3 Years ago, I was overweight (5’6″, 250 lbs) and diagnosed with heart failure, diabetes type II and high blood pressure.
I am an optimist, a solution finder and can be pretty intense / determined when I set my mind on something. So in a short period of time, I was able to turn the tables around by focusing on my health for the first time in my life. This was at 39 years young. You can read more about it here: Valentineās day ā Part One
Since then, things are going good but I do experience the yoyo effect which I am working on mitigating or maybe even avoiding altogether. Purpose is key to success and I believe fading Purpose is, in part, causing the yoyo effect.
3 years ago, my Purpose was strong, straight forward and came naturally: I wanted to stay alive and get rid of all the meds.
I did it for myself.
Last week, I started the āWHEALTH Foundationsā program which appears to be aligned with my current initiative of following the 1% better every day rule after reading āAtomic Habitsā by James Clear.
Building small habits instead of going all in / all out (yoyo) seems like a smarter long term approach.
In the program, the coaches ask to figure out our āWhyā. This brought me to realize what I wrote above and think about my Purpose. My new “Why” for this lifestyle and health journey.
I spun my āWhyā many different ways. After overthinking it for a while, it became clear:
āTo live a healthy, balanced lifestyle so I can build a family and enjoy the little moments of life with them for years to come.ā
So my purpose was initially for myself and actual survival and has now evolved into sharing with someone and growing together.
Thanks to my coach, Stephanie, for constantly helping me figure this stuff out. And calling me out when I need some straightening out haha! š¤
As I often do since I love music so much, iāll end this blog with a song from one of my favorite artists, Lindsey Stirling.
It has a pretty deep meaning,” Stirling said. “Basically, it’s about creating inner beauty in yourself first…”
āWhen we surround ourselves eternally with positivity and we create healthy and positive environments and we do good things for people and ourselves, we’re made up of 70 percent water so the crystals in your body create actual literal inner beauty,” Stirling added. “That’s what ‘Crystallize’ is about. It’s about taking control of your environment, creating beauty within yourself, and therefore creating beauty outside…”
As described in my first blog, Valentineās day, I had a fairly successful journey towards having better health last year. I made steady progress from spring until mid-fall. Thatās when the days started getting shorter, darker and colder.
Come fall and winter, many of us living in the northern hemisphere struggle with keeping up with our healthy habits. Before last year (2018), I didnāt really understand when people told me they felt slightly down at the arrival of fall and winter. I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish whether it was a hot sunny summers day or a stormy snowy winters day. When you walk from your apartment to your car and then from your car to your office, the weather has a minimal impact on your life. All I would be able to tell you is that in winter it is more slippery and you have to take care on the roads.
At the end of winter 2018, I went from 0 to 100. I ran, biked or hit the gym depending on the day of the week. I had a strong routine and deserted āzombie modeā.
When fall showed up, I went from 100 to 0 in a matter of days. I slowly started having more trouble sleeping, going to bed and waking up later. I felt more exhausted and my eating habits changed. I slowly lost track of my regular schedule. I started craving foods that I hadnāt in months. Foods like my arch enemy, the bag of potato chips! With less sleep and more crappy food came the scarcity of energy and with the scarcity of energy, came the lack of regular exercise. And the vicious cycle began! I obviously gained some weight, Iām not telling you how much. Itās my little secret!
I now understand what people were talking about! Iāve done some research and took some notes so that I’m prepared for this when it shows up again
As Alfred Pennyworth said to Bruce: āWhy do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.ā
Or, as Yoda said to Luke: āPass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is.ā
I am not as wise as Yoda, but if there is one thing I can say, that might help some of you. It is to avoid big changes if at all possible when fall comes. In my case, I made two big changes that I think were big contributors.
I changed my eating habits and went whole food plant based which basically means I no longer eat animal products. It was not good timing to do so!
I changed my role and department in my job after 15 years of working in the same department. I would still have made the move even with what I know today, however, I think it had a major impact.
The second thing, which is somewhat related to making big changes. Try to ensure you have a strong routine established and plan accordingly for potential changes that may occur. For example, biking and running are not very practical choices where I live because of the snow and cold. Some still do it but I donāt enjoy it. So, this year, I will replace these sports with something else even though I plan to still run and bike indoors. I have a Tacx (for biking) and Stryd (for running) that I use with Zwift which has helped me keep at it indoors. Itās still not the same and itās more of a challenge to keep at it consistently.
I am not exactly sure yet what I will do for the other activities, I know I need to plan ahead. I will probably find people to go cross country skiing or snowshoeing with. Or even join boxing or martial arts class. I think group activities will be key to keep me accountable and motivated. Iāve been wanting to get back in martial arts for a while now so weāll see!
Everyone has their own unique experience and the important part is to learn from it, adapt and find solutions that best suit you!
Itās still unclear why we fall. According to webmd, it seems that the people who are affected by this have one thing in common; They’re particularly sensitive to light, or the lack of it.
