Obese Holidays.........

Hello Friends! I know, I know, it has been quite a while since my last entry-Not to worry, I am here to catch you all up!

The months of November and December represent different things to different people. It is the kick-off to the Holiday season, and also the beginning of the end........of the year-but according to Mayans this year will be the end of the world, so there you go.

The first, and in my personal opinion most important/delicious/amazing, Holiday is THANKSGIVING, a day where Americans of all ages give thanks for how fortunate their lives are. It is celebrated by having a delicious home cooked meal. An abundance of turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, breads, pies, pasta dishes, stuffing, and vegetables (I mean aren't potatoes vegetables? who needs more than that?!?!) As a newly diagnosed diabetic, I thought that this day was over for me. However,  that was not the case. I enjoyed 4 days of leftovers, like most people. I mean I was eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, people. My wife made an amazing dinner for us, and we enjoyed it as a family with my mom and our boys, in the middle of our new apartment, which is still under the "settlement" phase. We ate in the middle of our living room with an air mattress behind us, but it was our holiday. Having this disease does not mean that I can no longer enjoy Holidays, which let's face it, are based on amazing, unhealthy, finger-licking good meals. As long as I keep working out, and continue on my diet, things will be fine.

Well, this brings me to a struggle I have been having, WHICH is normal, don't judge! Ever since my delicious Thanksgiving meal(s), I have had trouble keeping my strict diet, oh and working out, that has also been really tough since then.......

I did join a gym, which is open 24 hours a day, and I have been going  about 4-5 times a week at 4 am. I have met with a trainer, since it was free with my sign up, and they have given me a work out plan, which I have been following. Alright, listen up-working out is HARD!  Dieting is HARD!  This whole thing has been extremely hard! Yes I have lost weight, yes me levels are becoming normal. But I have reached the point, where I am not motivated. It is taking a lot more for me to want to do those things, I mean, I am human. I'm not an athlete, who gets paid to do these things. The first 30 minutes of my cardio are hell......still. Then the "runner's high" kicks in and it makes the last 30 minutes bearable. I do have to thank music because it pushes me. So yes, it is difficult, and annoying, but I will get through it.

Christmas will be coming up before you know it, and then a new year will begin, so then I will just keep up my dieting and working out, alongside all those people with New Year's resolutions, except I will not be giving up in February. I will have to continue to keep going, even though I may get tired, and may be unmotivated to do it, I now have the push that I need. If I don't work out more than I was before, then I will end up having to be on medication, and maybe worse, have to take insulin. I will do my best to not have to resort to that.

This past week I got a glucose meter. My doctor said I didn't need it, because my levels are not that high, and I am not in a bad stage, and we have caught it early enough, and blah blah blah. But when she said that I could get one for "peace of mind" I jumped on it! Clearly, she knows how my mind works. I always think my levels are super high, and that I need to not eat anything with sugar ever again, and that no matter how hard I work nothing will change-That is how my mind works, I know it isn't right, but it is what it is-  As much as I dreaded having to prick my finger and have a machine show me my worst fears, I decided to get one. It arrived this week, and I was scared to test the first time. I of course did it wrong, and had to prick my fingers like 13 times because I didn't put the needle on the right level, so it only barely cut through the skin and then not enough blood came out, and I just kept having to do it, until it worked! Well my first result was normal, and it was between meals. (your sugar levels are supposed to be normal between meals, your sugar will always be a little high when you eat, and that is normal) I have tested about twice a day, and the results have been good. My biggest fears are not my reality, and that is something that I have struggled with. I have always not accepted things to be "real" or "good enough" I am very tough on myself, and that is why I always expect the worst. Man that sounds awful, and depressing, but it is the truth. Working out, eating right, and taking medication are the right things for me to do, and even though I have been doing them, I did not think they were necessarily "working".  I have lost 25 lbs, but somehow I feel like I am fatter, My sugar levels are normal,  yet I think they are too high. See what I mean? I am crazy, right?! well that's what I have thought all along, but it turns out, I am human. A food-loving, a worry-to-much, human. We all have insecurities, even the most confident of people have them. Mine just sometimes happen to get the best of me.

This is the biggest-fattest-most-ridiculous-most-big-fat-obese season of the year! (like that Cindy?) And as much as I will try to make all healthy decisions, I will be eating some delicious fattening meals. I will enjoy my obese holidays, like an American damn it! Till next time folks.........

Only in America.

Well hello friends! It has been a while since my last post, and with good reason. Lots of events going on in the Matheus household, including moving to a whole new one! So get comfortable, and curl up with your internet-getting-aparatus of choice, and I'll fill you all in!


If you were not aware of it, which is very doubtful, there was an election this past week- This is the one and only time I will involve politics in my blog, those of you who are upset, and angry about the outcome of the election, should probably skip the next few paragraphs-Don't worry I'll let you know when to come back!

I am an immigrant......SURPRISE! I was born in Venezuela, where I lived until the age of 11. My mother and I came here shortly after my father passed away. It was his dream for me to learn a second language, and to live in a country where one is allowed and encouraged to be an individual with a voice. Many people will say things to me like, "so what is your country?" or, "do you miss your country?" and my favorite, "when are you going to go back to your country to visit?" Friends, the United States is my country! Venezuela was the place where I was born, and yes, it is my part of my  heritage, however, America has been my home. This is the place where I became me. This is the place that accepts me, this is the place where I share my little family with my loving wife, this country is where we live, this is the only country I love. I know that some people have a problem with this statement, but it is how I truly feel. America has given me my whole life. And I love her for it.-Man I'm getting teary eyed, but damn it! 'MERICA!

