wellness – Page 7 – Fantastically 40-ish

Flashback Friday

Posted on November 29, 2019December 24, 2019 by nlchronicles

I am so thankful for the transformation that has occurred; I am BEYOND thankful. I never thought that I could be in a healthier place but that didn’t keep me from searching. It took time, work, patience and self-care, but it was possible. And it’s worth it because I AM WORTH IT! That’s the one thing you have to tell yourself every day when you’re facing a challenge – you are worth it. You can do this. Don’t listen to the negative people questioning how or telling you that you can’t. I have those people in my life too (they’re in the family) but I had to learn how to check them appropriately and keep pushing toward my goals. You’ve got this! Share with someone else who needs to realize that they are worth it.

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Work, travel and exercise

Posted on November 14, 2019December 7, 2019 by nlchronicles

For about half of the year, I travel a good deal for work. As I write this, I am on a train to New York penn station so that I can head out to Long Island. I enjoy the flexibility of working from various locations but it can interfere with attempts to be healthy and, especially, to work out.

Initially, I just considered the additional movement of the day as exercise. You know- airport walking, train platform walking, wandering the stores, campuses, basically anything that got me moving while out for travel. But now I try to be more intentional about actually exercising while I’m on travel. I pack my workout clothes so that even if the hotel gym has only one treadmill, I’m going to use that one treadmill. I prefer the recumbent bike but it’s not available everywhere. I also use amazon prime to do a couple of easy stretch videos if that works better.

And when the weather is warmer, I’ll incorporate intentional walking outdoors and walking in the pool before anyone gets in. A coworker even looked up exercise classes at the local YMCA while we were in training for a week- wow, that’s dedication!! What tips do you have for exercising while working and traveling? Share your experiences; I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time 🥂…

My newest tip…pack a light sweatshirt for the gym because it can be chilly in there!

Scenes from recent gym adventures-

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Conferencing

Posted on October 20, 2019November 9, 2019 by nlchronicles

As I mentioned previously, I work with a nutritionist to manage PCOS. And it’s worked wonders. I’ve even been asked to speak on a panel for an upcoming conference about pcos in January that’s being held in California. (I hope I can get off work then!) Hopefully, my statement can inspire you or someone you know who manages hormone related challenges; positive change IS possible. It takes real commitment and a different level of effort (lots of tweaking to find out what is best for me), but I’m so glad to know that it’s even possible.

See, for so long, I thought I was just doomed to be on birth control pills forever as prescribed by physicians; I even had a pcos “specialist” tell me that my best course of action was to just remain on the pill forever! WTH!!! I knew that I had to find a better solution that reduced the need for medication- that takes a toll on your body because we aren’t meant to ingest such things for a long time. Western medicine has perfected the art of acute care but this doesn’t translate over to managing long term health challenges or improving their condition. Keep searching, doing the research and challenging the system so that alternative solutions might be covered by insurance.

The excerpt below is my statement for the conference:

🥂 to your good health! Until next time …

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Throwback Thursday

Posted on September 5, 2019October 8, 2019 by nlchronicles

The picture on the left was probably near or at my highest weight ever, in the vicinity of 270/275 pounds. That was at a family reunion in 2007. The picture on the right was July of this year, about 90 pounds lighter. So glad I found something that works for me and you can too!!

Good Thursday to you!

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Progress Report

Posted on August 17, 2019October 8, 2019 by nlchronicles

I’ve “grown” to the point that I only get on the scale twice per month and sometimes less 😲 shocking, right?

I’ve been on a mission to improve health for awhile and, thankfully, finally found a way of life that works well for me. Starting with keto, switching over to paleo as dairy is a no-no for me and discovering food sensitivities and foods that cause pain have been the key. My nutritionist mentioned an app called “Oox” and it’s been key in avoiding foods high in oxylates. Long story short- with the joint pain that I manage, oxylates can make it SO much worse. Then she recommended that I avoid nightshade vegetables. I had suspected an issue with some peppers and I noticed a bit of pain with potatoes. The one that I shed a tear about was tomato; I 💛 salsa. But I had to decide whether I loved salsa enough to stay in pain. Bye bye salsa.

So here I am one year after really buckling down to get to the root of the problem. Do I know why there’s chronic low grade inflammation? Yes and no- PCOS is known for its inflammation. But how did the PCOS begin in the first place? 🤷🏽‍♀️that’s any one’s guess.

*drum roll*** 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

The pic that I’m sharing below is a comparison between my birthday in August last year and my birthday this year. The difference is 60 pounds!! I surpassed my year 2019 goal of getting below 200 pounds during the spring so I revised the goal to lose a total of 75 pounds. And I’m about 15 pounds from the new goal.

