Type 1 Active - Active Living with Diabetes

The other day I was thinking about what living with diabetes would be like if I didn’t write this blog or have my instagram and other social media pages. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2014 so I was lucky enough to have instant access to social media to find out more about diabetes from people who are living with it. That was how I was inspired to create my own page which I use as an outlet and as a place to share my journey. I never share anything about diabetes on my personal social media pages you see, mainly because I use them to promote myself as a performer, but mostly because I don’t want to people to associate illness with me. Far too many people have uneducated opinions of diabetes and I don’t think I am ready to fight off those comments – yet! However, the majority of people who follow this blog are diabetic so they (you) understand. How did you connect with other diabetics before the internet? Was there a group you could attend? What happened?

On another topic, my training this week has consisted of 2 hours of weight lifting for legs and back, 5 hours of pole dancing, 3 hours of yoga and 1 hour of kettlebell training. I also do unintentional cardio (walking) in work which adds another 3 hours. I might keep my training similar for the next couple of weeks, aside from rehearsals, as I feel that my body is responding well to it. By reducing weight training by 1 session I can lift myself easier and I seem to be healing quicker from the muscle soreness. No complaints with diabetes this week apart from a few lows. My 7 day average has been 6.5mmols so I am really pleased with that, my mind definitely feels a little bit clearer for it. I suppose the increased basal rate at certain parts of the day has really helped. Especially the morning one. I feel that waking up with a good blood sugar really sets me up for a better day, I don’t have that foggy hungover feeling to brush off.

For the past 4 weeks I have been maintaining my calories and my weight so insulin has been pretty similar each day. I am so happy that I have finally found my personal maintenance level where I finally feel satisfied and healthy. It has taken such a long time, and although I am not completely content with my current body fat levels, I am pleased with how my attitude has adapted for the sake of my health. Whenever I have thought about dropping my calories again, because that’s bound to happen, I think of how far I have come with my strength. I know that if I drop my calories significantly I will lose some of those strength gains which is definitely not in line with my goals. It’s funny because a few blog posts ago I was eating much less and considering dropping the calories then. I’m so glad that I didn’t and that I carried on.

Hope you have had a nice week. Let me know what you have been up to? Have your blood sugars been good?

Rowena x

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Check out my book Diabetes and Healthy, Active Living which is now on sale at Amazon where you can purchase it for only $2.99. It’s packed with useful information for weight loss, muscle gain, maintenance, macronutrients, reverse dieting and how to prevent binge eating. Get your copy today and let me know what you think.

Recently I have heard a lot about how sudden health problems can trigger people to take action in their lives and how it can really motivate change. A lady in work had a minor stroke in which the doctor put down to stress and a sedentary lifestyle. This experience obviously frightened her, so after coming home from hospital she began eating a healthy diet and has started exercising more, she even asked me for advice on a training split. Shortly after hearing about this I was watching the London Real interview with Cara Santana and she said that her near death experience is what forced her to finally stop using drugs and alcohol. This made me think about how many of us take our health for granted.

I am speaking from experience here, too. Before I was diabetic I had very little perception of how I valued my health before. I mean, I ate a fairly good diet and I exercised, but like most young people these days, I used to drink and smoke a lot. This was definitely more so when I was younger, but when I was diagnosed I stopped smoking completely and I now I rarely drink alcohol. Maybe once every couple of months, for special occasions or if I’m on holiday.

https://youtu.be/hQ7_h6iu5mU

I suppose the reasons for not drinking as often is because I feel like I have to cherish those moments of health and feeling good. Living with diabetes you never know when blood sugar is going to play the high or low game which will make me feel like shit, both mentally and physically.

When people say that you should find the good in everything, I think that this is why I can find the one good thing about diabetes. It makes me very aware of my health and I work harder every single day to achieve the feeling of health. I think people living with diabetes really have to look long and hard at what is effecting them. Blood glucose elevation due to stress, overeating, undereating, over exercising etc. There is a lot to think about.