As I was saying..................................................................
Americans let their voices be heard this past Tuesday. President Barack Obama was re-elected for his second term as commander in chief of the Free World. He has been the only President in my adult life that has inspired me. My republican friends, I love you all dearly, I am sorry that the person you wanted to run our country has lost the race, however, I could not be happier. If your opinion was shared by the majority of America, then P90X guy and permanently constipated face guy would be in office, but alas it is not the case. (My friend Matt said he looks constipated because he is so full of Shit!, I'm talking about Romney, but most of you knew that) In my loving State of Maryland, Question 6 was passed, which means that gay couples are now able to get married. Love is love people, at the end of the day, everyone deserves to be loved. Everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, creed, gender, or religion. That is what The Matheus (Jenn, Kai, Neko & myself) believe in. Love is not an abomination, not matter where it comes from.

If you are walking down the right path and you are willing to keep walking, eventually you will make progress- President Obama

It is his words of wisdom that have encouraged me to continue my path to be in control of my health, and making sure that Diabetes does not define me. Yes the journey is not going to be easy, and yes there will be hurdles to jump, but if Obama can beat the odds, so can I! It is the definition of what makes this country great. It is also a place where medicine is advanced enough, that diabetes is no longer a death sentence, and so I will continue to move..................

OK REPUBLICANS, THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN START READING AGAIN! SORRY!

Another tradition in America is the beloved Halloween, yes I know I am a few weeks late on reporting on the holiday, but relax alright? Jeez!

That was my costume this year, I went as a "Mac Genius". I never dress up, but my work encouraged us to just have fun.   If you can't tell, I am a BIG fan of Apple. It was Jenn's idea for the costume, and she got me the shirt. She also made me pose for this surrounded by all my beloved electronics! The iPhone and the MacBook didn't make the shot.  Anyway, as you know Halloween is based around costumes, but mostly around CANDY! It is the season where "fun size" means bite size versions of my favorite candy bars. After being diagnosed, I knew that the fall/winter holidays would be a challenge. The meaning of this fun day has changed for me. It is no longer about going to the grocery store on November 1st  and getting ALL the candy you can buy and directly going home to eat it.-what? like you never did that?!- It was not as awful as I thought it would be. I made an appointment with my nutritionist before the day, and she told me that I have lost plenty of weight, and again reinstated the fact that I cannot torture myself about my cravings. I have stayed on the right path, and a few treats every now and then will not break me. So I had a little bit of all the treats that were available at the pot luck at work to celebrate the day! And come on, my favorite holidays are coming up, I will reward myself then too!

Having the chance to meet with a nutritionist has been extremely helpful, and having my friends encouraging me has meant the world. My "family" Friend Katie- you know the hipster from Philadelphia who is pretty awesome? yeah, her-She has started a new blog where she talks about her journey to becoming a nutritionist. Peroxide and Protein, you all should take a look, it is helpful, informative, and of course hilarious, come on, I only have funny friends! (well Jenny King is an exception, she is funny, only sometimes, but I love you and Oliver!)


This week the Matheus relocated to a new apartment in Germantown Maryland! It has been stressful, hectic, and amazing. We decided to make the move because we would like to save money so that we can buy a house in a few years. We are all adjusting, and there are boxes EVERYWHERE, but we will make our new apartment our home soon. And then you will all get to see it! (probably in pictures, it's pretty small ya'll, can't fit everyone in here at once!) I would like to thank all of our friends who pitched in to help us move, we love you all and thank you with all of our hearts!

In conclusion, I love my life. I love my wife, I love my boys (Kai and Neko),  I love my family, I love my friends, and I love my country. Where else could a little boy born in Venezuela become the man I am today? Only in America.

Sorry for the Delay

Well, well, well..... These past two weeks sure have  been busy! As you can tell by the title, I will be talking about a few events that went on, so buckle up kids!


Let's start with the dentist..........First of all, I have been TERRIFIED of the dentist since I was a little boy, and that is because my mother, God bless her heart, has always told me that I should take care of my teeth, so that when I do go to the dentist, I don't get any "bad news." This is coming from the woman, who says that any type of cut, can lead to a brain or heart infection, thus, killing me.  So when I had a toothache I OF COURSE did EVERYTHING I could to NOT have to go see the dentist. Unfortunately, I could not bear the pain any more, so I asked my wife to look for a dentist that is open after work hours. We found one, his name is Dr. Oh, his firm is Clopper's Mill Dental Care. I was EXTREMELY nervous, and I knew that is was going to be "bad news" like my mom always warned me.-Please understand that my mother loves me very much, but I think she has a LOT to do with my being a hypochondriac, as most Hispanic mothers to only children are, she is no exemption, but extremely over-protective. I love her Dearly-------So I sat in the chair, the staff was very very nice, reassuring,  and the doctor did not make me feel ashamed for trying to take care of the pain or not going to the dentist in a while.

