Rays of Harmony

Day 22: I’m down another 1/2 pound. I haven’t lost any inches. Every other time I’ve done this program I have hit a plateau in week 3 and this is where I usually give up and go back to my unhealthy habits. ... NOT THIS TIME. This is different... There are things going on inside that I can’t see. I’m actually loving myself enough to treat myself right. I’m also a much better vessel for my energy healing and am looking forward to doing that again. My biggest issue before was that I wasn’t taking care of myself. I burnt out due to taking care of everyone and everything BUT me. How could I pour from an empty cup?? This has been something I wanted to do for a long time but didn’t know how (because I’m a bonafide people pleaser and boundaries were tough to put in place). This is a whole new beginning. Some meals over the last few days... I love the mixed berries in a bowl with silk coconut milk overtop of them. De-lish!!! The dinner I had tonight (the first pic) was baked lemon and garlic chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans (all baked in one dish). It was not something I would make again.. we didn’t like it lol. My lunch was sliced oven roasted Turkey and salad. Oh I must say, roasted cauliflower in olive oil with some salt and pepper is one of my most fave side dishes!!! It’s totally different from boiled cauliflower (barf). I never had it before because I thought I didn’t like cauliflower- I was wrong! Heading into week 4 and I gotta say I’m really proud of myself!! Be well my friends!

Back on track after a wee bit of cheating over the weekend. Breakfast - I decided to switch it up a bit and I made oatmeal with 1/2 an apple, cinnamon and trail mix with dried cranberries. It was very good but so very filling! I ate half the bowl and will have the rest for breakie tomorrow. Lunch - pineapple and my chocolate shake. In my shake I put 1/2 cup of Silk brand coconut milk with 1/2 cup water, chocolate protein, 1/2 scoop of greens (I find a full scoop makes me ve...ry gassy lol) and ice. The pineapple before the chocolate shake tasted delicious! Dinner - spring mix salad with cucumber, red pepper, mushrooms and carrot shavings. Baked chicken on the side with my Montreal chicken spice made it complete. I’m going for a walk soon with my friend so I’ll get some steps in today. Yay! I’m happy that my guy is eating better as well. I’m finding I’m not making 2 or 3 meals for one sitting (which also helps for clean up ). I’m proud of him but shhhh... don’t tell him I said that! Haha... Be well my friends!

Day 17: Friday night I had a cheat night for food and I got wings and fries. I ate 4 or 5 wings and a handful of the fries and to be 100% honest, they tasted terrible and I felt like crap all night. I had really bad indigestion and I was nauseous. Gross Saturday night I had a shake for dinner. We had a fire in the backyard and I had 2 glasses of wine. It totally wasn’t worth it. That’s all I got to say about that. ... Now for some wins.... I weighed myself and did my measurements on Friday and I’m down another 2 lbs and a total of 11 off my body! I’m very proud of that. Total pounds down is 5 so far. If I continue to lose 2lbs a week I will be at my goal weight by June 13th! Just in time for summer! I’m not interested in losing weight fast. I want it to be a gradual process so I can build muscle as I lose the weight. So now for some aha moments.... I’ve gained a LOT more than what I thought I would lose. Sleeping better and feeling more energy is great, but I also found I have more quality time for things I enjoy but didn’t have time for before. Healthy food and snacks can be delicious too! I already notice a difference in how my clothing fits. I was afraid that my relationships would change if I changed to a healthier lifestyle. They absolutely have changed - for the better! I have a lot of friends who have been showing support which is awesome. It shows me just how much they care. I’m not as irritable. I also catch myself as soon as I feel some negative emotions (and I’m able to communicate what’s going on and why). It helps heal some past crap that used to affect me (and the people around me) much differently. I’ve got some really great things in store for myself over the year. I paid for float therapy sessions in bulk, I’m planning to organize rooms in the house so it’s easier to find things and less clutter. My IBS is gone. There is so much more. Onto week 3!! Be well!

