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Weight Loss

Aug 30
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Tried everything & still exhausted?

By | Client Results, Fatigue, Hashimoto's, Hypothyroidism, Weight Loss

So often I hear the words, ‘No matter what I try, I’m always exhausted’.

Fatigue associated with Hashimoto’s disease is unrelenting, all-encompassing and usually comes with a hefty dose of brain fog and mental confusion, sometimes dizziness and frequently, low moods. It doesn’t tend to improve with sleep or any of the usual strategies. It’s common for Hashimoto’s sufferers to wake unrefreshed even after 8-10 hours of sleep.

Low thyroid hormone circulating in your system due to hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto’s disease causes a deficiency throughout the body meaning that all the systems that contain thyroid hormone receptors will not be able to do their jobs properly. Systems including your brain, central nervous system, heart, liver, stomach and intestines slow and are affected, causing chronic fatigue.

I remember telling my husband that I was convinced someone was slipping a sleeping tablet in my morning coffee back when my Hashimoto’s was poorly managed.

Most of my clients come to me for weight loss – and they do lose weight which they are pleased as punch about (obviously!) – but it’s saying goodbye to afternoon naps and constantly feeling lacklustre that eclipse the delight over weight loss.

Without vitality & energy it can feel like you are trapped in a black and white world while everyone else lives in technicolour.

Fingers crossed, I’m yet to have a client not experience a huge increase in energy. Most of my clients initially report energy levels at 2-6/10 and walk away with energy levels between 7-10/10.

In fact, just this morning my 10am client Alison told me she is feeling amazing and rated her energy at 10/10. That’s up from 6/10 at her first appointment only 4 weeks ago. After many years of Hashimoto’s associated fatigue, joint pain and digestive woes she has also lost 8kg in the last four weeks.

“It’s just so easy!” She gushed about following her personalised food plan. And you can see why she feels that way with results like that!

So what is it that gets these amazing results so fast?

A combination of lowered inflammation, regulated blood sugar, nourishing food and personalised nutrition. That is, eating fresh whole foods that are right for you and your health conditions, at the right time, in the right portion sizes and balanced in a way that provides your body with all the nutrients it needs to keep your energy stabilised throughout the day. Drinking enough water to stay well hydrated also plays a part.

It’s all pretty simple really but as I was explaining to Alison this morning, in the West our inner compass is so broken when it comes to food. Factory made flavours and foods that make no sense in nature, diet culture, in addition to a lack of cultural food tradition has done a lot of damage to our relationship with food. The majority of us – Hashi’s or not – are walking around in a daze, with no idea of how good you can really feel.

If you feel like you’ve tried everything then I have a solution for you that is based on common sense principles and really works. Just ask my clients!

If you have loved ones who are trapped in the misery of Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroidism please forward them this blog.

Jun 07
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The link between Hydration & Weight Loss

By | Digestion, Fatigue, Gut Health, Weight Loss

 

I bet you didn’t know this!

Water, it’s the elixir of life right?

But why do so many of us struggle to drink the amount we know we should?

What if I told you that hydration is an essential element to healthy weight loss and maintenance?

I’ve got your attention now! But first let me explain something.

When I start working with a client they undergo a huge transformation very rapidly and release excess weight quite quickly. I’ve had a few conversations with clients that go something like this:

Client: ’10kg in 12 weeks that won’t be possible for me!’
Me: ‘Try keep an open mind, give or take this is usually the results I witness when a client commits to themselves & their plan.’
Client: ‘No, it will take me closer to a year to shift that kind of weight!’
Me: ‘Ok, we’ll see how you go.’
(12 weeks later) Client: ‘I cannot believe it, you were right!’

This is a quote from an interview I did with one of my clients Rachael last year:

It’s been the best thing that I have ever done. I can’t believe in 12 weeks, you told me what would happen, and then it actually happened! It surprised me! I didn’t believe you!