Well turns out that I had a bit of an infection, and the tooth had to be extracted. My brave wife, who also detests the dentist, sat with me in the room, and held my ankle while they were injecting my gums with anesthesia to proceed with the extraction. Folks I was afraid for NOTHING, to be honest my mouth was SO numb that I didn't feel anything and the tooth came out, and now I have a cleaning scheduled! I did promise Dr. Oh that I would follow his orders. And that's just it, I have realized that I need to just shut up, go to the doctors I need to go to, and follow their orders. After all, they are the ones up to their necks in debt because of student loans,  they are the ones who graduated from medical school, and know how the human body works better than all of us, and that is why they are able to help. Not to leave it up to my mind to run wild, and think I have everything I see on Grey's Anatomy-A show that my wife has gotten us hooked on. She had the great idea of starting from the season 1, I say "oh yeah My wife watches it, I just hang out", but truth is there are LOTS of shows men watch "because my wife does" but we talk about it constantly with our co-workers-That was a bit of a rant, but man that show is pretty good!. Where was I?.............Oh yeah, thanks to Dr. Oh and his office, I am no longer scared of that frightful, comfortable chair!

I have learned from my experience with avoiding doctors, that it is not worth it. Clearly, if I had gone earlier, perhaphs a few years earlier, and gotten all the blood work done then, I could have prevented Diabetes from happening, and so I will always follow doctor's orders from this day on. I will NOT take any more chances with my health.

On to happier things. Last weekend my office put together a little day trip to Atlantic City, and it was A LOT OF FUN! My wife and I spent most of the time here........................................

We hung out with all the regulars, and by "regulars" I mean older folks with multiple gaming cards, oxygen tanks, caretakers, and HUGE gambling problems. Don't get me wrong, it very entertaining to watch-for like maybe 30mins an hour tops!- Then it starts to get depressing, you see these old people just holding  their oxygen tanks, gambling and oh yeah-smoking.But then again It is New Jersey, I think it's a law everyone must smoke. They wear a chain attached to their clothing, which holds their casino card- THESE PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY HOOKED!. After winning about $2 we decided it was time for a change of scenery

So we went out to the boardwalk which was GREAT! The lady and I hung out with my friend and co-worker Mary, who brought her Hilarious Sister Lily,  and cousin, Kim. These girls are a hoot to hang out with, we went on the boardwalk and into the fair. 

This is where I got to check off an item off my bucket list. Have you ever watched any of those types of shows like "America's Funniest Home Videos" where they laugh at the reaction of the guy or girl who looses their $h!t when they go on that Sling Shot ride? Well I've ALWAYS wanted to go on that, ALWAYS. Luckily Lily, was all for it, since my wife dislikes roller coasters and all that ruckus . And it went a little something like this....

This is me, "SUPER PUMPED", alright, let's be honest, I was PETRIFIED! I kept trying to talk myself out of it. But Jenn kept reminding me that, "You Only Live Once" but you know the way Drake rapped about it. YOLO!

After a little coaxing from my wife, Mary, Kim and Lily, I was feeling a a little more willing. I gotta tell you though, watching the people go in front of us and hearing them scream, was well-challenging.





So you get in this ball looking thing , and we were strapped by a guy that did not look very qualified, and stunk like alcohol and stale cigarettes, but then again so does Atlantic City, Well New Jersey  as a whole ( I love you Angie). We tried joking with him, and he was NOT HAVING IT. Then we get tilted up, this is where you feel like, "this is going to be awesome" Mostly because you can't see anything but up, and the sun is blinding. We could not see those coils in the background, those are hydrolics that are about to launch us to our deaths-I mean straight to fun! We waited for what seemed forever but before we knew it, we were off!!!!!!!!!!!!



It felt like we were shot out of a cannon straight to hell. Alright I jest, however, the feeling of being up in the air for about 5 seconds before the ball catches on the sides, you know the "floating" part, was pretty scary. Then you spin and spin and you feel like this is it, "I will puke all over this poor girl, and it will land on everyone below" but before I knew it it was over, and it was AWESOME, and so I have to give a little shout out to Mary, Lily and Kim. Thank you girls for spending the day with the Matheus. We had a lot of fun, and we will have to hang out more often! Game night what?!

Speaking of The Matheus. Last Sunday marked our 2 year wedding anniversary. Two years ago I was privileged with Ms. Jennifer Bailey becoming my wife. I was the only "Matheus" for a very long time since my father passed away when I was 11. And now I have my partner, my better half, my everything. She is the only woman I have ever loved, and will ever love. When Jenn and I got engaged, we were of course thinking of having a "small wedding". That is how they all start-"an Intimate occasion with our closest friends and family"- WELL..........That "little wedding" started getting out of control REALLY FAST. I mean we met with a wedding planner, and we chose a place, a date, and Jenn went to try on dresses, you know the "DREAM". Well about half way through we realized that;

1. We are not rich, and so who was going to pay for this "dream"?
2.Why do we have to spend so much money for 1 day? Are we really wanting to start our rest of our lives off in debt?

