Summer Sugars

I've been really, really good this week.

Keeping my blood sugars good over the summer has been a challenge - (repetition from last year, anyone?) - and while they aren't at crazy high levels, they've been higher than I like. 180's. 200's, 242's... a few 300's in there thankfully not too often. (Thanks, Recees Puffs). I've always been really strict with my diet since getting Diabetes - I'm a big believer in early prevention. It's never to early for me to try and prevent complications. I was strict with my diet even before getting Diabetes, believing that what you put in your body truly does make a difference. And it does - my sugars attest to this. Sure, I might be the weird girl that eats salads and meats sans sugary, questionable sauces at college all of the time, but I know that the benefits of eating well are truly worth it. Plus, it really just feels good to put good things in your body. I lose my taste for greasy, carb-heavy foods and sweet desserts after I go without them for a while. It's just that all of the vacations, seeing friends and families, parties... have really done me in. It's difficult to eat well at parties, unfamiliar restaurants, fast food joints on the go and Princess parties where moms think it is nice to feed the princess!

It's hard to be a Diabetic in non-Diabetic surroundings sometimes - It's one of the hardest things about my disease. People around me eat whatever they want without thinking of it - ordering pizza or a quick stop at McDonalds is no big deal when your pancreas actually works.  It's hard for me, though, because not only do I have to count all of those carbs, after a while of eating badly my blood sugars tend to get harder to manage.  Plus there can be the added pressure of weird looks, or judgmental people who maybe don't know that I'm Diabetic or don't know what that entails - eating hamburgers without the patty at parties may come off as strange to some, as might leaving out the taco shell and making a taco salad instead. People look at my plate questioningly, wondering why my portion is half the size of their own, or why I always have to make a point to ask if the tea is sweet (then again I needn't ask in Georgia - of course it is!) It's not meant to be an insult to someone's cooking or something snooty on my part, it's just what I have to do.

So this week I strapped down, put on my big-girl Diabetic shoes and really started watching my levels. It helps that Joshua has started eating a low-carb diet this week, which has been helpful in encouraging me. It's not so bad when you're not the only one that strictly adheres to a carefully carb-counted diet. In fact, it helps quite a lot, actually - Joshua not eating high carb foods and getting on me for snacking or eating things bad for my blood sugar keeps me eating well and mindful of what I put in my body. Josh actually eats less carbs than me, so with me eating more carbs than him I almost feel like he's the Diabetic one instead of myself!

My hard work has paid off. My sugars haven't reached over 180 all week! It's only Tuesday, but I'm feeling hopeful. Lots of chicken, salad and eggs and no eating out have brought me some great results, and hopefully these good-behaving sugars will be a sign of a great A1C to come.