Tag Archives: Health and Wellness

Inside my Mental Health Journal

Life, Self Care Thursday's, , , , ,

When I first lost weight before I used a calorie counting journal. By doing this I also lost 30+ pounds. Though over the years, 10 plus, there has been some changes within them. As Ive aged I focus on certain things more so than others. Before it was just simple, count the calories. Exercise and that was it. Now I have included more things spiritually like how I feel that day, was I struggling, things like that. Only because there are more things I think I should be focusing on, Even self care or putting creams on my face. Habits I need to build that I no longer could on my own but keeping track is that much better.

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I know what a lot of people are probably thinking. Why do you write things out? I write things out because if I use an app (which works great for millions of people!) It never really “sinks in”. It makes me feel like a robot imputing data and I never really am aware about what I put into it. By writing it out, taking the time to do so, it makes things really click that I am aware about what I am doing. Maybe I have an off day and I’m writing longer than normal. Maybe I am having a great day and it goes super well and I have decorated the page. It really just depends. I prefer this way because it works for me!

I dont buy fancy books either. I buy a simple plain notebook and write my own outlines within it. I talk about how much I love notebooks in the blog here however when it comes to me and notebooks if I mess up, which to me is skipping days etc, I always feel like I need a fresh start. If I was buying notebooks pre-written I would be wasting even more more money than I do now on those things! Not to mention, even pre-writing the pages is helping to serve the purpose of also keeping my hands busy when I am sitting around in the evenings. I write a few pages or a few weeks worth of outlines and keeping my hands occupied.

Purchase your copy of The Darkness, the first of a trilogy of collections from ME! You can get your copy of the book here by clicking anywhere in this mini paragraph! Available on both Kindle and Paperback versions which ever you would like to buy!

I also keep track of my exercise in there. And when I say that It could be anything. Maybe I spend an hour really cleaning certain things in my home or gardening or maybe shoveling snow in the winter time or something. I try to keep track of activities even dancing that I do without it having to be exercise in the typical way one would think. Sometimes I dont give myself credit when I should and this is one of those things!

I also put notes at the bottom in case something happened. Maybe we went out for a dinner and I ate over my calories so this was a way for me to note why I may have eaten a lot more than I would. When I have days where we may order take out or maybe we are eating in a restaurant those are worth noting like all of them however a reason is good to see if we are ordering too much.

One of my toxic things about doing this is that I have 2 problems. One of those problems is that when I miss a few days of counting or tracking I have a tendency to stop writing anything down and I leave the book alone. I feel like because I missed a day and it wasn’t filled out perfectly that I am wasting my time and that is not even realistic in my way of thinking. I need to remember that there may be days here and there that I dont really want to fill it out or I forgot or maybe at the end of the day it was just too much. Life is not perfect but that is no reason to disregard anything that I have dont that could have been progress. The second one is that when I do fall into the not writing things down behavior I do a really big deal out of a minor inconvenience and I try to start over as in I wont use the same scribbler. I will re-write the same things I had in the other book and use a new book. But if I dont have any that I really want ot use I will physically go out or order on amazon a new book and write things. I need to stop this mindset. In reality I could be making millions of excuses and I need to just stop and do it for real this time.

You can see some examples here of how I fill out my scribbler. You can also see that I do post daily what I end up eating and what I enjoy more like a daily vlog on tiktok. I want to start that because I feel like the minor editing I can do on the app would be a great thing for me to start doing to occupy my hands again at the end of the night. Plus who doesn’t love to see a feel good story about losing weight. And another way or me to be held accountable is great for me too. I am really looking forward to finally feeling like I am doing something for myself!

I’m doing a weight loss challenge – Self Care Thursday – April 14th 2022

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I know, I did this late so if you are reading this after the Thursday it is supposed to be posted and PRETEND that I am on time. I swear we will be on time next week! I just have been majorly slacking and wallowing in self pity for whatever reason so I have been behind!

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I have decided to do a weight loss challenge. Through some folks on Facebook there had been a group of a 12 week weight loss challenge. The cost is 25$ and you weigh in on the Monday it starts and whenever you want towards the end. I am not entirely sure if it will go winner take all or not but I feel like for 25$ it still is cheaper than a gym membership or personal trainer that I hope it gives me the motivation that I need. I am so excited to start this and I really hope that I can get some pounds gone and maybe even winning something along the way as it goes too.

*** If you would like to support this blog financially you are more than welcome to do so by clicking this link here to bring you to my Ko-Fi website. Supporting the blog via tips is NEVER pressured however if you feel so inclined to help out in another way this is a perfect way to do so! You can see some behind the scenes items as well as insider info on the store updates and uncensored blogs also coming soon!

