So You Don’t Have Diabetes Anymore?

Hello my friends, as you all should know by now I am a diabetic and was diagnosed about 4 years ago.  This diagnosis changed my life in so many ways and although I dislike the fact that I have it, I take a lot of pride in saying that I am not dependent on medicine or insulin to control it.  

Now lets get down to the title of this post, the famous question “So you don’t have Diabetes anymore?”.  The first time I heard the question a while back, I immediately responded with “there is no cure for Diabetes”.  However, after that immediate response I began to question myself as to the accuracy of my answer so I went to my friend Google and typed in “Is there a cure for Diabetes?”.  After reviewing a few websites I was confident that my response was accurate.  

Fast forward to last Friday when the question was asked again by a coworker who is a diabetic.  He proceeded to tell me that he was not told by his doctor that there was no cure and he nonchalantly explained that he just doesn’t take his medication and does not really eat healthy.  At that moment I pictured myself walking over to this man, shaking him and telling to snap out of it and yelling at him but of course I could not do that.  I felt so sad for him and thought of the consequences of his actions.  

I invited him to workout with The Dukes, the group I workout with but he politely declined.  You have no idea just how dumbfounded I was to hear this.  My doctor was very clear with me when he gave me my diagnosis, in fact his delivery was short of a slap in the face.  My doctor told me that if I wasn’t as fat as I was I could have delayed my diagnosis and now I have this disease for the rest of my life.  And yes he really did say that and although rude, I could not find it in me to be angry at him because he was right.  I was unable to counter on that statement because it was the plain and very ugly truth.

This question got me to thinking just how many people actually believe that there is a cure for Diabetes and don’t truly understand the severity of the disease.  Therefore, I am writing this post to shed some light on the subject in case you are also mistaken.

Let me briefly go over Type 1 Diabetes first which was formerly called Juvenile Diabetes and it occurs when your immune system destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar into your body so that it can be used for energy.  Without this your body is not able to function the way it is designed so people with this type of diabetes are insulin dependent. This type mostly starts before the age of 20 but it can also start at any age.

Type 2 Diabetes, the type I unfortunately have is the body’s inability produce enough insulin or is unable to use it as it should.  The glucose then builds up in the blood and it in turn causes other complications in your body.  There are many risks associated with the effects of Diabetes such as stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure and many more.  

With a healthy lifestyle, you are able to prolong the effects that this terrible disease has on your body without the need for medication.  However, please always consult your doctor before you stop using any medications because every situation is different.  

So to answer that question, no Diabetes does not just go away even if you live a healthy lifestyle.  However, a healthy lifestyle enables you to live a somewhat normal life while suffering from Diabetes.  I encourage you to get moving and pay attention to what you eat if you are a diabetic and if you are not then start now so that you don’t have to suffer later.  

In my opinion, the best way to deal with diabetes is by putting your gloves on and fighting it by educating yourself in how it affects your body.

How do you fight Diabetes?

Mother’s Day card Inspired post

My husband and kids already know that hand written cards are a must for me on Mother’s Day, I love receiving them, I cry EVERY time because they mean the world to me.  Today I want to share with you the card my 8 year old son Daniel gave me this past Sunday (Picture Above).  When I first read the card,  after wiping my tears off and blowing my snot, I read it again and it filled me with so much happiness and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.

  

My favorite part of this card is where he says “she plays with me (it is not really a super power but some mom’s don’t do that)”.  Wow! What a powerful statement that is for me that when asked why is your mom your hero he thought to say that.  Soooo what’s the big deal you say, right? Well, wrong! It is a big deal for me because the old me never played with him because I was always too tired to play, I just wanted to sit on the sofa and watch tv, so much wasted time that I am unable to recover L but that’s ok, there is still time to make up for it.

