100 Days

Today I'm inspired by a combination of Elizabeth's post on The Tipping Point and John Boy's 100 Days. After the Christmas holiday's I typically go through a several weeks where my blood sugars swing erratically. There's no big secret to this, it has to do with the fact that I've been off the exercise routine for too long. This year I managed to come through Christmas pretty much unscathed food wise. We kept most of the junk out of the house and if it's not here then I don't eat it and that's good.

Exericse is another issue altogether. Exercise does more to stabilize my bG's more than any other factor, but probably the one I wrestle with the most. While insulin and diet are important and not to be discounted, exercise, at least for me, covers a myriad of sins. I've been off a regular exercise program since late fall, when all the mowing, raking and various outside activites drew to a close. (I count those things as exercise as it has the same effect, if done with enough vigor.)

When I read Elizabeth's post on The Tipping Point I knew my aggravation with swinging bG's had just about reached critical mass. Critical mass defined as the point when I finally get off my keester and go down to the basement for my date with the bike. The bike is my old road bike set up on a stationary trainer. Thirty minutes on it can make me sweat like a marathon runner on a Texas summer day. Not only does it give me a great workout, but for the next 48 hours the blood sugars tend to be good, unless I do something dumb like hit the chocolate donuts at Krispy Kreme (which rarely happens).

Another event adding to critical mass is that my clothes are not fitting as well as they once did. If I buy the next larger size then I'll just unwittingly allow myself to get a little larger in the comfort of new clothes. By refusing to buy a larger size then the snug fit serves as a constant reminder that something needs to be done.

Enter John Boy's 100 Day post. When I read this it struck a chord with me that resounded with action. 100 days of consistant 30 minute per day areobic exercise will certainly do what I need it to do: stabilize my bGs, lower my A1C, drop about 7 pounds, decrease my girth and increase my cardio-vascular fitness. Best of all it's do-able.

My plan is to start the 100 Day's on March 1st. I would have already started but I've been away long enough that I'm having to work up to it. I exercised two days, two weeks ago, three times last week and I'll go either 4 or 5 times this week. I'll be pushing it on March 1st, but I should be OK.

I hope you'll join John Boy and myself. It won't be easy, I know it will require staying up late some nights or rising way too early some mornings to accomplish the goal. If, however, it does what I think it will do then it will be worth it.