That being said I have started to go back to how I lost weight before. If you know from previous blogs I have lost weight before, mind you this was a long time ago and also before I was ever pregnant but I still lost weight. I have created a new calorie counting book. I am hoping to really deck it out at night to avoid munching and snacking at night. I want this to be more of a journal than a diary or log book. I also may not even be writing the calories of things but just documenting with what I eat in the run of a day. I also am debating if I want to do some sort of fasting like maybe 12pm noon until 7pm max however I am still undecided. I also am going to be doing different things and workout videos and things again too.

I feel like this could be a huge opportunity for me to be with other people who want to also lose weight. One thing I want to do as this journey goes and hopefully the weight also goes is by going through my clothes. That is something that I need to face reality. I do not need the amount of clothes that I have. Number one, some of them may never fit me anymore due to having 2 kids and my body changing. I need to come to that realization and just start weeding out clothes. I barely flip through clothes not let alone the ones that I used to wear to the bars. I need to start de-cluttering my life and clothes is huge. I know there are some underwear that will never fit me again based on my hips being incredibly different now.

One of my favorite items to use to workout and get the heart pumping is a skipping rope. Pair this with hand weights for a mini workout when you are a bit crunched for time!

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Starting this Monday I will take some before photos and re-post measurements. If you have been someone following this journey you will know that the weight I Have and measurements are probably not that much different than when I first started writing this in January. However I am excited to see where it takes me. I may even write some sort of a guide for the Thursday blogs so that I can talk about the same things every week and make things that much easier. Here is to 12 weeks and getting some what of a summer body back before my spouse has parental and we explore the province with our sons!

One shake that I found to actually fill me up is slim fast shakes, they are a great meal replacement with a sweet kick added too. When I am needed an added bonus for energy I tend to reach for these Nuun energy tablets.

Back to Basics – Self Care Thursday 5 – February 3rd

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I feel like every single week I write this will be the week I am held accountable for. Its not. I stand by my goal to lose 10lbs or be under 235lbs by the end of the month.

I was going to attempt a dry Feb or mostly dry but that just is not going to happen. I will try to cut back but honestly I just don’t know if I can do a dry one. I just need to control my munching.

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That being said I am really going to push myself to get a major start on writing in different places. Poetry is my next venture. I have an idea for a few books. I also have schedule different poems to be done on so many days. Certain days have a 5 poem day where I write 5 in that day. However if I do more over more days that is also great too. At the end of the month I should have at least 50 written however with the added scheduled (roughly!) I should have 80. Ideally I would love to see myself be pushed to have over 150 poems done. That would be huge in my quest to write and have some books done. Since it is poetry after I have written all of mind I will be  buying a fee poetry books to see the flow. Mentally I feel like this is a great and achievable goal because stories can take a bit more time and physically sitting down and writing. These I can do sitting on the couch in between moments of chaos with my sons.

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Starting today I am also writing down all of my calories/food per day. I need to. What bothers me the most is that I have lost weight before. Many moons ago but still none the less. I need to focus on that. I also want to do my own exercises and stuff. Maybe a workout DVD maybe just ones I think of. Regardless I also need to keep track of that. I feel like I need to also stop making excuses but that is obviously a me problem. I get so discouraged when I slip up that it hurts my progress in the long run and I know that all too well.

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I have also decided to start to write these out in more real time like a journal or diary entry. That way I am able to really demonstrate in real time for you guys how things are doing and my feelings a bit more detailed. Sometimes looking back on the week if I had a good day or two before I write this can be really cloudy for you, the reader, about how my weight loss and mental health journey have been going. I want you to see and feel that you are not alone if you too are struggling with something like this in any aspect of your life too.

Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels.com

I would say this past week has been nice I feel like a lot if us felt like January was a very long month. And while it was and some exciting moments I still need to focus in this. I can do it. I need to stop slacking and focus on what is important. I also am excited for nicer weather so we can go on Family walks too. I may even be planning walks with my boys. Since we have the double stroller. Maybe go on adventures and find different walking trails and things that are around to go to. I feel like maybe the cold weather is a bit low key depressing but there is nothing I can do about that. I love snow and I love winter but sometimes the cold is a bit too much!

Weight: 247.6 (Lost 1.2lb)
Start weight: 248.8lb (Jan 4th)
Measurements: (will re-do after 15lb lost)

Welcome to the New Weekly Blog Segment!

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As some of you amazing readers may remember, last year I started a series of blogs for something I called “Weight Loss Wednesdays”. This was a series I wanted to do for 12 weeks to document my weight loss and hopefully help others along in theirs. I also wanted a little spot to hold myself accountable by making sure that I was keeping on track. I ended up stopping this series due to the fact that I had gotten pregnant with my second son (If you are interested in his crazy birth story you can check it out here!). I did not feel that it was a good idea to be putting weight loss so high up as a priority being pregnant. Not to mention, I was also very nauseous and had major food aversion with him too! So the project was ultimately stopped after so many weeks.

