Saturday, May 29th

An earlier then usual start, Daphne and Leif came over from Tampa about 10am in order for Daphne to catch a flight. On the way to the airport we stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I knew that this would not be the healthiest meal, but it was the first meal of the day, and I knew that it would be the most decadent. I had the Old Timer’s Breakfast, Two Eggs* cooked to order with Grits, Sawmill Gravy, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, real Butter and the best Preserves, Jam n’ Apple Butter (on request) we could find. ~plus~ Fried Apples or Hashbrown Casserole ~and~ Choice of Smoked Sausage Patties, Turkey Sausage Patties or Thick-Sliced Bacon. In order to feel like I was putting in SOME effort towards self control, I only had one biscuit, and I barely touched the Sawmill Gravy, other then that I pretty much cleaned my plate. Then off to the Fringe festival with Nicole and Leif. I skipped the food carts, and then came back home for a nap. I am finding that if I eat a delicious and satisfying meal, that I will not want to snack so often, but if I try to "order to healthy" then I usually waste the calories that I "saved" on eating some kind of junk later!
So once I got up, I heated up the Siam Garden leftovers from two days ago, and i must say that they were just as good on the second go around. Then after work we went to Subway. I am excited that now there is a location that is open 24 hours. I got the Veggie Patty 6 inch with lettuce, tomato, pepper, onion, cucumber and pickle, and a bag of Baked Lays (almost half the calories of the sunchips). I was pretty pleased that I didn't get the Footlong with extra cheese and bacon. I left wanting to eat more (because of habit) but when I thought about it, I was full enough and felt pleased with my choice, And it payed off.....after exactly 8 hours my fasting blood sugar was 107!

Friday, May 28th

I wanted to get those sugars down.
Beginning of the day I had a Banana.
Then running some errands with Mark, yet knowing I was meeting my parents for an early meal, I was starving so I had a Granola Bar.
Around 5pm I met my parents at Buca Di Beppo, they had arrived early and had ordered APPLE GORGONZOLA SALAD Tart Granny Smith apples, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese tossed with our fresh lettuce blend in our signature Italian vinaigrette and CHICKEN LIMONE Chicken breasts lightly sautéed and topped with lemon butter sauce and capers. This is what they usually order, and although sometimes I wish they would try something different, I cannot deny that it is extremely delicious! With three of us splitting these two dishes, I feel that I didn't do too bad calorically. Then at work I found myself not only being starving, but also having a headache. Did I need caffeine? I went to the vending machine and had a Nestle's Crunch. My god it has been a long time since I have had one of those. and then after the bar I drove Nicole and Addison to California Burrito Express. For the first time at this restaurant, I ordered and ate as sensibly as possible. I ordered a combo plate that had two burritos and beans and rice, and would you believe that I only ate one of the burritos, and took the other one home. Wow! Late night eating and not only did I not stuff my face, but I actually displayed a little self control!
Well my blood sugar goal was under 120. My reading - 121. Missed it by one point, however that was after only six hours of fasting, so it could have been "in range" had i waited a little longer. Either way it is getting lower and I am improving!

Thursday, May 27th

Sorry that it has been a couple of days since I blogged. In the last few days my blood sugars have been higher then I would like, averaging around 150, partially due to improper eating and sleeping. I know that it is no excuse, but sometimes my schedule is a little crazy, which often causes me to make poor eating decisions. However, I appear to be back on track again.
Yesterday was extremely delicious! Mark and I started with lunch at Siam Garden. It has been 10 years or so since I have been there, and I was thrilled to find that it remains just as tasty as I had remembered. We started by sharing a Papaya Salad, which although it was too spicy for me to eat much of it, I did enjoy what I ate, then for my meal I had Praram, Chicken with peanut sauce. Served on a bed of mixed vegetables. It was sweet and peanuty and tasted extremely fresh. I could only eat about half of it, so I brought the rest home to enjoy in the next day or so.
Then in the early evening, as Nicole and I were heading to the Fringe Festival, we realized that we were really early and decided to stop at Logan's Bistro for dinner. Their Goat Cheese Cheesecake is one of the most consistently delicious things that I have ever eaten, and I would find it stupid to go there and not order it, so we split it! Then for my entree I had the Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche with a Bistro salad. It was so satisfying that at the Fringe Festival, I didn't even need to visit a food cart for a snack. Then around midnight I finished off my day with a morningstar farms Spicy Black Bean Burger with some thinly sliced cucumber.
Although it was still a little above ideal, I was fairly pleased with a reading of 126.
Hopefully tomorrow will be under 120.