Now let me explain what he means when he says that I play with him, I DO NOT play cars, transformers or video games with him, I find them to be very boring and my attention span for them is approximately 5 to 10 minutes.  What I do like to do with him is to play tag when we go to the park, play tennis, racing and his ultimate favorite of all time the trampoline.  He is a boy after all and he loves these things and I found that they serve a dual purpose; quality time with my kids and I get to burn calories, most definitely a win win situation for all involved.  There are 4 in our family, my husband, 17 year old daughter, my son and I and we all play these games together.

The other day when we were headed out to play in the trampoline he pointed out that I forgot to wear my Polar heart rate monitor which he called “that thingy that tells you how many calories you burned”.  I love to wear this monitor because after a fun filled session I look at it and I see that big number of calories I burned while enjoying time with my babies.

This card was so significant for me because no matter how much time has passed by I am very happy with the changes I have made in order to create a better quality of life for all of us.  This card inspired me to create a section dedicated to workout ideas with your kids.

I will post the things I do with them but I would love to hear any ideas you may have as well.

Call me "Dear Yoselin"

Good morning all! I am excited to announce that I now have my very own column in the employee newsletter at my job.  I love sharing my story not to brag but to inspire, to help others in hopes to improve lives.  I want to share my first article with you which was published at the beginning of April.  I received great feedback, it opened up lines of communication with others struggling with living a healthy lifestyle and Diabetes.  I am very excited about what is to come. 

Three years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes at the age of 38, I was devastated when the doctor relayed the news, I cried, wiped my tears off, went home and began taking my medication but never changed my eating habits.  Then the day came when I got tired of the way the medicine made me feel, of feeling tired and depressed all the time, the pain in my knees, the back aches and how obese I had become so I decided to make a change.  I decided to lose weight, and one of the decisions I made was to not just lose weight but rather change my lifestyle completely, at the time I had no clue what this entailed but I was soon going to find out.  I wasn’t looking for a “quick fix diet” or a “fad diet” because I love food (emphasis on the love part), I am a foodie therefore, I knew that if I began a no carb diet, cabbage soup diet or any diet that would deprive me of eating foods I enjoyed I would fail so I had to be creative.

My solution was to create my own diet, which I named the “common sense diet”.  Let me break this down for you, this diet is the one where you know that biting into that burger is no good for you; the one where you know there is too much food on your plate but you eat it all anyway and wash it down with a diet soda; the one where you add extra butter to your toast to follow the grease filled bacon you are having for breakfast knowing that it will clog your arteries, well you get the picture.  My challenge was finding a way to lose weight, be healthy and not feel deprived, but was that even possible? Absolutely it was, I began tweaking the recipes I was already preparing making them healthier while also incorporating new healthy options to my diet and voila, the “common sense diet” was born.

With somewhat of a plan on hand, now it was time to do some serious research, well ok I used google.  My very first step was to understand how much I should be eating and how to keep track of it.  I had no clue because I always ate until I was full, well let me rephrase that, I always ate until I was so full that I could barely breath and passed out on the couch right after.

I googled several calorie calculators and came up with an average amount of calories I needed to consume in order to lose 2 lbs. per week and then I downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal and began tracking my food intake. 

This first step was big because for the first few days I would consume my daily calories before lunch so this helped me to better understand how much I should be eating and boy was that a learning curve.  This first step took some getting used to however, it kept me on track and taught me a lot about portion control.  Because I am a diabetic, I found that eating smaller portions every 2 hours worked best for me keeping my sugar levels regulated.

I have not taken a diabetes medication in over a year and my lab results always turn out as my doctor says “better than someone without Diabetes” and that alone is a huge accomplishment.  I have run several 5K’s and obstacle races and I just signed up to do my first ½ marathon in October.  Although I do not look like a fitness model and I still need to lose more weight, I am in the best shape I have been in my entire life and I love setting an example for my kids so that they don’t have to struggle with obesity or diabetes like I have, my only regret…not starting sooner. 

