Primal Challenge Journal (Griff)
(349 posts) (45 voices)-
Griff, I just wanted to chime in to say you're doing a GREAT job (not that you don't already know that). Keep it up! How exciting that things are going your way. :)
Posted 6 months ago # -
Catalina
MemberHey, Griff! It looks like you're making great headway towards your goal! I love what you wrote a couple days ago about the stairs. I've been feeling the same way, and isn't it grand?
Over 30 pounds is five weeks is amazing--can't wait to see what your progress is at 5 months!
And. . .keep posting those recipes.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI may have figured out why my numbers were climbing - three reasons:
1. My (very recently) pierced ears seem to be infected again. I took care of that with some antibacterial soap. Infections can cause a rise in blood sugar, but sometimes they don't show up with visible symptoms at first - often not for as much as 48 hours after they start causing havoc with blood sugar.
2. I haven't been exercising as much and I needed to step that up again. Today I did the Pay It Forward workout DVD that I was sent by a friend, and felt better afterwards. Also got my heart rate up to 132. Whew.
3. I haven't been getting enough sleep. After a two-hour nap today, I felt better and my sugars behaved themselves.
I'm beginning to see that my best blood sugar patterns come after a combination of the following things:
1. Adequate rest and adequate exercise daily.
2. Certain supplements, among them fish oil, coconut oil, and cinnamon.
3. Not eating after about 8 p.m. Part of this, I think, is that I have to stay up too late to do a post-meal test and that stresses me out and keeps me awake, and see #1 for why that's not good.
4. Eating large, protein-and-fat heavy meals, not a series of small meals and snacks, and going five to six hours between them. If I snack, I have a tendency to snack on more carby foods like raw veggies and fruit, and that's not good for my blood sugars. If I do the large meal plan, I eat about twice a day, and I'm rarely if ever hungry. Case in point: We finished dinner at about 7:45 tonight, and I'm still feeling not just full but satiated three hours later. I've tested at two hours and at three hours and my blood sugar's been nice and steady at 101-105. This is good. (It's also counterintuitive and a complete contradiction of everything the ADA suggests, but then again their suggestions also include a 60% carbohydrate (read here: SUGAR) diet, so I doubt they really have a clue at all when it comes to what diabetics need to eat and when...)
My high today was 122 before breakfast and after exercise, and my low was 88 when I woke up after my nap. My average overall: 106. That's more what I like to see.
I added a magnesium tablet to my nighttime regimen last night, and this morning and evening I added a cinnamon capsule to my supplements. Breakfast was, as almost always, my usual three-egg cinnamon-and-parmesan omelet and two pieces of bacon; dinner was an Islands protein platter - all chicken, and only one of the tomato slices, along with buffalo wings and ranch dressing. My protein/fat/carb ratios today were almost perfectly ideal: 24.5%/69.5%/6%. That's pretty good.
I'm feeling somewhat better, and look forward to another decline in my sugars tomorrow. I want to thank everyone who gave me a "chin up" message today - I needed to hear it, and I appreciate it very much. Sometimes I just get into these funks, you know?
Posted 6 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI'm going to try taking a cinnamon capsule tonight at bedtime to see if that has an effect on my morning sugars. I'm getting tired of seeing numbers in the 120s. Of course, today I got woken up at about five a.m. (about two hours too early) so that might have been part of the reason for today's numbers. But still.
My average today is 111, but I owe that mostly to post-breakfast sugars. My pre-breakfast sugar was high (129) due to my having exercised about a half hour before breakfast. After that, though, my numbers were nice and low: 103, 100, 103, 107. I'm still hoping that the combination of supplements, diet, and exercise I'm using is going to eventually bring my morning sugars in line along with the ones after breakfast (which are, generally, pretty good).