Friday, May 21st

Not sure if this day was the greatest.
I only ate once.
I know that I should be eating more often then that.
AND if I do only eat once, It should probably NOT be a Burger (with Blue Cheese, lettuce and tomato) and Fries from Graffiti Junktion.
But it sure was Delicious!
I also did manage to eat a Cereal Bar while at work.
Somehow my blood sugar was 104 the morning after.
So....
Do I go by what I know are healthy eating habits?
Or
Do I go by what is giving me great fasting blood sugars?

I should probably hit a happy medium somewhere in the middle.

Thursday, May 20th

Today's food started when Mark and I went to Ali Baba in Longwood. Some of the review sites give it mixed likes and dislikes, but I have always been very fond of it. I have always gone for lunch and always had the buffet. I enjoy their Raisin and Lentil Rice, Falafel, and hummus the most, and it is very difficult to not go back for seconds on those items.
Then for my evening meal, J.D. and i were going to see Spring Awakening and decided to go to dinner at Hue. I had been there only one other time, but I must say that this time was even better. I ordered something that was not on the regular menu, but was a special that night; It was Fillet Medallions with potatoes, onions and mushrooms, covered in a rich Brandy Cream Sauce and then topped with scallions. I must have looked like a pig, but I cleaned my entire plate, It was so good! I don't often order Beef, but every now and then I really enjoy it!
Then after coming home I decided to eat one more time. I made a Quesadilla stuffed with corn, black beans, sundried tomatoes and cheddar cheese, then I topped it with salsa and green onions.
The perfect end to a delicious day!
and my morning blood sugar afterwards was 119.

Tuesday, May 18th

Tuesday was a day of dining out!
lunch with Addison and Nicole at Steak and Salad (where Friends use to be). We have always talked about trying it and finally we did. I had Enginar Dolmasi (Stuffed Artichoke) $2.99 artichoke bottom stuffed with peas, carrots and onions, Patlican Ezme (Eggplant Salad) $2.99 grilled eggplant, garlic and yogurt, and Artichoke Salad $6.99 artichoke, walnuts, spinach, feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce. None of it was bad, but nothing was outstanding either. However looking at Nicole's plate and tasting her Sis Kebab, I would have to say that their meat selections are probably all pretty good. Afterwards I took them to Lollicup. This makes two visits here in two days. Today I had the Taracado which Mark had tried the previous day. Delicious! Then off to the gym for a Lynn workout, followed by a visit with my parents at Sweet Tomatoes. Once again i did good there. I tried to fill my salad plate with a rainbow of colors and I only made on stop to the bread and soup section. I find their Cream of Mushroom soup to be the best, and I find it impossible to resist when they have it on the soup bar. Then for my final meal of the day Nicole and I went to Hamburger Mary's. They have an appetizer that is potato chips (thick cut but still perfectly crispy) covered with Blue cheese and Balsamic drizzle, which we shared and then we each got the Big Kahuna burger (Bacon, Jack, Grilled Pineapple and Teriyaki) I could only eat half on mine, and i didn't even touch the fries. Afterwards we realized that we should have split one burger. Then we went downtown and danced the night away. I'm pleased to say that after the bar we were still full and didn't stop for that evil late night Pizza that is so good. It was a decadent day of eating, but was balanced out by a workout and plenty of dancing. Next morning's sugar....117! Hooray!
See... Diabetes can be Delicious!

Monday, May 17th

For lunch today Mark and I returned to Pho 88 . I was in the mood for something with a sweet sauce and decided on Gà Chiên Bột sauce Thái
(Spicy Honey Chicken) $10.50
Crispy boneless chicken lightly battered with broccoli, onion, and bell pepper sautéed in tangy honey sauce. Doesn't it look delicious? I could only eat about half of it, so i took the rest home. Then we made a pit stop at Lollicup, where I had a delicious Pina Colada Slush with boba. MMMMMM!
Then off to a work out with Lynn and a little extra cardio.
Monday was also the night of the Miss Lakeland Newcomer pageant, so off to Lakeland we headed, and then met up with Daphne and Leif. We had planned on going to a mexican restaurant there, but we found out too late that they were closed on mondays, so we headed across the street to NaNa's Kitchen. It was a homestyle cooking establishment with a southern feel to it. We started with some fried green tomatoes, which were delicious, then I asked our server what I should order and she told me to get the Meatloaf. It was a good choice! Definitely homeade, served with collard greens, mashed potatoes and a roll. With the exception of some of my potatoes, I cleaned my plate.
Then after the pageant we all went to Waffle House. I know what you are thinking! However considering where we were, I feel that i made the best choice that I could. Grilled Chicken breasts, scrambled eggs, toast and hashbrowns (I just ate the delicious crunchy part off of the top)
All in all I was pleased with my morning sugar, especially with the quantity of food consumed. 129!
I'll take it!