I am not a nutritionist, fitness expert or anything even close but I would like to share some of the things that have helped me, along with some recipes in hopes that it will also help motivate you to take that first step so stay tuned, there is more to come ;)

Why do I Work Out

Wow, so this is a pretty loaded question with about a million possible answers but I will do my best to explain the why. I remember hearing people say that they go to the gym before work and I often said I could never get up that early, I just could not do it.  However, when I truly decided to begin a healthy lifestyle I left my bad habits behind with one of them being “EXCUSES” yup, you know what I’m talking about.  

I now go to the gym at 6 am 4 days a week before work and I love it.  Is it easy to do? No.  Do I hate it most mornings? Yes.  Do I wish I could sleep in? Yes.  Do I regret it after I go? Absolutely Not! Every time I leave the gym I leave with a big smile on my face and the best feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.  I love my morning workouts because they get my day started on a very positive note.

Working out is difficult, I sweat, smell nasty, breath heavy and work hard but the results outweigh every drop of sweat or nasty smell.

I work out because I do not have to take diabetes medication and do not have to deal with the horrible side effects that the pill has on my body.  I work out because going to the park with my kids now means participating and bonding with them not just watching from afar.  I work out because it helps me with depression. I work out because it gets me in a great mood.  I work out because I love to see the changes in my body.  I work out because I am in control of my life and control is a wonderful thing to have.

I know I was in the excuse zone for so many years and I was always so quick to say why I could not exercise but now I am quick to come up with reasons why I can and should.  Let me give you a quick example, the other day my husband and I decided to go to the park with the kids on a Sunday so I decided well this will be a great workout because they always like to play tag and that is great cardio.  We went to the park and I got my heart rate going so fast, was able to sweat a whole lot and spent quality time with my kinds, a win win situation if you ask me.  I felt fantastic afterward and very accomplished. 

So I work out because it makes me a better mom, wife, employee and a more productive member of society.  I work out because it empowers me to be the best person that I can be and that is priceless.  So what are you waiting for? Go get moving!

Half Marathon and Sneakers

That moment when you get home for lunch, get your new running sneakers right after you just signed up for your first ½ Marathon!!! Yup that just happened and I am more excited than I can even begin to express.  Fitness for me is about constantly challenging myself because those challenges are the thing that keep me motivated and striving for more.  Today I was reminded of when I signed up for my first 5k and how nervous and anxious I was the weeks leading up to it and then I did it and I was so proud of myself.

I encourage you to challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone and do something you never thought you would do.  At 40 years old I am living a life that I never thought I would, I have put my health first and it is world changing, try it you will love it!

T-Shirt Power

Good morning my beautiful peeps!! Here is my mid-morning selfie with my favorite new t-shirt, earned this weekend on my first Spartan race woop woop!!

This snack may seem boring to you but it was oh so good, it’s Banana Nut Cheerios and its only 100 calories per serving.  I like snacks that are small because when I eat them it gives me the impression that I’m eating more than I actually am. Happy snacking and have a beautiful day. 

What’s your favorite healthy snack?

I am a Spartan! Aroo!

I am a Spartan!!!

Wow so I did it, I am officially a Spartan and I am so proud of myself for getting through it.  The race was very challenging and I had a lot of help but I did it and I could not be more pleased with my accomplishment.  I did the race with my Dukes, the group I workout with and they are the most supportive group of people.

We push each other, encourage each other and I could not have finished this race without them. 

That's me on the top of the wall to the right

I was nervous because I was doubting my abilities, I was doubting what I am capable of doing, I questioned myself.  However, the moment I jumped over the fire pit I had an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that I am capable of so much more than I even give myself credit for.  I was a Spartan and I was instantly ready to sign up for the next one and although it was a very challenging race I finished it. 

I climbed walls, crawled under barb wire, climbed ropes and ran up a whole lot of stairs. 

I think the moral of this story is to stop placing limits on your capabilities, stop listening to that voice in your head that tells you you can’t, stop doubting yourself and get up and do it.  There is so much in life that we can do and yet we frequently choose to sit around and dream about it.  I am so thankful to have done this race and to have pushed myself and my body to do things that I never imagined I could do.   

