HUH?? PCOS is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and I have it. What does that mean? Well essentially it means that my ovaries are usually covered in cysts. These cysts can prevent ovulation and cause higher levels of androgen horomones. In many people it causes infertility along with a whole host of other symptoms including excessive hair growth, weight gain, irregular menstural cycles, darkening and thick skin and a bunch of other things.
Let's go back to the beginning for me though. In March of 2004 I went for my yearly physical and my doctor was, as always, very distraught with my weight. He is not a very nice doctor and figured it was just because I was lazy and ate a lot of junk. At this point I had gone to weight watchers, had gym memberships and tried everything I could think of but the weight would come off in the beginning and then I'd gain a few pounds, lose a few, gain a few and it would all equal out in the end. I told him this and his answer was "I guess you better learn to like salad". Not very supportive. So his solution this time was that maybe it was the birth control pills I was taking. He switched them to a low dose pill and sent me on my way. Well that month is when all hell broke loose in my body. I missed my next period which freaked me out because we were getting married that August and my dress had been bought and altered. Well two home pregnancy tests and a lab test all came back negative. What is going on??? Finally after 50 days I got my period. I stopped the pills and waited to see what would happen. From then until about October my periods were anywhere from 35 days to 60 days apart. In October I went back to my doctor and he sent me to a Gynocologist. Within 5 minutes and a very quick exam I was diagnosed. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. By this point we were already married and had started to try to have a baby but with the unpredictable cycles it was very difficult. What the doctor told us was that the best treatment for this was to work hard at losing some weight and becoming healthier. He said that before he could start any treatment I had to be trying for a year. So we went home, cleaned out the cupboards, bought a bunch of healthy stuff and started to make some changes. In December 2005 I went back to the doctor and he sent me for some tests and was going to book a dye test to make sure I didn't have any scar tissue blocking my fallopian tubes. He said to call on the first day of my next cycle. Well that day never came!!! After about a year and half of trying along came Adryanna!!!
After she was born my family doctor went back on his "you're too fat" rampage. The difference this time was that he sent me to an Endochrinologist. Immediately he knew what the problem was and did the bloodwork to confirm. The PCOS was causing insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes but really high insulin levels and normal sugar). He put me on Metformin and away I went. The first 6 months I lost 20lbs but then I got lazy:( He said the medication would level out hormones and hopefully make concieving easier the next time around. He was very right. Before Adryanna I was off birth control for 20 months and nothing happened. When we decided to try for baby #2 I went off birth control at the end of October and was pregnant at the end of November!!!
So why share all of this today?? Well because I obviously still have PCOS and still have many of the side effects. Weight loss is hard, I carry tweezers with me everywhere incase another unsightly hair pops up and while my cycles are quite regular now they are anything but normal. They cause tremendous bloating, horrible pain and well we'll leave it there. The bloating can be so bad that it's not unusual for me to gain 5lbs or more the week before. This explained why before diagnosis and treatment I would lose 4lbs in a month then gain it all back within a couple of days. Then lose, then gain over and over again. With treatment I still gain before but not so much and it is usually gone within a couple of day.
This brings us to today. This week I have been running more than usual, eating well and drinking lots of water but I knew when I stepped on the scale this morning that things wouldn't be good. I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't so bad. My weight was 243.2 which is only up half a pound since last week. I'll take that!!! It can all be gone plus some by the end of this week.
It's vacation week too which I know for most people means more food and less exercise but for us it means more exercise because just about everything we have planned means walking. It also means that I have more time for my runs and can do a bit longer runs during the week since I don't have a time limit. It's going to be a nice week.
Sunday 31 July 2011
Friday 29 July 2011
Busy, busy, busy!
It's been a crazy week and crazy weeks mean less running. That makes me sad :(
I had the best intentions this week. I got out Tuesday morning for my run and it felt great. I planned to get up early again Thursday morning but after a very long and busy day on Wednesday I just couldn't get out of bed. I figured I would just run after Adryanna's soccer game instead. Well after soccer I needed to go to the grocery store for some things for tonights dinner and by the time I got home it was well after 9pm and I don't like starting my run that late. It makes it hard to sleep because I am too hot and there is too much adrenaline flowing. So, I set my alarm for early this morning and was already to go. While I stretched in the driveway thinking how nice the falling rain was after the month of dry I saw lightening flashing. The first couple of flashes I wasn't even sure I saw but then the thunder started to rumble. Now I'll run in just about anything, I ran all through the bitter cold winter we had, some pretty heavy rains and of course the scorching heat but I will not run in lightening. As a child I was terrified of thunderstorms and while I'm not so much scared of them now I still don't want to run through them. So back in the house I went and back to bed for an extra half hour of relaxing.
Tomorrows run is going to be another 8k run. I have officially signed up for the Chocolate Race on August 28th and I need to be ready for it. The training schedule says 8k this week, 9k for the two following weeks and 10k the fourth week. The following week is the race. Since it's my first 10k race my only hope is to complete it standing. I have no time goal and no expectations. I just want to finish.
