Feeling Better, Getting Organized

I'm amazed by how much better I've been feeling lately.  A lot of it stems back to seeing the chiropractor.  I hadn't thought that it was possible to stop taking anti-depressants before I saw him.  In fact, I was asked to write a testimonial for him and I was surprised by what I had to say.

Before I went there, feeling lousy had crept up on me until it felt like it was normal.  I had no energy and I was pretty much a spectator in my own life.  Now I have more energy and hardly any pain.  I went from having headaches and migraines frequently to hardly any at all.  I don't remember when I last had a migraine.  I have a better range of motion and can now turn my head to look over my shoulder.  I couldn't do that before.  I'm not going to try to sell you on chiropractic, but I will say that it's made a huge difference in my quality of life.  The doctor I visit is part of Maximized Living.  Check their site for more information. I'm learning a lot about my body and health.



Since I'm feeling better, I'm finding that I'm getting more done around the house.  My best friend is coming for a visit in a few weeks, so I have a deadline for clearing up the clutter. I know that she won't care if my house is a mess, but I care and that's something that I didn't feel before.  I'm working in small batches, trying to clean up one small area at a time.  So far, I've gotten our dining room table 1/3 cleared off.  I hope to have it fully cleared off this week so that we can actually sit down and eat at the table as a family.  Somehow it became a dumping ground for everything paper related.  It's like a paper avalanche hit when I wasn't looking.  I may just have a dinner party when it's done!

Slowly but surely, I'm getting rid of the clutter.  I cleared out our front hall closet one night this week.  There were so many shoes that we couldn't close the closet door and since this is the first thing you see when you come in our house, it was pretty awful.  I found several single shoes that didn't have mates as well as all of our winter boots (which are now stored in the basement) and some shoes that the kids had outgrown.  It was a relief to be able to toss some old shoes and donate some of the nicer ones that the kids are finished with.  Now I can close the closet door!  Someday I'll have to go through the coats that are hanging there and the stuff on the shelves, but I'll get there.

Second Week on Second Taper from Antidepressants

The second taper has definitely been harder than the first was. It seemed like I'd be feeling better for a day or two and then discontinuation symptoms would crop up again. I've had a lot of buzzing in my brain, kind of a zapping, electrical type of feeling. It doesn't hurt so much, but it's annoying and leaves you feeling a little off balance. I did some reading online and this site, The Road Back was very helpful. I added an Omega 3 supplement to what I'm already taking and it seems to help a lot with the zapping. As I'm vegan, I was happy to find that flaxseed oil is high in Omega 3 because everyone tends to think Omegas are fish oils only.

So, for supplements, I'm taking flaxseed, Vitamin D, Vitamin B and Vitamin C. Yes, I'm pretty sure I rattle when I walk by. The flaxseed really helped to get over the brain zaps. I think if I can go a few days with no zaps, I'll be ready for my final taper. It's exciting and a little scary all at once. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good, aside from having trouble sleeping. It is strange to feel things that I haven't felt for awhile, but I'm starting to feel more like me again.

On the days when I feel really good, I'm getting more things done. I'm exercising and I'm doing crazy things like washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Before, after dinner, I didn't do much at all. Now, I'm finding little jobs to do because I don't want to just be sitting around. I look at it and I wonder how I stayed on this medication for so long and I'm really grateful that my husband encouraged me to start looking at getting off of it. I truly didn't realize that the antidepressants were having such an effect on me. I thought that the way I felt was normal. How sad is that? I'm not saying that I don't have depression any more. I am still prone to depression and will probably always have to be aware of it and keep an eye on it. Depression is a mental illness and it needs to be treated, but for me, taking the antidepressants was having too many negative side effects and was seriously impairing my quality of life.

So, this is me getting healthy. I think that as I continue to feel better, I'll get fitter too because I'll actually have the energy to exercise and hopefully I'll get a little more organized because I'll be able to focus on a task and get it done. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there, one baby step at a time.

I'm Still Standing

 This song came to mind when I was thinking of what to write tonight, so I went with it. I've never seen the video before, and I've gotta say, it's a little weird. Rather than get into a critique of 80s style, I'll get back to my post. I've been quiet for a few weeks on this blog, but even quieter on my other blogs. I don't know quite how, but I wound up in a depressed slump.

