CANNOT LOSE A SINGLE POUND

[Annabel]

Hi bouchardony. You didn’t mention why you made these changes. Were you trying to lose weight? Did you feel that you weren’t coping well with stress, or that stress was causing health problems? When you used to go running, were you tired afterwards or energized? Did you get your cortisol levels tested?

[MaryU]

Hi bouchardony,
I can totally relate to your plight! Before I was diagnosed, I gained ten pounds, and then ten pounds more. Once diagnosed, another 10 pounds. I recently lost some weight, due to a healthier lifestyle.

Like you, I was in good physical shape and love going to the gym! Cardio and weight training. I also enjoy playing sports and other physical activities. I realized how bad the fatigue was when I couldn’t even do a round of volleyball, dreading coming off the bench for the next rotation. Thank goodness for rotations, was all I could think. I stopped playing volleyball. I had to quit everything. But still went to the gym exercising at my own pace.

However, when diagnosed I was told to not engage in exercise (I was also experiencing dizziness) and focus on rest. Though frustrated, seeing my results – bringing tears to my eyes – made me stop. After 1 1/2 years, I was finally okayed to go back to the gym to do treadmill. I started at 2 minutes. I am now up to 45 minute walks. Next came very light weights. I no longer push exercise on myself to lose weight, but do what my body can.

The biggest thing I had to do was love myself – all 30 extra pounds of me. Stressing about weight was another stress I couldn’t afford. I met a man during this time, who expressed the beauty he saw and tells me on a regular basis. To find such love… Note, he is very fit – a nutritionist, personal trainer, and weight trained since he was 16. This guy will never want to date me (because of my weight), I thought. I was wrong. Not able to exercise when we met, I eventually began to lose some weight — I stopped weighing myself but went down a size. Any kind of stress is not a friend to our bodies.

Yes, being patient is what I do. But maybe, what if, I never lose weight. I face this reality, even though I hope one day to be the size I desire. That voice gets quieter as I realize I am lovable me, regardless of size. The other thing I did was adhere to the wisdom of drs to not push myself – it makes AF symptoms worse. So these are the things I do: 1) love myself, 2) surround myself with healthy supportive caring people – quality, not quantity, matters, 3) eat healthy, and 4) listen to my body for proper rest and exercise.

Hope this helps!
Best
MaryU

[Annabel]

Thanks Mary! Sometimes its better to be a few pounds heavier, but with regulated hormones and a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

[Teesh]

Bouchardonnay,

I am with you. I was super active and then gained 15 lbs as a result of AF. My integrative Dr. recommended Ketosis for weightloss. She also said that it would help regulate my blood sugar. There are Ketone strips you can get at whole foods to test of you are in a fat burning stage. It’s basically high protein no carb. I just started it.

[Annabel]

Hi Teesh, a word of caution about ketogenic diets. My understanding is that eating very few carbs can lead to low blood sugar and more work for your adrenals, as they have to produce extra cortisol to get the blood sugars back into balance. There are some people who say that the extra fat content in a ketogenic diet counters that, but I know that Fawne and Dr Eric recommend a more balanced eating plan in their book.

[Author]

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