Updates Galore!

So, where do I start? I guess I can start by saying I smashed by previous plank record and made it to 5:00! I don't know if I can repeat that often, depending on how I'm feeling, and my back did start to hurt near the end, but I made it! Now to beat THAT!

 Next up, monthly visitor. Last time she came around was in March sometime, and wasn't seen since, until this past weekend. I can't say I was glad to see her come back, but I suppose something was wrong if it wasn't happening. My trainer (and all the research I did) said that it was probably because I work out too much. Oh well, she's been generally well-behaved so far, so I won't complain.

On to the next topic, which is that I've had to go back to my original gym location. It turns out I don't have access to all the clubs in my area after all. I was getting in fine until one day they stopped me and told me I shouldn't be able to get it. That's fine, since they've improved the old gym by getting new dumbells and machines, and I kind of liked the atmosphere there better anyway. I will STILL try to transfer to the new one across the street from me when it opens. They've started work on the inside now, so hopefully it won't be long.

Now, just a mini rant about how white hairs are tough buggers. I shed. A LOT. But I do notice that the few white hairs I do have already are always there. Why can't THOSE fall out instead?

Okay, that's it for now. Until next time!

Courtesy of Diabetes Forecast: 35 Top Tips for Travel With Diabetes

This link popped up on my Facebook feed from the American Diabetes Association in their Diabetes Forecast magazine.  I had a read-through and the advice is pretty valuable, so I'm going to post it here for reference. 

35 Top Tips for Travel With Diabetes - Diabetes Forecast

Planking!

Planking was something I never really paid much attention to for most of my workout journey.  I hate doing them, and I never last very long, but with this latest program I've been throwing them in at the end of my workouts, trying to better my time.

My very best time was 7 minutes or so, with my arms propped up on a BOSU ball, and this was a long time ago.  I am still not sure how I did that, because now, even after all the work I've done since, my best with a plain ol' vanilla plank is about 4:16 (which I accomplished last night, thank you very much). 

I find using a favourite song to keep my mind occupied during the struggle really helps, and as I outlast each song, I pick a progressively longer one to master.

Of course, how long I can manage to keep myself propped up all depends on how I feel that day, how hard my workout was, and whether or not I've worked my shoulders, but I am happy that I am getting progressively better and hope to keep it up.

Have to wait until autumn!

I tweeted Goodlife to see when they'll open up that location near my place, and they said that it would be in the fall sometime.  I'm still generally happy with the one I've switched to now, but these places honestly have to be a little faster with their equipment repairs.  The leg press machine has been broken for at least a couple of weeks already, and they only have one!

My trainer trains me at L.A. Fitness, where he moved when Extreme was bought out.  I really love that gym, as it's brand-new, bright, full of machines, and even has 3 squash courts.  I would so switch if only it didn't take me half an hour to get there.  I don't mind once in a while, but not every night when I already spend almost two hours working out.  An hour-long commute would be horrible.

Canadian Diabetes Association Dictionary

Just wanted to leave this here, as a quick reference for common terms that come up when discussing diabetes.

Diabetes Dictionary - Canadian Diabetes Association

New Gym, Kind of!

As of April 1st, Goodlife Fitness, the locusts that they are, bought out Extreme Fitness, so for the past month and a half, that's been my new gym.  Nothing really changed much, just the name.  They kept the hours the same, and nothing in the facility itself changed except the tanning booth was disconnected, but I never really saw anyone use it much anyway.  They're keeping the pool open, and as far as I know, the machines and weights are the same, nothing new.

The best part about it is that I can get into whichever Goodlife I want, so I've been going to the co-ed one that's in my town.  It's a little further south than the old one, but nearer east of me than the other one is west.  It doesn't take as long to get there and back, and there's a drug store and grocery store in the same plaza, for convenience!  There IS a women's only one above a supermarket a little bit nearer to me in my town, but sometimes I just want to look at the mans, you know?  It's much nicer inside

I'm still waiting for the Goodlife ACROSS THE ROAD FROM MY HOUSE (!!!!) to open, because that will be the best thing ever.  I can even run there and it will take 5 minutes.  I wouldn't even have to warm up before weights!  They say July but anything can happen.  In the meantime, I'll stick to the new one I'm going to, and maybe go to the old one if I need something I can't find at the new one.

You Sit on a Throne of Lies!

As I may or may not have mentioned before (I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go back and look), one time when I was renewing my training sessions with Trainer when it was through the gym, they offered me some free sessions with a nutritionist.

Now you know how I love to eat almonds, but I have a penchant for any nut, really.  This nutritionist said that it was bad to mix different types of nuts in the same day, but in my defensiveness over the changes she wanted to make to my meals (which was my stubborness more than her being too far in left field), I forgot to ask her why.

I tried to look for a reason on the interwebs, but I didn't really see anything that answered my question.  It was mostly "nuts are good for you", "eat nuts in moderation because they're high in calories," and a litany of reasons WHY they're good for you.

I let it go, since I usually only had almonds anyway, but the other day I saw that the Canadian Diabetes Association would be having Joanne Lewis, a registered dietician, on their Twitter feed today, answering questions on diabetes and food.  I thought that this would be my perfect opportunity to get that nagging nut question straightened out.

At first she told me the same thing, that nuts are good for you but they're high in calories, and to eat them in moderation.  I replied that I knew that part, but I was just curious if there was another reason for a taboo on mixing types.  She replied again that there was no research supporting this!  All this time that I've been feeling guilty that I let a peanut slip into an almond day was unwarranted!  It is a relief.

Still, I can't say it's something that particularly worrisome because, although I do love my almonds, I have been pretty disciplined with them lately.  I'll only have one of those 100-calorie packs of them a day.  It shows too, because I've dropped to the lowest weight I have been in a long time, 124 lbs!