Sometimes when I'm not expecting it, depression jumps up and kicks my ass. It started off as just not wanting to write anything. I just didn't feel like it. It kind of grew from there. Looking back, I think that it started around the time we switched to Daylight Savings Time. I don't know for sure, but I think it has to do with less hours of daylight. The ironic thing is that I was talking with my husband about my dislike for the medication I am currently taking and planning to talk to my doctor about going off it. I have felt for some time that my current antidepressant makes me numb to any kind of feeling. I don't feel horribly depressed, but I don't feel happy either. I truly believe that I needed the medication when I started taking it. Without the antidepressants, I would have continued in a downward spiral. I don't even necessarily want to go off medication all together. I just want to get off this medication.

My plan right now is to get through the holidays and then sit down and talk with my family doctor about making a change. After being on this medication for so long, it's going to be a pain to get off of it. Anyway, I'm still here and hopefully I'll be writing more again. I made the effort to get the Wii out the other day and I did a bit of time with Jillian Michaels' game. I wanted to use the Wii Fit, but my disc is hiding somewhere. Hopefully I will find it soon.

The kids and I have been trying to go out for walks after dinner every night. We just go around the block, but it does us good to get outside and get some exercise and fresh air. The nights we walk, the kids go down much better.

I've been trying to organize more by getting more clutter out. A few more boxes have been donated to the local Sally Ann. I've also been tossing a lot of stuff. If the kids leave it out, it's being trashed. I got a new bin for garbage, recycling and compost as well. The recycling was falling all over the place, so this helps to keep it contained. The kids are having fun using the bin to sort things right now. I'm sure this novelty will wear off soon.

As for healthy, I'm sticking to a vegan diet. I'm also seeing my chiropractor once a week now. I'm noticing a difference. When we started chiropractic, the chiropractor told me I had a 97% loss of curve to my neck. It turned out that he mis-read my x-ray and it was actually 107% loss of curve. After 3 months of treatment, I was at 97%. It's getting better slowly, but I feel better already. I've had less headaches and fewer migraines. I'm not falling over tired any more. I'm not as short-tempered and moody either. As I continue treatment, I'm hoping I'll be feeling even better. So, that's me for now. I'm still standing.

Slightly More Organized, A Lot Healthier

I can't believe how fast the summer has passed me by. It was pretty good as far as getting more organized and more healthy. Getting fit? Not so much. I was able to declutter a lot this summer. I got pretty ruthless, but I'm hoping to be able to telecommute for my job soon, so I need office space. To get office space, I had to stop procrastinating and start doing. I've said it before, but it feels really good to let things go. Getting things out of the house releases the guilt tied to them and releases the space they were taking up. Still have a little way to go to complete the main area of the basement for my office.

The best part is that I was able to use a desk that my husband had taken apart but never delivered to his sister. When enough room was cleared out, he put it together for me and now it's not cluttering up my basement any more. It would be really nice if my family would stop putting stuff on the desk though!  I don't have my computer yet, but I will need somewhere to put it when they come to install it.

As for healthier, I really attribute the way I've been feeling to visiting our chiropractor. We've gone through the most intensive part of our treatment and we're now down to 1 treatment a week. When we started, I could not look over my shoulder to see in the back seat of the car. The first time I could turn my head that far, I was amazed. I hadn't even realized I was in that bad shape! My headaches have been greatly reduced. I have maybe take acetaminophen two or three times in the last few months. Considering I was taking it daily and sometimes multiple times in a day, this is a huge improvement! I've had a headache for most of the day today and I think it's mostly because I am very tired. It's nice when pain becomes something you're not accustomed to. I had to take my prescription for my headache today and it has been weeks since I've done so. I'd love to be able to say that I have boundless energy, but I suspect that the fact I'm always tired is because I'm working a late shift at work. I work from 5pm to 10pm, and I take awhile to unwind after work. Hopefully I can go back to a day shift next month and this will start to get better again. I do have more energy than I did before, and I can get more done in a day than I could before I started treatment.

