Skip to main content

Listening to Your Body

Let's talk about listening to your body. I've been tested a few times throughout my 20's for diabetes because I had Gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy plus it runs in our family. Each time the numbers came back great. There was no reason to think I was struggling with my blood sugar. 8 months ago, I walked into my doctors office with complaints of dry skin and being itchy. At first she was going to treat me for psoriasis. As we were getting ready to finish up I jumped up and said, "OH YEAH! Before I forget the skin on the back of my neck seems to be darker than the rest." She looks at it and said, "You're not leaving without a blood test, this is a sign of diabetes." So as it turns out my sure sign of eating something that spiked my blood sugar is my skin itching. 

The last week I have been watching what I eat and limiting my carb/sugar intake. I even passed up a bunch of candy that was being handed out. I've felt great with little to no issues with my skin itching. That was until last night. I've been told by multiple people how great sweet potatoes are for diabetics, and I'm sure for some they have no issues with eating them. But I'm reconsidering them for my own diet because within 30 minutes to an hour I started itching like crazy. It turns out sweet potatoes actually land in the middle of the glycemic index. They do have a lot of health benefits, but I think I am going to air on the side of caution. 

It's important to listen to your own body and its needs. If eating that hamburger from a fast food joint makes you feel like a slug within an hour of eating it that's a pretty good sign. A calorie is a unit of energy. We don't need to consume too much or too little it has to be just right. A Google search of "Average calorie intake a person needs" will tell you it's about 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men to maintain their current weight. If we are getting good calories and the right amount you should feel energetic and ready to take on the world. This means you also need to watch your nutrients in the foods you eat as well. You can look up recommended daily doses of nutrients, but I recommend consulting your physician for what works best for you. 

If you're interested in tracking your nutrients and calories I highly recommend using an app on your phone. The two I am familiar with is My Fitness Pal and Lose it(Feel free to comment below on what apps you use). Both apps allow you to scan the barcodes on each of your foods and select the amount in which you ate. This can be tricky as you make homemade meals but once you get in the habit it works out well. It also allows you to track exercise and calories burned. Allowing you to adjust your calorie intake as necessary. When I used to work out 4-5 times a week, I required additional calories to keep my energy up. And yes I still lost weight with the additional calories because I was burning anywhere between 400-500 calories a workout. So I needed the extra calories for energy.

*Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or a medical doctor. The information provided here is just ideas and thoughts to think about as you embark on your own journey. Always consult a physician before starting a lifestyle change or a new diet.*

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Starting Over

Well, lets see starting over sure could cover a wide range of topics. However, I am going to be focusing this blogging site about my journey to my health and fitness. Man, there are so many haters out there and people who are going to say, "Why is she doing this? Is she just wanting attention? How pathetic!". That's okay, the gene that many of us millennials have says I owe no explanation and should say, "screw it, who cares!". But the compassionate part of me feels I owe most of you an explanation. So here it is... All I am asking for is support and encouragement as I go through this journey. It's not easy and lets face it this isn't my first rodeo.  Now with that out of the way. I want to talk about how I am back in this situation again. Many reasons really with a good majority of them being what most people call excuses. The number one reason is actually medical. In November of 2014, I started having Achilles tendinitis. Yes, this is treatable as lo...
2 comments
Read more

Turning 30

Wow! Has it really been 30 years since I was born? I'm sure to my mother it feels like just yesterday still. I've decided what I really want to do is start a blog and really stick to it. Let's see what this blog looks like by next year. Hopefully, it's not like my last one, and I drop off the face of the earth. 😉 Speaking of my last post... I've still been trying to eat healthier, and I've been going to the gym about once a week. I feel a difference, and it helped me be able to get the top part of the dress tied all the way. That means no alterations for me!!! I've realized that it's really hard to find food without sugar/carbs, so I feel kind of lost in this world of prediabetes. I'm supposed to eat more protein but as I often joke with Bryan I think I might need to be a vegetarian. I couldn't care less about meat. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice steak but let's face it... It's nearly impossible to make a delicious steak at...
1 comment
Read more

It's February!

Hey everyone! Totally Jen here and thought it would be a good idea to at least make a new post for February. Time seems to be flying by already. Next thing I know it's going to be January 2020... There's been a lot of emotions for the last few weeks. I'm guessing it's due to my hormones and the weekly shot I have to get to prevent preterm labor. Plus all the stress of a high-risk pregnancy. Poor Bryan! Speaking of pregnancy, so far everything is looking really good. I just got another biophysical profile done today and Ethan passed with flying colors. Next week, we get to see measurements and make sure he is on track. For those of you who are not aware when you have diabetes in pregnancy a high birth weight is common. Last time they checked he was spot on and for the most part, my blood sugars have mostly been in check. So I'm thinking everything should be on track. I've really been biting at the bit to get everything all ready for Ethan but at the same ti...
Post a Comment
Read more