So, after week 1, I used my trusty fitbit to track my exercise. I used to run 3x a week and get nearly 12,000-15,000steps on the three days (monday, wednesday and fridays) but the rest of the days, my step count used to be pretty abysmal.
So, after I came back from the doctor's visit, I upped my step count. For the whole next week I walked at least 15,000 steps, sometimes surpassing and ending up almost at 20,000 steps. In a week, my legs were shot and constantly tired. Getting to run was becoming a chore as my calves, hamstring and practically all other parts of the lower body would start screaming in agony. Climbing a flight of stairs became a bit of pain as by the end of one floor, the calves and hamstrings would be in agony.
Two words: NOT GOOD!
Being a long time runner and exercise aficionado, I know all about rest and recovery times. Clearly, I was stressing my body beyond its current abilities. TIME TO STOP! TIME TO REST! So, I cut back a little bit. One week, instead of running, I just did very long walks and on the off days (Tuesdays and Thursdays), I barely did 6000 steps. I rested on Saturday and Sunday.
Monday, the muscles felt more relaxed and I could actually run 4 miles.
Even though I did not enjoy the salad and heavy infusion of vegetables in my meals, I was beginning to be OK with it.
Sometime during this week, during my incessant research on diabetes, I came across Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book on a forum. Curious, I read the reviews. The book is VERY HIGHLY rated on Amazon with over 450 reviews and most of them 4 and 5 starts.
Being an engineer, if there is one thing I believe in, it is the Wisdom of Masses. There has got to be something here I thought and bought it. Amazon Prime delivered it to my door within 2 days flat. Thank you Amazon and Thank you Internet.
I am not one to easily be swayed by diets and self-help books like the one above, but I must say, this book DID MAKE SENSE! It made on outlandish promises. It explained things. The author has been a Type 1 diabetic all his life (he was diagnosed at 12 as a Type 1) and has made it to 80+ so there has got to be something here.
As I started reading the book, I started incorporating a lot of his advice in my lifestyle. At the very least, I immediately started putting Dr. Bernstein's meal plans into action. Being a Type 1 Diabetic, Dr. Bernstein lives a spartan life that still puts me to shame. However, his diet did bring my blood sugar in control. Here are the readings:
11/30/2015 Dnc after breakfast 2 cup salad kale and zucchini and 1 tbsp cheese and nuts and 1 scoop whey
11/30/2015 2:00pm Dnc Lunch Salad greens and zucchini 1/4 cup cheese and tofu and walnuts and pine nuts and tabasco
11/30/2015 10:07am 125 1:45 after dinner 1/2 tab 1.4 opo and tofu and nutrella and 1/4 cup peanuts and 2 tomatoes
12/1/2015 10:49am 85 Fasting
12/1/2015 10:52am Dnc breakfast 1 scoop whey + 1.5 cup left over salad and some opo squash + tomato + 10 grams nutrella + little tofu
12/1/2015 4:10pm 118 1:45 hours after lunch 1 avocado + 1/2 cucumber + 1 cup kale/other greens + 1/2 apple + 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds + Almonds + tabasco
12/1/2015 11:28pm 122 1:45 after dinner Opo squash and tofu and soup using two tomatoes, tofu, celery, mushrooms and 25 grams quinoa
12/2/2015 8:15am 96 Fasting
12/2/2015 10:20am Dnc breakfast 1 scoop whey + half a cup of tofu soup with tomatoes/celery/mushrooms and quinoa
12/2/2015 1:48pm 121 forgot to take med with breakfast, took with lunch
12/2/2015 3:15pm 126 1 hour 8 minutes after lunch 1 scoop whey + 2-3 tbsp breakfast soup + salad (kale/zucchini/parmesan cheese 1/4cup + 1/2 block tofu + tabasco)
12/2/2015 12:18am 114 1:50 after dinner 2 cups bok-choy boiled with spices + mushrooms + 1 tomato + tofu + nutrella
12/3/2015 11:45am 109 fasting for nearly 13 hours and waking up till 4:30am
12/3/2015 5:43pm 120 1:45 hours after lunch Cucumber, kale, 1/4 apple, pine nuts, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup edmame, 1 cup asparagus
12/3/2015 9:37pm 93 1 hour after dinner Bok choy blended plus tofu plus nutrella plus tomato 2 cups
12/4/2015 9:09am 78 Fasting
12/4/2015 9:30am Dnc breakfast 1 scoop whey + 1/4 apple + 1/4 cup mushroom and Tofu
12/4/2015 1:40pm Dnc Lunch 1 scoop whey + bok choy + mushroom + tofu + nutrella
12/4/2015 7:57pm 106 1 hour after dinner 3/4 cup mushroom and tofu + salad (1/4 apple, kale salad 1 cup + 2 tbsp pine nuts + 2 tbsp walnuts + 1/8 cup cheese + 1/4 cup peanuts)
12/4/2015 9:57pm 104 2 hours after dinner
12/5/2015 10:25am 90 Fasting
12/5/2015 12:45pm 108 2 hours after breakfast Mushrooms tofu half a bell pepper red and celery stick and a scoop of whey. Did some weight training
12/5/2015 9:24pm 116 2 hour after dinner Mushroom and celery and tofu 1 cup plus two cup green bean and nutrella
12/6/2015 6:53am 93 Fasting
12/6/2015 7:15am Dnc breakfast Beans with nutrella/ a bit of mushroom and celery and tofu
12/6/2015 12:00pm Dnc Lunch 1.5 cup mushroom and celery and tofu
12/6/2015 8:53pm 105 2 hours after dinner 1 cup kale plus a little bit tofu/mushroom/celery dish, 1 zucchini + 2 slices pepperjack cheese on top
He advocates a high protein and reasonable amount of fat with tons of veggies diet. His secret sauce: No more than 6 grams of carbs in breakfast, no more than 12 grams in Lunch or dinner. That is ALL CARBS. That includes the carbs from veggies!
THAT SUCKS!
BUT THAT WORKS!
Sigh.
So, I did put his plan in action. And it did work. And I was not liking chewing Kale Salad, over and over, again and again.
And thus, I decided that if I was to have long term success, I needed to morph his suggestions that would be suitable for Indian Vegetarians.
Did I mention my mom living in India is a Diabetic too?
Did I mention that it took me a month to breach the topic with my parents.
Did I mention that I did not pay too much attention to her glucose levels assuming she was taking care of it? Did I mention that when I heard about her blood glucose levels my eyes popped out! They were high!
Did I mention that what most sources on the internet and doctors in clinics tell you WILL cause you to have complications over time?
No, that is not for me.
Dr. Bernstein said:
- 83 blood sugar at fasting
No higher than 140 after 1 hourNo higher than 120 after 2 hours
Updated: Actually, Dr. Bernstein's book says that for Type 2 diabetics, he aims to maintain 83 before, during and after a meal. Seems I mixed up things when reading the innumerable number of articles I found online. I am having a hard time understanding how that is even possible but what I take away from the above is that I should aim to have a max spike of a 100 post-prandial (after meal) and all other times, be at or around 83. *Sigh*
I am going to stick to that, thank you very much.
I am going to stick to that, thank you very much.
I will get there.
And I will keep it.
I will tell you about the next two weeks and the difficulties I faced and am I still facing as I go forward.
For now, Good night.
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