healthyKristan

It’s Been A Minute….

I’ve been gone. In my own head. Getting lazy in my soul. I go through seasons of insane drive and productivity and inspiration to feeling heavy, lazy and out of focus.

I know I’m not the only one. I know many people, probably all people, go through the same struggle. But knowing that doesn’t help me get through it any faster.

So I am working through this “slump”. Sluggishly moving my ass through workouts. Trying not to snooze my morning away because I not only have to get myself ready for work but I have to get the bebe ready for daycare. Oh these are the days this mama could use a nanny.

Cut to 10 hours later…..

So I got through work and decided I needed to motivate myself out of this. I used my last break to fit in my workout for the day. It definitely helped. Boy it was tough! But I love the pain of a good workout.

I have to say though, if I didn’t have my virtual workout buddy to be accountable to, I could’ve easily seen myself go off the rails as is my usual pattern. I’m so glad for the support.

I’m a strong independent woman. I like to take care of myself and I like to feel in control. But I’m here to tell you that having someone else to help me along the way makes such a big difference.

Who is your accountability buddy? How do you help each other stay on track? is it for fitness? Or something else?

Goodnight

Xx Kristan

One week in….

So a friend of mine and I needed to get our butts moving. We picked a YouTube channel to follow and I created a schedule to follow. 3 workouts a week with bonus videos added in if we were feeling ambitious.

2 workouts in and we’re doing fantastic! Keeping each other accountable. We have to send a video to prove we’re doing it.

Then at 3:30 am yesterday morning, I woke up and moved wrong and a disc in my upper spine I dunno slipped? I felt it move and heard a POP! I couldn’t move my neck without excruciating pain!! Oh man. Honestly my first thought was “I’m not going to be able to workout!”

I’m so excited to have a workout buddy and to see results from our efforts. I was so disappointed! I resolved to see how the day went and perhaps tomorrow (today) I’d feel better. My chiropractor is closed all weekend due to Easter so I’m on my own with this one.

Well today I’m still hurting but not so much! I’m gonna give it a go. I’m sure there will be some moves that I can’t accomplish but there will be plenty I can.

So point being here…don’t give up. Don’t let a bulged/slipped disc stop you from your goals. Drink lots of water, take some Advil, stretch and rest so that tomorrow you can keep going!!

It’s so easy to use an excuse, and what better an excuse than this?! But I’m not going to let it stop me! I need this. My mental states needs it. My family needs it. I am determined to be the best me I can be.

I’d love to hear a time when you had a great excuse, but chose not to use it. Chose to persevere. Chose to be a better you!!

Xx Kristan

When it hits you like a shovel to the face……

Have you lost anyone close to you? Or maybe an animal? I don’t know, just lost.

19 years ago I watched my mother take her last breath. I was 19.

Last night I was going to bed, I was falling asleep, my brain was just about to shut off and head into that lovely dream state and then BAM! Like a shovel to the face I was suddenly hit with the image of my mother taking her last breath.

I was taken back to that afternoon and the night before hand and the last 24 hours with my mother watching her slip completely away. She fought her battle with cancer for two years but that last 24 hours is the one that sticks with me the most.

It came out of no where and completely threw me for a loop.

To anyone who is lucky enough to not have experienced this loss, you never fully recover. Yes it’s gets easier to live your life day to day, but then you’re knocked off your feet. Tears sting your eyes and you hope that you can get your shit together before it becomes a full on sob. Especially if you’re currently at work.

You feel so alone in this darkness. This loss. But sadly there are many people feeling the same as you. Not having their best friend to talk to everyday, their touchstone, their parent.

To anyone reading this, if you need someone to talk to, to share exciting news with, to ask for advice, I am here. I will help in anyway I can. A burden shared is a burden halved. I can be your friend, your listening ear whatever!!

Xx Kristan

Lovin that endorphin glow *

I did it!

I finally did it!

It wasn’t long, it wasn’t hard, but I did it! I moved my ass!

I actually saw my friend post about being a YouTube workout buddy with her friend. So I messaged my good friend and asked her if she wanted to join me. An accountability buddy!

We picked a YouTube channel called Bikini Body Mommy. It’s great! The woman who does it isn’t perfect with six pack abs, not that there’s anything wrong with that. She’s a woman who just had a baby and is huffing and puffing just like me!

It’s a daily challenge, however we’re committing to 3 workouts a week to start. I’m creating a workout calendar to make it easy for us to follow. I’m building in extra workouts based on her other challenge in case we get the energy to do more than the 3 workouts but to keep us on pace with each other.

I’m a actually really enjoying this part. The planning part. Building a schedule with check ins and back ups. It goes with my drive to be healthier. To help and inspire others to lead happier healthier lives. I love that my friend and I are helping each other.

I already have measurements and “before” pictures as I’ve been tracking all that since I was about 6 months postpartum. So I will be updating you guys too! You can be my other accountability buddies!!!

I’m super pumped! I love seeing results! I love the way I feel after a workout. How I feel lighter and more mentally clear.

I’m combing this with my intermittent fasting and cleaner eating. I’m taking my astragalus root, daily vitamin and a 3 mushroom powder mix. I’ve already seen results without the physical fitness part so I know I will see even more result.

I would love to discuss what you’re doing, and tips tricks or facts that you wanna share with me! Or any questions you want to ask me.

Xx Kristan

You are my world….But Mummy needs a minute 🤦‍♀️💜

Of course I love my daughter. She’s so funny and headstrong. She’s exactly like I was, a true mini me! Energy for days until she suddenly passes out on my boob. She amazes me multiple times a day with new words, climbing on things, all the changes that happen so rapidly when they’re toddlers.

