Rowing machine finally in one piece

Last night I put the rowing machine together (Zeller's, 149.99 CAD) that I bought LAST weekend. I missed a whole week of interesting exercise. My neighbours have a machine on their porch that I've been looking at as I go by. Was it a Pilates machine or a rower?? I was browsing Kijiji.ca for rowers and saw their ad---it IS a rower, and they want nearly $800 for it ($2000 new). And it's still on sale after a month. Mine has a little problem---if I increase the tension and pull strength, the end of it comes up off the floor a little. Wiggling a little bit on the seat and moving my feet on the rests helps somewhat, but I will need to find a way to weigh it down when I get more vigorous.

Results: BG before putting the machine together (which was exercise in itself) and using it for 10 minutes at second tension (out of 5)---16.4 mmol/dl (multiply by 18 for US gallons). After exercise and before dinner---15.7. Light dinner (natural PB [2 g net carbs] on high-fiber multigrain bread, a bit of cheese, a peach, and 1 c unsweetened soy milk [2 g net carbs]). Before bed I reduced my NPH insulin shot to 16 (from 18). Fasting BG this morning: 10.2. That's progress. Of a sort. I did work up a sweat and got my pulse rate up. I also need to put the machine someplace where I won't bang my elbows on the doorframe, and have something to look at---rowing across the guest bedroom is pretty boring.

Diet: I've been eating a lot of fruit this summer. Peaches and apples, blueberries, etc. But I eat way too much in the evenings, especially starches, and nowhere near enough vegetables, which is a continuing (mostly psychological) problem I haven't been able to figure out. Baby carrots tend to spike my blood sugar, as do bananas. I need to buy something low-carb to munch on, like cabbage or cellophane or something.

The cats are in boxhab

This is my new rowing machine. It was half-price at Zellers. It's not quite a real ergometer like you find in fitness clubs (except the one I belong to, which seems to focus on butt-reducing machines), but it's the closest I've seen for a reasonable (meaning cheap) price. It was, in fact, half-price (149.99 CAD). I got help loading it into the car but I needed to drag it into the house myself. (Zeller's personnel motto: "If it's not in the flyer it's not on sale.")

I am over 50 and need a low/no impact workout, for 1) getting regular exercise and regaining lost fitness and muscle mass, which 2) really helps with blood sugar control, 3) helping to increase energy, 4) maybe put on a bit of weight so I actually have to undo my pants before pulling them off (not really, but WTF), and 5) low-impact exercise will keep me away from the physiotherapist, though he's a cute guy and helped a lot earlier this year when I got a stress injury in my right knee from walking 30 minutes a day (!).

So it came in a really big box: gross wt. 37 kg or 82 lbs, about 4' x 2' x 1'. I unpacked it (haven't assembled it yet) and 3 of the 4 cats are already addicted. The cardboard is too thick for Handsome Stranger to really get his tiny teeth into but he's giving it his best shot. Only Bwai (who needs a step stool to get up on a chair) hasn't climbed in. I should fill it with the last of the catnip and let them go wild. I do believe this is Fiasco T. Peabrain after a 'nip session.

I have about 5 lbs of raspberries ready for the jam jars; well, not exactly ready. I need to make the jam first. I use a water-bath canning method, which tends to keep down the botulism.