Investing in Yourself Through Self-Care

Self-care is taking the time and putting in the effort to work on our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. This concept is not something that I grew up with other than being encouraged to stay away from various substances for my overall health. One very important distinction made in Pyschology Today by Christine Mienecke Ph.D. is that self-care is not self-pampering or self-indulgence because that is just a temporary fix and doesn't work on the root of the matter. That new purse or manicure isn't going to make you feel better long-term.

I am not a health care professional or counselor but I am a 38-year-old type A mom of three biological kids and one foster child who has struggled with an autoimmune disease. I know the impact that stress can have on my life and have learned various ways to deal with it.

Here are 10 ways to take care of yourself in order to help have an optimal state of health:

Going Sugar-Free: One Year Later

About six months ago I let you know how we were doing health wise in regards to the way we were eating and the results we were seeing.  This post had the second highest number of views ever on this blog. I struggle writing about weight because it's tricky--I want people to feel confident just the way they are but I also want them to know that if they want to make a change, they can!

These two photos are the `before' ones and show us last May at our heaviest.  When we measured our waist circumference, we were both considered to have abdominal obesity (>35" for a woman and >40" for a man).

How are we doing a year after reducing the refined sugar and certain carbohydrates (white flour/rice/potatoes) in our home?  How was it going on holidays?  Do we feel like we are missing out?  

Well for starters, we have left the obese zone!  The first few months we were quite strict in limiting our sugars and unhealthy carbohydrates.  After getting to our goal weights, we have been more flexible in how we are eating. During our Las Vegas trip and surprise Disney World trip, I was nervous about how my body would respond to eating more carbohydrates than I was used to.   I did gain 3 lbs throughout those holidays, but once I went back to healthy eating, it came off again until I was at my set weight.  Overall, I would say that our diet is at about 60% less refined sugar than it used to be.

Because we want to be able to have a treat once in a while (okay, pretty much every day), we know that we need to compensate with exercise.  I've been faithful at trying to get my 10,000 steps each day by tracking it with my  Fitbit.   I also run about three times a week for 20-30 minutes each time.  This is not a chore--I love it.  I need it.   Although I am able to maintain my weight this way, I can see that having more treats has increased my bloating.  I would like to be a little bit more serious in the snack department; it's that balance between enjoying life in the short term and yet looking at the long term effects.   

Throughout this past year, we have discovered many new recipes and I'm very thankful that Gary enjoys cooking.  I love that we have opened our eyes to a whole new world of ingredients; who knew that there were so many great vegan recipes out there?  Who knew I would love Quinoa Chips?  Who knew that dates were a great sweetener in recipes (okay, probably everyone who has ever had a date square)?

{Awesome gluten-free Almond, Pistachio & Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bars.  There is sugar in the form of honey and dates but it's much better for you and these bars are so high in protein. This was a special treat.}

I have been able to take off the 18 lbs that I gained over 10 years of marriage and 3 kids.  Gary lost 20 lbs and is even smaller than when we got married!  I feel good.  I love how my clothes fit and I love the energy I have.   As Gary and I get older, I feel a greater desire to take care of these bodies of ours.  I know there is only so much in my control, but if I do my part, that will increase my chances of living a longer, healthier life.  

I am glad that I'm not hard on myself.  I am very content with my size 10 body and don't have any desire to be smaller.  This is where I feel I should be.

This recent photo of Gary and I shows that we are the same size as our wedding day!  I'm appreciative that Gary is on board with this as it would be difficult to do it on my own.  I'm very proud of him; he loves food more than I do and yet has chosen to embrace good-for-you good food.

 The biggest recommendation I will make is to really watch your refined sugar intake--especially in liquid form! Simple, right?   When you fuel yourself with more protein and less sugar then your energy levels can be maintained and you stay fuller longer.  If you are wanting to make a change then I would encourage you to start!  If you have already started, I would love to hear how you are doing.

Love, 

Louise

Trim Healthy Mama {Update}

You know when you find out something awesome and you want to share it?   I just need to do it again in case there is someone who is interested in looking and feeling healthier!  I feel like this is an infomercial, but it's not, it's our life.  The other reason I'm sharing is that people ask me what `plan' I'm on and what I eat.  So, hopefully this answers a few questions.  

Gary and I are getting away next month (yahoo!) so I needed to try out my summer clothes.  I wore these shorts in August and look at them now.  I obviously had a few pounds to lose but exercising was not doing it for me like it used to.

It's been 7 months since I started Trim Healthy Mama.  If you're wondering what it is, it's a way of eating based off a book called Trim Healthy Mama .  I don't want to call it a diet, I just want to say it's a healthy way of enjoying food.  Gary and I ate what we considered to be healthy before.  However, there was definitely refined sugar in our diet as well as a plethora of carbs like white flour, white rice, potatoes and bread.  They were items that we thought we could fill our family up with and not cost a lot.