I have to figure out how to make Japanese curry without using the pre-made Vermont House curry sauce which we love, because it's just too high in carbs. I'd appreciate recipes for the sauce; I'm planning to make a beef curry tomorrow with cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms and onions tomorrow, and it would be fine if it weren't for the 27 carbs in the sauce mix. *grumble*
But anyway, today fell out like this: High 129, low 100, average 111. I dropped another two pounds and I'm down to 363, which is nothing short of amazing. I worked out for twenty minutes this morning, some moderate aerobic dance, and got my heart rate up to 132, which was good. Breakfast was my usual three-egg omelet with an additional piece of bacon (the bacon we buy comes with eleven strips in it, which makes no sense to me, but whatever) and dinner was flank steak rolls with feta, red bell pepper and spinach; a crookneck squash saute' with red bell pepper, parsley, green onion, and black pepper in a butter-and-olive-oil blend; and one-sixth of a two-ounce 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar. It was fantastic. I love my food scale - until we got it I was trying to limit myself to a half-cup of squash, and that was about two tablespoons when it got cooked down. Now I know I can have ten ounces by weight of crookneck squash and not have to worry about spiking my carb count. That's so freeing!
We had some illness today - my older daughter is apparently coming down with what I hope is just a feverish cold, not the flu, so I had to take the kids back to my ex a little earlier than I was expecting. I hope she feels better - she was a trooper, but I could tell she wasn't doing well at all. (I also hope I didn't catch it! That would suck.) On the way back from dropping them off, I stopped at Trader Joe's and picked up a boatload of good food, and for only about sixty-five bucks: Italian pork sausage, bacon, eggs, the flank steak rolls, some steak tips for curry tomorrow, the crookneck squash, and a bunch of mushrooms. We're stocked for the next week, at least, and that's a great thing. I forgot green onions and parsley, but that's not hard to get more of and I can do that on the way home from work tomorrow.
You know what is the coolest thing about all this? I feel empowered. I never used to feel empowered about anything regarding my body. I always figured it was useless to try to lose weight because I'd just gain back more. I don't feel that way anymore.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI may still need to eat something else small, but that's okay. I'm happy to report that my average sugars today are at a nice, low 110. High was only 120, and low was 95.
Breakfast was my usual; I didn't eat lunch, and we had dinner at El Torito. I had my fajitas and salad and confused another waiter.
I also worked out today with the Pay It Forward DVD.
I know this is all pretty boring, and I'm sorry. I'm just tired tonight and don't want to go into it. It's been a long day and the week ahead promises to be even longer.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Griff
MemberMy average today wasn't great, but I was out in the heat all day, and that can easily cause my sugars to go up. Even so, it wasn't bad: high 124, low 108, average 117.
Again, I only had breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was my usual omelet and bacon; dinner was the best ribeye I've ever had in my life (12 ounces of pure protein-and-fat goodness), a salad, some chicken wings and lots of water. And, of course, my supplements.
I'm not hungry at all now, and it's been over five hours since dinner. I'll be taking my cinnamon and coconut oil before bed, but other than that, no more food today.
I'm not going to weigh myself again until next Monday. I'm also kind of disappointed - I got an email from my doctor and he's retiring next month. *sigh* I hope his replacement "gets it" about low-carbing. Otherwise I'll be hunting for a new doctor.
Posted 5 months ago # -
kuno1chi
MemberGriff,
Just wondering... do you like okra? I had never enjoyed them before when they weren't crispy-fried; but tonight I was iron-cheffing it with an almost-empty fridge.
I made what was starting out to be a rather lackluster Pak curry with onions and a cut-up turkey thigh, but there was about a cup's worth of Okra pods, so I cut them up and threw them in. They helped thicken the sauce, and the whole thing worked out really well for about seven additional carbs...and made at least two giant servings.
Just a thought. Okra is not universally-liked, but I'm really warming up to it now :-D
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI should mention that in terms of exercise, yesterday was a "move a lot" day - we went on campus and walked all over the place to get prior-to-starting-classes errands done: bookstore, library, my new office, my department office. I'd say we walked at about 3 mph in the 100-degree heat for a good 45 minutes; we were on campus for about an hour and ten minutes total.
This was amazing to me, because the last time I was able to walk around my campus was four years ago. Three years ago I got a wheelchair from my doctor because of my RA getting so bad. That's gone away since I stopped eating grains, and I'm walking farther every day. If I get through December without a flare, I'm donating the chair to the school's mobility-services department.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberThanks PG! I'm trying to arrange my life so that I have to walk more. It's not comfortable, but on the other hand, I was in marching band in high school and you want to believe we walked everywhere then! So I know I can do this again. It's just getting into the routine of doing it that's knocking me down.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberDidn't get much exercise today; my heels were hurting after yesterday's walking around and I figured "I need a break." So I didn't really exercise much. They're not hurting now, so I'll go back to working out tomorrow.
