Thursday, March 31, 2016

DAY 91 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

January 11, 2016

Today is Day 91 - LAST DAY!

Weight goal - 136.2 or lower
Actual weight - 138

Blood glucose goal - 75 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 86

Today is a Fast Day.



For me, that means that all I will have today is water, coffee, tea, or broth, all without caloric sweeteners or fat.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my chart and post it here on the big blog. I'm posting it to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

Last day! Yesterday I ate lunch with my family and then I had a few morsels of other stuff later in the day.  Today, because it is my last day and I want to finish strong, I am water fasting.  No broth, no coffee or tea and no Stevia.  I have my timer set for one hour, and I will be drinking 8 oz. of water each hour until bedtime, with my first being at 7 am this morning.

In order to totally win the challenge, my weight needs to be 136 or lower in the morning, and my FBG needs to be 75 or lower.

Yesterday, I gained 1.8 pounds.  To win tomorrow, I need to lose 2 pounds before tomorrow morning's final weigh-in.  I've done it before and I'm hoping I will do it again. 

Even if I don't hit 136 pounds and 75 FBG, I will consider it close enough to a win to call this challenge a success.

90 DAYS DOWN AND 1 DAY TO GO

55 FEAST DAYS AND 36 FAST DAYS - FASTING 40% OF THE DAYS

16 POUNDS GONE AND 2 POUNDS TO GO

89% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 99% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 137.2

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 77

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The red lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

DAY 90 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

Christmas Eve 2015

Today is Day 90

Weight goal - 136.2 or lower
Actual weight - 136.2

Blood glucose goal - 76 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 73

Today is a Feast Day!



For me, that means a ketogenic diet - high fat, moderate protein and very low carb.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my charts and post them here on the big blog. I'm posting every day to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

I am doing my final weigh and measure in two days, which is the morning after Day 91.  Today I met my goals for weight loss and FBG reduction, so I am eating.  But because I am SO CLOSE to the end of my challenge, I am going to eat very light today.  I might have even decided to fast today, but I have company coming for lunch, so I would not want to fast anyway.  Today, I am going to eat a light lunch and stop there.

On Friday, I am also going to be doing an HbA1c test to see what my average blood glucose has been for the past three months.  The last time I took one, I got a reading of 5.4, which means that my average blood glucose for the prior three months had been 108.  And that is not an average of just the morning reading (FBG), but all the levels at all times of the day.  The ideal HbA1c is around 4.5 which is equal to 83.  You can see a chart of how that works here. We'll see how close I get.











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Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose)

Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dl. However, it is important to talk to your health care provider about your individual blood glucose targets, and what level is too low for you.
Hypoglycemia may also be referred to as an insulin reaction, or insulin shock.
Hypoglycemic symptoms are important clues that you have low blood glucose. Each person's reaction to hypoglycemia is different, so it's important that you learn your own signs and symptoms when your blood glucose is low.
The only sure way to know whether you are experiencing hypoglycemia is to check your blood glucose, if possible. If you are experiencing symptoms and you are unable to check your blood glucose for any reason, treat the hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia has the potential to cause accidents, injuries, coma, and death.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia (happen quickly)

  • Shakiness
  • Nervousness or anxiety
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion, including delirium
  • Rapid/fast heartbeat
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Hunger and nausea
  • Sleepiness
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips or tongue
  • Headaches
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Anger, stubbornness, or sadness
  • Lack of coordination
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness
- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html#sthash.99Em6ldy.dpuf
89 DAYS DOWN AND 2 DAYS TO GO

55 FEAST DAYS AND 35 FAST DAYS - FASTING 39% OF THE DAYS

17.8 POUNDS GONE AND 0.2 POUNDS TO GO

99% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 98% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 137.2

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 74

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The orange lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

DAY 89 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

January 11, 2016

Today is Day 89

Weight goal - 136.4 or lower
Actual weight - 137.6

Blood glucose goal - 76 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 77

Today is a Fast Day.



For me, that means that all I will have today is water, coffee, tea, or broth, all without caloric sweeteners or fat.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my chart and post it here on the big blog. I'm posting it to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

There's not much to report today.  I was sick from whatever until around noon yesterday.  Now I'm afraid to eat the leftover turkey!

I can't believe there are only three days left, including today.  Day after tomorrow is my final measure and weigh-in, and I will be taking photos so I can show you my before and afters.

