CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Yeah. This is what I usually look like after a CrossFit workout. My sweat angels are nasty! Rarely am I ever cute after a workout. I'm just glad Freddy caught other people in this misery and not me. heh!

Here's some notes from Freddy's October 28th post:

My wife pointed this out to me from Fitness Magazine:

Six Signs Your Workout Isn't Tough Enough:

You're reading as you exercise- I will admit, I'd like to see somone reading the sports section as they climb the rope.

You feel mentally stressed afterwards- A lot of us come to the gym to relieve all the stress of the outside world. Your workout session presents the opportunity to lose yourself for at least an hour.

Your heart rate doesn't go up- How many times have you worked out at the local 24hr Fitness or Gold's without even breaking a sweat? Sure you pumped up your muscles a bit and maybe you sweat for the 15 minutes you spent on the treadmill, but look at the above picture. Those folks are SPENT!

You haven't increased your speed or the amount of weight you're lifting in more than three months- Three months?!?!?! I promise you with Crossfit and hard work you will see your speeds and weights go up every couple of weeks.

You're bored- Enough said. Not going to happen with the Crossfit method.

You leave the gym without taking a shower- I am happy to say, that after almost two years, the showers will be operational this week. The sinks are going to be framed up this week and should be done within two to three weeks. The toilets are completely functional in the men's room. The bathroom stalls will be finished in the women's room within two weeks. As one of the owners, I apologize to all our members for the long construction time. We learned a valuable lesson: hire a contractor and pay the bucks to get someone else to deal with the headaches.

Warm-up
Row 500 meters
THREE rounds, 10 reps of:
Shoulder Rolls
Overhead Squats
GHD Sit-ups
GHD Back Extensions
Band Assisted Pull-ups
Bar Dips

WOD: A Truly Scary WOD for Halloween!
Complete the following for time:
Run 800m
10 turkish get-ups - 15#
50 push-ups
Run 600m
8 turkish get-ups
40 push-ups
Run 400m
6 turkish get-ups
30 push-ups
Run 200m
4 turkish get-ups
20 push-ups

Joanne's Final Time - 36: 45

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
This was a tough workout that took forever. If you look at the OWMA CrossFit site, you'll notice that I switched the order - starting with the 800 meter sequence as opposed to the 200 meter sequence. Freddy jokingly said I was cheating. As I said in a previous post, I tend to modify a lot. For me, it's a matter of understanding my mental state. I need to get the difficult stuff out of the way first. If not, I just feel defeated. Call it what you want. For me, it's a matter of knowing your own sanity and doing what needs to be done to finish the workout. Bleh!

Notes (to myself) about the Challenge Restart:
It's Halloween. I didn't break the challenge, but the candy has to stop! UGH!

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is a ring lat pull. Though I did it, I repositioned my feet (slightly bending my knees) in order to make the movement do-able. Eventually, the idea is to place your feet all the way out and do it the way Freddy does it in the video.

Warm-up
I did a 60 minute spin class at Bally's, so I skipped the CrossFit warm-up which consisted of an 800 meter run, stretching, and some other things.

WOD
Complete the following for time:
Row 1000m

FIVE rounds of:
20 box jumps 14"
7 ring lat pulls

Row 1000m

Joanne's final time - 21:07

And then...
25 GHD sit-ups
25 33# Good Mornings
25 Feet-to-Ceiling
25 GHD Back Extensions
25 Modified Hollow Rocks
100 Twisters


Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I need to come to class more prepared. Stupidly, I didn't pack my high-performance bra and ended up wearing my standard bra that I wear to yoga, spin, and other non-impact sports. So doing box jumps in a not-so-supportive bra was not fun - especially with guys around. Oh well... (Okay. Yeah. Not like you really need to know this.)

Working out at dawn when it's totally cold isn't fun. But I got through the WOD. Whenever we do rounds, I really need someone to keep tally of what round I'm in. This is because I'm still not sure if I did the full 5 rounds of if I did 4 rounds. I'm pretty sure I did 5, but I could be wrong. After three rounds of anything, I totally lose count. Anyway... this was a good workout and a great way to get some rowing in. Oddly, my second row time (4:55) was better than my first (5:18).