I met my goal weight loss of 18 lbs within 6 months by the way I ate alone.  You guys, I was never hungry.  I didn't change how much I was eating, just WHAT I was eating.   It wasn't hard once I totally detoxed myself off of sugar (took 3 weeks to feel good).  This past month I have started working out more to tone up.  It's way easier to exercise with the weight off!   My plan is not to lose any more weight because I want something easy to maintain, and besides, my bank account won't like it if I need to invest in even more clothes.  

Below is a before and after that I shared in November.  I really feel that I am now where I am supposed to be.

Below is another `before' picture.  Oh man.  This is the most embarrassing picture I will ever post but I want to share the reality!  That belly isn't just from three pregnancies, it is a sugar belly. I seriously thought I would have it forever.

I love that my stomach is almost flat now.  It has worked for Gary as well as he easily took off 20 lbs by eating differently.   He only follows the plan maybe 65% of the time and I'm at 80%.

BEFORE

AFTER

I eat a lot more vegetables now and I've swapped my cow milk for almond milk.  Way less sugar.  What other swaps have we done?

Whole wheat bread to sprouted bread.

White rice to brown rice.

Potatoes to Sweet potatoes and yams (Did you know you can use a cauliflower mash instead of potatoes?!)

Kraft Peanut Butter to natural peanut butter.

{Liquid sugar is the most `dangerous' so just be careful how much sugar is in your drinks!  I do have one smoothie a day now with half a banana or a date as the sugar source.  I love a glass of warm water with  a lemon slice in it, so good for you.}

Fortunately our kids like salads but we still give them more carbs than we have.  They have a lot of growing to do!  For example, if we do Taco Tuesday, I have it in a lettuce wrap while they have it in a whole wheat tortilla.

{I wish avocados weren't so expensive, I really love them! Good thing my kids don't like them}

Plain Greek yogurt is full of protein.  I use this in the place of sour cream and I use it in smoothies and for my breakfast. I use the Kirkland brand one from Costco.

An omelette for breakfast? Yum.

And for a sweet treat? I have dark chocolate.  Like, very dark.  85%.   I recently made these date filled chocolate balls and keep them in my freezer.  Recipe is here.

So many soups are so healthy for you too! This the Soul Soothing Peanut Stew.

What is my current go to snack?  Nuts, turkey pepperoni, boiled eggs, veggies (if you cut them up, you'll eat them!). So filling.  Protein. Protein. Protein.

I've said this before but I don't love the recipes in the book. The meals are okay but I'm not a fan of the baking.  I like natural ingredients and some of them are...debatable.  I was using xylitol (`natural' sugar replacement) in my coffee but have tried to eliminate it completely. I like my food to taste really good and I cannot make coconut flour work for me taste wise.  I've actually turned to a lot of vegan recipes and just add meat.  I also use a lot of gluten free recipes as well.

If you're looking for more posts on this,  I first posted about it here and updated here.

Finally, I do have the book if you'd like to borrow it.  I have a friend with it right now, but feel free to message me that you'd like it next!  Otherwise, you can order it but it is pricey.  If you order to the States, do it from their website, it's cheaper.  If ordering from Canada (and not having it shipped to the States), it's cheaper to order from Amazon.ca and I'll have the affiliated link below.

 If you have had success with this please leave a comment below! I know I'm not alone.  Here are some reviews from Goodreads in case you want more proof.  Or, just ask Gary.  He's a tough food critic and he has thanked me for the changes that we have made.

Love,
Louise

Four Benefits to a Low Sugar Diet

Over the last 4 months or so, we have altered our way of eating which involves decreasing the amount of sugar (and refined carbohydrates) from our diets.  The kids have reduced theirs by about 40%, Gary and I by about 70%.  This is: refined sugar, most flours, potatoes, corn, regular bread, wheat & corn pastas, and white rice.  If you are looking for a larger list of high glycemic foods, they are here. 

Why did we do it? The reason for me is that I wanted to lose my tummy fat.  However, there were so many more benefits that came from it.  

Here are four benefits that I noticed:

1.  I lost 16 lbs (so did Gary) so far.

2.  I have way more energy.  I am up until 11:30 pm each night (and up for the day by 7 am) no problem.  I don't hit that `low' each day that I used to around 4 pm. 

3.  My hormonal headaches have really decreased in strength and length.  I'm still waiting to see if this continues but if so, it's totally worth it!

4.  I used to have to take a melatonin to go to sleep about 3 times a week.  I haven't taken one in probably 3 months!

If you try this, the first month of detoxing from sugar is not fun.  I'm just warning you :)  I still allow myself some cheats.  Just yesterday, I had my first ice cream cone in months and it was worth it even though my stomach got a little upset.  Gary has always had digestive issues but has noticed things have improved dramatically.  We're not sure if it's the low sugar or gluten but it's definitely welcomed.

