Hormone Fluctuations and Natural Help

Well, Boot camp was definitely a great change for me. I have maintained in the low 120s ever since and felt very beautiful at my ten year highschool reunion. (AAA! I JUST DATED MYSELF! haha...) Anyway, now we are on to bigger and better issues: HORMONES IN THE FIRST YEAR AFTER GIVING BIRTH!

After giving birth in January to my first child, I felt AMAZING! I had been terrified of getting post-partum depression; but instead I felt better than ever. I was baking bread, breastfeeding, working out, waking up ass-early to go to boot camp (haha), training other people, etc etc etc the list went on and on. At some point, around the seven month mark, something changed. I had quit breastfeeding and the OBGYN prescribed me a low-dose birth control pill.

Now I know I said I would NEVER take birth control again after what we went through to get Dawson (a miscarriage followed by eight months of infertility treatments - talk about CRAZY HORMONES!!!!). I don't know why I took it. I just did. Around that same time is when my mood began changing. Finally after a month or two I called the doctor and we did some bloodwork. Long story short, I had an adverse reaction to the hormones in the birth control. Rather than levelling out my hormones, they shot through the ROOF! Needless to say that can make you feel crazy as a loon.

The doctor's first solution is always more drugs - and God bless them, they are just trying to help. I asked for a natural fix first. We talked about a body cleanse - which is different from a detox I have explained in earlier posts. A cleanse runs through different body systems focusing on a few major organs like the colon, liver, kidneys, and lungs. In order to do a full cleanse, for at least 21 DAYS you have to rid your life of what are referred to as the "Big Five:"

1. Caffeine (coffee, chocolate, etc.)
2. Alcohol (drinking and cooking)
3. Animal Protein (meat and dairy)
4. Sugar (refined - fruit is okay)
5. Gluten (MOST CARBS! NO!!!!!!!)

I have a nine month old who just woke up, so I will continue this information later (NAP TIME!). Before I go, I also want to mention one of the other important things. You really need to buy bags of lemons. First thing in the morning you drink the juice of one lemon mixed with at least 8 ounces of warm/hot water. This was explained to me as being like "a shower for your insides." I will return with some more tips for a most successful cleanse as well as some of the best resources I have come across. This stuff is no joke and can help anyone with lots of different life issues - not just hormones.

Be back soon.


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Almost Over...

The first cycle of boot camp is over tomorrow. Of course, I say the "first" because I have decided to do another one. I am really happy with my results, but also with the women I have met and the trainer, Brian. I feel 10 times better than I did a month ago, and none of my pants fit. That part kind of sucks, but I guess in awesome way, haha. All of my size 8's are going to have to be put away for good, they are so baggy it's ridiculous. I can still get away with wearing the 6's, even though they are baggy, too. I think I'm going to have to get a couple pairs of something to sustain or find some size 4's somewhere in my storage. I'm sure I have them, but I put them away over a year ago when I found out I was pregnant.

It's going to be very exciting to see where my measurements are. I have only lost about four pounds, but can see the changes everywhere. It also feels so good to have some of my muscle tone back. Well, we'll see tomorrow! :)



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#1 Energy Crusher = A Sick Kid!

Man, oh man... the one thing that can simply CRUSH your energy is a sick kid! I have been feeling so great, but of course all these little colds are going around. My poor little baby boy has caught a stuffy nose and the cutest little cough ever. He is so happy still, but he is up every 3 hours at night and it is just draining me. The pediatrician said that baby colds last 10-14 days! It has only been 4 days, so I guess we have 6-10 more days of possibly nearly sleepless nights.

Other than that, I'm thinking of building an actual website for Fittsburgh Nutrition and Training (FNT). That way, people can schedule consultations, request meal plans, purchase training packages (to be determined), or join a group work out. I guess there are just a few more things that need to be done before then like trademarks and I would have to think about insurance options, which would probably just go through ACE. Well, in that case, I really have to finish my certification I'm working on so I'm off to study some more. Good health!

Make that last 2 pounds!

Well, I know better than anybody that eating is 80% of weight loss. Even though I eat well, it really can be about what you eat WITH what and eliminating processed foods. When you think of processed foods, do you think of whole grain pasta? Do you think of brown rice? Do you think of the flour and yeast I use to bake my OWN bread? Aren't foods like this "whole" foods? Well, sadly for me, they all are processed - and none are "whole." If they can't be eliminated, you have to eat them very minimally; and if you eat them, you can expect slowed weight loss. I can't STAND that... but I am trying to deal with it during this boot camp I signed up for so I can kick this terrible baby weight's ass. All of a sudden, I lost three pounds. Alas, nutrition can be a royal pain in the ass!

