A reminder to take care of me

Life's been pretty lop-sided lately.  Since getting back from Chicago, I've been under the weather, and have managed to do a whopping ONE day of rowing! I decided I wouldn't accept the cheating thing, so I started over at day one on the 11th. So, 100% paleo for 30 days. I'm no longer on the Strong Lola Challenge as they're eleven days ahead of me. It's pretty interesting watching the challenge unfold for a large group of individuals at once. It has been giving me a real sense of what's possibly to come in the way of struggles, roadblocks, the unknown, etc.  Today is day five, and the worst thing for me thus far is the same thing I have always dealt with - I am obviously not eating enough. I am forever hungry, and the thing that concerns me is I'm relying on fruit to address that hunger. Will listen to Jason's advice on olive oil shots though. I know they will be a lifesaver when I get to the stage where I have no energy and will need to ingest more fats - make my body start burning fats for energy.

My poor baby...

Been dealing with a "sick" puddy tat since I got back home. He has severe gum disease and may need to lose a number of teeth (he's already lost his lower incisors). Right now he's on antibiotics and pain meds. In addition to his gingivitis, he has lesions on  his teeth, something I had never heard about before. Poor Winston's situation has definitely given me pause. Over the last few years since I went back to grad school I have completely let myself go, in the sense that I stopped paying attention to me. I stopped having manis and pedis (except just before seeing my mom so I wouldn't have to hear about it!!!!); rare visits to get my hair done; but the big one is, I've shirked going to the dentist. This last one makes NO SENSE if you think about the fact that I was raised by two dental professionals!!! Yet it's been a few years (gasp) since I've visited the dentist. Should it be a surprise then that I neglected the dental health of my pet? Don't get me wrong, I have paid very close attention to Winston's general care, and he's ridiculously healthy and handsome. I just didn't take him to the vet so he could have his teeth checked. Now how does this fit the theme of this blog, you ask? Simple, we all too often forget, oral health is not only important to your appearance and sense of well-being, but also to your overall health. Cavities and gum disease may contribute to many serious conditions, such as diabetes and respiratory diseases. Untreated cavities can also be painful and lead to serious infections. Fitness and health go hand in hand. So keep on keeping on, but don't forget the small stuff (gotta make a dental appt this week!)!

See? The smile's worth saving!!!

Coming back from a weekend in Chicago

This weekend was an exercise in excess.  I ate too little or too much, and what I did eat was useless for me in terms of fitness.  And whilst not drinking as much as we have in past gatherings, I drank too much as well.  Knowing myself however, I knew this would be the case.  I have always been a creature that did what it wanted when it wanted to do it.  I fall easily into bad habits and have really never learned restraint.  I know the things I should and shouldn’t eat/drink, but have always given more weight to the importance of living whilst enjoying every bit of it.  “meh, life’s too short to deny myself the things I like.”  Of course, built into that thought process is the assumption that a life without alcohol and junk food isn’t or cannot be an enjoyable one.  Yet, as I made my way through the weekend, I was very conscious of the food and drink choices I made.  I’m detecting a degree of evolution, albeit small.  But I do think that for a woman who’s answered to the name Sugar for over a decade, any evolution is worth mention.  

Fresh ingredients change everything!

 Living in Halifax has meant cooking a great deal more than I ever have.  I have always hated domesticity in all it’s forms, but my circumstances don’t allow me the option of not doing all the cooking, cleaning etc., so I find myself constantly searching for new and interesting recipes, even whilst being cognizant of the fact that Jason has a limited palate, and I believe maybe even IBS.  

Halifax Farmers Market

I am learning the value of cooking with fresh herbs and spices.  Slowly our meals are starting to take on flavors I thought were the domain of awesome cooks, and am now realizing can be had through simply staying away from canned, dried, preserved and otherwise processed foods.  Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t need to cling to my book of recipes, just that whenever possible, I will make the effort to buy and eat fresh.  I guess I’ve just discovered the value of the farmer’s market!  None too soon, considering that now I’m back from Chicago I go back to the paleo challenge.  

 Sugar

Do your own thing and don't worry about anyone else!

It's always driven me bonkers to see the resolutionists at the gym in January. So much so that I haven't been to the gym in January in years. I usually just pretend I'm on a gym vaykay, or take my training outdoors so I don't have to cringe as I try to figure out what exercise this person claims to be doing on a machine intended for anything but what they're doing on it. I commend people for trying, I just wish they would go  the extra mile and take a class or do an orientation session in whatever form of exercise they plan on pursuing so they don't end up hurting themselves or someone else. Of course, this is not solely the practice of the January drop-ins. I have never gotten into the habit of listening to music while working out, so my distraction or entertainment (as needed) is people watching. Because of this I think I have become quite the form Nazi. I mentally police knees during squats, arm positions during bench presses, etc., and the biggest culprits? The football players, they strut around the gym like prima donnas, yet 90% of the time it's all I can do to not go over and scream "you're doing it wrong!!!" This year I will be breaking with recent tradition and hitting the gym in January, in the evening (because, like it or not, I need to be there!). I will try not to kill anyone. I will try to remember that I'm there for me and my own journey, and therefore, I need just focus inward.

I will also be participating in Marsha's (of Strong is the New Skinny) 30 day challenge on her site Strong Lola (and her FB group), where she's leading a 30-day paleo challenge:

The idea is to begin the new year on a healthy nutritional note, whilst having a support group (virtual  or not) to share the journey, recipes, challenges, discoveries...
Since I know that the trip to Chicago means I won't stick to a clean diet, I need to throw in a dash of honesty - it's my birthday this weekend, and the celebration of 10 years of friendship with the most hardcore women ever, and it means we let our hair down and party hard. It also means we'll throw a workout in there someplace, but  I know Cris and her Chi-town peeps will have pulled out all the stops to ensure the five of us have a blast. So I will be doing a truncated challenge - eat clean all of January with the exception of the days in Chicago (5th - 9th). Not really THAT bad. If you know me you know I don't believe in lying to myself, so I will not even pretend that I can stick to the challenge while I'm  away.


So instead of complaining about the resolutionists or being troubled by not being able to make all the Strong Lola goals, January is about me learning to live within my own boundaries and knowing it's not going to kill me, so I don't have to beat myself up about it.

My women's crew racing at Welland 100 years ago

10 years later and I'll be damned if we're not all still so fabulous! As someone said today, such a lovely bouquet of flowers.