We Want a Diabetic Alert Dog!

More Than Just a Work Dog, It's A Friend

Long post alert, but it's worth it;)

It has been awhile since my last blog post, and I felt it was past due time to update anyone who may have been following my previous blog posts. In the past I have blogged about a variety of topics, including fitness, nutrition, my time in the navy, as well as my experiences being a mom of a type 1 diabetic.

Do you or someone you love, or know have type 1 diabetes?

Many of you may know that my 6-year-old son, Isaac, is a type 1 diabetic. Type 1 diabetes means that my son's pancreas no longer produces insulin, which requires him to get insulin through his insulin pump that he wears at all times. Insulin is the key to our cells, which allows cells to use the carbohydrates we eat as energy. Without the insulin, and thus, without the energy for our cells, we die.

On September 20, it will have been 2 years since Isaac's diagnosis. It has been a quick 2 years, filled with many good, and many not so good days. We have watched him finally gain weight and height. We have gone from injections, and now are using an insulin pump. It's a little less tedious at times, but still a struggle to change his infusion set every 3rd day (as it still involves a needle).

There have been many mornings where he has woken up with wonderful blood sugars, while other mornings (many of them happening in the past couple of days), in the 50s (his blood sugar range I'd like him to wake up around is above 100, but below 200). It has been rough!

Previously, things were going fairly smoothly with Isaac's diabetes (as smoothly as I could hope, considering). Then, life happens, and it may be (and probably is) a variety of factors that come into play.

Stress, growth, activity, and so much more can affect blood sugar, and boy have we had a lot of stress and activity, but still not a lot of growth. I know that he is growing, and I know that all kids grow at their own pace, but it can be disheartening to see the scale sitting at the same number for months. It is also disheartening to hear this 6-year-old shout 'why do I have to have diabetes?!' For a time, I was checking my blood sugar at the same time that Isaac would check his, and it has helped, but I know that he feels alone in his battle. Yes, I see diabetes as a battle, and what I can do for Isaac is to pray, hope for a cure, and give him my love and support.

Recently, my son attended a 1-day diabetes camp, where he got to spend the day with other type 1 diabetics. They did a lot of fun things like horseback riding, digging for gold, leather working, and hiking. When the day was drawing to a close, parents were invited to meet up with the group at a large park, where we were introduced to some diabetic alert dogs, and their trainer, KC Owens, who is also the founder of Tattle Tail Scent Dogs, which breeds and trains dogs to alert for type 1 diabetics (among other needs, as well).

I got so excited listening to KC talk about the dogs she has trained, and occurrences with her own alert dog. Her passion for these dogs, and the importance of the job that the dogs do made me vow that I would get one for Isaac. Not only are these dogs awesome for catching low and high blood sugars earlier than we could, they are incredible companions! Since they are work dogs, they are able to go just about everywhere.

I truly believe that having a diabetic alert dog would help Isaac in so many ways, not only for his low and high blood sugars, but for friendship! He feels so alone, and depressed at times, and I wish we could afford an alert dog now! Since I'm a student, and my husband works full time (many days he works 12 hours) at a low wage to pay the bills, we are working hard to save as much as we can.

The past couple of months have been the craziest for our family. Not one, but both of our old vehicles stopped working, so we drained our savings to purchase a third, and much more reliable vehicle, all at the same time that we decided to buy a house (since our mortgage will be close to what we are paying now for rent).

Being a Team Beachbody coach has helped me during the past year, but life has a way of allocating my time, so I have not focused on helping others as much as I should. I want to do more! I have goals that I want to achieve, including getting a diabetic alert dog for my son!

I love to help others achieve their goals, and Beachbody can help me to achieve my goals through helping others. I employ you (if you have been touched by my son’s story and our longing for a diabetic alert dog) to step forward if you are ready to commit to your health and fitness.

What are your goals? What do you want out of life? Now, what is holding you back?!

You can help us, while I help to support you, and help you to achieve your goals of losing weight, feeling healthier, gaining confidence, and gaining (or regaining) your health.

