Friday, June 25th

Another good day!
Breakfast... a sectioned Orange and a bag of Honey Roasted Peanuts.
Lunch with Nicole and Addison... Pho 88. Appetizer was Vegetable Rolls with Peanut Sauce and for my meal I had what I ordered last time, #157 Crispy boneless chicken lightly battered with broccoli, onion, and bell pepper sautéed in tangy honey sauce. I could only eat about a third of it so I took the rest home, and then had another third before work.
During work I had a bag of trail mix, and after I got home I made a Multigrain Flatbread Pizza with Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes.
Fasting Blood Sugar.... 86.

Thursday, June 24th

Upon waking I was starving. I find that now that I am trying to not eat so much BEFORE bed, that I have quite the appetite when I get up. (a completely new concept for me) So I started with a sliced apple and a couple of pieces of mozzarella. Then I picked up Addison and took her to LaSpada's. I got the B.L.T. sub, and she got the Cheesesteak, and we played "Halfzees" and we split them. Delicious! Then later we were at a birthday party. I had not only a few drinks but also a piece of birthday cake. So, when we left there around 10:30, instead of stopping to eat (like we normally would have) I actually just came home and finished up the Pasta, Peas and Pesto from the fridge. It must have paid off. This morning's blood sugar.... 85! That's three days in a row that it has been under 100.

Wednesday, June 23rd

Apologies for taking a couple of days off from my blog. Sometimes I just don't feel like writing, and I don't want this project to become "work".
Since I last posted my fasting blood sugars have been 130, 113, 115, 116, and 78. I have maintained pretty good control, and have not had any "fits".
So wednesday started with breakfast at Clarkie's, we hadn't been there in awhile and it sure was tasty, a little on the greasy side, (Oh well!)
I had a meatloaf omelet, homefries and toast. I justified it by not cleaning my plate.
Then I had a workout with Lynn.
Then prior to work I had some leftover Pasta, Peas and Pesto that i had made the night before.
and then when I got home I made a pizza on a whole wheat flatbread with Pesto, sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
Delicious!
Then for a sweet treat I had a handful of chocolate chips and trail mix (Only a Handful!)
Must have paid off because my morning sugar was 99.

low blood sugar

So lately I have been having what I call a "fit"
They occur when my blood sugar drops too low, and I get light headed and dizzy, and feel like i am about to pass out.
Think of Julia Roberts from Steel Magnolias only not as bad.
I "drink my juice" or have a small snack and they slowly go away.
Now I have only been insulin dependent for 10 months.
Before insulin I had never had one of these fits.
Around December I had one.
Then a couple of months ago I had one, then at Target on monday I had one, and now tonight at work.
They seem to be getting more often.

Do you think this is something I need to worry about?

The only thing I know that I had in common during the last two fits was that i was hot.

Could the heat have something to do with them?

I know that it is going to be a hot, hot summer.
I will do my best to keep eating several small meals a day like I should, and I will always try to keep a snack within reach.

If any of you have any knowledge to share with me or any advice to give it would be greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, June 16th

For lunch I went to Chili's with Howard. That is where we usually go, and I saw that they had a bunch of new Burgers on the menu. I went with the Avocado Burger, which was pretty good. I ate every bite of the burger, but only ate about 10 of the fries. I am spoiled and have had such good fries, that any time they are not outstanding, I don't usually waste the calories on eating them all.
After that a half hour of cardio and then a workout with Lynn.
Then before work I had the last two biscuits that Mark had made the previous day with some honey.
Then when I got home I had the rest of the salad, with the last Chicken Breast sliced up, a little goat cheese with cranberries and a few pecans.
This morning's blood sugar was 98.

Tuesday, June 15th

Delicious?
Absolutely!
Too Decadent?
Maybe.
After a meeting and a cleaning of the bar, Addison, Jeff and myself went to Keller's BBQ.
BEEF LUNCH SPECIAL
Followed by a visit next door to Lollicup.
TARACADO WITH BOBA
Then later I had a photo shoot with Ginger Minj! followed by a Delicious Meal prepared by Mark
FRIED CHICKEN BREASTS
HOMEADE BISCUITS
WHITE COUNTRY GRAVY
SALAD
Also in attendance were Jimmi and the Minx and Addison Taylor
(I did good though and had only one breast and one biscuit)
Then later Addison and i went to I Bar and met V where I had two drinks, followed by a trip to Wal-Mart and a late night Steak and Shake.
BACON AND BLEU BURGER with BACON CHEESE FRIES
(I only had a few of the fries, the ones that were covered in cheese like product)
So......
Considering that the day consisted of BBQ, Fried Chicken and a Burger, all things point to me having a high blood sugar the next morning.
However.....
(maybe because I used a little restraint with portion control)
I am proud to report that I remained "in range" at 118!
The moral of this story is to enjoy what you eat, eat what you like, but don't eat it too often
and
smaller portions are way better then larger portions, you still get to enjoy the great taste, without all of the guilt