Today I am sore with bruises all over my body but they are so worth it, I am calling them battle wounds, battle wounds from the many fights I will have against this war, the keep myself alive and healthy war. 

I encourage you to get your own battle wounds and wear them proudly now go, get busy! 

Thats me in the back :( 

What you see is what you get

This picture depicts exactly what I mean when I say A Skinny State of Mind, it is when that switch is turned in your head, the one that convinces you that there is absolutely nothing that can stop you from reaching your goal, the one that puts excuses aside and understands that the road will not be easy, that there will be days when you will want to give up, but you won’t, you will keep going and you will fight for your life as you have never fought before, you will challenge yourself and most importantly you will never give up on yourself.  The decision to change your life begins with that switch being turned on, the rest is 

When you begin to see yourself in a different light, when you begin to see what your body can become and you know that you can control that the possibilities are endless

Aroo!

Well the nerves are most certainly kicking in, but it’s a good kind of nerves, the ones that keeps me motivated and striving to continue to improve.  Training for races is just another way of keeping motivated, having a goal to look forward to keeps me excited and pushes me to do better.

Spartan is the next race in the books for me, the most challenging one to date and yet the one I am looking forward to the most.  I know it is difficult, I know it will kick my behind but most importantly I know I am going to have the time of my life doing it and after I get through it I know I will have the biggest smile on my face ever. 

I challenge you to train for something, start with something small and continue to challenge yourself more and more.  Ultimately, you are really training for your life, you are training to be a better version of you and the only competition you have to worry about is the person you were the day prior. 

Now get moving!    

Aroo!!!

If The Shoe Fits....

Last week I went to the mall and I stopped by a few shoe stores because I want to start wearing high heels but can never seem to find ones that fit right or that are nice.  I decided to try on the shoes that I have always salivated over, the ones with all the straps that would never close because I was always too heavy to fit in them.

To my complete amazement the first ones I tried actually went in smoothly AND I was able to close the zipper!.....OMGosh if you guys could have seen my face you would all be laughing at my dumbfounded look.  I tried on every shoe that I could never touch before just for the heck of it and I was able to fit in all of them.  I have lost 1/2 a size in shoes and I don't know how much in width.  

Although this may not be a big deal to you guys, it was such a great deal for me because being heavier hindered my ability of being normal to the point that it controlled the type of clothes and shoes I wore, the things I could do with my family, my health, it controlled my entire life.  I am not sure how I allowed it to get that far but I am most certainly glad that I am not there anymore.   

Today I want to tell you that if you started on a journey to change your life that you don’t stop because it is worth every drop of sweat, every sore muscle, every moment you spend in the gym and every time you say NO to bad food.  I know because I have been there and I am glad that I changed my life.  

#TBT

#TBT the woman to the right was unhappy, insecure, lonely, always had aches and pains, depressed, defeated, hated mirrors and pictures. For so many years I simply existed, didn't know what living was about. 

Now let me tell you about the woman to the left, she smiles often, loooves selfies, is confident, no aches (except for soreness from working out) but most importantly she FOUND HERSELF, SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE CAN ACHIEVE, SHE IS UNSTOPPABLE, and although she is not perfect, she is one badass chick and in the best shape of her life at 40 ;) You can do it also start TODAY! #badasschick #askinnystateofmind

That Little Voice

Everyone has challenges in life, some smaller than others but challenges nevertheless.  Mine for the moment is not being able to exercise due to my accident.  This is a big challenge for me considering how far I have come in my journey, how motivated and ready to really transform this 40 year old body I was.  

On Sunday I sat on the couch and watched movies all day, ate horribly and felt disgusted with myself so I went for a walk.  I did a lot of thinking and realized that I had given up for the past 3 weeks because I cannot workout.  I saw this as the end of my road and my mind was now convinced that I will gain my weight back and it is impossible to keep the weight off without exercising.  

I then began to see the bigger picture and I was reminded of people who have gone through situations that are much more serious than mine and have come out of them triumphantly and stronger than ever.  I then made the decision not to allow this bump on the road to deter me from what I was meant to do and from helping others by providing inspiration.

