A Word About Health & Fitness Archives - Page 19 of 19

Postpartum Depression – Why You Should Have Your Thyroid Checked

September 16, 2016 By Lindsay Gee

When I was six months postpartum with my first child I was depressed, at least I thought I was. I didn’t know what postpartum depression was. In fact, it wasn’t really discussed at all 8 years ago. The “Baby Blues” were casually mentioned…you know that hormonal day of crying most of us go through a few days after babe is born? That was discussed, but postpartum depression? No, never.

I’m so happy to see that’s changing. Slowly. But, it’s changing.

But, the Baby Blues confused me because I was told I would experience it days after my little man was born. And I did, I absolutely did. But, at 6-months postpartum? Why was I suffering so far after birth? All I knew was that I was tired, sad, losing my hair and gaining weight. I got into watching “Intervention” and I was certain my 6-month old baby boy was going to end up on the streets as an addict. I’d already failed as a mother in my eyes and I was completely overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising an addict. Hey, no one ever said postpartum depression makes sense.

I went to my doctor and had a good chat. She decided she should run blood tests and she referred me to a postpartum counsellor. I went and saw the counsellor and although I felt a little better after talking, I was still incredibly fatigued, lethargic and emotional. That’s when I got the call to get back to my doctor as soon as possible.

My TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) was at 52. Normal range for this hormone is 0.4 – 4mIU/L. Soooooo…my thyroid (the gland responsible for metabolism) had shut down and I was diagnosed as severely hypothyroid.

Hello, weight gain! Hi there, fatigue! Well hey there, emotions!

What does being hypothyroid mean? With my high TSH levels, for me, it meant that my thyroid was not functioning, not even in the smallest way. For some reason during my pregnancy, my thyroid was attacked by my own body. You’re a real jerk, body. Some days you’re a real jerk.

For me, knowing that the way I was feeling was a medical condition was a relief. Synthroid is now my best friend and I will be on it for the rest of my life. Apparently, and this was only diagnosed after my first pregnancy, we discovered I have Hashimoto’s Disease. This is an autoimmune disease where your body attacks the thyroid.

What’s the point of this post? It’s to let all you postpartum Mamas know that if you’re feeling sad, blue, fatigued, etc., if you’re gaining weight, the first step you need to take is to get to your doctor for bloodwork to check your thyroid. And hey…also get that referral for counselling because Motherhood is HARD and it’s always a good idea to have someone to talk to.

The crazy part? This is an issue that 7% of women have. Now, I realize 7% doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s 1 out of every 14 women who suffer from this. It’s called postpartum thyroiditis. It even has a cool name. 1 out of every 14 of your Mama friends is going to suffer from this and have no idea. Until now. Go us!

Signs & Symptoms of Postpartum Hypothyroiditis:

Fatigue
Depression
Weight gain
Feeling cold
Dry skin
Hair loss (ugh)

Hypothyroidism Risk Factors:

Family history of autoimmune disease
Type 1 diabetes
Radiation treatment
Past thyroid surgery
Presence of thyroid antibodies (often caused by Hashimoto’s disease…that’s what I have)
Goiter
Current treatment for an already non-functioning thyroid

The best part (lol, as if there’s the best part!) about postpartum thyroiditis is that most Mamas get through it within their first postpartum year. It usually corrects itself within those first 12 months. UNLESS you have an underlying disease like Hashimoto’s. Then, Mama, it’s me and you swallowing Synthroid for the rest of our lives. It’s a cheap medication, so don’t let it stress you out.

Listen up! If you’re feeling at all blue, at all sad…it’s time to reach out. Get your thyroid checked. If that comes back normal, great! There are a lot of other postpartum support groups you can join. You’ll be okay as long as you reach out and ask for some help. Motherhood is hard. Reaching out for help isn’t a weakness, it’s strength, Mama. It takes a village.

Also, because I’m a fitness gal, I truly believe in the power of exercise to help combat postpartum depression, well any depression really is ridiculously strong. There have been numerous studies about weight training and the positive effects it has on helping Mamas get through postpartum depression. I tell ya, postpartum fitness programs are the bomb.

This issue is incredibly near and dear to my heart and I want to help as much as possible. We started a Postpartum Initiative at Hot Mama that allows women between 8-16 weeks postpartum to come and participate at class for FREE for 4 weeks. No hook. No gimmick. We just want to see you get out of your house, meet like-minded women and get the support you need. Oh…and also participate in safe and effective postpartum fitness classes!

All of this to say: if you’re feeling blue…go talk to your doctor. He or she should send you for bloodwork to check your thyroid and you should ask for a referral to talk with someone. Trust me…the talking part is critical.

Breathe, Mama. You got this. Also…get your thyroid check…stat!

How to Lose Weight & The Number 1 Reason You’re Not Losing It

September 14, 2016 By Lindsay Gee

I’m not about to blow your mind with the “secret to magic weight loss”. I have no magic pill, potion or workout that will instantaneously transform you and make you 20lbs lighter. What I am going to share with you is that there is one thing you’re probably not doing that studies (scholarly, smartypants research studies) have proven to be the most powerful predictor of weight loss. And you’re most likely not doing it.