But hear me out….I need a break 🤦‍♀️🤪 by the time she was old enough to be away from my boobs long enough to go see a movie or have a meal with my husband, and by the time I was okay to be away from my baby, Covid was full throttle.

I have not had a date night with my husband in almost 2 years. I have not seen my best friend since last August. I’m struggling keeping my own identity alive throughout this transition into motherhood.

I feel bad for my daughter who doesn’t even know her grandparents other than through a phone screen. Thankfully she goes to daycare and gets to socialize with other kids.

But mummy needs a minute. I’m more than sure that many women can relate. Men too! These days the only breaks we get are going to the grocery stores. One parent has to be with the baby so the other can have 20 minutes for a bath and quiet time. No drop offs at the grandparents or Auntie’s.

It takes a toll on your marriage that’s for sure. I am now responsible to make my day happen as well as hers. Dressing two people, packing both our lunches, making sure we’re both taking the herbs and eating the foods needed to keep us both healthy. It’s a lot.

Also, when was the last time you got to poop alone? In peace??? I think mine was last weekend. When daddy was home to watch her. Although she was still banging on the locked door crying for me.

I’m not complaining. I’m honoured to be this little humans mother. I know that there are many people that would give anything for this life of mine. I am blessed and grateful.

I just wanna poop in peace once in a while!

Xx Kristan

I didn’t work out….I watched Grey’s Anatomy

So my daughter woke me up at 4:30 AM which really wasn’t all that bad because she actually slept through the night. And so I had a choice I could’ve figured out a way to work in some form of exercise but I didn’t. I watched an episode of coronation street while I drink my tea and then I remembered that the new Grey’s Anatomy comes on tonight and so I needed to watch the old one on my CTV app before it locked it out. So instead I nursed my daughter and cuddled under a blanket watching Grey’s Anatomy instead of exercising.

Now I know what you’re thinking…I could have exercised while watching Grey’s Anatomy, and you’d be right! I thought about it. But from the warmth of the blanket and the soft little kid nuzzling into me while she nurses it seemed like a terrible idea.

I think about exercising all the time. Too bad thoughts didn’t get your heart and lungs in shape. Ha. However it is time to put thoughts into action.

I left my post at that last paragraph all day. Not knowing where to go next with it. I don’t want to be that person that always talks and takes no action.

And so now, at 5:48 pm, I am doing squats 😊 You’ve gotta start somewhere!!! In reality all I wanna do it eat junk food under a blanket.

Xx Kristan

Another 5 AM

My day starts every morning at 5:15 am. For the last 19 months I’m actually lucky if thats when it starts. #momlife. (Yeah that just happened 🤦‍♀️)

It used to start at 3:30 am. By my choice. I would get up and run 5km before work. Man did it feel amazing to be up and have accomplished that before most people had even left the warmth and comfort of their beds. Especially because I’ve always been the girl who snoozed multiple times until I was almost late, then rush around like an asshole to make it to work.

Alas I have become a morning person in the last 5 years and I love it! I just feel like I have so much more day. So much more time to be productive, or sometimes just to be lazy. But it’s more time for me.

So today, another 5am. My daughter almost slept through the whole night so I am feeling rested and ready to take on the day.

The running however is a different story. I tell myself it’s because I can’t leave my daughter alone in the house sleeping while I go, and that is definitely a thing. But I also know that I don’t have the self discipline to do it at the moment. That is next on my list of things to accomplish. Perhaps not running, but some form of exercise. It’s completely necessary. We must find ways to work our bodies.

I did start running again post bebe, but found that the hormones that relax your body to give birth also relax your knee ligaments and thus am in excruciating pain after a run as my knee cap does not get held in place. Awesome. So then o took up yoga. Boy did that help! Body and mind. But then another joy of having a baby, the way I was holding her to nurse was wearing on the tendon in my elbow giving me “golfers elbow”. I then found myself unable to do downward facing dog, or any other pose that required me to put pressure on my arm. Cripes!!!

Months later it is feeling almost better and I’m ready to start SOMETHING!! At this point it’s just getting past the metal block. If anyone has any tips tricks or suggestions to what they’re doing, Or how they got themselves started again after being away from exercise I am always open.

Hopefully tomorrow I can write about my next 5 am and how I moved my butt a little.

Til next time!

Where it Began and Continues

Okay so hello there! Quick synapses of where I began this journey and how it’s going now.

About 4 years ago I met an guy that worked for me and he healed me take control of my health. He took me grocery shopping and laid out a menu that I then followed every single day for months. It was a whole food plant based menu and honestly it made me feel like a super hero.

Of course eventually I stopped eating so clean. I remained a vegan since then and have been healthier in these last 4 years than ever before, but I’ve always known there was more to it. I would yo-yo in and out of on track exercise and healthy eating to binge drinking and eating shit food.

I was on a good uptick, eating very healthy, exercising daily and getting back to meditating when I found myself pregnant. While I think I was balanced in my eating I did fall out of fitness due to some pains and minor issues with the pregnancy.

Thankfully I delivered a very healthy baby, albeit 6 weeks early. She is my miracle. There were a couple things that could’ve made my pregnancy bit viable, but she soldiered through it and came out the tough little tornado that she is.

Now, 19 months later, I find myself at a precipice. I want to be healthy for her and I want her to be healthy. I want to set her up with a healthy gut micro biome, and a good outlook on food and fitness. I don’t want her to get bad habits that I have.

So I am in full research and learning mode. Absorbing all that I can. I hope to take some nutrition courses and get a certificate. I would love to help guide people to be their healthiest happiest selves!

I plan to follow functional medicine practices based around TCM and Aruveyda and all natural herbs, utilizing food as medicine. I would love to have anyone along for the ride that just seeks the knowledge to feel amazing and to enjoy life for as long as possible.

So here we go….💜