My high today was 125 on waking and my low was 95 before dinner; my average was a nice comfortable 110. Breakfast was really lunch because I wasn't hungry until after 12 p.m., but it was still the same breakfast I almost always have: 3-egg omelet and some bacon. We took the kids to dinner and I had a feast; a 12-ounce New York strip steak with blue cheese butter, a cup of julienned zucchini and summer squash and a cup of sautee'd garlic spinach, along with a caesar salad without croutons. I'm still not hungry and we finished dinner at 7 p.m. (it's now 1 a.m.). Truly, this is living like a king - or at least eating like one.
I won't be weighing myself until Monday next, no matter how many times I'm tempted. Besides, I probably won't have time - this promises to be a very busy weekend.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberToday I woke up and my morning sugar was 124. I was grumpy, I admit it. But I wasn't hungry. So I decided I'd wait and see when I got hungry.
Meantime, I worked out with the Pay It Forward DVD, did some reading for class, and around the time that the husband got up I was finally starting to get hungry. I made us brunch - at 2 p.m. - and at that point I was at 99. (yay!) Brunch was a slight expansion of my usual breakfast - I added three ounces of mushrooms cooked in the bacon fat to my usual two strips of bacon and three-egg omelet - and neither of us needed to eat again until about 7 p.m. At that point, I defrosted some chicken and made the balsamic chicken dish I posted about earlier. Two hours later, I was at 101. *cheer* So today's high was 124, but my low was 99 and my average was great at 106.
I also found out today that my waist has gone down an inch and a half, to 58.5 inches. I'm below a 60 waist for the first time in probably ten years. This blows my mind.
I'm really getting comfortable with this two-meals-a-day schedule. I occasionally regret being unable to snack, but you know what? I'm making so much progress that it's keeping me constantly motivated. If I'm not having a good blood sugar day, I'm probably dropping a pound or losing an inch somewhere. And if I'm not dropping weight, my blood sugars are nice and stable.
This is awesome.
Posted 5 months ago # -
eva
Memberhi griff
i havent commented on your journal before but i just had to come in and say- im so impressed!
In a way you make me feel selfadsorbed to fight my last pounds of fat- considering the huge job you have done and still have to do, but on the other hand i get the feeling that theres nothing wrong to aspire to be better- all the way!
Plus the way you eat is so much like the way i eat. lately i have incorporated 2-3 "primal warrior diet days" also into my week but basically i just eat like you do- omelet or a salad in the morning or noon and then hugeass dinner before 19pm.
thanks for the inpirationPosted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI did a lot of walking again yesterday - all over campus. I had a misstep on a stairway, though, so today is a "rest and let the bruise on my left heel heal up" day. I misjudged the length of the riser and stepped a little too far out, slipped, and landed hard on the next step down. Oops.
On the other hand, I walked all over campus yesterday in the heat, and didn't die. My high was scary - 130 before breakfast - and my low was about 95 before dinner, but my overall average came in at 114. I actually ate three meals yesterday - an omelette, but no bacon, for breakfast; a chicken caesar salad (sans croutons, of course) for lunch, and a ribeye steak with blue cheese crumbles, mixed veggies with butter, and another caesar salad for dinner.
I think I know why my before-breakfast sugar was so high: I didn't get a lot of sleep. The night before, I made the mistake of having caffeinated tea for the first time in about a month. I've been trying to studiously avoid caffeine because it increases insulin resistance, but I forgot - and I paid for it. I think that my higher morning sugars have as much to do with lack of sleep, or poor sleep, than anything else.
I got to expose someone to the Primal lifestyle yesterday - we went to dinner with a bunch of friends who meet regularly for dinner once a month, and she hadn't been there since the July get-together. She noticed that my husband and I are smaller than we were (I don't know how; I can't tell the difference in the mirror yet) and wanted to know more about it. So I spent about a half hour explaining insulin, leptin and glucagon to her, and gave her a few links to various sites, including this one. I'm happy about that.
When I woke up this morning my sugars were at 112. That's awesome.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI did a lot of walking again yesterday - all over campus. I had a misstep on a stairway, though, so today is a "rest and let the bruise on my left heel heal up" day. I misjudged the length of the riser and stepped a little too far out, slipped, and landed hard on the next step down. Oops.
