I mentioned the importance of accountability last time I wrote. Well, I wish I had some one that was nudging me along holding me accountable with my exercise consistancy. Recently I have been challenged with my time due to a new job and a new relationship. I’ve been traveling more than ever before. My exercise schedule hasn’t been the same understandably so. Interesting how we write, or think, or talk about what we know we need. It is said that we hold "the answers" with in ourselves for the things that concern us. It’s been like the tail wagging the dog recently. I’m sure you have all experienced this, not only with our lives in general, but with our glucose management and control as well. We go through cycles in life (just like the financial markets ;-/…). However, ultimately it is our responsibility to adjust, adapt, and improvise, regardless of the good "reasons" (vs. excuses) why we fall away from the things we know we should be doing. It will always be a constant tug of war to regain control. We must go down "tugging" ;-)

The thought came to me today that our diabetes was a "person" it would be there always holding us accountable, nudging at our conscious (and body) to stay the course and be consistent with our nutrition and exercise routine (or else!!!!)….

One thing that can help us while we fight the good fight of staying consistent with our desired lifestyle (the road less traveled), is supplements. The deluge of dietary supplements on the market today provides countless avenues for the fitness enthusiast to achieve their goals. However, rather than drawing into a fitness lifestyle through proper nutrition, exercise, and rest, many will turn to dietary supplements as a panacea for all their fitness dreams. With all of the misinformation and empty promises that accompany many products, trying to keep afloat on all of the new breakthroughs can be overwhelming. Protein powders are the original bodybuilding supplement and continue to be a staple for growing and maintaining muscle. Don’t shun them just because you don’t think you are "a bodybuilder" or that it’s just for the extreme muscle builders. They have many great Amino Acids that will feed your muscles and compliment your vitamin intake (which I am sure you are taking, right? ;)

The ultimate value of a food protein or a protein supplement is in its amino acid composition. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and muscle tissue. Many physiological processes relating to building and maintaining muscle from energy, recovery, muscle hypertrophy (growth), fat loss, and strength gains are linked to amino acids.

In fact, protein is the key "building" nutrient for a variety of bodily tissues, many of which support muscle growth (enzymes, skin, hair, nails, bones, and connective tissue are all constructed from protein). Protein makes up 15-20% of ones bodyweight and is thus, next to water, the body's second most abundant substance.

The correct ratios of essential and non-essential amino acids should be made available in sufficient quantities before any muscle can be produced. The amino acids can be divided into two groups: essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. The nine essential amino acids are so designated because they must be supplied by the foods we eat. The twelve non-essential amino acids are so designated based on the body’s ability to synthesize them from other amino acids.

Although protein synthesis is very important, the body’s number one priority is to obtain sufficient energy to carry on vital functions such as circulation, respiration and digestion. Therefore, in the absence of adequate dietary carb and fat calories, the body will break down not only dietary protein but protein in the blood, liver, pancreas, muscles, and other tissues in order to maintain vital organs and functions.

We don’t want this!!! as I wrote a few weeks ago in my "Feed the Muscle" blog. Help your muscles and glucose management by consuming supplements that will help you reach your goals for a healthy lifestyle. I use Champion Nutrition for my protein shakes. They are low carb and don’t clump up. It mixes easily with a spoon vs. a blender. It will not be like a milk shake. I don’t use the "weight gainer" shakes that are traditionally thick. Give it a try. My favorite is cookies n cream. OMG, it tastes like a watered down cookies and cream ice cream… mmmm…. ;-)

Gratefully, Bianca

Email me at Bianca@diabetessisters.org with comments or questions.

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I’ve always said start with the end in mind. When you have goals, may they be financial, physical, or personal, you have to know what the end result is before you figure out how to begin your journey towards achieving them. The same can be said about managing our diabetes. The end result (my goal) is to not get any secondary conditions that develop over many years or high glucose averages. Obviously, this is directly related to our dedication and determination to staying active and taking control of our nutrition. It is very difficult to be consistent with our crazy work and personal schedules intermingling. But we must continue to come back to what we should be doing versus, what our busy schedules have created, a lifestyle that will not achieve our goals.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do in order to assure you meet your goals is to get someone to be accountable to. For example, DiabetesSisters.org has a buddy program that I think is a great idea for women with diabetes. If you prefer someone you know, then a spouse, sibling, friend, or paid professional will do. I believe in this concept so much that I practice it in different areas of my life. I sought it out in my early days of weight training. For about two years I sacrificially paid for a trainer. This kept me on a routine and I hardly ever missed or rescheduled!! Now that I work out alone and work keeps me busier, I have trouble keeping the same days and times. Therefore, my workout schedule is all over the place. Not the best thing, but I still manage to go at least three times a week. I can see how I will soon need to go back to this concept by seeking someone that I consider serious about their health and physical goals. This person will work out with or without me, but will appreciate the challenge, accountability, and responsibility that comes with working out with some else. Needless to say, it will also be FUN!!

