Letting go of the FitBit & sugar

I have been an avid user of the Fitbit for the last 3 years now.  My hubs got me one for Valentine's day (no he wasn't trying to tell me something, I asked for it), and I have been solely dedicated to getting my 10K steps and exercises daily now for the past 3 years. 

However, for Lent (not catholic) I decided to give up sugar.  Any desserts, sweets, candy, or added sugar in products that I was able to read on the nutrition label.  As a sweet surprise to me (pun not intended), I've done rather well.  I have had a few "cheat" days here and there, but all in all I have not reached for that Reese's cup when I get hungry, or gotten the 500 calorie latte I normally do.  Rather I go for a good cup of coffee with just a splash of non-fat cream, and to snack on I get some fruit, cheese or yogurt (no sugar added).  I've been surprised at how well I was doing.  When I started this adventure, I was very shaky.  Physically shaking.  I thought perhaps this was because of my anxiety, but the more I think about it, I think it was because I wasn't eating sugar!  My body had become so used to and dependent on the sweet stuff, that it had a hard time letting go!

Now, you're probably thinking, Kate, what does this have to do with your fitbit divorce?  Well, let me tell you, I have lost 15 lbs since December.  7 of those pounds were due to food poisoning, but amazing enough, I was able to keep off that weight, and lose even more as I altered my diet.  I got tired of looking at my FitBit app and realizing I hadn't walked 10,000 steps, or realizing that perhaps I only walked 15 minutes today instead of 30, and it was getting disheartening.  I was beating myself up over it mentally, and feeling guilty for not pleasing my FitBit.

I went to get a physical for work, and it was then, on the doctor's scale (we all know they're off) that I saw my weight loss, and I was astounded!  I couldn't believe my eyes. And I had all my clothes on!  And I did all of this without meeting daily and weekly goals set by a tiny gadget worn on my wrist every day.  Lets be honest, they are not the most fashionable accessory, and really ruined a lot of outfits for me. 

So while FitBit encouraged me in the beginning to get moving, and helped me take off the baby weight once Marlo was born, it's time for me to let it go, and know that I can do this on my own.  I have the confidence, and capabilities to take weight off, and keep it off, without something buzzing on my arm every 10,000 steps.  I also plan on sticking to the no sugar added diet.  I think it will help my overall health, and my family's health since I won't buy any junk! 

Farewell FitBit!  It's been a great 3 years, but it's time for me to move on!  Maybe we will see one another in the future again.

Temper Tantrums, YIKES!

So, I thought the 2's were supposed to be terrible, not the 21 months!  Marlo had her first ever, full out temper tantrum last night (thankfully we were home) and for no apparent reason.  She had to go to daycare full time this week as grandpa and grandma were out of town.  I'm thinking she was exhausted, but it lasted about 30 minutes, and for no reason at all. As I was holding her after her nap, (she was calm) I sat down in a chair and she freaked out!  Wet noodle, on the floor, screaming her head off. My husband and I quickly learned that if we ignored her, the crying (pterodactyl noises) would stop.  But the moment you made eye contact with that little dinosaur, the fight was on again! 

We were planning on meeting a friend for dinner, so by the time we were about 20 minutes late, we decided to just go for it.  Elmo (me) suggested we go outside and walk around, which seemed to calm her down for about 30 seconds.  My husband fought with her to get in the car seat, but once she was strapped in, she stopped screaming and began politely talking to us like nothing ever happened....WHAT??!?! 

Maybe she realized we weren't giving in.  Maybe she realized that we had plans, and we weren't going to stop them because of her fits.  Or maybe she was exhausted (as were we) after throwing herself around for 30 minutes for no damn reason!  Once we got to dinner, she was content, happy, and running around like her normal self. She was smiling with our friend and playing peek-a-boo. 

Toddlers are bipolar!  I work in the mental health field, so I am not trying to bash anyone with bipolar, trust me, I've lived with people that have severe cases.  But holy hell what was going on in that kids mind that she had to wet noodle throw herself in a tizzy on the floor and spin around and scream for literally 30 minutes?  Has anyone ever hooked up a brain scan to a toddler during a temper tantrum?  Probably not, because they are afraid of losing a limb while trying to attach it!  Oye Vey! 

Good luck parents of this age, we all need to stick together!