Living with Diabetes and Lapband

I’ve been avoiding being in the car for long trips.  In fact, I turned down my husband when he wanted to go on a long driving trip and I turned down the beagle people and my family for the National Speciality.

I decided I needed to work up to it.  I entered a dog show in Belton, two and half hours away, then two days the next weekend knowing that most beagle people would be in Virginia and that most beagle people know what is going on.

The first weekend, Obi won WInner’s Dog and Best of Variety Owner Handler.  We stayed for the OH groups.  That meant we left at 6:30 am and got back at almost 7:00 pm.

The weekend, Obi won Winner’s Dog, Best of Variety, and Best of Variety Owner Handler and went into both rings twice.  He wasn’t really wild about it, but was happy to meet new friends.   We left at 7:00 am this time and got back around 6:00 pm both days.

So long, sitting, standing, and walking days.

I’m no more stiff than I am any other morning.  My back isn’t bothering me at all though my knee is, I’ve been dealing with that for decades.

I think he is 16 points with one major, just needing the major.

The handler we competed against this weekend was gracious and said he was glad I showed up, even though Obi won all the things.

I got my lapband in 2009.  I do not recommend.

I weight 320 pounds according to their scale, day of surgery.  I know I weighed more than that at one point.

Today, I weighed 219.2.  I have been doing Profile by Sanford, and have resolved two heart conditions.  I am using very little insulin but I am on Ozempic and Farziga.

Back when I stopped being able to eat and stopped losing weight with my lap band, I was sent to a cardiologist to prepare for surgery.

She found a leaky valve.  I saw her in July, started Profile in December, and a year later saw her again.  That was 30 pounds later.

During that visit, she found an arterial dilation but the leaky valve had resolved.  I saw her again this week, about 35 pounds later and lots of exercise minutes and the dilation had resolved.

So not only have I lost weight -- and I have just cleaned my closet of clothing that is too big for me -- again, but I have also improved my heart health.  I was a bit concerned that the vaccine might have had something to do with the dilation, but if it did, it wasn't a long term effect, and much better than most of the COVID side effects.

My endo set a goal of 140 average glucose and 80% in range 

I was 123 this week and 123 average glucose with 8 units of insulin. 

I have also lost two pounds. 

The new plan is working really well.  Really glad I got upset and pushed. 

It's only been two days on Performance, but the scale is moving in the correct direction.

Being on the Reboot/Reduce plan and doing 90 minutes of exercise a day was just too hard.  My coach was encouraging and felt that I should add some protein to the plan, but that was still leaving me hungry in the evenings, and making me feel like I was cheating.

On Performance/ Reduce I'm not hungry at the end of the day and I'm not tempted to eat the wrong food.  That's a huge difference for my mental attitude.

I don't want to reduce my workouts.  My ultimate goal is to participate in  Agiity Trials again.  I also need a great deal of strength and endurance to be able to compete at conformation.

I have to share an "OOPS".  I have been logging food at MyFitnessPal and I thought I was eating too much until I realized I had set MyFitnessPal to lose two pounds a week.  I'm actually right there.

I've spent the last few weeks frustrated.

Mostly because my medical team and my weight loss team don't get how much I exercise.

The straw that hit the camel's back is when my Profile coach mentioned in the meeting recap, that I work out 20-30 minutes a day.  

That's just the warm up.  Seriously.  I walk 20-30 minutes a day, then 10-20 minutes of weight training, and another 30-45 minutes of cycling.  I am currently working with a personal trainer, and that's 45 minutes of strength training, with the cardio sandwich.  I will say I do cardio only on the day before and day after the workout with the personal trainer but then I step up the cardio to 60 minutes.

According to Apple Fitness, my resting energy is 2140 calories and my active energy is 790 calories.  Profile had me on a 1500 calorie a day plan, and I was literally starving in the evening.

I finally got Profile attention when I posted in the Facebook group.  They heard me and talked to the manager and she agreed that I needed to go to their Performance Plan.  I was already better yesterday evening, didn't feel like eating the house.  I did make a slight mistake by eating an extra starch, not a fruit, but it's a process.

My social worker is having me not weigh and to focus my mind on losing weight.  We'll see how that works.  I did weigh because I have a telemedicine class today, but I am losing weight, so there is that.

I have joined a new gym — literally new — it’s only been open for a few months and they are still missing some of the equipment that they have ordered.

It’s at https://www.instagram.com/p/CY9fiszhq4m/

I do at least 20 minutes of walking on a treadmill each day — and start out each day with that.  That’s for my spinal surgery recovery.  I’m starting to do more, ever since I read an article at https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/why-running-and-walking-is-unlikely-to-ruin-your-knees/.  BTW, I almost always use an Apple Fitness Plus workout.

Every doctor I’ve seen about my knees has claimed that I need to stop exercising by walking but this article refutes that.

I also do strength training.  I alternate between arms, legs, and an Apple Fitness core workout.  Weekly I work out with the club’s fitness trainer, who took the video.

I end the workout with more cardio — usually a Pelaton class, as the gym as two, or an Apple Fitness Plus workout.

YES, I love Apple Fitness Plus and when I go to dog shows, I use the workouts in my hotel room.

I think the only people who do get how much I work out is the owner of my gym and my personal trainer but then they are there when I do it.

I think that my medical team doesn't get it and I know that my Profile coach doesn't.

So here's the routine -- 20 minutes of walking on a treadmill to satisfy the requirements of my surgeon.  That is a bit of compromise for my knees.

Strength training -- I split it up into three: arms, legs, and core.

20 minutes of cardio, usually on a Peloton bike.  

Once a week, I am working out with the personal trainer at my gym.  We had our first visit last Thursday but we'll be moving to Wednesday this week. 

I do think it's throwing me into a bit too much of a calorie deficit.  

Man, you have to watch out.

I do clinical trials as often as possible.  It helps everyone else.  If we don't do clinical trials we won't have new technology.

I'm currently enrolled in the Pfizer Covid clinical trial and it's great.  I took Summer to a vet for a clinical trial, and it again it was great.  In fact, I tried to spend money with them.

However, I also signed up for a clinical trial with a local physical therapy place.  However, I can tell from the appointment process, it's a scam.  Yes, maybe someone is gathering data for someone, BUT they wanted my insurance information.  The people doing the Pfizer study didn't do that.  I am pretty sure it's a way to get people in the door.

Husband has taken a mini-vacation, giving me one :)

Say endo and primary care physician and got some answers and solutions.

Quickly losing the weight spike.  I gained around 8 pounds New Years Weekend.  I will admit to being off plan and eating salty carbs.  I've got 5 of those pounds off so far.

The endo thought it was waste, both liquid and solid.  I also think that is what is making my back talk to me.  It doesn't hurt, but I can feel it.  

Dog agility class went well.  

I haven't used insulin for two days.  The endo thought I shouldn't take insulin until the evening, especially with the addition of Farxiga.  

Also got my next CT scan scheduled.