Sweet Ride

So last night we decided on a family activity for some fitness. We went to a local park and took our bikes. We rode the same path that we had run last week for our 5K. I was thinking it would be so easy on bikes that we could probably make two laps lol...but I've also worked out like twice a day all week and it was getting dark, so I was wrong! At any rate, we rode 3 miles as a family and had such a great time! When we were finished my son asked me if we could have special days where we did some exercise just he and I and another day just my daughter and I. I thought that was really cute! 

I am noticing since I've really upped my exercise this week it's taking a tole on the blood sugar. I'm seeing a lot more lows, but also seeing more highs. I guess it's time to start wearing the sensor to see where I need to adjust. I'm not sure if I'm having rebound highs from glycogen breakdown or what...diabetes-such a crazy phenomenon! 

Here's a picture of a little bridge we crossed during our ride. The kids had to stop and look over. I love getting them involved in our fitness, and they really enjoy getting out and moving! 

A Sweet Glo

We did our first 5K last weekend and the kids did a 1 mile fun run…and I think I’ve started something! This one was called the GloRun so it was at night and involved glow in the dark paint, neon, black lights, and so much fun! We got together and decorated shirts beforehand and the kids thought it was a blast! 

Nails were painted with neon glow paint and we were decked out with necklaces and bracelets galore! My favorite part was our glowing shoelaces, but I don’t think I got a good picture of those-so many compliments! My brother in law and his girlfriend ran with us…and by ran I mean I think I might have run 1 mile lol! Bless my heart, kids were passing me…but I finished! (Sadly their parents were screaming at them and not encouraging...I felt really sad for them. At one point we wanted to ask one to just join us and tell the jerk father to move along!) I think my time was like 47:06 and with no training and about 0 running experience, I’m okay with that. We had a blast! I appreciate so much that my brother in law stayed with my honey and his girlfriend stayed with me. They are in much better shape than us, but just encouraged us the whole way! 

This diabetic poses tricky problems having never done anything like this before. I was high in the morning, changed a pump site and low in the evening. After chugging juice, eating dinner and downing a bottle of glucose tabs my tummy was much fuller than I’d like for running, so we did a lot of brisk walking. Today I signed us up for another, but this time I’m going to be more prepared! I’m walking/jogging in preparation so that I can beat my time and I’ll make sure I wear my sensor! I’m also going to order this cool thing to carry Diabetic supplies (think trendy fanny pack for runners) it’ll be so great!

Sweet Success-Month 1

So my friend and I decided to measure ourselves one month ago after someone gave us advice that girls don’t always see their weight loss as quickly in pounds…so we did it-whoa…those numbers are scary! At any rate, yesterday was our 1 month weigh in and measure day. I was down 7.4 lbs and 6 1/4 inches. Not too shabby! 
I realized after a few weeks of serious struggles that some medication I was taking was causing me to hold onto weight so getting off of that has really helped a ton. I’m feeling so much better and finally seeing results! 
I’ve gotten really consistent with my eating habits, but my exercise is in need of some serious help. Insanity lasted about 7 days lol! So this month my focus is on exercise in some form everyday and I will write about that to hold myself accountable. Today I walked on my lunch break 1/2 a mile. It wasn’t much, but it was something. When I get off work tonight my plan is to do at least 30 minutes on the treadmill. Hopefully the kids will be in bed!

Super Sweet Friends

I heard on the radio the other night that these days friendships are more important even than relationships because so many relationships are no longer forever. We need those strong, bonded, supportive friendships for our health and happiness. 

So I have several friends who are all on various fitness journeys. Two have been doing it for years, eat fantastic, teach classes, work out daily and look phenomenal. One is on her second 90 day transformation and is doing unbelievable! She’s changed her life to mimic the first two friends, which I think is the key to ultimate success. Then there are a few of us in the beginning or on going stages of starting this journey, including my sister and my husband. What I’ve found though, is no matter where you are you need friends to help you succeed. Friends motivate, encourage, and share joys and disappointments with one another. I’ve found myself texting one or more of these friends daily for advice, tips, and encouragement and it’s so helpful…and they want to help because they’ve all been where I am right now.
I guess this is the beauty of social media. We post on Facebook and have 450 friends at our disposal to offer advice, support and tips. We blog and have people who offer support or people who are looking for support from you even when you don’t know them. My friends have been so great and willing to help guide and encourage me that I had to write about it. Be a friend to someone. It’s such a sweet gift!

Diabetics are naturally sweet

Today this diabetic is un-naturally sweet!

Just a few of my daily diabetic devices... My meter, showing a terribly high 308 blood sugar, my little finger sticking device, and my pump in it’s fancy pink skin. Yes, even insulin pumps like to accessorize. I realized after seeing that 308 that I need to change my pump site and of course I’m at work without all of the things I need. However, this does explain the rough time the last day or two. I hope I can get this number down before I get home or I won’t be able to do Insanity tonight. Over 300 is considered the danger zone for diabetic workouts. I’m trying to fix this body not break it even more!

Babies and wine are sweet...but not when you're doing Insanity!