As for the "And then..." I really need to work on those damn hollow rocks!

Crazy Nephew Quotable Quote
Theo: Hey Brendan, what are you going to be for Halloween?
Brendan: I'm going to be you!
Theo: Hmph. You'll need muscles then.

Notes (to myself) about the Challenge Restart:
Not a good eating day today. It's my dad's 20th death anniversary, so to commemorate, I had to sway out of the challenge. I shared a pop-tart with Brendan (you'll have to ask me about my pop-tart story later). It had been years since I've had a pop-tart. I'm not sure if it's because I bought the organic ones from Trader Joe's, but they were dangerously yummy! Plus, it was a good little bonding thing with Brendan. Though candy is actually acceptable in the challenge, I try to avoid it anyway. It was a little tough to do it with all the candy at my sister's house. UGH! Then, of course, my sister and I split a MacDonald's fish fillet and fries in the name of our dad. (Yeah, another story I'll share later).

In fact, the past three days have been off in terms of the challenge. During Sunday brunch with my friend, I had a latke (potato pancake). On Monday for dinner, my mom served fried chicken. I didn't realize she didn't have anything not-fried (don't ask why I was dumb enough to think my mom would have un-fried food), and she wanted to have dinner company. What was I supposed to do? Tell my mom I couldn't eat with her because her food isn't challenge friendly? Filipino moms won't understand and I sure as hell don't expect them to. So I had a piece of fried chicken. Then there was today. I'll be better this week. I'm not sure if I can actually constitute this as me falling off the wagon. Though these were conscious choices, they were do to a lack of options as well as paying a few respects. So do I feel guilty? Not really. Tomorrow is another day.

Finally, that earthquake was crazy! For a minute there, I thought it was my dad paying us a visit!

friday workout delight

Yoga - 60 minutes
Cardio Bellydance - 60 minutes

Notes (to myself) about the Challenge Restart:
This is my standard Friday workout. I like to take a break from the intensity of CrossFit and other stuff and start the weekend with a workout that's challenging, but not too taxing on my body. Every week the bellydance class gets more challenging. I say this because every week I leave with a bigger sweat going on. It's ridiculous. A few months ago, I gave in and finally invested in a hip scarf. Mine is blue with silver shimmies (my own made-up word) and makes more noise than I'd like to admit. During class some of the shimmies started to fall off. I wasn't sure if it was because the construction was bad or if it was because I've been shaking my tail a little too much. Hmph. Anyway, I highly recommend getting a hip scarf. I recommend getting one that's fairly heavy with lots of shimmies because it makes the workout harder.

The challenge has been okay so far. I'm still alive, so that's good news, right?

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Jolie. She rocks. If I was half the bad-ass she was, I'd be a very dangerous woman! Jolie is demonstrating the overhead squat which was part of today's WOD. Though I don't take her classes as often as I'd like, I always appreciate any advice she can share. She's great at giving technical advice about the movements. Very important for someone like me who is trying to nail down form.

Warm-up
FIVE rounds of:
Run 100 meters
5 (modified) burpees
THREE rounds of:
Samson Stretch
10 Shoulder Rolls
10 Overhead Squats*
Round 1: wooden dowel
Round 2: 15# bar
Round 3: 45# bar

WOD (as posted at the studio)
Complete the following for time:
75 overhead squats (M:95#/W:65#)

...And then
"Michael" 1, 2, or 3 rounds of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

Joanne's Modified WOD
Three rounds of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups
25 Overhead Squats with 15# bar

(No time recorded.)

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
My day started with a 5:30am spin workout at Bally's. The class runs for an hour. I came home, fell back asleep for an hour and then started my day with everyone else in the world :) For CrossFit, I came fairly late which let me workout by my lonesome again. As mentioned before, I haven't done CrossFit in about two weeks, so this week I'm a bit sore. In fact, I could barely do a squat this morning. For those of you who haven't noticed, I modify a lot. I'm not sure how the folks at One World feel about this. For the most part, I don't think they mind. Besides, as long as I'm in there and training, that should be important enough, right? Anyway... I didn't time the workout again. It felt like it took forever to complete. But at least I did it and managed some stretching afterward.

