ZOMBIE jeans!

Zombie Jeans???

YES, I have zombie jeans!! I’M PSYCHED ABOUT HAVING ZOMBIE JEANS!! It’s taken a while, but persistence pays off. What are zombie jeans you ask? You know how you have those jeans that you can no longer fit into anymore…but you keep them with the hopes that you will resurrect them from the dead? Well, I had FIVE pair of ‘dead’ jeans which are now ‘undead’ = ZOMBIE JEANS! Now you understand why I am so excited about having them. (You probably thought I was excited about having old, ugly, torn up jeans, didn’t you? – I’m not quite that literal.)

If you’re wondering how I did it, well, here it is: Shakeology*, one time per day, EVERYDAY, and a TurboFire/Chalean Extreme** hybrid workout. I’m not doing the hybrid listed on the official website, more of my own thing. Here's how it went down...

I started out doing the TurboFire program. I completed the full 12 weeks! I felt so accomplished! It REALLY got me going, but unfortunately my body is slow to respond to things (I blame my hypothyroidism, it makes me feel better to blame something ;) ). I knew I was doing it right though. My cardiovascular endurance was off the charts! Also note I have asthma, so this is really saying something.

Beginning in week 13, I started Chalean Extreme. I’m still in “Burn Circuit” currently, which is phase 1 of 3, and I plan to do this program for the full 12 weeks like I did with TurboFire. However, to kick it up a notch, I am adding some of the HIIT workouts from TurboFire to my program.

HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training, in case you were wondering. This is the super-high intensity, training like an athlete, type of workout. This is serious stuff…but it is fun to do!  It has taken me about 15 weeks, but it is paying off and now, I have zombie jeans!! Where I was teetering on needing to go up a size (UGH), those jeans are almost too big. My old ones fit perfectly again. Feels good to be back on my game!

*visit my nutrition page for more information on Shakeology
**visit my fitness programs page for more information on both TurboFire and Chalean Extreme

Get your D!

I'm not one to go out of the house without sunscreen on, and I'm indoors quite a bit, so, when I went to my Endocrinologist about 4 months ago, he decided that he wanted to check my Vitamin D levels.  The results came back and I am in the "deficient" range with regard to this vitamin (shocker!).  He told me to take 2000 IU per day.  So, I am. 

I have to admit that I didn't expect to really "feel" different but I can't believe how much better I am sleeping!  It's unreal!!  In addition to better sleep, studies are showing that the right amount of Vitamin D can help with:  weight loss, joint pain, sleep, depression, Parkinson's, heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.  I have a feeling there are more that I could list, but there are GREAT stats reported in these specific areas in the video found at the link at the bottom of this post. 

Now, next time you see your doctor, have your Vitamin D levels checked and discuss proper dosage for you.  You may end up doing yourself a HUGE FAVOR!

http://www.fox2now.com/videobeta/db5f1c05-55f6-424b-9fc0-d012f680a4fc/News/STLMoms-Vitamin-D%22%3Ehttp://www.fox2now.com/videobeta/db5f1c05-55f6-424b-9fc0-d012f680a4fc/News/STLMoms-Vitamin-D

Hypothyroidism - what to look for and what to expect

Hypothyroidism is a condition/disease where your body is lacking the sufficient amount of thyroid hormone. The problem with this condition is that the thyroid is in charge of your metabolism. When you lack thyroid hormone, your metabolism slows. You can see how this plays into weight loss...right? When someone is hypothyroid, it is EXTREMELY difficult to lose weight. Where one person can lose 2 pounds in a week, you may only lose .5 of a pound.

This actually happened to me just last week, I was thrilled with losing 7 pounds over the last 2 months drinking Shakeology and increasing my workouts. Then my friend tells me 'oh, I've been doing the same thing, I'm down 15 pounds'. UGH! This is where your 'will' to lose weight has to be the strongest ever. You CAN do it, you have to work REALLY hard at it, and it's WORTH IT!

Maybe you're unsure of whether you are hypothyroid. Some of the signs of hypothyroidism are:

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido
Constipation
Depression

You may have just a few of these symptoms or you may have many of them, each person is different. For me, I had many of the symptoms, but I kept coming up with other excuses for them. Then, once I started losing my hair, I high-tailed it to a Doctor! Lo and behold, I found out that I have a version of hypothyroidism called Hashimoto's Disease (a disease where the body attacks the thyroid, because it thinks it is something bad).

If you think you may be hypothyroid, you must visit your DOCTOR asap. You can see your regular doctor, but it's even better to visit an Endocrinologist. He/She will do the proper blood tests so you will know, once and for all, whether it's your thyroid that's wreaking havoc on your life. Good luck!

Underactive Thyroid and Food

Being hypothyroid for the past ~8 years, I have done quite a bit of my own research on what foods I should and shouldn't eat. More foods than you realize may affect how thyroid medication is absorbed, so it is important to know the potential effects of different foods BEFORE you eat them. I am including a link to this article because these are the foods that most individuals agree on. There are others out there, that I will bring up another day, that are more controversial (soy, for instance).


http://www.livestrong.com/article/255372-healthy-foods-for-an-underactive-thyroid/


It is important to remember to take your medication everyday (synthroid for me). I take mine first thing in the morning with a giant glass of water on an empty stomach. Per the directions: I wait one hour before eating anything (which makes for a hungry workout!!) and avoid vitamins, minerals, and supplements for at least four hours. This is why I drink my Shakeology for LUNCH not breakfast - better to be safe than sorry!