FREE Thyroid Sessions - issues with weight loss, autoimmunity, fertility and more!

Hello people, happy Wednesday! I am so happy today because I am, once again, being pushed in the right direction. I mentioned to you before that I have been feeling lost trying to figure out why I've been struggling to lose weight, among other things. I made many lifestyle changes, primarily with how and what I eat, and still have not witnessed the results I was expecting.

In previous posts I shared with you how I've been feeling and the results of my blood tests. Nothing was abnormal but I still feel something is off. I surrendered my plight to the universe and then BAM! I received this email from Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness with information on an upcoming Thyroid Sessions event.  He's provided FREE access to clips and information, if you don't want to invest in the full event. You'll have access to a plethora of valuable information related to thyroid imbalances which can cause so many issues in the body. He's interviewed many experts in the field who provide information on what to look out for, what can trigger imbalances and much more. I know I discuss a lot about weight loss and overall health but even if you're not focused on losing weight, do yourself a favor and listen in. They discuss the many ways hormonal imbalances can negatively impact your body; autoimmunity, cancer, issues with fertility, etc...

Honestly this has been the best free resource I've found thus far to help me feel like I'm not alone in this battle. I feel there's a lot more going on than my doctor has lead me to believe and so now I have to play doctor with my own body. At the end of the day you have to take care of yourself and do what's best for you. Do one great thing for yourself everyday; listen to the powerful messages and I hope they help you find what you need.

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out =)

Fearless Friday! From the BX to France - Leap of Faith story

Happy Friday world!  A while back I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my sorority sisters, Keenya Hofmaier, about her move to France.  I had been following her move ever since she announced it, and have been curious about her story.  She's been in France for over a year now and here I share her story with you all.  Enjoy!

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What was your life like before moving to France? What were you up to? What motivated you to move?
Honestly, I was physically and mentally OVER my job. I worked as a special educator for the NYC Department of Education in one of the poorest congressional districts in the United States (Hunts Point, Bronx). The only thing that gave me joy was my students.  Everything else was just so taxing; testing, budget constraints, bureaucracy, and unprofessionalism. As a single woman I made good money but even that wasn't motivation enough. I saw how staying in the education system made other co-workers burnt out and depressed, and I wasn't going to let that happen to me.

Why France?
Why not France? I think Paris is the top place Americans idolize and I did the same. The summer before I resigned I remember reading expat blogs from all over the world. One woman's blog from France really inspired me. And I think subconsciously it stuck with me as I made the decision to move there. I mean, I only visited Paris once before but I've visited many other beautiful cities as well.

So I guess that was it - France just spoke to me.

What steps did you take in order to accomplish your goal?
I probably didn't give myself as much time as you should if you are planning an international move! I started by researching visa requirements. I realized getting a student visa would be the easiest route because it would allow me to work. Plus I wanted to learn French! Then I researched housing which was a nightmare, and it always will be for someone searching from abroad. Then I made sure to visit every type of doctor and use all my insurance benefits: dental work, new eyeglasses, medication etc. I didn't know how difficult the system would be here so I wanted to be prepared. Once I had my visa secured I put in my official resignation, bought a one-way ticket and watched the day's roll by!

How long did it take for you to go from decision to actual move?
I initially started thinking about it in September 2012. Then I officially decided to move the next month in October 2012. That is when I started requesting visas, etc. and I arrived in Paris on Jamuary 31, 2013.

What were some obstacles (if any) you faced when working towards your goal of moving? 

The main obstacle was financial. Luckily I had a lot of money saved up, but I still had to plan how I would budget out my first months and start the job hunt in Paris. The entire visa process (though a lot of paperwork) was surprisingly quick and easy.

How did your friends and family react when you announced your decision to move?
My parents were really supportive. I actually called them on 3-way to officially announce it (and ask who could keep my dog while I got settled!).  They told me they wish they could have had the opportunity to do the same thing (at my age my mom already had a 3 year old - me!).  They said I should take the opportunity while my life still allows it. 

How were things when you first moved abroad?
I wouldn't say "culture shock" - I still had Starbucks! But it was definitely an adventure navigating a new country in a new language. Even though there were ups and downs, the downs never felt so bad because I was enjoying my life so much! For the first time in 3 years!

How has your life changed since moving?
My life has changed so much in a year - proficiency in another language, pursuing a different career and finding my French "Prince Charming". This summer we will actually be getting "PACsed" which is something like a "civil union" back in the US. So I've gone from a complete American tourist to what's looking like a very long-term resident!