Guess what?

WE ARE BRINGING IT BACK!

Starting in 2022, every Thursday I will be writing a specific blog in regards to mental health, weight loss, exercise, and overall health.

When I started the original series I wanted to share my journey with you all, or anyone who would listen. I want to being this back. We will be hopefully trying for a 3rd child after our youngest is a year (Just like we did when our 1st turned a year also!) And so that gives me an entire year to really hammer down and get my stuff under control. I would like to be under 200lbs. Which give or take would be anywhere from 30-40lbs depending on what I will weight on the 1st week. I will still be doing measurements every 2 weeks with weight loss goals and things being set up on the 1st week. This also should be around the time that I become fully healed from having my 1st cesarean section and am able to do things again. I will be talking about mental health and reflection as a mom of 2 boys and a spouse as well too.

A big part of me wanting to share this journey is that so often we talk about weight loss as being about numbers. The scale, calories, cheat days, etc. There is an overall health aspect to this that I would like to also focus on too. Sometimes it can be nice to vent or express some frustrations with life in a way that others for sure are feeling too. I would eventually love to see people relate to me and find some sort of peace reading that they too are not alone also. I know it does sound crazy of course but I think it could be a very big success to others.

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As you can read in this blog here from a while ago, I am a very picky eater. I do not eat conventional meals or even foods. I barely eat meat. I don’t really eat veggies. And fruits are mainly in the form of juices. However this year I hope to slowly change that or at least broaden some of my eating habits. I will include recipes as well to things I regularly eat and I will do my best to include the triumphs and set backs. I don’t want to call them failures because even trying something new is a major mental hurdle that calling it a failure may really set me back in my mindset.

Exercise is another thing that I want to really be active about. Being a mom of two boys now I do not want to be the mom sitting on the sidelines because she gets winded after playing for 40 seconds. I want to be the mom that can out play them with energy too. As I write this it will be nearing the end (hopefully!) Of healing in terms of my last pregnancy and the way it unexpectedly ended (which you can also read it here, I was terrified!). I do have an elliptical so I am all set in terms of starting again. The hardest part for me I think will be finding a time to workout. As well as balancing things. Ideally I would like to work out between 4-5 days per week. 5 being the goal. And 4 being the minimum. Anything over 5 days per week will be awesome!

I will be using my new agenda (read all about the top 3 things I look for in a new agenda here if you want to know why I am able to use it for weight loss too!) To write in the daily part for my calories and exercise. It will be mainly a more relaxed approach with a focus on just how I am feeling over all not just physically. I think it will be a lot easier to just use my agenda for this instead of making a new journal all of the time. That is a pain in the butt. No joke. And a waste of time. I seriously and going to try to optimize my time in 2022 to use it to the full potential. I know if I keep up I can so it for sure!

So there you have it! I will be writing the first post for this weekly health blog on Thursday, January 6th, 2022. Which so happens to be when I have a doctors appointment for a 6 week post pregnancy check up. I will say that it may be up a little bit later as in the afternoon but that is okay as I will update my appointment in there and how I have healed etc. Hopefully everything will be alright and I can say that I drove myself to the appointment too! I am looking forward to this next chapter and bringing everyone along with me!

What are somethings you remind yourself of when you need motivation for becoming a healthier version of yourself?

Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your experiences!

Vaccine passports, Why they are good

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This is going to be a very controversial blog post. I know there is going to be a lot of people that share how I feel. I also know that there is going to be a lot of people that do not share this opinion also.  And that is alright. This is my personal opinion.

Recently, many countries around the world as well as provinces in Canada have adapted a mandatory vaccine passport. For people who do not know what this is, this is a system whether be paper, electronic or whatever that you show different places in order to get in. This is not for essential services but it is for places of recreation or luxury. Some of these places include dining in a restaurant (Curb side or take out you are not required), using a gym facility, a concert or a hockey game, and things of that nature. Basically places you do not need to live.

So where is the controversy? A lot of people who are apposed to the vaccine passport are claiming that this is infringing on their rights as a Canadian. Saying this country is free and with the mandate it is being compared to “Nazi Germany” (Not a term I agree with on any level. Then you have people who are unsure whether or not to get the vaccine because Bob from high school who failed 3/4ths of his classes before he dropped out has been posting some pretty scientific information regarding the vaccine *Wink wink* and why you should not trust scientists or government officials.