Sunday, May 16th

Previously Mark had taken me to a Vegetarian Indian place called Khasiyat that had a buffet. Today Nicole and I were trying to think of somewhere good to go and I suggested it. Just as it was the first time I went, it was delicious and we both really enjoyed it. It was only about ten bucks a piece, and we left feeling extremely satisfied.
We then came back to the house and took naps (Lazy) and as we later were getting ready for work, we decided to go out again to Jason's deli for dinner. I had what i usually order, Salad Bar with a cup of tomato Basil soup. This time I didn't go crazy with too much blue cheese dressing or an excessive amount of crackers with my soup (I have been known to do that in the past)
Then after the bar i had the rest of the Mexican Lasagna and called it a night.
Upon waking up I once again was pleased with my blood sugar ....... 103.

Saturday, May 15th

Mark and i started the day by going to Tony's Deli on Mills and picking up a couple of plates of their delicious mediterranean food. I have been going there for years and always enjoy what I get. We then went down by the lake and had a picnic. I knew this was going to be my largest meal of the day so I didn't mind eating until I was stuffed, plus it was all relatively healthy.
Then prior to work I took two pieces of toast, spread them with peanut butter, and topped them with sliced banana. Squished together they made a really good sandwich!
and then after work, rather then going out to eat, I came home and had some leftover mexican lasagna and a salad that i made (very similar to the one that I have had from Anna's Polish Restaurant) with cucumbers, yogurt and dill.
It must have payed off because my morning blood sugar was a very pleasing 95.
Lets see if I can keep it up.

Thursday, May 13th

Ok, so we are back on track and eating well.
Small portions at night before bed, but still eating Delicious Food.
For example, thursdays menu .......
It was tattoo day. I picked up John and went to Sweet Tomatoes.
I always love it here. I had a delicious plate of salad, and some bread on the side.
I passed on the pasta and the soups didn't really call to me, so I left them off.
After completing my salad I did feel full and although it is a buffet, I stopped after the one plate.
Then after the tattoo, Addison and I went to Tijuana flats, another favorite of mine. I had a pork chimichanga and ate every single bite of it.
Then later that evening I had alicia and the Minx over for a photo shoot. I cooked dinner to eat after the shoot.
Mexican Lasagna and a salad! I had a relatively small portion which left me satisfied. and fortunately most of it is gone so I only have a little bit left for after the bar tonight!
So how was my fasting sugar this morning?
I am pleased to say the it was 115.

Results for my experiment!

Ok. the results are in!
Ever since my Doctor lowered my daily insulin intake from 16 units per day to 10 units, I have noticed my fasting sugars have been above the ideal numbers. Ideal is 90-120, and mine have been in the 150s. My initial thoughts were that this lowering of the insulin was a bad idea, and then when I go in for my next check up that she would probably tell me that I need to bring it back up to 16 units.
So, I did this experiment where I greatly decreased the amount of food that I ate before bed.
Mark came over one day last week and cooked a whole bunch of different vegetarian dishes for me. He packaged them up into individual meals and labeled them for different days.
I followed this for four days. After work i ate very small portions of food, in fact, i went to bed a little hungry. (Is that such a bad thing? Probably not!) and wouldn't you know it? My morning blood sugars were back on track!
110, 94, 105, 94. All pretty ideal!
So then on the 5th day, Addison and I went to California Burrito Express. It is a new 24 hour Mexican restaurant that is located where the Fazoli's use to be on Colonial. and I must say that it is quite delicious!
and Funny ....the next morning I was back up to 144.
Then another day of very little eating after work ....the next morning .....92.
One more late night of eating and a return trip to the delicious 24 hour Mexican .......the next morning .....135.
I am beginning to see a pattern here.

Either I can eat out and eat big and have a HIGH BLOOD SUGAR.
or I can eat small and sensibly and have EXCELLENT BLOOD SUGAR.

I guess that it is pretty simple and I think that i answered my own question!

Now the challenge!
Can I be good?
I'll keep you updated!

and thank you to Mark for not only making me all of the delicious food, but also for pushing me to stay on track and keep the sugars low!

new experiment!