First picture in Paris!

What are you up to now?
Now I'm getting my Masters in International Administration here in Paris., after comparing prices to similar programs back home ($50,000 per year compared to 300 euros per year!). I also teach English part time with a really great company. And when I have the time off, you'll usually find me exploring different parts of France or Europe.

What advice can you give to those thinking about taking their own leap of faith?
If you are physically, financially and spiritually able - do it! You probably will never have another chance. You must be ready however as its not always easy. But as I've learned this past year, you really can't put a price on happiness.

Learn more about Keenya and follow her fabulous life in France via her blog: www.treschicmixedchic.blogspot.com

And you can find her on Instagram posting her adventures abroad @ameriparis 

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Why am I not losing weight?

If you've been following my posts you've noticed a pattern of experimentation with different tactics to help me lose weight.  Some have helped me more than others but I am still finding it super hard to lose weight.  I mentioned that I went to the doctor and have mild anemia which explains why my energy level has been so low.  I also noticed an increase in appetite which can be a few things; I think mainly because I'm not getting enough of the nutrients my body needs (which at this point could be more fiber and iron).

I've been doing some research on anemia and also hormonal imbalances.  An important piece of information I stumbled upon was something called "Leptin Resistance".  From my research I understood Leptin to be a hormone which lets the brain know if the body has enough fat to survive.  Our bodies don't want us to starve so it stores fat for when it needs it most.  However, with "Leptin Resistance" the brain is unable to receive the message from the Leptin, letting it know the body has enough fat stored for later use.  Since the brain doesn't get the message it thinks the body needs more fat, therefore increasing appetite.  I'm not a medical expert but I think that's the most basic explanation of LR I understood.

I also learned there's no quick fix to removing the LR.  I am going to do more research on ways to get balanced and finally lose this weight once and for all.  It's almost sad that I have to do this on my own, having a doctor and all.  From my experience, traditional medicine is all about a quick fix and easy answer.  My doctor saw me and immediately labeled me "obese", as well as wrote down a list of potential problems I might have, including hypothyroidism.  Not once did he mention anything about my hormones, even after I mentioned having low energy and increase in appetite.  He just assumed I'm fat so I overeat naturally. Don't get me wrong, he's a nicer doctor than I've had in the past, but still has that same quick solution mentality. Anemia wasn't even one of his original reasons why I might be having low energy, that is until my blood tests came back.  Thankfully nothing else was abnormal; no high cholesterol or anything like that.  He wanted to suggest I speak to a nutritionist but I told him I wrote off traditional nutritionists a long time ago.  All they know how to do is go by a food pyramid which is a "this works for everyone" solution, and it really isn't. Every body is different and every body needs it's own, individual food guideline.  A traditional nutritionist will suggest you "eat this" and "stop eating that", oh and don't forget to count your calories!  But what I need is someone to say, hey have you looked into this as a reason for why you're not losing weight?  Someone to suggest something other than "diet and exercise" or "willpower" as the solution.

This is why I've adopted a holistic approach to weight loss.  I want to look at the big picture rather than just a small piece of the puzzle.  I've been struggling with my weight and body since I was about 10 years old. Prior to my 30's weight loss was about my self-esteem and body image; it was about how I was perceived in the world.  Now I want to understand my body for myself; I'm taking a more introspective approach. Because I've become more in tune with my body and have learned to listen, I can now understand more of what's going on and why I'm not seeing the results I am working towards.  I actually wrote a quick e-book called "Greens on the Side" which is available when you subscribe to my mailing list.  I share how I got started by just taking simple steps to lead a healthier lifestyle.  You don't have to make a drastic change, you can just change step-by-step.  Check it out!

P.S: I'll keep you posted on what I discover about LR!

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Struggling with Weight Loss

In my previous post I mentioned how I was doing on the Virgin Diet.  I went away to NYC last weekend and just received my blood test results.  So thankfully I do not have hypothyroidism but I have anemia.  This explains why my energy has been so low.  I also have a gut feeling that there's something else going on.  Everything else came back normal thank goodness, but I just know there has to be more to this story.  I haven't lost weight and have been gaining weight.  This plus my low energy is causing me problems.  I really don't know what to do.  I feel totally lost.  I don't have great medical coverage so I'm gonna have to figure something out on my own.

