Training for Warriors: Oh how I hate chin ups, ways to cheat, and other fun stories

I started the Training for Warriors (or TFW) at the gym during a free trial almost a month ago. I had four free sessions in which during each one I lost between 1-2 pounds. The intense combination of strength and cardio training shocked my body at first. The first several times I went, I thought I was going to throw up- some things I couldn’t finish. Almost every time I went, I was the last person struggling along in whatever we were doing. I started to wonder what I thought I was doing there. I don’t belong here. Look at these people- they are mostly fit, athletic people. It’s just like high school- I’m the one who can’t climb the rope or finish the run  and everyone is standing around waiting for me. Watching me. Feeling sick, my heart pounding, I went home after the second or third time and cried. I posted on my facebook about not being sure whether I should even go back. Many people encouraged me to keep going, keep pushing my limits. I went back again.

 

I hear voices in my head. (Stop laughing. You know you hear them too!) The evil voice tries to justify to myself why I should give up. You can’t do this. You don’t belong here. You’ve lost 95 pounds already- that’s good enough, right? You’ve lost 45 pounds this year alone- you’ll lose the rest, eventually, right? Maybe you should just give yourself a break. The food thing constantly hassles you and not many people have to face that or even understand that.  The other voice says (and this is all going on inside my head, during the class itself, mind you.) Listen, motherf****r, you didn’t come all this way to give up now, did you? Are you seriously going to give up right now? This close to your goal? Are you really letting insecurities determine your success in life? Since when did you quit anything? And listen, you aren’t really giving these people a chance- show them what your made of. Talk to them. They obviously wouldn’t be here if they weren’t passionate about the same things that matter to you, also.  See you have something in common. Give this and yourself a chance. Despite my above mentioned nervous breakdown, I did go back. Each time I am a little stronger.

 

At the same time that I started the training for warriors, I started “The Plan” over again as I mentioned on my last blog. I lost 10 pounds in two weeks between the plan and the training for warriors. I was feeling pretty good. I had a weekend where I ate out with some friends and something I ate blew me up so bad I had inflammation for an entire week!  Pretty much anytime I eat out, no matter what it is, I gain weight. The only thing I can eat out is chicken wings, actually. Believe it or not, last weekend I skipped the gym, slept in, ate an entire dozen of chicken wings, 2 glasses of wine, fudge, and an apple tart all in one day (among other things) and I lost 3 pounds. Why? Because I allowed myself to sleep, first of all- sleep is everything. Without that recovery time, especially with all of the intense weight lifting I’m doing, my body can’t recover. The second reason I lost weight is  because all of the things I ate were all things I didn’t have a reaction to. Also, perhaps, because I’m not eating enough calories during the week so when I indulged, it helped. I am by no means encouraging anyone to go hog wild and eat wings and fudge. I am however pointing out that how foods react to your body is key. I did find out this time around that meatballs (even right out of a bag frozen kind), roast beef, and steak, and even steak with rice (sometimes rice with animal protein can be reactive) are all okay for me! Vegetables seem to be my biggest issue, still.

 

As always, I struggle trying to put together the right combination of exercise, food, and sleep to lose weight. I am always either dropping ten or twenty pounds in a blink of an eye or not losing anything at all. This has been my pattern all year. It is also possible that my stress level is interfering since I am still unhappy in my new job and I am struggling to not fall into a depression. In fact, the only thing keeping me going is the TFW. It started out very hard physically and emotionally, and while I still have my moments, I have made friends with all of the people there. The people in the class are of the highest caliber quality people that you could ever want to struggle or sweat in front of. I am proud to know such people that will cheer me on and spot me when I am lifting or tell me “don’t you dare let go yet!” Their unwavering support and positive attitudes are stunning. I am a “glass half empty” type of person sometimes, and today I actually arrived there in tears after another miserable day of work. Everyone there patiently listens to my complaining and by the end I feel completely lifted up. It is probably the best hour of my day most days. Thanks for that guys, if any of you from galaxy are listening.

 

Nate, the trainer who runs TFW is better at watching me now so I don’t cheat.  I guess I should preface the following admissions of cheating with saying that I’m not cheating anymore, and hey, it was really hard the first several times and I almost threw up so cut me some slack. I get freaked out when I start to feel sick, and there’s nothing wrong with dialing it down a little especially since my heartbeat was at 200 a few times.  I call it cheating but seriously I need to do the best I can do, each time. I was never good at figuring out how hard to push myself or when to stop.  Early on, trying not to throw up, I would skip one of the “bear runs” or not do as many “mountain climbers.” If I thought he wasn’t looking I wasn’t going the whole way down to the floor on pushups (he rectified that by watching me closely and making sure I went the whole way down). One time, I went to the bathroom and came back, and they were doing my favorite damnable bear runs again. I think they had already done one lap, actually. I snuck in. He said “How long were you gone??” I said with a straight ass face, “I didn’t leave. You’re imagining things” (one of my friends giggled). He says, “seriously, did you do one yet or not?” I answered again, with a straight face “yeah I did, didn’t you see me?” He looked at me for a long moment and considered until a few other people started giggling and I cracked a small smile. “Get down there and do one right now!” he said. I was so close. We had to run through a cloth ladder on the floor, doing hop scotch, bunny hops and all kinds of ridiculous hard things. I could barely finish some of the last laps, and with him saying “pick up your feet” I wanted to kill him. At my weight, it takes a lot of effort to keep jumping or hopping for several minutes over and over with fast people in front of you and behind you rushing you along. Panting, I started to skip squares whenever I could, just to get through it. I think that may have been one of the sessions I told him I hated him (I hope he took it in the good humor in which I meant it). He actually is a very talented trainer, and is excellent at what he does. Nate and Brad both have been working hard to make sure that I am pushing my limits.

 

 

We also recently had to do little “tests” - so when we do them in a few months we can see how far we’ve come. Did I mention that I can’t do chin ups and feel like a complete moron while I’m hanging there? Oh yes, because I can’t actually do a chin up, the first step is just to be able to hang. I can only hang for ten fucking seconds and my hands literally slip off. I have been working on my grip strength since then, but I still can’t hang on more than ten seconds. My hands and fingers literally hurt right now from the grip strength exercises I’m trying to do. Not being able to hang on makes me nuts. Everyone else is doing chin ups or at least hanging on for a fucking minute and my hands slip right off like it’s oiled or something. So, to make matters worse, during these little ‘tests’ we had to do a chin up or hang on as long as we could. Someone would stand there and time us. So one of the guys stands there and counts for me. Great. (He’s actually very nice). But it’s embarrassing. Trying as hard as I can to hang on, I slip off with a grunt, fall forward, bump into the rowing machine, knock the handle off and send it flying with a loud noise in true Sarah Style. Yes, at least you can say if I’m going to embarrass myself it’s going to be done in style. We did push ups, sit ups, and running tests. The running tests were more endurance tests which I am proud of my results. I wasn’t the fastest one, but I had close times on both runs and showed good endurance. Endurance is one thing I’m good at. I’ve come this far- I’m not going to quit now. Thanks for reading as always! Be sure to check in for more silly adventures!

Over 1000 page views celebration! My best tips in my 2 year journey for weight loss!

 

This week, I started the plan over, (yes for the one millionth time). I also bought the 7 day detox kit from GNC (see my earlier blogs). I am on day 5 of both the detox and “The Plan.” I have not had any sugar or wine (eek!) either just because I sincerely think that I am (or was) addicted to sugar. While I was indulging myself and feeling sorry for myself the past month, I would have a few glasses of wine, and some sort of small chocolate several times a week. This week I’m doing good! (So far!)  This week, I also did my personal training followed by the training for warriors program that I am trying out at galaxy fitness. It is very intense and I do think that it has its benefits. There are still pros to doing personal training for me because no one pushes me harder than Brad (and I need that) and I don’t cheat on something when I am doing it in front of Brad.  I am highly motivated to do it correctly and get my “good girl” at the end. What can I say? I am well trained, perhaps.

 

So, what are the most important things that can help you to lose weight? Complete strangers ask me all the time what my secret is. Well, as you all know the first thing that rocked my world was “The Wheat Belly” by William Davis. It cured my insulin resistance, helped with my thyroid, helped with my blood pressure and resulted in a large initial weight loss. I still say that gluten and wheat are evil and you should avoid them at all costs. If you insist on eating bread, get a book on the glycemic index- see how sugars in your body are being jacked up by eating certain foods- like bread. Remember, eating a piece of bread is like eating a candy bar, so if you’re eating your multigrain tuna fish sandwich from subway everyday for lunch and wonder why your not losing weight. Well, there you go.

