The Regimen

So I realize since I've returned to blogging I've been kind of a two-trick pony; posts have either been about Halloween or my new life with diabetes. If you haven't been happy about that, well, this post will disappoint you, because it's another diabetes related post. But it's the last I have planned, I swear! I've talked previously about how sick I was, how I got my diagnosis, and how I've bounced back, and I've also talked about all the lasting damages I've had to deal with. When I talked about how I bounced back, I mentioned how my new diet has led to getting into better shape and a lot of weight loss; I've lost 48lbs now, and it's still doing, albeit more slowly. I've had plenty of people ask what I've been doing, so I thought I'd let you all in on a typical day and the things that I've changed to get where I am.

When I first wake up in the morning, I get a 12 ounce glad of water and take my first pills of the day, a Pantoprazole for GERD and acid reflux, and a multi-vitamin. I've been taking that pill for three years now, but the multivitamin is new, as is the glass of water. You'll see a theme here eventually.

A little while later I'll get ready for breakfast. First, I'll check my blood sugar, make sure things are normal. Normal for me in the morning is between 100-110. If it's in that range, I won't check again for the rest of the day; if it isn't normal, if it's high, I'll adjust my meal plan for the day and check again later. So after checking my blood sugar, I'll take my first Metformin pill of the day and have breakfast, usually a bowl of cereal with nuts for extra protein, or a yogurt, again with nuts. Sometimes it'll be waffles or pancakes, and I'll add a stick of string cheese after for protein. And sometimes it'll be a spinach and cheese omelet with toast, no addition needed. In any case, it'll be accompanied by another 12 ounce glass of water. I try to keep breakfast to somewhere between 30 to at most 40 grams of carbohydrates. I've never been a big breakfast person, so this alone is a big change.

A few hours later, it'll be lunch time. Lunch is usually a sandwich, either PB&J or cold cuts off we have any, with chips or crackers on the side, or sometimes some sort of frozen meal, again with chips or crackers on the side, depending on the carb count. I usually try to keep lunch to between 30 to 50 grams of carbs, bringing me to between 60 to 90 grams for the day so far, which is less than my daily maximum total. I also now take a Jardiance pill with lunch. And, like breakfast, lunch is washed down with a 12 ounce glass of water, and I'll usually get another glass after I'm done.

Sometimes after lunch my wife and I will go for a walk to get some exercise in, or I'll ride the stationary bike we bought a few months ago. I used to ride the bike more often, but it scares the hell out of George, which keeps me from doing it, as silly as that sounds. In any even, a walk or bike ride will be followed by another glass of water.

That brings us to dinner, which could be any number of things. It's almost always a combination of a protein, carb source, and vegetable. So it could be chicken or fish, or very, very rarely beef, with rice, pasta, mac'n'cheese, or sometimes fries, and there's usually kale or spinach, and more infrequently string beans or broccoli; usually it'll total anywhere between 40 to 60 grams of carbs, which will bring my daily total up to the 100 to 150 range, still well below the 180 max amount I'm allowed in a day. With dinner, I'll take another Metformin and an Atorvastatin. Dinner will also be accompanied by a can of soda... sugar free, of course. And dinner will be followed by dessert. Yes, I'm still allowed dessert! I usually have a good 30 to 50 grams of carbs allowed at that point, so there's absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a pair of cookies, a few spoonfuls of ice cream, or a pack of peanut butter cups, as long as it's controlled. It's all about portion size, not taking in more carbs than my body can process, especially in one sitting.

Finally, an hour or two before bed, with the carbs I have left I'll grab a protein bar and another glass of water (for a total daily water intake of at least 60 ounces, sometimes 72 or even 84), a Lisinopril pill, and a protein bar. The protein bar is to make sure I have a few slow-processing carbs in my system close to bedtime to prevent hypoglycemia overnight, which could theoretically happen because of all the meds.

So there you have it, that's the regimen I've been following more or less since March. It's how I've gotten my diabetes under incredible control and how I've lost all the weight I have. It really all comes down to carb counting, portion control, and keeping things balanced. And of course, just like any diet, letting yourself cheat sometimes to keep yourself from falling off the wagon hard. That's why there's some Skittles waiting for me on Halloween!