The 4 Month Plateau

As all of you know I have been working out and eating healthy since a week after my son was born (and while pregnant, and before I got pregnant with little #2).  I lost a good amount of weight in the beginning, but most of that was water, and other goodness that comes with being pregnant with a big ol' baby.  I have participated in 2 6FIT sessions with DanceFIT Studio and continued my workouts 5-6 days a week for 2 hours a day.  I eat lots of kale and spinach, I cut down on my vino and ice cream consumption drastically.  I track my calorie intake on My Fitness Pal and I recently bought a FitBit.  Even with all of that, I have been in a major plateau for the past 4-5 months with at least 15 pounds left to shed until I am at a healthy weight.  I didn't put a lot of thought into the number on the scale because I was feeling healthy and I was gaining a lot of muscle. Which way to the gun show!  My cardio hasn't been at 100% because of my annoying knee issues...so maybe that was why?  Anyway, I was THRILLED when I finally broke the number on the scale by 1.5lbs about a month ago.  I haven't gained anything since, but haven't lost anything either.  Even to the most positive person, this can be extremely frustrating.  I want my pre-baby body back, please.

About a month ago, my husband and I were in a car accident and while I was at the doctor getting my whiplash-ed neck examined, I got a full check up.  I hadn't been since 2008...that is bad.  Too busy at the baby doctor 800 times a week for 3 years.  Anyway, they did a full range of blood work and when I got the results a week later, everything was normal EXCEPT my thyroid.  

Hypothyroid.  Sweet.  That would explain things right? The major system in my body responsible for making metabolism work properly...failed!  Thanks to my little big man, T, I have postpartum Hypothyroidism.  Supposedly, this will cure itself within a year after giving birth (3 months and counting...), but 50% of women who have postpartum hypothyroid will get permanent hypothyroidism later in life.  Cross your fingers this isn't me.  

There are a number of all natural things I can do to jump-start my thyroid, but there is also a pill I can take that supposedly helps too.  My inner all-natural self struggles.  

A lot of the natural things that can help hypothyroidism are already part of my life...

• Just say not to caffeine and sugar, including refined carbs.  Caffeine will be a tough one and probably the last thing I will try.  I really love coffee.  Sugar, on the other hand will be a bit easier as I have already started decreasing it's existence in my diet.  
• Eat lots of protein.  This is something i can definitely do, but find it more challenging than other dietary changes for some reason.  More quinoa?  Sure! 
• Drop the soy products.  I don't consume a ton of soy, but I do like soy in my coffee from time to time (add Almond Milk to your menu anytime, Starbucks).  I eat tofu once a month and I love edamame.  But that's about it.  I can do without.  Apparently it has an adverse reaction on a body's endocrine system.  Who knew? 
• Eat more healthy fats: avocados, nuts, EVOO, full fat dairy products.  Not getting enough GOOD fat and cholesterol fuels your thyroid to be less effective.  
• Get more nutrients through food.  Vitamin D, iron, omega-3's, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, B vitamins and iodine are all important to a properly functioning Thyroid gland.  When it comes to iodine; eat more sea vegetables/seafood, eggs, lima beans, asparagus, spinach and swiss chard instead of taking a supplement or using iodized salt- that is said to exacerbate your thyroid issue. 
• Cook your veggies!  A lot of the veggies that are said to help hypothyroid, can also work against you. "Goitrogens" are found in a lot of vegetables and aren't good for people with hypothyroid.  Cooking up your veggies will take the goitrogens out of them and you're good to go.  
• Stay stress free.  The thyroid gland is apparently sensitive to stress.  Relax.  Meditate.  Breathe.  
• Eat probiotics...a healthy tummy is essential to thyroid function.  
• Go Gluten Free.  Isn't this the answer to everything now-a-days? ;) 

I guess I have some work to do.  

While I am frustrated with the fact that I have been working my ass off to lose this baby weight once and for all over the past 9 months, I also have to be thankful of the healthy lifestyle I have chosen.  Not only will it make it easier to adjust to my new dietary needs, but working out and eating clean has also curbed a lot of weight gain.  I may be in the longest plateau ever, but at least the scale isn't going up.  

So, I'll keep truckin'...

You Are Not A Number

For the past 15 (+) years I have been a scale watching addict.  15 years of my life have been consumed and ruled by a number...how crazy is that?  Drop pounds, drop pounds, drop pounds.  That was the one and only thing I was ever concerned about when it came to any sort of health and fitness regimen.  I still struggle with this daily, I am sad to say.  However, I am slowly starting to realize that it is not the number on the scale I (or any of you) should be concerned with.  What we should all be focusing on is the way we feel.  Do you feel stronger today than yesterday?  Can you hold a plank like a pro for just a few more seconds?  Get to 30 bicycle crunches without going all sloppy at the end?