 

Food is everything. I had a reaction to mustard yesterday. A small one- but enough that I couldn’t lose weight because my body was in a state of inflammation, inside.  “Internal” reactions may not show up like an allergy. A sneeze or an itch may or may not appear. Some people have bloating or a stomach ache after eating dairy products. Other people may not notice it because they have damaged their bodies for so long, but each time they drink a glass of milk, inflammation appears and you can say forget it to weight loss. This is the basis of “The Plan” that I have talked about by Lyn Genet Recitas. There are foods such as salmon, greek yogurt, and oatmeal that you think are healthy but could be secretly sabotaging you. If you don’t believe me, eliminate certain foods from your diet and keep a food diary. The two times these past several months I followed “The Plan” the whole way through 20 days, each time I lost 13 pounds. Numbers don’t lie.

 

But Sarah, (you whine), aren’t there any simple tips you have for weight loss and better health? Why yes, there is. First of all, I drink half my body weight in ounces, each day. So if you weight 100 pounds, you need to drink 50 ounces of water each day. Many, many, different health experts agree about getting enough water. Sleep is absolutely crucial!!! You must get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Your body needs that time to process your food, and recover from the day's activities. If you are regularly not getting enough sleep, don't bother getting on the scale.I promise you that while you are tired and playing catch up, inside your body is struggling too and you will not be able to lose weight. It has happened to me over and over. Also, I take a 20 billion or above probiotic every day. Wal Mart has an ultra flora 30 billion probiotic for $18. Probiotics help the balance of the intestines, and can help with stomach problems as well. Further, probiotics help the flora in your digestive tract to maintain a natural balance and break down foods. Foods like dairy or wheat can be hard on the system and help restore balance. I also drink a lot of green tea (lots of antioxidants and what not) as well as other teas. Dandelion tea and detox teas with help clear the toxins from your liver and are also teas I highly recommend. I also drink ginger tea, being that ginger is a natural anti inflammatory. Giant Eagle and your larger grocery stores have a huge selection of medicinal sort of teas over in their pharmacy section. Check it out! Ginger and carrots are a big part of “The Plan” because they are both really helpful in bringing down internal inflammation.  My final small tip is eating more vegetables. Seriously, I eat a salad every day and for dinner have a huge serving of fresh vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, etc. When I say vegetables, I’m not talking about your starchy potatoes, your corn on the cob (corn has no nutritional value at all by the way), or your canned peas, ok? Put those away. Stop calling them vegetables. They are not going to help you. Go buy some fresh green beans, asparagus, onions, carrots, kale or broccoli (if you don’t have thyroid issues kale or broccoli will work). Anything fresh. Not starch. Not in a can. I’m serious here, this is important. I lost the most weight when I had two at least 1 cup servings of vegetables a day (one of those can be salad, but you can’t eat all salad. Also, if you are drenching the salad with cheese, dressing, and well, crap then just forget it). A variety of fresh vegetables provides fiber and other antioxidants and vitamins that I can not even begin to tell you the value of. I also eat one or two fruits a day as well.

 

Exercise: How much do I need? What should I start with? If you are just starting exercise, try to do some bodyflow or any combo of yoga and pilates together. Try a cardio class that you like or a lifting class that you enjoy. Just get into the gym a few days a week, and do a class or even get on the treadmill for 20 mins. If you’ve never exercised before, start easy and find things that you like. The point is to get moving. As you go along, you will see that sustained weight loss, and serious results must be done when combining cardio with strength training. There are a thousand articles out there about this. I found the same to be true for myself which is why I am trying to do the TFW a few days a week. It is both cardio and strength training at the same time which will help build muscle and burn fat. The types of exercises that are done (lunge presses for example) have been shown in particular to burn belly fat. Belly fat is the hardest for me and for everyone. Weight lifting or strength training exercises with cardio and when possible, combining the two at the same time by doing kettle bell exercises, box pushes, squat presses, or doing a circuit (i.e. combination of something like a sprint or run a few laps, do some pushups, then do some squats presses, then repeat the three exercises three times) will help you to get the most out of your workout. Kettle bells are pretty amazing things that can even be done from home that also combine strength and cardio.

 

 In the new class, Training for Warriors (TFW) I feel a little intimidated. I am not the most athletic person there, although everyone seems nice. Nate, (another personal trainer at the gym, and in fact he is my son’s personal trainer and is also excellent at what he does. I highly recommend him as well), is the TFW coach and he knows a thousand different fucking pushups I swear I thought I was going to die. Also, he mentioned something about chin ups which at my weight, a chin up seems…impossible….I don’t want to relive my high school gym class days of me feeling like the fattest person there, and also the only person who can’t climb the rope or stand on the balance beam or do a “chin up.” So basically I love it and hate it at the same time. It kicks my ass, but I’m still insecure (so sue me). I’ll keep you posted as I continue to do some more classes next week. More on that and the continued success of the plan (I’m down 4.6 pounds this week in 5 days whoo hoo!) in my next post! Thanks for reading and I hope some of my tips helped you! Stay healthy!

Change. Being tired, afraid, and crabby. (Did I mention crabby?)

A few weeks ago, I have made a huge decision that has turned my life upside-down. I decided to leave my job, of six years, at Half Price Books, for another job that is higher paying and seemingly less stressful work. Without going into too much detail I will tell you that I started out at Half Price when they first opened their store in Monroeville, PA. There was nothing but concrete and drywall. I literally helped build and shape that store over the past 6 years. I had been working on my MBA when I started there, after three months was a supervisor,  and by the time I had finished my degree I had moved up to Assistant Manager.  My main reason for leaving is the overwhelming amount of student loans that I have to pay and the new job has a  higher pay with a possibility of overtime (not to mention weekends and holidays off) which is very tempting. I also feel the need to say that my opinions are my own; they do not represent half price books, my current job, or any other company/affiliation. These thoughts are my own.

 

I’m a high maintenance type of person, (I hate to admit). I worry about insignificant things and often handle change by controlling a situation and my stubborn willpower. Which is good in most cases; for example I would have never lost all of this weight, stabilized my thyroid, got off the evil blood pressure medicine, and so on so forth if I wasn’t determined to change my life. I had many roadblocks including some doctors just flat out telling me I couldn’t do it so willpower overcame the obstacles. I still have moments of weakness though, especially in situations where I can’t control or change something.

 

As I result of this new situation, I have unfortunately not lost any weight in the past few weeks (I went on vacation in July, and then since I have been back have been dealing with all of this) so for the past 3 weeks to a month have stayed where I am. I also have indulged myself more than I usually do- I had ice cream (which also explodes my body) and I also ate at McDonalds. Anyone that knows me personally knows how out of character that is for me. Indulging for me, this entire year, has been maybe eating some dark chocolate, or maybe a piece of chocolate cake. Fried foods and bread (yes bread! What the ??#$@?$#) when did I start eating bread???@@#$$ I haven’t had any bread since I stopped eating wheat yet I allowed myself a mountain pie on vacation (completely understandable) and indulged on a quarter pounder meal while agonizing over what decision to make and allowed myself an ice cream the day before.

 

So, the queen of self discipline has a kink in her armor you say! Haha! Not as perfect as you think you are! So why does our bodies crave sugar, carbs, and down right greasy goodness when we are stressed out? It’s scientific! Your adrenal glands will release cortisol when you are either tired or stressed. The cortisol release will also result in cravings for sugar or caffeine. An interesting article I found discusses this sugar/stress/inflammation connection. And as well all know, if you have constant inflammation, it prevents your body from losing weight. Here’s what happens as NOURISH Health Consulting © 2013 explains it so elegantly:

“ Sugar causes Inflammation. Food allergies cause inflammation. If it is something that is eaten frequently such as sugar, dairy and wheat, we can have consistent low to high grade inflammation going on almost all the time. The adrenals are consistently under pressure to produce cortisone to keep the inflammation under control as much as possible. The body also produces cholesterol to help compensate for the increase inflammation. Quitting the Bad Sugars and refined carbohydrates that cause much of the inflammation is a huge step in achieving optimal health. ”

“Lack of ENERGY —>Fatigue—> Need to take afternoon naps—>Cravings for sugar or caffeine to force the adrenals to give the energy that is lacking.” http://www.quadratonez.com/quitsugar1/?page_id=731

Don’t be surprised when you reach for a cookie or hamburger and coke when you are under a large amount of stress. Emotional eating during stress may happen but don’t let it become a habit; but don’t allow yourself to wallow. Don’t allow yourself to fall into despair and eating something to make yourself feel better. If you have a job that has chronic stress and you feel that it is unavoidable to grab the candy from the break room or grab that cup of coffee all I can tell you is that as soon as it becomes a lifestyle for you it will result in it affecting your health.

Having said all of that of that wonderful advice, I  have to admit to having been chronically crabby, tired, and miserable for a good month. I have been at my new job for 3 weeks and so far have been working a super early shift that I am not used to. The result is me not getting enough sleep, craving sugars, being tired, and not going to the gym as much. I am actually really disgusted with myself at this moment. My trainer wanted to see what my progress has been (take measurements) from the past two months but I held him off- I already know I haven’t lost any weight. I have spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself, being stressed out, and “treating myself” which is very out of character for me. It seems like I am either losing 20 pounds at a time or not losing any weight at all. That has been the pattern of this year. Jan-Feb I lost 20 or so pounds give or take. March and April I lost nothing at all. May and June approximately I started “the plan” and lost another 20 plus pounds. June through now??? Well, not much. I feel stronger, and cardio wise I can run 3 miles without stopping so I am in fantastic cardio health.