OWMA Quotable Quote
Eric: I look at my wife and she gets pregnant!
Joanne: Damn! That's some super sperm you got there!

Notes (to myself) about the Challenge Restart:
This is one of the many reasons why my current food challenge allows rice. My cousin-in-law Andy makes the best lo mai fan (is that how you spell it?). Granted, this photo isn't his actual dish. But last night while visiting, I happened to catch a fresh batch of this goodness. Liezel packed some for me to take home. The rice is all gone now. I did, however, manage to share some with my sister. For some reason, I was really hungry today. I think I ate more than I should have, but I feel like my body needed it. I also took an hour long power nap. Maybe my body is adjusting to my full-throttle workouts. Hmph.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Caroline. Or better yet, this is ACB as in the Amazing Caroline Barnes keeping up with the WOD in Chile. Caroline is a 40-something hottie who totally motivates me whenever I see her at CrossFit. Unfortunately, I don't get to see her as often as I like, since we tend to workout at different times now. However, I only have the nicest things to say about Caroline. My fondest memory of her was during Saturday Morning Detention, I was totally lagging and running slow in the WOD. She ran outside looking for me and accompanied me while I finished my last round of whatever the Detention workout was. That is true CrossFit luv!

Warm-up
I skipped today's warm-up because I did a one hour yoga class right before I did CrossFit. It's a fantastic combination. Yoga strengthens you in ways that make you actually want to do the hard-core WOD.

WOD
Complete four rounds for time of:
25 wall balls 10#
25 Abmat sit-ups with a med ball shot 8# (this was rx'd!)
75 jump rope rotations

Joanne's Final Time: no time recorded.

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I thought this was a good workout. I was actually glad I was late and that no one showed for the 6pm class. This left me all by my lonesome, which was fine. There's something I like about not having to deal with being timed. For some reason, 10# felt really heavy at the time. However, next time I do this, I'd like to perhaps try the 12# ball - even if it's just for half the WOD. I did the Abs rx'd which was great. Instead of the double unders, I did 3-for-1 jump rope rotations because my legs were still stiff from yesterday and I needed the practice. I stretched for about 20 minutes afterward.

Notes (to myself) about the Challenge Restart:
So far so good. This is my typical standard breakfast this week. In case I didn't mention before, I'm trying to incorporate eating concepts from the following schools of thought: the Zone , Eat Clean, and Inuitive Eating. I think the combination of the three work really well for the diabetes and my own personal sanity. I'm hoping that I can find the balance between maintaining my love for food and my desire to live a full life. Onward...

This is my breakfast of champions for this week. I have to admit the 15 minutes it takes to prepare it, and then sit down and actually eat it is a great way to start the day. It's what I need to rev up my day. I can clear my mind and think about what is going to happen that day, all while munching on a fulfilling breakfast. In the bowl is my pretend champurrado, which I make with Irish oatmeal, milk, chocolate protein powder, topped of with splenda. I eat this with a tall glass of iced coffee (more milk coffee). It's a filling meal which gave me a blood sugar reading of only 117. Right on!

Today was a good eating day. I had lunch at Lagosia with Margaret. Even with dessert, it gave me a B/G (blood glucose) reading of 147. Fantastic! I ordered a stew with a side of cassava (think of gooey mashed potatoes, but with cassava). I had to try Margaret's yams (made the same way) and they were yummy too. Dinner was small, simple and home-made (B/G 138). Yea.

Other than the foot stuff, my lesson learned today is that I'm much better at being healthy when I make it a point to check my blood sugars after every meal. It's a pain, but well worth the knowledge. I have a new pink meter that came in the mail for FREE. It doesn't have all the fancy bells and whistles that I'd like it to have. However, it does do simple readings which I need for my own personal knowledge and it's easy to carry. Plus, it's sooo cute! It's like diabetics gone razr! ha ha!

loving your feet.

I had a podiatry appointment today. As I mentioned a while back, I'd like to run again. A half marathon at most. As luck would have it, I just ran into my marathon mate Tzel today at the local Filipino grocery store where I was stocking up on my politically incorrect deoderant. Anyway...