Send me a message, friend request me on Facebook (Sarah Biesen (Shull)), or visit my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Fitness Journey: An Update

2012

Since it has been close to 2 years since I began my fitness journey, I decided to update my transformation story.

My serious transformation story didn't begin for any particular reason. I wanted to begin working out. I wanted to get into better shape. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the way I looked. I always felt loved, no matter how much I weighed. My husband never criticized my weight, nor did other family or friends. I was content.

Yes, my clothes were getting tighter, and I did notice the numbers on the scale going up, but I don't remember being bothered by that fact. I thought I was keeping active enough. After all, I had a 3-year-old boy that I was keeping up with. At least, that's what I thought. Looking back at the pictures, I wonder how "active" I really thought I was.

 

You know the saying "calories in, calories out"-well, my calories in were quite a bit more than calories out. Ever since our son, Isaac, was born, we were told he was small, and we needed to see a dietician. Heck, from the day he was born, the nurses were forcing formula on him, because they were concerned for his health! We continued to hear it up until only a few months ago, at the age of 6.

 

Well, my husband and I tried to remedy Isaac's weight gain predicament by feeding him donuts, and quite a few other fattening foods over the course of about a year. No wonder I had gained so much weight-I was eating as many donuts as Isaac. I wasn't the one who had a medical condition that prevented me from gaining weight-Isaac did. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2012. His body wasn't able to use all the sugar that we were feeding him. Looking back, we're saddened, because although the sugar wasn't the cause of his diabetes, it certainly wasn't doing his body any favors. If you want to read more about my son's story, you can find it in previous posts, including this one.

 

Since that summer, I've lost close to 40 pounds, and my husband has lost about 20. About 5 years ago, I began using Jillian Michael's at home fitness programs, but I wasn't very consistent. The habit formed, but fizzled out for various reasons. I just wasn't motivated. I moved on to other fitness programs, and then did some month-long challenges. I did a burpee challenge, and various other challenges that focused on different parts of my body, and I slowly trimmed down.

P90X & Focus T25

Sometimes I would be consistent at working out, but I still wasn't motivated. I found my motivational soul-mate workout in P90X a little over a year ago. In fact, I was so motivated by this workout and my Beachbody coach, that I signed up to coach. At first, I didn't really want to coach others, but then I thought about how many lives I could reach, and how many others I could help to live healthier lives.

Nervous about starting Focus T25

After P90X, I began Focus T25, and faithfully did the majority of the workouts at 5:30 in the morning-before my brain knew what I was doing. The workouts were good, but I missed Tony Horton (even though he is a little annoying). I also enjoyed how short the workouts were, and since I was back in school, 25 minutes was a better length of workout.

 

I like my short workouts

 

Clean Eating Support Groups

Around this time, I began hosting clean eating support groups. With these clean eating groups, I provide clean eating recipes, shopping lists formulated from the recipes, as well as providing support, tips, and advice about clean eating. These groups have helped multiple members lose an average of about 1.5 pounds per week just from eating healthier! It's exciting to see lives changed, and healthy habits established. You can learn more about these groups here. You can also check out some of my other clean eating blog posts, including this one, as well as get more healthy awesomeness at my 'like' page, Sarah's Drive, on Facebook.

P90X3

 

P90X3

I decided to try out P90X2, but didn't make it very far before P90X3 came out. My coach had invited me to join another challenge group with her doing either Focus T25 or P90X3, so I decided to snag P90X3 and go for it! Then, a month into the workout, our car decided to retire, and I hurt my back trying to push the car off a tow dolly. So, after a month of recovery, I jumped back into P90X3. And then, one month into Restart #2 of P90X3, my mom surprises me with the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. So, poor P90X3 was postponed for another month before I restarted it. And now, it's safe to say I will finish P90X3 this time...unless some other unforeseen event interrupts P90X3 for a third time.

 

Food for week 1 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Beachbody Ultimate Reset

My journey through the Beachbody Ultimate Reset was a life-changing experience for me. I learned a lot about myself, and the unhealthy relationship I had with food at times. After my Reset, I feel more in control of my eating, and I think before I eat. Nowadays, weeks after finishing, I still don't drink water during most meals. Drinking water during meals dilutes stomach acid making it harder to digest.