I guess I will refocus on the plan and focus on getting some sleep now that my shift is changing to a more normal shift for me. I have signed myself up for an ass-kicking the next two weeks I am pretty excited about. Galaxy Fitness now offers “training for warriors”- it isn’t to be confused with crossfit because it isn’t quite as “insane” in my opinion- it does do a lot of the strength and cardio combined training that I do in my personal training sessions. If you are a galaxy member in Irwin who reads my blog, it is free for two weeks offering a variety of class times starting Monday Sept. 9^th so sign up for a free class or two! I’ll be there so come say hi if you are a member! No matter where you go to the gym if you are interested in personal training (or having a weekly ass kicking as I like to say) ask for a free session with a trainer- almost any gym/trainer will do that!

 

My friend that I spoke of in my last blog, Tabby, lost her battle with cancer this past week. My heart goes out to her family and friends, and the whole state of Texas, because they lost a state treasure. I am grateful for my brief time with her. She was one of the first friends I had who made me feel like I was worth something- and made me feel better about myself despite my large size. I feel like I owe it to her and other friends/family I have lost to cancer over the years, to live my life to the fullest and to be as healthy as I can. To do everything I never thought I could do and face my fears and insecurities. To have an amazing life. To be amazing means never saying “that’s good enough.” It means never settling for less. I wrote this in a goodbye letter to the fantastic people at half price books. But it applies to everyone- and maybe, just maybe, I need to take my own advice. Be happy and healthy my friends! Next time: All of my BEST WEIGHT LOSS TIPS in celebration of having over 1000 pageviews!

Facing your fears: A post on what scares me and the power of fear

Fear is a debilitating necessity of life. If we did not have things to fear, we would not have obstacles to overcome. Without obstacles to overcome, we would not improve ourselves, learn about ourselves, and then inspire others with our stories of success to face their own inner demons. Nothing that is worthwhile is easy; life in general is a journey full of trials in which I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned that I am worth a lot. More than I have thought I was. And that I can do this. There is a shirt I bought recently (it is a Nike shirt) that says “Make Your Self!” . It doesn’t fit yet- but it will.

 

“If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.” SENECA, Epistles Having made my peace with fear, I have started looking back at all of the silly, ridiculous things I spent my life worrying about. Things I was afraid to do because of my size.  I have spent a good deal of my life not living because I let things terrify me due to my weight. One thing that I always had anxiety about at 330 pounds was fitting into a restaurant booth. Most booths in restaurants aren’t made to fit a bigger sized person- often I would have anxiety about where we would be seated; should I ask for a table? Will the table in the booth move so that my stomach will not press up against the table? Will I be able to squeeze in there? Will people judge me if I order a dessert? Wow, you didn’t realize that just eating out created such anxiety, did you?

 

At my highest weight, I stopped riding roller coasters. When I was in my early 20’s and at Kennywood with my friends, I distinctly remember the day when the bars/holster that comes down to hold you into the seat of the ride would not lock. I sucked in as much as I could, and still I couldn’t fit. I had to be moved to a seat for “bigger sizes” while everyone waited impatiently for the ride to start. This is one of the most mortifying moments of my life. I have had several more, unfortunately. I have been asked many, many times when I was “due.” Telling people that you aren’t pregnant, and that you are just plain fat is probably one of the most demoralizing things that can happen to person. Having to explain this over and over beat me down emotionally. There was one particular time that I was out with my father in a grocery store. An older lady in front of the line was talking to my dad. She started asking when I was due, and whether it was a boy or a girl and going on and on. He tried to explain to her that I wasn’t pregnant. She didn’t listen so my dad warned me this nutbag was going to say something to me. She did, and I patiently explained to her that I wasn’t pregnant. She said “are you sure? You look like you are caring a boy since your weight is down further. You are caring the child low, like it is a boy.” I told her again, and added “nope, I’m just that fat. Thanks for reminding me.”

A year and a half ago a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She wanted me to visit. I was still pretty heavy, at least at 300 or so pounds. She lives in Texas. I looked into the trip and expenses were definitely a factor- but the greater factor was my size. I didn’t think I would fit in an airplane seat. And I wasn’t going to be put in a situation again, like the ride at Kennywood where I couldn’t fit in the seat and be kicked off the plane. Full of worry about how I would travel at that size, I started looking into taking a train down to Austin. A railroad is smaller and costs even more. My options limited, as well as funds, I gave up. My friend now has a few weeks to live. Now, no longer being afraid of my size- having gone from a size 26 to a size 16 in the past two years and having lost 40 pounds this year alone- I am not afraid of traveling by plane or riding on a rollercoaster. But I am sad and feel guilty because I will never see my friend again. Not until the next life or whatever lies beyond. Life is short and life is cruel; live it to its fullest or succumb to your fears. Either way, time waits for no one.

I am not afraid of going to a restaurant or fitting in a booth anymore. I recently took dancing lessons with my husband as I am no longer afraid of dancing in front of people and putting myself out there. I was, for a long time, determined to not exercise or go to a gym. The part of me that was afraid to work out or look silly is long gone as I celebrate my one year anniversary at galaxy fitness. My friend, who I was speaking about above, is an amazing person. She was never afraid to be herself, and spoke her mind. She didn’t apologize for who she is. She is loud and her laughter is contagious. She was one of the first friends I had that accepted me for who I was and taught me that I was worth something. She lived up her in PA for a little while and then went back to Texas. She left me with several important lessons: I am worth something. And more importantly- not to be afraid. Being confident in yourself and speaking your mind takes courage. Admitting your faults and then doing something about it takes even more. I imagine in her weakened state (as she is now in hospice) that if she could see me, she would be proud of the person that I have become.

There are still a few things that scare me. I am afraid that my thyroid will go nuts again and I will gain 50 pounds for no reason. This did actually happen to me a few years ago and a great deal of the weight I have to lose is because of my hashimoto’s thyroid that I have struggled with my whole life. I am afraid that I won’t lose the other 40 pounds that I want to lose this year and that will discourage me from trying harder. I am afraid that my body will continue to fight me every step of the way as I desperately try to discover more foods that will work for me. Like I said in the beginning, fear can be debilitating. Choices are to do something about your fears or miss out on your life. I missed out on precious time with my friend. My message to all of you readers: go live your life.  It is precious and too short to waste on insecurities, anxiety, and fear. Go. Right now. Do what makes you happy, see your friends and family, and live! I’ve overcome all of these things and so can you! Until next time! - Sarah

Running 3 miles and talking about my current trainer, Brad!

Not that I am a big fan Arnold, but I am feeling quote happy today and do enjoy this quote: “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger It is safe to say I am focusing on not surrendering. So as the “Post Plan” days have continued, I have been a little frustrated. It is hard to find things that I am not having reactions to- it seems like most things I try cause me to gain weight. Meats of various types continue to be OK so far. I still feel like my body is fighting me the entire way. I have 46 pounds left to lose this year. I know that it is crazy to put that kind of pressure on myself, but I just can’t help it. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t do anything “half way” so to speak. It’s all or nothing; balls to the wall; do or die; do it and exceed expectations or don’t do it at all sort of attitude with me no matter what it is that I am doing. So other than trying to eat well- and figure out what that means for my body- what else have I been up to?

 

I continue to do personal training at the gym, with my third and most recent trainer, Brad. I was paranoid at first (I over think things a lot) about him being younger, in his 20’s out of school/ how could be possibly understand me or all of things I’ve been through? Would this just be another person who thought I was crazy? These thoughts ran through my head for awhile- and he took over somewhere in February where I was having some difficult times. I was coming off of a great peak with my second trainer, Matt. I had been seeing great results and went to no results and everyone saying the evil “P” word to me (if you don’t know what the P word is, read my previous posts, I rant on about it a lot). I also started to have serious issues with food (unbeknownst to me). When I had my “check in” or measurements done at the end of March, I had actually gained a pound (not lost any weight in two months) and was working out 5 days a week, 2 hours a day, and did not lose any inches from my body either. I was seriously frustrated and confused. I thought I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing.

 

As you may have read in my previous posts, a trip to my PCP encouraged me to pay attention to foods that affect my thyroid, and read "the plan." In the past two months, since approximately March 30^th or so, I’ve lost 26 pounds- that’s not the total for the year- that’s just in April and May alone. Holy Shit! That’s 13 pounds a month??!! I knew that I lost significant weight while doing the plan, but I didn’t realize that I lost that much in the past two months. In addition, I lost 2% body fat, 3 inches from my left leg, 2 inches from my right leg (don’t ask me why it’s not the same for each leg I have no idea LOL), 1 inch from my waist (who doesn’t like to hear that?), 3 inches from my hips ( ! ), and an inch from my chest, and 2-3 inches from my shoulders. Wow. I know (and several people are trying to break the news to me slowly, and are breaking out the P word again) that I can’t keep up this level of weight loss forever. 13 pounds a month is a ridiculous amount and I am happy to have been able to do it and grateful for the help that I had. How long will I be able to keep up this level of weight loss and how long will my body continue to fight me before I figure it out?

