I don't care how big it is....

I have always been one of those girls who thumbs through magazines and instead of finding clothes or shoes I would like, I find boobs, thighs, abs, and buns I would kill for. Healthy habit hunh??? My latest indulgence (Oxygen magazine) had the body of a woman on the front that was nice, maybe on the thin side for my taste. Then I saw the caption that she was a MOTHER OF 6!!!!!! I almost fell over. Then I thought, if she can do it....I can too.

I saw that she was an inch shorter than me an weighed around 129. So I arbitrarily made a number that has been my sole focus. I became a little obsessive about being "skinny" like that. In fact, the Duke mentioned I needed to hang out with my chic friends more because he is tired of hearing about skinny/fat/cellulite/etc and isn't that what chics talk about??? LOL I was obsessed with a number on the scale...135.

In walks Stacy. Stacy is a brilliant instructor at my gym who teaches class different than any instructor I have ever had. We do HUNDREDS of reps...and we always work every muscle group to failure (meaning that you can't do one more, your muscle just stops working) And she gets results...incredible results. The people that have been taking her class for awhile look amazing. I have taken three classes with her, and my arms are starting to cut up. She offered to train me through a system known as gravity training. It was the hardest workout of my life. 1 and 1/2 hours of pure torture...I almost puked. But hey, I'm still here to type about it.

Gravity® small group personal training is the perfect option for those individuals that seek the motivation of a personal trainer and the dynamics of a small group class. Designed using one modality, the GTS® (Gravity Training System) targets muscular strength and endurance exercises for the total body – including unique core and stretching exercises – all done while the body is positioned in various angles against gravity. This is a must for those wanting a total body workout in a very unique and time efficient manner.

We weigh in every Monday and she writes it down in order to keep us accountable. When I told her what my current weight is, an what I thought I wanted to be she said she felt that I wouldn't be able to lose that much weight without sacrificing muscle. Hmmmm....that stinks I thought to myself. But today in class I noticed changes in my body. Muscles peeking out from under that insulating layer I don't need for summer. It was empowering.

I have now officially adopted the brilliant philosophy of an old aerobics instructor I had. "I don't care how big it is...I just don't want it to jiggle". My body is pre-programmed to have a certain size limit. I don't want to lose the muscle I have worked so hard for. My current plan is to do her class once week, cardio 3 times, and some other form of weightlifting during the week, taking two days for rest. And no obsess about the numbers on the scale, or pics in a magazine. Wish me luck.

Baking soda deodorant...without the mess!

So I was in the grocery store last week, perusing the aisles for some organic products to introduce into our family lives, and I stumbled upon this:

Arm & Hammer Essentials deodorant.

I picked one up, and have been using it religiously for several weeks now.

It has the Arm & Hammer seal directly in the center of the container, which reads "The Standard of Purity" just below it. Although Arm & Hammer makes other styles of deodorant, in various scents, my store only carried the Essentials Natural Deodorant in the fresh scent.

Product Claims-

Provides natural protection*

Aluminum free*

Paraben free*

Made with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and natural plant extracts to absorb and fight odor.

IngredientsDipropylene glycol, water, propylene glycol, sodium stearate, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), coriandrum sativum (coriander) fruit oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil, fragrance, tricolsan, tetrasodium EDTA, allantoin.

Have you ever been confused by the chemical names ingredients go by these days?

The label pulls back to reveal a list of ingredients, how they are derived, and what they do! This alone gives it a royal thumbs up! I am trying to be keenly aware of what goes into my body these days, and this is just great!

Taken from the package:

Glycol (dipropylen/propylene): Derived from natural gas from the earth

Water: Purified water

Sodium Stearate: Derived from palm nut/fruit

Baking Soda: Natural mineral deposits from the earth

Coriander Fruit Oil: Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander fruit)

Rosemary Lea Oil: Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) leaf

Final thought???? It is a bit sticky when you first put it on, just wait until it dries before dressing. The fresh scent is nice. As for the deodorant properties? I have been very pleased with it's performance...even after a 1 and 1/2 hour grueling workout!!! I love this product and it has now replaced my usual favorite!

