This blog entry has been a long time in coming. In September 2013, I made this post titled "Fatty Fat Fat" where I tracked some of my weight issues and swore to do better. And I did, somewhat, losing about 20 lbs from that September until January 2015. It was slow going and I wasn't exercising much. Still, it was progress and I really made some improvements in my eating habits. With my particular thyroid issue, if I lose weight too quickly, I start to retain water, so slow is how it's going to be whether I want to or not. Knowing that has stopped me from jumping on many fad diets and "fixes" and programs so in a way, it's a blessing.

In January of this year, I got super sick with the flu, an intestinal infection, gallbladder issue, and extremely elevated blood sugars. I ended up in the ER and then, shortly afterwards, my doctor who analyzed my blood work and diagnosed me as pre-diabetic. I knew I was prone to that as I'd had horrible gestational diabetes and there's family history on my dad's side, which I tend to physically favor. My doctor spoke very firmly to me about this being a defining moment in my life and that I had two choices- deal with this now and develop a healthier lifestyle or ignore it and have ongoing illness and shorten my life span. The man does not mince words and it totally got my attention.

I wasn't eating horribly, but I started eating more blood sugar balancing foods and paying better attention to that. I also got back to the gym- regularly. I think that has made the biggest difference for me. I dabbled in Zumba in years past, but something about it this time really appealed to me. Since February, I'm at the gym 5-6 days a week. I never, ever thought I could love exercising, but now I can't wait to get to the gym. I mostly do Zumba, but I also do weights and throw in a little treadmill and elliptical action.

My Zumba peeps, this has made all the difference in the world!

Thursday, September 6, 2012~

   Feeling better today. The day started rough, I won't lie, but after Julian got over his snit this morning, things vastly improved. My Thursday morning group at church started up again. I'm part of a "guinea pig" group this time around. We're doing Warren Wiersbe's study on the book of John and that's not unusual. The part that's different is that it's a small group that requires each member to set a weekly personal goal and a goal that requires us to go above and beyond our usual habits. We're also committing to monthly service projects for our community. There's a high level of accountability within the group. I've mentioned before that I'm pretty burnt out on long book studies so this is a great fit for where I am and where my heart has always been.
   I left as soon as we'd finished so I could get up to Tampa. I do love seeing my former co-workers at Family First. It's been 4 years since I worked there and I still think about them and the programs all the time. I don't know when I'll go back to work full time, but it's a little dream of mine to be able to work there again. Anyway, I had lunch with my dear friend Amy. We had such encouraging conversation. It really made my week!
   Tomorrow I've got a fun morning and afternoon planned with another good friend. We're headed to St. Pete. I think Jason is craving Delco's so we may end up there too. What a good way to finish this week of ups and downs! 

Getting a better feel for the new camera. I'm excited to have a lot to list on eBay this weekend!