I'm baaack

Now is the time.  I have a lot of exciting things on the horizon and for that I want to be the best me possible.

I am joining Kinstruct Health in Waterdown as their reflexologist and birth professional in June.  I will still continue both in Burlington as Birth Beginnings but now have a Waterdown location as well.  It is very exciting to be part of a team. 

I have started a online course to get my CEC's for my fitness certification.  It is on walk/running program development.  I have been really drawn to running lately so I thought it was quite timely.

I am working on developing an online version of my prenatal class.  That way parents anywhere can take it, at their leisure.  It is soooo time consuming but once it is finished, other than the occasional update to the material, it will be residual income that flows without taking time away from my family or me.

Since I last posted I have also started working for the same company as Marc, though many of you know that already.  It is a sedentary job which was challenging for me and has had a big impact on my physical wellbeing.  Financially however it has been very beneficial, the hours are extremely flexible.  Overall it has been a great venture, my challenge as always is to find the balance between my hats, my physical wellbeing and my family.

Reflexology has been very busy the passed two months.  It has been lovely.  I have a new service called "Ultimate renewal" which includes facial massage and hot stones.  I love the session, it is so relaxing for both me and the client and holding the hot stones after doing an hour of reflexology is wonderful for my hands.  I switched to a new online scheduler which is very nice looking.  I have also got the Square reader so I can now process credit card payments.

I have created a schedule in which I will run M/W/F in the mornings. On those days I will also study and work on my online prenatal program in 90 minute clusters (as that is all I can muster before my brain starts wandering).  Tuesday and Thursday will be solid with CRS work.  Of course births and reflexology appointments will trump all of those, it may change the time I run but I still plan to run.

I really love running.  It is physically and mentally challenging and so rewarding.  I just got a learn to run app and went out for the first time this morning and I freaking loved it.  The last two running sprints were mentally tough but at the end I triumphed.  In three weeks I will add strength training into the program, in six weeks yoga and come June swimming.

I have also created jars for self-care and family, and will create one for Marc and I as well.  In my self care jar I have 5-30 minute activities I can do that I really enjoy.  Some are indulgent, some are physical, some are creative and right brained and others are left brained and distracting (like puzzles).  I pick each day and it is funny how they are exactly what I need and when I think "How am I going to fit that in?" the opportunity opens up somehow.  So cool.  It really forces me to be "self-full" that otherwise I tend to skip. 

The family jar we started last night.  Each of us has put things in there we like doing as a family.  Last night Elizabeth picked out Pictionary.  Marc and Juliet did not want to do it but we played for an hour or maybe even longer.  All the sudden we realized it was Elizabeth's bedtime.  It was a blast and so great to be playful and do things together. 

Today I have three reflexology appointments booked and will do some studying in between and work on the prenatal class tonight as Marc has an online course he is doing and behind on.

Things are looking exciting and positive.  Each morning I wake up looking forward to what is next.

Quick update

I have not been doing good on blogging but I am doing well with my workouts.  I am now doing 4 sets of 40 second high intensity interval training 3 times a week.  I felt yesterday that I could have done more sets but did not want to push it as I really didn't feel like starting when I got up in the morning.

The journal is not going well as I am not feeling hungry anytime, and when I am trying to eat according to my hunger scale makes it very difficult to survive if I don't eat at all.

Anyway I am behind on work so I must go.  I will chat soon.

Day 1

I am back.  What a crazy few weeks it has been.

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  So this is day 1.

I have decided to do some high intensity interval training.  I started this morning.  I have to say I enjoyed it and wanted to do more but I need to start off gradually.

I did three 30 second cycles of high intensity exercise with 1.5 minutes recovery.  I will do this 3x/week, with 2 days of strength training on top of 5 weekly yoga classes.  After a few weeks I will increase it to 40 seconds, then 50 then 1 minute, and once comfortable with that increase to 4, then 5, then 6 sets.  I am hoping this will bring me faster results.

I also will create a food and exercise journal noting
the time I exercised
where I exercised
how long I exercised
what type of exercise I did
 how hard I felt I exercised
whether I exercised with others or by myself
my emotions when I exercised
the time I ate
the food I ate
the amount of food I ate
how the food was prepared
how hungry I was when I ate
where I ate
my emotions when I ate
what time I went to sleep
how long I slept
and my stress level

I am feeling so grateful to have my finances in shape and now I need the body to follow.

Jan 14

What a busy two weeks it has been.  I have finished two correspondence courses, started cleaning once a week at the Yoga studio in exchange for Juliet and I to get unlimited classes and started a once a day cleaning schedule that should have my house looking fantastic always.  As for fitness it has dropped.  I would tell you more about the two weeks but to be honest so much has gone on I am running from moment to moment that most of it I have forget, yet at the time it seemed so all-consuming.

