Insanity Workout: Month Two, Week Three.2

We're repeating week three.
I pretty much missed an entire week of Insanity over the last two weeks due to the holiday and work, so it seems only fair... (I may have also eaten twice what I normal should during that time too!). Insanity really is an amazing workout, amazing because its extremely hard and certainly requires a level of dedication, if only to find the time to fit it into a busy life. Especially now that the workouts are around an hour long. Last nights work out 'Max Interval Circuit' literally had us both on the ground feeling dizzy by the end. Despite a starting BG of 6.9 I constantly felt a bit faint. Re-checking throughout the workout I remained 6.9 exactly.. so not sure what happened! I constantly had to bail for a few seconds at a time throughout but still managed to burn close to 600 cals... and as hard as it was, I'm definitely getting better. Needless to say, that I'm having some very heavy sleep after these long workouts though. Which is great except that I've started to go high in the early hours the last two nights (something that I've always battled with) and usually I'll wake up and can address the issue. Well I haven't been. Not only must my body be exhausted, I think I must be a bit dehydrated too.

Unfortunately I have also woken with a sore right arch in my foot today. This is the first time this has happened despite almost two months of workouts with no shoes on. I can only imagine its because last night's workout was 60mins and I was really going for it. I was also getting really sore wrists and couldn't complete the last set of full body drills (combo including moving push-ups, running push-ups, oblique push-ups, side suicide jumps - probably not using the correct terminology here but you get the drift).

I will be back at this afternoon though. May have to try shoes! And I can only keep trying to get those annoying morning highs in check (a downright depressing way to start the day!).


On a slightly different note,

Nothing Like a Holiday!

Five days in Melbourne seemed to be just what the doctor ordered! While I did no exercise, well except for hours of walking around the city indulging in much too much coffee, great food and enough shopping that the plastic coating on top of my card has now ripped itself back in protest, my blood sugars seem to have magically sorted themselves out. Before I left my insulin resistance had been at an all time high and I seemed to be in one of those stages where it felt like I just couldn't get anything right... I'd just be high, high, high! My eyes and my feet were starting to ache and I was seriously getting down and out about everything. BUT, five days of rest, relaxation and retail therapy with my wonderful fiancé helped me come down, take in some well needed 'me' time, and learn to let my worries go. Have I ever said how evil and horrible stress is?!? It just creeps in, mounts up and can still be lingering even when you think you're ok... dribbling its evil disease through your body...ok maybe getting carried away, but you get the picture.  Not to forget that stress also increases my appetite and gives me a super sweet tooth...ArrRRghh!!!  Holidays are a must!

We got straight back into Insanity when we arrived home on Wednesday too, and its been amazing. Blood sugar perfection. Which is SUCH a relief because I was beginning to think I was going to have to give it up! Still finding though that a small amount of carbs and a little insulin 1-2 hours before I work out in the afternoon is the best way to keep my blood sugar stable while having enough energy to get through a whole workout (i.e a banana and 2 units at 3.30/4pm for a 5.30pm workout). I only managed to fit in three sessions this week though as it is one of the busiest weeks of the year at my work - 10 to 12 hour days, non stop, on your feet, running around type work (stage managing, bar maid, networking all at once, all included). This also made for an interesting little learning opportunity in diabetes management. The nature of the work meant that I couldn't be near my bag (as normal) or just duck off when I wanted to (at one point I was literally plugged into the wall on a radio headset for two hours, back stage, hiding in a curtain giving cues to a technician on the other side of the room...no room for lows, highs or bathroom breaks that's for sure!). So I really had to have everything I could possibly need in a 2-4 hour period strapped to my person.  For the girls out there - I have to make special mention here of Cue clothing. Such a blessing to have decent sized pockets in all their clothing! Looks great and very functional.

All in all feeling much much happier about things. Just need to keep it that way!

And just to finish off today's post, here's a couple of pics of what I've been up to while not posting much lately!

I celebrated my birthday, taking everyone out to a show.
Where fiancé awkwardly got called up on stage to dance.

 

We did The Colour Run! So much fun.
Turned my contacts orange & I had a pink stain on my forehead for two days though!

 

More fun at The Colour Run

Then we did the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

 

A Hen's weekend was had...
 a whole other post on dealing with 14 hours of constant drinking!

With the Bride to be!

And then off to beautiful Melbourne, where the weather was perfect!

Absolutely Amazing! Just incredible.

So Good. We'll be back

P!NK in Concert at Rod Laver

Dosing for Cupcakes. There was a lot of insulin injected in Melb!

Oh and we moved house... which I've just been told is one of the most stressful things you can do in life... maybe that's why I was high high high!!!

