Diets and healthy talk

Hey friends! Happy Monday!! Guess what, I'm headed to Vegas in a few weeks, for my 37th birthday. My sweet husband surprised me and I'm beyond ecstatic. Holy smokes I'm excited! Never been, never left our girls that long, only flown three times in my life soooo yeah. I am planning outfits and things to do! If you have any Vegas tips, send them my way!

Todays talk is the dreaded D word. Diets. Yuck. Most of my life I was naturally thin and also contribute my height to helping me (Im 5'10). Once I had my first child, I developed a thyroid condition, Graves Disease, my weight and everything fluctuated and took a hit. Kids ruin your body I tell ya. HA! Now that I am mid 30's or maybe I'm now late 30's ugh, weight is a real thing. I can look at a cupcake and gain a pound. I swear, like what the heck fire happens to your metabolism, it just gives up. So annoying.

A quick backstory on Grave's disease, about 9 months after my first daughter was born, I didn't feel good. Heart racing, underweight (I would love to be underweight now lol), short of breath etc. I went to my PCP thinking maybe I had asthma, he diagnosed me right away with Graves which is an overactive thyroid, autoimmune disease. The treatment plan is radioactive iodine capsule that you swallow and it kills your thyroid or most of it. I then bounced to the opposite side of under active thyroid and felt worse. I think overactive is much better feeling than under. I was then extremely tired, gained weight, cold and did I say tired?! My new life normal would be taking a daily thyroid medication to help regulate my levels. I have been lucky to find the right dose for my body going on 10 years now and had a second successful pregnancy during this. Once you get your levels regulated you do feel much better and it's just something I will live with the rest of my life. I do recommend seeing an endocrinologist for the monitoring of any thyroid issue. That is their specialty and they like to keep the levels in a much tighter spectrum. Moving on....

I am not a great dieter, nor am I any expert in any of this chatter so Im just sharing some personal experiences and you take it with a grain of salt. Personally, I dont even like to say the word diet, I say lifestyle change, if you say diet your destined to fail. When you make the choice to lose weight or gain muscle or whatever you might want to achieve, it has to be a whole lifestyle change.

I've done Weight Watchers, intermittent fasting, keto, lower carbs, calorie counting, no sugar diets hmmm thats prob about it. I have had some success but nothing sticks and I go back to my old ways. I have had the best luck from intermittent fasting. I am not a big breakfast fanatic so I find it easy to skip right over and then I always try to eat an early dinner. Not a diet whatsoever just choices that work for my body and lifestyle. If I eat late at night, I feel bad, indigestion is a beat down. No thanks.

I blame it on the busy season we are in right now attending ball games and having kids snacks in the house. Have you ever tried to eat keto at a concession stand? Nearly impossible I tell you. A plain hot dog, no bun of course, with mustard is about it. Ugh. I will miss the busy season someday though and the fruit snacks and little Debbie's in my pantry. I honestly can't imagine not having those things and my kids under my roof. So much anxiety thinking of it.

Here is the takeaway message: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! I don't care what it might be, do it in moderation. Second takeaway is: STAY ACTIVE AND MOVING. I feel like if you do these things, your doing ok. Don't beat yourself up over the little things. Love yourself and your body. God designed you exactly how your supposed to be and you are beautifully and wonderfully designed. See ya back here next Monday!! Have an awesome and amazing week!!