Day 59

Blood sugar 90.
Today we went to Cafe de France in Winter Park.
We both had the soupe du jour which was a mushroom bisque. It was creamy and delicious, and very warming since it was cold outside. We also shared the PATÉ DU JOUR
Home made terrine.Cornichons and toasts and ESCARGOTS À L’AIL
Sauté of escargots. Maitre D’ garlic butter. (Can you believe that I ate Escargot and enjoyed it?)
My entree was CRÊPE DE POULET À LA REINE
Tender chicken with a mushroom béchamel in a crepe shell. Garnish of seasonal vegetables. and for dessert we had expressos and shared a creme brulee'. I loved every minute of it.
Then when I got to work and during my shift I had a bag of cashews, and bag of white cheddar popcorn and half of my bosses Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
and once I got home I had a salad similar to the one I had 2 nights ago.
A great day of eating and now I am ready for bed.

Day 58

Blood Sugar 100.
Mark and i went to brunch at Junior's Diner. I had read reviews of it and it got a high rating.
It did not disappoint. We had the waitress pick our food for us as usual. I told her I wanted some sort of omelet and home fries. She brought a veggie omelet, my home fries and a biscuit. Extremely Delicious.
Then early evening Nicole and I went to Sam Sneads, we started with the spinach dip and we each had a salad, then my entree was Chicken Marsala with a side of pasta. It was a lot of food and so I brought half of my meal home and had that after work, along with a bag of BBQ Fritos.

Day 57

Blood sugar 88.
Today Addison and i went back to Ali Baba in Longwood. It is a delicious buffet of different mediterranean dishes and we have always had a good experience there. I know that i am better off having more smaller meals, rather than a couple of large ones, however it is so good it is hard for me to be sensible. But where i may have eaten too much, the food is actually rather healthy.
Then later for dinner I made my usual fruit, nut, and cheese salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Today was dried cranberries, apple, toasted walnuts and goat cheese crumbles, along with a couple of glasses of Pinot Noir.

Day 56

Blood sugar 113. So this is the 15th day in a row that my blood sugars have ALL been in the proper range (or just below).
It is also an excellent day because of my weight. The heaviest I have ever been is 199, However on Day 1 of this blog I was at 190.
I would like to get down to between 170 and 175, I'm 5'9" and I feel that would be a pretty good weight for me. Well today after my shower I got on the scale and I have finally gotten in to the 170s! Granted it is 179, and I know weight can fluctuate a little over a few days, but nonetheless I was thrilled!
I started with a bowl of cereal, then I went to the gym and felt that I needed something to bring up my sugar, so i had a bag of honey roasted peanuts and a few sips of a diet Dr. Pepper.
After another great workout with Lynn I met Mark and we went to the Mellow Mushroom. We told the server a basic idea of what we wanted, but that she could bring out whatever she wanted and surprise us. She did a great job! I had the Portobello and Cheese Hoagie with avocado and pesto, and we shared a small Philosopher Pizza with onions instead of olives. The Hoagie I ate there, but the bulk of the pizza I took home and ate after the bar.
It was all delicious!

Day 55

Morning Blood sugar 110. I started out with a bowl of cereal this morning.
Then we were driving around not really knowing where we were eating lunch and we came across Clarkie's Diner on Orange Ave. We had talked earlier in the day about greasy spoon diners, and since I had driven by it for years and never stopped, and neither one of us had ever been we decided to go. It was exactly what I expected! I couldn't decide on an omelet or the meatloaf. So when I asked for a suggestion from our server he said they could make me a meatloaf omelet. How could I refuse? It was delicious! Just greasy enough to fulfill me!
As for our dinner plans, we went to Hot Olives in Winter Park. I have been there a handful of times and always liked it! We started with Baked Brie with Almonds 13
Baked brie topped with melted butter and almonds, served with fresh berries and a baked French baguette. and then my entree was Tropical Almond Chicken Salad 15
Gourmet greens, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and Gorgonzola cheese topped with almond
crusted chicken and mango pineapple salsa. Served with citrus honey vinaigrette. After that was a trip to the Red Fox lounge to see Mark and Lorna and have a couple of cocktails, Delicious meals and a wonderful day!

Day 54

Blood sugar 102.
Today Mark and I went to Pho 88 for lunch. I hadn't yet been there, and I found it to be quite delicious! I had Cơm Gà hoặc Tôm Xào Ca Ri $7.50
Curry Chicken with carrots, snow peas, bamboo, and onion on rice. It had a definite kick to it, but was not too hot and I loved it. I also had a Sinh Tố Mít $2.95
Jackfruit Shake. I will gladly return!
I also had a great workout with Lynn today.
My friends James and Stephanie are moving to Canada in about a month, so for dinner tonight I went to John and Greg's house and we had an excellent "going away" dinner. We all brought something. I was in charge of the salad. With it was fettucini alfredo with Chicken, garlic bread, wine and the most delicious Paula Deen recipe for smores. (I only had a small piece, but would never have forgiven myself if I hadn't tried it!) I ate big today, and am curious as to how big I will eat tomorrow!