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Then you have me. I, like many other Canadians in many other provinces with these mandates, support the use of a vaccine passport. I would like to state, for the record I am 31 years old. When I was 18/20 and taking the Human Services field for college I had to prove that I was up to date on vaccines. Such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, etc. The use of a vaccine passport is NOT new by any means. The difference is we now have the backyard professionals doing Facebook research trying to spread lies and conspiracies around which we know how information, whether true or false, spreads on the internet.

The big thing happening with vaccine passports, at least in Nova Scotia is that in order to do your normal recreational or luxury activities you must have a proof of vaccine for your 1st and 2nd shots for covid-19. That being said. Doctors, or grocery stores, or certain things that are deemed essential are not included in this list. Not even shopping is on that list. The things on the list requiring proof would be concerts, hockey games, bowling, activities for children (Parents who are unvaxxed are unable to take children to these places since children unable to get vaccinated follow their parents status), or sitting down in a restaurant but you can get take out if you wish. The people who are freaking out about this are the ones who are not thinking about the greater good of humanity or society but looking out for themselves. No one is being forced to get vaccinated. If they want to choose not to these are some consequences. Just as many many things in life also have based on decisions.

For me. I agree with this 110%. I think if you look at some of the excuses that people say why they wont get the vaccine some are cop out answers. I personally have a family member who will not get it. These are the excuses for why they will not. “The vaccine is only approved under the emergency order in Canada. It is not authorized” which now it is. Another is “we do not know the side effects because it has been around for only a year and you need 3 years in order to know side effects at the minimum”. Sure, but the type of vaccine that the covid shot is classified as has been around for many many years and is not new. Another reason when I stated they would not be able to go to the gym or they would not be able to enjoy their bi weekly dinner dates eating in a restaurant their response was “I have a treadmill at home so I don’t need the gym, and we are able to get take out so we wont need to eat in.” They also added that “This wont be forever it will only be for a few weeks”.  Anything that I had said was met with data from 6 plus months ago. And the fact is, when it comes to anti covid vaccine people I do t think any information could change their mines because anything you say with proving information simply is met with outdated or plain false data from the weirdest websites out there.

I think the passport will persuade people who are on the fence to get the vaccine also. And even though yes, you can still get covid even being fully vaccinated, the chance of being hospitalized is drastically decreased and your chance of spreading does decrease, even if it does not 100% prevent the spread. There is so many benefits that outweigh the few side effects or few flaws. For me, I was hesitant because being pregnant we wanted to wait til further into pregnancy. I got both vaccines towards the end of the 2nd trimester and the beginning of the 3rd trimester. Because I also needed to get a whopping cough vaccine I had to make sure that I planned and  timed it right. As for my spouse, being a father of a young toddler and a newborn in a few months, it was a no brainer for him to want to protect us because he is the sole income in the family and has to be out in the world more than we do. Does that mean we live in fear? No. But we will be doing everything we can to protect our family, even if that includes cutting out family members temporarily til they follow science and not Joe Blow from the corner store.

What do you think about vaccine passports?

Is there a vaccine mandate where you live?

Let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear your stories!

Living with Asthma

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It sucks. The end.

Just kidding. Living with asthma does indeed suck though. I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 4 years old. My mom had already lost a daughter (More in a blog post here: ) and when I was sick and wasnt getting any better she had to know why.

I was so young when this happened but my mom has told me stories and there was photos of when I was in the hospital. I was in there for nearly a month right around Christmas. When she had first taken me to the hospital apparently I was given 13 or 14 masks in a row. This was something they strapped to your face (Not nearly as bad as I can explain it) which had special liquid that was turned into a gas that you breathed in. It was super challenging for me to breath. My parents begged them to take me home for Christmas because having to deal with this in her first daughter she knew how hard it was to have a child in the Hospital for the holidays. I was only then allowed to come home to relax when my parents had gotten their own system to deliver the mask. I remember that as I was growing up and routinely sick around Christmas (I was allergic to Christmas trees, See the blog for that here: ) That I would continuesly be getting up every 4 hours with either my mom or dad to sit on their lap and have the mask administer the medication.

Growing up as a child, I loved the hospital. Going in with asthma I never had to really be poked with needles or anything. I had to have some oxygen machines on my finger and things but never was I poked and prauded with things. I also loved the fact that I was given popsicles to eat since I would be coughing so much my throat was a bit dry. And on top of it all, having a younger brother and sister, I loved the attention! It was nice that also when I would go to the hospital with my mom more often than not we would be taken in right away due to it being breathing issues. That was a great thing instead of waiting to be seen for hours and hours. As I look back now as an adult, I do anything to avoid going to the hospital. I do not want to be there under any circumstances not to mention there probably is times that I should be going but I avoid it and hope I get better.