Today is the start of my vacation and I plan to enjoy it thoroughly!! We're going to do some day trips and some swimming. I'll have lots of time to get my runs in and lots of other physical activity. It's going to be a good week!!
I had the best intentions this week. I got out Tuesday morning for my run and it felt great. I planned to get up early again Thursday morning but after a very long and busy day on Wednesday I just couldn't get out of bed. I figured I would just run after Adryanna's soccer game instead. Well after soccer I needed to go to the grocery store for some things for tonights dinner and by the time I got home it was well after 9pm and I don't like starting my run that late. It makes it hard to sleep because I am too hot and there is too much adrenaline flowing. So, I set my alarm for early this morning and was already to go. While I stretched in the driveway thinking how nice the falling rain was after the month of dry I saw lightening flashing. The first couple of flashes I wasn't even sure I saw but then the thunder started to rumble. Now I'll run in just about anything, I ran all through the bitter cold winter we had, some pretty heavy rains and of course the scorching heat but I will not run in lightening. As a child I was terrified of thunderstorms and while I'm not so much scared of them now I still don't want to run through them. So back in the house I went and back to bed for an extra half hour of relaxing.
Tomorrows run is going to be another 8k run. I have officially signed up for the Chocolate Race on August 28th and I need to be ready for it. The training schedule says 8k this week, 9k for the two following weeks and 10k the fourth week. The following week is the race. Since it's my first 10k race my only hope is to complete it standing. I have no time goal and no expectations. I just want to finish.
Today is the start of my vacation and I plan to enjoy it thoroughly!! We're going to do some day trips and some swimming. I'll have lots of time to get my runs in and lots of other physical activity. It's going to be a good week!!
Tuesday 26 July 2011
I'll be Dr. Adryanna too, but I want to keep the Y.
The weather here is so much nicer this week. It's still nice and hot but the humidity is mostly gone. I was up this morning at 5:30 am and went for a short run. It was so nice out that I felt like I could run forever! Unfortunatley I have other commitments and couldn't. Today was a big day for us.
Today was Adryanna's 6 month check up with the cardiologist. She get's very excited about these appointments because they always mean fun and exciting things. She has a routine that we follow when we go and it makes it a fun trip for her. The hospital has great things to entertain kids of all ages. We have been doing this every six months or so since she was two and she's now almost five. She's probably had about 10 echocardiograms and ecg's as well as one MRI. She has what they call an AV Tunnel and it was difficult to diagnose because it is not where you would normally find this kind of defect. Usually this defect would come right off the Aorta and go back into the ventricle. Adryanna's branches off right at the spot where the coronary artery meets the aorta which made it hard to get a proper diagnosis.
So I took the afternoon off and we spent the afternoon in Hamilton at McMaster Children's Hospital. She does so well at these appointments. The echo requires her to stay very still for about 45 minutes then they have to review it, do an ecg and then the cardiologist checks her. Since Adryanna's heart defect is a fairly rare one and is oddly placed they like to thouroughly check her out and often have medical students come in and see her too. This can mean up to 4 hours at the hospital. Today it was about three and she was so happy and fun through the whole thing. She was completely silent through the echo except when she mumbled the name of a dinosaur in the movie. She coloured and chattered away while we waited for the cardiologist to come in and she was super cute when today's Resident Doctor's name was Adriana. She proudly told her that her name is different because it's with a Y not an I. I think this might have been her favorite part of the whole visit today. She was instantly buddies with this doctor who she had never met. She had to tell everyone else that she was going to be Dr. Adryanna too but with a y not an i.
I'm so proud of her everytime we have these appointments because she takes everything in stride. When she had to be sedated for an echo she didn't even flinch when they put the IV in and when they put her under general anesthetic for her MRI she went off to sleep without even a twitch. This, the doctor told us, was great because it means she wasn't scared and was very relaxed.
Here she is right before her MRI last June.
The verdict of today's visit was that while her left ventricle is showing slight enlargement she will still get to live her life without restrictions and continue on her schedule of check ups and echo's every 6 months until she's at least 6 years old. Then when they feel she is big enough she'll go back to Sick Kids in Toronto and have the tunnel repaired. Of course if she starts to show any symptoms of trouble she will be seen sooner and they will assess the benefits of repairing earlier. They expect to do this repair through a catheter procedure. Once that's done she'll be back to normal in no time.
Today was Adryanna's 6 month check up with the cardiologist. She get's very excited about these appointments because they always mean fun and exciting things. She has a routine that we follow when we go and it makes it a fun trip for her. The hospital has great things to entertain kids of all ages. We have been doing this every six months or so since she was two and she's now almost five. She's probably had about 10 echocardiograms and ecg's as well as one MRI. She has what they call an AV Tunnel and it was difficult to diagnose because it is not where you would normally find this kind of defect. Usually this defect would come right off the Aorta and go back into the ventricle. Adryanna's branches off right at the spot where the coronary artery meets the aorta which made it hard to get a proper diagnosis.
