About six months after my father passed away, the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and weight gain returned. I wanted to get to the root of why I wasn’t feeling great so I went to a functional medicine doctor. After spending thousands of dollars for appointments and testing, as well as dropping $800 for supplements, I ended up in the hospital with stroke-like symptoms.
After that scary episode, I ended up throwing all those supplements in the trash and promised my husband I wouldn’t go down the supplement road again. Thankfully, I was soon asked to be in a test group for a brand new nutrition program that Beachbody was launching. I lost 20 pounds on the program and started to feel myself again. I have loved helping others feel amazing again too!
My stress eventually returned because…well...life happens. We sent our first born off to college, downsized our home, sold our house in Colorado, bought a new house and a lake house, and lost my dad, cousin, and grandfather all within 15 months. So much change and sadness! I’ve come to realize that I don’t cope well with either of those things. My weight crept back and thought, “Oh, I just need to exercise”. So naturally I started a 100 day workout program. I couldn't figure out why all the 20-somethings in my group were losing weight and my body was gaining instead. I knew something had to be wrong.
After 100 days of working out, I went back to the doctor. She tested my cortisol and my levels were very high, so high that it was as if my body had been under stress for a significant amount of time. Hmmmm...looks like I internalize stress. She started me on a few supplements (just a few since she knew my background) and we started playing around with those. We also knew through previous testing that I have a mutated MTHFR gene (no, I’m not typing a bad word in code) which makes it harder for my body to process and absorb certain nutrients, which is probably why I get sick when I drink more than one or two alcoholic drinks, and why it’s harder for me to lose weight.
Having plantar fasciitis hasn’t helped the process either.
It’s been a very slow process.
Yesterday, I went back to my doctor as I’m still struggling with weight gain despite my efforts to lose it. I was desperate. I told her I was even willing...gasp...to get off of my Beachbody supplements to see if that might be the cause of my problems. (I’d actually stopped drinking Shakeology for several days to see if that was the culprit, and instead of feeling better, I was feeling worse). As we talked through my issue, she said she didn’t want me to get off Shakeology because the benefits of it were too great. Instead, she suggested these tweaks.
Here is what she came up with:
- Magnesium supplement at night since I am borderline deficient and it helps with sleep.
- More Sleep. At least 9+ hours.
- More Water.
- Vitex or Chastberry for PMS (woah...my PMS symptoms have increasingly worsened).
- Continue Vitamin D drops (5 per day).
- DHEA spray twice a day instead of once a day so acne isn’t as bad.
- Don’t eat gluten every day. I don’t have to avoid entirely; just can’t eat it daily.
- Walking and/or yoga every day.
- Shakeology with fresh kale and spinach (power greens for Vitamin K) blended in.
- Decrease caffeine.
- Monthly B12 Shots.
That’s when she turned to me and said, “We’ll power through perimenopause together”. It’s a process that even doctors struggle with in their own lives. No one is immune...not health coaches and not doctors.
We have to learn what works for our unique bodies. Our bodies change and we have to change with them. Be an advocate for yourself and get some help when you need it.
Here’s to powering through and feeling better on the other side!