I am going to continue with eliminating allergens from my diet but now I have to add extra things and I don't know what those could be.  My next step is going to be doing some research on anemia and possibly on some functional medicine doctors here in San Diego.  Maybe merging traditional medicine with functional/holistic medicine can help me find a solution to my struggle with losing weight.

I know this was a super short post but I just wanted to update you all on my situation.  I've been stressed about my weight gain despite my attempts at changing my eating habits. Right now I am focusing on getting as much information as possible to help me.

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

My semi-Virgin Diet

So I started the semi-Virgin Diet on 4/1/14. I call it semi-Virgin because I did my own twist of JJ Virgin's "The Virgin Diet". First a little background...

I can't pinpoint exactly when I started feeling "weird" but it was sometime between December '13 and January of this year. I stopped losing weight (even gained a little), had a big dip in energy and stamina, noticed an increase in appetite, my sleep cycle was off, and my acne was flaring up. I've had issues with acne for over 10 years but it had gotten a lot better since I started eating healthier. However I was confused because I was eating pretty healthy and still wasn't feeling better. Plus the fact that my acne issues were back and I was beginning to notice red bumps popping up around my chest; it was starting to worry me. My other issues included feeling bloated, dry mouth and itchy skin.

So around mid-March I happened to catch the podcast of the Underground Wellness interview with JJ Virgin.  The timing couldn't be more perfect. I listened to JJ discuss food allergies and intolerance. I knew about food intolerance but didn't consider that as reason for the way I was feeling. I immediately checked out the book from my local library and discovered the most common food allergens. The book also opened my eyes to sneaky ways these allergens (especially corn and soy) are put in foods. Now every time I go food shopping I spend a ton of time looking at the ingredients with a fine toothed comb.

In the book she discusses what foods you should eat and what to avoid within the 3 cycles. The first cycle (21 days) is removing the allergens. The next cycle is a week by week experimentation process where each week you introduce a different allergen to see how your body responds. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Because I've been learning about what works/doesn't work for me I've been able to tweak her recommendations to fit my needs but if you're just starting out l suggest really learning for yourself about her recommendations. Most things I agree with her on, some things I just don't. For example, she's not a big fan of agave or honey (she does recommend raw honey in small doses), but instead recommends pure leaf Stevia. I cannot stand the taste of Stevia. I've tried many different brands and it tastes worse than artificial sweeteners to me. It leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I prefer honey (especially raw) over anything. But that's just me. You do what works best for you. There is no "one size fits all" way of eating.  I can say that an allergy-free diet is A LOT of work.  You have to really analyze every single thing you eat.  It takes a lot of patience and preparation to be successful with this.

My pantry

I decided to try an allergen-free diet for 21 days. JJ lists 7 food types to remove but I also removed shellfish so I have been eating foods which do not contain: gluten, soy, corn, artificial sweeteners and added sugar, peanuts, eggs, dairy, and shellfish. I'll share my actual meal plan in a later post. The first 6 days were surprisingly easy.  I was amazed at how I felt.  I really thought I would be hungry and cranky but I wasn't at all.  It was the complete opposite.  I ate and felt satisfied, and I also didn't have hard cravings for things.  My skin got noticeably clearer and I was feeling a lot more energized and motivated.

By day 7 of the diet (4/7/14), I don't know what happened.  I had a stressful week and my energy level took a huge dip. I found myself so tired at work and craving sugar.  I notice that between 1-3pm my energy and motivation are at 0.  Someone was passing out candy at work on Monday and I had 3 laffy taffys and a jolly rancher.  It helped me a little. I also added a little creamer to my coffee.  That week my emotions were all over the place.  I got restless, anxious, bored; thankfully I started reading a new book which helped me de-stress a bit.  I then gave in on Wednesday and had a croissant with butter in the morning with my coffee.  I needed something warm and comforting. I noticed I felt gassy and sleepy.

Oh no!  Gluten!

Last week was a very low-energy week for me.  I went to the doctor on 4/10/14 and he told me he suspects I might have hypothyroidism; I am getting tested this week.  When in doubt, seek medical advice and attention.  I am hoping that's what it is because I really need to learn how to tackle this problem. It really makes no sense to feel this weak when I eat well.  I am going to continue with this diet and I'll count today (4/13/14) as my day 7.  I've already prepped for the week; I'm also traveling this week and am going to make a conscious effort to remain allergy-free while I'm away. I will keep you posted!