 

For the moment, I have good support and help in figuring out the answers to these questions. Aside from my friends and family, I have a great personal trainer. And while I was worried that Brad wouldn’t understand me, and that frankly, I was worried I would be an emotional mess and difficult to handle. (Me, difficult, never!) Up to the point before Brad took over, I had actually cried and had a few mini meltdowns at the gym and several at home (that my poor husband can attest to). But, alas! No more tears to be found here! I greatly underestimated him, and he is actually I think my favorite trainer so far. I wrote a testament early on in my bloggin career to how good Brenton was (he was my first trainer and had a lot of convincing to do to get me with the program so I give him a lot of credit). But, I will say, Brad has really impressed me. Brad is very approachable. He has taken extra time to show me how to do things correctly and make up workouts for me to do when I am not personal training with him.  He encourages me on and off the clock and I never feel like I am bothering him when I ask him a question. I will also say that he safely but effectively pushes me harder than any of my previous trainers and has helped me to realize my full potential.  I didn’t try to hard sometimes with my previous trainers, and if they didn’t catch me, I didn’t try to make it more difficult. (Don’t look at me like that! Everyone cheats sometimes!) I just went with the flow. I never thought I could run. I have written about doing sprints in the past- and I enjoyed doing sprints and have become addicted to having a “runner’s high.” I would never have tried or even attempted to do any long distance running. As Brad pointed out, I have been doing intense workouts full of “suicides” and “hurricanes” (and even if you don’t know what those are, you can imagine that they don’t sound good)  which have led me to be in great cardio-vascular health, and aerobically my body could probably handle it he said. My legs would not be used to running, and would probably ache but the rest of me could probably do it. This implanted the idea in my mind that maybe I really could run some distance. My workouts with him had prepared me to find out exactly what I could do.

 

 A few weeks ago I decided that I would see if I could run 1 mile. And I did, easily much to my surprise. The next week after talking to Brad, and having encouragement from my yoga teacher, Meghan, I decided to run and run and see if I could do 3 miles. You see, running is more of a mental challenge, in my opinion. Convincing yourself that you can do it, and will do, and are doing it, etc, is part of the challenge. The feeling afterwards of success and how energetic and amazing you feel after running is the reward. I did run the whole 3 miles. It was more like a jog to be technical and it did take me 39 minutes to do the whole three miles (not that I care about time at this point- at this point I just wanted to do it). But I did it. There wasn’t many people in the gym that day, and I had to keep giving myself pep talks as it went on. The first mile was easy. The second mile was the hardest because my legs started to ache.  After I finally finished the second one I knew I wasn’t going to quit so the third went fairly fast. During this 39 minutes (I wish you could have seen it, it was hilarious), I clapped my hands together, told myself “we’re doing this,” and sang Iron Maiden out loud in order to see the goal the whole way to the end. At the end, when I got off the treadmill, there was no one around to tell! None of the trainers or friends I have made were there and I felt like I was having my Rocky moment or my Titanic moment and I was literally jumping up and down and wanted to just yell at the top of my lungs “I’m queen of the world! ” It was definitely one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. I want to run a 5K, but for now am taking it one day at a time. Pittsburgh marathon someday? Who knows?

 

I will end on the note of saying that having positive reinforcement and visibly tracking results as you progress is imperative to keep up a high level of motivation. On my worst days, I still went to my personal training sessions and always felt better when I left. After seeing my results today, I didn’t even realize how much I have accomplished. There are so many things I might never have tried to do or thought I couldn’t have done if I didn’t have Brad pushing me a little further and a little harder each time, telling me I could do it.  He taught me that if something is easy, I’m probably not doing it right. And that the quality of the workout is important not how long it is. I have had many conversations with him my food issues, and “The Plan,” and he has always listened with patience and been somewhat in awe of all of the crazy foods that I am having issues with now. Thanks for believing. I have said it before, and I will say it again- having someone believe in me always makes me believe in myself. I give props to all of the people at galaxy fitness in Irwin- that place has been like my home away from home- and all of the people there have been nothing but supportive and downright cheerful in regards to my success. A shout out to (in no particular order) to Josh, Laura, Meghan, Nate, Janeen, Rachel, Forrest (and any of the other girls/guys at the desk who know my name before I even check in), and all of the members there in my yoga or other classes who take the time to tell me how good I am doing. Another quote on mental strength I enjoy goes like this: “You know that little voice in the back of your mind, telling you to stop? Well you can train that little voice. I taught mine to shut up.” – (By Unknown) All of your encouragement helped me to tell my voice to shut up. Thanks.

Days 12 – 20 and beyond

My final weight loss number during the 20 day period was 12 pounds. 12 pounds in 20 days is more than half a pound a day- AND- I actually exercised less during this time period than I was before. I would just like to point out to all the people who told me it was a plateau- it obviously wasn’t. All the people who told me that I couldn’t try to figure out the food intolerances by myself and that I was ‘just crazy’ well LOOK AT ME NOW. Figuring it out. By myself.  What never ceases to bewilder me is the number of people who think I am just plain nuts. Maybe I am nuts. But, I started the beginning of this year at 283 pounds and I am down 34 pounds already. Just this year alone- and 12 of it happened in the last month???? Just from paying close attention to how food interacts with my body? Unbelievable. In 2011, my weight soared to 330 pounds. I gained 50 pounds that year alone- I have the doctor’s records to prove it-  and now I am down 80 pounds. Call me crazy if you want. Numbers don’t lie. Keeping weight off for 2 years is one of the biggest achievements of my life. And while I’m tooting my own horn, I’d like to add that many people haven’t had their body fighting them THE ENTIRE TIME. My body fights me even now that I am through with the plan- amazing how something simple like potatoes or mozzarella (any dairy product really) just freaks my body out. So what did I learn during the final days of the plan?

 

Well first of all, I learned that I can’t make any type of vegetable soup. Something I’m really going to have to work out. My talent for making soups seems to be limited. I learned that overall any type of meat isn’t a big deal for me. I need to retest steak and see just how much the reaction was on that- but everything else I’ve tested pork, ground meat, chicken- don’t seem to bother me. Potatoes were a big one. Even potato chips as well caused so much inflammation I had to add an extra rest day at one point into the plan just so my body could calm down. Crazy. I tried mozzarella recently and it seems that my body will not tolerate dairy anymore. Again, it took several days for the weight to come down again. Almond milk is fine (as suspected). I can eat tomatoes (yeah!) which I have added to my vegetable mix of stuff since the vegetables seem to be my most difficult area. Kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli, potatoes are all out. Most of those (except for the potatoes) actually block my thyroid function as well, making it a double whammy.

 

I’ll summarize days 12-20 and what I learned. There are some interesting tidbits that I discovered. Day 12 was when I tested potatoes (and I blew up). Day 13 was a rest day, although now adding a new recipe of a chia seed smoothie for breakfast instead- which is just up my alley! Chia seeds, avocado, blueberries, coconut milk, and cinnamon create a breakfast smoothie which is great since breakfast is a big challenge for me. Day 14 I tested an egg. I was fine and had no reaction- but, I did not eat another animal protein that day. Egg and another animal protein together in one day is a separate test (which I haven’t gotten around to yet) because eggs can be hard for your body to break down, and if you add more animal protein on top, it can be difficult (for some people, not all). Eggs on their own checked out. I found out that most people can’t eat eggs every single day (it is best every other day) and that hard boiled eggs are again, harder to break down because they are more dense. (who knew?) At one point I was eating eggs every single day a few months back, and also another point I was eating hardboiled eggs. A lot. Yeesh. My habits of eating the same thing over and over really backfired! Day 15 was no test, although it had a recipe for chicken with Indian spice rub which is not something I would normally eat, but that I did enjoy.  Day 16, two animal proteins were tested in one day. I ate chicken for lunch and dinner this day with no problems. Later, after the 20 day period was over, I would eat pork and chicken in the same day with no issues either. Day 17 was no test. Vegetable Timbale is a good recipe that I also enjoyed that included vegetables in layers (something like lasagna) with cheese in between and olive oil. It was a great recipe! Day 18 was supposed to test a new restaurant. Since one of my favorite restaurants closed, I decided to go ahead and test bacon instead. Bacon tested fine. Day 19 was no test, and Day 20 was when I finally tested tomatoes with success!

