I Neglected My Health & Now I Have to Fix It
Monday, September 11, 2023
If you’ve been around here you know that I have “yo-yo’d” in weight. I’ve been told by doctors that I have a thyroid problem, that my cortisol levels are always really high, and that I need to cut out gluten. I was told that I needed to eat less than 1,200 calories a day and work out for an hour, 4-5x a week just to stop the weight gain. But none of that worked. And no one ever really explained what any of my numbers meant or how it was affecting my body. Sometimes, others would look over what the doctors had interpreted and question why I was being “treated” a certain way if it wasn’t going to help or address my issues. The frustration of not knowing, continuing to gain weight, and struggling with conceiving finally came to a breaking point this past summer.
One of my sisters, Dr. Hogan*, is a Functional Medicine practitioner and part of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. At the end of July, I asked her for some help and she put in an order to have some blood work done. A week after having labs done, my results came in and there was a lot to discuss. I had a few red flags, but also some improvements - both my cortisol levels and thyroid looked fine. We went over every single result, and what it meant. She explained how it was affecting my body, and answered any questions that I had. Nothing was too dumb or off the table. Unfortunately, those red flags were pretty concerning so we went over a treatment plan. It consisted of a specific meal plan for the next 8 weeks (currently on week 5), exercise, supplements tailored to my needs, and learning the proper way to fuel my body. Goodbye, 1,200 calorie restriction. But y’all…it’s been an adjustment.
We’ve had to undergo a lot of changes. Getting rid of plastic food containers, and anything with perfume. I have to be very selective about the food I consume. There’s a lot that’s been taken out, and honestly, if it weren’t for Corey’s cooking skills I might not have made it this far. Also, the amount of supplements I have to take each day is just…UGH. But, if I want to reverse the damage, and prevent any major future health problems it has to be done. So, Corey and I dove right into it. We did a pantry/fridge cleanse. I got rid of all the beauty/hygiene products that I could without being wasteful. And while this was initially a bit pricey, we’ve been able to make slight adjustments to our grocery budget which helps. Sidenote: We CHOSE to make the majority of the changes from the get-go, Dr. Hogan said we could take baby steps.
Right now, the hardest part has been cutting out sugar. Chocolate, cookies, ice cream, coffee creamer, cake, and my beloved sweet tea. And because I can’t have creamer I’ve had to get creative on how I get my daily dose of caffeine. One word: smoothies. Even with a workaround, I’ve cut back dramatically on the amount of caffeine I consume each day and my body is feeling it. By 7 p.m. I’m ready for bed, and it takes a lot of mental strength to keep me going. Other “side effects” have been low energy, mood swings, irritability, and a small bout of depression. I’m hoping after week 5, these will start to subside. And fingers crossed that by week 7 I’ll feel much better. But isn’t that crazy? How my body is reacting to removing all of the crap I was putting into it. It’s been interesting, and somewhat surprising. I knew I would go through “withdrawals,” but I didn’t realize how extreme some of them would be.
All of this to say, prioritize your health. Ask the questions. Get second or third opinions. Listen to your body. Invest in a nutritionist if you can. Consider taking toxic products out of your home. Though trust me when I say that I totally understand sometimes you can’t afford to do that. Do some movement for 30 minutes a day. Get some rest. And know that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. My treatment is probably completely different from what yours could be and it may require more/less baby steps. But it’s worth it! From August 15 to today, I have lost just over seven pounds. Will that continue? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful. While I’m not feeling the absolute best during this stage, I can feel my body getting stronger. The brain fog I was in before is slowly lifting too. Now, I’m just praying that it’s helping internally as well. Though you better believe I’m having some dang chocolate cake at the end of these 8 weeks. Talk about a delicious incentive.
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