Daily Check-In #3

OK, here's the results for today:

Blood glucose: 261
Blood pressure: 161/106

Slowly coming down. Maybe not as fast as I'd like, but everything's still headed in the right direction. It'll do.

Workout Check-In #2

I think I must have added something wrong, but I'll report it as I've got it:

Treadmill (walking): 1h 12m (246 calories)

I actually walked faster and for more distance than I did yesterday, so I'm not sure how it's less calories. Unless I added wrong when I combined the two workouts (one 60 minute and one 12 minute). I'll see what it's like tomorrow.

Daily Check-In #2

I remembered today. And there's some slight improvement over the last time.

Blood glucose: 275
Blood pressure: 168/108

So exercise, even as minimal as it was yesterday, does help. So it's off to the gym again.

Workout Check-In #1

Well, I missed my daily check-in this morning. Too much going on, I guess. I went to the gym, though, so here's a workout check-in.

Walking (treadmill): 1h 12m (248 cal.)

It doesn't sound like much, but it's a start. It's enough for someone my age who hasn't really gotten any exercise for years. I felt pretty good afterwards, so it'll be easier for me to increase that next time. I had the machine set on level 1, and it was a real problem for me to go as slow as it wanted to. Next time I'll try level 2.

Weekly Check-In #1

OK, here's my first weekly check-in. This is the basis for future comparisons.

BMI: 32.6 (obese)
Waist: 44"
Weight: 227.2 lb.

As you can see, I've got a long way to go. My first goal weight is going to be 204.4 (10% of my current weight). I'd really like to set a waist measurement goal of 39.5", but we'll see.

Next weekly check-in: June 8.

And so it begins...

I joined the local Planet Fitness today. My work schedule will keep me from going until Friday evening, so this whole health project will officially begin Friday morning. That's when I'll post beginning measurements, etc.

I'm looking forward to this whole thing. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, and it'll be good for me in the long run. Probably some pain at first, though. At 53, it's definitely going to be interesting.

Exercise, Health, and Weight Loss Blogging

I've decided it's time to start getting some exercise. I'm having some blood glucose issues, as well as creeping weight gain. What worked for me a couple of years ago (limiting carbohydrates) isn't working as well anymore. I'm going to be using this blog as a kind of support/accountability site, so a lot of the posts here are going to be dedicated to this new project. What does that mean?

I'll be posting daily about my morning blood glucose levels and blood pressure readings. There'll be daily posts about my diet (what I've eaten, what I need to do better on), and my workouts. I'm joining a gym, and I'll be focusing at first on aerobic/cardio exercise. Lots of treadmill work. After a while, I'll start adding strength training. There will be weekly posts about my overall progress, including current weight and waist measurements. I understand things better visually, so I'm seriously thinking about tracking my progress with photos. Well, that's not entirely true: I've already decided I'll be doing that. I'm just not sure I want to include those photos in the blog. I'll admit it, I have some body image issues, and I'm not sure I want half-naked (or even shirtless) photos of me out on the internet. That's an issue I'm struggling with, so I'll see how I feel about it when the time comes. I may decide to push my boundaries, I may not.

I'll still write occasionally about other topics: politics, LGBT rights, book reviews, etc., just as I have in the past. But this will be the ongoing focus for some time. As always, I welcome comments (although they'll still be moderated to weed out spam), and look forward to sharing this new project with you.

Benefits of Vegetarianism

I'm thinking of going vegetarian, maybe even vegan (again). I know from past experience that it'll help me with some weight and blood glucose issues, so it makes sense for me to do it. Unfortunately, it's also not as easy or convenient for me to prepare meals and take them to work. I chose not to drive, so I rely pretty much on public transit. On this side of the river, that's pretty much a joke. I'm pretty sure, though, that I could do some decent vegetarian sandwiches (greens, cucumbers, radishes, avocado, maybe some tempeh) that would travel well.

We had lunch yesterday at a local café that focuses on area foods and has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. I wanted to give it a try since it's moving into the café space at our library, and it's really good. If you're in the area, I can really recommend giving them a try: Earth Friends Café. The people are friendly, it's a comfortable space, and the food is fantastic! I had a cup of Farmers' Market Vegetable soup and a Power salad with Almond Chia dressing. The soup was one of the best I've ever had, with lots of vegetables including cabbage, carrots, potatoes and what appeared to be sun-dried tomatoes. The salad was delicious, with a nice peppery bite, lots of greens, carrots, sunflower seeds, shredded beets, and tomatoes (which I don't like, so I didn't eat them). I think the salad dressing, while wonderful, kind of clashed with the soup. That's not the fault of the caf´, but of my choices. Next time, I'll try the Spinach Strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing, which sounds just as good. Anyway, I'm going back to vegetarianism for a while and see how it works out. I usually like lighter foods in the summer, anyway, so it should go pretty well.