Remember my search for a "healthy" deodorant?

This is my next thing to try. This is from a natural health tips newsletter I get a few times per month.

Ever seen an open box of baking soda in someone’s refrigerator? It is to help deodorize the refrigerator. While I’ve never cared about deodorizing my refrigerator, I have looked for a safe, healthy deodorant. Baking soda is the least expensive, most effective deodorant around.

Here’s how to use it: Put a small covered container of baking soda in your bathroom. In your morning shower, using soap and a washcloth really handles a lot of the germs that contribute to odor. After drying off, put at least 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in the palm of one hand. Then put a few drops of water on it to mix it up. Apply under both arms. Let it dry and you’re good to go.

A healthy deodorant is crucial because what you put on your skin goes straight into your bloodstream and other body parts. Cancer research has found deodorant chemicals in breast cancer tumors.

Can I get a heck yes???

Did I mention that I bought jeans a size smaller than what I have been wearing this weekend? Yes, they have a little stretch in them...but they make me feel amazing. I would wear them everyday if I thought no one would notice.

And....they make my rear view sensational! WOOOT!

Total confusion

Well, I had the "thyroid panel" done last week and got my results back yesterday.

In the mean time I went to a D.O. that specializes in natural therapies. I spent a couple hours with him and we looked at my exhaustive list of symptoms and discussed when these changes may have started. One of the tests we did was an analysis of a live blood sample. Most doctors draw blood and run "tests". We took blood and actually looked at it on the cellular level. It was amazing. I saw my white blood cells engulf an invader and destroy it right in front of my eyes. The invader???...Candida albicans (aka yeast). But wait....you say...blood is supposed to be "sterile". Well, that is what we are told, but clearly my blood is not sterile. I have many invasive yeast in there. We saw a red blood cell that as parasitized by the yeast. It was absolutely fascinating.

So I am on a few natural supplements to aid in digestion, heal the intestines, and destroy yeast. I am to cut out all refined sugar and stay away from refined processed foods. Easy for you to say. Imagine feeding a family of five with no packaged foods. I can't imagine doing this with my severe fatigue and mental cloudiness.

My blood tests from the FMCF center came back flagging a potential thyroid issue (as was expected). I have low T3, sub-optimal T4, and too much reverse T3. To understand what this means you have to understand how your thyroid works. The thyroid together with the pituitary and adrenal glands control all the metabolism in your body. When you think of metabolism, you think of processing food and weight gain/loss. But metabolism is, at the cellular level, all the processes your body goes through in taking up nutrients from your food and turning them in to nergy. It takes up iodine from your diet and makes T4 and T3. T4 has 4 iodine molecules, T3 has 3. T4 is not bio active and needs to be converted by the body into T3 before it is used. Here's the problem. My body is making "reverse T3" which is biologically inactive. My body can not use it. RT3 binds to the cells so you can't take up thyroid hormone. You normally have RT3 in your system, but too much can be a sign of a problem, especially when accompanied by symptoms of hypothyroid and low blood values of thyroid hormone (both of which I have). Now you can see why I have no energy, and am gaining weight. No metabolism.

The Center said I need "more testing" that would cost between $800-$1200. Yikes! I sent the blood results to my D.O. and he said I did NOT need more testing, I have "Wilson's syndrome" (not to be confused with Wilson's disease) and it's a very hard thing to treat.

Naturally I wanted to understand this Wilson's thing, so I looked it up online. Here is the problem: Wilson's disease is not recognized by the medical community as a real thing. It's more formally called "Wilson's Temperature Syndrome". Dr. Wilson who claims to have discovered it has supplements designed to help these people. But the medical community and the American Thyroid Association say it can be dangerous to treat a false condition. So....who is right? I've read testimonials of people who feel better after treatment. And that is all I want. So what do I do? What would you do?

I don't have health insurance that would cover these tests, so the $800 would be out of pocket. I SOOOOOOOOOO want to get better. But I don't know if I need these tests. I don't know which way to go....who to trust.