If you are going to start weight training, your body will ache, especially in the beginning. This along with our propensity to rationalize and excuse ourselves with another good reason why “not today”, will certainly keep your commitment to exercising inconsistent at best!! To develop the tone muscle and strength weight training will generate over time, consistent is something you definitely need to be. Otherwise, be prepared to “ache” unnecessarily. This is why I chose to write about this topic. Accountability, is of utmost importance, especially in the beginning stages. In time I feel confident, the results of weight training, both visible and internal, will addict you and accountability will be within yourself. You will yearn for it in order to reduce stress and maintain the visible results that have come with much sacrifice and TIME!! This “sacrifice” that eventually evolves into a habit that makes your life better by improving your health, and may I add…. the way you feel about yourself as well. Now that is priceless!!

Start today!!

Bianca

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Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to gain some muscle while achieving better glucose control? I believe you can based on my experience, ie; experimentation on myself ;-)

When doing weight training you go through a lot of "pain". Remember the saying, "no pain, no gain!!"? It’s all good though. I always say, if you are going to take the time out of your busy schedule in order to go to the gym and weight train, you might as well not offset your efforts by eating poorly and basically sabotaging yourself. It is said that 80% of your results come after the gym with what you eat or don’t eat. So you see, it’s a 24/7 effort. A lifestyle. Just like with our diabetes. It goes perfectly with our glucose management. We have to watch what we eat already. What people disregard is their protein intake. Again, all in moderation of course, but when you weight train you should consume at least 40% of your calories from protein. Like with every thing else, the carbs and the fats, some proteins are better (leaner) than others. Therefore choose wisely based on your weight goals and body type. Obviously, we all must consider our kidneys and making sure they are working properly as well. My understanding is that too much protein can stress them. But that is a discussion for you and the doctor.

All I can say is that after you’ve gotten the OK from your doctor to take on moderate weight training in order to tone and boost your metabolism, we must feed the muscle what it needs in order to repair itself, grow, and strengthen. When we weight train, we are actually tearing our muscle fibers up just a bit each time. After some time with the continuous repairing of the fibers, you get a stronger "bigger" muscle.

The best way to eat your protein is to break it down through out the day. I have read different things on how much protein our bodies can consume at a time. It seems like the main consensus is that 30-40 grams per meal is an appropriate amount for best consumption. I weigh about 132 lbs consistently and try to consume 132 gm per day. When I was training for my contest, I counted every protein, carb, and fat gram to make sure I was with in range "most" of the time. Now I just can estimate, and as long as I am above 100 gm a day, I’m satisfied. Obviously, we want as much lean protein as possible. Chicken breast, fish, eggs, and whey protein powders are best. You can find lots of information on the internet on this topic. Interestingly enough, our bodies need a good supply of carbs (good low glycemic carbs of course ;-) in order to absorb the protein and build/repair the muscle, vs. using the protein for energy. We want our energy to come from our carb intake and stored fats, not our muscles/protein.

So we come back to… every thing in moderation!!. Our watchful eye on our carb intake can actually help us build muscle, which in turn, helps us get rid of stored fats. How cool is that? ;-)

Knowledge is power. It helps us take control of our diabetes management. It doesn’t have to be that hard considering we have the tools and the information at our fingertips. The key is persistence!! At least that is what I choose to believe. Hmmm? The power of choice, I am grateful for it!!

Till next time. Bianca (bjcfp@yahoo.com)

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Hello sisters,
Metabolism!! We all blame it at one time or another for our lack of control over our weight. It is the culprit that makes us feel powerless over our bodies and the way it looks and acts as we age. It is no coincidence that as we age our muscles atrophy. Hmmm...? Could that be the reason our metabolism slows (among some other reasons!!)... Come to find out in my readings that YES, there is a connection!! But it's reversed to what we have been lead to believe.

The more muscle you have the more calories you burn regardless of how active you are, how old you are, etc. It's live tissue, and it's there working for you and burning calories 24 hours a day - each and every day and night ;-)! This is great news since it gives us a great reason to go out and add resistance/strength training to our routines.
 
Some factors affecting metabolism in order of greatest importance according to some of my findings:

* Muscle tissue - burns calories 24/7.. The more you have the more your burn!! The faster your metabolism...
* Meal frequency (the longer you go between meals, the more your metabolism slows down to conserve energy)
* Activity level (important but doesn't make any difference if you don't match your eating to your expenditure)
* Food choices (ex. low-fat diets tend to result in poor hormone production which leads to a slower metabolism. But remember, there are good fats and bad fats as with carbs!!)
* Hydration (over 70% of bodily functions take place in water - not enough water causes all your systems to slow down and unnecessary stress). Don't drink water just because you thirst. Intentionally ingest what your body needs! 64oz a day is a good start!
* Genetics (some people have higher metabolisms than others - you can't change genetics but you can still adapt, adjust, and improvise! No excuses!! )
* Hormone production and function (think you have a slow thyroid? it's not likely - before you go blame it on the thyroid first stabilize your blood sugar and throw in some progressive exercise 2-3 times each week)
* Stress (stress also can slow metabolism by placing extra stress and strain on numerous systems, plus, many people tend to overeat when "stressed out". Also the hormone Cortisol will be over secreted which promotes fat storage!!)
 
