Finally Getting Fit

I know I have probably mentioned it here a few times, but I am a complete stress addict. I would have to be filed under ‘addict’ with how much I seem to stress over every little thing. I don’t think I am as much of a worrier as anyone else, but I am an empathizer – which means I pick up on and take on a lot of other people’s emotions. (The M household is a very fun one, given that Mr. JM can rarely hide what he is feeling from me.)

This makes me a great sympathizer and friend, but it’s not so great for my health.

The bad things stress does to your body include:

*High blood pressure and other problems
*Joint and muscle pain
*Digestive problems
*Skin problems
*Lowered immune system
*Low fertility

And that’s just an introduction to what stress can do to your body.

I’m lucky enough to have always had perfect blood pressure, but who knows how long that will last if I don’t learn to relax. Given that fertility is one of my main concerns as well, I have plenty of motivators to learn to relax. But, as I’ve found with losing weight, things are much easier said than done.

But I do want to change. I am convinced that part of my weight loss difficult puzzle is stress. It may not be the biggest piece, but it is a contributor I cannot keep ignoring. And that is ignoring the havoc that it is wrecking on my body.

What do you to avoid stress? To relax? To find peace?

I really need to learn the value of silence.

I have PCOS – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – which means I get a fun assortment of annoying things to deal with when it comes to my body. One of the things I have been so ‘fortunate’ to deal with is wonky hormones.

You can already see where this is going, can’t you?

Because my body cannot yet maintain a particular function with any regularity on its own, I’m on birth control pills. Not that I want to be – I hate birth control. But I do realize the necessity for it for the time being.

A big part of correcting the influence of PCOS is to lose weight, which is easier said than done because PCOS makes losing weight as easy as climbing up a slope with a boulder strapped to your back. You can do it – eventually – but most people quit because they wonder what the point is.

I’ve recently found a diet that has made the weight loss struggle easier. I’ve currently lost five percent of my body weight, which is the amount of weight that usually starts helping the body set things to rights when you have PCOS.

And, well, it would seem that my body doesn’t care that I’m taking birth control pills because it wants to start a TOM NOW.

Ugh. I’m very happy with the weight loss, but I have normal hormones trying to right themselves, introduced hormones (birth control) trying to keep things steady, PMS mood swings that scare even me and a very, very harassed husband who still loves me enough to go buy me an electric blanket because I have a hard time keeping warm.

Can anyone recommend a brand of duct tape that won’t hurt too much when it comes off? Even if I leave it on for the next week?

I am one pound shy of being fifteen pounds down, so I’ll just have to use the 10 pounds gone graphic.

Mind you, I’m proud as peaches over that as well.

Things have been going very well on the diet so far, and not just in the pounds lost. With doing something that takes me away from all food except small servings of fruit and veggies, I feel like I’m finally getting control on the things that eluded me on the ‘eat regular food, just the healthy kind’ sort of diets.

It’s well enough for me to eat healthier. I have been. Heck, I reversed my prediabetes. But – and I think it’s due to PCOS – that wasn’t enough to get me to lose weight. This? Well, this might just be the winner I have been searching for the past two and some years.

I had my first test to my diet this past weekend when the husband and I went away on a mini-holiday. I packed plenty of bars to see me through, trusting that I would know if eating ‘real’ food would mess with me psychologically. But it didn’t.

I indulged myself in small portions of beautifully grilled fish, and I didn’t regret a moment of it. I didn’t feel naughty or even like I was deviating from the diet, really. I paid attention to the first feelings of fullness (which happen just in my stomach now instead of that bloated, all-over feeling of full) and stopped when I needed to without problem. We had seafood the second night, too, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And yes, I had dessert, too. I had chocolate torte. I know, I know, but if you are going to do it, you should do it with something truly decadent. And to be honest, I gave myself generous spoonfuls to share because it was too big for just me.