This article is not written to pressure you to lose weight. This article is written to pressure you to start fueling your body with the healthy food it needs to function, and function well. I’m not even sure about using the word “pressure”, I don’t want you to feel pressured. I simply want you to start feeling good about your body, your mind and your soul. And, I fully believe the way you move your body and the way you fuel your body affect the way you live your life every single day.

Before I tell you the number one reason you’re probably not losing weight, we need to get the basics down.

The Basics:

1) Move your freakin’ body. Firstly, you need to move. You need to sweat, drip and be sore. You need to push yourself. You need to workout. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology recommends being physically active for 60 minutes per day, 7 days a week. Read that again, please. 60 minutes per day, 7 days a week. That doesn’t mean working out every day, that simply means moving your body for one hour per day throughout your day. Walk to the park, take the stairs, play tag with your kids. Whatever you choose…but move it or lose it, party people.

2) Stop putting s**t in your mouth. Fuel your body with the good stuff. That means fruit, vegetables, protein, good fats, water (not wine…le sigh)! If you’re not sure how to do that find a program that can help educate you. Don’t find a DIET, find a way to learn how to fuel your body. You need to learn how and why you need to be eating the way they teach and then follow through. Your body is meant to feel fantastic, so why doesn’t it? Find out. Personally, I think you should check out Hot Mama’s Body Smarts program. It’s 12 weeks of fitness and nutrition education and it can change your life.

Okay, the basics are…well, pretty basic: move your body and eat well. So, what’s the number one predictor of weight loss, you ask? [Read more…] about How to Lose Weight & The Number 1 Reason You’re Not Losing It

The 5 Most Important Things You NEED to Bring to Your Workouts

September 13, 2016 By Lindsay Gee

We’ve just launched a contest with Hot Mama Health & Fitness called Rock Your Routine. We’re trying to encourage people to schedule their workouts and stick to them for 6 weeks. You pledge $25 and commit to at least 3, 30-minute workouts per week for 6 weeks. Meet the challenge and you get your money back, receive a “I Rocked My Routine” tank AND get entered to win $500.

Anywho…that’s not what this post is about. BUT…it did get me thinking about what it takes to commit to fitness and to getting through your workouts. It got me thinking about what you need to bring to each workout. No, I’m not talking about clothing (though you should definitely wear that), running shoes (also important), headbands, earbuds, music, etc. No, I’m not talking about any of that. I’m talking about what YOU need to bring to EACH workout, internally.

Inside you. Not the external stuff. I’m talking about the mental grit.

Here’s my list of 5 things you need to bring to each workout and to each fitness program you begin:

1) Motivation. Now, I’m not saying every day you’re going to be the most motivated person out there. That every day you’re going to shout “I’m soooo motivated to get this workout done!”. I’m amazing! No, I know and respect the fact that some days you’re going to look lovingly at your couch and think about saying “I’ll go tomorrow”, but the key is to dig deep and remember your goals. Think about what motivated you in the first place. Put it at the forefront of your mind and let that motivation drag you out the door and to your workout. No motivation? You’re not going to follow through. So, every workout remember the “thing” that is motivating you to get sweaty. Let that “thing” be constantly in your mind. Allow your motivation to…well…motivate you to get your buns moving.

2) Determination. You’re going to need determination to get through each workout. Oh yes you will. Why? Because if you’re challenging yourself the way you should be challenging yourself during your workouts there is going to come a time when you’ll think “Yeah, okay…that’s good enough. I don’t need to go further”. Know what? You do. You’re going to need your determination to push you through that workout and finish strong. You need to be determined to not quit, to push harder, to dig deeper. No determination? No growth. Trust me.

3) Confidence. Be confident when you’re going through your workout. No more negative self talk. No more doubting yourself. No more pretending you don’t know what you’re doing. Big breath in, shoulders back, chin up, walk into your workout with confidence. Tell yourself that you will confidently complete each workout. You got this. You’re getting stronger with each workout. BAM! Confidence is key.

4) Stick-to-itiveness. As I mentioned before, in each workout or in each fitness program there’s going to be a time you’re going to want to quit. It’s going to take your stick-to-itiveness to bash it out, complete the workout and finish the program you’re currently going through. You’re going to have to suck it up and get it done. You don’t quit. YOU STICK. You’ve come this far, Mama, why the heck quit now? Stick and commit. Commit and stick. Ain’t nothing gonna break your stride (I desperately hope you get that song in your head as it’s in mine now). Stick it out. Work it out. You need to bring that to every workout. You finish each workout strong and you get strong, that’s how it works.

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5) Humor. For goodness sake, fitness should be fun! Laugh, tease, make fun of yourself. Love yourself. Working out doesn’t have to always be uber serious. Joke with your friends and have a laugh. If you’re by yourself, be light and be silly. Unless you’re an athlete training hard for a competition…lighten up, party people. It’s just fitness. Make a mistake? Laugh. Then get back to work. Have no idea what you’re doing? Laugh…then ask someone for help. Bring humor and fun to your workouts and you’ll be way more likely to look forward to each and every one.

There you have. The five things you absolutely need to bring to each workout. If you miss even one of these “things”, you’re going to wimp out of your workout and not commit and finish your fitness program.