I’ll get to the point…

When you are transforming your health and releasing weight those stored lipid cells in your body have been home to a number of different hormonal metabolites and other toxins. They will vary depending on what you have been exposed to over the time that weight has been stored on your body. It’s another way your body protects you, by storing toxins away in lipid cells where they can’t harm you. When you regulate your blood sugar and lower inflammation with nutrient rich whole foods your body starts to use up that stored energy. Guess what happens to those toxins? They get released back into circulation and your liver has to deal with them again.
Here’s the important bit, if you aren’t helping your liver out by remaining super hydrated it won’t be able to flush out a lot of those toxins through your kidneys. And even worse, dehydration will lead to constipation so they won’t be getting out of your system via a nice, healthy bowel motion daily either.
Here’s the kicker, when your body is dealing with a lot of toxins not only can you feel awful (headaches, join pain, pimples, low mood etc) but the stress can cause your body to go into survival mode. When your body is in survival mode it wants to hold on to those energy stores on the body which will make your healthy weight maintenance goal much more difficult to meet.

But dehydration has other draw backs too:

  • It causes the liver to release glucose into the blood stream, thereby increasing insulin your weight storage hormone.
  • It will make your lymphatic system sluggish, another toxin draining pathway.
  • It can cause you to overeat due to mixed thirst/hunger signals.
  • It causes low energy & poor cognition which impairs your ability to make healthy choices that will support your health goals.
  • I’ve already mentioned this but it’s so important, dehydration causes constipation which will leave you sluggish, inflamed and make weight loss much more difficult.

Have I convinced you yet?

You are probably asking yourself how much you should be drinking? Calculate your optimal daily intake by multiplying your weight in kg X 35ml of water. For example 80kg x 35ml = 2800ml or 2.8litres. More than you expected?

The good news is that herbal tea counts, the bad news is that alcohol consumption increases your need.

One of the easiest ways of tracking whether you are hydrated is simply to look at the colour of your urine, it should be quite clear with only a hint of yellow. So if your urine is yellow (unless you’ve taken a B vitamin) keep drinking until it’s closer to clear.

I’ve also attached a handy guide if you know you need to work on this aspect of your health. It’s also a colouring in sheet because who doesn’t love a colouring in (so satisfying!). Calculate your water and divide it by 8, I recommend tracking your water intake for a few days once a month until you know you’ve nailed this healthy habit.

Tessa

May 24
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Is weight loss possible with Hashimoto’s disease?

By | Hashimoto's, Hypothyroidism, Lifestyle, Weight Loss
Is weight loss possible with Hashimoto’s disease?

Every cell in the body requires adequate thyroid hormone and just about every organ needs enough thyroid hormones to function. The thyroid really is the Queen bee (or butterfly lol) of the body, orchestrating everything to keep you healthy and in homeostasis.

The truth is that it isn’t the Hashimoto’s directly that is causing weight gain, it’s the low thyroid function caused by the sustained attack on the thyroid tissue.

Due to this tissue destruction, eventually your thyroid will not be able to produce enough hormones and your metabolism will slow.

Enter stubborn weight gain.

When I was in the midst of a Hashimoto’s flare it felt like I only had to glance down the chocolate aisle to gain weight.

So is it possible to release that stubborn weight?

Heck yes! Absolutely! My clients & I are living proof. You do need to master a couple of key concepts though.

 

1. Regulate your blood sugar levels

In order to release weight with Hashimoto’s (and feel a million times better) you need to get yourself off the insulin roller coaster pronto. This daily rollercoaster ride causes weight gain and taxes the adrenals by causing a lot of stress in the body; which in turn negatively affects thyroid function causing it to drop and slow the metabolism. Yep, it’s a nasty cycle.

But it causes some other less than desirable effects for Hahsimoto’s healing too.