Without fuss or anything else, I’m back on the diet. Just like that. Amazingly, no pounds heavier, either. I credit that to the exercise we got while out and about, the high quality of food (everything made from scratch), and listening to my body so I stayed with appropriate portion sizes.

I feel so incredible. I’m hoping to be able to get to the 230s (which I haven’t been in since…at least six years ago, maybe more) by my birthday in August, but I’m not putting pressure on myself to do so. I just hope and work towards it. Woohoo!

How is everyone else doing?

No, the title is not a typo.

I was thinking about what I said for this week’s Monday Mailbag:

“Call me crazy, but I think, no matter what, everyone should like at least one thing about their body. Small, big, something that happens occasionally (like a smile) or something you see all the time, if you don’t love at least one thing about your body, I don’t think you will be able to get fit. At least, not easily.”

…and I felt the need to explain myself a bit more.

When I began on my journey to getting fit, I had a lot to learn. Heck, I still have a lot to learn. But one of the lessons that stands out to me the most is that no one can do this for you but you, and you can do it for no one but you.

I think it’s all fine and well to be trying to get fit for your parents, your lover, your children, etc. They are all wonderful motivations. But it is my sincere belief that you have to do it for you as well, or you are very likely going to fail. As I have asked here in the past:

If you don’t care about you, how can you expect anyone else to?

A little self-love goes a long way in the journey to getting fit. If you are convinced this is a battle against your body, then a battle it will be. But if you care about yourself and love yourself enough to get fit, it’s a labour of love instead of a battle. And labours of love are always easier than battles.

So look at the mirror every once in a while and give yourself a smile. You’re worth it.

I decided to be brave today and post my weight statistics.

Starting Weight: 264
Current Weight: 254

Ten pounds gone! I should be happy, shouldn’t I…

Maybe because I’m doing work on some diet guru’s blog or maybe I’m still extra vulnerable right now, but I’m really not feeling the joy over my loss right now.

My weight keeps bouncing around in increments of two pounds, which is completely fine when you’re still in the beginning of a diet and your body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

I just feel like a failure for some reason. Don’t ask me why. My logical mind says I should be thrilled – I’m well on my way! My emotional mind is still a scared little girl afraid of disappointing anyone for any sort of perceived slight. I don’t feel like ten pounds is good enough.

I’m in such an emotionally sensitive place right now, and I’m not sure why. I’m just going to deal with things as they come and take care of myself as best I can.

There is a shining light in all this, though.

When Mr. JM came home, he immediately noticed I was in a down mood. We talked a bit and he asked me if I had done anything to compromise my diet. I was almost confused for a moment.

The old me would have used this as a perfect excuse to go off the diet. The new me? Well, I didn’t even think of going off the diet. Truly. It didn’t even occur to me.

So progress is happening – even on the psychological front.

*NOTE: Anyone who comments on any of Dawson’s posts (spotlight today, guest post tomorrow, interview on Friday) is automatically entered to win a copy of Dawson’s book - The Genie in Your Genes!

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Hello and welcome to Finally Getting Fit, Dr. Church.

1. Could you give the readers here an easy to understand definition of epigenetic work and what you talk about in your book, Genie in Your Genes?

Epigenetics is the science of the signals that activate genes. Our 24,000 genes contain blueprints for building various proteins. Which genes are active, and which proteins get built, depends partly on the signals we send to our cells. In The Genie in Your Genes (www.GenieBestSeller.com), I show how our consciousness is one of the primary purveyors of epigenetic signals.

2. Is epigenetics all energy work? If not, what other things does it incorporate?

Epigenetic signals are sent to the genes in a variety of ways. Some ways are: messenger molecules like neutrotransmitters, neural synaptic signaling, electromagnetic fields, and possibly using light in the form of biophotons. These can be generated by external environmental cues (food, temperature, predators) or internal ones, like the shifts in consciousness produced by meditation, belief, and EFT.