Day 53

Blood Sugar 94.
Nicole and I went to the Cheesecake Factory today while we were out shopping, plus I had a $25 gift card so we figured it would be a smart move. We started with the Fire-Roasted Fresh Artichoke. Served with a Spicy Vinaigrette and Garlic Dip. and then i had the Baja Chicken Tacos
Three Soft Corn Tortillas Filled with Spicy Chicken, Onions, Cheese, Avocado Cream, Tomato and Cilantro. Served with Black Beans, Rice and Guacamole. I only ate a small portion of my entree and took the rest home to enjoy before work. During work I had a cereal bar, and when I got home I made Whole Wheat French Toast and Morningstar Farms Veggie sausages.

Day 52

Blood Sugar 91.
I met Mark at noon at NILE Ethiopian Restaurant on I Drive. It had been recommended to me before but I hadn't yet been. My previous experience with Ethiopian food was at a place in New York several years ago. At the time I was not as into food as I am now, and I remember it being so hot I could barely stand it. NILE however was a different story. I LOVED everything that we ate! We had several Beef dishes, and a lamb dish, and a chicken dish .... All was very flavorful and spicy, but not too hot! The Ethiopian coffee was also delicious! After that we went to the Indian grocery store and got a sweet coconut dessert called chumchum. I am impressed that I have not yet eaten the whole container. At work i had a diabetic oatmeal raisin bar, and then when I got home I made a salad with dried cranberries, walnuts, cashews and goat cheese. It was an excellent day of eating!

Day 51

Morning Blood Sugar 98.
I had a great workout with Lynn today, then I met Mark for lunch at Logan's Bistro. We started with the Goat Cheese Cheescake appetizer, and then I had the Montana Chicken Wrap with a Bistro Salad and a glass of Merlot. I only ate half of my lunch, so I wrapped it up and took it home to have for dinner before i went to work. After work i had a bag of cheetos from the vending machine and when I got home i had the last piece of leftover pizza. I also drank a lot of water today, which I sometimes am not the best at doing, but it sure feels good when I do!

Day 50

Morning Sugar of 89.
I met Mark for lunch at Guavate, a Puerto Rican Restaurant which was new to both of us. It was very good and we had several appetizers (one of which was seafood, and I even liked it a little bit), and for my entree I had Carne Guisada. We also had a coconut dessert and jug of Sangria. He had brought some Chickoo, which was also new to me, which is a indian fruit. I love to try new things! Later I went with Jeff, Gregg and Addison to New China Buffet. I did have 3 plates, but I tried to keep them reasonable and I didn't do too bad. I even ate a curry shrimp! Maybe I eat seafood now? After that were drinks at Wyldes, and when I got home I finished up my leftovers from Guavate and some cashews. It was the best night ever!

Day 49

With a morning blood sugar of 91, I started out the day with a bowl of cereal and a banana. Then my parents came by to visit and brought a Chick-Fil-A sandwich! I can't help it, i just love a good Chick-Fil-A! Then I went to the gym and had an excellent workout with Lynn. Afterwards I stopped by Whole Foods and got a plate from their Hot Bar. Then after a pretty good night at work I came home and had a Buffalo Chicken Wrap from Target and a South Beach Diet Cereal Bar. I feel pretty good about my food intake today, and I am very excited about trying a new restaurant for lunch tomorrow! Details and photos to follow!

Day 48

For the second day, blood sugar 89.
Today was a day of dining out. I started out by going back to 4R Smokehouse BBQ, only this time I had the pulled pork sandwich with smoked bacon wrapped jalapenos and baked cheese grits. Then later I had a couple of drinks with a friend at Agave Azul and had Aztec Cobb Salad $8
Spicy blackened chicken over baby greens. Topped with bacon, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cheese, and black bean salsa.
Delicious!
and then I went to the final Tuesday Happy hour with Addison Taylor and had 2 more drinks, followed by a trip to hamburger Mary's where I had the Blue Boy Burger!
My first 2 meals I only ate part of, and at Hamburger Mary's I only ate 2 of my fries, however there were a couple of appetizers that the group of us had, and I especially enjoyed the blue cheese covered potato chips.
We will see how tomorrow's blood sugar is!

Day 47

Blood sugar 89.
Today was a long day at a long event.
I didn't eat as often as I like, but considering my options I felt that I made pretty decent choices.
My first meal of the day was at the rainbow cafe, Parliament house and was a grilled chicken sandwich with tomatoes and cucumbers.
I have a photo of the same meal from a few days ago.
and my second meal was at IHOP.
I had the spinach and mushroom omelette with wheat toast.
We will see how tomorrow's sugar is.......