The best part is that I am able to spend more time and energy on my kids. When I was feeling yucky, I was no good to anyone and I think my kids suffered for that. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm making it a point to spend more time with them. They are pretty incredible little girls and I would hate to miss out on getting to know more about them.

And the numbers are in!

OK, so I finally found my scale and weighed myself.  I changed to a vegan diet in September.  I've been trying to follow a healthy vegan eating plan, but I do eat some not so healthy food from time to time.  I haven't added exercise to my healthy living yet.  Are you ready for it?  I was really surprised when I weighed myself and discovered that I have lost 20 pounds since September!


It's coming off slowly and that is fine by me!  For me, it's better to lose the weight slowly because when I've lost weight in the past, it was quicker and came back fairly quickly.  I feel better knowing it's coming off bit by bit and that I feel the results.

I also feel better about what I'm eating. If you are thinking about adopting a vegan lifestyle, I recommend these two books as a starting place. Christina Pirello's book is what made me decide that I was going to change my eating habits. And I started with the Kickstart in September last year. It was a really great tool for me to get started on the vegan pathway. I'm not a super vegan or anything, but this has been the right choice for me.

Getting Healthy...Check! Getting Fit....Working On It!

If you've been following me for any length of time, you know that I have struggled to get myself fit, organized and healthy and I have varying amounts of success with each one, but not at the same time. Well, now I'm trying it a different way.

Going vegan has helped me to get healthier. I've been making better food choices and I'm not ravenously hungry at any point of the day (unless supper is late, but I'm working on that!). I don't have the wicked chocolate or Coke (as in Coca Cola!) cravings that I once had. I suspect that this means that my depression is in better control as well because craving chocolate was a sure fire sign that my depression was not in check.

Now on to the next phase. It's time to work on getting fit now. The weight has been coming off slowly, since I started following a vegan diet. This makes me happy because I don't want to lose weight too fast and have it all bounce back. Now it's time to get serious about losing the weight. I fired up the Wii Fit again finally.


It was over 200 days since I last used it. OK, so that's not good. Then the machine weighed me and bloop, bloop, bloop, my Mii gets all fat and obese again. The cool thing is that the weight was down :) And I got 15 minutes of workout time done. So, now I have to keep it up...again. But hey, what have I got to lose, right?

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum Wii, Resolution 1, Day 1

I'm proud of myself! I completed today's resolution after lunch today. Since my shift at work is changing next month and I won't be finished until midnight, I thought I'd try getting my workout in during the day instead.

So far, I really like Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010. It's tough, for sure, but I think this just might be the kick in the ass I needed.

Today I did 5 laps of running. Had to talk myself through that one! It was starting to get hard around the third lap, but I made it! Then Squat Jumping Jacks--those are tricky! I'm going to need some more practice before I get those right. Then I did swing kicks with the Wii Fit board, but those I think I scored 0 on. From what I saw her doing, I thought I had it right, but since she gave me some of her biting comments ("I didn't come to you, you came to me" and "Stop wasting my time!"), it appears I have some ways to go there. My fourth exercise was some sort of lunge on the Wii Fit board, and I did OK on that.

For my first month, I didn't want to over do it, so I think I put the circuits in on the weekends when I'd have more of a chance to do them. I really like that it's only four workout days a month in the resolution. I'd like to find an outdoor activity to do on my "off" days. We're also looking at getting a YMCA membership for the family so that we can all go and take some classes and get some exercise together.

This is My Wake Up Call

Wake up call?
Originally uploaded by Banalities

Last night, my seven year old looked at me and quietly said, "Mama, you look like you should lose weight". There was nothing malicious in the way she said it, just a statement of fact. And for once, I didn't get defensive and feel bad. She is right. I need to lose weight. Especially since there is diabetes in my family, both Type I and Type II. I'm more likely to develop Type II, especially because of my weight, especially since I carry it around my middle.

The ironic thing is that I first got my depression treated because of my little girl. I wanted her to have a mother who would be there. So, for this little girl, and for myself, I'm going to start taking my weight more seriously.