 

Since the plan has been over, I indulged some at a cookout eating dip and hotdogs (I paid for that for 3 days)! Also, potato chips were tested and I had a bad reaction (another 3 days for the inflammation to come down, yeesh!) Nachos were also a no go. The mozzarella I test twice and is supposed to be the least inflammatory of cow’s milk made cheese, but did not agree with me. Ground meat I did recently, making homemade hamburgers, and that went great. Today I drank white wine, which I haven’t had until now- white wine is supposed to be more acidic and can cause reactions in some people. I have been trying to eat similar balanced meals to those laid out in the plan, while having more choice on what to eat (and less soup!). At the same time, you are encouraged to keep testing foods until you build up 40-50 friendly foods. Anything that I enjoy to eat should be tested- whether it is an alcoholic drink, dessert, or condiment such as mustard, it should all be tested. Simple things like mustard and ketchup cause reactions in a high number of people and should be tested carefully with small amounts first. I need to test more vegetables- peppers are on my list coming up soon, as well is tomato sauce, and fish. They provide a recommended number of protein intakes for each meal, and provide counts for how much protein is in everything from 4 oz of chicken to a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds.

 

The most important lesson I learned is that variety is the key to everything. My tendency of eating the same foods over and over was holding me back. I need to find more vegetables to eat. Particularly ones that don’t block my thyroid- did you know radishes and strawberries are goitrogenic? Seriously. Seriously. How am I supposed to keep up with the stupid large list of foods that can mess with your thyroid? That was the second important thing I learned- goitrogenic foods have properties that may block thyroid function- everyone is different. For me, I learned my thyroid is very sensitive. I learned that I am not that sensitive to animal protein which is a good thing. I learned that I am sensitive to any dairy made with cow’s milk and sodium. Sodium seems to be a big thing for me- it really makes me hang onto the water weight and can affect blood pressure. While I didn’t think I had that much sodium before during The Plan, after going through the 20 day process, I have realized that I need to watch the amount of sodium I intake and use sea salt instead. I would like to say that during the entire time I have been undertaking this journey, and eating my crazy soups and salads at work, everyone there was very supportive. Some of my co workers have given me clothes even and always have something positive to say. (My mom is actually one of my co workers, and is my biggest supporter, so thanks Mom!) Co workers that have moved on to other places, continue to be supportive and stay in touch. If they think I am crazy, they certainly don’t show it. So, just to end on a positive note, I would like to thank everyone past and present at Half Price Books. They see me on my worst days, and yet, they still speak to me. Thanks guys, you’re a special breed of people that can’t be found just anywhere. And I appreciate it.

Days 5 – 11 ~ 9 pounds lost! Whoot!

So I have learned SO MUCH on this plan so far I can not even tell you in one post (ok, we all know I’m going to anyway). First and most important, my thyroid is not as “stable” as I thought it was. The author of The Plan, Lyn-Genet Recitas,  has you take your temperature every morning (I have two thermometers because I’m usually in shock at low my temp is), and temperature is a sign of how your thyroid is doing- or reacting. Other signs for me personally of having thyroid issues include feeling tired- so tired that I feel like I have the flu. Also I feel depressed and have no appetite at all. Around Day 3/4/5, I noticed that I was so tired. I went to bed early and even missed one of my favorite classes at the gym. I slept for over 12 hours. I started to take the temperature thing seriously- the first few days I wasn’t even paying too close attention- my temp was down to 95.5 and I had missed a meal for loss of appetite. I actually thought I was coming down with something because I was so tired. Then suddenly I had a thought: was I eating other goitrogenic foods like spinach that were bringing me down?

 

Apparently I was eating several. Kale and broccoli are also on that list- they are supposed to have less of an effect when they are cooked. The goitrogens are compounds found in some foods that have been proven to interfere with thyroid function by blocking the enzymes that produce thyroid hormones (Recitas, 41). This is supposed to be deactivated when cooking- but, I have found through research on my own that the goitrogens are only reduced by 1/3 when cooked. My thyroid must be really sensitive to these sorts of foods because not only did I have a drop in temperature for a few days, but I was exhausted, feeling low, and had no appetite. I even missed a meal just to go to bed.

 

After a whole day of avoiding these foods, my temperature went back up to 97.5 (my temp doesn’t seem to go higher than this- but over 97 is at least acceptable) and I started feeling better and losing weight again. Steak has been the only other thing I had a small reaction to – but since it was during my thyroid issues, I plan on testing it again to see if I do indeed have a difficult time digesting steak. It seems to be mostly the foods on the goitrogenic list that I have problems with. Pork has tested fine. Interestingly enough, when I went to the doctor after my birthday and he told me about the book and inquired about spinach- I stopped eating raw spinach and lost 6 pounds in one week. The next week after that, before I started the plan, I couldn’t lose a single pound. I have been recording what I eat for some time now so I went back to see what I was eating- I ate sweet potatoes every single day that week. That is also a goitrogen. I plan on testing it, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be eating those often.

 

The author of The Plan, Lyn-Genet Recitas, talks constantly about eating a variety of foods. If you stop eating a variety of foods, and stop testing foods, your weight loss will stall. One of my main problems is that I am pretty boring- I don’t want a variety of foods. I find a food I like- such as spinach or sweet potatoes- and I eat that food every single day. This isn’t healthy. Your body needs a variety of friendly foods to encourage weight loss. I am starting to worry about the amount of variety that my vegetables (which are eating at lunch and dinner) are going to consist of- so far I can eat squash, onion, garlic, mixed greens, romaine lettuce, zucchini, and carrots. I can’t just eat those every day. I have to find other vegetables to eat too or my success after the plan is over will be limited. I guess I’m feeling a little overwhelmed- after the 20 days is over, will I be able to incorporate everything I’ve learned into a healthy lifestyle that works for me?

 

Day 5 was a test for rye that I didn’t participate in- I already have made my decisions regarding wheat/gluten and I stand by them. I did follow the rest of the day which included leftover dinner salad with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds (wow, I didn’t realize how much vegetarian protein was in pumpkin/sunflower seeds. What a great way to get your protein for the day!), soup, apple, chicken with spicy apricot glaze and grilled zucchini with orange oil (not my favorite) and grated manchengo. Also a beet and carrot salad (that I have given up trying to eat now). I made myself eat it a few times, and I realize I’m not following the plan to the letter, but beets and carrots just can’t be done. Sue me.

 

Day 6 was similar except I tested steak with roasted squash, kale and manchengo salad.

Day 7 Was a rest day again- flax granola, leftover dinner (kale/squash salad) with soup, chicken with lemon garlic sauce with mixed greens as well as a vegetable mix of carrots zucchini onions and mushrooms. One ounce of chocolate. Whoot!

 

Day 8 was a bread test. I ate everything else except the bread and was doing just fine. Sunflower seeds, avocado, mixed greens and an apple for lunch (same flax for breakfast), homemade hummus (I added black and red pepper and made it hot. Like mouth burning hot- just ask my mom LOL) chicken again and the vegetable mix from the day previous.

 

Day 9 I was doing fine. This day had the same flax breakfast, baby romaine with goat cheese, avocado, sunflower seeds, and chicken with roasted squash (YUM!) and the plan chopped salad. The plan chopped salad is baby romaine, zucchini, carrot, apple, avocado, sunflower seeds, and cilantro. This was delicious! Are we noticing a pattern here with the greens and vegetables and chicken?

Day 10 I tested a pork roast that I made and it turned out fine. I had flax seed for breakfast (again!) leftover squash and plan chopped salad, then the pork roast with salad/sunflower seeds, avocado, and lemon oil.

 

Day 11 Today was a good day. I loved the food today (except for the flax granola breakfast that will change starting tomorrow, yeah!), then the leftover salad from the dinner the previous day, hummus, chicken with garlic and lemon, mixed green salad, and vegetable timbale.  The vegetable timbale was zucchini, onion, goat cheese, carrots, mushrooms and goat cheese layered together like a lasagna. It isn’t something I thought I was going to love, but I did! I also had some wine, chocolate, and balsamic vinegar (on my salad soo good)! So I am feeling fine right now!!!

 

Eight days to go. Wow. I’ve come so far. This book has really educated me and changed my life. I would just like to take a moment to point out to all the doubters that 9 pounds in 11 days is pretty conclusive that this book does work and that I CAN do this myself. I would also like to point out that ONE of the FIVE MILLION ENDOCRINOLOGISTS I’VE SEEN SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT THE GOITROGETIC FOODS. NOT AN ALLERGIST. NOT A GASTROENTEROLOGIST. The thyroid is what endocrinologists are supposed to study- I have seen several (and have appointments with two more scheduled) but NOT A ONE mentioned that certain types of food can block your thyroid. I could have gone to an allergist and a gastroenterologist and chances are- they wouldn’t be able to help me either. I’m not allergic to these foods. You could say that there are  “intolerances”  there- but really most of my food issues are related to my thyroid- so far. There is the questionable steak issue- but being that I didn’t have a severe reaction (no stomach ache or bloating) how would a gastroenterologist ever help me figure any of those out???? None of the endocrinologists figured out it was food related. But, my PCP- just a regular doctor with no extra special training figured out that my issues were probably food related. Go figure.

