"Recovery jog" - HA!

 Yesterday, I told you that I was scared of today's 'recovery jog'.

Well, yeah.

Five sets of 2 minutes push at 4mph followed by 2 minutes recovery at 2.5mph.  (my normal walking speed is somewhere between 2.8 and 3) I will say, that I was glad of the slow recovery part.  

That was... sweaty.  The porch is at about 57-58 degrees right now.  And I'm sweating.  

I'm gonna keep going.  I wanna be the fit me, not the slob me.  I know, I know.  Don't be mean to myself.  But, I see photos of me, and think, 'Is that what I look like?  I don't like it.'  So I'm changing it.  Not gonna quit.  

Still at it!

 Week 5 begins.  

Well, I guess it's week 6, but I took 'break' when we went to Las Vegas.  I only went to the gym to work out twice.  But I did do several walks.  I didn't skip the week.

So, this week is 3:1 work:rest ratio.  And tomorrow is a recovery JOG.  I don't know how I'll do with that.  I don't normally jog.  I either walk or run.  

I asked John to help me with 'during' photos. I have 'before' photos.  They might be worth putting up.  Not sure.  Is me in a bra and undies worth posting?  LOL

I am going to do the work to get healthier.  It's hard.  My legs ache and so do my arms.  

I'm trying very hard.  

I will say the ozempic has helped, by decreasing my appetite and making some foods taste icky.  

Kinda nervous about thanksgiving, since I don't really know what I'm doing with the chicken I'm cooking for dinner.  

Should be ok.  I'm a decent cook.  But that's a post for another day, so to speak.  

Do you, boo.

Back at it with the treadmill

I finished workout 7 of the second set of 10 in this series.  I believe there are 6 sets.
It was a 'recovery walk'.  I'm not sure how that works, but it seems to be a thing.  I have a 'body weight workout' on the schedule for saturday.  
I'm serious.  I want to be healthy.  See if I can come off a bit of my meds.  I don't know.  But I can only try, right?  

I know food shouldn't be a 'guilty' thing.  But I vaguely do feel guilty when I eat something like a tootsie pop.  Plus that sort of thing tastes less wonderful than I think it's going to.  

I do need to make a point of not drinking too much caffeinated stuff.  I couldn't sleep until about 1am this morning.  Much too late.  Screwed up the whole day.  

I didn't precisely take the Vegas trip 'off' as such.  I did go to the gym twice, and got a 4 mile walk in.  As well as MANY walks around the hotel.  

Day 10 of walking course on treadmill

 Oh man

this one beat my butt

I feel slightly queasy, but that could be the ozempic and covid and flu shot working together in an unholy combination.

Very innocent seeming.  Push for 5 minutes.

gonna go lie down, i think.

really don't feel well.

Day 3

 Did my third workout with the treadmill today.  

I like the big screen, so I can watch things.  The iFit training stuff is nice.  The trainer is taking us through some of the national parks in California.  

It learns how I need to go, as it goes.  The trainer said at one point, that I should have a 5-6 effort at that point.  My effort was closer to a 3.  So I increased the pace by .2 mph.  That worked perfectly.  My normal walking pace is pretty close to 3mph, and it seemed to think it was like 2.5 or 2.6.  So the increase helped it learn that I don't need to be THAT slow.  

I have discovered that potatoes spike my sugar HUGELY.  :(
But pumpkin bread does not.  :D

Treadmill & iFit

 John got a new treadmill.  It arrived last Thursday.

I started using it yesterday, started a walking (I think) series.

This is my first one.

My next one, today's, was a recovery walk.  Pretty easy, actually.  

This was today's set.  
Heart rate means nothing, to me, since my resting heart rate is like 100ish.  (103 right now, and I've been done for half an hour.)  So, I guess my rate increased about 20 bpm.  Not too bad, I suppose.  Dunno how much it's supposed to increase with exercise.  But I never see more than like 145, no matter how hard I push.  Too weird.

Anyway.  I've got tomorrow's walk queued up and ready to go.  

Just had a thought!

 Yeah, I know.  :)
How's that a new thing?
Well, the thought is that I am at 174 pounds.  

