As promised, the continuation of the hormone discussion AND what to do if you think you have a hormone imbalance.
Welcome back to the hormone discussion!
Why talk hormones?
Because they’re super important!
Last week we covered some of the BAD on my hormone symptoms and treatment. I share that with you in the hopes that you can avoid some of my mistakes.
NOW we are going to fast forward a bit as I walk you through how I have been healing and the treatment I have decided on for me.
So let’s get going.
We’re going to take a GIANT leap from a couple of years ago to the present.
I was able to lessen my actual stress as a way to lessen my stress response.
NOTE: it is not always necessary or possible to remove the stress itself from your life. My issue was that this particular stress began to cause some really unfavorable physical issues, like chest pains and panic attacks. So, after much talking, my husband and I decided that it would be best to step away from the stress for a bit.
I took one month to just chill and try to find a level field for my body. I had allowed things to get so out of hand that we truly didn’t know what I would wake up to each day. I recommend making some changes earlier on in the stress cycle if you can!
I also sought out a qualified hormone replacement specialist. My previous experience with hormone replacement was so bad, I was a little gun-shy; however, all of my current symptoms pointed to a severe hormone imbalance. If you’re local, here’s a LINK to the doc I use.
After a very thorough consult, my provider set me up with a date and time for testosterone pellets.
NOTE: I know hormone replacement therapy can seem really daunting and scary, but if you read the research and do your own homework (i.e. taking personal responsibility for your own health), then it’s actually not too bad. Bio Identical is THE WAY to go!
What else changed?
I started pouring myself into research about health and human hormones. I couldn’t just believe that my body tanked my thyroid and stopped making testosterone and that was life for me now.
There are a few KEY steps I’ve been taking to SLOWLY transition and help my body recover faster AND create an environment for these interventions to actually work.
NOTE: These are in conjunction with my HRT and thyroid meds. While these are very healthy lifestyle choices to make, simply doing these will not fix everything.
What life looks like now:
- Walking. Every day (at LEAST 6 days a week) I take a good, long walk. This usually translates to 45-60 minutes and I cover between 3-4 mils depending on the day. It’s not an all out power walk, just a comfortable pace. I usually listen to a podcast or put together a good playlist.
- Yoga/Mobility/Stretching. I try to incorporate this on the daily for as little as 10 minutes. It doesn’t take long to get BIG results.
- Strength Training. Strength training has just made a comeback and I’m super pumped (pun intended). My strength training is NOT impressive, but honestly, if you’re really doing it right it shouldn’t be. Right now, I strength train twice a week for about 45 minutes. I try to hit total body and stick to a set/rep ratio of 2/15-20. This will change as the weeks continue and my strength comes back.
- Prioritize sleep. This was hard for me as the lack of sleep due to stress was so severe. I started going to bed even earlier (like when I was tired, which was 7:30 some nights), and I took naps during the day as time allowed. At the beginning of this journey I needed a LOT of sleep. Now, I am able to stay up a bit later (like a pretty normal human being) and I no longer feel the need for naps, though I won’t refuse a good one on a Sunday
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- Listen to my body. This is HUGE for recovery and it takes a LONG time to recover from hormone disruption! IF I feel the need for daily naps creep back in, I allow myself to rest and reevaluate my workouts and nutrition. Am I working out too often, too hard, or too long? Am I getting enough calories and specific nutrients? Am I sleeping enough at night? These basic needs questions help a ton when doing simple self evaluation.
Full disclosure: I did a TON of things WRONG at the beginning of my journey back to wellness. My main flaw is that I always felt I could just FORCE my body to adapt because that’s what I had always done. Ya’ll, once your body is knocked down to this level it’s REALLY hard to pick it back up…but not impossible.
I had to learn to play the LONG GAME and not force it. For example, I stepped away from weight training for MONTHS. I backed way off of my exercise program and just focused on daily walks. I really focused on good nutrition. AND…..I had grace and patience with myself. The weight doesn’t fall off at any time, AND it can be a bit slower when fighting with a hormone imbalance, but it CAN and WILL happen. You just have to have faith and stick to a plan.
So, what do you do if you think you may have a hormone imbalance?
FIRST: I encourage you to CONTACT ME.
I will take you through a little intake to see where you are and if a hormone imbalance may even be anything to worry about. And this is totally free.
SECOND: Get tested.
Self diagnosing (we all do it) can actually make things worse if you don’t know for SURE where your hormone imbalance truly is. After our consult, I can point you to the right tests for you. As a matter of fact, there are many blood markers in a regular lab draw for yearly physicals that can tell me what we are most likely looking at and where the deeper testing needs to start. I have been fortunate enough to recently partner with Health Labs (link) so I can get clients tested for specifics at a 15% discount.
THIRD: Get on a plan, pack your patience, and stick to it.
A well put together plan makes ALL the difference. For some, certain medications and maybe even hormone replacement therapy is a necessity, BUT if you aren’t paying attention to all the other things it can make you feel worse at the beginning. Having a proper plan in place: from regular labs, to nutrition strategies, to workouts and sleep, will make ALL the difference. I partner with many specialists to make sure we are getting you the very best treatment plan so you feel your best.
Hopefully, my story will give you a little peace of mind (you’re not crazy) and a starting point to begin to feel healthier than ever. When it comes to your health, the more you know the better you feel .
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