So I took the afternoon off and we spent the afternoon in Hamilton at McMaster Children's Hospital. She does so well at these appointments. The echo requires her to stay very still for about 45 minutes then they have to review it, do an ecg and then the cardiologist checks her. Since Adryanna's heart defect is a fairly rare one and is oddly placed they like to thouroughly check her out and often have medical students come in and see her too. This can mean up to 4 hours at the hospital. Today it was about three and she was so happy and fun through the whole thing. She was completely silent through the echo except when she mumbled the name of a dinosaur in the movie. She coloured and chattered away while we waited for the cardiologist to come in and she was super cute when today's Resident Doctor's name was Adriana. She proudly told her that her name is different because it's with a Y not an I. I think this might have been her favorite part of the whole visit today. She was instantly buddies with this doctor who she had never met. She had to tell everyone else that she was going to be Dr. Adryanna too but with a y not an i.
I'm so proud of her everytime we have these appointments because she takes everything in stride. When she had to be sedated for an echo she didn't even flinch when they put the IV in and when they put her under general anesthetic for her MRI she went off to sleep without even a twitch. This, the doctor told us, was great because it means she wasn't scared and was very relaxed.
Here she is right before her MRI last June.
The verdict of today's visit was that while her left ventricle is showing slight enlargement she will still get to live her life without restrictions and continue on her schedule of check ups and echo's every 6 months until she's at least 6 years old. Then when they feel she is big enough she'll go back to Sick Kids in Toronto and have the tunnel repaired. Of course if she starts to show any symptoms of trouble she will be seen sooner and they will assess the benefits of repairing earlier. They expect to do this repair through a catheter procedure. Once that's done she'll be back to normal in no time.
Monday 25 July 2011
Why?
Today I was asked why I exercise and whether I do it because I love it or because I feel like I have to. This really got me thinking.
When I started walking last summer it was because I felt a need to get healthy for my family. I was afraid my two little girls were going to look at Mommy and follow the same path I had followed and I didn't want that. I didn't want my daughters to grow up chubby and be picked on. I knew the only way to prevent that was to make the change start with me. When I was off on maternity leave I used to go for walks with the girls and I enjoyed that so when I went back to work I decided that I would get up earlier than I needed to so that I could go for a walk with the dog before I had to get ready. I enjoyed this alone time and felt better and better about myself but I found that it wasn't enough. I didn't have enough time to get a really long walk in. That's when I started to think about running. A couple of people I knew were runners so I called one and asked about the running club she was in. I decided that I would sign up for the fall beginner clinic and the rest is history.
Now, I have had gym memberships in the past and have done weight loss programs but they never lasted. I always had excuses for why I stopped, I didn't have time, Adryanna didn't do well at the daycare, it was too expensive....
So what was different this time??? I think it was a combination of things. First it was that I went in with a different mindset. Instead of going in thinking I am going to lose 100lbs in the next 6 months I went in thinking I was going to get healthy for my girls. Another reason is because I felt accepted the minute I walked through the door unlike the way I always felt at gyms. Even just on the day I went in to sign up I was welcomed, the person who helped me was so nice and talked to me about what I would need to think about on the first day and even made suggestions for what to wear. There was no feeling that he was laughing as I walked out. I have never felt like anyone in the club feels like I shouldn't be there. Now here's the tricky part, I find I am much more confident now but I don't know if that started before or after I joined. I know that I can now walk into a room full of people I don't know and find someone to talk to.
A year later why do I still run?? Is it still about health or is it the love of running?? I think again it's a combination of both. I definitely caught the running bug and absolutely love it. I find that when I am with friends I want to talk about running all the time. I look at race info all the time and try to decide what to do next. I also love the feeling I get after running. Like I say I feel more confident, I have more energy and just overall feel better. I find I am trying to find ways to get more exercise into my life. I try to get my girls out doing things that allow me to get more exercise.
I feel like one step at a time I am breaking the cycle of obesity in my family. I am proud of this and will keep on going.
When I started walking last summer it was because I felt a need to get healthy for my family. I was afraid my two little girls were going to look at Mommy and follow the same path I had followed and I didn't want that. I didn't want my daughters to grow up chubby and be picked on. I knew the only way to prevent that was to make the change start with me. When I was off on maternity leave I used to go for walks with the girls and I enjoyed that so when I went back to work I decided that I would get up earlier than I needed to so that I could go for a walk with the dog before I had to get ready. I enjoyed this alone time and felt better and better about myself but I found that it wasn't enough. I didn't have enough time to get a really long walk in. That's when I started to think about running. A couple of people I knew were runners so I called one and asked about the running club she was in. I decided that I would sign up for the fall beginner clinic and the rest is history.
Now, I have had gym memberships in the past and have done weight loss programs but they never lasted. I always had excuses for why I stopped, I didn't have time, Adryanna didn't do well at the daycare, it was too expensive....
