A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

walking

Living with Diabetes: February 2024 check in

I haven’t written one of these posts in a while. Probably because I honestly haven’t done too well with things. My numbers are way higher than they should be and I’m doing, well, pretty shitty in holding myself accountable. 

But I have to look at the overall picture. Sometimes that can be really hard to do. 

For those of you who have followed my blog, you’ve probably seen these posts before. Though, to be fair, I’m usually doing *slightly* better. This time, it’s a mixed bag. I say that because I only can really tell part of the story. 

Living with Diabetes logo

See, my A1C for the last several checks has not been good. So much that we’re getting to the point where my primary is talking about either having to change medications or talk about insulin. These are not things I’m interested in, especially the insulin part. 

Somewhere along the line I kind of fell out of being smart with things. Well not everything. But at least checking and holding myself to task. Instead, I stopped checking on a daily basis. I know when it happened. At some point the meter and strips I was using wasn’t being accepted by my insurance and the supplies just … stopped coming. So I didn’t really pay attention and the checking just kind of … stopped. 

That’s not good. 

Meanwhile, other things were fine. I was losing something, whether it was pounds or inches. I felt I was going in the right direction. But each time I had an appointment, though I thought my A1C had to go down, it either didn’t, or it stayed status quo. 

Again, not good. So here we are. 

This is my fault, don’t get me wrong. I haven’t been the best with eating smart and all that. Though I believe that you need to live life no matter what and indulge in things you love, you still have to be smart. Sitting down and pounding down a bag of candy or something junky isn’t smart. A lot of it for me is stress eating. 

Back at it is what has to happen. So I spoke with my primary and a diabetes educator I see. We figured out a game plan of sorts, and I also needed a new meter and strips. 

I asked for a certain meter and test strips. I need things to use, such as graphs and all. If I use the one meter and strips, it connects to an app I like. This will allow me to see trends and understand what is going on. 

Insurance denied it. 

It seems they won’t accept this unless you haven’t done well with the ones they want you to use. So I called and had to issue an appeal. The person I talked to was great and she led me through the whole process. The appeal was granted. But then I had to fight back and forth to make sure it was done correctly. Finally, it was and the prescription was allowed to go through. 

But that brings me full circle to the other part of this. It hasn’t all been bad. In fact, the numbers baffle me a little considering other things have been going decently. Most of the rest of my blood tests are great. My weight kind of hovers around the same … I usually lose a few pounds from each appointment to the next. 

A nice long Sunday walk with sun and blue skies! The perfect medicine!

Here’s the thing, though. I look back to photos and all of how I was 10-12 years ago and it’s bad. I know what I weighed at my worst, and I know what I am now. The gap between the two is well more than 50 pounds. 

The last year and a half, though, something else has happened. Though the weight itself is coming off slower, something else has happened — I’m losing inches. In fact, in the last 12-18 months, I’ve dropped three pant sizes. The one I am in now is one that I haven’t been able to get into in probably 12-15 years — at least. 

Three pant sizes. 

My clothes fit me better, too. Shirts, sweatshirts, jackets — everything. They all fit better. Even my primary said that it’s not always about just the weight (though I do still want to drop a bunch more. I have a weight I’d like to get to). 

Without a doubt, a lot of this is because of Harper. 

Before Harper, I walked. Quite a bit actually. But if there was a morning I didn’t want to get up, I didn’t get up until I had to. If I was tired from work and didn’t want to walk at night, I didn’t. 

I don’t have that choice anymore. Harper and I walk in the morning and we walk at night. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, sunny, cloudy or what — we go. And it’s rarely less than a mile, and usually a bit more. 

A perfect example happened a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday. We did 1.75 miles in the morning. With the weather so nice — sunny and in the 40s, we headed out in the mid-to-late afternoon, which was a bit earlier than her normal “evening” walk. So many sniffs followed. We saw some friends and we wandered into places we usually don’t. In the end, it was just s bit over three miles. 

That was a good walk! 

We’ve been doing a lot more of these walks, and I’ve enjoyed it. The daylight keeps increasing and seeing sun is a good thing. It really can pick you up. Soon enough, we’ll hopefully be able to chill out in the yard and enjoy that aspect of life as well.

But back to the beginning — the numbers.

In the end, the insurance company accepted my appeal and granted me the ability to use the meter and strips I want to use. Now it’s time to get back into a routine of checking 3-5 times a day and seeing what is going on with me. This should help me stay more accountable to what I am trying to do. It will mean a few sacrifices, sure. But it should be good for me in the long run.

Here’s to health and happiness!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

Keeping it in perspective

I’m not sure how you all are when you walk – be it alone, or with a dog, or even with other people.

I’ve tried to walk as much as I can for several years now – even before Harper. Most of those times, I’m off into my own thoughts and daydreams. Maybe it’s about the future, or the past, or even the present. When I used to walk solo, I’d often have earbuds in with a podcast or some music playing. 

Once Harper came into my world, I was focused more on her. Especially in her puppy stage. I still have to watch her somewhat closely now as she loves to try and get things in her mouth, such as clumps of grass. But as she gets older and more predictable on walks, I find myself getting lost in my thoughts again. 

