Tonight was the season premier of The Biggest Loser. I have watched the show occasionally in the past and enjoyed it.
I am overweight. According to the BMI, I am obese. That disturbs me. It always has. I wasn't always overweight. As a child, up until I hit puberty, I was average for my height. Then, around the time I was 14 or 15, I hit puberty (I was a late bloomer) and I went from taking 2 shots per day to taking 4 shots per day. Increased insulin intake makes for weight gain, which we all know. But puberty often le
ads to weight gain in girls. So I've never really known what to attribute it to.
ads to weight gain in girls. So I've never really known what to attribute it to. I never really let my weight bother me too badly. But when I went on my insulin pump, I lost almost 20 pounds in the first year. This was from the decrease in insulin, along with some small changes in eating habits due to my cholesterol and my blood sugar levels.
That made me feel really good. I didn't really have to work for that weight loss.
But then I leveled out. I have wanted to keep loosing, but I have NO desire to exercise. I joined the gym for a while, but quit going. I have never been an athletic person. I never wanted to play sports. In fact, I was just plain BAD at any type of sports, so I never even bothered trying.
When I was going to the gym, my blood sugars did such crazy things that it wasn't worth getting it figured out. I was either running up my blood sugars, to keep from going low during the work out, or I was going low and consuming as many calories as I burned in juice boxes to bring myself back up.
It was frustrating and I hated it. So I quit.
Tonight, while watching the Biggest Loser, it made me want to do something. I just don't know what. I don't know how to start.
My nutritionist and I met a few months ago. She advised me to consume 1300 calories a day to loose weight (that's with no extra exercise). I have done that some days, but most of the time I end up eating more.
How do you do it? How do you make yourself keep going? How do you count your calories?
I have spend the better part of my diabetic life counting carbs. Do I HAVE to count something else??
What is your motivation to keep going? Do you have someone to encourage you to go, even when you don't want to?
Please, lend me your tips. I need help.
6 comments:
Oh, I wish I had some good advise for you. Your experience with exercise sounds pretty identical to mine. I'm horrible at most sports because I'm a klutz. I can swim like a fish, but swimming is a lot of trouble - the chlorine, changing in and out of a swimsuit, wet hair - plus finding an indoor pool since it's only warm enough to swim outside for 3 months of the year, and the cost of joining such a place. Exercise bores the life out of me, and I've never found anything that doesn't feel like the worst of chores. If my hubby would do something with me, that would help a lot, but he won't, so I've been at a loss. Everything else diabetes-related I can do like a champ, but the exercise thing is a perpetual thorn in my side. If I had any insight on how to change that, I'd gladly share it, but unfortunately all I can offer is my empathy.
Lee Ann, I totally understand about the swimming. That's my sport of choice too. But like you said, finding a place to swim more than just the summer time is hard. In fact, there is NO WHERE to do this in my town. All we have are lakes, rivers, and the community center pool (outside, of course).
I really understand where you are coming from. I got all gung-ho on exercise for about a week or so, and then I get lazy and slack off and that's it. And I've never been motivated enough to count calories - like you said, we're already counting carbs. The only tip I have is to see if you can find something that doesn't feel like exercise - it feels like fun instead. My husband and I took ballroom dance lessons before we got married. We loved it so much that we're still taking them, over four years later. (And it's more strenuous than I ever would have guessed - especially now that we're learning to really do it properly.) I know if all else fails, at least I get my 45 minutes of dancing in. I keep meaning to write a post about it, but I've been slacking there too!!
I think a lot of us share this frustration. I could have written this post myself, actually. I don't have any real answers, but I wish you luck and hope that you find something that works for you!
Thanks so much for the comment on my last post. It meant a lot to hear that I am not the only person to have similar feelings!
Karen, I took ballroom dance in college as one of my PE credits. I would have loved it....if only I'd had a partner. :D
Jillian, thanks for the good luck. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that has issues with exercise. :)
Cara -
just start off by walking, start off doing 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Increase by 5 minutes on the 13th day, & by 10 minutes on the 14th day. Keep it at 35 minutes, 5 days a week until your ready to increase.
You don't have walk fast or far, just walk. Put on your ipod and think about whatever you want.
Walking is the best exercise there is. I miss my long walks so much.
I miss what they did for my head, & my body.
Give it a try Cara, you might surprise yourself, at how much you enjoy it.
k2
Post a Comment