Diabetes, life and all that - personal diary

Spicy seafood salad, small brown roll and 10mg of unsalted butter for lunch.



Only after I had it was I told that the dressing included a little sugar.

Guess I will know how much a little is in two hours

Glucose levels were 106mg/dl 5,9 mmol) before lunch

Update1: after one hour 144mg/dl (8mmol/l)

Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Beshlie said:

Well, Pavlos, a loss is a loss Last week I just lost half a lb but it was in the right direction. I think it's normal for weight loss to slow at times while our bodies adjust, and when we exercise, which I can't do at the moment, we tend to put on a little muscle which as you know weighs heavier than fat. I weigh myself in stones and broke the 12st barrier today, so I'm 11 something now . Just 1.1/2 stones to go to normal BMI .

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I do not really understand stones and pounds but apparently my 88,7kg corresponds to 13,97 stones and a BMI of 26,8 which is still in the overweight range. To get to healthy range I need to get a BMI of 25 which corresponds to a weight of 82kg or 12,92 stones. In short I still need to lose a stone.

At the moment the weight loss is a by product of my efforts for good glycemic control. It just happens.

I will need a whole new wardrobe soon, if I keep this up. Most of my clothes are already too large for the new slimmer leaner me!



Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Tonight's dinner of stir fried chicken breast, broccoli and asparagus with bulgur pilaf and Greek yoghurt.



Glucose level before dinner 84mg/dl (4,6mmol/l)

Too many meetings today so was not able to take post prandial readings two hour after breakfast and lunch.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

The sunshine cast strong shadows during my morning walk today, so I kept myself amused by taking some photos of my own against a graffiti covered wall.



I really need some new walk time distraction - time to download some new music I guess.

I decided that I should rescue the cut piece of Aeonium from yesterday's photo



With a bit of luck it will root and I will be able to plant it in the garden.

I did have to carry it the best part of three kilometers to get it back home, which resulted in me receiving the odd funny stare from other walkers.

Come to think of it there I was, a grown man wearing a not inconspicuous pair of headphones, walking along holding this great big yellow flower, taking photos of his own shadow!

It's a wonder they did not all run away!



Fasting sugar 84mg/dl (4,6mmol) today which rose to 95mg/dl (5,2 mmol/l) after 60g of banana and an hour's walk.

Two hours after breakfast of one piece of whole grain toast, cheese and ham and a mug of tea with semi skimmed milk, my glucose level is 115mg/dl (6,3 mmol/l).




Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Wisteria, with its huge sweet smelling blooms born on bare branches, is one of my favorite plants.

Anyway, I was at 115mg/dl (6,3 mmol/l) before lunch, two hours after a mid morning snack of a single crisproll.

Lunch was a pork kebab with Greek salad and half a pitta bread. Glucose levels at 138mg/dl (7,6 mmol/l) one hour postprandial, and down to 114mg/dl (6,3 mmol/l at two hours)

So happy enough!


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Saturday mornings always start with an 8 o'clock game of tennis for me, which can be a bid tough when it's cold and wintery.

At least today we had the right weather for it, bright sunshine and summery temperatures expected to reach 26 degrees by midday.



Morning glucose was 109mg/dl, actually the same as last night's 1 hour postprandial after an Indian curry meal, prawn madras, chicken tikka, vegetable curry and one papadum, no rice.

Breakfast has just been a Bacon lettuce and tomato in brown sliced bread at our local ikea store which is a bit naughty of me. Promise to behave at lunchtime.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

A nice summery chicken salad for a gorgeous summery day



Blood sugar 108mg before lunch and 106mg two hours later.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Jamrox said:

Pavlos, I live in the west coast of Scotland , your photos etc make me so jealous , its been cold here all day and the rain has poured since 3.30pm , except for a half an hour respite.
I think spring in Cyprus must be lovely.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

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Good morning Jamrox

Spring is definitely the my favorite season of the year. The whole of nature seems to come alive and scream for attention in a burst of color. The scenery seems to be dresses up in its Sunday best and the the weather is usually mild enough to allow us to enjoy it.

Everything will have changed in a few short months. Summers are very hot and dry here with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees centigrade. Most of the endemic vegetation will have gone into summer dormancy then and the scenery will look very different, everything turning into shades of gold and brown rather than green. Swimming in the sea is the big summer attraction.

I have always wanted to visit Scotland. It looks spectacularly beautiful, especially the highlands.

My wife even has some cousins in Edinburgh ( Somehow, we Cypriots manage to have cousins in the most surprising and convenient places).

Regards

Pavlos




Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Weather was warm enough for us to have some friends over for our first barbecue of the season.

There is something about the easy informality of a barbecue dinner that really appeals to me.



It helps that the barbecue is the last remaining part of the house where a man can still validly claim to be master of his own manor - the mystical art of lighting a fire, judging the amount of charcoal to use, judging the timing of when to place the meat on the fire, and when it is all done and ready appears to still be an exclusively male prerogative, beyond "mere females".

It's a good thing my wife does not read this as she might do herself an injury from laughing too much, or do me an injury by throwing anything conveniently hard and pointy at my head.

In all honesty our patio/barbecue/outside dining area is probably my favorite part of our house and one of the main reasons why we decided to buy the place in the first place.





I found to my cost that it is much easier to stick to healthier food choices when a guest in someone else's home than when a guest in your own.

I suppose that as host you are suppose to encourage your guests to enjoy the food on offer and the best way to do it is by example! That is my excuse anyway for the helping of truffle desert, I happily scoffed down last night.

To be honest it was not too generous a helping and the rest of the meal was mostly barbecued meat and salad, so luckily my sugars did not react too badly.

Went to bed at 93 mg/dl last night and woke up with a morning fasting level of 102mg/dl.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

A more leisurely walk this morning, once again taking in the grounds of our local monastery, where some of the residents were happy to pose shamelessly for my camera






Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Feeling proud and happy as my son just won his age group in an island wide chess tournament



With a bit of luck and a little hard work he will have a real chance at next years Cyprus championship.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

This poem was included on the invitation for today's children's chess competition that my son took part in.

I wish life was this fair.

I wish life was more like a game of chess, the rules known in advance to all the players , the moves all made out in the open in plain sight of the opponent, the player that reads the board better and executes his plan best always coming out on top.

And for a while, watching children as young as five shake hands with each other before making their opening moves and competing with a maturity and a respect for their opponents, well beyond their years, seeing the dignified way they accepted defeat and sharing their joy in victory

for a while at least one could almost convince oneself that life really is so.


Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough

Some more photos taken during my visit this morning to the grounds of a local monastery

The Abbots' circle with statues of former abbots of the monastery.

Various views of the gardens






The wooden front gates of the monastery featuring exquisite carved reliefs of Christ and the Virgin Mary.




Pavlos
Type 2 - Diagnosed 2009; Latest HbA1c 5,8%; Diabetes Medication: metformin 2x850mg; Other medication: Aspirin 75mg, Valsartan 80mg, Rosuvostatin 20mg, Ezetimibe 10mg; Exercise: One hour walk daily, tennis weekly, swimming when warm enough