3. What is EFT?

EFT is short for Emotional Freedom Techniques. It’s the fastest consistent method I’ve ever found for reducing the emotional charge of traumatic memories. It involves pairing the memory with a self-acceptance statement, and then tapping on 12 stress-reduction sites on the body, which send an epigenetic piezolelectric signal through the connective tissue. It often works on physical pain, and cravings, too.

4. Could you share a story of healing?

We use EFT to work with veterans suffering from PTSD (posttraumatic stress syndrome). In a clinical trial I published in a peer-reviewed journal, I tell the story of a particular Vietnam veteran with a particularly troubling memory. He usually went on patrol with his best friend, who would walk on his left. This particular time, his friend was on his right, and was killed by a sniper’s bullet in his right side. This veteran had blamed himself for decades for not “taking the bullet” and saving his friend’s life.

After EFT, his cognitions about the event shifted to include the recognition that his friend would willingly have died for him. Another time I worked with a doctor who had recently fractured her wrist. On a 0 through 10 scale, her pain was a 7. For about 10 minutes we did EFT on a traumatic childhood memory, after which the pain dropped to 1.

5. Can energy medicine and conventional medicine coexist? Is one better than the other?

Integrative medicine combines the best of both. You use conventional medicine for conditions it’s good at treating, such as fractures and infections. You use energy medicine for conditions for which it’s suited, like autoimmune diseases, anxiety and depression.

6. Can epigenetics help couples to achieve a healthier pregnancy?

Without a doubt. Much fetal development is governed epigenetically. The emotional state of both the man and the woman affects fetal development, and when one or both parents are committed to cleaning up their past emotional wounding, they help create a healthy womb environment.

7. Does energy work and other practices mentioned in your book offer hope to anyone suffering with a health problem?

Even if you have a serious disease like cancer or heart disease, energy medicine can help. If you achieve inner peace and emotional balance, studies have shown that the stress reducing effects of peace of mind correlate positively with the need for pain medication and doctor’s visits. The book is full of examples of energy psychology and conventional medicine working harmoniously together, whether it’s for a minor problem like a cold or cut, or a major disease.

8. Where do you think/hope epigenetic study will be in ten years?

In the last 20 years, medical science has developed advanced tools like gene chips that can measure the expression of every single gene in the human body simultaneously. We are now turning this technology to the study of consciousness, and investigating how shifts in consciousness like beliefs, meditation and energy work affect genes. I predict we will find very large and important effects on the genome resulting from changes in consciousness, and we will start to use these findings to bring energy psychology into primary care settings. Expect it in hospitals and clinics within a couple of years.

9. What are you hoping readers take from reading Genie in Your Genes?

The understanding that you have enormous leverage over your health. Also that there are a dozen things you can do in ten minutes or less that can have widespread positive epigenetic effects throughout your body.

10. Where can readers go for more information?

To buy the book, go to www.GenieBestseller.com. If you know a veteran who needs help, send them to www.StressProject.com. And if you have a sports team or business that needs a quantum performance increase, send them to www.EFTPowerTraining.com.

11. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Love yourself. De-stress yourself. Experiment with different stress reduction techniques, and find a toolkit of them you can make your own. A calm emotional environment is the incubator of creativity as well as health. This gift is within your reach, and you deserve it. Don’t put it off; do this today!

*NOTE: Anyone who comments on any of Dawson’s posts (spotlight today, guest post tomorrow, interview on Friday) is automatically entered to win a copy of Dawson’s book - The Genie in Your Genes!

***

JM: Hello Mr. Church. Can you please provide a list of tips of things people can do on a daily basis to start achieving better health?

DC: Hello, JM. Thank you for inviting me to your website. Here is a list of things people should start doing to boost their health:

1. Kill Cortisol and Boost DHEA. Cortisol is your main stress hormone, while DHEA is your main cell repair hormone. When you generate stress in your life through your beliefs or attitudes, you send an epigenetic stress signal to your adrenal glands that says “make cortisol!” But when you shift your attitude and reduce stress, you signal your body to make DHEA. In my book The Genie in Your Genes (www.GenieBestSeller.com), I provide fast and simple techniques that you can use to produce this effect.