88 DAYS DOWN AND 3 DAYS TO GO

54 FEAST DAYS AND 35 FAST DAYS - FASTING 39% OF THE DAYS

16.4 POUNDS GONE AND 1.6 POUNDS TO GO

91% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 98% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 137.7

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 73

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The red lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Monday, March 28, 2016

DAY 88 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

January 11, 2016

Today is Day 88

Weight goal - 136.6 or lower
Actual weight - 138.6

Blood glucose goal - 76 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 87

Today is a Fast Day.



For me, that means that all I will have today is water, coffee, tea, or broth, all without caloric sweeteners or fat.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my chart and post it here on the big blog. I'm posting it to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

I had a nice Easter yesterday, with plenty of feasting.  However, the turkey was fresh and, after it was roasted, I thought it tasted "off" and I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the night until bedtime.  And this morning, I am still nauseated and belching.  I'm happy to be fasting today!

87 DAYS DOWN AND 4 DAYS TO GO

54 FEAST DAYS AND 34 FAST DAYS - FASTING 39% OF THE DAYS

15.4 POUNDS GONE AND 2.6 POUNDS TO GO

86% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 97% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 137.9

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 72

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The red lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

DAY 87 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

Christmas Eve 2015

Today is Day 87

Weight goal - 136.8 or lower
Actual weight - 137.4

Blood glucose goal - 76 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 78

Today is a Special Feast Day!



For me, that means a ketogenic diet - high fat, moderate protein and very low carb.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my charts and post them here on the big blog. I'm posting every day to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.


 He is risen, indeed!  Happy Easter to my Christian readers.
I hope you have a blessed day with your family and friends. 

Even though my numbers are slightly above goal this morning, it is Easter and I am eating.  I've already started off the day with poached eggs and freshly made Hollandaise sauce.  Yum!  Not sure what we are having for lunch.  I was going to roast a chicken for dinner, but the store was out, and there was a small turkey there, so I figured what the heck.  We are having roast turkey for dinner along with some veggies with the leftover Hollandaise sauce.

It's kind of weird that I did not lose weight yesterday.  But I did some measurements, and I evidently lost some body fat, so I'm not too concerned.  More about the body fat in the Big Reveal in a few days.








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Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose)

Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dl. However, it is important to talk to your health care provider about your individual blood glucose targets, and what level is too low for you.
Hypoglycemia may also be referred to as an insulin reaction, or insulin shock.
Hypoglycemic symptoms are important clues that you have low blood glucose. Each person's reaction to hypoglycemia is different, so it's important that you learn your own signs and symptoms when your blood glucose is low.
The only sure way to know whether you are experiencing hypoglycemia is to check your blood glucose, if possible. If you are experiencing symptoms and you are unable to check your blood glucose for any reason, treat the hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia has the potential to cause accidents, injuries, coma, and death.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia (happen quickly)

  • Shakiness
  • Nervousness or anxiety
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion, including delirium
  • Rapid/fast heartbeat
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Hunger and nausea
  • Sleepiness
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips or tongue
  • Headaches
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Anger, stubbornness, or sadness
  • Lack of coordination
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness
- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html#sthash.99Em6ldy.dpuf
86 DAYS DOWN AND 5 DAYS TO GO

54 FEAST DAYS AND 33 FAST DAYS - FASTING 38% OF THE DAYS

16.6 POUNDS GONE AND 1.4 POUNDS TO GO

92% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 96% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 138

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 70

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The orange lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

DAY 86 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

January 11, 2016

Today is Day 86

Weight goal - 137 or lower
Actual weight - 137.4

Blood glucose goal - 77 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 78

Today is a Fast Day.



For me, that means that all I will have today is water, coffee, tea, or broth, all without caloric sweeteners or fat.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my chart and post it here on the big blog. I'm posting it to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

I did bounce up in weight from my low after fasting for two days, but that was to be expected.  I
ate yesterday, but did not have a good time doing it.  I made low carb cheesy biscuits and had them with bacon for breakfast, and that part was great!

 But then I had the leftover cheeseburger casserole for lunch and it made me sick to my stomach.  I think it was in the fridge too long.  I even wondered if my BG had crashed, so I checked it and it was 71, too high to consider hypoglycemia.


Then a quilting customer came over and brought over a loaf of fresh out of the oven and still warm homemade potica and I must admit I had a bit.  My Czechoslovakian grandmother made this all the time, and I could not resist tasting it again after probably 35 or 40 years!  Of course, she developed Type 2 Diabetes eating that kind of food, so it is not something I want to do with any regularity!