Day 46

Blood Sugar 105.
Those of you who know me know that I hate seafood, in fact I use to tell people that I was allergic to it so that they wouldn't pressure me into trying it. There are currently the following things that I just hate and won't eat: Seafood of all types, mustard, mayo, and olives (small amounts of olives in things are ok) So I want to be the type of person that can enjoy all sorts of food. I have taken bites of all sorts of seafood dishes, and I have yet to find one that I actually "like" or would purposely order.
Today Nicole and I went to SEA Thai, and she got coconut shrimp, and I had one, and as I cringe when I say it, "I enjoyed it"
It was coconutty and delicious! Could this be a new beginning for me? Now for my entree I had yellow chicken curry which I have had before and knew that I would like.
I worked a shorter shift then I usually do, and when I got off I was starving and hit the vending machine and had some chocolate and some sort of chip. Then finally before bed we had ordered a pizza, which I only had one piece of, along with some garlic cheese bread.
Tomorrow I will be at the bar all day with the pageant, so I will do my best to eat something that isn't too unhealthy!

Day 45

Morning Blood Sugar 101.
Today Addison and I were driving around doing some shopping and we ended up stopping at Rossi's to eat lunch.
I haven't been there in about 15 years and it hasn't changed much. Pretty decent for a cross between an italian restaurant and a sportsbar. We split an order of garlic cheese bread and an order of chicken tenders, then we each had a calzone. Mine was filled with Broccoli and Feta. The taste was good, but afterwards not only was I too full, but I am realizing that I don't enjoy all of that heavy, cheese and bread food as much as I use to. Pizza, French Fries, anything battered and deep fried, all of those things which I have always adored are becoming less enjoyable to me now. I still want them, but definitely a smaller portion then before, and I feel that this is a very good thing! I am also finding that when I eat then less often, then I appreciate them much more when I do have them.
So I was so stuffed from lunch that I didn't eat anything (I know... smaller portions, several times a day is better) until almost the end of my shift when i had a bag of cashews. Then when i got home from work I had a Caprese salad with grilled Chicken that i had gotten earlier at the Deli at Target. I am now going to bed satisfied.

Day 44

This morning's blood sugar was 90.
I met Roy for lunch at Houlihan's where we each ordered a grilled vegetable pizza. I also enjoyed a 2-4-1 red wine.
Before work I had some leftover Chili which was mixed with some whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce to make chili mac. I was not that hungry so I had a very small portion. During work I had a cereal bar, and after work I had the rest of the chili mac, some pita and a salad with dried cranberries and almonds.
Sorry todays journal was so boring. Maybe tomorrow i will eat something exciting!

Day 43

Today I had a morning blood sugar of 105. Now since my doctor wants it to be between 90 and 120, I guess that is perfect!
I started when I woke up today with a bag of cashews, i probably should have eaten more, but I was out the door to run several errands. As I was driving around I found myself becoming starving and all that i could think about was food. (Not an unusual thing for me to do). It was around 2:30 and I knew that i was dining out with friends around 8, so I went to Chick-fil-A and had a grilled chicken sandwich and a 3 piece box of Chicken strips. Pretty delicious and it got me through until my evening meal.
Addison, Jeff, Gregg and myself all went to dinner at Tabla. Not only is it my favorite Indian Restaurant, but every time I go there I just have the waiter Mark bring me out whatever he wants. I have yet to be disappointed. I'm not sure what he brought me tonight but it was excellent! It was paneer in a delicious sauce with cashews, not too spicy, but it had a kick and was full of flavor. Also with it was rice and naan. and when he asked if I would like a cocktail, I could not say no. I might have had two.
To whoever is reading this, I highly recommend Tabla if you either love indian food or want to try something new. and to Mark, I know you are reading this, and i thank you!
After that we went to Wylde's for a couple more cocktails, and then called it a night.

Day 42

Blood Sugar 86
I started out today with a breakfast sandwich with one egg and two egg whites, Morningstar farms veggie sausages, and cheddar on toast, along with some apple slices. Then I had a great workout with Lynn. After the gym I went by Whole Foods and got a plate from their Hot Bar. Then after work I had a small salad with sliced baked chicken, and then I took the rest of the Chili from yesterday and completed Nigella Lawson's recipe by heating it up, topping it with a corn bread mixture and then baking it. It was delicious, and I have tons left so I will be eating off of it for a few days.

