05/20/2016
I felt inspired to share this because of a question posed by my AM radio station, then hearing a couple different ads, all about weight loss & the best way to go about it, today.
These programs offered a sound weight loss option, & didn’t require you to buy any crazy piece of equipment that would have to share a home with anything else under your bed ;) … but really seemed like viable options for the mass population.
Here’s where I chime in…
I don’t happen to fit in with the mass population. I have done extensive research about my body & what is going on with it. I’m very good at this, & could quite possibly be halfway to a medical degree at this time for all the time & energy I’ve put into just tryng to learn about just myself. Having said that, what I finally learned was that my hormones are out of whack— wow- big surprise, right? We’re women, so that’s just “normal,” right? NO!! It happens A LOT, as our bodies seem to find some level of entertainment in seeing what else they can do to us by shifting a hormone level here & another totally different hormone there… (not funny, btw— if that message could somehow please be passed on). Pretty much everything we do in our daily lives can assist that shift in hormones— pregnancy, having the baby, nursing, different vitamins, different climates, zapping food in plastic, soy, pesticides… even just aging— puberty to menopause!! And yes, DIETS! (You thought I forgot where I was going with this, didn’t ya? lol) That’s only a partial list, so it’s no wonder we believe it’s just “normal” for our hormones to be out of whack!
Back to diets... seeing as my entire family on my mom’s side has Diabetes, I am very conscientious of this, so I explored insulin resistance. I have never had a real weight problem, yet I’m currently finding myself fighting one, so I feel like there has to be an explanation. (AND a solution!) My body just wants to store fat.
So one of those ads for a book I saw today was about just that subject— insulin resistance— & that there are different ways than the typical “eat less, exercise more” solution people hand out regularly to approach that kind of issue. I thought he had some great tips.
However, having said that, I know what I’m dealing with (at least partially) is Adrenal Gland exhaustion/borderline failure, which messes with all the other hormones in my body, & consequently messes with all my brain & body functions! “Not fair” pops into my head, but it’s not generally my go-to, so on to better reasoning. lol
Adrenal gland issues take a different approach to weight loss & getting balanced health results than insulin resistance, is one of the things I was trying to point out.
If you are still reading, I can tell you from experience that you NEED to find out what’s going on in YOUR body before taking on whatever diet & exercise regimen, as you can easily make things WORSE. This is particulary true if these changes came about recently or had a rapid onset. What’s good for one body type can harm another. I cannot exercise for long periods of time or the normal stress on my body from that will further exhaust my adrenals, & make me feel even worse. It’s not a quick recovery, either. I’ve also read that I benefit more from exercising for very short periods of time, & in the evening, likely because the after-effect is that it makes me very tired. I used to exercise when I 1st got up, because of the jolt of energy I got from it. This is simply not the case, anymore.
A friend of mine was promoting a diet, which I signed on for, & even promoted on this page years ago, because she introduced me to dozens of people who had great results from it. Men were having faster results, & the evil man in my life at that time also lost 50% more weight on it than I did…& I was the one who did all the work of planning & making all the meals! What may not have been being talked about in those circles were the changes in hormones, & mood swings because of it. Mood swings, I think, are the 1st warning of something much worse happening in our systems, but again, women/mood swings/hormone issues—“normal,” right? There was no talk about this— just how great they were all feeling. Personal observation— when people begin eating clean, get off the soda, lower sugar & bad fats intake, they obviously feel better!! For me, I already eat this way, so it didn’t make me feel better— it only messed up my hormones…& I believe helped my body store fat better.
My point— CHOOSE CAREFULLY!!! What is working for someone else, won’t necessarily work for you. My unprofessional, but self-educated opinion is try doing something simple 1st— cut out soda, energy drinks, ALL partially hydrogenated oils (check your labels!—my favorite coffee creamers are packed with sugars & partially hydrogenated oils— so they had to go!), & processed foods. Weaning is fine— mix the new healthier versions of things with your current less-healthy foods & drinks, until you can make the switch. You will find yourself craving healthy stuff more than the other in no time!
Once you get some of the really bad stuff out of your system, you will begin seeing the real issues (IF you have ANY!) to deal with & get the healthy body you want! All too often, people are throwing prescriptions (a soap box for another day ;) ) at problems caused by (the inflammation caused by…) their bad food & drink (& lifestyle) choices.
Admittedly, it took me awhile to get over the loss of my coffee kiosk creations!! Heavily addicted! But adrenals’ major enemies are caffeine, sugar, & alcohol. The 1st 2 are my only vices— but they are my vices! Also, sleep is the evil step-child of the problem of adrenal glands. All 3 of those disrupt our sleep, of course, so it becomes a horrible cycle…& unable to heal like this.
All of these things are just to say, please find out how YOUR body works. All our parts are basically in the same place & we all breathe & have a beating heart… beyond that, just about everything about YOUR body works different than someone else’s. Get to know your body, & be really honest with yourself about what REALLY works for YOU. Well-meaning friends & family may have great tips, but only you can know what is the healthiest for you… once you get to know your body. It’s tough to say to your exercise-guru friend, “That much exercise isn’t good for me. It will shut my body down— not make me feel good (for now)”— so do what’s right for you.
I hope you got a nugget or 2 out of this. It was a thought that I felt needed to be shared.
I’ve been working on my issue, so I will keep you posted on what I do & how it goes. :)