So the last few days have been a success! I’ve had chicken and salad for dinner last night (cooked in zesty Italian dressing - low sodium and has only 1g of sugar). I made chicken soup for lunch yesterday with no salt broth and canned chicken from Costco. I put frozen veggies in it. The onion flakes and pepper help to add flavour. ... I also had eggs for breakfast the other day and it upset my stomach. I used no butter or cooking oil to cook them in the frying pan. I’ll wait a week and try again and see what happens. I’ve been drinking my teas and my energy fizz sticks through the day. I walked over 8000 steps on Sunday and the last 2 days I have used the tension bands and I’ve done floor exercises (planks, crunches and push ups). I’m drinking my protein shakes this week for breakfast so I can add the extra veggies and the digestive aid into it. The digestive aid is ok in the tea as well, but it does have a bit off a taste that takes getting used to. The other night I had white rice, ham and veggies and didn’t make myself a separate meal (yes, I have mostly been making myself separate meals from my family). I worked really late and was tired and very hungry. One thing I have learned is that if I go too long between meals and feel that deep hunger, I over eat and I also eat like crap. Lesson learned . It appears we are going to get some colder weather soon so I’m really going to have to push myself to get outside. I don’t mind the cold, but when it’s dull and grey outside that’s when I find it hard to get out. I know for the sake of my mental health I need to do it. Still no alcohol and I’m happy to say Scott hasn’t had anything either (except for one night when he had a shot of rye). Oh, I also had a bowl of regular lightly salted potato chips the other night. No sugar, no gluten/preservatives etc so maybe not the healthiest choice but also not the worst lol. I’m not aiming for perfection with this process and I’m understanding that I am learning things about myself along the way that are very important for my overall being. Some of you may be wondering what happens after the 30 days. I know this much... I won’t go back to what I was doing. I do want to add back sugar at some point and see if that’s the cause of the itching after a shower. I will add back wine but in a much different way (a lot less and as more of a weekend social thing). I intended to do this as a lifestyle change - not a temporary fad diet. (That’s not what the program is about either). I like reading at night before bed. I like waking up feeling better. I like that I get a much more restful sleep. I like seeing the weight coming off the scale. I like being more focused. There are so many added bonuses that I wasn’t getting before. Cheers to physical and mental well-being! Be well my friends and make it a great day!

So day 9: Saturday. The weekend. When normally I like to sit and watch a good movie and have a glass of wine (or 2). ... I started the day with my oatmeal. I added the cinnamon bun protein mix rather than the chocolate. I only had 1 scoop of it left and since it’s not enough to make a shake with, I tried it in the oatmeal. It was good but chocolate is still my fave! I found this chocolate bar too. 4 squares has only 1g of sugar. It’s definitely not like regular chocolate and it has more health benefits (it’s an antioxidant amd has 15% of our daily iron intake). It’s a good alternative for that night time snack. I also didn’t feel like cooking last night. The kitchen is a mess and I have dishes to do. It would have been REALLY easy to get McDonald’s or Wendy’s but I really didn’t want to do that ... So, we went to Fortinos and got a rotisserie chicken and I got a couscous salad with it (Scott got French fries and spring rolls). Full disclosure: I had 2 fries. They were rather dry haha. I found I got full fast. I also had 2 fizz stick drinks through the day. We worked on our puzzle last night and I read more of my book. I also had a bath with Epsom salts and essential oil (eucalyptus was the choice for last night) with some crystals in the tub. It was so relaxing. I didn’t want to put my book down. I was up until 1:00am reading lol. I’m really proud of my progress. Next week my goal is to add in some weight training with the walking. I have some hand weights and some tension bands.. time to step it up a bit! The good thing about that is when I can’t get a walk in during the day (and I hate walking alone at night); I can still get in some exercise without leaving the house. I also think it’s important to build some muscle as it helps with metabolism. Be well my friends!!

I was speaking with a woman and she made a statement that broke my heart: I have nothing to look forward to. Covid took away my vacations, family gatherings, group outings, sports events, restaurant meals with all my girls. All I have is work and sleep. This really got me. It made me see a perspective that I hadn’t really thought about. I’m an introvert and Covid actually hasn’t affected me to that degree. ... I told her that there are many other things she can do if she took a chance and opened herself up to some new ideas. Here are some suggestions I made (and more I’ll add for you all): get outside every day. Bundle up if it’s cold and go for a walk (even socially distanced with just one friend). It’s nice to have to 1:1 time with someone you may not normally get to have that more personal conversation with. read a book. Pick one that looks like it may be interesting for you. There is a whole world of opportunity to learn, grow and entertain yourself from a book. Try a new TV series you may have shown some interest in but didn’t have time before now to watch. try cooking or baking new things! Who cares if the kitchen is a mess. It’s not like anyone is going to unexpectedly drop in lol. *note: I recently found out just how much I love Falafels and if you have a recipe for them I would love for you to share with me! start decluttering your space or changing up a room. Even reorganizing the furniture and cleaning it up can really make a big difference. If you’re really creative, try adding new pieces or colours into the room. try new games or puzzles. Make a family game night with the people who live in your house (even if it’s just you and your spouse). set up some time to exercise in your house and move your body. Yoga is gentle but effective and great if you live in an apartment. Even just stretching out your muscles and doing some crunches and push ups can get the blood flowing and endorphins running. learn to knit or crochet. pick up a colouring book and pencil crayons. Create some of your own art work. Paint! Grab an easel and blank canvas. Paint anything you like. Grab a sketch book. The dollar store is open and they have sketch pads and pencils. They also sell a lot of crafty stuff. Learn about something new. Read up on different insects; plants and how they benefit health; gardening tips; religious customs; different countries and their best places to see and explore. That’s only a few ideas. There is a whole lot to learn and explore! There are so many things we can do to make life worth living - even in a pandemic. We can choose to dwell on what we can’t do, or look for new opportunities to open our world to new things. Who knows, you may even look forward to having a wonderful bubble bath, playing games with members in your household, or even going for a hike with your best friend. Be well and make it a great day!