Day 41

Started out the day with a blood sugar of 90.
I was up early (for me) due to clean up and a meeting at the bar, so my first meal of the day came from the Rainbow Cafe at the world famous Parliament House. I got what I usually get there .... a grilled chicken sandwich with tomatoes and cucumbers. It always satisfies me and I just love it!
Then after that I went to Whiskey river with some co-workers. I had one cocktail and one shot.
Later Nicole and myself went to check out this BBQ place that i have been hearing about. 4R Smokehouse. I went a little overboard and got the Beef Brisket dinner with Mac and Cheese, Smokehouse Corn and Sweet Potato Casserole. I loved it! The portions are huge and I highly recommend it! Now as for me, I only ate about half of my portion, and then i packed up the rest and gave it to Addison.
Then at Happy hour I had one more drink.
and when I got home I made some Chili. It was a new recipe for me that I got from Nigella Lawson on the Food Network. (My favorite channel)
Along with it while watching American Idol and Lost were some tortilla chips with Hummus.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Day 40

Morning blood sugar.... 130
Now that I look back at day 39 I am not surprised.
I really shouldn't be having BBQ AND Steak and Shake in the same day.
All things considered I guess it is not the worst.
Today was better.
I started by meeting my friends Will and Josh who were both working at Jimmy's Cafe in Maitland.
Will expertly crafted the most delicious salad for me! Just look at the picture and see how big and filling it was, and along with a croissant I ate every bite!
Thanks guys!
Then off to a sweaty workout with Lynn!
After that I went to Nicole's 80's themed social party, where I couldn't resist a plate of all the delicious food, however for once I only had one plate, and I completely avoided the dessert tray.
I had 3 cocktails throughout the evening.
And most importantly I had a great conversation with Aunt MARY, she follows this blog (Hi MARY!) and is also diabetic and expressed her concerns with some of my dieting choices.
I need that! and am so grateful for her opinions.
After talking with her I didn't want anymore cocktails, and wanted to eat much better when I got home ....
which i did by having the rest of the salad from a couple of nights ago, and a spicy black bean burger
(Sometimes Veggie burgers can taste just awful, but morningstar farms seams to do it right)
I also received my new Food Lover business cards to pass out to friends and servers from places that I enjoy dining at, so hopefully I might get a few more readers!
Thanks to all of you for taking the time!

Day 39

Morning Blood Sugar ... 107.
Brunch with addison and Nicole .....
O'Boys BBQ, Beef lunch, substitute the cole slaw for Mac and Cheese.
Before work .... small bag of trail mix and an apple
After work .... Steak and shake, Guacamole Burger with salad and Chili Mac
Simple and to the point.
Did not drink enough water today!

Day 38

So I have been on insulin for 5 months now, and yesterday was the first day that I forgot to take it.
I normally take it around 4 in the morning (I usually don't go to bed until around 6am) however last night I layed down and had just fallen asleep when I woke up and remembered that I hadn't taken it! I thought about getting up and injecting, but then I thought "Maybe I will skip a day just to see what happens"
I don't think that is necessarily a good thing, and I am back on track now, but i just wanted to see if one day would effect my numbers.
So this morning when I had a blood sugar of 110, which is almost perfect, I was quite thrilled.
So this morning i had a bowl of cereal, followed by a couple pieces of toast and some almonds.
I knew that i had dinner plans before work so I saved most of my hunger for Sea Thai on colonial near the fashion square mall. I have been there a few times and I love it.
I started with the spring rolls and my entree was pineapple fried rice with Chicken.
I might as well have licked my plate clean, it was so good!
Then during work I had an apple, and when i got home Addison, Nicole and I had Grilled Cheese sandwiches and a salad with dried cranberries, apples, cashews and almonds.
We are all going out for brunch tomorrow, so I am anxious to see where we end up.

Day 37

Considering what I had eaten and drank the previous night, I was pleased to have a blood sugar of 121.
So Jeff and i got up and headed back to Orlando today.
On the way back we stopped at Chick-Fil-A.
Then a nap.
and then before work I had an apple and a bag of peanuts.
After work a trip to Steak and Shake where I had a BLT, a cup of Chili and 2 sausage, egg and cheese sliders.

Day 36

Blood sugar 82
Today Jeffrey and I went to Tampa to get tattooed, meet up with Daphne to go see Wicked, and have some drinks.
On the way there we stopped at Chili's where I had the honey chipotle Chicken Crispers. a delicious start to the day!
Once we arrived and checked in we bellied up to a bar and had a traditional Irish Car Bomb (The last time we went to Tampa I had 18, along with some shots of Citron ....So I feel that my alcohol consumption this trip was a lot smarter) Then after we got our Carrot Tattoos we met up with Daphne at Acropolis for some Delicious Greek Food! I had the Gyro platter, extremely Delicious and very filling. I couldn't even finish it!
Then off to see Wicked, which was excellent! and then out bar hopping!
I kept count and I only had 7 drinks for the rest of the night.
After some dancing we got a couple of slices of pizza and called it a night!