Is it all about the weight? No. But- excess weight holds excess estrogen which compounds problems with PCOS. Excess weight equals excess joint pressure. For every one pound of weight that I lost, I lost 4 POUNDS of pressure on the knees, which is amazing! My digestion is better and still healing. My skin looks better and my sleep has improved. My mood swings are less frequent and I don’t feel like I need a nap every afternoon. I’m back in the gym and using the elliptical machine which is huge for me. In the past, my knee would hurt so much that I couldn’t push the pedals forward. And I’ve started walking more without using the cane.

Little changes really do add up. I am still a work in progress but I no longer think that being healthier is impossible. One of the things that I’ve learned is to believe that change is possible and that it’s possible for me. And I’m believing that for you too, in any area that may need change. If you know someone who manages PCOS, arthritis, excess weight, please share my story with them. Or share your story and let’s chat! Until next time …🥂

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The present

Posted on July 5, 2019July 7, 2019 by nlchronicles

Where things stand now- so after all of the drama of just trying to get a diagnosis, it seemed like I got worse and worse, especially due to stress. Not only was I diagnosed with PCOS, I was later informed that I have osteoarthritis in BOTH knees so I did physical therapy for it twice. Herein lies the issue- I was successful with physical therapy both times but since PCOS is associated with low grade inflammation, the physical therapy is pointless until the initial inflammation is dealt with. So, I started looking for other solutions and came across the Insulite system. Now, I’m not here to sell anyone anything. But the results these women were getting was amazing so I signed up for the newsletter and joined one of the Facebook groups.

But, not having the money to try the supplements and not making the sacrifice to at least try them for 3 months, all I did was follow the newsletter and FB group. I could, however, afford the book 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS and pored over it. And I started trying smaller quantity supplements mentioned multiple times in the book. And I started having some results along with beginning keto in August of 2018. Keto is a bit too harsh for me as I respond well to veggies and most fruit so after getting sick from it, I started paleo in November and have done well since. I switched jobs and was then able to afford the Insulite supplements. I even started the one-on-one coaching with the nutritionist of the program so that I could get supplements that are best for me.

During that time, the weather turned really cold very quickly and that just threw my knees off so much that I started using a cane. I also started having super limited range of motion in my neck. Using the supplements and really honing on my eating habits to remove foods that cause pain really started helping. In all of this, I found that only I can take charge of my health. Waiting for a doctor to point me in the right direction was no longer an option. I started acupuncture to help with knee pain so that I could wean off NSAIDs. I then started seeing a chiropractor to work on the neck stiffness. My doc would like me to see a physical therapist about the neck but I’m moving really soon so I’ll wait until after the move. My goal is to work out 3 times per week, minimum- 1 day at the gym; 1 day doing yoga, especially for neck and shoulders; and 1 day walking, though I tend to walk more than the other two types. I have released about 54 pounds since August and hope to lose about another 15 to reach goal. Walking is better and while I carry the cane as I walk, I no longer have to use it every time I move. I even rode a bike outdoors while on vacation!

This experience has shown me how to push for self-care and to look past traditional remedies that are not working, keeping in mind that “alternative” therapies may be what work best for me. If you are in a similar situation in which you took charge of your health and found the best path for you, share your story. I’d love to hear from you! Until next time 🥂

*Note: left picture is from one of my “higher” weights in 2016; the right picture is from June 2019- a difference of 50 pounds

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Outdoors and MH

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 by nlchronicles

I love being outdoors. Well let me clarify- I love being outdoors when the sun is shining and the weather is warm or hot. I find that MH (mental health) for me is better when I do. And when mental health is great, then physical and emotional health seem to flow from that. But it took a long time for me to figure that out. And even that was a challenge.

I currently live in a northern part of the United States where it can get cold with short sun light days and snow – not the greatest combo for this Leo! So I head to the gym but that’s not a favorite combo; fluorescent lights versus sunshine. That’s a no brainer. So I read that SAD lights can help by emitting light the emulates the sun and I started using that last fall. And it makes a HUGE difference. But I found that out by doing lots of reading, not because a doctor recommended it to me.

No, my doc recommended what I call “happy pills” to deal with anxiety and being super anxious rather than helping me find out the why- why am I dealing with anxiety? Where did it come from? How long have I been dealing with it? In all my searching, I found that being outdoors works for me, helping to reduce anxiety. I know now that anxiety is a byproduct of PCOS as is depression but so many don’t know they have a hormonal disorder and so many more don’t recognize they’re struggling mentally. And nature is healing. It’s the freest therapy that I can have, leading to my decision to move further south and take advantage of an environment that better suits me.

If there are things in your life inhibiting your mental health, please research, seek help, whatever it takes. And if something doesn’t seem right, keep searching.

Quick note: I started writing this blog post and had to take a break. Before beginning again, I saw a very similar commentary by a Canadian nutritionist that I follow on Instagram. I say that to say- the struggle is real but so are the solutions! If being outdoors is not your thing, then seek the thing that will contribute to mental wellness. Last, I have included pictures from some of my outdoor excursions that I’ve had over the last month. The change in scenery is always refreshing. Until next time!