There are many challenges that will seem impossible to overcome no matter how big or small they are but perseverance and a positive attitude will get you where you need to go.  As my coach always says, “stop listening to that voice in your mind that tells you that you can’t” 

Getting Rid of The Evidence

Yesterday while on the checkout line at the supermarket I got a sweet tooth so I grabbed a Twix and added it to my items. The cashier asked if I wanted it in the bag or in my hand, I told her I would take it for easy access she smiled and said "just make sure you get rid of the evidence before you get home". I smiled and said "thank you for reminding me of that". That statement flooded my mind with memories of a very familiar state of mind which took place when I was living a self-destructive lifestyle.  

I remember going to the fast food restaurant of choice, buying food and eating it in the car and then (drum roll please) yup you guessed it; I got rid of the evidence before I got home.  I know you're probably thinking how terrible that is but it gets even worst, I would go home and still have dinner as normal, as if I had not just stuffed my face with onion rings, a fat burger and a soda to wash it all down.

I was lying to my loved ones, or was I really? I was hiding this destructive lifestyle from them but my actions told a different story, not participating in my children's lives, being sick all the time, in pain all over and just all around miserable. This was such a good reminder of a lifestyle that I do not want to be a part of again and it felt good to know that I have chosen to change it.  I was trapped in a cocoon, still living, dark with very little room to move waiting for the moment to see the light that will change my life and turn me into the butterfly that I was meant to be.   

Are you getting rid of the evidence? Remember the only person being fooled is YOU because the outcome of your actions speaks louder than any lie you tell yourself. 

The Moral of the Story: Put the burger down and become that beautiful butterfly.  

Happy Saturday my beautiful people.

Confession Thursday

Confession Thursday

Yesterday was my midpoint weigh-in for the weight loss challenge I am doing at work and it was disappointing.  I lost less than a pound and 1% of body fat; this is in a four week period.  I was disappointed because I know that I am capable of getting rid of this weight but I have been making bad choices on the weekends sabotaging my extremely hard work during the week, now that's what I call the true meaning of insanity. The old me would just give up but the new me will continue to try until I succeed.  

I share this with you because if you are wanting to give up, DON’T!  Keep going because the last thing you want is to go back to where you were.  I won’t give up, I will keep trying until I lose the last 35 lbs that I need to and I WILL do it before the end of this year. 

#insanity #plateau #Challenge #weightlossproblems  #weightlossproblems

Bumps on The Road

Since the beginning of my journey I have been able to incorporate my workouts into my everyday life and have managed to make it work with no problems.  However, recently my husband has been getting home from work later and later which means the kids stay home alone while I work out.  They go with me from time to time but not always and so that guilt kicks in as I walk out the door and think to myself if it truly is worth leaving them.   The answer to that question is a big NO! it is not worth leaving them to go and workout because that means I am not balancing my time but rather compromising quality time with my kids in order to work out.  This is quite the dilemma wouldn’t you say? Well the old me would take this one and run with it as the perfect excuse to give up.  Oh yeah I can just hear myself saying how my time with my kids is more important and so I can no longer workout because of that.

However, the new me, the one with the skinny state of mind knows that there will always be a “valid” excuse as to why I cannot exercise and it is up to me to work around that “valid” excuse.  Therefore, I will begin a new workout regimen which will mean that I will have to start working out during lunch and early in the morning so that my time with the kids is not compromised.

I have to do some work and develop a schedule and be consistent so that I can remain on track. 

So the moral of the story is……..there will always be obstacles but once your mind is made up you will always find a way to get through them. 

