[UConnJulie]

Roland came up with a great title for my log, but I am not brave enough to use it. He suggested Snatched from the Jaws of Adrenal Fatigue, or: How I Stopped Whining and Quit Being a Puss in the Gym. I guess after the drama of that Adrenal Fatigue thread, I just didn’t want to attract any drama. (But thanks Roland for the great idea!! )

I’ve spent some time looking for a cool quote like Roland has in his new log that describes my plan in a succinct fashion, but to no avail. So you’ll have to deal with my ramblings …

So to those who are reading this, whether you believe in it or not, I have some serious health issues which have affected nearly every aspect of my life. My adrenal glands are not functioning optimally, and I am under the care of an MD who treats with lifestyle change recommendations and bio-identical hormones. She labeled it severe Adrenal Fatigue. Call it whatever you want.

I am seeing progress with my treatment, although it is slower than I would like, and I have come to the somewhat belated realization that as unhappy as I am with how I look, I NEED to make my health my number one priority, and that changes my plan somewhat. Getting healthy has become my number one priority … and that may mean that I gain some weight which does not make me happy, but if in the long run it means that I am healthy, then so be it. As my dear hubby states, more of me to love.

My doctor has told me to expect some weight gain as my body heals. She says that the weight will come off when my hormones are in better balance. But for now, focusing on fat loss will only dig me into a deeper hole with my health.

So, I am starting this new log as the focus of my journey is changing … no longer for fun challenging workouts, or fat loss … but for continually progressing my recovery in the right direction. Health focused. NOT taking three steps forward and two back.

Some things you will not see here …
1. Crazy strenuous workouts. Why? I love to do them, but they are one of the things that can set me back. How? By altering the balance between adrenaline and cortisol.
2. A super low carb diet. Why? I do feel good eating low carb, but there is some evidence when looking at hormone production, that very low carb upsets the adrenaline/cortisol balance. I will not be timing my carb around workouts because one of the things that helps to restore this balance is a balanced diet containing protein/real carbs/veggies/fats in each meal.
3. Any justification about my diagnosis. If you want to debate it, do it somewhere else.

So my plan is as follows …

DIET:

Balanced. Based upon principals set forth in Diana Schwarzbein’s book The Schwarzbein Principal II: The Transition. Other than generally counting my carbs and protein portions, I am not tracking anything. I will aim for 5 meals daily, but if I am hungry I will have a sixth. No specific cheat meals/days, but an OCCASIONAL deviation is okay. This is my health we're talking about, so it needs to be consistent and permanent.

1. 5-6 meals daily.
2. Mostly unprocessed whole foods.
3. Balanced meals only. (ie no protein only meals)
4. Protein is the foundation (2.5 oz/18 g per meal).
5. Healthy fats only, avoid damaged fats.
6. REAL carbs only (whole grains, legumes, starchy veggies, fruits) (20 g per meal)
7. Non-starchy veggies. Lots and lots of them. Aiming for 7 cups minimum.

TRAINING:

Too much stimulating exercise will set me back by using up the precious cortisol that I am making. So I need to lay off on things like HIIT and intervals. I need to incorporate more rest periods into my circuits/lifting program to make them more adaptive. I also need to incorporate more calming exercises like yoga, mobility work, and stretching. So this is my tentative schedule …

Resistance Training

• 30 minutes max, 3x per week
• Can include TRX, KB, DB, BB, GPP, BW stuff

Mobility Training

• Yoga 2x per week
• Mobility and stretching 3x per week
• Walking 1-2x per week

So … for now (this will somewhat change every 4 weeks … the exact exercise prescription is still in the works)

Monday=TRX and mobility
Tuesday=Yoga
Wednesday=KB and mobility
Thursday=Yoga
Friday=GPP/BW and mobility
Saturday=Walking
Sunday=off or walking

This will be a big change for me as I generally like my workouts to be strenuous and leaving me feeling like a wet noodle. For now this needs to change. It’s all about getting the hormones back in balance.

I also need to incorporate a better stress management plan. Now that Matt is back to work, I am alone a lot more and dealing with the kids solo a lot more. So Mama needs to chillax a bit.

1. Meditate DAILY!!! It takes less than 20 minutes and it will do me a world of good.
2. Do one thing each week just for me.
3. In bed nightly by 10:00 pm so that I can get the 8-9 hours of sleep that I need.

So, that’s my plan … nothing super exciting … kinda boring really … but I will be measuring progress by how my symptoms are and my labwork when I have it done. The main symptoms I will make note of are:
1. Fatigue
2. Bitchiness/moodiness
3. Cravings
4. Joint achiness
And anything else that crosses my mind …

I’ll just have to live vicariously through Jill and Tina’s crazy workouts!!

I have a tracker in the works ... to track my compliance with diet and exercise and meditation and sleep and also to track my symptoms ... I'll link it once it's done.

Thanks for stopping by ...