My podiatry appointment was quite educational. Why didn't I just go to a bonafide foot doctor in the first place?! Marathon training would have been a lot easier if I just did this. UGH! She examined my feet and gave me the information about foot care and being a diabetic. If you're curious about this, click here. She emphasized that I need to check my feet everyday! Today's checkup was fine. She said that my feet are normal. However, I need to keep my blood sugars in check and and take care of my feet. Worse case scenario, this could happen to me and I could have my feet amputated. Did anyone catch that episode of Grey's Anatomy? Scary stuff. So here's another thing I need to do along with the other LONG list of stuff I need to do in order to take care of my diabetes. UGH!

Do the legwork now folks. Technically, if we all live long enough, everyone will eventually get diabetes. The pancreas just poops out. Some people's just poop out before others, that's all. So do the legwork now. Eat well. Exercise reguarly. Let go of all that processed food. Life will be easier, I swear.

Anyway... it looks like I have weird feet. I have Morton's Toe. That's just a fancy way of saying that my second toe is longer than my fist. My college friend Arvin used to say that these were called "sex toes" because people with longer second toes were prone to have better sex. Um... I like Arvin's reasoning better. The podiatrist pointed that both my second and third toes are longer than my first toe, which is even more weird. (I like to think this just means I have "extra sexy toes.") She then showed me how having such weird toes, along with flat feet makes me callus the the places that I tend to callus. (Damn! Diabetes. Extra weird Morton's toe. Wide, flat feet. God hates me.) She then went on about the kinds of shoes I should wear (motion control for you runners out there), what to look for in a shoe, and suggested that I get a custom orthotic. With my student discount, her office can do it for me for $225-$250 as opposed to $450-$500. I told her that I already have a custom orthotic. She explained that since I got it at a retail store, it's probably not as customized as I think. (I think she's right because even with the custom orthotic, which I've been using for the past two years, there's still minor blistering.) She said I should get it from a doctor and not a retail store - no matter how specialized they seem to be. See? I totally should have gone to a foot doctor first!

Anyway... I'm not jumping on the orthotic bandwagon just yet. So far, the regular cushion from the running shoes I have works. Plus, she totally approved the shoes. The new socks I have are also fantastic. If, down the line I have additional foot problems, I'll consider the orthotics. Right now, I think I'm okay. I just need to give my feet some daily TLC.

And that's the end of today's foot lesson.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Raz. Raz is a stud. Oh what I would give to be able to get my chin over that bar - with the assisted bands. Sigh.

Warm-up
Row 1000 meters
THREE rounds:
Samson Stretch
10 Shoulder Rolls
10 Push Press
10 Overhead Squats*
10 Pulll-ups
10 Push-ups
10 Abmat Sit-ups

*Note: I had a late start, so my third round was cut short and ended after the overhead squats.

WOD
Using a kettlebell or a dumbbell, complete as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes of:
15 one arm sumo deadlift high pull
10 one arm hang power snatch
5 one arm overhead squat

Alternate arms every round.

Joanne's results: There was a mix-up on how to count the rounds. So to honor what the site says, I did 8 rounds total (this is with alternating arms) with 17 sumo deadlift high pulls. I began with 15# each side and then switched to 12# thereafter.

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
This was fairly tough considering I just came back from about a two-week absence. Never again! I always forget how good CrossFit is for me. Granted, it's not my favorite thing to do. CrossFit is kind of like unwanted hair. You have it. You deal with it. You're sure there's a purpose, but you just don't know what that purpose is. ha ha ha...

Okay CrossFit is way better than unwanted hair.

In class, one round counted as both sides. However, on the site, one round is only one side. So during the class, I was feeling a little beaten because I only made it to four rounds. Really low compared to everyone else. Now I know that my real count is 8 rounds. Not bad. I do give myself kudos for actually joining the gang and doing the actual WOD. Showing up is the hardest thing. When I'm there, everything else is fine.