So what was different this time??? I think it was a combination of things. First it was that I went in with a different mindset. Instead of going in thinking I am going to lose 100lbs in the next 6 months I went in thinking I was going to get healthy for my girls. Another reason is because I felt accepted the minute I walked through the door unlike the way I always felt at gyms. Even just on the day I went in to sign up I was welcomed, the person who helped me was so nice and talked to me about what I would need to think about on the first day and even made suggestions for what to wear. There was no feeling that he was laughing as I walked out. I have never felt like anyone in the club feels like I shouldn't be there. Now here's the tricky part, I find I am much more confident now but I don't know if that started before or after I joined. I know that I can now walk into a room full of people I don't know and find someone to talk to.
A year later why do I still run?? Is it still about health or is it the love of running?? I think again it's a combination of both. I definitely caught the running bug and absolutely love it. I find that when I am with friends I want to talk about running all the time. I look at race info all the time and try to decide what to do next. I also love the feeling I get after running. Like I say I feel more confident, I have more energy and just overall feel better. I find I am trying to find ways to get more exercise into my life. I try to get my girls out doing things that allow me to get more exercise.
I feel like one step at a time I am breaking the cycle of obesity in my family. I am proud of this and will keep on going.
Sunday 24 July 2011
Holy Hotness!!
Saturday morning at 6am I got up for my run and one of the first things I always do is check the weather to see what I am up against. This weekend it was 24 with a humidex of 34!!! I knew it was going to be one tough run. I knew these days were coming where it was going to be too hot to sit still let alone run so I was as prepared as I thought I could be. I fondly remembered what it was like running in the snow then laced up my shoes and headed out into the heat. By the time we left the store at 7am it was already getting hotter and the sun was shining strong. I set off with the group and shortly after out stretch break I was chugging along by myself. I made it to the 4k and happily turned around to return. By the time I got to about 5.5k I was fading fast. I walked a fair amount of the rest but I was pleased that I moved 8k. I was hot and tired but felt great! It is comforting that some of the long time runners were coming back reporting a hard run too. It shows me that I'm not neccessarily weaker than the others, it was just a really hot, hard run.
We went to our bbq later in the day and I stuck to my plan to eat a burger and salad but to avoid too much of the snacks. I did however discover another super yummy treat that is by no means healthy but at least it was low fat!! Gummy Bears soaked in Malibu rum and frozen. Oh my goodness were those tasty!! I was a good girl and only had a small amount. We had a great time with good friends. The kids ran and played while the parents chatted. I had to run around quite a bit too because Christina is potty training and is totally obsessed with the potty and toilet. Overall it was a great day!
Today we hit the first stop on the birthday train. I got to hold a teeny tiny newborn baby! We went swimming and had a great visit with the other Mommy's while the toddlers ran around with the bigger kids. I always enjoy spending time with the other Mommy group families. Again I was able to stick to my plan not to over indulge.
This week isn't supposed to be quite as hot so I am hoping to get out there for a bit longer runs on Tuesday and Thursday then come Saturday I plan to do 9k and if I can run at least 8k of that I will be very happy. I am going to plan out my meals very carefully and try to avoid too much sodium this week. I think that has been one of my biggest obstacles during my runs as I love salty foods. I have been experimenting with other things to add flavour to my food.
This weeks weigh in was a bit tricky because I have been using my mom's scale (she lives with us too) and this week I got my own. When I stepped on the new scale I got a bit frustrated at first because the number was higher then the one I reported last week. So, I went and got on the other scale right away to see what it said. It had much better news! From now on I will use the new scale and the results will be based on the new numbers.
Here are the results: Mom's scale - 240.6
New scale - 242.6
So overall a half pound loss which is ok in my books. Any loss is a good loss as far as I'm concerned.
We went to our bbq later in the day and I stuck to my plan to eat a burger and salad but to avoid too much of the snacks. I did however discover another super yummy treat that is by no means healthy but at least it was low fat!! Gummy Bears soaked in Malibu rum and frozen. Oh my goodness were those tasty!! I was a good girl and only had a small amount. We had a great time with good friends. The kids ran and played while the parents chatted. I had to run around quite a bit too because Christina is potty training and is totally obsessed with the potty and toilet. Overall it was a great day!
Today we hit the first stop on the birthday train. I got to hold a teeny tiny newborn baby! We went swimming and had a great visit with the other Mommy's while the toddlers ran around with the bigger kids. I always enjoy spending time with the other Mommy group families. Again I was able to stick to my plan not to over indulge.
This week isn't supposed to be quite as hot so I am hoping to get out there for a bit longer runs on Tuesday and Thursday then come Saturday I plan to do 9k and if I can run at least 8k of that I will be very happy. I am going to plan out my meals very carefully and try to avoid too much sodium this week. I think that has been one of my biggest obstacles during my runs as I love salty foods. I have been experimenting with other things to add flavour to my food.
This weeks weigh in was a bit tricky because I have been using my mom's scale (she lives with us too) and this week I got my own. When I stepped on the new scale I got a bit frustrated at first because the number was higher then the one I reported last week. So, I went and got on the other scale right away to see what it said. It had much better news! From now on I will use the new scale and the results will be based on the new numbers.