 

My message is this: Listen to your body. It’s trying to tell you something. Food is everything- and nothing is as it seems. Screw everyone that tells you that it’s just a plateau or that you don’t have any symptoms/you are fine. YOU are the best person to diagnose yourself and help yourself. You can do this. I did it, and I am doing it. I’ve lost 28 pounds so far this year alone. If I can do it- so can you. (I didn’t say it would be easy- but you know where to find me if you need me!) Stay healthy and happy my friends! LIVE!

Days 2 and 3! Today is day 4! Losing weight and feeling good!

Days 2 and 3 were tough. Eating carrot and ginger soup again on Day 2 was difficult, and the Spicy Coco Vegetarian soup on Day 3 wasn't much better. I felt tired both days, almost like I was coming down with something. I was weak and slept extra both days. According to "The Plan" this is to be expected and is a good sign that your body is restoring itself. But wait- I haven't told you the best news yet!

Day 3 I woke up and lost 4 pounds. Yes, 4 pounds. Most likely water weight from inflammation. My body was probably busy restoring itself and bringing down the inflammation and kicking out toxins, which is why I was tired. Today is Day 4, and I woke up today and lost another 2 pounds. That's six pounds down!!! Wow!

 Day 2 is flax granola again, carrot ginger soup and mixed greens with leftover broccoli, a pear with some almonds, and leftover kale with vegetables with brown rice and pumpkin seeds.

Day 3 is flax granola again, baby romaine with avocado, pumpkin seeds, and spicy vegetarian soup, almonds, and chicken with Italian herbs and orange zest with roasted winter vegetables.

Day 4 (which is today) includes cheese, wine, and dark chocolate. Yeah! flax granola/blueberries, leftover roasted winter vegetables with mixed greens and pumpkin seeds, carrots with homemade hummus and for dinner (which I am going to go make now so I'll let you know how it turns out) chicken with mango cucumber salsa, mixed greens with carrots and avocado, steamed broccoli with orange oil and chili flakes. I am also drinking 132 oz of water a day and adding extra water if I exercise (which I did today) or if I drink wine.

I will say those were some of the 3 hardest days of my life. I was tired, and had cravings for different foods that weren't on the menu, and didn't really enjoy either of the soups that much. Maybe its just me and I'm not that much of a soup maker, but the spicy vegetarian soup wasn't that great either and I had to force myself to eat it. Each day is prepared so that you are eating enough calories, fiber, and proteins (from vegetable and meat sources) and also designed so that you aren't hungry. Even though I didn't enjoy all of the foods, I was by no means starving myself. The plans are also designed to have totally non-reactive foods the first 3 days so that your body can catch up and restore itself. It seems to be working.

I can eat as much cheese as I want now, and am allowed to have chocolate and wine as of day 4. Believe me, I am not starving and making sure to eat until I am full. I have really enjoyed the roasted winter vegetables that were dinner on day 3 and lunch today on day 4. I am learning lots of interesting things such as that pumpkin seeds have 9 grams of protein per ounce which is why they show up on the daily meal plans so much. Also, I learned yesterday from checking out Lyn Genet Recita's facebook that she recommends that you eat meat or fish proteins a certain number of times a week to prevent having reactions to them. For example, she recommends that you eat fish not more than once per week- this is another thing I was eating every single day (much like the spinach). I seem to get on a kick and like a certain food, and then eat a lot of it. I need to include more variety in my diet, and I think that this will help me do that.

I've learned a TON already! Stay tuned as I continue on this wacky journey! Stay healthy and happy my friends!

The Plan Day 1

Day 1 of The Plan is pretty hard. I won't lie. The first three days are detoxing your body and if you've read my previous blog about the last time I went through a detox then you'll know that your body is fighting cravings. Lots of cravings!!! Especially for sugar (which could be due to a build up of yeast in your body. A build up of yeast can cause sugar cravings).  After the first three days, the menu is more generous as you can eat chicken, cheese, wine, even dark chocolate. The first three days are possibly the hardest. Especially if you hate carrots.

Breakfast was flax granola (made myself) with whole flax seeds, blueberries, and coconut milk. I actually like flax granola and it is nice for me to have a breakfast food I'm not allergic to (being all the gluten issues I have). Lunch was carrot and ginger soup I made ahead of time a few days ago. Jacob (my son) thought it was good, but I could barely stand the taste of the carrots. Also I ate broccoli with orange oil, mixed greens pear, part of an avocado and pumpkin seeds. An apple was a snack, and then for dinner I had to cook for the first time sauteed kale with vegetables, and put spicy coco sauce (a recipe provided by the plan) on it. Beet and carrot salad (yuck!) was also with dinner.

 This was definitely not an easy meal plan today- it does get easier, especially after the first 3 days as you are allowed to eat more items.. I guess we'll see what the value of it was at the end- because that's the only way to know whether something was worth all the trouble. To give it all you have and put the time into and see. 20 days is not a long time to eat healthy at the very least and try something new.

One day down, nineteen to go. Follow along and join me on my quest! They'll be ups and downs and a few nervous breakdowns I'm sure, but it promises to be an interesting journey! Stay healthy and happy my friends and stay tuned!

Food is everything

For the past week, I stopped eating spinach and eggs. Two foods mentioned to me by my PCP (and referenced in the book The Plan that I’ll get to in a minute) that can cause some people to have weight gain due to a chemical reaction inside your body. I have lost 6 pounds this past week! Every single day this week previously- since my birthday last week, Easter, and throughout every day, I have lost some amount of weight from ½ a pound to a pound and a half. Every single day. So what was different? I am not eating less- if fact I ate more of the things I liked over Easter and my birthday. I am not working out more- In fact, both my doctor and The Plan recommend no more than 4 days a week, so for the past two weeks now I have only gone to the gym 4 days. The deciding factor: Spinach and eggs. I am allergic to spinach, for sure.

 

What kind of dirty trick is that? Tell someone to eat healthy- but little do they know that any food- no matter how “healthy” it is- can have a negative reaction inside your body. Lyn Genet Recitas, author of The Plan, writes all about her findings. She has studied and helped countless people who couldn’t lose weight, had bad arthritis, and couldn’t get pregnant, were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and so on, and so forth. What if food is everything? What if food is the source of 99% of our problems? What if our bodies, each different, when processing food internally, has reactions to innocent foods such as eggs and spinach. And then, the reaction doesn’t show up on our skins or as a belly ache- what if we are having “reactions” to food each and every day but don’t realize it. Every acid reflux or weight gain or acne could be a sign that your body is “reacting” to something that you ate. What if you could find out once and for all what your body reacts to- wouldn’t it be worth doing anything to find out? What if it could drastically reduce your inflammation and make you feel better? Forever?

 

Lyn Genet Recitas has been studying nutrition and holistic health for 30 years and has treated countless patients. She writes, “I’d been studying all the research on inflammation, so I knew that Inflammation happens instantaneously. …I knew inflammation was the basis of all disease, and that it had been linked to weight gain. ” As she goes on to explain, it’s all about the chemistry of your bodies. Not how much calories you eat- if the foods you’re eating “burn clean” or do not have a reaction, then you won’t gain weight. Gointrogenic foods, she explains, have been shown to interfere with thyroid function. Eating these foods raw can cause serious issues- guess what is an example of a gointrogenic food that I was eating raw- every day!!!!-  spinach. I had been eating raw spinach and strawberries (also on the list) almost every single day. I recently just found out that both of my parents (who both have a TON of food allergies) are both allergic to strawberries. My mother is also allergic to gluten like me, and she is also allergic to mustard which is another highly reactive food. My father is allergic to salmon which is another food found to be reactive with people. Her studies and research found that 90% of her clients are highly reactive to farm raised fish, deli meats, sushi, hot dogs, bagels, corn, and thick crust pizza. 85% react highly to hard boiled eggs, shrimp, turkey, eggs, eggplant, greek yogurt, salmon and the list goes on and on.  The only way to find out what foods work for you and which ones do not is to do “The Plan.”

 

Oh yes, we could all go to the allergist and be tested- and I’m sure that would help us to discover some of our reactions- but it wouldn’t show them all. The spinach does not have an allergic reaction when coming into contact with my skin. It is when it is broken down and chemically released into my body that it starts to block my thyroid and also cause inflammation. Some food items will only show up once digested. The plan has a 20 day special meal plan with the first 3 days being a detox. It is designed so that each meal is chemically balanced to restore your body and allow it to heal while you introduce different items one at a time to discover which ones you have a reaction to. It is 20 days of eating things such as Kale and carrot ginger soup. I won’t lie to you- it seems like a daunting task, and you had better have 20 days where you have the time to cook yourself special (if not sometimes unappetizing) meals and not eat out. Not until day 18. I will also mention that the book is geared to mostly people 35 and above- food allergies and triggers worsen after 35 and people become way more sensitive to food which is why it is geared for that age group. There are examples of people my age in her book who have used it to figure out what things they are allergic to. I believe anyone of any age would be greatly assisted by this book- especially people suffering from certain illnesses- just keep in mind that as you age, you will need to do this again because the food allergies will change.