 

Another tidbit I've learned, not from the Ultimate Reset, but from the research I do almost daily to become a better fitness and nutrition Beachbody coach, is that you should eat your meat first, and then your salad. This is because it's harder for your body to digest animal protein, and your stomach acids will need to work on that first, instead of being diluted with salad first. You can read about my Beachbody Ultimate Reset journey, beginning with my preparation here.

In the months leading up to my Reset, I had gained about 7 pounds, and I definitely wasn't happy about that! I didn't think I was doing anything differently, except that I was probably stressed, and sitting on my behind more than I should have been. I'd also started having some digestive issues. My mom has always had digestive issues, at least for as long as I can remember.

 

I mentioned the Ultimate Reset to my mom, since it's known for straightening out many of the digestive issues that can complicate our lives. I'd also told my mom about the digestive issues I was having, and how I hoped to, some day in the future, go through the Reset myself. Long story short (you can read about the long story in previous blogs), my mom bought a kit, along with one for me! My mom lost over 15 pounds, and I lost 9 (which was about 7% of my body weight). 

 

Now

Since the completion of my Reset, I took up running again, and do that twice a week in addition to my P90X3 workouts. I recently began using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone to map my caloric intake, as well as output. My husband bought me a heart monitor for Mother's Day, so I've been mapping my calories using that. Unfortunately, that heart monitor was having a few issues, so we purchased another one, so I could continue mapping the calories burned from my workouts.

I've completed P90X3, & have since then completed the 3-Day Refresh, which is a 3-day cleanse (kinda like a mini Ultimate Reset), Chalene Johnson's PiYo (low-to-no impact, but amazing sweat with Pilates, yoga, body weight training, & flexibility), and P90X2.

 Yes, I'm a free coach, and I take helping others seriously!

 

new heart monitor!

 

Do you want support?

If you want help getting started on your fitness journey, I would love to help you! Together, we'll help you make a plan, and find what works for you!

 

www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4

About Half way through my Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Day 10, Wednesday

Breakfast

Fresh fruit plate for breakfast with kiwi, honeydew melon, raspberries, half a banana, and a kind of mango that I've never had before. It was a bit smaller than a regular mango. I sprinkled cinnamon, which made breakfast even more delicious! (Here is where I tell you that I haven't entirely watched the DVDs that came with the program. If I would have already, I would have learned that banana and mango are not recommended for the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, because they are higher on the glycemic index. This means that they are converted to glucose more quickly, and therefore cause a quick, high blood sugar spike. This is not very healthy for the body. The guide gives recommendations for lower glycemic fruits, such as peaches, pears, and apples, but you can also look up 'glycemic index' on the internet to find a more extensive list).

I had a quick snack of pitted dates (another mistake, since these are high glycemic, as well), and a few apple slice before I ran to class. It's definitely nice to have pre prepared snacks in case of emergencies. The guide talks about meals that are easier, and take less time, to prepare for various reasons. After all, the Reset has many new recipes, some of which take quite a bit more preparation than others.

It is recommended that the Reset be done at a time in your life where you are able to commit to following the program verbatim. This ensures that you get the best results, and aren't hindered by extra stresses, such as travel where you aren't able to prepare more complex meals. I am practically washing dishes after every other meal, since I go through the majority of our measuring utensils. And that's saying a lot, since we have about 3 sets of both measuring cups and spoons! It's also nice to have some good quality skillets. We recently picked up some aluminum ones at Costco, and they are so easy to clean!

Lunch

I can't get over how filling the sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque is! I had it for lunch, in addition to an entire Greek salad of romaine lettuce, a whole cucumber, a medium tomato, and 5 kalamata olives. It was delicious! I wasn't a fan of tomatoes before the Reset, but after eating them quite often, I'm able to tolerate them.

I didn't have a snack this afternoon (which was ok, since I had a snack earlier). Also, my lunch was late, and I didn't finish eating until 1:30, so I wasn't starving when dinner came.