This morning has been a very big struggle.  I wanted to get up at 6:30 do my workout, vacuum, go grocery shopping, teach Aqua, run my car over to the dealership, work on my newsletter, pick up the car, go to Wind to get my new phone (at last), then make dinner, prepare and teach childbirth education and do reflexology for myself.  I woke up mentally but my body was YELLING at me to go back to sleep.  All I want to do is take the day off.  Some things I cannot get out of, and my hope is the Aquafit will turn the tides of my energy.  I wonder if I am picking up on Marc's stress as today is the big launch of his project and he is stressed.  I also wonder if I am starting to come down with the illness the kids had.  Then again maybe it is just a case of the Mondays.  Either way I will honour my body as best as possible and see what tomorrow brings.

December 27

The results are in and I shouldn't have been surprised.  Last week was a bad week for workouts, Christmas came and went with lots of goodies and even healthy nibblies that were indulged upon just because they were there.  My fluid intake dropped.  So let's get the sad truth out of the way.

Neck 13.75" - no change
Shoulders 45" - up 1/2"
Biceps 13" - no change
Chest 43" - no change

Now this is where things get bad
Waist 43" - up 1/2"
Hips 46.75" - up 1/4"
Thighs 26.25" - up 1 1/4"
Calves 15.5" - up 1/4"
Weight 190 - up 2 lbs

I have my excuses and I am on day 23 of my cycle.  I am confident with a renewed workout schedule and my period out of the way things will easily get back to normal.  I am feeling very positive about the direction I am going. 

I did my lower body workout yesterday and my upper body today.  I need to go out and shovel the driveway.  At 10 am I teach Aquafit, at 12:30 pm I have an interview for a May birth, and at 2 pm I am meeting with a doula to see if she would be a good fit as back up or to refer to when I am booked solid.

Tomorrow I will do my lower body routine again.  Saturday we have two family parties on Marc's side and Sunday I will do a cardio routine.  Things are on the up and up as my weight and clothing size go down and down.  Happy Thursday.

December 24

I got up at 6:30 am today to do my upper body workout, I started with 15 minutes of cardio as a warm up and then into 30 minutes with the resistance band and body weight.  Then the cleaning started.  First I vacuumed the house including the couches and dining chairs which were long overdue, then the coffee pot Marc promised he would take care of yesterday, then pots and pans.  Elizabeth had rinsed last nights dinner dishes put left them sitting in the sink, we were nearing the summit of the iceburg.  The kids who both said they would sleep in were up early were sitting on the couch watching TV.   At that point I had been up for three hours and hadn't eaten yet, so my typically festive cheer started kicking in.  "I hate Christmas, the whole Christmas season and if you ask why I will tell you the reason, the house is a mess, the family doesn't care, don't worry slave mommy will kick the mess in the rear." I was wishing I could run away to the cottage, or just take off, leave the kids today and just find a coffee shop to sit down at and read a book I started four months ago.  That was when out of the blue Juliet said "Mommy I love you." when that received a unconvinced response she said "I appreciate all the cleaning you are doing today."  Wow, maybe we are developing mind reading skills with the sharing of the brain cell.  I was still annoyed that I hadn't eaten and there was so much cleaning to do but the kids both got off the couch and started doing the chores I assigned to them happily.  I ate some breakfast, had a lukewarm shower, for some reason our hot water was not working well, Juliet explained it was because the world was ending and the appliances are turning on us.  Once I finished my cold shower and got dressed, I started a load of laundry as our place mats are disgusting and we are hosting Christmas tomorrow for my inlaws.  I also hoped because I wash in cold that it would mean warm water for Juliet.  The dishwasher still needs to be run, I haven't had a tea, brushed my teeth or put my contacts in but I am feeling better and looking forward to my day with the girls.  Resentment and blood sugar drops are a dangerous combination.

Tomorrow I will not workout.  I will do my lower body or Wednesday, upper body again Thursday, lower Friday and cardio on Sunday.  If you don;t hear from me it is that I am making the most of having my kids home with me.  Merry Christmas everyone.

It's the end of the world as we know it

and I'm still fine.

Just wanted to give you an update as I have not posted in a few days.  I have not been working out.  Since Tuesday I have felt very run down, I have been having 15 minute power naps at 4 pm and still have been completely exhausted.  I listened to my body and it was calling out for sleep versus exercise (probably in defense from the cold my whole family had).  Today was a different story.  Today I was up at 6:30 am without my alarm, could have worked out but was too lazy.  I am going to be running all day and I was nervous what would happen to my energy.

Now yesterday I did teach Aquafit and went to a fantastic yoga class.  Today I have an interview at 9:30 am, some food shopping in preparation for Christmas, the kids have early dismissal, Juliet has a Christmas party, Elizabeth is going to a friends so I can get to another interview at 4 pm, rush home for 5:20 pm, pick up Juliet and head to yoga for 5:30, there is a hot yoga winter solstice class that my doula friend Jannine is teaching.  Then home for dinner, oh and cooking a ham somewhere in that time as well.  In admist all the phone calls and e-mails that come along with running two businesses.  I also need to do a Happy holidays newsletter for Hands to Heel as I totally dropped the ball this year.  Maybe I will do a really generic one and put it out from both companies.

I can't wait to see my Mom's side of the family tomorrow for Christmas at my Opa's.  As this will likely be my last post until after Christmas Happy Christmas everyone.