Weight has never ever just fallen off me.  Even when I work hard, it still sticks around.  I am tall and bigger boned so I definitely find it harder to maintain a weight I think is healthy.  Feeling a little discouraged the other day about being stuck in scale plateau, my best friend reminded me of how hard I have been working and even if the scale isn't moving, my strength and endurance is.  "I will never be as strong as you", she said.  And while I completely disagree with that (because I think she could be!), it was a wake up call and really nice to hear.  I went shopping for back to work clothes a couple weeks ago and no, I still wasn't the size I wanted to be, but I felt good in the clothes.  That's what matters right?

I feel really grateful that I have found a group of strong and healthy women that motivate me to be a better me every single day...whether I am in a 6FIT session or not.  The women of DanceFIT Studio are not concerned with a number on the scale (for the most part...I am sure everyone has their moments!) but rather the number of squats, burpees, tricep dips they can reach by the end of the day.  How AMAZING is that?
The women I surround myself with both in person and virtually take multiple DanceFIT classes a day, climb mass amounts of stairs with the November Project, do CrossFIT programs, run marathons.  The list goes on and on and on. They are strong and healthy and they motivate me to be the same.  I see most of these women through the computer via Skype.  I have been working out with them all for over a year and I am literally watching them transform before my eyes.  I do not think...woah, she is so skinny, but rather she has gotten incredibly muscular; look at her arms muscles, legs, etc.  It is amazing to see.


In our little 6FIT cult, if one person gets down about not achieving their weight loss goal, or if someone is having a bad day everyone is quick to pull that person up...and by quick, I mean within 5 minutes words of encouragement are flying:

• You are getting stronger
• Don't worry about the number on the scale, you are building muscle
• You are healthy
• You have made a healthy lifestyle change...there is kale coming out of your ears :)
• You're running your ass off
• You are taking a gazillion classes a week
• Focus on how your clothes fit and not on the scale
• YOU ARE NOT A NUMBER (Thank you, Leta)

Personally, those words of encouragement that fly around our 6FIT FB page need to be hammered into my brain on a daily basis, but I am getting there.  These are words that I want my daughter to hear, as I have said before.  I don't want her to grow up the way I did...consumed by a single number on the scale.  She has seen me weigh myself before and of course wanted to do the same.  Instead of telling her the number on the scale I said "It says you are beautiful, you are strong, you are healthy".  Now when she see the scale, she says "I am beautiful Mommy?" and that just make my heart happy.  

My friend and fellow 6FITTER, Nicole wrote it best here.  The babies are watching and hearing everything you say. Not only as parents, but as a society, I feel like we need to set a good example for these littles as they grow. Teach them the words healthy, strong and beautiful not skinny, size 0 and scale.  

One last thing to leave you with.  At the end of every yoga class, Gina has us curl into a little ball and stay still for a couple minutes.  Not being a seasoned yogi, I asked what the purpose of this was.  Her answer?  "Self Love".  What a concept.  

Yoga.

I have never been a yoga buff.  Like ever.  I had taken maybe 10 total yoga classes in my entire life...I am more of a pilates girl.  So when Gina put CountryFIT Yoga on the virtual schedule I was hesitant to add it to my workout routine.  I have now taken about 7 (ish) CountryFIT Yoga classes and I have gone from not being able to hold a pose more than a few seconds to almost the entire time.  Yay!

The reason I am blogging about yoga tonight is because I just finished the most amazing class.  I had a busy weekend and a busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was workout tonight.  I just wanted to sit on the couch and stare mindlessly at the T.V. or go crazy on Pinterest.  Anyway, after the dinner and bedtime routines were over I felt calmer and ready to work.  Saturday was my rest day after all.

I am SO HAPPY I didn't cancel my class because I truly feel so good after that class.  Proud of myself for being able to get through about 90% of a very challenging yoga class (finally).  I felt insanely strong, I held a bind on both side, my hips are stretched from pigeon pose, chaturanga has gotten better and I made a little bit of progress in crow.  By progress, I mean I held it for about two seconds without falling flat on my face after.  Joy!  Gina put a few twists and turns in class tonight too, which I took in stride, focused and accomplished them.  On top off all that, I felt like my planks were really strong tonight.

I am making such a big deal about this because I've been feeling a bit slumpish the past few days and just by taking this one class tonight, I am instantly out of it.  I am ready to start the week off strong and positive.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a happy a positive week ahead!

Namaste!