30 Days

  The final week.... This is where I address the idea of 'going off track'. There have been times along my journey where I feel that I am 'going off track' by making unhealthy choices. For me, unhealthy choices typically include: Oreos, wine, Doritos, Shameless, beer and ice cream (in that order). The more I think about it, these unhealthy choices are just a part of my real life. I am not shooting for perfection here, I am just working towards a better, healthier me. I'm learning that these unhealthy choices that have become a part of my life are just a part of my journey...or the climb. Let's step into the hypothetical for a moment.... When you are hiking (like a long hike, not an hour or two...more like a day or 100 days) you sometimes go off track, but you also usually have hard climbs. Just to clarify, when I say hike I also don't mean a walk in the woods, I mean UP a mountain, the kind of hike that hurts like hell, you think you are going to die in the ...

 Ahh 3AM again. At least you can always count on the Golden Girls at this hour.  17 days to go. The changes I've made have really been working and easy to adjust. They feel sustainable. The biggest problem that I have seen is not keeping the right 'Go To' foods around that I know work for me.  Another (typically) unavoidable situation would be 'Social' situations. Obviously, COVID has made this less of a problem, but something to think about, nonetheless. I like to use these times for my 'cheat' meal. Side note: I really dislike that term though, because it puts a stigma on it. Instead, when faced with these times, I prefer to handle in a way that is also sustainable. I don't announce that I can't eat certain foods because of my 'diet'. This draws attention. For me, when I am trying to make these life changes, it is best not to draw attention. This is a personal change and not something to be on display. Instead, I make good choices. I plan a...

I'm marching into day 10 and my 3AM insomnia is back, oh joy! The sound sleeps lasted a few days and they were delightful, but more of a tease then anything. I suppose I can get away with 4hrs of sleep, but it is not ideal. My house is quiet though, it is quite peaceful. Normally, it is loud, rambunctious and alive. I suppose I should treasure these waking hours as they are the few times I can actually hear myself think! The plan is going well for me. My meals are still easy and filling. My body still feels better then it has in a while. I did start the light exercise including push ups, squats and soon to be jump rope. I also have my celery juice in the morning.  Sometimes you have to adjust. I don't want to plateau and I do want to regain my sleep, so time to make a couple of changes. I need to cut some excess energy, so I am going to add 20 mins of cardio into my day. I also learned some things about Lemon Juice and cleansing the liver. I am going to add some to my morning t...

At the beginning of this pandemic, my husband and I were hit with so many curve balls straight between the eyes on a daily basis that I just needed to find a way to make it through a week.  I needed something to focus on that would pull the focus off of all the things out of my control. So back in May I created a 'Good Habit Tracker'. It started small, but evolved quickly. I would list small steps that I could take towards any goal that I might have. Most times they were towards a healthier lifestyle, but evolved into other things that I wanted to get out of life as well. I kept the pressure off myself, if I was having a hard time meeting a goal I would either modify or change it to something more inviting the next time around.  This month, I'm still working towards a healthier me, but I also want to start learning Spanish and increase my side hustle to earn extra cash. So, Monday I started my 5th 'Good Habit Tracker'. This one consists of mild workouts, drinking my...

As I mentioned before, I am not in this for the weight loss, nor is Sqware Meals a weight loss program. I was in this for better health, weight loss is just part of it. When you eat better your body returns to its natural state. I started this journey at 141lbs on Monday. Today, 5 days later, I weighed in at 135lbs. I know this will most likely be a plateau, but if there is anyone questioning if removing caffeine/sugar/alcohol from your diet will help weight loss, I'd say yes. I also know weight loss that quick is not recommended, however, this was simply by replacing bad calories for good calories. Not once did I go below my allotted 1600 calories or feel any hunger. I just ate the 'Yes' foods and balanced my meals. My headache from lack of sugar only lasted one day and I can feel my head clearing.  Another thing I noticed, I stopped conditioning my feet to see what would happen. I am still walking around barefoot all the time, but they seem to get softer by the day. The s...

Finding the time to write with 3 small kids can be challenging, so I might get behind on my days at times.  Day 1  The first day for me was easy. I had my green tea, oatmeal with blueberries and almonds for breakfast. I took an hour hike with my family right after breakfast. Then my snacks consisted of almonds, Go Rounds, grapes and a salad. I had my Sqware Meals with water for one of my snacks as well. My lunch was a salad with pork, avocado, peppers etc. It was delightful. I felt good all day until dinnertime. I got a killer headache right before I was serving up the salmon, asparagus and potatoes. Apparently, removing the excess sugar and regular glasses of wine at night too my body by surprise.  This headache lasted through the night. I did have to cave and take a Tylenol. It is not normal for me to have a headache like that. Of course, first thought always goes to COVID. Then, it was obvious. I have had high amounts of sugar in my diet over the past couple months. Wh...

This is not my first time doing the Sqware Meals program. I have found what works and does not work for me. Though I continue to challenge myself, I know what I can commit to.  For this program, I have a hard time sticking to the meal plan and trying the recipes. I plan on trying a few of the recipes in the upcoming weeks, as I have heard good reviews. I have a number of excuses as to why I don't do the recipes, none of them that good, but I'll work towards it.  I also don't log my meals anymore. I have tracked my food enough in the past to know about where I am in terms of calories. I'd always recommend logging and counting your macros until you learn what portions are correct and of what balance.  My guide is the 'YES' food list. I went through the list and highlighted the food items I like and/or want to try. I review the 'NO' food list, although I am already aware of what it contains. No coffee (thankfully I have minimized my intake in the past few w...

My 'why' has more added weight today.  With flu season upon us and the responsibility to be healthy with the unknowns that COVID brings, I needed to get some things in check with my health that I had been putting off.  I scheduled an appointment with a new doctor (mine retired). I requested to have blood work done just to make sure everything was in check and to see if I could unlock any mysteries. I also shared with him my knee pain. I hadn't mentioned my arm discomfort, I had long written that off as carpel tunnel. He mentioned arthritis. He pointed out that I might feel it up in my arm as well, and I admitted that I did.  Side note: I find health and the body fascinating. Sometimes I look as myself as more of a project or challenge then a person. There have been a few things that I've been searching for the answers to as of recently: my strong and random sugar cravings, cracking heals, random knee pain & arm discomfort and my mental fog. I do have 3 young kids an...