That is when we decided that what we wanted was a marriage, a life full of special days, and a life together. We did not need the big party, and all the hoopla that goes along with it.  So we went to the court house where I now work, and decided to Elope. This was by far the best day of my life. I was really really nervous, but extremely certain that I was irrevocably in love with this woman. It was a small affair, just 3 of our closest friends and my mom. And it was very emotional, we cried, we laughed, but at the end of that day, I had my wife. I had the piece of the puzzle that was missing. Since that day I have been complete.Sure, it would have been really nice to get "the day" and I promised Jenn that one day I will give her just that. A day with our closest family and friends to celebrate our love.

Although our wedding was pretty simple, it was full of love, and at the end of the day that is all that matters. I have been to ridiculously lavish weddings which end in divorce about a year later, ours was simple, but it was for us. I woke up very very early Sunday morning to sneak out of the house and get my loving wife some flowers and a card. There is no sneaking out of the Matheus household, Kai and Neko make so much noise! But I was determined! I shut them up with snacks and went on my way.

 

Just a small gesture of my love for this woman. We are moving in a few weeks so we decided to keep our presents small. Since we did not have a huge wedding, we usually go all out on our anniversary-It is very hard to refrain from getting her a lavish present, because I just want to spoil her!-.

In return, Jenn got me the equivalent of "man Flowers", in my case that is a trip to the Apple store! I got a pair of the new ear pods, and I was very very happy. (That is until my new iPhone 5 arrives this week). We have one tradition and that is to go to Houston's in Bethesda every year for our anniversary. It was the first meal we had, just the two of us as husband and wife. Every year it is just perfect.

We have been together for almost 5 years. And I will say it is true what they say, time flies when you are having fun. I am not saying that we have not had our "trying" times, but we have gotten through them together. We talk about everything. We support each other, and have grown. Being diagnosed was very scary, but this woman has lifted me up, and together we can conquer the world.

As I mentioned we have been packing most of the weekend,  work has been hectic, but great. As for today, we spend the day with these two............ One day there will be additions to the Matheus Family, that will spend a Lazy Sunday on the bed with us. But for now our 4 legged sons will do just fine!!!!

Until next time friends....................

Road Trip!

Ah nothing alike a little road trip with your favorite person, and some great tunes. This weekend the lady and I went up to Philadelphia to visit our friends Katie and Derek Bransker (a fusion of their two last names, very clever). 

As I have mentioned before the Branskers are health nuts and extremely into fitness. You know the couple you wish you were? He's an attorney and she is a very talented hair stylist, they are our family friends. We do not make it up  enough, but we have decided that we will make an effort to visit more often. 

Since  I have that thing, you know "the Di-ya-betus", we had to plan for snacks and such for the road trip. We stopped at the grocery store on our way and picked up some fruits and protein, the medication makes me nauseous unless I eat the 5 small meals my doctor has ordered. I was craving chicken so I got some low fat chicken salad, which was NOT the easiest to eat whilst driving. Jenn had to hand feed me it and it was really awkward, but really funny. 

We drove for about 2 and half hours and we were entering Philly! Here's the picture..Yeah the "Welcome to Philadelphia" sign was about 2 seconds before Jenn took the shot, she was frantically trying to get the camera on the phone, but alas, this is what she took.  That move is what I like to call, "pulling a Jenn" Which also stands for being "Awesome" in a good way people!

And so we made it to the Branskers abode, and we hung our for a few hours, Katie was kind enough to do some research on restaurants that had healthy options for me to eat, and she landed on a place called "FUEL" it is a place where everything on the menu is 500 Calories or less, and it was AMAZING! Click on the name and you will be taken to their site, I highly recommend it. We had the Goat cheese Guacamole as an appetizer and I had a Chicken and gorgonzola cheese panini, on whole grain bread, and a salad. I have always wanted to try these Fad Juices that people like Jason Mraz (who is my favorite singer) make from vegetables and some fruit, so I ordered the "Hulk" it was made of Cucumber, Spinach, Lemon and Apples. It was DELICIOUS! So of course now Jenn and I want to get a juicer and start making these juices which are good for you and better than soda!  

 The next attraction of the evening was to go bowling at some cool hipster-you-can-only-find-in-a-city-like-Philadelphia alley, and yes I drank alcohol, light beer and tequila, which according to my nutritionist friend, is the "healthiest of alcohols, because it is made from agave" so I went with it! And here is how the evening went............................

 Jenn, LOVES to bowl! She even had her own bowling shoes, I say "had" because she decided to leave them at the bowling alley after a few drinks and said she wanted new ones for Christmas, so if anyone knows the first thing about how to ordered those things, please feel free to contact me!!!!!!!

Katie, looks a little like a hipster right? She claims she isn't but let's add it up..........

She is an awesome Hair Dresser (a very hipster like job) with cool ass tattoos, she lives in Philadelphia, she wears those cool glasses, dates a pretty cool guy, whose picture I thought was taken, but then again remember there were a few drinks had, also she has two adorable dogs, that SHE RESCUED! and they are "Perfect Little Angels," her words, not mine.  She is one of the best friends I have ever had! She is studying to be a nutritionist so SCORE! She can practice on me!!!! And She did, she's the one that talked my into drinking tequila, OH Katie.........


I had my picture taken by my "buzzed" wife, who apparently did not want to turn the flash on, so it looks like that, truth is this, we had to wait a little bit so we had  a few drinks at the bar prior to getting our lane.
 -->that over there, is the score board, did I fail to mention that I am NOT good at bowling? Well sober bowling; that was the score in the first game we played and I got better as the drinks wore on......................... And forgot to document it.