2. Lose Weight Effortlessly by Moving. Research shows that biggest contributor to excess weight isn’t overeating or a gym deficit; it’s a sedentary lifestyle. It’s not the three hours in the gym that makes the biggest contribution to weight loss, it’s more movement every day. I have a 77 year old friend who works with his computer on a tall stand, while he balances on a rebounder! Whether it’s getting up from your desk and performing 20 jumping jacks every 2 hours, or going outdoors for a brisk 10 minute walk, interrupting your sedentary patterns is the most effective way to lose weight.

3. Breathe. Amazingly simple, yet amazingly effective. Here’s a way to calm yourself and reduce stress by breathing. Exhale completely. Now breathe in through your nose, with a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Now breathe slowly out through your mouth with a count of eight. Hold for a count of seven, then begin again. Five minutes of this practice is virtually guaranteed to send your stress level plummeting.

4. Sternum Tapping. When you’re feeling an emotional charge, an upset, or physical pain, try tapping on your chest. Cross your arms over the center of your chest, take a breath, and then gently tap on your skin with the fingertips of one hand ten to fifteen times. Breathe again. Reverse your hands and tap again. Repeat this a few times. This is a technique drawn from the field of energy psychology, and in The Genie in Your Genes I list several other energy psychology techniques that work well at calming both physical and emotional trauma.

It’s no secret that we live in a world filled with sugar and chemicals. If you’re not eating them, you’re rubbing them on your body, putting them in your hair, putting them on your face and whatever else. Even though a lot of us know this, we just don’t seem to care.

Well, I care.

Probably about half a year ago or so, I had allergy testing done by a naturopath. I reacted to a few things, I reacted highly to sulphur. Go figure, right? As it turns out, sulphur isn’t just in beans – it’s in nearly every bathroom thing you use. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, face wash and more.

After finding out that I was reacting to it, I had to get rid of every single toiletry I had except two: a super sensitive facial wash and a bottle of lotion. Both made by St. Ives. I even had to get rid of my soap.

It can be kind of intimidating to start looking into all this stuff, so I found this video that touches on sulphur – sodium laurel sulphate – as well as other things to get you started.

If you’re at all interested – and you should be for the sake of your health and your family’s health – start doing some research.

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Be sure to stop back tomorrow. For the rest of the week I have special guest Dr. Dawson Church stopping in to talk about his most recently published book The Genie in Your Genes, the science of epigenetics and what it all means for people like you and me in regards to getting our health on the right track.

I’m running late with everything today. Posts, work, things I promised to mail, craft projects… Even dinner is being served late tonight – but at least that one isn’t entirely my fault. Either way, it’s late and husband is enjoying his meat loaf (my first try at making one and apparently a success – he asked for seconds) and veggies, and I am enjoying my daily portion of veggies.

Have I mentioned how much I like mushrooms?

Switching over to the intense phase of this program – meaning three meal replacements, one serve of fruit, one serve of veggies in a small amount of oil – has been interesting, and certainly not without its little dramas. Thankfully, though, I seemed to have passed the hump of physical adjustment which, in my case, came in the form of a little bit of fatigue and a pounding headache.

My body has adjusted surprisingly fast to the new schedule. Though I have some trouble at night (psychologically, likely because that’s usually when we have our biggest meal), my stomach now grumbles like clockwork; it only gets impatient when I start pushing past the times when I am supposed to eat.

Somewhere in me there was this fear that I would be criticized for taking this route, despite knowing that this is the kind of thing I need right now. However, I’ve been pleased to find people are supportive. Once they understand how insulin resistance works and how difficult it is for women with PCOS to lose weight, they seem more impressed with my dedication to my health than anything else.

My husband even ran into a woman who had done meal replacement before, but she gained the weight back by returning to her old habits.

I’m not ready to go back to posting my statistics just yet, but I can say without a doubt that this is working well for me. I’m in a great place right now.

