For the 8-10 months I've been going through a few changes with my body. I don't have the full answers yet, but my doctors and I are working on it.
Thyroid hormone levels jumping about (I don't have a thyroid but my numbers have never been so strange), cortisol is all over the place, and body fat showing up and not leaving (thanks a lot).
It's been challenging. I know you understand.
I'm telling myself it's not happening to me, it's happening for me. I see this as an educational opportunity because man-oh-man, have I been deep diving.
How I'm supporting my body/mental health/prevent weight gain
Walking every morning. I walk every morning 30-45 minutes. Morning sunlight helps improve our moods, our quality of sleep, lower stress, and even regulate our appetite (although I have to say that last one I haven't seen any personal evidence of π€£). Sourceβ β
Strength training 3-4x a week. I've been vocal about how much I love Caroline Girvan workouts. I'm currently following her Intent program but I have found my body needs more rest. I do not lift 5 days a week, I'm now listening to my body and doing 3-4x. β
Pilates 1x a week. I have been going to a local Pilates studio for a one-on-one session weekly since Christmas. This isn't an exercise class style of workout. I am working on a physiotherapy basis to retrain my brain and body to use the correct muscles (I tend to use my chest to do bridges and thrusts -who knew) and help me through my previous injuries from a car accident. I will say that after 7 years of physio/RMTs/chiro almost every week...that THIS is where I have seen the best results for my pain and improvement for "waking up muscles". β
Upping my protein. I have always eaten high protein, but I am being more mindful. I am tracking my intake as I have noticed that when I'm not mindful of it - I don't get near my requirement. Here's how I calculate how much protein I need or start with .8 x your body weight (this will vary - feel free to email me). β
Being mindful of fiber. Fruits, veggies, oats, flax. I am adding what I can to reach my fiber goal. This helps me stay fuller for longer and regulates blood sugars (same with protein). β
Tracking my food. I stopped tracking when life got stressful and things got worse. Tracking helps me reach my nutrition goals of protein and fiber. I stay within my calories (most of the time), hit my protein within 10%, work towards my fiber goal and that's it. I don't worry about carbs or fat intake. I focus on protein and calories to help keep my brain happy. I also have a few other targets I like to watch (for fun) for brain health. This is the new tracking app I am using. β
Water. Doing what I can to stay hydrated, I carry a water bottle with me everywhere. β
Doing less. I have been working less. Between the stressors of my health, my children's health, and building our suite...I have had to let go in some areas. Coming from someone who used to work on my business for 8-10 hours a day - this has been a challenge but it's needed. β
Supplements. I'm not a huge fan of supplementing. I prefer to get what I can from my diet and fill in the gaps later. That being said, my body needs support right now, so that's what I'm giving it. Right now I'm taking: a multivitamin, vitamin D3, omega 3 (3x a week), Organika Collagen (use RANDAD25 for discount), electrolytes (I love these - they're not super sweet), creatine, magnesium, and probiotics. You do not need to take everything I do. Everybody is different, but I wanted to share what I'm taking as I know it will be asked.
Breaking Up with MyFitnessPal
I have used MyFitnessPal since it started.
Last week I cancelled my subscription. I found a new app, that I feel is better. It's called Cronometer.
I tried it last year and didn't care for it, but they have added updates and after redownloading it and playing around. I'm hooked.
Image: Cronometer blog
There's more information about your nutrition. It's not all about weight loss, it's about fueling your body and supporting your goals (whether it's weight loss or not). I have it hooked up to Apple Health and it updates my weight automatically (from my FitTrack scale), and my workouts.
My free trial ends in the next few days, and I have already signed up for their premium version and will be paying for it. It's less money than MFP and I feel like it has more features. I will have to write a deep dive on it later (like I did for MFP vs Lose It). No, this is not sponsored. π
They have a free version and a Gold version. The Gold version is worth the money (and costs less than MyFitnessPal too).
There should be a free trial for the Gold plan, if not - send them an email and ask if you can try it out before you buy. I did and they hooked me up (and fast too). GREAT customer service! I also found out that they're a small Canadian company, actually their HQ is in Revelstoke, BC (which is only 2 hours away from me - so I feel a little bit of loyalty there).
This email is long enough, but if you have questions about Cronometer, hit reply and I'll answer it the best I can.
If you want to save $5 off the gold plan, hit reply and I will send you the referral link (you get $5 off and I get a $5 credit).
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It not just tracks your workouts, nutrition, cycles, it also monitors your sleep. ALL in one place!
Final Thoughts
I am not perfect, nor do I pretend to be. I have health challenges just like you, which is why I like to be transparent and share what I'm working on. There are no immediate results but I have a goal that by end of summer I'll be on the upswing. β Before taking any advice from me (or anyone online - especially on social media), please consult your doctor and/or pharmacist. A pharmacist is super important - don't forget them, as some supplements don't play well with meds (like Synthroid and ashwagandha).
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