Now get to it!!! :)

Races to date

So I have done a total of 4 5K's and one Mud Run, my best time for the 5K is 31.01 which was my last race at the beginning of this month.  My first race was 39.35 a little over a year ago, not bad at all and I can only get better from here. Here is a rundown for you:

Deltona Love Your Heart 5K 2/16/13-Time: 39.35 (My daughter did the first one with me and she kicked some serious asphalt as well, so proud of her)

Operation Changing Lives 11/23/13- Time: 34.53

 

Survivor Mud Run 10/5/13 Time: 55.05 (My favorite to date)

Deltona Love Your Heart 5K 2/15/14 -Time: 32.02

Blazing The Trail 3/8/14- Time:31.01

So what are you waiting for, start doing those things you never thought were possible to do!! go!! :0) 

Personal Record

How did you do it?

How did you do it?

That very famous question that everyone asks as I often asked when I saw someone who lost weight but before I tell you what worked for me, let me just hit you with a dose of reality.  The moment you TRULY decide that you want to live a healthy lifestyle is the moment you stop asking and start doing without a second thought, until then you will continue asking just as I did. 

This is where the phrase “A skinny state of mind” comes in, the moment you truly decide that you want to lose weight you develop that skinny state of mind.  Basically what this means is that there is a shift in your mind and rather than finding a million excuses as to why you can’t lose weight, you suddenly find a million answers as to why it is possible to do so.  This “state of mind” allows you to become confident even prior to even losing a pound, you are suddenly convinced that this is an attainable goal.

So back to the original question, once I truly decided to lose weight I did not want to do a quick fix diet, or a fad diet because I looooove food (emphasis on the love part), I am a foodie.  Therefore, I knew that if I began a no carb diet or a cabbage soup diet or any diet that would deprive me of eating what I wanted was simply not going to work for me.  So I decided I would call this the “common sense diet”, yup you know the one I am referring to, the one where you know that putting that burger and those fries in your mouth is not good for you, then one where you fry all your food because of course fried chicken tastes so much better than grilled chicken, well you get where I’m going with this. 

I had to find a way to not feel deprived and still lose weight, is that even possible? Yup it sure is and no it does not mean you still get to eat fried foods every day and burgers and still lose weight, you do have to change your eating habits.

Here are the steps I took when I first started my journey:

1.       Exercise at least 3 times a week (I do about 5-6 days)

2.       Drink at least 9 cups of water a day

3.       Eat at least 5 times a day (I know this sounds crazy)

4.       Find out how many calories I needed to consume in order to lose weight

5.       Downloaded the MyFitnessPal  app and began tracking my caloric intake

6.       Research the benefits of healthy foods

7.       Eat power foods

8.       Incorporate more foods that are high in protein and high in fiber

Always keep in mind that I am not an expert, the information that I provide you with is what I have done and what has worked for me personally.  I would always recommend that you consult your doctor prior to making any drastic changes in your life. 

Living a healthy lifestyle has given me a second chance at living, I was not living when I was heavier, I was just surviving.  I now know what I am capable of doing and that is a powerful thing.  

A Skinny State of Mind Explained

A Skinny State of Mind Explained

So the name came as I was writing my journal one day, I began to think of a name for a book that would help people with their struggle with weight and I came up with A skinny State of Mind. 

Basically what this means is that today’s society associates the word “skinny” with a person that is beautiful, healthy, confident, successful, you get the picture.  When I made the decision to lose weight, my state of mind completely changed, I gained an unexplainable sense of confidence without even losing a pound. I became mentally aware of my capabilities and my mind was convinced that I was “skinny” therefore I immediately felt beautiful, healthy and confident.  

I can only wish that we can all gain a “skinny” state of mind at one point in our lives or another because it is life altering.  That state of mind is the deciding factor of your success, the factor that tells you how attainable that seemingly impossible goal is, it erases all fear and all predisposed obstacles that YOU have placed in your life.  The excuses dissipate and are replaced by a feeling of self-control and control is key to success because once you have control of your body and mind you are invincible and your goals are limitless. 

Therefore, the word “skinny” in this instance has nothing to do with the shape of your body; you can have a “skinny” state of mind whether you are 400lbs. or 110lbs.  I encourage you to explore that part of your mind and bring it out; it is refreshing and life changing.