Above is my breakfast about 75% of the time (although I don't use a green Menchies spoon).  Did you know that 3/4 of a cup of plain Greek yogurt has 16 grams of protein?! I use the Kirkland brand from Costco.  Another great source of protein would be to have eggs for breakfast. 

I know that with Christmas just around the corner, the amount of sugar is rampant (and soooo tempting!), so it might be difficult to start now.  Let me know if you have implemented any changes, I'd love to hear about it.  

I promise not to be all `Get rid of sugar!' ish all the time, I'm just excited about it right now :)

Love,

Louise

I Lost Something

NINE POUNDS! So far.

About two months ago I noticed a friend of mine had lost a significant amount of weight.  I asked her the secret and she told me... `Trim Healthy Mama'.  I'm not into diets.  At all.  I know weight just comes back.  I don't want to obsess over the scale because I spent 10 years doing that.  I was not willing to count calories or deprive myself of what I love (chocolate!).   I felt for the past 2 years that trying to lose these extra 15 lbs was not worth it.  Until now.  It reached the point where clothes were just too snug and I just felt so bloated. 

I've tried several times since Nya has been born to lose weight by exercise alone.  It did not work like it used to!  I don't know if it's my age or hormones or three pregnancies where my belly stretched to astronomical proportions,  but I could not lose the belly weight.  Now it is a priority.

This way of eating is based off a book called `Trim Healthy Mama'.  I will tell you now that the book is huge and I think half of what is written does not need to be in there. I'm an efficient person and it's not written concisely.  That aside, the ideas in it make sense and totally work.  If you have fat + sugar (carbs), then excess energy will be stored in fat cells.   I was definitely storing excess sugar/carbs as fat, mostly in my belly.

What is the plan?  Here is the gist of it (from me skimming the way too long book and putting it into practice):

1. Protein at every meal (I learned in pregnancy that this keeps you full longer!)

2. Eat every 3 hours.

3.  Little to no sugar (this includes white rice, potatoes, most fruit, carrots, etc).  I think this is what has helped to alleviate my bloating the most.

4.  You can have a meal with higher fat but then you must have low carbs.

5.  You can have some carbs (like brown rice, sprouted bread) but then you need low fat.

You can't have high carbs AND high fat.  For specific numbers, a meal with less than 5g of fat can have 20-40g of carbs.  More than 5g fat should have 10g carbs or less.

My old breakfast would be toast and peanut butter.  Now?   Either an omelet (egg with cheese, tomato, green peppers) or Greek yogurt with blueberries.  I also add some Qi'a from Costco (hemp hearts and chia seeds).

My snacks before?  Oh man, I was such a carboholic!  Crackers, cookies, granola bars and muffins  Now? Nuts (I'm allergic to almonds), cucumber, pepper, a cup of berries, a green apple, or some quinoa crackers and hummus.  I always make sure to have a container of nuts in my purse.

I  just adapt our regular meals to make it work for me.  If we have `Taco Tuesday', I omit the wraps and have it on a huge bed of lettuce.   If we are going to have potatoes, veggies and meat, I replace the potato with sweet potato or pureed cauliflower.  If we are going to have a curry or Thai sauce, I just don't have it over rice.  You could put it on brown rice but that is just a slower weight loss.  When we were on holidays with friends, I was probably only able to eat 60% on plan so I gained 1 lb back that week.

For a treat?  I have 85% dark chocolate.  Yes, there is sugar but very little.  Or, I can make my own chocolate with coconut oil, cocoa and a sugar replacement (xylitol).  I'm not really sure how I feel about alternative sweeteners...they taste fine but make me a bit nervous.

This picture is embarrassing because I don't love showing my belly.  However, I do want to celebrate progress.

{6 weeks and 9 lbs down. Yes, I'm getting a hair cut this week.}

Do I miss anything?  I still have about a glass of wine or a beer once a week so that part is okay.  I miss my ice cream.  I know there are low carbohydrate ones out there but I miss the really good stuff.

My plan this fall is to start working out a bit more to aid in the weight loss and toning up.  I want something that I can keep up so we'll see what happens.  I currently run just 3 km two times a week and walk or bike 3 days a week.  My hope is to lose 18 lbs overall to be my pre-kids weight.  It's a huge goal but I'm in no rush, so if it takes 6 months or 6 years, I'm totally fine with it. I love where I am now; my pre Nya weight.

I don't like talking about diets or losing weight BUT I'm sharing it in case it's something you were interested in addressing in your life.   It is the easiest time I've ever had losing weight (well besides when I was sick with a hyperactive thyroid) and I'm not hungry.  I'm trying to be very careful about talking about weight loss around my kids.  Eating healthy? No problem.  Weight loss?  Not a topic I want them exposed to.   Gary, also a carboholic, is on board with eating differently too so we will see how it goes!

Love, 

Louise