Notes about the Challenge Restart
So far so good. I've done a lot of cooking which makes packing food a lot easier. Right now, I'm going ga-ga over my new favorite snack: take a hard boiled egg and remove the yolk; replace the yolk with lowfat hummus. Yummy! I'm really big on deviled eggs, but too many eggs aren't a good thing (truth be told, they give me gas). However, today I discovered that the yolk does that to me. The egg white is fine. So replacing the yolk with hummus is delicious and not hazardous to those around me. ha ha! I've prepared oatmeal, chicken/veggie soup, and set aside sandwich stuff. So far so good. It's the night time that makes me hungry - especially if I end up exercising at night. UGH! I ended up munching on Marc's leftover stirfry and a little bit of my soup. Not terrible, but I would like to commit to no eating after 7pm (8pm at the latest). It's tough, but I just need to develop strategies, that's all.

OWMA Quotable Quote
Brad:Isn't Ray a beast?
Joanne (yelling so Ray can hear): Yeah. I'd never train with Ray! He's so mean!
Ray (confused): Huh? Me? What did I do?
Brad and Joanne: (laughing)

not so great news

I can't believe it's been so long since I've logged in. Sadly, it's probably because it's been that long since I've done a CrossFit workout. Granted, I do other kinds of workouts and make it a point to hit some kind of gym at least three times a week. In looking at my workout interests, I may seem like some workout fanatic. For the record, I do the following on any given day: CrossFit, Fit-to-Fight, spinning, yoga, belly dance, running, walking. Yeah. I think this is it. I'm as consistent as I possibly can be because as mentioned before, I'm a diabetic.

Unfortunately, I received a phone call from the nurse practitioner that I've been working with since I was diagnosed. The results of my most recent HA1C results came in and they're STILL 6.9. I talked about my previous results here. In truth, I was totally devastated because in the last three months, I was much better at working out consistently and I followed my different food challenges. Granted, I haven't lost much weight. However, I thought I was doing better. This tells me that my body is changing and needs a different dosage of meds. When I see the diabetes specialist, she's probably going to put me on byetta. No big deal, since the reviews are great. However, it is going to be a bit of a financial strain because my rent is going up 20% and now, the cost of this medication 2-3 times more than I usually pay. UGH! Sucks! The only saving grace in this is I have great medical insurance.

All this means is that I have to take this current challenge much more seriously. As with my last challenge, I hit a road bump at my brother's wedding. The rehearsal dinner wasn't challenge friendly, and I've been off the challenge for 11 days. Today would have been the first day of my restart, but I (without batting an eyelash) took a bite of this weekend's leftover pizza. BAD DIABETIC! See how easy it is to fall into bad habits? UGH! Today's workout schedule was thrown off. However, I am gonna put on some sneakers and get some walking done on my sister's treadmill.

Starting tomorrow, I'm back on challenge mode. To help commit to this journey, I'm going to try my best to blog this journey on a daily basis. The daily entries will include: 1) the daily workout 2) my thoughts on eating that day 3) my random bitching and moaning about diabetes. Anyway... apologies if any of this bores you. Today I choose to take care of my health. Wish me luck!

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
Run 400 meters
Row 500 meters
THREE sets of:
Samson Stretch
10 deadlifts
10 shoulder press
10 shoulder rolls (all wooden dowel)
10 overhead squats

Set 1: wooden dowels
Set 2: 15# bar
Set 3: 45# deadlift; 15# everything else

WOD
Complete the following for time:
40 deadlifts 45#
40 parallette bar dips
9 modified rope climbs
30 deadlifts 45#
30 parallette bar dips
3 modified rope climbs
20 deadlifts 45#
20 parallette bar dips
3 modified rope climbs

Joanne's final time - 19:54
Note: to see a video of this WOD, click here.

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
With yesterday's modified burpees and the spin workout I did just before this WOD, I decided to go really light on the deadlift (the rx'd weight was 75#). I don't usually do well with the deadlift because it screws up my lower back. Plus, my hamstrings were tight, so I decided to err on the safe side. In retrospect, I should have pushed it to about 55#. 75# would have been way too much. Though I modified the WOD a lot, it was still tough. I'm really weak in the upper body, and it shows when I do the dips and the rope climbs. I'm still doing the bar dips with my legs bent. Ideally, I'd like to have them straightened out and even perched on a box. However, my lower body (namely, my ass!) is so heavy that my weak arms can't hang :( I'm also doing the rope climbs with my legs bent, which is another thing I need to work on. Ideally, they should be straight.

