One would think that since I've been a diabetic for so very long that I would find no trouble in the balancing act that is daily living with this condition. Wrong. Allow me to elaborate:
1. Although I was taught from a young age how to eat healthy, exercise, and take shots, and balance it all so I didn't go too high or too low with my blood glucose levels, I didn't do it. Possessing the knowledge is one thing, putting it to good use is a whole 'nother can o' worms.
2. Doctors and educators will tell you it's all about diet, exercise, and meds, and balancing all three. And they're not lying...but they're also not telling the whole story. Stress, hormonal changes, changes in daily routine/activities, medications, illness, and so much more can make you run higher or lower, and need to be taken into consideration every time you check your blood and get ready to medicate, eat, or exercise. So in a way it's not just a balancing act, but a juggling act as well. All day, everyday...
3. As the years go by, your body changes. The balancing act you've perfected over the past year or so will at some point no longer be effective and you'll have to start all over and find a new balance/juggling act that does work. Yeah, it's like that.
I have spent my life not caring, not ever really trying because I saw no point in it. "I'd rather live happy and die young than live restricted and live in suffering." I would say jokingly (but kind of truthfully). I never realized there was another way things could go. How about living happy for a while and then suffering for a long time before you finally die? That's where I've ended up, but it's not a death sentence yet. I can still fix things and live a lot longer, and healthy and happy.
So now I am taking all this knowledge I've known all my life and actually using it. I have been following a low carb diet and exercising more for almost a week now and every single day my blood glucose levels haven't reached above 100. Very good! Especially for me, a chronic sky high diabetic.
The only problem is that I tend to dip too low now. This is where I am struggling with the balancing act. I have to mess with the amounts of carbs at each meal, taking into consideration my activity level/plan for each day and adjust my insulin accordingly, too. There is so much to pay attention to, and so much to adjust one way or the other. I have been writing everything down: carbs and what I'm eating and when, how much and when I'm exercising, blood glucose levels and times, insulin dosage and times. So much data, so much balancing.
I'm actually enjoying it, though. I feel so much better with this healthy diet, exercising (even though my legs hurt like hell), and the feeling of accomplishment it all gives me.
I'm finally doing it right and I never knew I'd feel so good about being so strict!