I would say that there is people with far worse asthma than myself. However when I get bad and are in the middle of a sickness or attack it is never fun. Something as enjoyable as laughing could put me into an asthmatic attack where I am barely able to breath. Growing up as a teenager if I was walking too fast to school I would start to cough so much that I would throw up. Same with laughing or talking or being too loud. I would constantly have to check myself and relax my body to stop the coughing fits and hopefully it will pass without running to the bathroom and coughing.

As far as medications go, I was always on puffers. I started with the blue and orange ones (Forgive me for not knowing the older names because this was so long ago). they were used with the tube since I was so young it helped to make sure i was getting a full mouth full before breathing it in. After that I moved up to a brown and blue inhaler. These were the “L” shaped ones where you push the top and they have a burst of medication that you breath in. After this I was moved up to turbo inhalers which have a powder medication in the bottom of them. You simple twist the bottom and you breath out away from the opening and then you breath in. Twisting the bottom with each dose. I started on the blue and brown one of these. Currently I am on a turbo inhaler that is red called Symbacort. I should be taking this every day in the morning and at night which I don’t and should really try to however not having a family doctor here I really need to conserve how often I use it since I don’t have any refills. Lastly, by extreme emergency’s I am put on a medication called predisone. This is given to people who have cancer and a wide arrange of illnesses. It is basically a steroid for your lungs. I get this when things are very bad and my puffer would not help. My family doctor has always said to me, if I start to feel sick take my turbo-haler every 4-6 hours. If I do this for 4-5 days and feel no better and are starting to feel worse, I need to get a predisone prescription. Luckily, since moving to Quebec I have only needed it once and the walk in doctor we went to trusted my judgement and prescribed me this. Most walk-in doctors would try to give me an antibiotic which did nothing and I would end up back at my family doctor with him wondering why I am this bad! Normally a walk in wont prescribe it since it is a steroid for your chest and they don’t know your file even though I know and have told them it really is needed! The only time I get this is if my doctor so happens to be the walk in doctor and I am able to get in to see him.

Living with Asthma sucks. There is no way around it. However for the amount of time I am sick it really isnt that bad. I just have to be mindful and really know my body and symptoms so that I don’t let it get that bad. I know my aunt also has Asthma which is a bit more tricker than myself. She is more sensitive to scents and can get sick easier than myself. I consider myself lucky in terms of how manageable my asthma is, There is a lot of people who are unable to do a lot or medications have no effect on them either.

Do you or someone you know have Asthma?
Do they have trouble managing the symptoms?

Let me know in the comments below!

-StaySeeJ


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Weight Loss Wednesday #4 – Feeling refreshed even struggling!

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If you have been following my journeys at all you will see that I am in the process of trying to lose weight. AS anyone knows it is a struggle and you can see the beginning of my struggles right here. Losing weight is hard for anyone.

It is no surprise that I am struggling. For what reason I don’t know. With my son’s birthday yesterday obviously there was snacks and things and I hope that by writing this I can get back on track. I have been working a lot on trying to not stress about misses I might have in my schedule. That is a major reason why I try to restart my calorie counting books and things. I am the worst when it comes to being my own worst enemy. When I screw things up I am still holding it over my head for a while and its not a good thing at all.

I have been trying my best to cut back on smoking weed. Though I don’t think I am doing a whole lot I try not to smoke AT LEAST 3-4 days a week when I am gaming at least. Or if I do end up smoking I will after I have gamed. This is mostly because I am super lazy when I smoke and as I mentioned before I always cut the streams short when I am smoking and I don’t want to do that. My goal is to really try to hammer out a schedule of streaming and get to it for sure.



Current weight: 242.0lbs (Right back in the beginning.. LOL)
Start weight: 242.0lbs
Measurements (The same will be used because I really haven’t lost any weight and so measurements wouldn’t be different)

Measurements:
Waist: 47.0 Inches ( No Change)
Hips: 54.0 Inches (Up .5 Inch)
Bust – Over – 46.0 Inches (Up .5 Inch)
– Under – 41.0 Inches (Down .5 Inch)
Thighs – Left – 30.0 Inches (Down .5 Inch)
– Right – 31.0 Inches (Up .5 Inch)
Arms – Left – 14.0 Inches (Down .5 Inch)
– Right – 14.5 Inches (Up .5 Inch)



Going forward I think it would be better for me to not stress a bit over things. I think that is one of my biggest things like anything in life we normally are our own biggest critiques. That’s not a good thing! Instead of moving past a bad day or something I hang on to it like that is the biggest thing in the world and that’s so weird and not good mentally for myself. Having a bad day does not mean that I should throw away everything I worked hard for. I know that and even saying and writing it out loud it still can be really hard to grasp. I need to stop feeding my feelings with food and take a moment to reflect in times when I would like to munch overly whether I am high or not. I notice sometimes if I am bored I will mindlessly eat which is not good either and I really need to hammer down and stopping that.