Sweet potato and Roasted red pepper bisque

Dinner

The quinoa-lentil salad and steamed broccoli were yummy for dinner. I made a double batch of the salad, since I'll be having it again tomorrow. It definitely saves on time to look ahead for the next days meal, and see if you can cut preparation time by doubling some recipes.

I went to bed hungry, and was actually hungry a few hours before, so I had a cup of white tea, which helped a little. White tea has one of the lowest caffeine contents. When you look for teas, look for 'caffeine-free,' not 'decaffeinated.' 'Decaffeinated' teas have usually gone through a chemical process to remove the majority of the caffeine, while caffeine-free tea has not gone through a chemical process.

By this point, I've already lost 4 1/2 lbs, and I am stoked!!!
Are you ready to get support to prepare for summer with this amazing, gentle detox cleanse? Contact me, and I will answer your questions, and help you get started right!

www.myultimatereset.com/iib4

Fewer Excuses, More Results

Clean Eating

Yes, you can get good weight loss results simply by changing your eating habits; sticking to an 80/20 clean eating diet (not diet, as in calorie-counting, starving, guilt-ridden dieting). I've seen it over, and over, and over again. In fact, over 80 pounds have been lost  gotten rid of by 18 members in just 30 days of clean eating! If you want to know what an 80/20 clean eating diet is, it's 80% clean eating (check out another one of my blog posts to see what I mean by clean eating), and 20% of just about whatever you want. The 'whatever you want' could be during those holidays, birthday parties, or unexpected moments that call for a fast food trip, or a sweet treat fix.

Functional Fitness

Clean eating is a very valuable part to weight loss, and I do contribute the majority of the weight-loss from my clean eating groups and their healthier eating, some of the members incorporate exercise into their daily routine, as well. I'm a big proponent of exercise, because you can eat well and live well, but I want to eat well and live strong! I want to be fit, not thin. I desire ab definition, and a toned body. I believe in the importance of not only cardio, but weight-training (so you burn more calories), flexibility (so you don't strain your muscles and tendons), and balance (so you're less likely to fall, as you get older)! I love that Tony Horton (creator of P90X, P90X2, P90X3) stresses the importance of functional fitness, especially as we age (Tony's pushing 60, and he looks 40). You can choose to work for hours at the gym, hoping that you cover all the muscle groups and important aspects of fitness. OR you can snag a fitness program, without the hassle of a contract, monthly payments, traffic to get to the gym, daycare, old equipment, confusing equipment, scheduling, etc.

Fewer Excuses, More Results

What are you focusing on to get ready for Spring Break or warmer weather?
I'm on day 33 of P90X3, and I have decided on this motto: "Fewer Excuses, More Results." You can learn more about my journey, and see my results here, at a previous blog post! I'm not perfect; I still miss a work out here or there, but I haven't given up! Yes, it's hard. No, it doesn't get easier; you just get stronger. Are you ready to see how strong you can become? Think about the goals you want to achieve, and start today! One of my goals, after finishing P90X3, is to get certified to teach P90X before the end of the year! This time, last year, I had only heard of P90X, and never imagined completing it! Imagine where YOU could be this time next year!

Now, what's stopping you?

How do you want to get started?

Do you want some help?

I'd love to prove it to you that I want to help you reach your goals! I host free clean eating support groups on Facebook, where I'll give you 30 days of clean eats recipes, shopping lists, and clean eating tips. Also, if you want to get started with a fitness program that will work for you, I will help you get started right! www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4

5 Ways Clean Eating Can Change Your Life

Most All of us probably want to live happy, healthy lives, right? This doesn't need to involve cosmetic surgery, loads of money, and an in-home chef! Clean eating can be a good first step to the road to a happy healthy life, but you must first be happy with who you are to begin with, and value yourself enough to know that you are changing for yourself, not because you want others to like you! You are valuable as a person, and no one should make you feel any less valuable! Set up your support system; my husband has cheered me on from the moment I we began my our road to a healthier life!

We began eating healthier, and I began working out a bit more, and things began to change.