On the other hand, I walked all over campus yesterday in the heat, and didn't die. My high was scary - 130 before breakfast - and my low was about 95 before dinner, but my overall average came in at 114. I actually ate three meals yesterday - an omelette, but no bacon, for breakfast; a chicken caesar salad (sans croutons, of course) for lunch, and a ribeye steak with blue cheese crumbles, mixed veggies with butter, and another caesar salad for dinner.
I think I know why my before-breakfast sugar was so high: I didn't get a lot of sleep. The night before, I made the mistake of having caffeinated tea for the first time in about a month. I've been trying to studiously avoid caffeine because it increases insulin resistance, but I forgot - and I paid for it. I think that my higher morning sugars have as much to do with lack of sleep, or poor sleep, than anything else.
I got to expose someone to the Primal lifestyle yesterday - we went to dinner with a bunch of friends who meet regularly for dinner once a month, and she hadn't been there since the July get-together. She noticed that my husband and I are smaller than we were (I don't know how; I can't tell the difference in the mirror yet) and wanted to know more about it. So I spent about a half hour explaining insulin, leptin and glucagon to her, and gave her a few links to various sites, including this one. I'm happy about that.
When I woke up this morning my sugars were at 112. That's awesome.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI'm pretty pleased with yesterday's average, to be honest. The numbers are dropping again, and both yesterday and today I had a waking blood sugar in the 110s instead of the 120s, which is great. Long may this continue! I've also dropped another pound - I'm now at 362 - and my waist is down to 58 inches. I was able to wear jeans I haven't worn in a LONG time, yesterday.
I found out that the company I ordered my 200 extra test strips from on Amazon shipped them with UPS despite my explicit request that they avoid UPS. This annoys me. Even so, I've got strips left - I just want the security of having extra strips, you know what I'm saying?
Yesterday I got some light exercise but nothing major - mostly walking up a very steep hill to a party we attended - and ate three times because we weren't sure when dinner would be served at the party. I had a cheddar cinnamon omelet and a couple pieces of bacon for breakfast, some more scrambled eggs for lunch, and then lemon chicken, asparagus and salad with ranch dressing for dinner at the party. The host was very kind and made lemon chicken special for my husband and me, because the main course was chicken cordon bleu, a breaded dish.
My average sugar yesterday was 107.5, with a high of 115 after dinner and a low of 99 before lunch. And this morning my waking sugar was at 115. I'm pleased as punch.
Today is a "sit and work on stuff" day - I have lessons to prep as well as reading to get done - but I'm going to get some exercise in the afternoon anyway, probably some weightlifting. My left heel is still bruised but getting better, and it hurts less if I keep the foot moving.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Vick
MemberGriff you continue to inspire us all. I thought you might find this article from the BBC worth reading.
(1 page and 2 minute video.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7852987.stm
Posted 5 months ago # -
Mr Mesolithic
MemberHey Griff- just had a chance to browse your journal ...
It's really awesome - you should be full of pride for the progress!
Hey, have you tried adding Garlic as a supplement? I also know of a few others that can very quickly lower glucose levels - so ask if you're interested.
I have to be very careful taking Garlic, as it will crash my sugars to mid-50's if I take enough on empty stomach. It might be interesting to add it in if you're not yet?
Tons of research on Garlic out there.
Sincerely,
Mr. MesolithicPosted 5 months ago # -
Griff
MemberI eat plenty of garlic on a regular basis, so I'm not going to add it as a supplement. I have no wish to crash! I generally have something with fresh garlic in it at least once every other day. But thanks for the suggestion!
At this time I'm taking:
Men's multivitamin 1/morning
B-complex 1/morning
400 mcg additional chromium picolinate 2/day (400mcg total)
200 mg potassium citrate with each meat-or-egg-containing meal (400 mg total/day)
14 g (1 TB) coconut oil with each meal and before bed (about 4 TB daily)
2 g fish oil with each meat-or-egg-containing meal (about 4 g total/day)
600 mg coconut bark with each meal and before bed (2400 mg total)
400 mg magnesium before bedI'm planning on adding alpha-lipoic acid and Vitamin E to this the next time I get to the health food store.
Posted 5 months ago #
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