My 'goal' weight is 155.  I'm technically under 20 pounds to my goal.  O-O 
SPAZZZZZ

I'm... word escapes me.  If it was a bad thing, it would be aghast, but it's a good feeling.  Maybe stunned?
Oh, the scale I use is called "Fit Index" and they are a biometric scale company.  It connects via bluetooth to the phone.  John bought ours before his bariatric surgery.  I've purchased two for friends.  I really like them.  Got it from Amazon, for about $25.  They still go for about that.  
I might change my goals as I go, I don't know.  I picked 155 as a nice number to aim for.  But it might still be too high.  Dunno.  I don't know that I ever thought I'd GET to it.  So any number was a good target.

Weirdness

 So, I'm having an interesting time eating.  

Animal proteins now seem to have an 'off' flavor.  Fish is a BIG no no, although tuna from a can seems ok.  I'm gonna try some chicken tonight, and see how that is.  

Carbs are ok, but if I eat too many of them, I get queasy.  

So, that's all fun.  

On the plus side, I'm down to 176 pounds.  

I might post some 'before to now' photos.  I've got the post primed and ready to go with the before pics.  Just need to take some now ones.

Stay fabulous, my people!

July 24th Physical news

 So, loyal readers.

I had my annual physical today.  

I'm down to 178 (with clothes, LOL) 
My A1c is 7.0, down from 7.7.  WOOOOOT!

My cholesterol/HDL: 2.4.  Down from 6.5!!!
HDL is 48 , which is up from 40, but still well withing the 40-60 range.  :)
LDL is calculated at 35, my last one couldn't calculate, because of elevated triglycerides.  BUT, much under the <130.  :D
Cholesterol is at 115, down from 261.  and WELL within the 50-200 range.
Triglycerides are still a bit high - 158, but compared to my last one - 526, I'll take it.  Ideal range for that is 25-150.  I *think* when/as my average blood sugar goes down, so will this one.  :)

I don't know what this is, but it's now in normal range: Alanine Aminotransferase 74 U/L and it was 94, with a normal range of 12-78.  
Oooo, of course I looked it up.  high levels happen with liver damage.  hmm.  I guess I might have been on the way to hurting my liver, but now it's better?  
copy/paste from my quick google search.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an enzyme found primarily in the liver and kidney. It was originally referred to as serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT). Normally, a low level of ALT exists in the serum. ALT is increased with liver damage and is used to screen for and/or monitor liver disease.
Another one, probably liver associated: Aspartate Amino Transf.  is 31, was 50.  With a normal range of 15-37.  I'll do another search!  Yep.  another liver one.  I know one of the things I might have is a fatty liver, and losing weight will/can help with that, and guess who's lost like 6 pounds so far.  Yours truly!  So, going by numbers, I might just have been at the edge of doing major damage to my liver!  boggle.
ok.  
Yet another liver one.  Bilirubin  - 0.9 with a normal of 0.0 to 1.0.  previous was 0.8.  hmm.  gotta take better care of my insides.  

Average daily glucose level 142, down from an uncontrolled 253.  All of these before numbers come from April of last year, by the way.  

On the whole, I think I'm doing amazing, with the help of meds.  I hope I can maybe someday come off of some of the diabetes ones.  Not likely to stop using thyroid meds.  sadly, once that beast stops working right, it rarely comes back.  

I don't need any invasive stuff for a couple of years.  Flu shot later in the year.  But that's it.  

Stay awesome, my people.  LUV YA!

GOAL ACHIEVED!!!

 I made it under 180, for real this time!  Scale is working right, now.  

Ozempic 1mg

 So, taking 1mg of Ozempic now.  On my 3rd week.

I'm down to 180.2 pounds.

Got a CGM last month.  On the last couple of days of the 2nd (3rd) one.  I had major issues keeping them from falling off.  So the first one got bumped off about 2 or 3 days after I put it on.  I called the company that made them, and they sent me a replacement.  I put that one on, and the second day it FELL off.  No prompting from me.  I was literally sitting on the lawn, playing with the chickens.  Nothing touching it.  Just... bloop...off it came.  
I waited until the next tuesday, which is when the first one should have finished, and put the 2nd one from the first set of two that I got on.  I put a big bandaid over it.  Worked like a charm.  