Adding exercise into the mix, helped me travel the road right to Transformation Results City! Yeah, it has taken a lot of work. And once it becomes a habit, it's not easier; you're just stronger. I love the way I feel, and how I look! I'm not done yet, and every time I remember how I used to feel/look, I don't want to let myself go back there.

We've since begun eating cleaner, and I want to give you a list of the ways that clean eating has changed our lives, and can possibly change your life, too.

5 Ways Clean Eating Can Change Your Life

1) Detoxifies your body. I've blogged about the reasons to detox here. Clean eating gives your body the nutrition it needs by possibly eating less, and minus the preservatives and artificial junk that are hard for your body to process.

2) Helps you lose weight. Clean eating involves eating less high calorie/fat/sugar junk food, so you will naturally begin to lose weight as you begin eating healthier foods. Also, as I said in 1), you get the nutrition you need by possibly eating less. And the clean foods that you eat, will likely fill you us for longer. Also, you aren't eating as much addictive simple sugar in the form of sweets, which will help cut your cravings, and calories. I've talked about Shakeology as one of the tools for my clean eating, as well as another Beachbody tool I hope to use in the future, Beachbody Ultimate Reset.

3) Food discovery! Since I've been hosting clean eating challenge groups on Facebook, I have heard numerous responses about how clean eating has changed lives. One member told me that the clean eating group raised her desire to explore new recipes, while another said she tried a new food that she had in her pantry, but didn't know what to do with. I recently picked up a jicama, which I look forward to trying today! Other things I've been discovering, are substitutes. Since clean eating is about getting rid of the processed, and low-nutrition junk, you may be exploring substitutes for white sugar and white flour.

4) Save money. Clean eating can cheaper than buying processed food, if you are smart about it! This can be true, especially if you are used to eating a lot of processed snacks, and pre-made, pre-packaged meals. One way to save, is to prep your produce, snacks, and other foods. When you purchase produce that will be used for snacks or meals, cut them up when you bring them home from the store, and plan out your snacks and meals to ensure that produce won't go to waste. Also, as I talked about in 2), clean eats, such as salad, can fill you up quicker than many processed foods can.

5) Inspire others. This is one that I feel strongly about! Especially when I began my journey, and inspired my husband, and now, more than ever, I've inspired our 5-year-old son to live healthier. Through the clean eating groups, my posts, my appearance, and lifestyle, I have been able to touch other lives! To give the motivation to help others begin that road to Transformation Results City. Small steps lead to big transformation! You want the support? You want the motivation? Don't give up! Reach out to others for support, or to give your support. I want to help!!!

https://www.facebook.com/Sarahsdrive
www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4

New Clean Eating Challenge Group

Support & Motivation to Help You Achieve Your Nutrition Goals

Tomorrow, March 3, I will be beginning another clean eating challenge group on Facebook. These groups are private, so only the members that are in the group can see what is posted. These groups have helped members to receive the support and motivation to help them to achieve their nutrition goals. Members have worked to support and motivate each other through their own experiences, and this support has occurred between total strangers who simply want to be an encouragement!

Most of the members of past groups have been women, seeking to provide a healthier lifestyle for themselves, and/or their families. I have immensely enjoyed the successes that these individuals have achieved! Many have lost weight (50+ lbs from 11 members of one group in 30 days), many have kicked bad habits and developed new, healthier habits, begun exploring new, and healthy recipes, and I, myself, have begun to try new foods!

If you desire to have/give support and motivation to/from others, I would love to have you in the next challenge group. You will be given 30+ days' worth of recipes, including shopping lists to go with them, as well as other tips throughout the month. Even if you read this blog a week from now, or even a month from now, I will probably be starting another clean eating group, whenever you are ready to get started. If I'm not hosting a group at that time, I will still want to help you to achieve your nutrition, and/or fitness goals, if you want my support! I want to help you succeed and to take back your health, or to continue your journey to a healthier you!

If you are ready, sign up for your free Team Beachbody website by going to www.teambeachbody.com/signup. Please use my coach referral id:  i  i  b  4, then send me a Friend Request on Facebook (Sarah Biesen (Shull)), so I can add you to the group, where you can begin to get the support and motivation to help you begin to achieve your goals!