Dysregulated blood sugar levels also causes dysfunction in the tight junction function of the intestines causing intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Intestinal permeability can be a cause and driving factor of autoimmunity. Trying to heal from autoimmunity with compromised gut health and intestinal permeability is like trying to shoot a goal with your hand tied behind your back.

BTW this step is also essential for regaining the energy that was sucked into the bottomless pit of Hashimoto’s disease.

I have a free guide on this very topic available here.

 

2. Lower inflammation

Reduce or eliminate the consumption of inflammatory foods like gluten, vegetable oils, additives, excessive added sugars and processed foods. I’ll write a more detailed blog on why gluten is inflammatory for Hashimoto’s sufferers soon but due to molecular mimicry it is essential you cut gluten from your daily eating completely.

 

3. Reduce stress on the body

We ask a lot of our bodies, reducing physical stress will aid in releasing that extra weight. When your body is in survival mode it ain’t letting go of any of that stored energy (AKA fat cells) just in case it needs it to keep you alive. It’s a protective mechanism.

  • Sleep more!
  • Commit to self care by not doing too much, relax on the to do lists & learn to say no when you know you don’t have the energy.
  • Bring some joy & fun to your life. Watch a comedy, dance in the kitchen, take up a hobby, book regular catch ups with friends.
  • Eat three balanced meals per day to provide regular nutrition for your thyroid to function well and get that metabolism firing.
  • Breathe; breathwork/meditation/yoga, whatever it takes to slow you down and signal to your body that it’s safe.

 

Yes there are other stressors which are more difficult to pin down like GI infections, heavy metals, trauma etc but we’ll cover that another day. These basics need to be mastered first!

Now, these all tie in together because each one contributes to the other.

So choosing to work on one will actually help with the others.

I want you to commit and show up for yourself – comment below and let me know which point you are going to work on first.

Trust me, once you get some positive momentum happening then the flow on effect makes it a lot easier. Just pick a place to start, and know that change happens with every little choice you make across the day.

Need some targeted help and/or accountability? The Thrive Method addresses all three of these crucial steps to weight loss with Hashimoto’s disease.

Book a Discovery Call today to find out if it’s suitable for you.

 

Tessa

Apr 26
0

The four stages of transformation

By | Metabolic Balance, Mindset, Weight Loss

The four stages of transformation

When we set health goals, we often focus on a measurement aspect.

I want to lose 10 kilos.

I need to lose 8cm off my belly.

I want to fit into size 12 clothing.

But we often forget about the other positive changes that really should become a focus!

Things like a positive mindset towards food, craving control, energy levels, confidence, and improved moods.

Of creating habits that act as an ally to great health.

But as you know, we don’t just jump from where we are currently at to where we want to be.

It’s a process.

And there are four distinct stages: Tension, Transition, Tantrums and Transformation.

Tension – you know something is wrong but you aren’t sure how to fix it.

Transition – you are ready to start taking action and invest resources into resolving the problem you are facing. This is usually when someone first books in with me, they know they need help and they are seeking expert guidance.

Tantrums – This is the self sabotage phase when you either push through or give up. This is complicated and I cover it extensively in my Food Freedom program.

Transformation – You have your result and maintaining it is effortless as you’ve mastered new habits with no desire to go back to how you used to feel.

A couple of weeks ago I had the final consult of the Metabolic Balance 12 week package with one of my clients.

Yes she had reached her goal of losing 10.5kg and was managing a chronic health condition really well but she was more excited to tell me about her new mindset toward food.

How easy she was finding it to navigate eating out and making everyday choices that was making her health transformation easily maintainable.

She now craves good, fresh whole foods and has learnt to listen to her body.

Food has become her ally and it was a joyful part of her life rather than a source of confusion or guilt.

This is how you know that you have moved through the four stages into Transformation.

I cover these four stages in more detail in my Food Freedom course, which is available now (let’s chat).

My focus is to have you flow through each of the four stages so that at the end, maintenance of the new you is effortless.