Moving...

I have moved my blog to http://notfinishedjustyet.wordpress.com/

The Plan

After reading Brooke's blog http://bitebybite.wordpress.com/ and getting all inspired I went to Kenz's old posts http://kenzicle.blogspot.com/2006/10/week-24-day-1.html and got even more inspired to set a goal and set some firm plans to achieve that goal.

So the first goal is 7kgs down by the time we go to Mapleton which is 29th December - 7 weeks away. I have lost around 9kgs in the last 2 1/2 years and I am so pleased about that but I really want to lose some more.

Since I have Type 2 diabetes, the plan is to improve my blood sugars and the Hba1c result and to lose weight.

1. Take my medications 3 times per day.
2. Exercise on the treadmill building up to 60mins per day including grade requirements of star jumps, sit ups, squats and push ups and 5 mins skipping and each karta and routine. Martial arts classes 1hr 45mins twice a week.
3. Testing blood sugar levels fasting and then one hour and two hours after each meal and snack. Aiming for these levels: Fasting: under 6, 1hour after eating: under 7.7 and 2hours after eating: under 6.
4. Regular eating times - smaller meals and snacks six times per day. Eat fruit, vegetables and wholegrain carbs, lean proteins and cut way back on refined carbs. Treats are for being out with family and friends and in small serves.
5. Drink 2 litres of water each day.
6. Listen to hypnosis cd regularly.

On the weekend I am going to print out the steps and scrapbook a poster for my kitchen cupboard as a constant reminder. I will also save them as my desktop on my laptop too.

Just to clarify some of the finer details:

1. I don't know why but I do find it hard to remember to take my meds, I have been very much improved with this over the last few weeks
2. I plan to start with just 30mins and build up the time over several weeks, I love doing the karate so much that it is not really like exercise to me but just fun. I realized about two weeks ago that what I love the very most about the karate is that while I am doing it I forget about any worries or problems and just sort of go "ïnto the zone" and I love that!
3. I have learnt so much recently about the levels I should be achieving and how my body responds to certain foods (it reacts very badly to refined carbs - sets off cravings and makes me lose all energy and enthusiasm) and testing so often is the best way to monitor this at this stage and to keep me motivated. Aiming for these levels: Fasting: under 6, 1hour after eating: under 7.7 and two hours after eating: under 6.
4. I have found that eating smaller meals six times a day is so much easier for my body to cope with and it also keeps cravings at bay. The meal I have the most trouble with is breakfast because I find it hard to eat a cooked breakfast and I love to have a protein shake but the milk doesn't really agree with me. However I have found that for me breakfast is the most important meal of the day because if I eat a good breakfast I eliminate cravings for the whole day.
5. I always drink 2 litres of water per day without fail because I have had had lots of kidney stones and by drinking the water I seem to still make the stones but they are much smaller and much easier to cope with.
6. I highly recommend the Paul McKenna hynposis cd and book "I can make you thin". I started listening to this 2 1/2 years ago and it is only since then that I have lost and kept off any weight my whole life. I have learnt not to overeat and that used to be a big problem for me. I can now stop when I am full.