<----this happened, I don't know why I took a picture of it, but it happened.  And now my favorite shot of the night......................

That pretty much says it all, we were wasted and having a good time, and it looks like Katie had to go to the bathroom?



She did have to go,  and took Jenn with her and they were gone for a long time, turns out this is what they were doing..............

I know what you are all thinking, "Miguel, you were drinking? Is that not supposed to be the number one rule of having diabetes, and blah blah blah?" So Listen up!-Sorry I didn't mean to yell-I have to live my life, you only get one shot at this world, and you cannot spend it worried all the time-Yes I am not "supposed" to be drinking, but I have been following my diet and exercise plan, and I am human, and humans crave certain things that are not necessarily good for you, and so you must give in to those "cravings" some times because otherwise, you will be MISERABLE.  Yes life is hard, REALLY hard. You have to take the reigns , it is only ONCE you get on this ride, so throw your hands up in the air, enjoy the ups and downs,  puke, and make sure to buy that ridiculously expensive picture,- or here's a hint, Take a picture with your phone of that picture, I mean sometimes you HAVE to be cheap!- My point is, make memories, experiences, and enjoy your life and most of all share it with people who love you and you can't live without. Diabetes is NOT the end, I will never allow it to become who I am, It will never define me;  it will be something that I just have to take care of.


All good road trips must come to an end, so we left our friends, a little hung over and started driving back home to our boys who we missed so much-please keep in mind it had been less than 48 hours since we saw them, but since we spent the night apart from them, it felt like a lifetime, we know we have issues, but those two love us unconditionally, and we them.

 One thing that became clear to me; is that I am still me. I am allowed to enjoy myself, and I have not changed, the only things that have changed  are my eating habits and having to take a pill everyday, but at the end of the Day I am still Miguel, I will be a better,  healthier ME by the end of this, in the end, that is the ultimate prize, to be able to spend as much time as you can on this earth, and have a good quality of life. Yeah being diagnosed with Diabetes was scary, but having looked further into it, it has also been a gift, a gift because now I am able to to practice what those health nuts say "my body is my temple". So no,  I am not worried that I had a few drinks, I am however very glad to be home, and thankful tot have the day off from work today, so I lay with these two watching TV until Mommy gets home.........................

QUICK TAKE A PICTURE OF THE "WELCOME TO MARYLAND SIGN!"

See? That is also called Pulling a Jen!!!! -------------------------------------------->

She comes ALWAYS comes through!

Cheers to the weekend.......

Nothing like a Friday that leads to a three day weekend am I right? Well not for everyone, but I get Columbus day off, which I have NEVER had before.-So honestly Cheers to working for the government!

Last night the lady and I decided to treat ourselves to a date night, since we have been so "good". And of course we went to the place where our love story began, Uncle Julio's Rio Grande!  It is the place where we met. The first time I saw her training with her little pink tie and her glasses, I knew there was something about that woman that would make me love her for the rest of my life. We both love the food, and it is my favorite mexican place. Also the CLEANEST restaurant I have EVER worked at, and I have worked at my fair share.

I thought that I would reward myself, so I decided to have my go to, 2 chicken enchiladas one with sour cream sauce and one with tomatillo sauce, rice and beans, amazing what could go wrong?

 But first let me walk you through how I got to that decision, because when you want to be fat and eat the world you will talk yourself into ANYTHING, it's kind of like when you have any kind of addiction, i.e.;

•  "no problem, i'll quit smoking after this cigarette, "- Which in my case,  I did do eventually, it's been a year and a half with no relapses. Or;
•  "I'll just feed the kids more cheap bread so I can afford that new crack pipe I've been eyeing,"-No that's not me, BUT it is a perfect example. 

You know what else is a perfect example of talking yourself into making a bad decision? here you go girls, this one is for you;

• "It's ok, I know he doesn't have a job, or a car, and lives at home with his parents, but he is very sweet  when he takes his medication, and I am sure I can change him! One day we will laugh at how many times I had to pay for dinner, and how I made our  relationship  happen, can you believe it all stemmed from a one night stand, see? NAGGING WORKS!"-You know who you are ladies!

That was probably an unnecessary rant, but alas it is how my mind works............ - Back to your regularly not-so-scheduled programing-well guess what I learned? That when you have been on a diet of nothing but healthy foods, that you feel like crap after you eat greasy, loaded with cheese, spicy food! YAY! Also it made my body feel weird, and I'm gonna go ahead and say it is because of the diabetes medication.

What has been my downfall  with diets in the past, is that when I start feeling good about myself and notice the changes in my body,  I think I can have a "cheat meal", well this time around that meal did not make me want to lapse,  in fact it had the exact opposite effect, it made me never want to eat bad food again! I am not really able to explain how I felt, but it was not something that I want to re-live. So today, I followed my diet, and feel much better and have actually lost another pound!

So yes, the meal I thought I was going to enjoy was a bust, but the damn silver lining is that my body is now rejecting the foods that are bad for me, which is a great thing. My taste buds are craving fruits, whole grains and lean meats, so I guess the nutritionist was right.


