained. I'm blaming the Carb Monster, but I'm very sick of his company and can't wait to shut the door in his face.

I went shopping yesterday. A big mistake. There are coffee shops on every corner. Having been eating low carbs for a long time, it isn't the cakes that tempt me. My other addiction, Cappuccino Comfort, beckoned to me at every turn. I can't say I'll never have another, but I can decide not to have one at this moment. So I managed to resist and sip a full pot of peppermint tea while my granddaughter ate icecream!

My last port of call was Lawnton Country Markets and then home to wash and try to store a mountain of vegetables. Whilst doing that I comforted myself with a fruit juice drink. I used orange, lime and mint, mixed with ice and water. I so enjoyed it! It meant no fruit in the main dinner drink, but that was warm tomato so didn't need sweetening.

The big disappointment was my blood sugar figures. The before dinner reading was 11.3, up over three points from the last three days. I found that very discouraging! The next reading was down to 7.2. There doesn't seem to be any logic there!

* * * * *

Day 5

I woke with a thumping headache, but it was eased by panadol. I'm also feeling more joint pain and felt very old this morning! (Of course there may be some truth in that!)  However, the day has rushed on and I'm doing well. My stomach is still grumbling. This morning's daily email from The Life Style Change Program assures me this must be the tail end of cravings. I hope they are right!

Today's challenge is a family dinner. I'm serving Lasagne and salad. Fortunately my friend who is living here at the moment has made the meat sauce, tasted it, and adjusted the seasonings. The challenge as I assemble the layers is to avoid popping cheese into my mouth!

I have already prepared tomato juice with other vegetables to add flavour to drink as they eat. I will drink it warmed with added olive oil, salt and pepper. And I intend to use a fine china cup. Wish me luck.

Sugar reading was up this morning, and I've only lost 1.5 kilos. I may be disappointed but I'm very determined!

The picture shows the lastest in table decoration in my house. It will be empty in two more days!

(See Blog Achive on top left for more Blogs in 'The Adventure Begins Series')

Day three closes

    Three days I've survived without carbs, without meat, without chewing.
It's not easy, especially when someone cooks toast and the smell wafts through the house, or when I can hear Steve chewing nuts, or when I walk past the fruit bowl and see a banana!
 
    However today was easier than yesterday, and this afternoon I've been encouraged as our group met for our weekly Lifestyle Change Program and listened to others who are on the same journey. Some have lost a lot of weight, others have seen dramatic drops in blood sugar levels. Some have been savagely attacked by the Carb Monster, but all are surviving and doing well. Peter Pratt, from Diabetic Health Clinic has told us many stories of people who have been successful in normalising blood sugar levels and regaining ten years of energy. We are inspired!

     Today's juices tasted better. Is that because I'm getting better at blending flavours, or is it that I'm adjusting. As I write I'm sipping a warm tomato juice (with added red onion, capsicum, parsley, celery, capsicum, lime, olive oil sat and pepper). Yum. Tonight I even made soup for the family.

    My blood sugar reading before my juice tonight was 6.5. That is the first reading in the 'normal' range that I have ever seen on my monitor in over ten years. Looking forward to tomorrow.