My march goal is to hopefully get under 230lbs. It will not be easy and I know it will be challenging in many ways. I need to really stop feeling sorry for myself and actually do something as hard as it may be. I know that I can do it I just need to put my mind to it! It will be great and I am looking forward to the next month!!

Why I Love My Soda Stream

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Before I begin, No, This is not a paid sponsorship or advertisement for Soda Stream. However if they (The people at Soda Stream) were to see this YES. I would love to talk sponsorship or whatever you want. Mind you this is also strictly my opinion on it and why you should give it a try. If you don’t agree you are more than welcome to disagree! I welcome that! I just know for me I really enjoy the soda stream myself and figure why not share this with you all! And for anyone on the fence hopefully it is a transparent post where you can see some pro’s and con’s that I find for the product and decide for yourself!

My first experience with Soda Stream was actually at my old job. I used to take care of people who had intellectual and physical disabilities in their homes. One Christmas I was working and had to bring a gentleman to his family’s house for the Holidays. His brother actually had one and asked if I would like to try it. Before this I had only ever seen the commercials but had never seen it in person or even know anyone that had one. I mean, after all, if I wanted pop I would just buy it right? He had mentioned that before the Soda Stream they drank a lot of pop. And after they still drink a lot but they find themselves grabbing just the fizz from the water more then the flavorings themselves. In doing so, had also lost weight since the Soda Stream typically has 1/3 the calories as your name brand soda.

It wasn’t til a little while later my boyfriend and I were out when I convinced him we should have one for our house. I hyped it up for sure since he can be a lot wiser then I with money. We got it! And a sample pack with something like 12 flavors in a single use pouch you just squirt into the bottle after you make the water fizzy. It was a great way to really get to see which flavors you liked before committing to a larger jug of syrup. Not that they were super expensive or anything however it wouldn’t be super great if you committed to a larger sie syrup bottle if you didn’t like that flavor. It had many different samplers, such as orange and cola, a lemon and lime flavor and their diet counter parts as well. If you are looking for something you like this was the best bet. There was even a grapefruit flavor in sampler pack as well too! Which we both liked as well.

I will say this, If you are looking for a cheaper alternative for regular brand make pop like Coca-Cola you will not find it here because it will not replace that flavor. If you are seeking a Pepsi substitute you will not find that either. It is cheaper in the sense you buy the bottles of gas and you exchange it and get a refund where the refund will be technically make the new bottle approx $20.00 Canadian. And it does last for a while and you can basically pick and choose which you would like in terms of flavor whether that be a similar flavor to “Dr Pepper” where their brand is known as “Dr Pete”. Think about a store brand flavor like, Great Value, or President Choice, or Big 8, That will be the flavor of pop you get from these syrups. It does get the job done when you are craving it, But if you want the specific pop it will not achieve that. Or at least I have found sometimes I have gone out and gotten different name brand pop to satisfy that craving.

Another bonus that I really appreciate my soda stream for is the lower calories. For someone like me who has been fairly open about my struggles with weight loss this has been a great alternative. Not to mention the fact it has one third the calories is an added bonus. I will say as well about the flavor it does not taste all fake sugar aspartame either. I for one am not a fan of diet pops because I do not like the taste of fake sugar. I find that it leaves this weird film on your mouth and it sticks with me all day. Not to mention it also seems to more often than not give me heartburn which is never fun to deal with during the day and if I can prevent it I will! I don’t find Soda Stream flavors do this. Sure they obviously have less sugar if they are less calories, but they certainly don’t really sacrifice the flavor by doing so. The way I see it is this, If I am slacking and really would like to have pop, I will reach for the soda stream first. If I am doing well on counting calories and what not then I will reach for a regular pop to satisfy the cravings. I also have noticed if we have the syrup in the house I am reaching more so for the flavorings to make the fizzy water similar to the cheap bottles you would get at your local grocery store.

Overall, If possible, I would for sure recommend the soda stream to anyone looking to curb their drinking of soft drinks or even wanting to cut calories and still enjoying what they love. If possible though, I would suggest asking a friend if you know one who has a Soda Stream to be able to try it out. it does take a bit of effort though in terms of making the bottle yourself but overall it really is simple. For me if I am planning on making a bottle I will throw a few water filled bottles in the fridge to get chilled for later in the day. Sure, it may not be as simple as opening a can or twisting off a top from a bottle of Pepsi, But it certainly has a better feeling drinking it knowing that it isn’t loaded with sugar and unnecessary calories!

Do you have a Soda Stream

if so, Do you like it or regret your purchase

Answer in the comments below!

-StaySeeJ

What I have in my “Weight Loss and Mental Health” book

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Before I begin, I will state this, I do know there are apps and things that you can do for this. I find that for myself personally I cannot use an app due tot he fact that I find it very “mind numbing”. Think about how many times you click to your phone, And you check the time but you only are finding yourself checking back less than 30 seconds later because you forget what time it is? That’s how I feel about when I use weight loss apps. I feel like by punching in my calories or anything it makes me not realize the power that my food has or if I have a bad day I can simply forget it. I do however use a fitbit so I use their app for sometimes monitoring my exercise since the convenience is really easy, I also tend to use it for sometimes tracking my weight. But overall I don’t typically use an app. Oh, but I have used it also if I am stuck on calories and want to find something for a new thing that I have eaten!

As you may have already guessed, By not using anything in terms of apps for tracking my calories, Yes, I do write everything in a note book. I write it down because I feel like at the end of the day it really sinks in as to what I have eaten. Sometimes Ill even write throughout the day what I have eaten and keep count of calories as the day goes on, sometimes I will keep track in my notepad in my phone and write in the calories after a few days, sometimes I will write the calories I eat on post- it and put that on the day so I can write it in my physical book. It really depends on what I am feeling but ultimately I end up writing it in the book. My biggest flaw in doing this is that when I have a few bad days, instead of reflecting and and writing down my thoughts or feelings in the day, I feel like the book is not trash. Maybe it is because I feel like when I mess up the days the book is useless and I feel like every day should be tracked perfectly. I have recently started a new book, or at least outlining the days, and I made a promise to myself I would keep it. There is over 200 pages in there and I should not be going through and re-doing book after book. And before you even ask, Yes, I do re-use the books after rotating through but I do throw them away after so many pages is gone and I feel like it is a waste. I often forget that I used to do this when I lost 30 pounds before. I just need to get back into the habit again!

As you may or may not be surprised to hear, I also don’t keep track of those macros or micros or whatever else have you. if you are familiar with my previous blog posts you will see that I do not eat nearly enough healthy foods to even bother tracking that right now. I strictly limit my calories and eat whatever I want. Mind you if I eat a chocolate bar at 9am and find myself starving at 9pm I will normally reflect on this moment and think maybe I shouldn’t have wasted those calories earlier in the day or I wouldn’t be starving now. I try to aim to eat between 1200-1500. However I do have a max of 1750 for things, Like if I eat a serving of some type of nuts for example, they are normally higher in calories but they are good for you. So instead of overeating it I typically just count that in.

I also keep track of exercise and I think that goes without saying. I typically try to do 40 minutes on my elliptical a day. I don’t see this as too much and I think it is totally reasonable. Once I get a bit of a plateau I would like to also add in some 30 minutes workout DVD’s which will be easier for me to do once my son is older as I can put him in the playpen and I am sure he will want to do this along with me. However I do not want to start that now as I feel like I could be overwhelmed and give up. I also have some small hand weights a well that I would eventually add in however that wont be anytime soon though.

I keep track now, for when I smoke weed too. I find by doing this I am more conscious about over eating especially if that is the reason why. Obviously once we become pregnant again I wont need to but til then it is helpful. I set a goal of how much I would like to smoke during the month and try to stick to that. I know I need to stop smoking so much really. But seeing it as an overview helps to see that maybe I need to cut back or take a few days off.

And lastly, but certainly not least. I have a spot for mental health and self care. Sometimes I forget and by sometimes I mean quite often I forget that I need to take some care for myself. I need to take a moment to do something for myself which I always put second in my life. It is a lot easier for me to schedule in this time because if I didn’t otherwise I wouldn’t do it. Which is why in my streams I schedule art ones. Its kind of killing 2 birds with one stone by streaming a bit more and having a creative outlet as well. Even something as simple as having a bath and watching a show or doing absolutely nothing. It helps me keep some sort of normalcy especially where I don’t work and barely leave the house due to Covid being around as well too.

If I am missing anything that I should include, Let me know!
I am always looking for ways to make my diary for exercise and healthy living better but sometimes we get stuck in a rut and are unable to see new things.

What do you keep track of if you are in the process of losing weight too

-StaySeeJ


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Weight Loss Wednesday #2 Jan 21st/2021-Feb 3nd/2021 [20 days]

Life, Uncategorized, Wednesday Weightloss, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I need to be held accountable. Simple as that.

I have decided to do so, I will be bringing you along the weight loss journey. We recently have gotten AMAZING News about moving back to my home province so that means weight loss before baby number 2. And I mean I have to hammer down NOW! I will be writing blogs every other Wednesday til about June or so when we move. Every 2 weeks I will update (with pictures!!)