I have a new experiment regarding my eating that I am going to work on over the next four or five days.
I will take good notes and report back to you soon.

Monday, May 3rd

Blood Sugar 136.
It's back down a little, but could still be better!
Was it the cardio yesterday that helped?
Maybe.

So today for breakfast/lunch I had a grilled chicken and cheese sandwich.

Then I ran errands and went to the gym.
I got there early and did 20 minutes of cardio, and then had a good and sweaty workout with Lynn!

Then around 8pm Mark came over and cooked!
So delicious!
There were portobello mushrooms caps cooked in one sauce, and asparagus cooked in another sauce, and also wilted spinach on toast.
I cannot begin to tell you what all of the ingredients were (I know there was a sundried tomato vinagrette, garlic, sesame seeds, onion powder, cayenne, who knows what else?)
But what I can say is that it was a wonderful mixture of flavors, and I was very satisfied when I was done.

Also, I didn't get hungry later!
That almost never happens.

I know that I should be eating more then twice a day, but we will see how tomorrow morning's reading is and then go from there.

Sunday, May 2nd

Blood sugar 152.
I even slept a little extra and took my reading after 9 hours.
Disappointing!
Perhaps I do need to take a higher dosage of insulin?
I'm frustrated!
Once again this shows that it is a ongoing learning process, and eventually I will have it figured out!

Today I did pretty good.

I started with a bowl of cereal with a sliced banana.

Then I got back on the treadmill.
It just sits there collecting dust when I don't use it.
Furthermore, I feel great when I have used it, and I can still watch TV while walking on it, much better then being a couch potato!
Today I did about 40 minutes.

Then for lunch i grilled some yellow squash and onions, and then put them on a grilled sandwich with spinach, mozzarella, and cream cheese, along side it I finished up the veggie tray which still had some cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery and sugar snap peas.

I had an extra long shift at work tonight. i was there over 9 hours, during which time I had another bag of trail mix and about 5 cookies from the vending machine (I didn't eat the whole bag)

and topped the night off with the rest of the indian food.
Sundays are trash nights so I usually clean out the fridge before I take the trash out.

Maybe the cardio helped?
I'll let you know......

May 1st, 2010

Today's Blood Sugar was a disappointing 145.
I had only fasted for about 7 hours when I checked it.
If I would have fasted for longer would it have been lower?
Could my plate of delicious Indian food from the night before been too large?
Probably a little of both.
I sure hope that for my next Doctor's appointment she doesn't want me to go back to taking a higher dosage of insulin.
We will just have to see what my hemaglobin A1C is.

I know that what I ate today probably didn't help things out any.....
Roseanne and I took Brianna to toojay's for lunch for her birthday.
I had the Brunch combo plate.
I forgot to put my memory card back in to my camera, however I have ordered (and photographed) this before so i pulled this photo from my "Delicious food" folder. Two eggs, Bacon, Sausage, french fries, bagel with cream cheese and a waffle.
Too delicious and too decadent!

Then we went back to my house for a photo shoot, after which I had time to squeeze in a nap before work.
Prior to work I heated up a small plate of Indian Leftovers.

Work was decent, afterwards I had another bag of my trail mix, and some chips and salsa.
I am definitely planning on sleeping in, so hopefully with getting enough rest, and banking enough hours before testing, my blood sugar will be a little closer to where it needs to be!

Friday 4/30/10

Ok, So I was hoping for a fasting blood sugar of less then 130.
It didn't happen.
But I guess 136 isn't too bad.
Still down 20 points from the previous day!

I started the day with a Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich.
I have loved them ever since I was a kid, and I will always treat myself to one ever now and then.

Later I had a photo shoot and I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to sit down for a full meal, so I set out some chips and salsa and a veggie tray and just kind of picked at it all day. I feel that my overall intake wasn't that much, and I do know that it is better to have multiple small meals then to have a couple of large ones so we shall see how that goes...

Also, yesterday I had made some trail mix and separated it into small ziploc bags, probably about 300 calories per bag. They each contain peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, yogurt covered raisins, dried cranberries and dried pineapple. So I took one of those trail mix bags to work with me and ate it throughout my shift. I will continue to do that at work for the next few days.

Then much to my excitement when I came home, I found a bag of delicious vegetarian indian food that Mark had brought from his job and left for me on my doorstep. Addison was with me and she and I were both delighted to take part in this feast, however there are still plenty of leftovers so I guess we didn't make total pigs of ourselves. Mark, again i thank you for this pleasant surprise!

We will see how tomorrow goes......
Gotta get those fasting sugars down!