If you haven’t been a fan of this page for long, I’ll give you a quick briefing:
I came from the world of fitness competitions and “the fitness industry”, where extreme dieting runs rampant and its normal to “diet” for weeks on end for a contest, a photoshoot, or an expo and event.
Unfortunately, even though, I knew this was unhealthy for my clients, I somehow thought that I was different.
Well.. I was.. for a few years… but eventually my body rebelled and it left me with metabolic damage and why I’m pissed off. (first video)
I would have never guessed, that one year ago (October 2011) when I basically “gave up” and conceded to “just getting fat” that it would be the catalyst to healing. It wasn’t immediate, and in fact, I didn’t have a clear path to healing until I reached out to some good friends and colleagues for some help. I listed the help and resources in my second video and update.
It has been officially 7 months of healing now, and I’m down 13lbs with about 15-18 to go, but a totally new outlook and one thats not hyper-focused on the scale. I would have never thought, in my tears and frustration that I would look back on this and be grateful for the experience, but it has taught me about the life there is to live and how sharing my story would help so many other women.
Here is my latest update, along with the recent update of a girl who emailed me due to these videos— Please share— I have found this to be very common not only in the world of fitness competitions, but group exercise teachers, marathon runners and personal trainers as well.
Comments
comments
Love how you’re using your scale as a tool now. I notice the same thing with my weight in relation to stress :/ Glad to hear things are getting better now though!!
Thanks girlie! I miss you!
I thought you looked different… but you are so fitness and nutrition, I thought you would have no weight to lose. glad you are feeling better. you look great!
Thanks Nancy! Well, I never had weight to lose before, but because I was TOO much into fitness and nutrition, I ended up having my body back fire and I gained 30 lbs.. all while working out way too much and eating “healthy” it was scary and I didn’t understand it… now I have a much better perspective and a healthier balance and the weight is coming off naturally
This was me. Eating healthier than ever, training more than ever and at a higher intensity and it totally backfired on me. I’m just at the beginning of my healing journey and looking for help! I feel so lost and I have no idea where to begin.
YAY for you! So proud of you and thank you for ALWAYS being such a wonderful inspiration even while you are going through a rough time!
I love it, I love it I love it. Just yesterday I walked out from the gym even tho I had to do cardio for my comp prep. but I listen my body for a first time in my life and I give it a brake.
You look stunning as always xoxoxoxoxox
I’m so happy to hear this! Congrats on the weight loss and also working hard to keep yourself in a balanced state. Your first video really made me feel at home. I also have been following ME principles and it has helped me so much! A couple of weeks ago my body went nuts after I experience something that put me under a lot of emotional distress. Following this I was subject to a heap of stress and my body is reacting accordingly. I can’t believe how sensitive I am to stress! Working hard to find balance again! Thank you for sharing.
its crazy right? Esp at the begninng, I just started having my periods then I had a MAJOR emotionally stressful time for 2 weeks.. and my period was… two weeks late.
Its soooo sensitive to stress still.. I really have to make a concerted effort to go to bed early and keep myself more calm.
Its ok though, I’m learning to listen carefully and realize what I have control over and what I don’t
Hi! This is a very interesting topic that I’ve read about. I’ve worked out my whole life and competed in running. Recently I’ve wanted to ‘step things up’ so I hired a big name coach for a 12 week program. I am currently eating only 100 g of carbs. Thoughts??? How long can the AF take to set in? What do u consider normal calories for 135 lb female and % of carbs, proteins, fats? I’m just curious what your extreme was and what you consider normal now? Thank you! I definitely do not want to have this happen!!!!! Best wishes!!!!
well… I was eating ZERO to 25g of carbs if that gives you any idea… for 7 months… so.. yeah
THere is no set time for AF.. some people fall into it after one show… I had been competing for 3 years.. its a combination of factors.. low carbs, high cardio, lack of sleep, high stress, etc.
I would suggest for optimal function getting at least 100-125g of carbs a day for someone your size and possibly more depending on your activity level and goals. Carb cycling and going under 100 is ok for short term for reaching goals, but its not sustainable long term and has consequences that will depend on how bad of a place you get to
I too had adrenal fatigue from over training. I also have Multiple Sclerosis and the two set the other one off and it was a whole mess of problems. I had to just step back and rest and heal. It has taken a long time but I am now feeling pretty good. I don’t run like I used to but I have also developed a love and passion for yoga which I never would have found had I not been forced to reevaluate. Thanks for sharing!!
http://www.barefootangiebee.com
love it Angie.. yes I have been forced to reevaluate as well and honestly now its been a blessing. Thanks for your story
What great news! I’m so glad that you are getting this figured out. I am still going through some awful shit because of the way I prepped for a show YEARS ago – basically crashed my entire Endocrine system and had either rationalized the symptoms (“Oh, it’s just stress.. that is why I’m so tired. Oh, I have long hair so I lose more than other people…” etc etc) or I masked them with more diet and exercise. What a nightmare!
Anyways, I’m glad to hear that you are doing so much better!
yup… my last show was 3 years ago this November.. what a fuckin’ price to pay, eh?
I only made it worse because after the show “stuff” came on, I tried to diet it back off..
well I dieted my way to 30lbs gain and a whole list of health consequences..
I’m def guilty of justifying the way I felt.. and yes, I’m doing much better,but still a long ways away according to my labs
Sighhh.. its a long calculated road out and I don’t wish this on anyone.. I want to warn EVERYONE!
Hey! I really enjoyed reading all of you blogs lately but I have a question. I went to a chiropractor about a year ago and he had me lie down and then took my pulse and then had me sit up and then took my pulse. From that he somehow concluded that I had adrenal fatigue and I thought he was crazy. Anyway, I went and told my actual doctor about this and asked his opinion and ofcourse, he though I WAS CRAZY! LOL So anyway was that chiropractor right? Is that all it takes to see if you have something wrong with your adrenals? I looked up a naturopath and there are a few in my area. How do I know which one is really legit an which one will actually help me with my problems!? Please help! I am so sick of dealing with this! Like you no matter what I eat or do not eat or work out or do not, I weigh the same if not more. So I eventually gave up and like you and thought well if I am going to be fat anyway I might as well do whatever I want! But I am so over it! =)
there are some pulse tests you can do, but I would NOT take that as a SOLE indicator
I would really get a saliva sample lab
I wouldn’t say he’s crazy.. there is a test but, thats not going to be 100% accurate
I have no idea how to choose a naturopath, luckily I just knew one and he’s not even in my state, but I work with him on the phone
I would go off referrals or reviews online?
If you’d like to go to him.. google Jade Teta North Carolina.. you can call his clinic and set up an appt.
Thank you so much! How much is that? and how does he do the tests if you are not there with him?
He charges $75 per “visit” spends time with you on the phone going over protocol and labs.. he can have the labs mailed to you, the saliva adrenal one you can do at home, if you need blood work he can mail/fax the slip and you take it to your own lab and have results sent to him.
The labs can get costly. My adrenal one was $120 and my supplements were a lot… but how i feel a year later.. worth it x100
I look forward to another update on your adrenal fatigue
Melissa– very soon! thanks!
I have gained about 15 lbs in just a few weeks. Could it be because I’ve been lifting weights again? Ive struggled with ED/undereating for 20ish years and I feel like my body is so backwards. I also have Hashimotos, and am gluten and dairy free, which makes recovering mentally from my ed really difficult. I am not eating more, and I exercise a lot and feel stressed out all the time… I dont know whats going on and I’ll take any advice I can get.
http://bit.ly/metabolichealing get on this list.. I have been doing periscopes and lots of things about healing lately