Insanity Workout: Month Two, Week Two

I almost considered pulling the plug on this thing all together yesterday. It is so hard. Ridiculously hard. Yes the workouts are hard but its balancing everything else that seems to have me down. My blood sugars are back to being crazy and I'm so tired...because of being high and the crazy workouts...that I struggle to get up in the morning, which is really when I need to do my quick little 20-30 min run. The workouts are much longer in month two which seems to be causing more havoc on my blood sugars and I get this weird feeling about three quarters the way through that feels like I've physically fallen through the floor. Its really weird and hard to explain.

The workouts also seem to make me really cranky, which is pretty funny really, since I thought endorphins would kick in to make me happy instead. I also really thought I'd start having lows at some point, but I've never had less lows and more highs in my life as I have while doing Insanity.

Through all this, I still feel some sense of satisfaction and achievement, and there are definitely physical results, but there is much much more to be concerned with. I'd much rather be seeing some good consecutive balanced blood sugar readings pop back up on my blood meter screen! After Friday I'm taking a five day break as I'll be travelling to Melbourne, then its back home to looooooong days at work so I won't have time for the Insanity workouts, maybe just a few quick runs. I think its time to reboot the exercise, take a mini break and come back to Insanity in a week or so... or just continue the month 1 workouts a little while longer. My body is freaking out.

Hello?!? Is it me you're looking for?

I've been missing in the blogosphere for about five weeks now! And right after I told you all I was going to 'get-fit-while-recording-everything-and-being-an-awesome-diabetic'... HA!

Since last posting, I've had a birthday (which we celebrated not once, not twice, but three times!) we've moved home and had to get our old apartment ready to rent out (what a ridiculously HUGE job!), my computer died (makes posting pretty hard), then consequently didn't blog for a while and so forgot my password, been in two fun runs... and my main employer asked me to come back five days a week instead of four (that spare day was doing absolute wonders for my diabetes management and general wellbeing). All the while, my fiancé and I have been trying our darnest to stick to Shaun T's absolutely insane 'Insanity' workout.

Before I get stuck into things, I'd like to say a big big thank you to the very kind souls who contacted me just to say hi and see where I was, or even just to ask when I was actually going to post about something. It's such a rewarding feeling to get feedback as sometimes its easy to wonder if anyone is reading.

So, that brings me to the focus of this post: INSANITY

We just started month two and it felt like I was right back at the very beginning with very very average fitness. I literally thought I was going to vomit while I passed out. Nothing that dramatic happened, but there is a warning at the start of every dvd that warns of all the dire possibilities. If you are thinking of doing Insanity, take those warnings very very seriously. If you don't know what Insanity is, check out this link: Insanity

Let me take you back to the beginning: My Insanity Overview so far!

Week 1: Day one is a fitness test, its hard if simply because you've really no idea what's in store. It was also painful because we did our own weigh and measure...with photos. I'm not beating myself up and I feel blessed for what I do have... but taking those photos was just a bit uncomfortable. The fit test is enough to get you in a state of scared excitement though. Day two: well hello hurt train! Bring on the pain! Its about at day 2 and 3 that I began to wonder if maybe I needed a different dvd, like an Insanity for pre-schoolers. I didn't quite think it would hit so hard so fast. My calves in particular where killing, it was like walking around with rocks duct taped to the back of my legs, unbelievable and absolutely no word of a lie! At this point we had to start upping our dose of magnesium because we were finding it hard to sleep through the muscle pain at night. My blood sugars were also now entering a major state of confusion. Day 4: Shaun T had me, I don't think I could even do another squat, let alone a jumping one followed by high knees, globe jumps, push ups, power jacks etc etc (that's just the warm up by the way!). Day 5 my blood sugars had started going high right before I started (adrenalin?) and then plummeting half way in, only to skyrocket after. Ughhhhh I was beginning to wonder if it was insane of a diabetic to do this! Day 6 I hobbled through and Day 7, well Shaun T believes in a day of rest on Sundays thank GOODNESS!!

Week 2: Much much better than week 1! While I still struggled to make it through a full workout largely in part to my crazy blood sugars, my muscles seemed to be in less pain after each workout, and I'm so glad I hung in there. The magnesium was really working and I was actually having some of the best night sleep in a long long time. At this stage I was still working out 3-5 mornings a week at the gym (30-45mins) and we were doing the Insanity workout in the afternoons around 5.30pm. I was also getting a lot better at feeling what my blood sugar was during a workout, and pushing my limits without much consequence. Normally if my blood sugar was sitting around 5 mmol I wouldn't keep going but I've managed to push through that fear and everything has been fine. In this week I noticed that I was going high if I hadn't had insulin in the last 4 hours before a workout. So I started making sure I had either enough carbs at lunch (around 1.30pm) to dose for, or a substantial snack of about 30 carbs around 3pm (that I dosed for). I dropped my usual ratio just a little and I would start the workouts about 9-11 mmol and finish about 6-9 mmol.

My biggest struggle during this week was the horrendous pain I was getting in the arches of my feet (this was happening the week before but I thought it might go away with time). My fiancé was also getting a bit of pain, so I wasn't overly concerned it was a diabetic problem, but it was stopping me working out. So I just got rid of my shoes all together and have since been doing the workout in bare feet. Now I'm not suggesting everyone do this, it just works for me. I have to be extremely mindful of how I land and stretch and so on, and we have invested in some matting which helps with shock absorption.

