December Update for Best Breath Ever Experiment 2018

see www.kimsit.ca for previous posts

Hello, Winter Raindrop!

Happy first day of Winter, my friend.  Thank you for joining me for this update.

Can you believe we are just a few days away from 2019?  My youngest son counted the days before Christmas. “Mommy, there are just 4 days before Christmas.”

It’s been months since I last updated my Best Breath Ever Experiment where I intended to not consume sugar for the whole 2018.  I learned a lot. I learned about myself.

You’re probably wondering how come I stopped updating.  It doesn’t matter because they are all excuses. But, I will fill you in on what’s new and good.

Lessons in 2018 with Regards to My Best Breath Ever Experiment:

1. The longer the post, the more likely it won’t get posted.

Resolution:  schedule to write short and concise posts during allotted time.  Keep things simple.

2. The more I stop tracking something, the more likely I fall off track and go somewhere other than my desired goal.

Resolution:  Track my goal progression.  

3. It’s OK to accept falling down as part of succeeding; I keep getting up.  

Resolution:  From tracking progression, find what works and doesn’t work.  Do the things that work and avoid the things that don’t work. Work toward progress.

The reason why I wanted to do this Experiment was to see what would happen if I didn’t consume sugar for a year.  As I “fell off” target, I can’t tell you. What I can report is that there is sugar everywhere and in most processed things.  

I recently started tracking with an actual tracking book, and have noticed that I eat really well when it comes to vegetables and high fiber carbohydrates.  And as of recently, I have also included substantially more protein to my meals. I recall discussing this with a dietician last year about the amount of protein I was consuming, and she pointed out that I needed a lot more.  Now because of what I had read and heard repeated in the books and blogs I was reading that was that protein was overrated, I think I underrated it. There must be a balance.

I’ve also started a weight lifting and high intensity interval training program, and I have been progressively feeling more sore.  But I have also noticed that my good posture is easier to keep, my legs are stronger and my arms getting more and more defined. It’s pretty cool.

I am still working on diet.  From my tracking (and past mental tracking), I can see that when I have days of no junk food (cookies) or grazing (this is the biggest thing for me) that the scale will report success.  Now, weight gain does not necessarily mean fat gain. And weight loss does not necessarily mean fat release. What the scale helps me do is keep track and gauge my eating activities with the results.  I am excited to wake up in the morning, use the bathroom and hop on the scale!

There is such excitement and anticipation for something that used to be done once in a while or simply avoided.  It’s a change in mindset.

Okay, I am off to my LIIFT4 now.

What have been the biggest three lessons you’ve learned in 2018?

Blessings,

Kim

Dec 21, 2018

Thankful Thursday, june 23, 2016

Hello friends!

What fun things did you do for yourself today?

Me?

- I went to the farmers' market at lunchtime, ate a double from Marcello's
- after work I stopped briefly at Shoppers Drug Mart for some chips.  Seeing that it was $2 for one bag or $3 for two bags, I grabbed two. Fortunately for me, there were about four customers in line, so I dropped the two bags and spedwalked to my train! Yes :)

Now I am almost at my station.

Thank goodness I had lots of water and mini healthy snacks like organic nuts, seeds and berries.

You see, being in a rush and having lots of people in line can really help me avoid putting junk into my body ;

Have a great night! Guess what. Tomorrow is Friday... freedom Friday.

Happy day of the week

I am feeling ME again! Yay!

For the last couple of weeks, I have felt quite drained from a SAD way of eating.

After a wedding I attended two weekends ago, I needed over a week to recover.

Today I am feeling good :)

I celebrate:

-  Changes going on at work
- playing and laughing with my boys in the backyard before bedtime
- pulling my daughter to the washroom only for her to hang on to her bed looking like a flying Super Grover
- my manager getting me a whole box of 50 timbits to celebrate my job anniversary
- I didn't eat a single one timbits either :) but it was nice for my colleagues and family
- running and catching the train with one minute to spare... and not feeling out of breath! Awesome!
- I had a great conversation with a fellow GO train commuter
- and do much more

List your happy events ;)

Blessings,
Kim

Day 4 of ten day transformation

This day four started off well.

I took my aminos and super xanthin in the morning before my workout, then I had some delicious organic cantaloupe.

Before getting off the train, I shook up and started drinking my white American ginseng with my LOV shake.

However, as work got busy, I neglected to take my lunch break on time and then my intake went off schedule.

Walking and eating beautifully cut  up organic strawberries is much more pleasurable while sitting in front of a Lakeview, with golden sunlight glistening on the water, watching ducks chase each other and listening to the ever sweet sounds of the birds singing than eating them rushing back to work while pulling my groceries from the St Lawrence Market.

In any case, when there is dissatisfaction, there  launches  up new rockets of desire.

