Challenges and Changes

The past 62 days I've been doing the 75 hard Challenge. For those of you who don't know, it breaks down into this, daily for 75 days:

• Two 45-minute workouts a day, (one has to be outside)

• Follow a diet (you choose and no cheat meals)

• No alcohol or soft drinks

• Read any nonfiction book-10 pages a day

• Take a progress photo

• Drink one gallon of water.

The title of this challenge truly explains it, it's hard. My goal for this challenge for me was to get past limitations that I put on myself. And be open to a new way of doing something. My passion is health and wellness, and I am always looking for a new challenge. Overall, it's been going very well. However, you truly have to plan every hour of your day. What makes it a bit better is that Ben is doing it with me so we can support each other. The outdoor workouts have been great. We have been going to the beach and trails more, which I love. This means rain or shine. We've gotten stuck in some thunderstorms and rainstorms... that was challenging for sure. The diet part and no alcohol weren't big of a deal at all. I am counting calories and really don't drink anymore anyways and the reading I love. I have read so many books on my bookshelf that I have been meaning to read for years!! Lots of self-help, motivational books. I feel good mentally, I am happy that I am accomplishing this, and it has truly helped me look past my limitations that I may have put on myself. I had to be careful though because this challenge can affect someone's mental health, because it really is challenging. It isn't for everyone. But it really has opened my eyes to a lot of things.

I noticed that I wasn't losing weight, and that wasn't my goal, but I was looking forward to maybe dropping a pant size by reducing my stomach bloat that I always have. I just felt off...If someone is doing two workouts a day, eating healthy, avoiding alcohol you are bound to lose some weight and feel good. I've done challenges similar to this in the past and always lost weight and felt really great. This time, I felt more bloat and overly sore. I've been seeing a naturopath the past 6 months or so and she recommended that I get bloodwork done but I have been putting it off. I was just nervous about the results I was going to get back. I finally got it done and met with my doctor and she told me my results. It could 100% be worse, I know this. But I was diagnosed with Hypothyriodism. My body doesn't produce enough T3 and T4 hormones and I need to supplement them with medication. I am so thankful that it is not due to an autoimmune disease, and I don't have really any symptoms except for delayed periods and not able to lose weight even when doing all the right things. I also have some high liver levels and inflammation in my body. My vitamins were low as well. This all explained why I am always bloated and felt sore. So now I am on a great multi vitamin, supplements for my liver and inflammation. I was prescribed thyroid medication and I am nervous to take it. I know I should, and I will, but I am just worried because I don't want to have any of the side effects. I know that it is a silly thing to be worried about because the positive side of it, I have no side effects and I am living my best life, feeling good and all that. But I just hate medication. I see a naturopath because I want to be able to heal my body naturally without prescriptions. I want to heal not cover up. There isn't a cure for hypothyroid, and I need these hormones to function I just wish I could heal it naturally. What I am going to do is try to heal it through supplements and food. And then get my blood work retaken in about 12 weeks.

This really helped me understand why I wasn't losing weight even though I was doing all the right things. The supplements I take support my thyroid which I am happy about and I am avoiding certain foods, soy, overly processed oils like sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc. What also can support my diet though is more animal protein.

This brings me to my next update, I am looking to introduce animal protein back into my diet, slowly. I have been vegan for a year now and while morally I am so happy I did, it is affecting my body negatively. I eat a primary soy diet and I can't support my thyroid with being a vegan and eating soy.

I am definitely in a tough spot because I love eating vegan, but I can't do it if it is going to compromise my health. I will still eat a ton of veggies, beans and lentils. I am going to start with bone broth, incorporate only organic, free-range chicken. I have to do some more research on that on the best source to get it as well. I will still avoid soy, frozen foods, and overly processed oils (which is in so many foods I eat, cookies, chips, hummus, nuts). It's going to be a challenge but it's what I have to do for myself. I will be checking in periodically about all this too and posting the supplements I take.

It's about two weeks of taking: Restorative Formulations Mitochondria Nutrition PQQ, 6000 IU Vitamin D, Thorne Research Curcumin Phytosome and I really do feel good. In addition to avoiding soy and additive oils, processed foods.

That's all I got for now.

Until next time,

Bee