P.S: I am going to read The Hormone Cure which I also heard the podcast for on Underground Wellness.  I would love to learn more about hormonal imbalances and their effects.


By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

My first blogger conference!

So this past weekend (March 28-30) was the 4th annual Lifestyle Blogger conference in Los Angeles. I won a scholarship to attend free of charge so of course I had to go :)

This was my first blogger conference; I had been to many other types of conferences before but I had no idea what to expect for this one.

First off I do not have a car or drive. Having lived in NYC my entire life I had no need to learn how to drive. I took a bus from downtown San Diego to downtown LA with gotobus.com. The roundtrip ticket was only $45. Unfortunately I could not find a friend to crash with, and the hotels were really expensive. Airbnb had some decent options but I found a great deal with Stay on Main. It's a hostel which has different rooming options. I chose a private bedroom with bath. The total for my stay including all taxes was $141. It is located right in downtown by trains and bus stops, and tons of restaurants and shops. I stayed on the 10th floor (room 1009) which was quiet. The room was small, comfortable for 1 person, and clean. I was a little worried based on some of the reviews I read, that it would be a horrible experience but a) it's an economical option and b) I could see how things could get weird if you share a room or bathroom, which is why I chose not to deal with that. If you can afford it, get a private room and bath; I think it'll save you a headache. They include towels and toiletries, as well as daily cleaning (if you'd like). They also have cable TV, free wifi (do not depend on the wifi though, it's very unreliable), computer stations, movies, games, and free breakfast every morning. I really feel I got a great deal, especially for the area. I took the metro blue line (which was about a 10 minute walk from the hostel) and took it to LA mart where the conference was to be held.

I was only able to attend the conference on Saturday.  They had a kickoff party on Thursday in Burbank, then the conference started on Friday the 28th until Saturday. I got to meet a lot of established bloggers and network with them. I even met one of my blogger heroes, Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista, who was on one of the panels. It was so interesting to see the business side of blogging. I'm still not really blogging for business; I'm a writer and just love to share my experiences and knowledge. I'm not sure yet in what direction I'll go with this blog, but it was informative to learn what others have done with theirs. I actually had a chance meeting with a friend of a friend, who also happened to be attending the conference. We had an instant connection and I can totally see us working together in the future.

I will say this about the conference - I don't plan on paying if I decide to go in the future.  Had I paid for this one, I would have been very disappointed.  I won't get into too many specifics but I thought the organizers could have been much more organized as far as informing the attendees of the programming and expectations.  There was really no "introduction" for first time attendees.  I felt like it was geared more for established bloggers and also bloggers who have attended their conferences in the past.  

As far as programming, while all of the workshops and panels had value in some ways, I think they were a little all over the place. I only attended on Saturday; the keynote was given by someone who is not a blogger. She had great advice for life in general but the conference is for bloggers. Same thing with the closing; the speaker is a great person but not a blogger. I think for the most part, bloggers aspire to have successful blogs. We want to hear and learn from the experts who will get us to that level, and also hear from the people who are at that level. If I wanted life advice, I could have read a self-help book.  I'm on the fence about attending future LALLBLOG conferences.  I am glad I had that experience though.

I want to mention that before I even headed out to LA I was presented with some self-created obstacles, the main one being not seeing myself as an "established" blogger. I felt like, "what am I gonna be there for?", as if to say I'm not good enough to be a part of the conference. I had a mini freak out moment the night before I left thinking about whether or not I would benefit from going. I went over the pros and cons, as if this wasn't a great opportunity. Thankfully I decided to just show up, free of expectations. I was also a little hesitant about going by myself, but in the end I refuse to miss out something because I don't have a companion to feel "comfortable" with. I learned a long time ago from Laura Yamin to just show up. All I have to do is show up, and that's it, nothing else. I remembered many moments when I felt like quitting before even trying and how just showing up made a world of difference. Every time I've showed up, I've never regretted it. This time I made an amazing connection, and learned more about myself as a blogger and writer. I also made myself proud by pushing myself to do something that felt initially uncomfortable; I think that's one of the secrets to success.

By the way, there were 2 earthquakes while I was in LA!!  Thankfully they weren't bad by where I was.  They were "rolling earthquakes", so it felt like I was on a boat.  It was BANANAS!  The first one I felt was Friday night, and then the second one was during the conference on Saturday.  It was a little scary.  I guess I was definitely shaking things up this weekend ;)


By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!