A lot of times, it’s about life. After passing the big 5-0 in September (and, yes, I am still working on my series about that …), I’ve been a bit more reflective. Sometimes it’s about the past, sometimes the present, and yes, the future. While I’m maybe not where I had thought I would be when I was in high school, I’m not actually doing bad. I have a good job with pretty decent pay and great benefits. I’ll have a pension and a couple of other retirement accounts when I reach that age. I own a home. I have a good car. I have family and friends. 

Dog walking on a path, leashed
Harper out on a walk

It’s hard to complain. 

But we all do, right? Maybe it’s because I don’t see some friends as often that would be nice. Maybe it’s because waking up earlier isn’t always as easy as it once was. Maybe it’s because of the price of things, or because I have to figure out how to pay for something a little bigger. Maybe it’s because I’m no longer as free wheelin’ as I once was. Maybe I just don’t feel fulfilled or happy at times, and other times I feel that I am. 

We need to keep things in perspective. 

Over the years, I’ve had my own personal battles. I’ve gotten into some dark places in my own head. And some days, I get there again. Thankfully, it usually doesn’t last too long. And more often than not, I do a really good job at masking and hiding it. 

Life is about ups and downs. Unfortunately, because of human makeup, we aren’t perfect. That means the odds of being happy every single moment of one’s life is just not possible. So we do the best we can. 

I have been reminded of this recently, especially on my walks. The reality is, we have no idea about the people who we may pass each day etc. What some may decipher as an unhappy person may be the complete opposite, and vice versa. 

As I walked Harper recently, there’s one person I saw walking down the street. He has a slow pace about him and always seems a bit down. He wears headphones and just meanders along. I know I’ve seen him working as well, and it’s always the same look. 

Does that mean he’s unhappy? Not at all. Not every book is the same, after all. And I wonder, too, if I sometimes look in an unhappy state when I’m out and about – even with Harper. 

My “inner circle” isn’t the biggest in the world as I’ve grown older. Sometimes you lose touch with people; or other times you just become a hermit (I have done this). But either way, not a lot of people will notice certain things. But for those I let into the circle, I care about them and their thoughts and opinions matter to me. Recently, one mentioned that Harper is such a good emotional support dog for me. 

Initially I brushed it off. I thought – she’s much more than that. But as I thought about it later in the night, it got me thinking about a few things. First, she absolutely is an emotional support dog for me. She’s been such a huge part of my life since I got her and I hope that continues. But it also made me think about the wording. 

Why did I shy away from “emotional support dog?” Did I think it was bad? Was I worried about the stigma of it? I’m not sure. But the reality is, she does help me emotionally. And knowing I go home to her each night helps in tough times. And, truthfully, me being happier now than I was two years ago is a direct connection to Harper. 

That’s why I say we need to keep things in perspective. What is one person’s happiness is another’s lows. We can’t just look at somebody and think they are unhappy, when it could be completely the opposite. 

When I walk now, though, I’ll try to at least be a little more upbeat. It feels good to smile. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook!

Walking with a purpose: Looking back at 2019

As I continue to try and get my health on track, one thing I have done way more of is walking. This is something most medical people stress people should do as it’s one of the easiest forms of exercise. 

And I’ve been doing it more for a while. 

Of course, just because you walk isn’t a foolproof way to get your health back on track. You still have to eat better and watch all other aspects in your life. But walking, by and large, is something we can all do more of. 

Me included. 

This feature, which I mentioned doing a few months ago, will be a monthly log about walking in life. I plan to do this monthly, and it will cover a lot of different things – be it just about walking or about other aspects (apps, technology, shoes, random observations/stories etc.), but more or less a way to talk about walking and how beneficial it has been for me. 

For this first one, however, I’d like to cover 2019. This was the year where I really started to push more at walking. And even though I didn’t do as much as I hoped (there were a few drop off times), I think I stayed pretty focused, especially toward the end of the year. 

It was also the year where I started tracking things when it came to walking, such as a Google spreadsheet to keep track of my miles and different walks. 

Also, as part of my Day Zero Project, I wanted to get 10 million steps over those 1,001 days. I tend to track a bunch of other things as well, though they don’t always work out in a way that makes sense. 

Midway through 2019, I also swapped out my Fitbit for an Apple Watch. I’m glad I made this switch and I will eventually have a post about this and the reasons I switched and stuck it out. 

Anyway … 

In 2019, I logged 1,808.93 miles. Now, take into account, this is everyday life. So this is any dedicated walks, work, travel – any time I am walking. That came down to 4,028,006 steps. That’s a pretty good start to my 10 million goal, I’d say. 

That being said, the year was up and down. My best months were March (171.37 miles) and April  (380,000 steps) in regard to steps and mileage. From there, it started to go down a bit. The lowest point came in October (298,795 steps), though September had been my fourth-best month of the year in regard to steps. The mileage, overall, took a dip when I switched from the Fitbit to the Apple Watch, which I am not sure if it’s because I never got it calibrated right, or if it was because of how I was using it. I think I finally have it set right, and this is a topic I’ll cover down the road. 