PS. Yes, I’m still planning on having a virtual party when I get past my 244 sabotage point.

If you have been reading this blog for a while – or just know me – you know that I start things on Mondays. Call it my little obsession, but I have always felt this need to start things on Mondays.

Now I break the habit.

I know I’ve talked up new diet plans before, but I feel like I could really have a winner this time. Between meal replacement and exercise taking care of the physical and a technique called EFT taking care of the emotional, I feel like this well-rounded approach could very well see me to my goal weight by this time next year. (At this point, I’m shooting for 170 pounds, which is 94 pounds down from my highest weight.)

Before starting a new diet or plan, I usually give myself a few days to take in (aka eat) whatever I might miss while on the plan. But, if you think about it, that is really the start of the plan. If you start a plan with letting yourself have whatever you want, then are you really going to last?

Anyway, day one did consist of doing meal replacement during the day and having a normal meal for dinner, but that’s it. Full on to the plan now.

The thing about this time is that I battled my initial emotions (including an obsessive battle with a “need” for cookies) with the EFT program. That made me feel all the more comfortable about getting started straightaway.

Plus, as Mr. JM said, “You always started on Mondays in the past, but you haven’t stuck to doing them either.”

He wasn’t being critical. He was just pointing out that sometimes you have to ditch ALL the old habits to get the results you want.

Let’s hope, hm?

May I just say that I enjoy seeing my dietician much, much more than I like going to see the doctor’s I have seen otherwise. My dietician is very nice and pleasant to talk to.

I wasn’t originally planning to go back to the dietician, but an appointment practically fell in my lap so I took it. Given how unsatisfying my doctor was in answering my questions, I hoped I would have better luck with my dietician.

Have I mentioned how nice Dr. E is?

I had all sorts of questions about specific foods, GI, exercises, portion sizes, and more. Dr. E handled them all with care and dismissed nothing until I fully understood what she was saying.

Given my lack of weight change, she suggested I examine my exercise first. I’m now putting in the time, but the intensity is just as important. I think I’m doing okay, but I’m adding in some extra time as well as making sure that I’m puffing a bit while exercising.

Because I have a hard time eating breakfast in the morning, I asked her about the possibility of meal replacement. She seemed stunned that I would bring that up as an alternative voluntarily, but she also thought it would be a great idea – and not just for breakfast.

They had just had a shipment of meal replacement stuff in, so she gave me some soups and shakes from a specific line of meal replacement stuff as well as a brochure to introduce me to the program.

I’ve been looking at the program, but that’s for another post.

All in all, it was an excellent appointment where I got all my questions answered.

I go back in August to check in again. Hopefully I’ll be a good amount lighter by then!

I apologize for what is going to turn into a flood of posts. The internet slowed down by heaps earlier this week and is back to speed only today.

And I have so much to talk about!

I went to the doctor last Thursday for a checkup and to get the results for my blood test results from February. Given that I wasn’t called in early or anything, I wasn’t expecting anything too bad. As it turned out, the results were great.

Months before leaving the States, I had a full range of blood tests done. I was diagnosed well and truly pre-diabetic and just teetering the line to Type 2 diabetes. Pairing that up with the ovarian cysts I had, I wasn’t doing well at all.

Earlier this year, I reported the good news that I am now living a cyst free life. The new life I’m leading is even better.

My glucose tolerance test came back completely normal. I’ve reversed being pre-diabetic!

Even though my weight was (with accommodation for my usual TOM weight gain) exactly where I was weight-wise in February, it is nice to know that my efforts have been doing good things.

The appointment was disappointing in some ways because the doctor dismissed some of my concerns about my digestive system, but I had an appointment with my dietician anyway, so I let it pass.

I was a bit annoyed when she said, “Some people just have to exercise more” in regards to my lack of weight loss, but I let that pass, too. I know that I am working hard at a level that works me but encourages me to keep it up for the long term.

