Exercise, Control, and Sunday Grocery Nightmares

Another lunchtime post...

I have always been a fairly active person. I have always tried to get exercise in at least three days a week - and I have mostly been successful in that effort. Lately, though, I've become somewhat obsessed with exercise. Everyday for about three weeks, I've tied on my running shoes, or put on my swimsuit at least once a day and gotten at least 35-40 minutes of aerobic exercise. Some days I'm doing both a run and a swim. And at least 4 days a week, I've spent some time doing yoga or pilates or some other kind of toning. The result - a net loss of 16 lbs since my appointment with my Endo back in May.



I must admit, I think I'm getting a little addicted. I'm actually enjoying, most days, the energy that comes with increasing activity. I'm getting up earlier, I've lost a dress size - (which does me no good at the moment since I'm not going to go out buying new clothes and lots of my things are hanging off of me), and I'm more aware of my eating because I hate to ruin my efforts with poor consumption habits. So - here's to continued daily exercise. Made easier, I think, by my new friend.



You'd think that an increase in exercise would decrease my overall insulin needs - right? Hmmmm... Not quite. Perhaps it's stress, or the heat, or something else - but my needs during the day have been increasing over the past few days. And my morning bloodsugars have been mostly low or high - with only a precious few days anywhere near my target. It's frustrating me to no end. I'm freaked out as I watch my TDD increase, even as I'm working hard to eat well and exercise. Any ideas as to why this could be happening?

Finally - Sunday Grocery Store Nightmares. I went to the local grocery store yesterday to pick up stuff for the week. The place was, as it usually is on a Sunday afternoon, a total zoo. Children everywhere - pushing carts into my shins, screaming down the aisles - a kid on the front of the cart like one of those women on the front of a pirate ship and another pushing as if his life depends on it and then jumping up and riding top-speed toward innocent passersby. People standing right in the middle of the aisle, cart blocking the right of way, reading boxes and generally getting in the way. I do most of my shopping and then head for the deli.



I find grocery store delis to be incredibly uncomfortable, especially when they're crowded. All those people, all in one place, and you can feel the energy of everyone being annoyed at having to take a number and having to wait and being inconvenienced by all the other wait-ers. It's kind of terrible. I take my number and stand with a mass of other people trying to breath and not feed the bad-energy torrent. I am in my own little fantasy land.

A tall, dark-haired man stands to my right. "It looks like you eat pretty healthy," I hear him say.

"Oh." I realize he's talking to me... "Yeah, I guess so." My knee jerk reaction is to look at his cart. I see water, fruit, bread... Not that different from what's in my cart.

"Don't you hate this?" He asks.

I'm a little uncomfortable now... But I respond, "Waiting at the deli, you mean?"

"No," he laughs, "Grocery shopping."

"Oh. No. But I do hate waiting at the deli."

"Yeah, I guess this part kind of sucks. So - pretty girl like you got a boyfriend?" He asks...

What??? This is not happening. I am at the grocery store. I have no make up on. I am wearing yoga pants, a totally ratty t-shirt, and sneakers. And I'm at the GROCERY STORE... Is this guy trying to pick me up? It is all I can do to stifle a burst of raucous laughter.

"Oh, yeah, I do," I say.

He looks - what? Disappointed? Surprised (I mean, I looked terrible)? Amused, maybe (at how uncomfortable he was able to make me)?

"Too bad." He says. And we stand there in silence.

I was unreasonably grateful when his number was called and he stepped away to place his order. He got his things - with me still waiting on my turn at bat - and as he wheeled away, he gave a little wave and said "See you."

I mumble "See ya."

Although I have to say I was a bit flattered by the whole thing, I was mostly just surprised and amused. First of all - I didn't know that people looked to pick other people up at the grocery store. And - you had to have seen me to get the full picture of how truly awful I looked. I laughed all the way home.

Now, I feel almost obliged to try to look at least half way decent next time I go to the grocery store. I mean, really, like I'm going to a meat market... Or maybe I just shouldn't go to the market anymore - avoid feeling uncomfortable altogether.

What's more amusing? I don't think I could pick the guy that tried to pick me up out of a line up if I had to. When, upon hearing this story, my friend Mona asked what he looked like, I had to admit "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention."