Today is a beautiful day!!

• Posted by Elisa on October 29, 2008 at 12:30pm

And I just want to cry. Sometimes a compassionate hug is all we need as the constant waiting in life picks away at our "need-to-know" instinct.

My health has been deteriorating and I just want to run somewhere. I know it is best that I don't exactly know what is going on (although I know my asthma is being trigger by the "fun" mold issue.....HAHAHA....) as I am not sure how I would handle it. I'm more and more fatigued, and my doctor called back after having my ultrasound and now she is booking me for a biopsy (ever have that feeling someone is not telling you all that they know.....again,do I need to know what she knows right now?...probably not!). I know that I turn to eating when I am physically tired, or stressed....so I haven't been at the top of my game since I came off the ED. Actually HAHAHA, I find it funny that since I have little energy to prep, I have resorted to snacking on the not-so-supportive (hahah chocolate......that's all I can say) which doesn't help me to maintain energy....vicious cycle. Hopefully today, I will just walk over to the grocery store and grab some quick snacks to save me from falling into the pitfall of that time of the month and also help me to get back on track.

But besides all the issues, I am comforted by knowing that my boys are excited by their new closet and they can see their clothes again and get dressed by themselves again (they LOVE clothes) for a time. And that things look hopeful that change is in the near future.

Now to go and get those snacks =D.


Elisa

We are listed!

• Posted by Elisa on October 27, 2008 at 6:10pm

Well after the lengthy efforts of getting this place sold and on to a new home for a number of reasons, we are in sell mode. Here are some of the pics we took.

Master Bedroom

Kids Room

Bathroom

Kitchen

Livingroom

Office

These are the photos we took, but atm a few glitches still need to get worked out. Will keep you posted =D.

How DARE they call this recipe healthy!

• Posted by Elisa on October 18, 2008 at 8:04pm

Ok, so I am looking to make a chocolate cake for my birthday, but I am putting it off a bit as I had a bit more of my experimenting with a apple cranberry crisp this week and I came across a headline in my email. It reads "Guilt-Free Birthday Cake: Second helpings are not a sin with this Die-and-Went-to-Heaven Chocolate Cake."

So I clicked the link for the recipe. First ingredient is all-purpose white flour...next is white sugar and then a white icing with confectioners' sugar.

So where is the healthy part? It meets certain "guidelines"....
Low Calorie
Low Sat Fat
Low Sodium
Heart Healthy

I was hoping to see the inclusion of some pureed veggies or something, but it's just a regular cake recipe (it had 2 eggs and those were healthy hehe).

So I am going to make use of this HUGE zucchini that I got from my friend and make a chocolate zucchini cake or something like that. I will use chickpea flour instead of white flour and not sure on the sugar part (combo of stevia and agave with a few bananas perhaps),but I usually cut it down by half of what the recipe calls for.

Nothing like experimenting with recipes and making the changes needed to suit your lifestyle. Now I am out to make another good and "healthy" chocolate cake (my other recipe is a chocolate coleslaw cake) hehehe.

Peace of Pomegranate

• Posted by Elisa on October 15, 2008 at 12:00pm

I am blog-hoggin it today, but I am feeling overwhelmed and need to get some thoughts out.
As I was eating the seeds of pomegranate, my son was crying for every little thing. And I realized as he was crying unyieldingly about not being able to put his pants on, I realized he has taken on my tears. And I began to sob with him as I comforted him. He had full sympathy for what I was going through. There are many expectations on me atm and it is getting to be a bit unrealistic and I am getting angry as I have lost my focus and it seems no matter what I do, it is not enough to satisfy. I have sacrificed sleep and have resorted to napping to get my rest in. I eat on the go and use ClubFYM time to get food in. I have become overtasked and if I could have a team around me I would have:
One to do laundry.
One to go out and work haha (gotta pay for the extra people)
One to do the dishes and cooking and grocery shopping.
One to meet the needs of my boys.
One to help me to paint, move furniture, and other handy work.

Many seeds to get the job done. I would like to think that things will improve however it may be necessary to go through this extreme in order for change to happen.
Anyways, that's all for now. Off to paint, move furniture, and get lunch going HAHAHA!

HUGS!!

I LOVE Alberta Beef! But...

• Posted by Elisa on October 15, 2008 at 9:25am

SO I found a farm for organic beef, and meat and I was all ready to make a big order when we sold our home and then something funny was happening. Could I be pregnant? I felt a fluttering among other symptoms and I figured I may be expecting. A friend of mine was going through the same thing and they figured as much as well. As it turned out both of us were not and even better, something had changed with my cycle......longer and heavier. I figured it was fibroids as it runs in my family. I looked up ways of dealing with it and it turns out that not much is known but what they do know is that red meat encourages growth. UGH!! My favorite is Triple A Alberta beef and game. I love my beefy recipes and with the allergies and sensitivities I already have, I was not looking to add more. OH WELL! I said YES to keeping my uterus and NO to the amount of red meat I used to consume.

I just had another ultrasound and yeah......my suspicions were correct. We will see what the doctor has to say, but I have the support of other women who have experienced the same, my mother, who lives with them and my neighbour, who had a hysterectomy because of fibroids and endometriosis. Another motivating factor to stick to FYM hehehe....supportive and back to basics nutrition and consistent workouts.

Tags: beef, fibroid, health

Pride of Ownership

• Posted by Elisa on October 11, 2008 at 2:30pm

I was watching TV and a phrase popped into my ears and stuck there....Pride of Ownership! It was referring to a home that was well taken care of and reflected the love that the owner had put into it.

I got an email from the city councillor that I have been in contact with over the last week (well her assistant) and it turns out from what they have suggested that I do, I have taken every avenue to try and get this situation resolved. Now it feels as though I am just waiting for it to come through the wall in the kids room now. The signs have already started as what happened before, when we had discovered a mold issue in our kids room on the window wall (quality windows are a good investment....quality installation is a key component). The boys don't want to sleep in their room and won't sleep through the night anymore (on top of the fact that they are sick). And of course, my "spidey" senses can smell that same smell and going into that room triggers my asthma. I am hoping that I'm just being sensitive, but if it has made it's way through, it will be quite the undertaking.

I can't help but to think about the topic of neglect. I am an advocate for love and coming from a past that was filled with neglect, I can't imagine any other path to forge forward with. But when it comes to putting something off to the side and not giving it the due love, and respect, whether it be a home to maintain, a child to raise, or to stay healthy and fit, you could be encouraging something negative and unknown to foster. Without putting the love into what you do, you can not expect to get in return positive results. Want a nice, clean house? Put in the love to get it there. That house in return is going provide you with shelter and a place to be together as a family. If you don't take care of and maintain a home it could come down around you. Want a fit, healthy body? Put in the love into what you do to get it there. Love up on your workouts and being active. Don't think of giving up food or taking on the responsibility of being thoughtful about what you put in body as a burden, but rather as the due respect and love your body, YOU, require. How else are you going to get healthy than to live it. Live the lifestyle.....being unhealthy or thoughtless about the care of your body (and the environment around you) leads to many negatives, from pain, reduced quality of life or even no life at all. And if we put in to ourselves the attitude of "pride of ownership" we will help to shape not only our lives in a positive way, but our children will have that example to live from as well.

So back to loving up on this home and hoping for the necessary fixes to take place so that everyone (including the home) can return to an improve state of health and respect and continue to serve into the future.


Elisa

Sweeter the victory!

• Posted by Elisa on October 7, 2008 at 2:30pm

"You can't always get what you want......
But if you try sometimes you'll find, you get what you need." This was the original title, but I have gained so much more over the last 12 weeks, I needed a more celebratory title.

I have been places that were not truly understood until recently. Having gone to weights and sizes I could never have imagined myself at (and I don't think I really did) and, although for a temporary time, I feel it was a needed experience to bring me to a new level of who I am to become as a woman. I actually had to FIGHT for my shape and EDUCATE myself on how to eat and live better for myself and others around me. Who would have thought that I would be able to share such a battle to be won with so many wonderful women. I even walked up to a lady who I have noticed around the neighbourhood (as she looks very fit) and she shared she had come from a similar struggle and is just trying to find her way to a better version of herself as well.

What confidence to be had from a battle fought and won. What wisdom to be gained from the knowledge we have armed ourselves with. What an example to become of perseverance, strength, endurance, and beauty from making the choices that inspire change in not just ourselves, but the world around us. We walk through our journey of improving the life we live and in turn, people cheer us on and see the glow of success even though we may not see it ourselves. We are victorious no matter how small we think our battle was.

I came into this challenge for a number of reasons that didn't specifically involve something for me to accomplish physically. My number one reason was to give the support to Holly by finally owning my own copy of the Fit Yummy Mummy 16- week lifestyle system. I had not gotten the program in the first place as I was making use of all the resources she had already provided me upon signing up for the newsletter just over a year ago. But after months of trying to put it together myself I finally read the full page and made the purchase of the e-book (LOL,always helps to read the full page....never know what it will say towards the end =D). I am grateful that through finding her I was able to achieve the changes I was looking for. She has put together a wonderful,efficient, and simple program and for the cost of a month at the gym, I have something to use for a lifetime.

Second, I joined the Summer transformation challenge in support of my fellow fit yummy mummies. You see, many had been hesitant to join and I gave my word that I would travel the journey with them this summer and enroll in the Summer Transformation Challenge. I am overwhelmed with excitement to see all the great successes my sisters here have accomplished through this challenge and how much just 12 weeks has changed their lives.

And then it comes back to me. What did I want out of going through the Summer Transformation Challenge? To continue.....confidently into my future and to enjoy the surprises that would be before me as I stood by the supportive nutrition and progressive workouts to accomplish a fitter, healthier, yummier version of myself. I wanted to continue to grow as an example of health, fitness, love, positivity, perseverance and discipline to my hubby, my boys, my friends, and my extended family and I did that in ways I could not even imagine. I grew in my relationships with the women in ClubFYM and in my emotional and mental growth I helped to inspire others in their journeys. I couldn't have asked for more........but I did get more than I expected. I never imagined losing 10 pounds and to get even slimmer and trimmer than I was. I was happy with where I was at, but I am overjoyed at where I have come to now. Life has been full of challenges to itself, but I know because of it, I have grown tremendously. I had a plan of action, but I did my best instead of doing my plan to perfection and it saved my sanity and helped me to reach my goals and beyond, regardless of what situation was presented.With just having the FYM workouts as my routine, I have gone further than I could have imagined. I was surprised to see myself after each week, and even at the end of the challenge, I still have yet to grasp the results. The supersets made my day as I kept thinking that Holly had a little evil grin on her face as I pushed through (can we say uhem....muscle awareness HAHAHA....I LOVE it!). I am tighter and less "squishy", and stronger....a FIT Yummy Mummy!

July 10, 2008
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 151 lbs
Chest: 41"
Arm: 12"
Waist: 30.5"
Belly (Abdomen): 34"
Hips: 38.5"
Thighs: 24”L, 23.5”R

October 5, 2008
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 141 lbs .................difference of 10 lbs
Arm: 11" ..........................difference of 1"
Waist: 28.5" .......................difference of 2"
Belly (Abdomen): 31" .................difference of 3"
Hips: 37"...........................difference of 1.5"
Thighs: 22"L, 22"R ........................difference of 2"L, 1.5"R

What I have learned over the last 12 weeks is that you choose to make the most of the resources around you. You are the only one inside your head (hopefully) and your goals and what motivates you is ultimately coming from within you, but you can also choose to take the help of others and share your journey, and theirs, along the way. Accountability is an important part of success and growth. And when others have faith in what you are capable of, it helps you to have faith in yourself. The support is paramount for me, from myself and others, it is nice to know that others care enough for you to do well and to help you stay on your feet when you feel you have lost the strength and will to continue. Although in the end we chose to walk this journey with others or all by ourselves, imagine how much sweeter is the victory and how much more powerful the impact in every step we take when we continue to do it together.

Thanks be to God for answering my prayers and bringing me to the change in myself I was looking for. I got exactly what I need and more.

Concerns of air quality and mold toxins

• Posted by Elisa on October 4, 2008 at 4:00am

The JOY of it! It's 1 am and as I sit here on the sofa next to our wailing toddler I can't help to think the "illness" we have been experiencing is connected to the mold toxins I have been suspect of coming from my neighbours unit. I haven't been able to pinpoint what I have been ill with. Yesterday it was sore throat, headache and fatigue. Today I have a lingering headache (could be due to a lack of sleep), but I think it is time to raise the level of concern.

What I would pay for peace of mind and to be able to fix the problem that I know exist. To eliminate the concerns and problems and to narrow the options of what is making us ill. I know that my heart is just going out to my children as they are getting frustrated with being ill and after a visit to the doctors, I am actually hoping to hear it is a viral infection of some kind. Something that will phase out and go away and won't continue on for weeks and months as this has.

I have contacted lawyers, condo association, capital and environmental health, contractors and inspectors, Mike Holmes, and a city council member all for help,advice, or assistance and unfortunately I have no recourse. And what pains me the most is to know that others may be in this situation as well and either lose their drive and motivation,stuck with being sick all the time or just move and "leave" the problem for someone else to deal with. I am not going to do that. But what can I really do?
Anyways, back to tending to my son.