So, what does that mean? First off, I'm going to get up off my butt and actually use the Wii Fit more instead of just thinking about it. I've just issued a challenge to my husband that we're each going to use the Wii Fit everyday. He needs to take care of his heart, so if we can motivate each other, it should be fun (I hope!). I'm also going to have to change my eating habits. I've already bought more fruits and veggies this week and we're going to have to eat them.

So here goes something--and hopefully it's the weight!

Getting Fit without my Wii Fit!

You may have noticed I haven't really written much about my blog topic, getting fit, healthy and organized. Well, today we're getting back on topic! I've been spending a lot of time out of doors with the kids since the big one finished school. We go for at least one walk a day and we go to the park 3-4 days a week (sometimes more than once in a day!). It helps that Parks and Recreation have a summer program on for two hours a day for the big kid. While she plays there, I play in the park with the little kid going from the swings to the slides and back again. I'm also getting the chance to talk to other parents as well, so it's been very good all around.

Today we walked to the local library which is about a forty minute walk each way. The little one went in the stroller (I'm not quite that crazy!). We missed the toddler time, but we got both girls signed up for the summer reading program and I got to stock up on my summer reading again. Who am I kidding, I read all year round because I love it so much!

So, we're settling into a bit of a routine and it seems to be working fairly well. I'm getting exercise without using my Wii Fit. I dread the next time I use it because I know it's going to bug me about not signing in more often. To be honest, I've gotten a little bored of the basic program. I've heard of some workout programs, so I will have to check them out. I probably should log in again, just to update my weight, but I'm a little scared. While I'm trying to eat healthy food, it's very easy to slip into eating not so healthy foods, especially when I've got both kids with me all day.

OK, so we're getting fit and healthy. How about organized? Hmm, I'm trying, that's for sure. I'm scooping any clothes that don't fit the kids and putting them into boxes right away to be donated. I've got two boxes right now. I try to keep my eyes open to things around the house that we don't really need and pop them into the boxes when I see them. So far, no one has complained about anything that has been missing--and considering the amount of toys that I've stuck in the boxes in recent months, I'm truly surprised. I don't recommend leaving the boxes open or even in the house once you hit the toy box. They're bound to open one and ask why their beloved little toy that they never play with is in there...always fun to try to explain!

Back to it!

Woman at work on motor, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. (LOC)
Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

After three days off of work sick, I finally got back in on Saturday. I've never taken that much time off work at once, even when I was pregnant. Crazy!

Anyway, I got back on to the Wii Fit today after missing 7 days. Not good. How is it possible for me to be so ill and I still gain weight? I'm getting frustrated. It's a good thing I can see some difference in my abdominals and hips or I would be tempted just to chuck it all. I'm too darn stubborn to give up outright. I'm not going to let the balance board get the best of me. I will get into shape and I will bring my BMI down. I'm going to get healthy. I will not give up.

Sick...still

Insurance Ad, Boy in Bed
Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

Lousy week. 3 days off work. Finally went to doctor--strep throat! Ouch! Antibiotics--yuck! Nasal spray-gross!

Normally I probably wouldn't have taken so much time off, but since I could hardly talk and my job is in a call-center where I have to talk for my whole shift, I stayed home to rest up. Next time, I'll go to the doctor sooner rather than later. I just figured that he was going to tell me it was nothing and send me on my merry way, so what was the point in going (because we only have one car and hubs uses it for work, it takes a lot of effort to go anywhere during the week)? So the moral of my story is that if I'm going to try to get healthier, I'm going to have to be proactive and get myself to the doctor.

Both my girls were sick too, but thankfully just with colds. Now that I've had the antibiotics in my system for 24 hours, I'm feeling much better than I was. Of course, since I've been unwell for most of the week, the house has gone to crap around me (apparently, I'm the only one who knows how to do things like laundry!). Anyway, I'll be spending the weekend trying to get the house into some kind of order--wish me luck!

Pondering Diet Colas...

Girl worker at lunch also absorbing California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. (LOC)
Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to diet cola, but sometimes I crave cola (diet or not). Those times are usually when I am under a lot of stress and the cola seems to help to lessen that stress. It also helps with my migraines too. Sometimes the caffeine is the kick that I need to get over the migraine. Weird, I know.