So I just took a nice LOV ginseng shake on the train... may be a little late for taking my last serving of protein and super xanthin today, but tomorrow is a new day.

I really appreciate giving my stomach and digestive system time and space to do its work. And it is establishing a new habit of eating certain foods separately.

Tomorrow will be day 5.

Thanks for visiting! Happy slumber.

Kim

Day 3 of Ten Day Transformation

It is feeling better.

I am getting the hang of this now.

It started off a little rough for me in Saturday morning, my decided date to start the transformation. So, while in bed, I decided Saturday would be my day zero of ten instead of one of ten.

Today was the first day of going to work being on this transformation. It was tricky to stick with the two hour schedule, but I did the best I could.

At lunch time, I managed to get away to sit by the lake for about 7 minutes.

Athlete Transformation: prep day 2 of 2

Haha... Yes, here's Kim embarking on yet another cleanse!

Well, we are well into Spring. Yesterday I was our buying shoes with my daughter, and I realised it was still light out at 8 pm, her bed time!

I love you this time of the year, and it is the best time (in fact it is nature's time) to clean. Know the saying "April showers being May flowers?" Well, it is true.

The particulars of my his cleanse are different from past cleanses I have done. During these ten days, I will be having a chewing meal :) I like that idea.

As I was writing the labels for this post, I accidentally spelled Transformation as transformation... As I saw the word in front of me I realised that it is a transformation :) I am toning up my muscles so will be firming up my body!

End of April - how ten years fly by

Ten years ago at this time, I was living singing songs from The Sound of Music and counting the seconds... Minutes and intensity of my first contractions. All the while I was planning my baby signing business in front of my huge 15 inch computer monitor (huge compared to the plasma monitors we have now twn years later). And in the other room of our rented basement was my husband watching the Ottawa Senators in the playoffs.

As it got more intense accompanied by other signs that I should probably get to the hospital, we started gathering bags and called a cab.

It was the most excruciating and annoying taxi ride ever! Every little bump and swerve intensified the already tremendous contractions.

Yet through all of this, I felt strong and in control. I just needed to get to the labour and delivery Ward.

I led the way carrying my luggage followed by my husband.

Our lives were about to change drastically.

I reached the triage in the delivery area. Nurses were under excited while I saw many women hooked up to contraction monitoring belts.

"This is your first birth?" Asked a nurse.

"Yes," I responded.

The pain and intensity was getting do strong now that my ears seemed to cut off sound. No wonder some women asked for an epidural! But of course, according the birthday the plan I wrote, there would be no drugs!

"It is still going to be a long time before the baby comes," says the nurse without much feeling. She seemed desensitized to all the first time moms and their first time experiences.

Fortunately, an intern with a smile came to "examine" how far open my cervix was.

"I just need to ask a nurse if I am accurate," she said. Then I overheard her telling the head nurse that she thought I was 8 cm dilated.

The nurse came unimpressed. "No, dear, it is her first child. It is going to take a long time. But I will check to show you."

Then to her surprise, she discovered the intern was correct.

I finally saw some spark of emotion (well, I didn't really see much - but her voice was more animated). "Aren't you in pain? Why aren't you crying? Ok, we are sorry. You can go right away to the delivery room."

Finally there was some urgency in the place.

It was such a painful and jbtense race to the delivery room.

I just recall from this moment forward, people just flooded the delivery room. The OB on duty that night read my birth plan and commented on how crazy I was to refuse an epidural in case of c-section.

Fortunately it was not necessary. After 8 minutes of pushing, he literally exploding out of me, leaving a 3rd degree tear. All the splatter of fluid was felt. I had never felt so much trust for strangers to take care of me in such a vulnerable time.

They placed his slimy, warm body over my belly. I felt him with my hands. I heard him cry a bit.

Then I heard people calling for the on duty paediatrician. Someone mentioned there was trauma in the birth.

My body was beat and torn. Then came rushing in some people who sewed me back... At one point the local anesthesia wore out while still stitching me. That was another type of pain!... But all done now.

Remy,

You are ten years old. How the years have just flown by. I remember our first nights together nursing. I lamented and cried... "Only 17 years together, and then you would be off to college or university," I said to the 7 pound infant boy. I was going to cherish every moment.

As the mornings woke us up, i would peer out the bright glass doors to the back. I saw each morning how the trees started filling in with buds, then young leaves, then large leaves. Soon the trees were lush and green.

You and I took walks up and down the steep sidewalks to the beach. We walked so much together. By August my weight was down to about 150 pounds from over 200 pounds while pregnant.  We were always together.

My identity became "Remy's mom." I would tell people I was Kim... Then tagged on "Remy's mom."

I was so proud, so grateful and so motivated to face my fears so that I could  unconditionally love and take care of you.