I wonāt go into details in this blog, since I am no scientist and even scientists who study this arenāt able to explain it 100%. But here are a few interesting links, if you want to read more on it. I plan on using a few of the tips for this year without a doubt!
This is the second and final part of my first blog post. You can read the first part here.
March 24th, 2018: I met Corentin, my new kinesiologist and he is a big part of the reason where I am today.
Shortly after, I also met Vicky, my new nutritionist. Sheās very passionate and helpful. She has taught me the basics and helped me greatly with my progress.
March 29th, 2018: 199.8 pounds! I havenāt seen this in years! Thatās between 45 to 50 pounds lostā¦ Yup!! Iām slowly starting to feel better.
April 11th, 2018: I get a call from the docā¦ Bye Bye diabetes type II!! At least, we think! My doctor said to stop taking the meds and heāll do a checkup in a few months. Spoiler alert: The doctor confirmed in my checkup that I no longer have to take the meds! Hell yeah! Eat my shorts diabetes!
I had my second echocardiography that day and my ejection fraction went from 32% to 48%. I even saw my 65 year old cardiologist (I think he was 65 since he was about to retire) he did a fist pump in front of his computer looking at the results!
April 16th, 2018: 194.4 pounds! I had a goal of 195 pounds set for May 30th. Achievement unlocked! Way ahead! I am not done yet though!
I keep going with Corentin and Vicky. Learning how to optimize what I eat, my weight and cardio regiment.
At this point, I have started tackling my sleep which has been a problem for about 15 years. It has been improving with better nutrition and fitness, but still itās not that great.
I read about sleep apnea and I know my brother has had a CPAP machine for a few months now and says it has been life changing. Thatās my next specialist: Inhalotherapist
After some tests, it turned out I have been suffering from severe sleep apnea. Of course, right?! š I was at 61 events per hour and above 30 is considered severe. So Iāve got a machine to help me sleep better that makes me look like Bane from Batman. Pretty cool! (ok, not really :)).
June 19th, 2018: 174.6 pounds… Just under 175! Brilliant! I had my third echocardiography that dayā¦ For the first time, I felt very nervousā¦ I have worked hard to get here and really hope my ejection fraction has gone back to normal!
51% ejection fractionā¦ I am disappointedā¦ I wanted to be back at 55% or even 60% damnit! I saw my (new) cardiologist, she told me these are incredible results and I should be proud! Alright! Iāll take it then!
July 8th 2018, 2018: 168.8 poundsā¦ 5k runā¦ Yep, I ran 5kā¦ I could barely walk 5 meters 7 months ago. And to spice it up, I biked to the event because you knowā¦ why not?
October 4th, 2018: 157.8 pounds, still 5 foot 6 inches (Corentin said he canāt help me with that). I feel better than i have ever in my life! I exercise regularly and my next goal is a triathlon. Sometime during the summer of 2019. While, I give myself a lot of credit, I wouldnāt have been able to do it without the help of many people I have surrounded myself with.
I want to use this opportunity for a special mention to the team that is a big part of the reason I got to where I am today and who keep helping me on a weekly basis.
The super trio from the Nautilus Plus in Ste-Foy really propelled me to where I am today. The whole team radiates positive energy.
First, Mathieu (Kinesiologist / Manager): If it wasnāt for Mathieu, I would have backed out of my subscription with Nautilus. I was sceptical and a little scared, that they wouldnāt understand and know enough about my condition, enough to push me without the risk of worsening it. He reassured me and gave very good information and advice that convinced me to stick with them. A decision I still havenāt regretted to this day!
Second, Vicky (Nutritionist): What can I sayā¦ Vicky is simply awesome. She was and still is very patient and enthusiastic about teaching me the ropes around my nutrition. Her devotion is so contagious that she has made me enthusiastic about it.
Last but certainly not the leastā¦ Corentin (Kinesiologist): Corentinās the best. Just like Vicky, he was and still is very patient and devoted. They both have inspired me and helped me develop enthusiasm for fitness and health. Itās infectious!
Corentin is very understanding and initially knew what to do and what not to do because of my condition. Today, I practically have no restrictions and heās slowly bringing me to a higher level every week. Heās along for the ride for my first triathlon and he really helps keeping me motivated. Heās very attentive about me achieving my goals and is constantly involved. He even showed up when I did a 5k run and plans to attend and support me at the triathlon. How awesome is that? If youāre interested, you can follow him on Instagram and Facebook to see his tutorials!
I canāt thank these three enough, and iāll make sure to spread the word around and hopefully inspire at least one person to get back in shape through my story. If I can inspire one person through this blog or future blog posts, it will be worth every minute I have spent writing this.
These 10 months were quite the rideā¦ You could call it a 180 but I feel like the 180 has just begun and will be an ongoing journey that will never be completed! Just watch me go! I am only getting started ;).
Chart of my progress since February 1st to October 4th 2018. Thatās when I started tracking my progress.
360 of my 180 