Morning, y’all.
I love this mug from the Vegan Cuts Coffee Box!
It’s Saturday. I usually sleep in until around 9-10 am as a weekend treat (and because I usually stay up until 2 am or so on Friday night/Saturday morning). Not today. Why? In part because I went to bed just after midnight and because it’s a high pain morning. The pain level this week had me thrown. Yes, there’s a spike twice a month, but this spike has been 3 weeks long. I decided to jump on the scale to see what’s what and found the culprit. I’ve gained – part of it is due to typical hormonal changes and the other part is due to tracking. Well, the lack of.
Why did I stop tracking? I did not completely stop, but I did slack off. I stopped paying attention to portions. Yes, I still need to keep portions of some things in check, even when following a primarily whole foods plant-based plan. This may not be the case for everyone, but it is for me. More nuts and seeds (I’m looking at you peanut butter, cashews, and pecans) and letting too much bread and oil get in hurt when I overindulge. The extra treat days don’t help, either. I slipped back into an old pattern and am paying the price.
Why did I slip? I get a little lazy and bored. I feel like I can let go of the routine a little more than not and have not worried as much since my blood pressure and glucose readings have still been great (90-110 range fasting and 120-135 after meals) which keeps me on track for coming off of more meds. I still have more energy and generally less pain than after the weird muscle spasms a few weeks back.
I know what I need to do and how to do it. This gain was not a surprise and I should have paid more attention. This it not beating myself up. This is just a statement I need to see in print (well, on the screen) and a reminder that exercise alone does not work for me.
So, what’s next? Getting back in gear and following my plan the way it works:
- water
- produce
- protein
- whole grains with portions of trigger foods in check
- treats twice a week at most
See, that’s not so bad. It’s not boring when I put some thought into it. The heat has sent my cooking mojo into hibernation, so i need to find ways to mix it up a bit. Produce is banging this time of year, so between farmers markets and the produce department, I can be inspired.
Right now, I’m enjoying my morning smoothie (a blended salad as Dr. Fuhrman calls it), coffee, and water. While my coach is not fond of me drinking my calories as a regular thing, she is happy with the way I make the program work.
I’ll share more about my fantastic Diabetes coach soon. Until then, have a fantabulous day!
Peace!
