Beating the Boys...

Had a great hour of playing badminton today with my boys. I don't know if they were just making me win but I actually beat both of them in several games! I noticed I was able to move more around the court and make good shots that they could not hit back. I guess the constant walks have helped me a lot. I had fun and surprisingly, I did not feel nauseous this time.

That was my work out this morning...Had to do more though. I also did brisk walking for 45 minuted this evening. I enjoyed that too! 

I am not trying to push myself too much but I just want to find out if I have already built my resistance enough to endure these activities. Getting myself ready for phase III...Getting back in shape and getting better. :)

 

 

Thinking things through

There are days when you just want to know if you still like what is happening to your life--sort of assessing if there are other options. Could there be a better source of personal fulfillment? You start to doubt the status quo. Today is one of those days. 

It was a weird sort of feeling towards the middle of the morning when I started to feel lonesome. Then I wondered, "Was there something else that I wanted to do in my life?" Funny how despite the fact that there are so many positive feedback there is still a feeling that somehow something is amiss. Could I be doing more?

I am looking forward to some quiet time to think things through. Sort out all the cobwebs lurking in my head and finally make a decision that would not only benefit my family and friends but my heart as well. I have to find the place that would make me happy and content.

Then again I wonder, could I start over again? It's hard to take the first step out especially when there are some people you care that will get left behind. Is it enough though?

Wish there was an easy solution to all of these. A lot of serious thinking must really be made. Hmmmm....

Good Readings

Just wanted to shout out that today has been a remarkable day for my quest to battle diabetes. AM blood glucose reading was 110 and PM blood glucose reading was 92. Both are within normal range! 

All the discipline and hard work has paid off. It makes me want to get better results! It inspires me to make healthier adjustments to my lifestyle and choice of food. Now that I know it can actually be done, I just want to do more to get better. People are starting to compliment the evident weight loss. I want to see more changes in me.

Anyone up for a game of badminton? :)

Teacher Anna's Lessons for the Day

Spinning off from Alex Lacson's book, entitled: 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country, I asked my students to make an essay on two little things they can do as Lyceans to help our country. I had them present a summary of what they wrote in front of class and the things that they suggested they could do to help our country surprised me. 

The one dominant suggestion was to follow simple rules and regulations and become disciplined citizens. It hit me! That was exactly what this country needed—for its citizens to start following rules and abide by regulations of the different institutions they are connected with—if everyone would do that, we will definitely have a peaceful, corrupt-free, harmonious Philippines. If only all government officials become role models for its citizenry by using the Constitution to good and constantly referring to it in making decisions, then probably our country wouldn't be in the state it is in. I then remembered the movie Bata, Bata Pano Ka Ginawa. One line that hit me was from Vilma Santos' character, Lea Bustamente, to adopt from its Filipino version, she said: "It is easy to explain how a child is created. What is hard to explain is how to mold every child into a decent individual. If every child grew up to become a decent citizen, then we would have created a decent society that we could be proud of bestowing to the future generation." True. We have to strive to teach decency to our children so that they will be able to govern a decent society. The most simple way to do this is to follow rules and regulations and striving hard to become disciplined. We may never achieve this perfectly but we can at least try by making sure that rules are set and implemented. We may slide from the norm for reasons beyond our control but we could always make things right again as best we could to go back to its status quo.

Another suggestion that my students gave was to pray—pray for our country so that it can survive the challenges ahead, pray for the candidates of the coming election so that they would learn to accept the results of democracy, and pray for the registered voters to make decisions dictated by their hearts and conscience. For if humans are weak, divine intervention would always be the best option. 

Today, I learned valuable lessons from my students. It was a humbling experience but at the same time, I am proud to have had the opportunity to touch the lives of these students who give me hope that with them around, the future of this country may have some light after all...

NORMAL

Since my hospitalization, my blood glucose readings have been constantly fluctuating ranging from 113-175. There was even a point when I started to really get worried because despite religiously taking my medications and watching what I eat, my numbers would still not get down to normal readings. 

I may have had good days but I only get one good reading a day and that good one still never hits normal. I test myself twice in a day. The morning readings are the high one and the afternoons are the promising ones. According to my doctor, the normal reading should be 70-110. This was my constant goal on a daily basis. 