Monday, June 14th

Started the day by making breakfast at home - two morningstar farms veggie sausage patties, scrambled eggs with spinach and a pinch of sharp cheddar and two pieces of toast with jelly. Then I went to the gym and had a great workout with Lynn.
Then i was at Target doing a little shopping and I had a little diabetic fit (aka I could feel that my blood sugar was low and I began to feel week) so I bought a Limeade and some almonds and slowly I started to feel better. Maybe the working out had dehydrated me a little?
Then for dinner Mark and I went to HUE. I had been there twice before and really enjoyed my food, but the food I had this time was by far the best. I started with a glass of house red, then Mark and i shared Grilled Flat Bread, Pesto Goat Cheese, Arugula, Balsamic Reduction. Then for my entree I had an Orzo dish in a Feta Cream sauce with artichokes, roasted red peppers, crumbled Feta and grilled chicken. Mark and I came to the conclusion that this is the second best meal we have had together, falling just short of Anna's Polish restaurant. For dessert we split a piece of Carrot Cake (made for HUE by the DESSERT LADY)
After a long night of fasting I was extremely pleased (even though it was actually kind of low) to have a Blood Sugar of 81.

Sunday, June 13th

Nicole, Mark and i went to Ming's Bistro. Although I cannot say that it was bad, I can say that it was definitely not for me. I have realized that I do not like authentic Dim Sum chinese food, and if i am going to have chinese, I want it to be the americanized, buffet style chinese food such as sesame chicken and vegetable lo mein. So after Ming's we went to LaSpada's on Lee road. I had a B.L.T. Hoagie with Provolone, a bag of chips and an iced tea. It was the best B.L.T. i've had in years. I ate half then, and then had the other half right before I went in to work. Then when I got home I had the last piece of bread "slathered" in butter and a Publix Premium TRUE BLEU salad kit (baby arugula and baby greens, bleu cheese crumbles, dates, raisins, and praline pecans, and bleu cheese vinaigrette)
This morning was pretty much the perfect blood sugar, 105. My doctor wants it between 90 and 120, so right smack dab in the middle sounds good to me!

Saturday, June 12th

Been a couple of days without "dining out"
My parents were coming over for an early dinner, so I decided to cook.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts filled with Apples, Pecans, Rice and Green Onions, along with Apple, Pecan and goat cheese salad and maple glazed carrots.
For dessert I made a Cherry Crisp. It was a Martha Stewart recipe which called for blackberries, but I used cherries instead.
Really Tasty!
Definitely something that I should NOT make very often, because it is probably not the healthiest.
small portions, small portions
and then after the bar I made a grilled cheese sandwich on the delicious italian bread, and finished up the salad and the carrots.
Morning blood sugar 110.

Friday, June 11th

Short and Sweet!
Yogurt with blueberries and almond clusters for breakfast.
a little cardio.
Thomas told me to try the Irish Butter that I kept seeing at the grocery store.
He said to leave it out on the counter to get soft, and then slather it on some soft Italian Bread, and it will be delicious.
He was right!
Before work i finished off the rest of the ground beef/ onion/ brown rice/ lentil mixture with a big piece of "slathered up" bread.
Delicious!
Then after work a salad from a bag from Publix with another piece of bread, and a glass of Merlot.
I will have to try hard not to but this butter and bread very often, because it sure is good!
Either way, the next morning my blood sugar was at 117, so i guess I didn't do too bad!

Thursday, June 10th

For breakfast I scrambled 2 eggs with some spinach, topped it with some sharp cheddar and sandwiched it between two pieces of toast. Delicious! Thank God for really sharp cheddar! I find that with most cheeses, if you pick a really sharp or pungent one, then you don't need to use as much to get a nice flavor. Then I just picked a little throughout the day, some almond clusters, a granola bar, and a couple of starburst candies. Then I had a late dinner at Subway. Meatball sub with lettuce and tomato, sunchips and a couple of cookies. Followed by a trip to Wal-Mart because I plan to not eat out over the weekend, and will try to eat my meals here at the house. we will see how that goes, because I usually dine out quite a bit, but I will try to limit it!
This morning's Blood sugar .... 108.

