For the last few weeks I’ve been going back and forth with how I wanted to share this story. Mostly because I think it’s so important to share for anyone who might hear my story and resonate and feel inspired, but also because I wanted to make sure I share it in a way that is authentic to me. There is this massive positive body image movement at the moment and I think that it is so wonderful. Empowering women and teaching self love. But I started to feel like I had to hide the fact that I was going through a massive physical transformation because of ‘diet bashing,’ like what I was doing was ‘wrong.’ In truth the changes I made have changed the course of my health moving forward. After seeing a post by Luke Hines on instagram about all the diet bashing and labelling things as unrealistic, unsustainable, and restrictive. He goes into his ‘why’ behind the choices he makes and about what he puts into his body is all about how it makes him feel.
The truth is that I have been on one diet after the other, trying to lose weight my whole life. I have been willing to try every protocol under the sun in order to lose weight, balance my hormones and have more energy. It has taken me years to get to the point that I am at. Firstly to find the right person to help me get to the bottom of things and secondly to go on the self love and acceptance journey which I have been fighting against my whole life.
I could start at the very beginning (but this could take forever) for the purposes of this story lets rewind back to the beginning of 2017. At this point in time I had just been seeing an integrative GP paid thousands for testing- gut, blood and hormone testing and made dietary changes and had NO changes to my health. I was stressed out, tired as all hell, putting on weight like crazy and at the end of my tether with reaching out for help. (I had already seen Naturopaths and Nutritionists but alas no major changes to my health.) I decided to take a break from getting help and thought I could do it myself. I did a nutritional cleansing system which for me yielded short term results and then later in the year decided to give this keto thing a go…
My keto journey is another story all together and I know it works for many people. I’m here to tell you it did not work for me. I was tracking my ketones with blood and urine testing. I was fasting everyday. I even did a 4 day water fast. Not only did I not feel any better, weight didn’t change, my cycle got worse and more irregular. So in January 2018 I took myself off keto, at this point very lost as to what to do next. I was feeling sluggish, brain fog, low energy, hormones going crazy with PMS and cycle irregularities, loose stools almost daily (for 5 years.) I was quite miserable within myself. This was affecting my ability to really enjoy life, feel comfortable in my own skin let alone in my relationships. I couldn’t do the exercise I wanted to because energy wise I would just crash and so the spiral goes. When your body, mind and soul are disconnected it’s a really tough place to pull yourself out of.
It was about March when my friend and colleague Taylor finally convinced me to see her Functional Nutritionist that she had been raving about for the last few months. So I made the decision to start to invest in my health again. I also made sure I got some help emotionally with a counsellor, acupuncturist and kinesiologist before beginning this journey, because as we know so many people lose weight, transform their health and put it all back on again because of old patterns and beliefs that keep us repeating the cycle all over again (I have been there.) So I wanted to make sure I did some internal work first to help with my self worth, limiting beliefs, inner child, and relationship patterns. This way when stuff starts to come up once I began I had some tools and reference as to what was showing up.
Little did I know what I was getting myself into…
As it turns out I did not just sign up for a physical transformation, it was a life and soul transformation (that is still underway, by the way.) It was like, by me stepping up to make changes on every level, the universe knew I was ready. It was like a giant catapult into change and the unknown.
Again long story short I finally had my Initial assessment with Jo’anne in July 2018, I had the most comprehensive history ever taken, as well as the right testing- stool analysis, blood tests and a Nutritional DNA test. This way my program would be tailored exactly for my needs. I won’t talk to much about the details of the program but I received a nutritional program tailored to my needs based on all the testing, an exercise program again tailored for my DNA and of course supplementation to help with my healing. I am still working with Jo’anne after 6 months refining things and tweaking along the way and now to make sure I have the long term maintenance and sustainability of the changes I have made. I have got way more energy, my digestion is normal for the first time in 5 years, I have shifted 16kg and I am at a healthy weight (this matters to me), my insulin is back to normal, iron, magnesium and inflammatory markers are all where they need to be. I can workout without my energy crashing. I am proud of all the hard work I have put in and I appreciate my body and my health even more than I did before.
This is the thing the last 6 months have not been a coincidence. I have had more changes, transformation, more expansion within myself than I ever thought possible. 6 Months ago was a definite ending of a chapter, an evolution of my soul. I have been guided and supported by something so much greater than me, but within me the whole way. From the ending of my relationship and the changes that I knew that ending would bring, to changes in my living situation and the changes that I’m yet to reveal for this year. It has all been part of a much bigger plan. I have had to still my mind, get really calm and quiet and actually listen to this guidance. I don’t always know where it’s taking me or where I’ll land up, but I’m learning to surrender and trust.
I share this because if you are struggling with your health, I hear you! If you have also had a crazy 6 months, I am with you! If you are wanting to step up and make changes, I may be able to help you or guide you! If you want to change your weight for better health, that’s okay! Let’s not get so caught up in diet bashing, that we start to shame people who are wanting to change their body for health reasons. There is a middle ground.