This weekend The Matheus are going to visit the Branskers in Philadelphia and we could not be more excited about it. Lucky for us they are some of the most entertaining people in the world, and they are also health freaks. So stay tuned and we will tell you all about the road trip...............................

Sunshine on a rainy day.....

Remember how my Monday was cranky? Well this little a$$hole decided to keep me up all night because he just HAD  to eat something off the kitchen floor while mommy and daddy were at work, and abuela was not looking didn't you Kai?!?! See that shame on his face? that's because he was crying all night with the trots, which meant having to go outside in the middle of the night so he could feel better, but he's my little man so I did it. He knows I'm mad at him, but it won't last, I mean seriously look at that face! How could i stay mad? Needless to say I was tired today, and my cold is still not allowing me to feel 100%.

However, in this rainy, crappy Tuesday, there was a bit of sunshine for me. As I have mentioned, some of my co-workers have diabetes, and have shared their experiences with me. Since my diagnosis, they have asked if I check my levels on a daily basis. And the truth is that I don't, my doctor did not tell me I had to. Now bear in mind that the women I work with have had this for years, and some of them have to check their "sugar" as they say, twice a day. The thought of having to do that myself, truly freaks me out, and is probably because I've never had to do it, and I am afraid what the results would be. Today I saw one of them taking her levels, and I was mesmerized and could not look away from the moment she took her little instrument out. She saw my curiosity, and asked if I wanted to check mine. I was scared, since my doctor told me that my glucose was high. She pricked my finger, which did not hurt like I thought it would, and squeezed the little blood drop into the machine, and the number was 109. I immediately asked if that was good, she laughed and said that it was, which made me realize that I SHOULD KNOW WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD RIGHT?! haha! And after a little research here's what you should know; you should be between 80mg/dl-120mg/dl to be considered Healthy and that word we all like "normal". 

I of course shared that with my wife, and here's her text;   The first thing she says is, "HOW?!?!" And knowing Jenn she is thinking that I probably got a dirty needle and did it behind a dumpster somewhere, not because she doesn't trust my judgment, but because it's Jenn, she worries, and of course is nothing but grateful, and extremely supportive,  man that's why I love her. 

And so the suffering is paying off!!! I'm loosing weight and my sugar levels were normal today. I am getting used to the food, so my regiment isn't as unbearable as last week. I am feeling positive about it all. Please hold-Britney is talking on the X factor................she just started dancing to a guy that was doing Vanilla Ice, and that's why I love HER, yes I know she went crazy, I mean CRAAAAAAAZZZZZZZY.  But my love for her hasn't changed, when I see her I still love her as much as I did when I was 15, you know circa when she had stage presence and could dance and didn't look dead in the eyes.  I should mention that I LOVE TV, I mean probably more than bad food.  So if I start rambling on what's happening on "Once Upon a Time" or "New Girl" "30 Rock" "Parks and Rec" pretty much any funny sitcom with an SNL cast member and especially anything with Tina Fey, forgive me. Man she is a comedic genius, and super hot (don't worry Jenn knows how I feel about Ms Fey)-see what I mean? All over the place!  Where was I *reads the the beginning of this paragraph-it stopped making sense* oh well. 

Speaking of TV and such, my friend Angie and I share the same love for everything Funny and nostalgic of the 80's. When she read my first post, which by the way was how I decided to let everyone know of my diagnosis, she immediately texted me " I can offer you this; Stacy from the babysitters club had diabetes and she is fine. Still babysitting if you can believe it!" that in a nutshell is the kind of support I have received from my friends, completely smothered in humor, and that is honestly the best kind I could ever ask for. I am not good with "serious conversations" ask my wife, man she hates it! So I appreciated her text, and laughed about it for quite a while. Classic Angie! 

Alright folks, it is time for me to get ready for bed, 5 am comes before you know it! And after the news I got today there is NO WAY I am going to quit my morning walks and my dieting, there's no where to go but up! Except for my glucose levels, those  I am going to keep that between 80 and 120! Now I'm going to make sure Kai doesn't eat anything weird, because I am sleeping tonight darn it!!! Don't want to be "Up All Night" ah see that?!!?!? Love Mya Rudolph. But in all seriousness (as much as I can muster) Don't let a rainy day get you down, there's always a break in a cloudy sky, if you look hard enough you will find your bit o' sunshine. Or is that Silver lining, nah. Sunshine it is!

Cranky Monday

Well, it is Monday, and she is the bitch you tried breaking up with that just keeps stalking you and coming back................. She's especially not very pleasant when you are sick. I have not felt well most of Saturday night and all of Sunday with a cold that is kicking my butt.. I got through work and it was not that bad even though I was not feeling like my cheery self. A few co-workers kept joking that I was being Cranky, and I'll be honest, maybe I was not in the best of moods, but it is because in addition to being sick, my cravings won't shut up!

This diet is tough, I have lost 10 lbs in 5 days, and before you all go cheering for me, I don't know how much I trust that scale I got, but also, it shows how little I have eaten. I have followed my Doctor's diet, where I have 4 small, tiny, bland, flavorless, sometimes I feel like "I can't believe this is what I have to eat now, this sucks!"-meals.  Yes I want to loose more weight, but being sick, I crave all those "comfort" foods that I have had my whole life when ill. And they aren't the foods you would think. I am craving burgers, fries, ice cream CHOCOLATE, and all bad things I am not supposed to eat. Ok let's be honest, it isn't because I'm sick, it's because I'm on a diet, and being sick doesn't help. So yeah I am a bit cranky, but I will fight through it......it gets easier............RIGHT?! Please someone tell me it does (this is the part where you leave comments ok? Thanks!).