I have to say that I can already tell that stopping posting my weight stats on here for right now was the right thing to do. The feeling isn’t incredibly massive, but I do feel like a stress has been taken away. And it’s not that I don’t think you all understand the highs and lows; it’s all in the craziness of my own head.

That being said…

Things have been going pretty well lately. The doctor’s appointment revealed some good news – which I’ll talk about in a later post. I feel like I am getting closer to the core issues I have with food, appearance, eating, etc.

It’s always weird when you’re trying to dredge up memories. There are reasons the memories were hidden in the first place, so you run into all sorts of interesting road blocks along the way. Anything from uncomfortable feelings to convincing yourself of things (or trying to) can pop up.

Self-examination is also never easy. Nobody is perfect, so facing your hang-ups is hard. But I’m keeping on with it because I know I have to.

On the physical side of things, I’m working on waking up my sleepy digestive system. I’m eating even more veggies than ever and I’m taking a herbal blend that is supposed to help with bowel function. (I feel kind of weird talking about all that, but it goes part and parcel with things…)

If that doesn’t help, I’m going to go the meal replacement route (just one meal replaced a day, no worries) to help me stay steady while I get my head stuff worked out.

Interesting times ahead…

I hope all of you are doing well.

I have a chair! I have a brand new, incredibly cushy and comfortable office chair!

A couple weekends ago, I woke up with this incredibly horrible stabbing pain that ran up the right side of my neck and into my head. I honestly thought I would have to go to the hospital because the pain was so excruciating.

However, after a hot bath and plenty of massages from my wonderful husband, we figured out that it was all due to a wonky muscle in my shoulder. Why did I have a wonky shoulder muscle? Why do I get 99% of all my hips/back/shoulder/neck pain?

Well, that’s because I don’t sit properly.

I work on the internet. I can spend up to ten hours a day on the computer (though I try not to) because it’s how I earn my income. I exercise, of course, but that doesn’t take away the hours my backside is in a chair and I am typing. Getting me a proper chair has always been on the to-do list, but that morning made it a priority.

Thankfully, my husband and I were both able to find excellent chairs at a decent price.

And let me tell you, the difference is phenomenal.

My back got a bit cranky with me at first because it wanted to go back to old slouching habits, but after that, is has been relatively easy to get used to sitting properly. Plus, I haven’t had any shoulder problems since I started sitting in my new chair.

More and more, the world is letting me know that taking care of me is about much more than trying to shed the pounds.

One all of my blogs, there are three ‘Ps’ I never talk about – pee, poop and penises. Today, however, I’m going to make an exception on this blog.

And not with the fun “P” either.

Constipation is defined medically as “having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week”. It also ranges from recent onset to chronic and has multiple causes.

A lot of people think that going daily is the ‘norm’ but people do differ. It’s when you get into the medically defined constipation territory that you run a risk.

Now what does this have to do with anything I usually talk about? Well, I debated about getting into this subject for quite a while before deciding to finally go for it, because I feel it is a valid issue. Plus, I might be thinking about it in a way other people haven’t thought about it: constipation and weight gain/weight loss difficulty.

Think about it. You’re eating all this food. Even if you’re cutting down portion size, you’re still eating. But if you’re not eliminating it, then it’s still all there in your body. Yes, we use calories during the day even if we aren’t doing anything and even more if we are doing things – but do you burn waste products? No. They’re waste products. They’re meant to go out of the body.

But what if you’re going less than three times per week. All the food that isn’t used up is still in your body.

What I’m getting at – without getting too personal, I hope – is that we really need to look at *everything* that is going on with our bodies. It took me months for this to click and make me realize that this is a possible cause for why it’s so easy for me to gain weight but is a beast to lose it.

I’m not setting out to create an excuse for myself, but I do want to make sure I’m doing this right. That means all my systems need to be in balance and it’s obvious that at least one is not.

If you have any concerns about anything going on with your body – no matter how embarrassing – be sure to bring it up with your doctor. You never know – it just might be the missing piece you’ve been trying to figure out.