Picture of Health

Here’s how the past few months have played out for me, with regard to my diet, exercise, and blood sugar control. How about everyone else?

Stage 1: Fear. Madly stock up on everything we might (or might not) need. Note the disparity between ‘my’ emergency stash items (frozen greens, almond flour, unsalted nuts) and my family’s (granola bars, left-over Girl Scout cookies, frozen waffles) – theirs look like more fun. Start to get an uneasy feeling that more could unravel here than just our daily routine.

Stage 2: Denial. The full impact of the pandemic sets in. Better enjoy life now! Wine and carb consumption spike. Blood sugar checks? Who has time, between cooking, home-schooling, house-cleaning, and binge-watching episodes of BBC’s Great British Baking Show?

Stage 3: The Plateau. Quarantine goes on, the initial panic subsides. Realize that comfort eating is not all that comforting – picture the day when “this is all over” and I return to the doctor for an A1C test.

Stage 4: Hit my stride (takes several weeks). Start exercising every day, stream some yoga classes, try to engage the kids in a YouTube workout or two. Take the dog on a longer morning walk. Start checking my blood sugar again, try (and sometimes fail) to resist the siren call of carbs. My husband notices how toned my arms are from all the yoga.

Stage 5: Rediscover outdoor biking. This is its own stage because buying an outdoor bike totally changed how I spend time with my kids. We bike in the woods, bike to the pool, bike to get ice cream (for them). I could really get used to this life.

Stage 6: Love-hate relationship with my desk job. I return to the office on alternating weeks. Enjoy the mental stimulation and change of scene, but notice how bad sitting all day makes me feel – stiff, exhausted, grumpy (even though I work out in the mornings). Try a few evening yoga stretches.

Stage 7: Acceptance. This is our new normal. My body won’t give me a pass because we’re in a pandemic. Blood sugar is better, but I’d like to see a fasting number in the 80s. Decide to up the ante and stop drinking wine for awhile. Enjoy the bounty of summer vegetables. Enjoy the “now” – but also keep the future in my sights.

Whatever other difficulties we’ve had at home (and everyone’s had them), the pandemic has given me the opportunity to spend more time outdoors – more time with my children outdoors – and do more yoga than I ever have in my life. My strength and flexibility have definitely increased, even if blood sugar control has been far from perfect. For that, I’m thankful.