 

The plan has already helped me and I haven’t even started it yet. I lost 6 pounds this week just from cutting out a few seemingly harmless foods that reacted with my body chemistry. I believe that all along- all of my health issues and weight gain- have been tied to food. First the gluten and now other foods as well- there are probably more and will be more as I grow older. I thought that once I discovered my issues with gluten and had my big epiphany, that I was on my way. It didn’t occur to me I would have other food issues. What if I can figure out all of the foods that are reacting negatively? Not only will I fix my weight issues, but I could possibly eliminate my cortisol and thyroid issues as well. Who is to say that those things aren’t reacting out of a chemical imbalance in my body? Who is to say that fixing these issues and reducing inflammation won’t save me from having a hip or knee replaced later in life like some of my other family issues? Who is to say that it won’t reduce my chances of getting cancer? How can I afford to not find these answers?

 

Food is the best medicine says Hippocrates- what if it is also our worst disease?  What we know about medicine seems to be very little. The more I learn about myself, the more I believe that. Since I’ve started to write this particular segment, I’ve gained a pound one day and then lost it and then gained another a different day, then lost it again. So the question is: what was I eating those days that I had the inflammation that resulted in the weight gain? What was the difference? Something (I think it may have been milk) caused my body to freak out, gain a pound, and I had a headache the next day. The guessing game of what my body is or isn’t reacting to is making me nuts. Sunday I start the 20 day plan. I will try to post on my blog as much as I can during those 20 days to give you all an update. The first day is whole flaxseed granola with blueberries, carrot and ginger soup with salad, and roasted kale/vegetables for dinner. It should be interesting to say the least!

 

I would have thought that holistic health was a joke a year ago. I would have laughed if someone told me I was allergic to gluten or that other foods could be causing my problems. But I know this to be true- so the question is- what all is affecting my health? Is it just food? My body is obviously stubborn. It’s kind of funny- when you think about it- my cells, my very DNA, is programmed to be different. To be stubborn. It’s like my body says, “Oh yeah, go ahead eat that bread! I’ll do what I want! I’ll show you!” My very ‘being’ was created to be a pain in the ass (that makes a lot of sense to those of you that know me, I’m sure J )  But seriously, what all foods or environmental things are affecting me that I don’t know about or don’t realize?  I’m about to embark on a difficult journey to find out. Wish me luck! Stay happy and healthy my friends!

 

Tired

I went to see the doctor last week. My PCP said that my cortisol levels are still high. He said it is likely I have some sort of adrenal glad malfunction, but it’s really beyond his specialty. I will have to wait until my appointments with the two different endocrinologists I have scheduled in a month. I have to have some more blood taken to check some hormone levels. I guess we will see whether the dhea or testosterone is affecting anything or not. Meanwhile, the Rhodiola rosea (similar to ginseng), omega 3 fish oil, and tonakli extract (recommended by Dr. Oz) do seem to have had an effect on my cortisol. Here’s some interesting info on the Tongkat Ali discussed by Dr. Oz “they look for a lot things in blood work when women are exhausted and it very well be cortisol-testosterone exhaustion. Cortisol goes up and testosterone goes down which can lead to exhaustion. Low testosterone is not just a problem for men, normal testosterone levels should be anywhere from 8 – 48, Michelle’s testosterone level was 7. Testosterone level of 7 is a sign of overall exhaustion says Dr. Talbott and some things to do to bring the testosterone back up to a normal range is to eat healthy, exercise and recommends a supplement for testosterone Tongkat Ali. Michelle plus 10 other women were also confirmed with pre diabetes.” http://dailyhealthweb.blogspot.com/2011/12/dr-oz-tongkat-ali-testosterone-booster.html

 

My PCP feels the fluctuations in gaining and then losing weight are due to other food allergies; ones I haven’t figured out yet. This makes sense because both of my parents have a lot of food allergies. My doctor and his wife read this book called “The Plan: Eliminate the Surprising "Healthy" Foods That Are Making You Fat--and Lose Weight Fast” by Lyn-Genet Recitas.  It is a 20 day plan to help you figure out which healthy foods don’t actually agree with you as an individual. This is extremely interesting to me because I have said all along that certain foods just don’t agree with certain individuals. I have said and felt since my experience with gluten that each person has foods that may not agree with you individually, and you may not know it. Hives or indigestion may appear or they may not. Reactions may be happening inside your body. Acid reflux is one example of such a reaction. I have been experiencing some acid/throat issues and I have to believe its due to some food I’m eating. Lyn Genet Recitas says about her book, “Foods that are revered by traditional weight loss programs, such as turkey, eggs, cauliflower, beans, and tomatoes, may be healthy in a vacuum, but when combined with each person's unique chemistry, they can cause a toxic reaction that triggers weight gain, premature aging, inflammation, and a host of health problems including constipation, migraines, joint pain, and depression.”

 

I think keeping a detailed food journal, writing down everything I’m eating, and eliminating foods one at a time to see what reactions I have or don’t have could really be useful. I’ll let you know what else the book says after I read it. It should be interesting. One specific food my doctor asked me about is spinach. Apparently, people with severe thyroid disorders have bad chemistry with spinach. About a month and a half ago (around the same timeline of when I started having issues) I began eating spinach every day for lunch. I love spinach and have been buying loose leaf spinach to eat as salad for lunch. Coincidence? Another possible food issue is eggs- for a long time I was just eating a protein shake for breakfast in the morning. When I realized that I wasn’t eating enough calories in a day, I started to eat three eggs for breakfast in the morning instead (you have to remember I can’t eat bread or most cereals. Just eggs and fruit really. Yogurt. That’s it). Have the eggs had an effect? I had a really difficult time losing weight when I was eating gluten, thinking I was eating healthy, and exercising. It wasn’t until I eliminated it that I was able to lose weight at all. Dr. Oz discusses food allergies and how they can cause weight gain with an author by the name of Mark Hyman who also has a 3 week allergy free diet book. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/anti-allergy-diet?page=3#copy

 

I think that the past month has been a combination of stress/ high cortisol levels, possible food allergies, and also me not eating enough. The past three days due to Easter and my birthday, I have pretty much eaten whatever I wanted, taking in way more calories than I usually do. I lost a few pounds (figures) and I haven’t been to the gym in 4 days. So. Someone going through a plateau would not have these results. This is clearly an issue of my body (once again) not acting like normal people’s bodies and doing whatever it wants. I am not getting enough of some nutrients that my body needs which is why when I finally eat more, I lose weight.

Allergies to food items result in antibodies that cause inflammation and weight gain. My hashimotos thyroid disease is detected because of ANTIBODIES that are not supposed to be there. I wonder why that is? I have long thought it was due to the gluten (which is a proven fact in the Wheat Belly by William Davis that gluten allergies will cause hashimoto’s disease due to this reaction from your body causing antibodies).  It would make sense that gluten wasn’t the only thing causing my body to freak out. I will repeat this for the last time. This is not a plateau. My doctor agrees that it is not a plateau- in fact he thinks that most of the problem is food allergies more than cortisol or anything else. At least that one single person knows me and understands what I am going through. He and his wife did the plan to also figure out what unknown foods were holding them back.

To all of you that have normal bodies with normal reacting thyroid and metabolisms: Please stop telling me this is a plateau. Also please stop saying “well it took you 10 years to put on the weight so it only makes sense it will take you a long time to lose it.” YOU ARE FORGETTING THAT THE WEIGHT GAIN WAS DUE TO MY THYROID IN THE FIRST PLACE. This is a really insulting thing to say. I wasn’t sitting around eating a bunch of fucking pizzas and ice cream and woke up one day and said “Oh geez, wish I wasn’t so fat!” My thyroid freaked out and gained lots of weight and it was totally out of my control. Let me define plateau for you now. So I can stop losing my mind. “It's normal to shed pounds quickly at the outset of your weight-loss program. When you cut calories, your body releases glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates found in your liver and muscles. When glycogen is burned, water also is released, which results in substantial water weight loss that accelerates your positive trend on the scale.
Despite this initial success, you are likely to hit a plateau because you lose both fat and lean tissue when you cut calories. The lean muscle mass slows your metabolism. Since the rate at which you burn calories declines, you need to either increase your activity or cut calories again.” Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/381752-weight-loss-plateau/#ixzz2PBRm716C

Cutting calories isn’t my issue here- in fact, my doctor agrees I’m not eating enough calories or protein. I also know that lean muscle mass is critical to losing weight and is something that I have focused on for many months yet am having a hard time putting on more lean muscle mass. The reason for my weight loss wasn’t because I went on a diet and cut calories so now I’ve hit a “plateau” and need to work out or cut more calories. I started losing weight when I stabilized my thyroid. I next cut out gluten and was working at they gym. I increased my gym exercise. That is why I was losing weight. It wasn’t because I was doing a diet and needed to add in some exercise or “fell of the wagon” and stop eating chocolates and wine.