Week three: I was starting to get much more used to what to expect and this is when we really started focusing on technique, repetitions and duration (as in trying like crazy to keep up with Shaun T & his posse, start to finish!). Its also the point where I'd get overly frustrated if my blood sugars weren't right. With Insanity if my blood sugars where any higher than 12 I just couldn't do it, it was like trying to smash through a brick wall with my hands tied behind my back and a rubber band pulling me the other way. Throughout the weeks I'd also been wearing a heart rate monitor. At the beginning of week three we did out fortnightly fit test and this is when we both started to notice a real difference in our strength and endurance. I was already noticeably fitter and despite going harder by this time, my heart rate was much more controlled. On average I was burning 300-350 calories for a 35-45 minute session (There was still room to go harder...but the diabetes balancing act was slowing me down).

Week 4 (& 5): Because I'd been sick on an off during week one and two...plus it had just been HARD and we all have a life so I'd found it hard to do six workouts a week, we decided to do an extra week in the first month. Sure glad we did! Around about this time is also when I started noticing physically changes. Unfortunately I'm still a while off a six pack, for numerous reasons: The first being that my stomach is not instantly going to be forgiving of me after 18 years of injecting liquid into it multiple times a day. The second being that trying to make diabetes work with Insanity has been tough. I've had to work out eating, sleeping, & dosing to a fine art all over again. Its not like running and its not like the gym, its been a whole other realm of diabetes juggling to work out as I've discovered I need to be absolutely spot on (with everything! water intake, sleep, type of food, protein intake) to get the most out of it, otherwise I die half way through or have to eat jellybeans...defeats the purpose a bit! Its also meant that while my fiancé just keeps smashing through, I'd pull back and think 'how hard should I really push today?'. And then of course things constantly change as I get fitter and used to this type of workout. As you would all know, that sort of understanding and planning doesn't happen overnight! It probably took me 2-3 weeks to settle into it properly (and I'm still tweaking of course).

Something else I've found is that its been really easy to get dehydrated. By week 4 I felt depleted and weak throughout out the day despite drinking 1-2 litres of water a day, and eating well so I started taking some electrolytes every now and again which has made a bit difference.

BUT I've definitely toned up and lost cms. I have not lost weight though. Which simply says to me that I've put on muscle.

In week four we went for our first run since starting the program. I was simply blown away. I ran 5k with absolutely no dramas. I'd barely even run to my car in the last two months, and there I was, 5k easy. I've never felt stronger or fitter. My clothes fit differently, in a great way and I feel more confident. 5 weeks in and I can guarantee I'd already achieved worth while results.


Recovery Week: I actually really enjoyed this week and got excited to come home to it (I'll admit, there is a particular kind of dread coming home to Insanity every other day!). But then our sense of excitement had us worried about what was in store in month 2. My blood sugars were also horrible, so so horrible this week. Just high high high. No matter what I did. I was actually starting to get depressed! I had stopped going to the gym the week before this and I think combined with the stress of moving, it was all just a bit much!!!

Month Two: So here I am, week 1, month 2... and as I said, I thought I was going to vomit. Its hard. really hard. But surprisingly I find the warm up sessions easier. False sense of security though. I will update you again as the weeks go on!!


My conclusion so far? Is it as Insane as it claims? Heck Yes!! Would I recommend doing it? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Insane

Who's heard of the Insanity DVD workout? Yeah, well who's then felt the pain that is Insanity!?! For two days now, my new personal trainer, Shaun T has been yelling at me to 'keep going' and 'Dig Deeper'... and well I'm in pain already. No, actually I was already in pain yesterday.

I have been known to buy an exercise DVD before... but more along the lines of 'Just Dance' for the Wii and I think I may have a pilates DVD and a Rock 'n' Roll one which were given to me when I completed programs in the past... but this is nothing like that. It literally starts with a scrolling WARNING almost like the beginning of a Star Wars Movie...just I read it with my jaw dropped to the floor and occasionally giggling 'coz they can't be serious'. Oh yes, yes they are serious.

'The hardest workout ever put on DVD', 'Must check with your physician before starting the program', 'You may need another program to get you in shape before you start'....

So far, diabetes doesn't like Insanity. I've had nothing but high blood sugars. I think though that this is part due to the shock my muscles are in and also I may have a bug, so I'm just going to have to monitor closely over the next few days to decide how to adjust (that's if I can even move properly after another couple of days of this!)

I am however, going to start an exercise log to share with you. I can already tell it won't be perfect and will be marred by ups and downs! If you decide to check it out and have some words of wisdom, please by all means share. There's nothing better than living a level life of great blood sugars while being active!

The exercise log will be a separate tab up the top of this page. It should be up by the end of the week.