I learned a few things with yesterday’s workout and because I love lists, I thought I’d share them in list form. So here you go, in no particular order.

1. I love doing Wine & Palette. My friends and I painted a wine glass at sunset-pictured above. If you’ve never done one, it’s this great new craze where people get together and drink and paint. This can be dangerous, but it’s so much fun!


2. Remember to put your wine/drink glass away from your water cup so that you don’t accidentally dip your brush in your drink…it happens.


3. Drinking prior to doing Insanity is not a great idea. Although it sounded good at the time, I’m not sure I’d choose to do it again…damn near lost some wine last night on my floor…


4. My baby girl hates Shaun T. I’m sorry Shaun, I don’t know what it is, but she was not as enthusiastic about watching Mommy and Daddy work out as the kid pictured above…no, that’s not my child, just some stranger from the internet. I’m not into baby body building, but if they keep staying up to watch us they might be in this shape before long.


5. It’s just about impossible to do Insanity while your daughter is crying and wants you to hold her.


6. Insanity was not made for fat girls and boys. I’m pretty sure I’m doing less than half of the videos so far and feel like I’m dying, but I’m still doing it! 


7. I need new tennis shoes. My feet were killing me midway through…worse than my screaming muscles and the sweat dripping into my eyes! I did find on Shaun T’s blog that he prefers doing this barefoot, so I might try that tonight. We’ll see…


8. This is going to be a really rough 2 months. I’m not sure yet how this is going to go because today I can barely walk.


9. When your hamstrings are sore it’s damn near impossible to lower and raise yourself from a chair or toilet…beware! 


10. Extra workouts are not making perfect blood sugars like they have in the past. I’m struggling right now with a lot more highs than lows, which has been my past experience. I’m not sure what’s going on with that. Stupid diabetes.


11. Diabetes is like Big Brother I’ve learned to, “expect the unexpected"! 

That’s all for today, I’m too sore to type anything more witty! Oh and if you know how to get pictures to upload on here from the phone app help me out lol! 

Sweet Insanity-Day 1

Tonight the hubby and I started Insanity. I know I know, it’s been done a million times and I’m sure there are a bloggers everywhere talking about their experience, but like most, I’m pretty sure I was more traumatized and it is necessary to share this story. 
It starts nice, ShaunT is all encouraging and motivational and you start thinking yeah I can do this. I’ll have a body like Tonya in no time. About 2 minutes in the warm up was getting intense and I thought maybe this was going to be rough…5 minutes in I was certain we should have gotten our affairs in order before starting this…at least signed up for more life insurance or something! 10 minutes in and we’re like two flopping fish trying not to power kick each other in the face…or maybe in the knee because neither of our overweight selves can really kick face high! And by 18 minutes I wished horrible things would happen to Tonya like she’d trip on her own legs and fall doing a suicide jump. I may have blacked out for a minute so I’m not sure what happened, but she was still standing at the end of the video, so I guess we weren’t so lucky. 
Our 8 year old loves our enthusiasm for bettering our health and bodies so she helped out by writing down our counts. Lucky for her she didn’t have to count very high for this. Fit test my sweet ass! I can say with great confidence we have left much room for improvement! 
My blood sugar was 230 at the end which made the pounding in my head that much more noticeable. Day 1 down…and I’m afraid to go to sleep for fear I may not be able to stand when I wake up tomorrow!

Simple and Sweet

I logged on here and realized I haven't written in forever! So it's like starting all over again! 

 Hello, my name is Shannon. I am a wife, a mom, and an insulin dependent diabetic, and I am simply me. I wear an insulin pump and check my blood sugar multiple times a day and I have highs and lows (thank you Steel Magnolias for shedding light on what that means), but it’s all just part of my sweet life. I have 3 kids (the one I was pregnant with is a girl and almost 2!) and a dog and live in your typical middle class suburban neighborhood. I married a guy I graduated from high school with even though we didn’t start dating until we were 20. Our 10 year wedding anniversary is this year and I can’t imagine my life anywhere else. 
I work full time and I work part time and I’m a mom all of the time. I have 3 beautiful kids who are totally perfect…except when they aren’t. I love Big Brother, Survivor, and True Blood and yes, if Alexander Skarsgard came to my door I’d definitely invite him in. My family and I love to try new things and eat great things and somehow over the last few years I’ve eaten my way right up to almost 200 lbs. I work, I live, I love, I’m a diabetic, and I need to lose weight…so here I am, writing about all of the above. 
I’ve decided 2013 is the year of the better me. My husband and I are dumping debt aka. We’re on a budget and paying it off…thank you Dave Ramsey. I am dumping stuff aka. I’ve made many trips to the local Goodwill in the last few weeks to get rid of anything we don’t need or love…it’s a work in progress. And I’m dumping fat aka. Get off your ass and do something Shannon! So, I’ve downloaded Myfitnesspal and been tracking away, I’ve taken before pictures (that was painful) and tomorrow we started Insanity 3 days ago…and by we I mean, I somehow convinced my husband that this journey is not one I should take alone. We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary on the beach of Mexico in 9 weeks so here we go!