Here are the results: Mom's scale - 240.6
New scale - 242.6
So overall a half pound loss which is ok in my books. Any loss is a good loss as far as I'm concerned.
Friday 22 July 2011
Ahh....
The weekend is just a couple of hours away!! I love weekends. I get to spend two whole days with my family and friends. This weekend we have a bbq and a birthday party.
The bbq is with two ladies that I have been friends with since we were teens and their families. We always have a great time when we get together.
The birthday party is the first stop on the birthday train! When I was pregnant with Christina I joined an online baby group where everyone was due in August 2009. Throughout the time we were pregnant we chatted about everything from heartburn to the crazy things that can happen during labour. After the babies were born we had realized that there were a few of us in the Niagara area and decided it was time to put faces with screen names. Two years later I can't imagine my life without these ladies. They are sounding boards when something comes up with the kiddies that we don't know how to handle and they are just great friends. We sometimes go out with all the kids and sometimes just the Mommy's get a night out. Either way we always have fun. Oh and as it turned out we were all due in August but only one of the four babies in our group was born in August :) This weekend Chloe is the first to turn 2!! I get a bit teary thinking of that but then I think of how exciting things are watching them grow up into little people and I can't wait for the next new thing. I also can't wait to take our Mommy and Babies picture to see the transformation of the last year! Here's last years picture! It was taken by Celine Parent at Christina's birthday party.
Before all of that happens though I must get through my 8k run in the morning. The heatwave still rages on and it's going to be a challenging run. I think with the guidance of my "running mentor" I am ready to face anything. I have my electrolyte drink going, I have already drank more water then I think I would have drank in a week a year ago and I have lots of healthy food to get me through my day. I'm really excited for tomorrows run too! I have only run 8k once before. My hope is to get up to 9k next week and 10k the week after. I'm told there is a sign at the 10k turn around point that people run up to and high five it the first time they get there, a right of passage.
So this weekend being full of gatherings I need to really watch what I am eating. I will be bringing some of my favorite salads to the parties and will make sure to load my plate with them before getting any of the other stuff. This should help keep things in check. I will also be bringing my own big water bottles so I can make sure I get enough water to flush the inevitable sodium intake. These steps should keep things in check! I'll update how it goes on Sunday along with this weeks weigh in!!
Try to stay cool out there!
The bbq is with two ladies that I have been friends with since we were teens and their families. We always have a great time when we get together.
The birthday party is the first stop on the birthday train! When I was pregnant with Christina I joined an online baby group where everyone was due in August 2009. Throughout the time we were pregnant we chatted about everything from heartburn to the crazy things that can happen during labour. After the babies were born we had realized that there were a few of us in the Niagara area and decided it was time to put faces with screen names. Two years later I can't imagine my life without these ladies. They are sounding boards when something comes up with the kiddies that we don't know how to handle and they are just great friends. We sometimes go out with all the kids and sometimes just the Mommy's get a night out. Either way we always have fun. Oh and as it turned out we were all due in August but only one of the four babies in our group was born in August :) This weekend Chloe is the first to turn 2!! I get a bit teary thinking of that but then I think of how exciting things are watching them grow up into little people and I can't wait for the next new thing. I also can't wait to take our Mommy and Babies picture to see the transformation of the last year! Here's last years picture! It was taken by Celine Parent at Christina's birthday party.
So this weekend being full of gatherings I need to really watch what I am eating. I will be bringing some of my favorite salads to the parties and will make sure to load my plate with them before getting any of the other stuff. This should help keep things in check. I will also be bringing my own big water bottles so I can make sure I get enough water to flush the inevitable sodium intake. These steps should keep things in check! I'll update how it goes on Sunday along with this weeks weigh in!!
Try to stay cool out there!
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Crazy Heat
Right now we're in the middle of an insane heat wave. This morning I started work at 7:45am by teaching a young lady how to take the bus to a class she is taking. The walk from her house to the bus stop is less than half a kilometer and took us about 5 minutes walking very slowly but by the time we got to the bus stop I was sure I was melting. I had set up a meeting with another person that would take place around the corner from her class so that I could walk there while I waited for her to finish. I was horrified to find out that the location for my second meeting was closed. We decided to move the meeting to the cute little coffee shop in the same plaza. We walked in and both thought the same thing "NO AIR CONDITIONING" by the time I left that meeting I was dripping sweat from my hair and all I had done was sit. Luckily there is a pharmacy in the plaza where I stopped for something to freshen up. By the time I got back to the class and on the bus I was so hot I couldn't even think straight. It was only 10am!!!
Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter!!! Thursday is a running day :) I am still planning to do a shorter than usual run in the early, early morning hours. I have to be ready for the 10k at the end of August and I know that this could be the weather we have at the end of August so I can't let the heat stop me. I will drink lots of water tonight and have some eload before I go to bed. I will fill my water bottles tonight and make sure everything is laid out. When the alarm goes off in the morning I should be able to get up and be out the door within a few minutes. Here's hoping 5:45am is still cool enough to survive. I will then head off to work for the day and try not to fall asleep at my desk, do some grocery shopping on the way home and take Meaghan out for a driving lesson. My reward at the end of it all will be a lovely swim with my awesome family. I think I'll sleep well tomorrow night!!!
Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter!!! Thursday is a running day :) I am still planning to do a shorter than usual run in the early, early morning hours. I have to be ready for the 10k at the end of August and I know that this could be the weather we have at the end of August so I can't let the heat stop me. I will drink lots of water tonight and have some eload before I go to bed. I will fill my water bottles tonight and make sure everything is laid out. When the alarm goes off in the morning I should be able to get up and be out the door within a few minutes. Here's hoping 5:45am is still cool enough to survive. I will then head off to work for the day and try not to fall asleep at my desk, do some grocery shopping on the way home and take Meaghan out for a driving lesson. My reward at the end of it all will be a lovely swim with my awesome family. I think I'll sleep well tomorrow night!!!
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Mornings
I used to hate them!! I was absolutely the teenager who slept until noon every chance I got. Even if I couldn't sleep I still enjoyed spending half the day in bed reading a good book or just dozing in and out. Then I had kids. I often say I would give anything to have one day where I could stay in bed until noon. I don't really think I could do it, especially if I could hear my family having fun. Last summer I got up every morning at 6am to go for a walk before the world woke up. There were always some people out trying to get their exercise in before the heat hit but it was so peaceful. When I started to run in the fall those morning walks became few and far between and by winter I was much happier to stay in my warm bed.
This morning I woke up at 5:45am and laced up my shoes for an early morning run. As I said yesterday Meaghan was supposed to join me but I guess she was too comfy and didn't make it. I headed out the door at 6:00am and quickly remembered why I enjoyed this time so much last year. I enjoy spending the time thinking and planning my day. I come home refreshed (mentally at least) and ready to start my day. Today I was greated by two happy little girls as I came through the door. That's one of the best things in the world! The other thing I really like about getting my run done in the morning is that I get to go home from work and spend all evening with my family. We can enjoy a nice dinner together then play in the pool and yard until bedtime. I love our routine and look forward to it all day at work.
Given the insane heat we are supposed to have for the next week or so I will continue to run in the early hours or the morning. If Meag wants to get up and come she's more than welcome but I suspect she will wait for the times I decide to run after everyone else is in bed.
I'm going to add some challenges to my days and will share those here too! Today's challenge was to eat nothing besides what I brought with me because I knew popcorn was on the agenda for the end of the day. I almost made it but someone brought ice cream sandwiches in and I couldn't resist! At least it was the small kind that don't pack to much bad stuff.
Tomorrow: find time to at least get a walk in! I have to be at work extra early so it will likely not be until after the rest of the world is in bed.
Tonight is Harry Potter night!!! I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for months and am so excited to see it.
This morning I woke up at 5:45am and laced up my shoes for an early morning run. As I said yesterday Meaghan was supposed to join me but I guess she was too comfy and didn't make it. I headed out the door at 6:00am and quickly remembered why I enjoyed this time so much last year. I enjoy spending the time thinking and planning my day. I come home refreshed (mentally at least) and ready to start my day. Today I was greated by two happy little girls as I came through the door. That's one of the best things in the world! The other thing I really like about getting my run done in the morning is that I get to go home from work and spend all evening with my family. We can enjoy a nice dinner together then play in the pool and yard until bedtime. I love our routine and look forward to it all day at work.
Given the insane heat we are supposed to have for the next week or so I will continue to run in the early hours or the morning. If Meag wants to get up and come she's more than welcome but I suspect she will wait for the times I decide to run after everyone else is in bed.
I'm going to add some challenges to my days and will share those here too! Today's challenge was to eat nothing besides what I brought with me because I knew popcorn was on the agenda for the end of the day. I almost made it but someone brought ice cream sandwiches in and I couldn't resist! At least it was the small kind that don't pack to much bad stuff.
Tomorrow: find time to at least get a walk in! I have to be at work extra early so it will likely not be until after the rest of the world is in bed.
Tonight is Harry Potter night!!! I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for months and am so excited to see it.
Monday 18 July 2011
Changes!!
I love them but they make me crazy! Right now life is full of changes.
While running isn't a new change anymore it's still a big change. I have had gym memberships in the past but the novelty always wore off within a couple of months and I started making excuses to miss workouts. Running however has remained exciting for me. I get frustrated when life starts to get in the way and I have to miss runs. Tomorrow I will get up before 6am so that I can get my run in since I am choosing to go to see Harry Potter at night. I usually run with a group from the local running store but I am slower than most and usually end up alone. I don't mind being by myself at all however for the next three weeks my stepkids are here and tomorrow I get to bring Meaghan with me for my run. I'm excited to have someone with me and doubly excited to share my new passion with her.