I will not give up on my new regiment, but I did start looking for the healthier options of my favorite foods. For example; I love ice cream, there's no denying it, and it LOVES me! So I did some research, and was able to get some sugar free 70 calorie raspberry/chocolate bars by blue bunny, and they are delicious. I know what you are all thinking........But you CAN'T! You cannot just give it all up, it has to be a give and take, I am exercising waking up at 5 am doing my 30 minutes of cardio, eating my small meals throughout the day full of vegetables, fruits, and good proteins, so I will treat myself with a healthy option for dessert.

In conclusion friends, I am feeling a bit beat from this cold, so I will just curl up with my boys, whom you've met, and my wife and watch some good ol' tv.....gotta keep some of the lazy habits before the diagnosis right?

Thanks for reading!

Everything cheap...........

Today I was able to visit with a nutritionist, who has opened my eyes to my new way of life.

Let me tell ya, this is NOT going to be easy, for example, I  went to the Dutch Market, and had to refrain from getting any candy, pretzel dogs, and all the good stuff those Mennonites make that are bad for you-yet they are mostly thin-and go straight for the turkey bacon.

It was one of the most liberating, aggravating, uplifting, felt-like-I-was-touched (in the bad way), experiences of my new life. Granted my so-called new life has only been 3 days old, but none the less, new life. My nutritionist, asked me to list ALL the foods I was eating before my diagnosis, and I was embarrassed. On the flip side of that coin, it really let me know how much garbage I was eating, I mean I was just a skip and a hop away from describing the dumpster out back of any of your local fast food joints, and by "skip and a hop" I mean wrappers, and bathroom trash, not the fat, the fat I ate. At any rate,  it made me realize that I have to take charge of what goes into my body.  I would like to make sure everyone who reads this knows that , no matter how cheap the Dollar menu at any fast food place seems, it will cost you in the long run. It may not be immediate, and "we are all young", and "we will live forever", and "this will never happen to me," but let's face it- It DID happen to me,  and now I am paying the price, monetarily- sure I mean it costs money to go see the doctor, no matter how good of insurance coverage you have, but mostly physically, and surprise-EMOTIONALLY. So please know that you will pay for that $1 McDouble someway somehow, like my father always said, nothing in this life is free. And everything cheap, comes with a price, you don't always pay for it after the time of purchase.

She showed me ways and tools to use in order to eat better, and make sure that I have a good quality of life from now on. She gave me pamphlets, worksheets, and the best advise she gave was to make sure I visit this website : American Diabetes Association. They have all the information you will need now that you have been diagnosed. She was very accepting, and let me know that before we are anything in this world, a husband, a son, a sister, a person, we are HUMAN, and humans make mistakes. The most important thing I can say, is that yes, I have cried  A LOT for the past three days, but you know what? I can't place blame on anyone, yes this whole thing sucks, but honestly as they say " you can't choose family"-or their genetics! (they leave that part out)  if you feel like crying go have yourself a good ol' fashion cry.  But know that your life is NOT over, you just need to make some modifications. She let me know that I should always shoot for the healthier choice, and that in a while my taste buds would change. The worst thing you can do is deprive yourself from the foods you love, literally, I have an emotional attachment to food, it comforts me, food never talks back-or so I thought, now the bitch won't shut up! Sorry, I just had a thought of a burger screaming at me, HA! Instead you should listen to your brain and just pick the healthier choice, because we all know that people who do these fad diets, do them, look AMAZE-balls for about 3-4 months, and then what happens when they taste that delicious 5 guys burger? THEY GAIN IT ALL BACK! and then what else? A FEW MORE POUNDS CAME? AND THEY ARE STAYING?! yeah that's what happens, when I did the whole Fat-est looser, sorry, Biggest looser with work, I lost weight yeah, Yeah i did! but then it all came back and it doubled. So now I will just make sure to exercise and follow the plan my nutritionist and I came up with together, no starvation, just better choices. This is not something I "have" to do, this is something I am choosing to do, because it is the right this to do.


Although today was a "triumph" with my nutritionist, I will be completely honest.......I have been very emotional. I was able to go celebrate one of my closest friend baby's baptism, he's a little man who makes me smile every time I see him, I got to spend time with him, and my friends who are my family, I love them all so much. I decided to let them know about my diagnosis, and they were very supportive,  and that's why I love them. I also got to go meet the newest member of my extended family, he is adorable. Actually all my friends who know, have been nothing but assuring, accommodating, and just plain wonderful. With that said, I had a hard  afternoon, and I am still having a hard time. I have cried a little, felt tired, and felt a bit discouraged. I keep telling myself this has to be normal, this is a lot to take in, and I know that now. I am blessed with a wonderful partner, Jennifer, she is my whole world, and I will keep my head up for her, she is the most selfless, caring, loving, ridiculously smart in a she's-right-all-the-time-way,  beautiful woman in the world (I know everyone says that about their wives, but this time is true! Seriously ask ANYONE-she knows that is) I also have my two four legged sons, who are part of that world, and I love them like they are my children, and those of you who know me know that yeah I treat them like babies, they are my babies wanna see?
<The one on the right is Kai, and he is 4 and an angel, and the one on the left is Neko, he is 2 and well not so much an angel, but he is my little rascal. and this..........................