Back on track

back to taking the pills like I should pays off.
Fasting blood Sugar of 81. Almost too low.
Yesterday was an interesting day for me, I didn't go out to eat one single time the whole day, those of you that know me well know that I usually "dine out" for at least one meal each day.
I started with a left over Bean and Cheese Burrito with refried beans and rice from California burrito express. It was actually just as good 2 days later and reheated in the microwave. Then before work I have one of my classic Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches (still a childhood favorite) There was also some cardio on the treadmill in there. and then after work I reheated the brown rice and lentils, and made some maple glazed carrots and some ground beef and onions that I cooked with tumeric and cumin, along with a salad with goat cheese and cranberries. Then I finished up some frozen yogurt that was in the freezer, and took my insulin. Sometimes just going through my freezer/ pantry combined with a little imagination can make some pretty good food. I do think that when I make meals like the one on the right, I am going to use the salad plate, rather then the dinner plate. I know someone that threw away all her large plates and ended up losing several pounds. That way when you see the plate it looks much fuller.

Forgot to take my pills!

So, I had a day of delicious eating. I started out the morning with a fat free yogurt with blueberries and a couple of cashews. Then nicole and I went to lunch at BRIO in Winter Park, where I had the lunch portion of Roasted Sweet Potato & Chicken Risotto With Insalata Lunch size serving of Risotto with your choice of a Chopped, Caesar or Bistecca Insalata. It tasted great and was just the right portion. Then a late evening dinner with Mark and Addison at Tasty Wok, where I had mixed stir fry vegetables. and finally a late night meal at Steak and Shake with Addison (Bacon and Bleu, Chili and a garden salad), along with a trip to Wal-Mart. Then I remembered.... I never took my morning pills! Oh no! My normal routine is all but one of my diabetes/ cholestorol/and vitamins in the morning, and then at night before bed I take my one other diabetes pill and my insulin. I don't recall ever forgetting my pills before. Was this a big deal? or not? I took my normal night time pill and my insulin, and woke up to a blood sugar of 138. Was this because i didn't take my pills? was it eating too much at steak and shake? maybe a combination! So today i was back on track, so we shall see tomorrow. I'll let you know.

Gay Days week

I am glad that Gay Days week is over, it was so much fun, yet so busy!
and I am glad to be getting back to my blog.
So to wrap up the last week or so, I did pretty good. Especially considering the long shifts that i worked, and the lack of planning out my meals, I am pleased to report that my blood sugars stayed in range, except for one day where it was 128, and one day where it was 121. Other then that they stayed right around 110. Each day I usually went out for one meal around 2pm, and I would try to take some of it home with me for later, plus every night I took a bag of trail mix with me to work and snacked on that. I also did not keep track, or photograph every single thing I ate but I did want to give you a couple of highlights. Photo 1 Is California Burrito Express. It has become a favorite late night eating establishment, and we are thrilled to have something open 24 hours other then IHOP. Photo 2 is Tabla, Daphne was in town for a couple of the days and we went there and had delicious food as always! Photo 3 was a delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich that I made one afternoon before work (I really liked the picture and thought I would share it) and finally Photo 4, was my delicious plate of Beef and Garlic Bread with Baked Beans, Fries and a salad from Keller's BBQ!

May 30- May 31

Ok, these two days are going to be short and sweet and to the point.
The day of the 30th Nicole and i went to try CRAVE by Millenia. I wasn't expecting very much other then mediocre food and high prices. I must say that i was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was excellent! My highlight was the Roasted Beet & Walnut Salad, Fresh spring greens, bleu cheese crumble, daikon sprouts, and orange-cilantro vinaigrette. I would also like to point out that the service was excellent! I hope to go there again soon, because there were other things on the menu that looked interesting, and I am also glad that I wasn't expecting much when I went there because that probably made me enjoy it even more. After an extremely busy night at work, I came home and ate pretty sensibly and had a morning blood sugar of 111.
As for the 31st, Mark came over and I made lunch, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, walnuts and shaved parmesan on spring mix with a sweet orange vinaigrette. It was originally a Barefoot Contessa recipe, but i altered it a little. I also made brown and wild rice salad with lentils and caramelized onions, and fresh corn with lemon and paprika. Then later in the afternoon we went to Lollicup (It has become a favorite of ours) and then a small snack at Pho 88. Then later on in the evening Addison, Jeff and myself went to Graffiti Junktion where I had Orlando's Best Burger with Blue cheese and fries (I only ate about half of my fries). Then for dessert, with the need for something sweet, we walked (CARDIO) down to 711 and I had a bag of Chocolate Peanut Butter Buglez (Yes, I said it!)
However the next morning I was pleased to still be in range at 116!!!!!!