It was great to watch Stef in action. (Note: the woman in the photo is not Stef.) I tell you, that girl is my she-ro! She started going to the studio after me, but she really dedicated herself to CrossFit and healthy eating and it totally shows! She may not like her times, but she really pushes the weight and can do the movements in ways I wish I could. Also, she has a developing 6-pack, which she didn't have before. Kudos to her! It goes to show that CrossFit really works!

I'm not aiming to have a 6-pack, but to do the exercises with better form and to push the weight would be nice. However, I really need time, patience, consistency in going, and better eating. It'll happen in time:)

OWMA Quotable Quote
"Even modified this workout sucks!"
- Joanne

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
The posted warm-up was Row 1000 meters. However, I was already warm because I had just come from yoga class. Also, this was one of those workouts that didn't need a formal warm-up.

WOD: Fun With Body Weight
Complete 10 rounds for time of:
80 jump ropes*
10 modified burpees
10 Abmat sit-ups
10 push-ups (on knees)
10 squats
10 band assisted pull-ups

And then...
S-T-R-E-T-C-H!

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I didn't record time on this one because I knew it would take me forever. I want to say it took me about an hour. I'm afraid to know, actually. Then again, this was one of those workouts where I was happy I wasn't trying to beat a time clock. Sometimes you just have to roll with the workout itself and let it be. Despite it taking forever, I really liked this workout because it was do-able. Hard, but do-able. *Because I'm so slow with the ropes, I did 80 jump ropes instead of the rx'd 100.

On another note... I've decided to post the same photos that were featured on the One World CrossFit website. I don't always know the folks in the photos, but I do share the CrossFit family luv!

OWMA Quotable Quote
"Wow Joanne! That takes a lot of talent!"
- James commenting on my post-WOD yoga stretching

change of heart

So yesterday was a tough diabetes day. I know. As I've said before, I can't dwell on what should have been done. I just have to deal with the now.

I missed my morning workout again! In order to make it worthwhile, I ended up doing odd chores around that house that just needed to be done. While doing that, I ran into a commercial for byetta, the drug that the specialist wants me to start using. I started looking it up online and found a few interesting tidbits here. This is the company that makes byetta.

I then called my insurance company to find out if it covers byetta. There's some good news and some bad news. The bad news: byetta costs way more than the meds I take right now. The good news: my insurance covers 80% of the cost because it's considered a diabetic supply and not a medication. Therefore, depending on the dosage, the byetta will cost me $40-$50/month max (as opposed to $15/month I pay right now). Additionally, it won't affect the $2000 allowance my insurance gives for medication. This is something to chomp on.

Technically, my blood sugars (hemoglobin A1C) are at a good range because they're in the 6 range. However, the specialist wants it to be in the low 6 or below 6 range. Even with exercise and diet, I'm not sure I can make the range. The lowest I've ever been was around 6.2, and the specialist wants it to be even lower. The best way for me to be in that lower range is to ultimately lose weight.

One of the positive side effects of byetta is that it suppresses the appetite, making users lose weight. (In fact, some Beverly Hills doctors have been prescribing it to patients for weight loss, which is a total no-no. Byetta is not a weight-loss drug, it's a diabetes drug! But what Beverly Hills bitches want, Beverly Hills bitches get!) I need to talk to my specialist more about this. I'm thinking of maybe going on it for a year. Should I get an appropriate amount of weight loss, I'm thinking of getting off it and going back to my old medication. I just don't want to be addicted to or be dependent on byetta (which is what some people have experienced).