That little lady there, is my wife, she is the love of my life, and for her I will keep on keepin' on as they say, so yes today was a good and bad day, but it was my day, and so when I get down, I think of her, my boys, and my friends and family who will, without a doubt, push me to beat this thing.  I know this journey will be full of challenges, and hurdles to jump, and things to over come,  I mean otherwise it wouldn't be a "journey" right? It would be a................Defeat. Never give up on yourself, you are the only one that can truly know how you are feeling and today, I felt the ups and downs, and I mean S!*t, It has only been 3 days, the shock hasn't worn off I don't think, but it will. It will get better, I refuse to let my fears stop me from reaching my goals, and I have these three to answer to, and when she is mad...........

So friends I know, friends I will make, friends I haven't met and probably never will, this was MY today.......tomorrow will be better, IT'S LAZY SUNDAY after all!

Diagnosis

Well where can I start?................Friends those of you who know me, have known me as the funny fat kid, for many many years, well...this fat kid has been diagnosed with the Di-ya-Be-tus, now I know these are news, that are not to be taken lightly, but before we get into all that, I guess I should start by letting you know how I found out......thus The Matheus Journey (<-------ha! see what I did there?)

So a few months ago, I was lucky enough to get a government job, that's right folks, I am now a public servant, but don't go crazy and say things like "my taxes pay your salary" that's just not true, I am a tax-paying resident of this state so guess what I'll say to that?......I PAY MY OWN SALARY! If that is the case, I will have to give myself a raise pretty soon-I digress. (those of you tuning in, I have a bit of the ADD so just bare with me). Given my employer, I was able to sign up for pretty good health insurance, so what was the first thing I thought I should do? Well I just turned 30, and I figured that I should go see a doctor and make sure that I was in good shape. I also decided that I should see a new doctor, because the family practice my wife and I had been attending for the past few years, was well........MEAN!  A co-worker of mine recommended I go see the practice she attends, she spoke highly of them, and so I made an appointment. My doctor was very nice, patient, and had a great bed side manner. I guess this is the part where I should mention that I am a HUGE hypochondriac, so I appreciate a doctor who does not just dismiss everything I think I have (which is  A LOT!)

She asked about my family history, and I let her know about my father's side, and my mom. I got blood pressure taken and all the good stuff, and she side stepped over the "weight issue" which was outstanding in my opinion. I then proceeded to have blood drawn, 7 little glass things were filled with my blood, the dramatic side of me thought I would black out, but it also looked like I was being drained for "V". (Trueblood reference), I left the office and she said "you will get your results in 5 days, unless we see something that requires immediate attention." My mind was racing of course, "well I'll get a call in a day I'm sure of it," I thought.  And I did, I got a call 3 days after my visit, and she wanted to see me as soon as possible.

So here we are, I am back at the doctors, nervous as hell, wishing my wonderful wife could be by my side, but she could not slip out of work. I wait for what seems 100 years, but it was 20 minutes, and she comes in, happy, but I can hear the concern in her voice. "How are you?" she says. "Freaked out to be honest," I reply. "Well you should be a little, I am sorry to tell you that you have type 2 Diabetes"

At that moment, I thought I was going to die, yes......die. Again, you know because of the hypochondriac side of me. Also all the "oh yeah she died because of the diabetes," or, "complications, well mostly because of the diabetes" stuff like that was going through my mind a mile a minute, I could barely hear what the doctor was telling me. It is scary stuff folks, to be told that you have a disease that you have only heard horrifying stories about, including close family members who lost their battle with diabetes. But guess what? My uncle Douglas, never took care of himself, he was a smoker, with a sweet tooth. I loved him dearly and I always thought that diabetes killed him, but no, his lifestyle did. Yes diabetes didn't exactly HELP, but ultimately this was up to him, and now it is up to me.

I am educating myself on how to live my life, and my amazing wife is by my side, preparing, weighing and labeling meals, I love her so much. She is my rock, and my purpose for living. We had a moment of weakness where we both cried, and held each other, but then we said, "WE ARE THE MATHEUS DAMN IT! " -sorry mom for the cursing- and we will face this together, and for that, I am devoted to making this my push to eat healthy, which I should have been doing all along, instead of eating like a garbage can, and become more active.

Luckily my workplace is very diverse, means spending the day with extremely supportive, strong sassy ladies, with diabetes who express their concern, but also offer their advise, which has made this week bearable. I had to start medication to bring my sugar levels to normal and the first few days I did not feel like myself, but my desk mate said, that it will get better, and I believe her, it will........it has to.

With this, I begin my journey for the next three months to make sure I loose weight, and eat healthy so I can get off medication as per my Doctor, I thought that blogging about it would be therapeutic, which it is, but also, I hope maybe I can share my story and maybe help someone. I have always used humor to as my shield, and believe me this time will be no different, but I will make sure to stay honest, I will share my fears, my triumphs and my letdowns. Hope you will tune in, please feel free to comment, ask questions, and so on. More to come!