All of this is in correlation with my diabetes battle and watching my numbers go all over the place. Up and up, before I finally started paying attention to get them to come down. October wasn’t a good month and I knew it – so November and December were vastly improved when it came to steps. 

I also kept track of my actual walks. These are the ones where I go out with the specific reason to walk or do something in an exercise vantage point – ie hiking, or even shoveling snow. Though a side note, I figured a better way to track exercise such as shoveling snow, so in late 2019 and 2020 so far, they are not registered as walks anymore. 

All in all, I logged 414 walks in 2019, which came out to 824.81 miles. My best month for walks came in January (44) and November (41), which the top mileage coming in September (79.67), March (76.63), and April (76.16). 

So far, in 2020, I’m really pushing myself and am averaging easily two walks per day as I am doing my best to get in a walk in the morning and at night. Those morning ones can be pretty tough at times!

That all in mind, I’ve pushed. And it’s not even February 20th yet, and I’ve already logged nearly 35 walks for the month. If I don’t falter, this month will easily be my best since I started tracking what I am doing with myself. 

I can dig that. 

And when I tackle the Apple Watch in the future, I’ll get way more in-depth about closing the rings and earning badges, but I’d be lying if I said that hasn’t helped me. They are small things, but they motivate. And any type of motivation is good if it gets you out walking and such. There are a few apps, too, that I’ve been using that help me along the way. One of them (Relive), I need to use more, especially in conjunction with some blog posts. 

In 2019, I also took part in my first real 5K. Though I walked it (which, I found out, a lot of people do), I was pretty stoked with myself in doing that. My goal is by the end of 2020 to actually run a 5K, if I can get my feet feeling better (more on that in the future, too) and get myself into the kind of shape where I can at least jog a 5K in the 40 minute range, On a good pace, I can do a 5K in about 50-52 minutes when walking. There’s no reason to think I can’t shave 10-12 minutes or more off that if I’m actually jogging/running. I am actually signed up for two 5Ks in Philadelphia – the Phillies one in March (which I did last year and walkers were aplenty), and the Rocky Run in November (which I will need to run as they have certain time criteria). 

Goal set and I am focused. 

When all came to an end in 2019, I learned a lot. Mainly, I learned about myself and what I was trying to do. Reality is, I haven’t always been the most healthy. Hell, I’m still not. But I’m doing everything I can to move more and to become a better me. I’m trying to do more things that get me moving. This year, my hope is to ride my bike more and get out and kayak. 

Hopefully by the time I do a post like this next year, I’ll have even better results and different aspects to cover. 

How about any of you reading? Are you big walkers? Something more? Or what kinds of things do you do for exercise? I’m always looking to expand!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Completing 5Ks (or longer) virtually

Virtual racing -- a 5K for all!

Virtual racing — a 5K for all!

In this day and age, sometimes it’s hard to push yourself to train and get ready for a 5K, 10K, or longer. Some people don’t want to run or compete or walk with others in a big mob.

Some might not want to worry about times and things like that.

Others could possibly just be looking to get into better shape and be looking for something to push them. Enter the virtual races.

I stumbled upon these via Facebook (one of those sponsored ads) a while back. The virtual races I found were longer (I actually signed up for two of them as I wanted one for walking, and one for biking. Alas, unfortunately, when you log miles, it logs to both, So, from now on if I do it on that site, I’ll only do one at a time).

As I searched for more and more of these as I was interested in what was out there, I found ones set up for specific distances. You enter, pay your fee (which part of goes to charity) and you get a bib/finisher medal. You then upload you time and have it completed.

Pretty cool.

Anyway, the photo you see at the top is the first one I completed. I’m going to definitely finish the other two I have going, and then I am going to watch and join other ones I like the idea of shorter ones as I can start trying to do them all in one set. Maybe down the line I can run them more than walk them. My ultimate goal is to actually run a few of these in the future.

The two big ones I am currently doing are at Make Yes Happen. What’s cool about these two races is that they are longer and they show you virtual stops for your run — photos of the area. So one is 30.3 miles — the Dublin Pub Crawl. Make sure you go check out the medal one gets for finishing that one! I am also doing the Pacific Coast Highway — a 113.2-mile race.

The one above is from Virtual Run Events and they have some really cool ones based by month. There’s a few I want to work on for sure as the summer months come closer. I definitely am looking at doing the events set up for July, August, November, and December.

What I like is you can walk or run. With Make Yes Happen, some allow biking miles, too. It’s nice because you can do them at your own pace, give to charity, and get yourself a finisher medal and a bib (some offer them mailed to you, some are ones you have to print out).

There are plenty of other virtual race spots out there. Just do a quick Google search for “virtual races” and you’ll see. Check them out and maybe there are a few you could do to get moving and exercising. I think it’s the best aspect about it for me — another way to motivate myself to try and and keep getting healthier.

Anybody else do these? If so, what have been some of your favorites?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!