Today, I had a good start, getting a reading of 115 in the morning. Then I did the usual, walking, some stretches with the help of my gadgets and my favorite 30-minute steam sauna routine. After the two-hour fast before testing, I was in hurry to finish the test for I was growing so hungry. Then, there it was, 100! Finally, 19 days into the dieting, exercising, drinking lots of medicines and choosing healthy food, I got a normal reading. One hundred! Today is essentially a normal blood glucose day for me and for the first time, my fears have been alleviated. It can be done, it's no longer a lost cause. Normal. So, this is how it feels! I am proud, relieved to know that it can actually be done. I rewarded myself of course, I meal of grilled fish and sinigang with the normal one cup of rice, no extras. Now that I know how it feels, now that I know I can do it, I want to keep it up...

The Lift

Remembering old times. Looking back, I would have never traded all these for anything. On that note, I think I could say that I'd probably be easier to lift now. :)

Looking forward to shaping more lives and making the difference for tomorrow's leaders. Summer workshop, here we go!!!

Eighteen Days After

Rewards

Having been recently diagnosed as a diabetic did not come as a shock knowing how I did not really watch my diet and I had such a crazy lifestyle all these years. Still, it is very overwhelming and the sudden changes to my diet have been very hard and at the same very tedious on my part. It is also hard for the people surrounding me because they all have to somehow also 'sacrifice' not enjoying what they used to so that I wouldn't feel left out. Immediately after my diagnosis, my family had to get rid of all the chocolates and sweets at home because they did not want me feeling sad whenever they would eat them and it was one of the things that I had to avoid even having small portions of. My doctor specifically told me to avoid pork, beef, sweets, pasta and all of the other stuff I was used to eating all the time.

I knew it was going to be hard and I knew that a lot of changes will be happening to my lifestyle. I followed my doctor religiously. It gets frustrating when I know I have followed all the rules and have avoided all of the food that I really love and the darned glucometer still comes up with high results. I just don't understand how I could get normal numbers. Everything is still fluctuating as if I am doing nothing and not taking my medications on time. I have been sticking to white meat and water and not eating even when I feel a little bit hungry to the point that sometimes I think I am already being deprived. I am doing everything to try to remedy my condition.

The only upside to all of these sacrifices is the fact that I am beginning to lose weight and a lot of people have commented that I am truly starting to get slimmer. This makes me look forward to having a better physique and wearing the clothes that I have longed to use. Another reward is the opportunity to do more activities with a better physique. 

Thank you to everyone who have been backing me up and to those the have been genuinely encouraging to my quest for a healthier body! All of you are the real rewards I am receiving despite all of the things that have happened. Knowing that I have family and real friends I could depend on make me stronger and have better resolve to make myself better to live longer, spend more time with all of you and allow myself to love all of you more!

Changes

A lot of people have told me that things happen for a reason. I am now beginning to believe them. Everything that I am going through now is the direct effect of how I have treated my body. From the work that I have been doing up to the food and beverages I have been consuming. Two weeks ago, I had a wake up call as my body has had enough and just gave in.

I was hospitalized for four days and the diagnosis--diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension! At the age of 35, my doctor says this is alarming and no laughing matter at all. I have to start watching what I eat, listen more carefully to what my body tells me, and be mindful of stress signals that means slow down, breathe! Chill.

Changes. There are so many adjustments to this condition. Less carbohydrates. No more sweets! No pork and no beef. No more sweets! No more alcoholic beverages. No more sweets! Less intake during meals. No more sweets! Aarrrgghh!

On the bright side, this could mean better weight. Better physique and more choice of clothes to wear. But, no more sweets??? Italian? No can do! Aarrrgghh!

Who am I to complain? I was the one who abused my body and devoured all the food that I could at all times. Now, I have to face the consequences and become disciplined enough not to give in to temptation and look forward to the positive changes that have yet to come.

Yes! Things happen for a reason. Be healthy, live longer, love life. I am going through a lot of changes and I am looking forward to the positive outcomes of all the adjustments. With the support of my family and friends, I know I could get through this.

All In A Day's Work...