I'm not even sure if this or any drug can actually suppress my appetite! ha ha ha! However, it will at least inspire me to jump on a healthier train. In the end, if I choose to go on byetta, I don't want it to be a permanent thing. Feel free to share your thoughts on this, please :)

On a challenge note, it's only been three days and it's not so bad. I had a dentist appointment today, and it's next door to a Filipino restaurant, which I went to. I did their standard buffet. Let me tell you, it was hard not having a taste of the lumpia, pancit, lechon and fried chicken. But at the same time, I commend the place for having stuff that could work within my challenge. I had some rice with meatloaf, kaldareta (sans potatoes) and a ton of veggies from the stir-fry. To satisfy my sweet, I took a few bites of the coconut milk from the guinataan, and downed the meal with about three glasses of ice water. It was a well-balanced meal and I didn't feel like I needed to roll out of the restaurant. I also didn't eat a dozen plates worth of food. Yea for me! UGH! I hate being a foodie. Not a good thing for diabetics!

the next challenge

As I mentioned before, I went on my first 30 day challenge because I started seeing a diabetes specialist whose visit totally freaked me out. This first challenge turned out pretty well. Though I didn't lose much weight, it was a great lesson in food. In the two weeks since the challenge, I think I overdid it with the fried food, which was another important lesson. Too much is not a good thing. Anyway... my next challenge is as follows....

I've been giving this a lot of thought and have considered several options. The one I finally decided on is this: no potatoes, no white breads, no pastas, no noodles. I know it sounds a bit extreme. However, it's in the best interest of my diabetes. I'm trying to take a serious stab at getting rid of the refined, processed starches that tend to really spike the sugars. My goal with these challenges is to pick up healthy habits, but to also make sure the challenges are do-able.

To help make this doable, I'm keeping the right to have rice. It's an ethical thing for me :) I'm also allowing myself to have multi-grain bread, corn-based products (such as corn tortillas and polenta) and specialty tortillas (the low-carb, high fiber ones). In terms of pasta and noodles, even the wheat types are off-limits. I purposely chose this challenge because it would also force me to stay away from sweets such as bread-like goodies - cakes, cupcakes, danishes, brownies, cookies, etc.

In addition, this challenge will pick up where the previous one left off. I'm back to no fried food. A few things that make this current challenge different is that it started on October 1st and will go on until the end of the year. For the sake of family functions (and my personal sanity), I am allowing myself one cheat day per week. However, the cheat days are not meant to be binge days. Instead, they grant me permission to eat somewhat normally at social functions. Plus, it's healthy to have a small cheat opportunity.

Finally, if I make it through this challenge, I get to treat myself to a FAT 90 minute deep tissue massage!

Some other healthy habits I need to maintain (but are not formal parts of the challenge) are as follows (Note: these are notes to myself. Actually, this whole blog is one big note to myself!):

- eat breakfast! (pre-cook it if needed)
- keep a food journal (it weighs a ton, but I'm loving that Covey!)
- eat no later than 8pm
- cook more
- try to eat at least 1 serving of fruit/veggies at each meal
- balance the meals and snacks by incorporating protein
- drink water
- exercise daily
- exercise first thing in the morning

This is it for now. I may add more stuff later.

being a diabetic sucks!

I went to the doctor today. Tish, the nurse practitioner who's been with me since I was diagnosed with diabetes was out for about three months, so I set up an appointment with her just to catch up on my health issues and such. Tish was also the person who recommended that I see the diabetes specialist (whose appointments are costing me $200 per visit until I pay my deductible UGH!). They're recommending that I change my medication again. This new medication is basically a daily shot (as in the kind with a needle, not a glass!). One of the side effects is that it suppresses the appetite, which is a good thing for me, since the specialist recommends that I lose weight too. Knowing me, this side effect will have nothing to do with me because world wars couldn't stop me from eating :) This is just fact! Technically, I should surrender to the specialist and take this daily shot. However, there's something about being overly dependent on meds that really irritates me. Plus, a daily shot? Is this what it's come to?! I'm giving myself until the end of this school year to decide whether to switch or not.

The reality of having to deal with diabetes always sinks in when I go to the doctor. I sat in Tish's office crying because being a diabetic sucks! In fact, having any chronic disease sucks because you can't shake it off. It's not like you can have diabetes one day and the next day it's gone. Diabetes is with me for life. It determines how I live life and how long I get to do it. It just sucks. The basis of diabetes care, like most health issues is diet and exercise. But to be a "good diabetic" (if there is such a thing) requires an intense amount of discipline in a world and culture that is less than diabetic friendly. I fuckin' hate it!