For dinner, I had chicken thigh and sauteed mushrooms and onions with cream and butter, and, even though I did not overeat, I felt overly full and uncomfortable for the rest of the night until bedtime.

As you can see by my numbers, I only barely missed being able to eat today, but I'm actually relieved.  I am getting into the swing of fasting, and am really starting to think that alternate day fasting might be a good way to maintain weight and FBG.  It's not hard.

I shouldn't say it's not hard.  Would it be easier to eat every day?  Sure.  But you have to pick which "hard" you are going to do.  It's hard to fast every other day.  It's hard to be overweight and diabetic.  So which one do I choose?

85 DAYS DOWN AND 6 DAYS TO GO

53 FEAST DAYS AND 33 FAST DAYS - FASTING 38% OF THE DAYS

16.6 POUNDS GONE AND 1.4 POUNDS TO GO

92% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 95% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 138.4

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 71

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The red lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.

Friday, March 25, 2016

DAY 85 - 2016 WEIGHT LOSS AND BLOOD GLUCOSE CHALLENGE

Christmas Eve 2015

Today is Day 85

Weight goal - 137.2 or lower
Actual weight - 135 - NEW LOW

Blood glucose goal - 77 or lower
Actual blood glucose - 57

Today is a Feast Day!



For me, that means a ketogenic diet - high fat, moderate protein and very low carb.  Each day, I will weigh in, check my fasting blood glucose, find out if I will feast or fast that day, update my charts and post them here on the big blog. I'm posting every day to motivate myself not to give up, and if I think that anyone is looking at this, it will help to keep me accountable.

GOAL!  GOAL!  GOAL!
I have not only reached my goal, I have surpassed it!  The original goal was 136 pounds, and this morning I weighed in at 135 pounds.  This is after a two-day fast, so I know that I will bounce back up a little after eating LIKE A BOSS today, but that's okay.  I still have several days to go before my results are official.
I cannot believe that I have lost 19 pounds in the past three months!  Why, oh, why didn't I do this sooner?  I had been thinking about it for years and just never pulled the trigger.  I'm so glad I did!
And fasting blood glucose of 57!  This fasting is no doubt doing wonders for my insulin sensitivity.

You might think that 57 is hypoglycemic, but it only is a problem if you have the following symptoms, which I do not have this morning, even with a FBG of 57:





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Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose)

Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dl. However, it is important to talk to your health care provider about your individual blood glucose targets, and what level is too low for you.
Hypoglycemia may also be referred to as an insulin reaction, or insulin shock.
Hypoglycemic symptoms are important clues that you have low blood glucose. Each person's reaction to hypoglycemia is different, so it's important that you learn your own signs and symptoms when your blood glucose is low.
The only sure way to know whether you are experiencing hypoglycemia is to check your blood glucose, if possible. If you are experiencing symptoms and you are unable to check your blood glucose for any reason, treat the hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia has the potential to cause accidents, injuries, coma, and death.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia (happen quickly)

  • Shakiness
  • Nervousness or anxiety
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion, including delirium
  • Rapid/fast heartbeat
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Hunger and nausea
  • Sleepiness
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips or tongue
  • Headaches
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Anger, stubbornness, or sadness
  • Lack of coordination
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness
- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html#sthash.99Em6ldy.dpuf
84 DAYS DOWN AND 7 DAYS TO GO

53 FEAST DAYS AND 30 FAST DAYS - FASTING 38% OF THE DAYS

19 POUNDS GONE AND 0 POUNDS TO GO

106% OF THE WAY TO MY GOAL AFTER 93% OF THE DAYS

7-DAY AVERAGE WEIGHT - 138.7

7-DAY AVERAGE FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE - 70

I made a few charts to track my progress.  The grey lines are my long term goals. The blue lines are my actual results.  The orange lines are my 7-day averages. The last chart is a little heat map to show at a glance how often I have actually had to fast to achieve the results I am after. Click on any chart or photo to enlarge it.


This is a personal challenge just for me, but if anyone reading would like to join me, please talk to your doctor and make sure that it will not conflict with your current medical condition or medications.  If you are taking the challenge, please be sure to let me know how you are doing!  Thanks for reading!

To find out more about this challenge - the rules and how it started - click here.