Anyway, I've known for awhile that the cola isn't good for my teeth (I'm really prone to cavities), and a conversation with a co-worker got me thinking today. He mentioned that he noticed I drink a lot of Diet Coke (I wouldn't say it's a lot, but he saw me drinking it two days in a row, so whatever!). He said that the aspartame wasn't good for you, etc. I did some web searching tonight and basically skimmed a few websites for information. It looks like there are two opposing camps in the diet cola debate--one says it's fine and the other says it's not. So, which camp is right? It would probably be smart to see who is funding which camp before coming to a definitive conclusion.

Be that as it may, since I'm trying to be healthier anyway, I'm going to take a huge step and try to cut cola in general and diet pop in particular from my diet. That's right, I'm going to have to start drinking coffee or tea if I want to get my caffeine fix and since I hate coffee, well, you get the idea, I'm basically going to try to cut caffeine out. Yikes! It's do-able, right? I won't fall to pieces without my caffeine fix, right? I can get through a day without it...maybe.

Wish me luck, my friends, wish me luck!

Day 6, Still Kicking!

,So, I've made it six whole days doing a fitness test on my Wii Fit. I haven't been as consistent with the amount of time spent doing the activities, but I'm still having fun and trying to get it done. During the week, things are hectic here, so I'm hoping to log some extra time on the weekend. I've also been getting outside with my little one and getting some exercise in with her, so that helps too.

Organizing: My wonderful mother came by today because she knew I had some boxes to donate and she is having a pick up from the Canadian Diabetes Association tomorrow. I got 3 boxes of stuff that have been packed and ready to go out my door. It makes a huge difference! Now to get rid of some more stuff. Tomorrow I have to spend some time on paperwork for taxes (hubs has a small business)...lots of receipts to sort out and enter into my spread sheet. I'm going to try to organize it so that I can get the receipts entered monthly and keep up a bit better for next year.

And healthy: I'm proud to say I've been eating pretty well over the last few days. Spinach salad is my lunch lately. I'll probably change that up next week and get Romaine lettuce instead just so I don't get too bored of one or the other. I even went a whole day with no Coke products (Coke is my weakness and Diet Coke too!). I'm feeling pretty good, tired as normal, but otherwise pretty good. I'm looking forward to the weekend now :)

Getting Fit, Organized and Healthy

Sounds like a lot to do, doesn't it? Well, I have big dreams-dreams of being fit by losing weight and getting in shape, of being organized through de-cluttering my life, inside and out and of being healthier in general by eating better. Is it doable? I surely hope so!

You may be wondering how I'm hoping to do all this. Well, I've got a few plans up my sleeve. First off, I asked for a Wii Fit for my birthday and I got one (a few days early, but I'm not complaining). I wanted one for awhile, but I was truly inspired by Julie's story at Cool Mom Guide. So I was very excited to get my Wii Fit today. I read all the instructions before I set it up, got changed into workout clothes and got on. Can I just say that my Mii looked great until they weighed me? Then she blimped out. I'd like to think that it's not a good representation of myself, but I might be wrong. Let's just say that I wasn't all that impressed when my 6 year old said, "Wow! Mama's fat---on the Wii." She was smart to tack on the last bit, don't you think? According to the Fit, my BMI is obese. The good news in all of this is that I had lost about 14 lbs last year using Weight Watchers and I have kept off some of it. I gained back 8 lbs because I stopped following the points system.

Anyway, on to organization. I'm all about the Flylady. I understand her principles, but I haven't been able to put them to practice yet. I'm still working on that--baby steps, as she says. I am working on decluttering, trying to reduce the amount of stuff in my house slowly but surely. It feels so good to be able to give away or donate things that we no longer use and I feel so much better without having to look at these things.

As for getting healthy, that's kind of tied to getting fit. I want to take care of myself better by eating healthier foods so I can lose the weight and be healthier overall.

So that's my plan right now. If you feel like coming along for the ride, I'd love to have the company! I can't promise that it won't be a bumpy ride, but it sure should be interesting!