Why does our metabolism slow down?
How many times have you heard someone say, "as soon as you hit 30/40 your metabolism slows down"? Maybe you've said it. Come to find out in my research, I found that our metabolism does NOT slow down significantly due to aging but DOES due to a lack of muscle. And, you don't lose muscle quickly due to aging either but due to a decrease or lack of physical stress!! ah ha!!
Who would have guessed!!?? So we had it reversed. This is why I call resistance training "the secret of youth". You can add to that, "the secret of weight management!!" and the "secret to glucose management" ;-)))

So in summary, the major cause of a slowing metabolism is three fold...

* You lose muscle due to the lack of physical "stress" (resistance) as you age.. (if you don't use muscle, you'll lose them!)
* Your body cannibalizes muscle when it needs energy. Energy you aren't feeding it because you are "dieting" and skipping meals....
* Your activity levels tend to decrease as you get older
 
I guess my desire with this blog and in researching all this information is to encourage and help other women get excited about weight training. The fact that science supports it as one of the most viable and needed forms of exercise for our bodies, especially as we age, AND that the by product, better management of our diabetes along with tone lean muscles, are good enough reasons for a life long "addiction" to this form of exercise for me. ;-))
~ Has anyone else out there had good results from a consistent resistance training routine over the years?
~ What keep some of you from incorporating this form of exercise into your routine? Let us address these "obstacles"...
Have a blessed week!
Bianca

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Hi everyone. I’m Bianca Capo and this is my first time blogging…ever…
I was diagnosed as a type 1 in May of 2005. This past May 2009 I was able and honored to join DiabetesSisters in Raleigh, NC at the TCOYD conference as their guest speaker and celebrate me being in control of my diabetes for 4 years with an ongoing A1C of 5.6%. I told my story in a nutshell and asked everyone there to really take a hard look at the power of choice, specifically the choices we are making in our own lives. Are they reactive or are they proactive? There is this great saying I have on my refrigerator that says, “Life is not about finding ourselves; it’s about creating ourselves”. 

That speaks volumes to me and reminds me that the choices I make should be about continual personal growth or circumstances I want to create in life. I can write about many things that I have deliberately chosen to do in order to be where I am in my life or be the person I am today, however; I just want to focus on sharing with you my love for weight/resistance training as an option for us to manage our diabetes. I don’t do a whole lot of cardio, even though I did teach a Zumba class till recently. At least with me, my body type, an ectomorph, doesn’t require a lot of cardio. To read about the different body types in order to know how you should exercise go to; http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html. Diet is as important, if not more than showing up at the gym and hitting the weights hard 3-5 days a week. As you all know, our condition some times takes away our control of what and when we need to eat. The diet associated with building muscle tone is very similar to how the diabetic community should be eating without all the “excesses” for exaggerated and unnatural muscle growth of course. We all should be eating 5-6 times a day, moderate to low carbs, and exercising in order to manage our glucose levels. As it turns out, this is the same for any one that weight trains for muscle tone and increased strength. If you’ll recall the old saying, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Well, the same for our muscles tone. As we age, our muscles atrophy and weaken. However, we can “fight” (manage) this by staying active and incorporating resistance training in our exercise routine. I would suggest at least three times a week, along with your cardio activities if you need to lose weight. The more you build muscle, the faster your metabolism and easier time losing weight.

When starting a diet, may it be in order to lose 20 lbs, or in my case last summer when I needed to reduce some body fat to show the muscle tone and lines to the judges, first you must know how many calories you must consume in order to maintain your current body weight. Once you know this number, reduce it by 20% consistently in order to begin your “healthy” weight loss regiment. Go to http://www.internetfitness.com/calculators/bmr.htm
and calculate your BMR. Read about the difference between BMR and BMI. Once you know your “maintenance” calorie intake minus 20%, put a menu together (measured quantities) for at least 5-6 meals a day. Next week I will share some of the meals on a daily basis. The trick is keeping a balance between carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. For contest purpose, my goal is 40/40/20%. Keeping fats that low is hard, but staying under 30% is do’ able. The 40% carbs is some times a bit more than I like to eat, but it’s necessary in order to have the energy to workout and build muscle. Just watch those simple, high glycemic carbs….. they should be a “seldom choice”.. in our book. ;-) Till next time. I hope you join me in my journey and I look forward to interacting with as many of you as possible.
Bianca

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