Three criteria: Days I smoked weed, Days I exercised, and Days under calories (Max 1500). Along with triumphs and struggles. And updated side and front photos too. Normally I pick subjects and write about them and if they become relevant schedule them or write about a current subject as it pops up. Not this time. Chances are you are reading this blog and it was written last night. I will have photos of calendars that I will be filling out to see things easier and an overview of how I am doing. I wont be typing up what exactly I eat in a day as I do not have the time to do that but this will be a good overview for all you visual readers! Simple “X” Day’s mean that I failed at the calendar’s goals. While if I pass I will briefly fill it in. If I am under my calories I will Highlight it with a marker, if I don’t smoke weed it will be colored in, and if I exercise I will briefly write it in ie: Elliptical 40 mins, Exercise DVD, etc. and I will write a reflection on each calendar and then a brief spot after for my struggles and victories of the week!

If you are someone who is familiar with my blogs you know that I struggle with weight loss, I have most of my life and recently wrote about it too, You can read that blog here.

My low goal is to lose 30lbs before we move. Which is no over-reaching. If I lose anywhere from 30-50lbs that would be a major bonus for me. My starting weight is 242.4lbs. I know. I feel like a whale and need to take control of myself again. The goal before baby number 2 is cooking in there is under 210lbs. It is totally doable I just need to hammer down and stop eating my feelings, good and bad.

**** If some of this is repeating the new info is below, you can read the first blog post here regarding the weight loss journey!

Current Weight : 237.0lbs (DOWN 5.4lbs)
Measurements
Waist -47.0 Inches (No Change)
Hips -53.5 Inches (Down .5 Inches)
Bust – Over – 45.5 Inches (Down .5 Inches)
-Under – 41.5 INches (UP 2.0 Inches)
Thighs – Left – 30.5 Inches (No Change)
-Right – 39.5 Inches (UP .5 Inches)
Arms – Left – 14.5 Inches (UP 1.0 Inches
– Right- 14.5 Inches (No Change)

Exercise Log

No description available.

Old Goal: Workout 8 out of 14 Days
10 Days worked out!
WE DID SOMETHING RIGHT!
Having completed the goal of working out I think I will probably stick to this again. I find workout is not nearly a problem for me. I put on a show on my Computer where my Elliptical is and I just go to town. I find this time to be passed faster watching a show and fully getting deep into it. Currently I am watching the Vampire Diaries which when I am done if I can find it on Amazon Prime I will hopefully be watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the 5th time or something. I like watching shows with female leads that have the body shape I want. I find it to be motivating when I can picture myself striving for that!
New goal: 10 out of 14 days worked out!

Under Calories

No description available.

Old Goal: 10 out of 14 days Under Calories
6 Days out of 14 were under calories.
This is a struggle for me however I am confident that the next 2 weeks will be great! I will like to add that there were some days there that were JUST over 1500 calories so technically they were over but if I worked out that day and counted the calories burned from the workout I would have been safe in terms of under. However I don’t workout and add those calories in I just count calories and let the workout speak for itself. The only day I can really foresee being over calories is Valentines day since we will probably be ordering in some food however that is basically all. Maybe an added cheat day. I set a goal below but will try to be under a lot more also too!
New goal is 10 days out of 14 under calories.

Days Smoked Weed

No description available.

As you can see smoking weed was a bit better. Many more no smoking days than before however I still smoked over the 4 max smoking day limit I set for myself. Thankfully for me a friend of mine and I have a little competition going for February. She won’t be drinking Wine and I wont be smoking weed. Little does she know I think she will cave before me, but don’t tell her that! So the new goal is NO weed at all for February hopefully we see lots of colors showing no weed days!

Struggles

Have been over eating. However when I do over eat the days haven’t all collided together which I am happy about. I didn’t completely self sabotage myself this time only a little bit. Smoking weed is a challenge as well and I hope by not smoking in February that will really help me to jump start my weight loss. If I can be under 225 by the end of the month or really close that will be a huge motivator in itself for me!

Victories

A major victory for me is working out. I think I am back into a steady routine now that it will really help me to keep going. I never had a problem with working out when I get in to the habit of doing it, the problem for me was food and over eating to the point my work out was just maintaining my weight it was never helping to lose it. I cannot wait to see where I am at the end of the month with no smoking weed!

Reflection

I am finally in a place where I can say I am excited about weight loss. If I can do this correctly and really stick to my guns about over eating, no weed, and working out I think February will be a fantastic month for me. My goal is to be around 225 pounds by the end or even close would be good. Then if I keep at a 10lb weight loss. End of March would be around 215 pounds and end of February would be 205 pounds. This will be huge for me before we try for a second baby and I couldn’t be happier! Here is to a kick butt month!

-StaySeeJ