In fact, working out 5 days a week 2 hours a day may have been too much and I have cut that in half the past two weeks. More exercise or cutting more calories are what is recommended for a plateau. Gee, wonder why I didn’t’ think of that????!!@  Now, I recognize and agree that after a certain point (six months is what livestrong says, and that is where I am) you are not going to lose as much weight or see the same amount of success as you did early on. I get that. I’m not going to lose the 16 pounds I did back in November when I first quit eating gluten. What I am saying though, is that something isn’t exactly right. I feel it in my bones and I know it my soul.  Any normal person eating a 2000 calorie diet working out 5 days a week with no food allergies, no thyroid problem etc. etc. would be steadily losing weight each week.

I’m so tired of trying to figure out what’s wrong. I’m more tired of trying to explain it to people to have them not understand. Most people think this is just a phase or something “normal” that I was going through- the thing is, I’ve never been normal. Any of you with normal metabolisms and normal bodies need to treat yourselves properly. Eat well, go to the gym, take a walk- live your life. Because you can. If you need to cut calories- do it! Don’t sit around eating donuts complaining about how you have constant indigestion. Do something about it! Be appreciative for the fact that you can do something about it in a simple and efficient way unlike the many thousands of people suffering from thyroid problems or other issues that is beyond their control. Many people have health issues beyond their control that keep them from exercising (such as arthritis) so go out there and live your life! You owe it to yourself!

Frustrated

So the past couple weeks I haven't posted. February was very difficult for me. For some reason, I gained several pounds back in the middle of the month. I managed to lose them again, and did manage to lose a total of 7.5 pounds for February (which was good) but it was a real struggle. Nothing in my diet had changed. I am as dedicated as ever to eating and living a healthy lifestyle. Some may say well "you probably put on some muscle, yeah that's all" or "you put on some water weight, that's it." If that is true, than why is happening again in March? I lost 3 pounds the first week of March. I was off to a great start. The next week I gained them back and haven't been able to loose them since. I have tried water pills (in case it was the water weight) and if I truly was putting on more lean muscle mass (which is the goal) I would be promptly losing weight after because lean muscle burns more fat. So WTF???

 

 

Yesterday, I almost gave up. I figured hell; I made it from a size 26 to a size 16- that was further than I ever thought I would go. And I was just so tired. Work has been extra stressful this past week which is not good since I am pretty sure it is jacking up my cortisol. I suffered a major disappointment when Half Price Books decided not to put in a new store in our area, severely limited my ability to move up. I have been working out 5 days a week, doing cardio for at least an hour each day, with weight lifting 3-4 of those days including seeing a personal trainer each week. I went to my sh'bam and yoga class yesterday even though I was tempted to just to take a nap, eat some chocolates, drink some wine, and call it a day. I love my sh'bam and yoga instructors and I know that I will be missed if I don't go which motivates me not to miss those classes. (Thanks guys for the motivation!). I felt better after the classes, as I usually do. But still today, I am frustrated. I am not sure what more I can do or accomplish if I am having internal issues such as my cortisol that I don't have direct control over. Furthermore, I wish everything wasn't such a fight for me. Why is everything so hard? I am doing everything I am supposed to be doing, so why isn't that enough?

 

 

I learned along time ago that my body does not act like it is supposed to. Years of issues with my thyroid and insulin resistance have taught me that I am not normal. What works for other people does not apply to me. My body seems to have its own set of rules. There is a documentary on Netflix called Fat Sick and Nearly Dead that focuses on juicing and fasting. The star of the film, an Australian man, decides to just drink fresh juice (he makes himself) morning, noon, and night, from vegetables and fruits for 60 days to lose weight and feel better. He loses a 100pds on his journey. It is an interesting film and was recommended to me from some coworkers who sparked my interest in juicing. The thing is, my body doesn't respond well to threats. If I thought for one second that I could just drink juice and "fast" and I would lose all of this weight and my problems would just "poof" away magically I would do it. I am an insanely determined, focused, person. I would do anything to lose the last 65 or so pounds I need to lose and feel better. My body didn't respond well to me not eating enough calories (see my last post) and I have learned also that my body requires some amounts of healthy fats in order to burn more calories. In fact, every time I eat more calories than I usually do, I lose more weight. I have been drinking juice during the day at work to keep my metabolism going and help me in between long periods of time where I can't eat to boost my calorie count in a healthy way. The thing that upsets me about the film is that the man who is juicing would eat a lot. He admits that he would eat two whole pizzas by himself. The overeating affected his health severely.  I admire his strength to change his habits, but he hasn't had to struggle for 10 plus years going doctor to doctor trying to resolve a severe thyroid disorder. He hasn't had medical issues such as insulin resistance that no doctor could help with. I had to figure out everything myself. I have cured myself of an incredible amount of aliments and have lost over 50 pounds through pure hard work, tears, determination, (and more tears). My problems were never as simple as putting down the fork. IF ONLY ALL MY PROBLEMS WERE CAUSED BECAUSE I ATE TOO FREAKING MUCH!!!! How simple that would be!!??!! I could just cut calories, work out, and lose weight like a normal freaking person without struggling each and every day to lose just a pound or two a week.

 

I'm on my third trainer now. I have a new trainer I haven't mentioned yet. He is young, and I was worried that because he is fresh out of college that he wouldn't be able to help me or understand all the struggles I have been through just to get where I am now. He is very enthusiastic though, and seems serious about his job. I am trying to do everything he suggests and really give him a chance. I have seen him for about a month now, so he plans to do "measurements" and weigh in to see how far I have come in the past month next week. (I'll let yinz know how that goes). I am sort of terrified. I don't think that I've accomplished much, and again it's not because of my diet. He mentioned to me last week that I need to make sure I am not "binge eating." Again, if anything I struggle to eat 2000 calories a day and most days between work, going to the gym, and helping my son with homework, I eat 1500 calories. I was never a big eater. People that have known me for years can attest to this. Today, I had a protein shake with almond milk for breakfast, a vegetable mix with mushrooms, peas, green beans and carrots with some kiwi, oranges, and almonds for lunch, and for dinner I am planning on some chicken with a sweet potato. To drink, I only drink water or juice (other than my protein shake) and today has been just water all day. I will probably eat an orange, other fruit or some almonds throughout the day but that's about it. That is my typical day. I'm not eating a pizza for lunch and ice cream bars for dinner. I don't eat anything breaded or fried, I hardly eat anything sweet other than some dark chocolate every once in awhile, and I have severely restricted any alcoholic beverages to just a glass a wine every once in awhile. Today he mentioned he wants me to fill out a food log next week. That's fine- I'll try anything or do anything- but he also mentioned that he knows it’s hard to "stay away from the refrigerator" and "not snack." I told him again that if anything, eating is just a hassle for me. I can't seem to eat enough calories, and no matter what I do I'm gaining weight back and forth anyway. What the hell is the point?

 

 

I'm back to the cortisol thing. My cortisol has been high for years and years. I am going to have some blood work done in the next week to make sure that it's not my thyroid- my thyroid made me gain all the weight in the first place. Oh yeah, it can do that to you. If your thyroid is not working correctly, you will gain lots of weight for no reason. Cortisol can do this too though. The cortisol can cause low testosterone in women. Without enough testosterone (and Dr. Oz did a whole show on this, if you don't believe me), it will be impossible to lose weight, especially around the mid section (where I have lost NO inches) and the high cortisol suppresses the testosterone (the more stress I have, like at work for example, the more cortisol, less testosterone) and then it makes me unable to put on any lean muscle mass and cortisol also prevents people from losing weight. "In fact, fat cells in the belly have four times more cortisol receptors compared to fat cells elsewhere, so you just keep reinforcing the muffin top as your cortisol climbs and stays high. It’s not pretty." http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/2012/05/04/cortisol-switcharoo/ This is from a Harvard doctor- its well documented, in any case. Google it if you are curious. So, is it my cortisol? Doctors for years have been unable to do anything about my cortisol levels. Also, the exact testosterone level for women varies from person to person and doctors do not actually know what the correct levels are that women are supposed to have. In fact, testosterone therapy for women is a relatively new idea and there is no FDA approved testosterone therapy for women.

 

 

I have made appointments to see two different endocrinologists in hopes of finding out once and for all what is causing my high cortisol levels- it may not be my testosterone levels after all. I am not sure what it is. I do feel like it is holding me back and that it is ultimately up to me to figure it out. No one said that it would be easy losing weight. I solved many of my issues and have this last piece of the puzzle to decipher. I'm close to the goal; I just need to hang on. I have some natural supplements for lowering cortisol and boosting testosterone I am going to try. I'll let you know how it goes! Until then, be healthy, happy, and LIVE!