Whenever the reality of being a diabetic sinks in, a part of me gets really angry at my mom. She's been a diabetic since 1987, but none of us (my siblings and I) knew she was diabetic until 2004 when I was diagnosed. Granted, diabetes education in 1987 is nothing like it was now. However, if you're diagnosed with a chronic disease which you know runs in the family and could possibly be passed down to your children, wouldn't you fuckin' do something to prevent your kids from getting it? Wouldn't you educate yourself and your family? This is what pisses me off about being diabetic. Granted, EVERYONE, if you live long enough, will eventually become a diabetic because the pancreas eventually gives out. However, wouldn't you try to prolong that for you and your kids?

Granted, this bitterness against my mom is related to a much longer strain of mom issues that I have. I get this. In fact, a lot of issues I have with family members stems from the fact that they way they handle things is nothing like the way I handle things. Different strokes for different folks. I get this. But this is a fuckin' chronic disease we're talking here! And something so controllable and preventable. I feel like this is my family's way of dealing with shit. When there's a problem, simply ignore because the grace of God will handle itself.

Fuck that shit!

Even after all these years, my mom still doesn't handle her diabetes. Last week I gave her a lesson on checking her blood sugars. I recommended that she check it around 4 times a day and keep a food journal for two weeks just so she knows how certain foods affect her. This is what I had to do when I was first diagnosed. All she did was moan about the whole process, claiming her fingers would fall off from all the pricking. Ahem, mom. Your fingers are going nowhere. You're retired and have nothing else to do. Please just take care of your damn health! Granted, she takes her meds for the various health issues she has, but she doesn't change her eating and exercise habits. She has high blood pressure, but won't let go of salt. She has diabetes, but has bread and chocolate milk every morning. It kills me! But the way she handles her stuff isn't they way I handle my stuff. I simply have to accept this and move on. Besides, I have my own health issues to deal with!

I got so frustrated at the doctor's today that just broke down. I told Tish that between my brother (who is also diabetic), mom and I, I'd be the first to die of this fuckin' disease. Even though I'm the one who works the hardest at controlling it. I'd fuckin' die first because that's just the pathetic story of my life. I hate being a diabetic. I just fuckin' hate it! I can't go back to 1987 and make my mom confront the chronic disease she has. I can't make her take care of herself now. In all honesty, I feel like I'd seriously die first. It's just how things work in this damn family. I just hate it!

Okay. I'm whining. I know. I'll stop.

I'm just frustrated. Most people can have a burger and not think twice. Most people can have a slice of wedding cake or a glass of wine and not bat an eyelash. From here on out, I don't have that luxury. It sucks. So I have the right to whine.

how girly are you?

You Are 32% Girly

You are a pretty hardcore tomboy, and a very free spirit. Gender roles be dammed, you like to do things your way.

How Girly Are You?

Some thoughts.... I would never consider myself a tomboy, so I was surprised with these results. Besides, I'm a makeup artist. How girly is that?

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
Row 1000 meters
Stretch session
Thruster therapy

WOD
Complete three rounds for time of:
35 tuck jumps
25 thrusters 35#
15 band assisted pull-ups

Joanne's final time - 18:18

And Then....
50 Hollow Rocks (well... my version of a hollow rock)
100 Twisters

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I haven't done a CrossFit workout in an entire week. I've been milking laziness because my 90 day challenge officially starts today. Yes, I'll write more about that in a bit. Anyway.... this was a good workout. Again, it was one of those where I wish time didn't matter because I think I could have pushed the weight to 45#. Also, I really need to work on those pull-ups and tuck jumps. I'm so uncoordinated with the rope that I don't see myself doing double-unders for a while. Anyway... I actually did the "And then..." but had a hard time with the hollow rocks.

OWMA Quotable Quote
Joanne: Did you wash your hands?
Kirk: Yes.
Joanne: Make Freddy smell your hands!
Laura: Thanks mommy!