Hello, I’m Jo and I’ve just turned 30 eeek!
I was diagnosed as a Type 1 or insulin dependent Diabetic when I was 11. Back then I thought this is amazing, a week off school and I can eat outside of lunchtimes and no one else can...I had no concept of the fact that this is for life...at 11 I couldn’t believe how long away Christmas was or ever imagine being old enough to wear high heels (my child hood dream – bless me) into my teenage years I hated it, I would break down in tears to mum asking why I got it and hated not being like everyone else and I rebelled against it a lot refusing to eat meals. As I got into my twenties I just seemed to except it and now I can’t even remember what it was like not having it.
Recently I have had my fair share of emotional turmoil to deal with and have given my health the back seat at my last diabetic review with the nurse at my doctors surgery I was given the grim news that my blood sugar control was poor and my cholesterol was higher than it should be. My cholesterol was 6.00mmol/l (it should be below 5) and my HbA1c (a test gives you a picture of your average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months) was 10.3 this should be between 5 -7. There are number or health issues directly related to blood sugar control...this is as science geek as I get so don’t worry – basically excess glucose in the blood damages both the large blood vessels (such as those supplying the heart muscle and limbs) and the very fine blood vessels (such as those supplying the kidney and eye) as well as damaging nerves. This contributes to: Heart Disease, Stroke, Kidney Disease and retinopathy leading to blindness! - Basically no body wants this do they? but believe me even knowing all this it’s still ridiculously hard to keep on top of your own health and stay motivated as the effects take time to show themselves!
Anyway, it’s come to the point where I need to man up, stop feeling sorry for myself and take control of my own long term health...That’s where Fitcamp comes in.......It’s going to be really hard for me to motivate myself and stay that way as I am a Monday dieter and I’ve normally fallen of the wagon by Tuesday lunchtime, I have very little will power and I crave everything that’s bad for you takeaways, chocolate, deserts all that naughty stuff. I intend to make this a change for life and make those things very occasional treats and I’m really excited to see how following the nutritional advise and exercising regularly a number of times a week helps improve Diabetes control and as a sneaky bonus my waist line...
Today is day one, I started with a blood sugar of 4.9 this morning which is perfect but I’m so used to running it high (Normally about 10 - naughty) it felt a bit scary. I have had a fruit smoothie for my breakfast and some soup and another smoothie for lunch so far as well as a number of de-caff green tea’s and water. I actually feel really full, it’s just a different feeling of full and it’s rather strange. I am really looking forward to the first workout at Swallowfield camp tonight. Exercise is a complicated one when you are a Diabetic as through-out the activity your blood sugar level tends to increase but then falls a few hours later. I have never let being diabetic stop me doing anything and I'm not about to start, I will put in as much effort as everybody else. So the plan is to ride out any high sugar peeks this evening and not try to adjust my insulin to compensate and see how we go.
I have also taken all of my measurements and even weighed myself just to see how that also changes.
Full steam ahead :)
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