The other big change I am making is around food. I love food! I am trying to make sure I, along with my family, are eating more whole, healthy foods. Breakfast has always been an issue for me. I always eat it but it's usually some kind of cereal and milk and by the time I get to work I am hungry again. A couple of months ago I heard about something called a "Green Monster". Since I was determined to get more fresh, healthy foods in I thought I would try them and I love them! My family got hooked on them and my almost 2 year old screams with delight when I pull out the blender. I now have one several mornings a week and that has made a big difference to the way I feel. I am constantly on the look out for new breakfast ideas and recently found several things that I can make the night before which makes life with two little ones so much easier. Next I will be on the hunt for lunch items.
Another change for me is stepping outside my comfort zone. I have done this more and more over the past few months. Running and eating were the start, now putting things out there for the world to read. I am much more vocal than I used to be and am more confident in expressing my thoughts and opinions. It's amazing how one little change can snowball into big changes. I'm excited to see what comes next but for now the girls are sound asleep and it's time for Mommy to get ready for bed too, 6am comes very quickly!
While running isn't a new change anymore it's still a big change. I have had gym memberships in the past but the novelty always wore off within a couple of months and I started making excuses to miss workouts. Running however has remained exciting for me. I get frustrated when life starts to get in the way and I have to miss runs. Tomorrow I will get up before 6am so that I can get my run in since I am choosing to go to see Harry Potter at night. I usually run with a group from the local running store but I am slower than most and usually end up alone. I don't mind being by myself at all however for the next three weeks my stepkids are here and tomorrow I get to bring Meaghan with me for my run. I'm excited to have someone with me and doubly excited to share my new passion with her.
The other big change I am making is around food. I love food! I am trying to make sure I, along with my family, are eating more whole, healthy foods. Breakfast has always been an issue for me. I always eat it but it's usually some kind of cereal and milk and by the time I get to work I am hungry again. A couple of months ago I heard about something called a "Green Monster". Since I was determined to get more fresh, healthy foods in I thought I would try them and I love them! My family got hooked on them and my almost 2 year old screams with delight when I pull out the blender. I now have one several mornings a week and that has made a big difference to the way I feel. I am constantly on the look out for new breakfast ideas and recently found several things that I can make the night before which makes life with two little ones so much easier. Next I will be on the hunt for lunch items.
Another change for me is stepping outside my comfort zone. I have done this more and more over the past few months. Running and eating were the start, now putting things out there for the world to read. I am much more vocal than I used to be and am more confident in expressing my thoughts and opinions. It's amazing how one little change can snowball into big changes. I'm excited to see what comes next but for now the girls are sound asleep and it's time for Mommy to get ready for bed too, 6am comes very quickly!
Sunday 17 July 2011
My Girls
I started this blog for many reasons but the most important reason is my girls. I want them to have a happy, healthy mommy who is an inspiration to them. I thought having this for them to look back on will help them to see that anyone can do anything. They just have to try. I don't want them to have to worry down the road that Mommy isn't going to be able to do things with them because she's not healthy. I am trying to break a cycle of obesity in our family. I hope that keeping this blog will help me to keep working toward that goal.
My oldest daughter, Adryanna, is 4 years old and is already such a creature of habit. She loves to play, run and is always on the go. At the age of 2 she was diagnosed with a heart defect. It's a very small defect and they have changed the diagnosis as she grows but now they have determined that it is a tunnel going from her aorta to her left ventricle. While blood should be pumping out of the ventricle there is a little trickle that runs back through this tunnel into the ventricle. For the moment it's not causing a problem but it will need to be repaired in the next couple of years. She needs to stay healthy so that she can have the procedure or surgery done and recover quickly.
This summer we have signed her up for soccer for the first time. She loves it! She is smaller than everyone else on her team and shorter but I feel like she ended up on the right team because her teammates and coaches are so super supportive of her and congratulate her for even the smallest improvement. She often talks about Mommy's running and says she is going to be a runner when she gets older. She loves to come to races and is so confident in everyone she knows that she thinks all the people she knows will be the winner. I would love to have her as a running partner!
My younger daughter, Christina, is almost 2 and what a handful!! She is wild, strong willed and most importantly happy. She had RSV this past winter and is now at higher risk for asthma. Yet another reason to break this cycle of obesity. She definitely has an appetite so I try as hard as possible to keep the junk food out of the house and give her healthy choices. I figure the earlier she learns to make healthy food choices the better. Next year she will start soccer too. She loves to kick balls around the backyard now and fights to get out of her stroller when we are at Adryanna's games so hopefully she will like the game too.
I also have three stepkids, Meaghan is 18 and is a great support in my journey, Andrew is 14 and recently has developed a great sense of self, Ashlee is 12 and joined a running group at school this past year (I like to think I had a hand in that). They are all amazing kids and I feel so lucky to have them in my life.
Today I am taking two steps in my journey:
1. As I said yesterday I will have my first official "weigh in" I give a lot of power to the scale which I know is a bad thing but I also know that it helps mark progress. So when I stepped on and saw the number I gasped a bit but here it is: 241.2lbs. Now let's watch that number drop together!
2. I am going to investigate Clean Eating. I'm not saying I won't eat processed foods but I will make a good effort to avoid them.
