An early morning cardio core workout really got the sweat moving and the core burning! These exercise sliders are the total bomb!??. Feeling accomplished today with this workout. Officially done day 23 of 80✅ of current challenge!
I remember when I was battling with my weight over the years… 190-200 lb most of the time on my 5’9” frame was too much to carry around! My knees and my back suffered big time and I felt like I would never get better. I went through SO many diets like atkins, Somers, Mediterranean and so many more in a yo-yo fashion and was never ever able to keep the weight off!
I thank god for the day 3 years ago that I realized how truly out of shape and miserable I was! I did some cartwheels on the lawn then suffered with severe pain for more than 2 weeks after that! At that time, I knew I was about I become a new grandma and did NOT want to be a fat, lazy, boring and out of shape granny! No way! I wanted energy and to be fun to run around and play with!
I discovered p90x through a friend and ended up losing over 40 pounds and keeping it off by using superfood nutrition and by staying on track with different fitness challenges and nutrition plans to keep things interesting! (I get bored easily) …I even started running and did a number of 10 km runs and my knee and back pain got completely better!
Getting into shape and losing weight totally changed my life!! I am now pain free, have energy to run with my grandson and am keeping the weight off. It not only transformed me on the outside, but the biggest changes are on the inside! Being happy all the time is a great way to live! …and totally getting rid of all those perimenopausal symptoms this way!
If you are looking for a much better way to get into shape and feel the best you have ever felt in your life, message me and I can help you get started. Seriously, the accountability, support and success with this program is totally worth it!
Stress can totally work against our body’s healthy function.
We women often demand much of our bodies.
Too much sometimes.
We have demanding and stressful careers. Family responsibilities. Our spousal relationship may not be the best. Aging parents can add to the burden. It all adds up to a lot of stress, which takes its toll on the body.
What we find out too late though, is that stress can actually trigger early menopausal symptoms.
If your body is under even a moderate level of stress and over the age of thirty, it’s possible your stress is to blame for pre-menopause. Check out this list of symptoms to find out if it might be happening to you:
Do You Have These Pre-Menopausal Symptoms?
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Light or heavy menstrual flow
• Lumpy or tender breasts
• Fibroid tumors
• Endometriosis
• Mood swings
• Water retention and bloating
• Sleep problems
• “Foggy, fuzzy” thinking and memory lapses
• Anxiety and depression
• Inability to handle stress
• PMS
• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Weight gain
If so, you may be on the long (often more than ten years!) path to menopause.
(Quick pause here – menopause is the body’s cessation of the menstrual cycle. But it doesn’t happen overnight. Pre-menopause is the body’s long process of preparing. It slowly reduces the degree and frequency of ovulation until finally it does not happen anymore. The process results in hormonal imbalance, which produces many of the above symptoms.)
What most women don’t know is that we have the power to change it.
We can influence our hormonal balance.
But it’s going to take a bit of work. Because we’ve been wrecking our hormones for a while. Incrementally, every day, our habits actually work against us, pulling our hormones in directions they shouldn’t go.
Other ways we women ravage our hormonal balance include obesity, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and excess caffeine and alcohol. These add to the problem instead of helping the body cope with what is demanded of it.
Effects of Hormone Imbalance:
Low sex drive
Bloating
Weight gain
Headaches before menstrual period
Mood swings
Irregular periods / excessive bleeding
When hormones are balanced, we tend to feel more alert, energetic, and ready to take on the challenges of life!
So how can we tell if the pre-menopausal symptoms are, in fact, happening because of hormone imbalance?
That’s an important question. Because stress, age, and lifestyle choices are not the only consideration. Some of the symptoms listed can be signs of other conditions. That’s why it’s important to consult a physician or nurse practitioner with knowledge and experience in the area of hormonal balance. (I’m one.)
But I kind of don’t want to tell you. Because I’m afraid you’ll roll your eyes and say, “Pfft. I knew that.” But sometimes the most powerful truths are the ones you’ve heard a thousand times from a hundred different places … but you may have just preferred to keep your head in the sand.
Trust me, I know. I’ve been there, done that.
Okay, here’s the deal.
Rebalancing your hormones can be simple, but takes the work of doing these things:
Reduce caffeine (did I lose you already? Come back! You can do it!!)
Reduce alcohol (yes, you can do it.)
Exercise regularly (If you hate exercise, you probably haven’t tried these fun programs)
Eat clean. (If you’re really new at this, just start with eating some kind of vegetables every day. Or add one superfood shake a day….perhaps join a clean eating challenge to learn more)
Reduce stress (Meditate, schedule some quiet time every day and every week, using that time to do something that recharges you.)
I’ve been where you are.
I’ve been fatigued, unbalanced, and unaware – and I’m a Nurse Practitioner!! So don’t feel bad. It happens to us all. At least you’re not stuck, right? There IS something you can do.
And I can help you through it.
Need a health or menopause coach, or some advice on which exercise program to try out? I’m your woman.
Have some questions you’d rather not post in the comment section? Contact me here.
Or, if you are having the pre-menopause symptoms above, some hot flashes and night sweats and are looking for some natural solutions, download this free PDF!