I purchased some sticky covers for them.   I don't think I like them as much as I liked the bandaids but the covers are water proof.  meh

I'm down about 7 pounds since I started the Ozempic 2 months ago.  I like it.  Some queasy if I eat too much.  But, I can live with that, especially if I don't eat too much.  LOL

Making hamburgers for lunch, cuz I can haz cheezburger.

Gonna have brats and roasted veggies for dinner, cooked on the grill.  Kinda be a late dinner.  Hmm.  Maybe I'll do it for lunch tomorrow, instead.  I'll ask John what he thinks. 

Got another appointment coming up for diabetes on June 20th.  Physical on July 24th.  Might take that day off.  not sure.  

3rd Week of Ozempic

 I'm down about 5 pounds, and my numbers are excellent!

I like this new med.  

I've also JUST started using my Constant Glucose Meter (CGM).
:D
Right now I'm at 109.  Much glee.  Cuz I just ate.  I LIKE THIS.

hmm
CGM says 64
regular blood meter says 150

that's a bit of a discrepancy

now up to 99.  

interesting.  Well, I like the device.  

Day three of ozempic

 Been getting behind on these.  Fortunately, I don't post on any kind of schedule.

A couple months ago I started using "Bydurion" for my diabetes control.

HA
"control" in name only.  The WORST numbers I've had, other than totally uncontrolled.  Usually 180's or 190's.  

I also felt really hungry on it.  I gained 7 pounds back.  Very unhappy making.  It also left lumps under my skin.  The internet says that they should go away in about 4 weeks at worst.  Dunno if I believe it, since I can still feel 6 of them, definitely.  And it's been about 3 weeks since the last dose I took.  Which means I should only be able to feel like 2 of them.  And they hurt and itched.  All in all, a nope.  I'm usually pretty good about taking my meds, but I didn't want to take this one.

I started the Ozempic this Thursday, and my numbers are slowly getting better.  160 something yesterday, and 153 this morning.   I'm also trying REALLY hard to count carbs better.  Might be cutting back a bit too much, I had a slight low this morning, and I had a fruit cup to balance out a bit.  Fish with pasta for dinner.  I just ate that.  (6ish)

I've started the 4 appointment diabetes education classes set, finally.  I'm gonna be using a CGM.  One that I can use with my phone.  I picked the Libre 2, I think.  I will be learning how to use it on the 9th.  

I've started walking again, after my back spazz.  Taken three walks, in the last 4 days.  Might have been why I went low today, now that I think about it.  

Hoping to lose the 7, then more.  I really want to see 179.  :D

That's about it for now.  I'll probably post after I learn how to use the libre.  

Not my usual sunshine self - a sad one

 Feeling moody today.

Kinda snapped at John, and made him feel bad. :(
Bad Paulette.
John is awesome. Didn't deserve it.
My sugars are out of whack. I don't think my new diabetes med is working well for me.
That probably contributes to me feeling icky.
Gonna contact my doctor on Monday.  

I just realized I haven't posted here in a bit.

Weight is up.  

185 lbs.

I feel fat and useless.  
I know I'm not, but it's how I feel.

I have been doing a walk, almost daily.  

Hard to do, when the weather is bad.  Which seems to be every other week now.  

Not many sidewalks here in rural-ville.  But the roads don't get a lot of use, so I walk on those.  The roads are in need of work, which most of the prospective city council members mentioned as a point in their profiles before the election.  

My feet are slowly losing feeling, from the toes.  

I wanna cry.  No use to it, though.  

My own life choices brought it about.  

New med leaves tender spots where the auto-injector goes in. Still sore from last week's injection, and new spot sore from this week's dose.  

Sitting here, doing nothing, my heart rate is 105 bpm.

:'(
If we have a measured number of beats, I'm running through mine almost twice as fast as most people.

That's why I'm doing the walking.  Doctor thinks my heart is "deconditioned", and needs exercise to 'condition' it.  

It might work.  Dunno.  I just take the walks.  When the weather gets better, I'll be able to take longer ones.  I just don't like walking in my boots.  And walking on the treadmill is boring.  I was doing some strength stuff.  Then my elbow started aching.  So I stopped that for a bit.  I  might start again.  Again, I don't know. 

I feel like I'm flailing in a pool, looking for the edge to hold on, and I'm too far in the deep end to get to it.  At least I didn't inhale any of the water.  

Just tired.