Goals...

Congratulations to Holly for achieving her DTC goal of finishing the Florida Ironman! Now I feel even more positive pressure driving me towards the goal I set at DTC this summer. My goal was to achieve an A1c of less than 6.5% by March 2010. I know I've taken some great steps to get my A1c below 7% and now I have the next 5 months to really focus and get my control even better.

Can I do it? You bet I can. I can't give up on my goal! Just to refresh myself on the steps I decided could lead me to the goal, here they are...

What are the top 3 actions I can take that would move me towards accomplishing this goal?
1. Build a strong “base” by examining basal rates, carbohydrate ratios, and correction ratios with my pump.
2. Focus on carbohydrate counting food to accurately determine carbohydrate amounts in common foods.
3. Maintain a weekly average of 80% (17 of 21) on 3 daily tasks – log blood sugars, workout, and walk Chaco.


What is my strategy for accomplishing each action?

Action 1
1. Test and tweak basal rates for all 4 time periods.
2. Test and tweak carbohydrate ratios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
3. Test and tweak correction ratios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Action 2
1. Buy and use carbohydrate counting scale.
2. Measure / develop understanding of size of food and carbohydrate count.
3. Choose 1 new food to add into the mix each week to vary food choices.

Action 3
1. Use calendar to record “stars” for logging, working out, and walking Chaco.
2. Reward myself on a monthly basis for maintaining an average of 80% on tasks.
3. Workout and walk Chaco at regular times to manage insulin adjustments and blood sugars.

I think things are going well. The one area for improvement would be to really focus on logging my blood sugars to analyze trends better. Even when the weather is shitty, it's important to take Chaco out on walks for his own sanity. I think I'm doing really well on getting to the gym most evenings after work - even during this period of transition into a new job.