It’s sad that for some people it’s too late. They have seen minor warning signs over and over again. If you’re reading this and you mistreat yourself, please think about one thing you could change today that would give you the opportunity to live a healthier life for longer. Don’t wait for a diagnosis or a near death experience to give you a kick up the bum.

On a more positive note, exciting news! My book Diabetes and Healthy, Active Living is now on sale at Amazon where you can purchase it for only $2.99. It’s packed with useful information for weight loss, muscle gain, maintenance, macronutrients, reverse dieting and how to prevent binge eating. Get your copy today and let me know what you think.

Rowena x

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I got a new pump from Animas because my previous one had a crack near the battery compartment. Since posting the photo of it on my Instagram page, a few people said the same thing happened to them so I’m guessing that this must be a recurring fault that Animas is working on. If this has happened to you, call Animas and see if they can replace it because it can affect the way your pump functions. The lady on the phone was very helpful and I had my new pump the next day. I even chose a new color; pink.

Along with a new pump comes the setup where I copied all settings from my other pump, but somehow I managed to leave one of the basal times unlisted which meant I was receiving no basal for a few hours. I fixed it as soon as I noticed, but my BG did go a little higher.

Another thing I failed to do was to active the Insulin on Board (IOB) feature. I noticed it when I wanted to take a bolus using the ezcarb function. I was scratching my head at first, but I eventually found it in Advanced Settings – Set up 8 – Insulin on Board – On. Seems pretty obvious now I come to think of it. I wondered why this isn’t already activated as a preset, but then I suppose the people who are new to the pump, who have been on injections for a while, may have a specific way of working it out for themselves and don’t actually want it on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDMvrzDLoC4

Changing the topic, Easter had just passed and although I had a nice time I’m glad it is over with because of the connections that people make with chocolate and diabetes. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has heard the question “are you sure you can eat that?” this Easter. In one week, on 4 different occasions, I was asked if I could eat something with me being diabetic. Grr. Two of these people know quite well I can eat that, but it’s as though they just can’t hear me when I confirm that I can eat whatever I want providing I take insulin for it.

I mean, I really don’t expect people to know the ins and outs of this disease, because before I was diabetic I didn’t know either, but what would be nice is if they just listened to me the first time and left it at that. Besides, on one of these occasions I was eating a small Easter egg worth only 50 carbs. That’s less carbs than I have in my dinner or my post workout meals.

Hope everyone has had a nice Easter, and if you had time off from work or school I hope you enjoyed some rest and relaxation.

Rowena x

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOnv7fu4qio

It’s been 2 years of living with Type 1 Diabetes and in comparison to how I felt after the first year, I can honestly say that some things have changed. As a result of exercising daily, sometimes several times per day, I feel like I’ve cracked the exercise vs insulin code and I can deal with the physical aspects of a hyper or hypo because my body is used to working through tiredness and exhaustion.

However, I am yet to master my mind and how it responds to a high or a low because I find myself feeling depressed or anxious for no apparent reason. At the time I find it really hard to link it to my blood sugar. This is something I didn’t notice so much in the first year, but I can definitely notice it now. It’s strange because it makes me question myself emotionally. Like I ask myself “am I upset because I’m high or am I upset because I am upset?” Things like that.

On a more positive note though, even though I am fighting for health every single day, I feel stronger than I have ever felt in my life. So I suppose I have to say that I’m grateful that diabetes has made me pay so much attention to my body and my mind which I will continue to work on every single day. For me, my priority in life is to feel good because I know that anything that I am working for is not worth having unless I have my health.

Monday was my birthday and I had a great time celebrating with those infinity macros. On my birthday eve I had a few glasses of champagne and a bit of Grey Gooses and then on my actual birthday I went for a nice Italian meal with some family and I went to the cinema to watch a funny film called “How to Be Single”. I ate loads of treats including ice cream, chocolates and nuts which I had to take a load of insulin for. I did go a bit higher than I had expected but because I was checking regularly I managed to get it back down quickly.

Today I am back to training and working. I think the day off always does me a bit of good because I always feel more productive after a full day off of work and training.

What did you find easiest or most difficult to adjust to over the years in comparison to the first year? How do you manage moods if you have any that are related to blood sugar?

Rowena x

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