So, how does it happen? It all seems so silly and easy, but it really isn't at all. You'll see that it is pretty similar to a detox plan I used before, but there are more carbs, but only whole carbs in their most pure form. Here is a sample of a meal plan:

Meal 1 (Breakfast):
Omelette made with 3 eggs and 1 cup of veggies (any kind)
1 medium piece of fruit (any kind)
Water

Meal 2:
13 raw almonds
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup strawberries

Meal 3 (Lunch):
4 oz chicken breast (grilled or baked from raw on your own)
1 cup of green steamed veggies
1 medium piece of fruit (any kind)
You can put a tbs of olive oil on the veggies. I use a homemade apple cider vinaigrette that has less oil than that, but nontheless, it adds fat. If you are unsure, just don't improvise. It's not worth it.

Meal 4:
Yogurt
13 almonds

Meal 5 (Dinner):
4 oz chicken or fish (any kind) grilled or baked from raw on your own
1 cup green steamed veggies
A fresh salad made with any lettuce/spinach and any vegetable except onions and carrots
1 tbs each olive oil and apple cidar vinegar as a dressing
1 medium piece of fruit

Meal 6:
1/2 cup cottage cheese
13 almonds
1 cup strawberries

Before attempting this meal plan, I recommend going back to the entry of this blog titled "Detox 101: Getting Started" so that you can find out vital information regarding your own body. I would also recommend looking over those meal plans because at the beginning of each day I posted important information that I remembered over the course of the detox. Please remember from those entries that you are not supposed to drop below 1200 calories a day if you are living a lifestyle. A few days will never kill anyone, but your body will starve and may actually hang on to excess weight as defense. Also remember that peas, potatoes, and corn are considered starches, not veggies. I want to get this posted now because a few people are waiting on this meal plan. Good health, Nat



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Boot Camp - The last 5 pounds...

So, I have started attending a boot camp here in Pittsburgh. I always wanted to have my own, so now I can see how someone else would approach it, which is interesting. I have been staying right around 137 pounds, which if you remember is about five pounds more than what I weighed after the six-day detox before my fitness training video shoot for Living Innovations (LIwellness.com). So here I am; the last five pounds... Did you ever notice how the last five are the WORST?!

Anyway, I attended once on Tuesday (4/27) and immediately got sick. I think it was a combo of running around at 5:30 AM in 37 degree weather in the woods after 24 hours of rain in the Spring. It must have been allergies, but it manifested into a sinus infection, a trip to the doctor, a Z-pack, Sudafed, and my albuterol (asthma inhaler). I took the last couple of mornings off to recover my breathing and I'm returning tonight. It may be too soon, but I will have Saturday and Sunday to recover, so I'm taking the risk. I have super-low blood pressure so I am not worried about returning while on the Sudafed and neither is the other trainer. You should always seek your dr's advice before exercising on medicine (especially cold medicine!!!!).

We'll see how I like the evening class. Normally, I like to do the mornings because both Dave and Dawson are asleep while I'm gone so I'm not missing out on any time with them. Since it's Friday night, though, I have the whole weekend to spend time with them so I'm not worried. This class is crazy! I had to keep reminding myself that I was doing this to better myself and not to quit. "It's only an hour, it's only an hour...." An hour is a pretty long time when you are in hell! We are based in a church parking lot near North Park. We went inside the church only once to run stairs for about a million years.

Outside was jogging around this loop multiple times, sprints, walking lunges, and other torture for medium distances. At the mat we did burpees, squats, hop lunges, push-ups, crunches, planks, plank push-ups, and too many other numerous activities for me to remember to list. They were mostly performed in giant sets (1-2-3, repeat 1-2-3, etc.).

I just want to see if I can get into the 120's by the end of this boot camp. I think that if I kick my nutrition into a higher gear along with this boot camp and continuing my walking and training with clients I already do, I should be able to achieve this naturally. I just hope this sinus problem does not impede my goals. I look good already after the baby in clothes; in fact, one of my problem areas has always been my neck/around my face and I think it changed for the better after the baby - which is SWEET cause I hated feeling like I had a double chin! Anyway, I look good in clothes. In a bikini I look soft and untoned. I want to look good out of clothes! I want to see a change in my arms, tummy and thighs. Let's see what this new challenge can do for me. Well, Dave just got home so I am going to make sure he eats dinner and I am properly drugged for this class, haha.


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Pregnancy Update

2/10/10 - Well, my pregnancy ended and I left the hospital at around 150 lbs. My baby is named Dawson and he weighed 5 lbs, 8 oz. When Dawson hit 3 weeks, I weighed 142, which must have been from the breastfeeding because I have been eating like a horse! I am not eating badly, but definitely have been eating more carbs in general. I bake my own bread now and I have been eating that. I have also been consuming more fruits like prunes and apricots. These have a lot of beneficial potassium and fiber, but also a lot of natural sugar and carbs.



So, here we are again; but I must say I am very proud of how I handled my pregnancy. It took a lot of willpower, especially with those cravings you have when you are pregnant! Using the doctor's scale, I went from 136 to 156, gaining a total of 20 pounds. I also exercised throughout my entire pregnancy and even exercised every day towards the end. I was at the gym the very same day I went into labor with Dawson.

I will write more later as I have been interrupted by the baby.


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