My oldest daughter, Adryanna, is 4 years old and is already such a creature of habit. She loves to play, run and is always on the go. At the age of 2 she was diagnosed with a heart defect. It's a very small defect and they have changed the diagnosis as she grows but now they have determined that it is a tunnel going from her aorta to her left ventricle. While blood should be pumping out of the ventricle there is a little trickle that runs back through this tunnel into the ventricle. For the moment it's not causing a problem but it will need to be repaired in the next couple of years. She needs to stay healthy so that she can have the procedure or surgery done and recover quickly.
This summer we have signed her up for soccer for the first time. She loves it! She is smaller than everyone else on her team and shorter but I feel like she ended up on the right team because her teammates and coaches are so super supportive of her and congratulate her for even the smallest improvement. She often talks about Mommy's running and says she is going to be a runner when she gets older. She loves to come to races and is so confident in everyone she knows that she thinks all the people she knows will be the winner. I would love to have her as a running partner!
My younger daughter, Christina, is almost 2 and what a handful!! She is wild, strong willed and most importantly happy. She had RSV this past winter and is now at higher risk for asthma. Yet another reason to break this cycle of obesity. She definitely has an appetite so I try as hard as possible to keep the junk food out of the house and give her healthy choices. I figure the earlier she learns to make healthy food choices the better. Next year she will start soccer too. She loves to kick balls around the backyard now and fights to get out of her stroller when we are at Adryanna's games so hopefully she will like the game too.
I also have three stepkids, Meaghan is 18 and is a great support in my journey, Andrew is 14 and recently has developed a great sense of self, Ashlee is 12 and joined a running group at school this past year (I like to think I had a hand in that). They are all amazing kids and I feel so lucky to have them in my life.
Today I am taking two steps in my journey:
1. As I said yesterday I will have my first official "weigh in" I give a lot of power to the scale which I know is a bad thing but I also know that it helps mark progress. So when I stepped on and saw the number I gasped a bit but here it is: 241.2lbs. Now let's watch that number drop together!
2. I am going to investigate Clean Eating. I'm not saying I won't eat processed foods but I will make a good effort to avoid them.
Saturday 16 July 2011
Welcome to My Journey!
Hello Everyone!!!
I am starting this blog to create a record of my journey to health and so that maybe a few years down the road my daughters will be able to look back and see how far Mommy has come. I hope it can inspire others to start their own journey as well!
I'll start with a bit of background. I decided to get healthy about a year ago when my youngest daughter, Christina aka Beena, was about to turn one and had started running (she skipped the walking part). I had been having a hard time keeping up with our older daughter, Adryanna, but was finding it extra hard to keep up with two and knew that something had to change. One of the ladies at work was a runner and loved it. I had been walking all summer and while that was helping I knew it wasn't going to be enough. So off went the email asking about the running club. I was excited and terrified. I didn't know if I could do it and was actually fairly sure I might die during the first run but I was going to try. So September 7, 2010 I put on my running shoes and off I went. I quickly learned that I loved running and didn't die!!! I finished that beginner clinic and ran a mock 5k race at then end. What an amazing experience that was!! I couldn't have done it without the amazing support I recieved from the running coaches, group members, my family and Celine (she started the addiction and is now my go to girl when I have new questions).
I have since run 3 more 5k races and am preparing to run my first 10k in August. It's going to be a tough race but it will be worth it in the end!
Part of my plan for this blog is to share something that I never, ever share with anyone and keep a record of weight loss. Of course before I started writing this I didn't weigh myself so I'll include that in the next post.
I love finding new and exciting recipes to help me on my way so if you have any suggestions for blogs to look at please share!!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the journey!!
I am starting this blog to create a record of my journey to health and so that maybe a few years down the road my daughters will be able to look back and see how far Mommy has come. I hope it can inspire others to start their own journey as well!
I'll start with a bit of background. I decided to get healthy about a year ago when my youngest daughter, Christina aka Beena, was about to turn one and had started running (she skipped the walking part). I had been having a hard time keeping up with our older daughter, Adryanna, but was finding it extra hard to keep up with two and knew that something had to change. One of the ladies at work was a runner and loved it. I had been walking all summer and while that was helping I knew it wasn't going to be enough. So off went the email asking about the running club. I was excited and terrified. I didn't know if I could do it and was actually fairly sure I might die during the first run but I was going to try. So September 7, 2010 I put on my running shoes and off I went. I quickly learned that I loved running and didn't die!!! I finished that beginner clinic and ran a mock 5k race at then end. What an amazing experience that was!! I couldn't have done it without the amazing support I recieved from the running coaches, group members, my family and Celine (she started the addiction and is now my go to girl when I have new questions).
I have since run 3 more 5k races and am preparing to run my first 10k in August. It's going to be a tough race but it will be worth it in the end!
Part of my plan for this blog is to share something that I never, ever share with anyone and keep a record of weight loss. Of course before I started writing this I didn't weigh myself so I'll include that in the next post.
I love finding new and exciting recipes to help me on my way so if you have any suggestions for blogs to look at please share!!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the journey!!
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