New Years Resolutions....or not

I am not a huge fan of New Years Resolutions. I can't even begin to tell you when the last time I made one was. In my opinion, you should try to be the best version of yourself EVERY day, not just because it's a new year. I understand that some of us slip up and end the year with some of those times we weren't a better version of ourselves but all you need for that is a new minute, new hour, or new day...not a new year. However, I am not crazy so I KNOW that many of you are working on your resolutions right now and contemplating putting a gym membership on the list because that "get healthy" or "lose some weight" resolution lingers over most people. I get it and I work on that resolution every day and have been for a year now.

So here's my solution to that....DON'T join a gym (unless you really want to) but instead chat with me about some AMAZING in home workout programs that can help you lose that weight in the comfort of your house, without a million eyes on you (that's why I can't stand the gym!) and then you aren't spending gas money on top of the membership fee to get to the gym. Plus, the programs that we have are created by the TOP trainers! I mean have you seen Shaun T on the cover of Men's Health?

Oh wait, you probably haven't because it's not out yet but either way he created this new program, Insanity Max: 30, and people are seeing awesome results with it. I won't lie, I am itching to buy the program now so I can start it in January! Don't tell my hubby though! ;-)

Back on topic though. I know you always make those resolutions and by February that thought of working out and your resolutions are OUT THE DOOR! Everyone has been there and I don't blame you. It's so hard to stay motivated by yourself or stick to something without a support system/group. I was a gym membership payer that HARDLY ever made it to the gym. I have kids to take care of, there aren't enough hours in the day, it's so much hassle to drive there....the excuses are endless! Well that's why these programs (21 Day Fix, Insanity Max: 30, PiYo, Focus T25, Les Mills Combat, Les Mills Pump, Body Beast, P90, P90X3, etc.) are the perfect fit! You order it online (no driving to go sign up) through me, the box comes in the mail and then January 5th we start our prep week. With me as your coach, I will add you to my Facebook based group that ONLY includes my clients (secret group that no one can see unless you are part of it and invited by me) and then we start our journey as a family. The group is extremely important because we all support one another, are going on the same journey together and it's a SAFE place for support, motivation and to ask questions if you need to. The l groups I have done, there have been AMAZINGLY fun and supportive people. There is even a prize at the end of the group. 

Honestly, I have never seen more results from anything until I joined the Beachbody way and I will NEVER stop doing it that way. I don't have to worry about what time the gym closes, what I look like leaving the gym (I know you ladies think that LOL!) and I can literally fit my workout into my day without factoring a tone on nonsense time....there is even a 25 minute a day program.  All I am saying is that if you are planning on making the New Years Resolution this year that you talk to me first.

The groups that I do are EXTREMELY important to me and I invest my time, love and support into each person I work with. We will go over meal planning, how to stay consistent, the best snacks....the information is priceless! I would love to have you on the journey with my "family"!!!!

If you are interested then shoot me an email at cyoungblood1127@gmail.com or hit me up on Facebook. You have to apply by January 4th though. Spots are limited because I like my groups to be small and fun....reserve your spot now!!! :)

My favorite quickie meal

Last night was a little crazy around here because we have a sick 1 year old on our hands and we needed to get her to the doc before the Christmas break. Our amazing doc stayed open late to fit her in so our appointment wasn't until 5:20 pm! On top of the late appointment and stopping by the pharmacy for her meds we also needed to start putting the big Christmas gifts together for our girls. So basically I needed something quick, easy and tasty to fuel our late night work session so salmon and a salad was the best choice. Did I mention it's healthy too? 

Okay so here's what you do for the perfect salmon EVERY time. First, DO NOT preheat the oven. I know, it sounds weird and it is hard not to but I promise this works. Now, take your salmon and put it on an aluminum foil covered pan. Make sure to spray the foil with Pam, especially if your salmon has the skin on. Next, cover the salmon with a light coat of Olive Oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and sometimes I add some lemon pepper. Once you've done that you put the pan in the cold oven, turn the oven on to 400 degrees and bake the salmon for 20-25 minutes. I served it with a nice salad last night and it was a light and healthy meal with very minimal prep time. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do! 💗

Great news!!!!

(Picture from Pinterest)

I know many of you have checked back and have been waiting to hear what my results were. I first have to thank each and every one of you for the prayers during this scary wait.  I'm not a patient person and I most definitely like to be in some sort of control over my life and health so being in limbo for a week was NO FUN!

The great news is that my antibodies and my blood work all came out fine other than an Iron and Vitamin D deficiency. The doctor believes that the mixture of the two have caused my extreme tiredness and fatigue as well as my joint/body aches. I take this a great news because it's treatable. I am heading to the pharmacy today to pick up my iron pills which I will take daily then I will be on weekly vitamin D supplements. I have absolute hope that I will be felling like my old self again soon. 

Although my health doesn't require it right now, I decided that I wanted to still transition into a gluten free diet. Some might think that it's a fad and that is why I am choosing to do it but the truth is I have been reading up on it and the transformation of the wheat from 50 years ago to the wheat of today is scary! I am not even sure you can call the stuff today wheat. I mean obviously they do but it doesn't even compare to the wheat that our grandparents harvested and ate. I know it won't be easy because SO MANY things have some sort of gluten in them but I am totally up to the challenge because my family's and my health are the most important. Plus....I do have a rigorous training schedule that I am laying out now and will be starting in the New Year. You should join me! :)

Again, thank you for all of the prayers and thoughts. I received a bunch of emails, messages, etc. showing support and love and I could never thank you enough. I love you all! Xo

Waiting is the hardest part...

(Picture from Google Images)

Yesterday was my appointment for my blood draw. I have to mention that I absolutely LOVE the doctor offices here! The doctor has an office in his home, there is no over booking and he listened to my symptoms and without hesitation said he was going to draw blood and test for NUMEROUS things. I honestly think he marked up that lab work paperwork with almost 50 different items to check LOL. What makes me happy about that is while he was marking he said that my symptoms could be caused from a variety of things and he didn't want to miss anything so he was going to test it all now instead of having to draw blood multiple times and make the wait longer. 

For those that know me personally, you know that I CAN NOT stand to have my blood drawn. I haven't met a single person who has been able to stick my inside elbow and get the vein on the first try. Typically they end up using a butterfly needle in my hand. It's painful but a lot less painful then having both of my elbows stuck multiple times and having bruises for weeks! Well this doctor stuck me once, got my vein on the first try and it was on my inside elbow!!! That might seem small to you but when someone has an extreme dislike for needles/blood draws it's a big deal to have it go smoothly and painless. I mean just look at how my elbow looks today, a day later!

First time EVER not having a bruise!!! Yay for steady, smooth, patient hands on my doc! :)

Now, I was told that he should have my results back by tomorrow afternoon and to call him then. I'm so nervous about it though. I prayed hard last night that it's something that can be corrected or controlled and that my health is not compromised any more than it is now. If you are the praying type then I am making a formal request that you pray for the same for me. I would really appreciate it! 

I plan on updating everyone tomorrow if there is any update to give. Figuring this out and having a "get well plan" laid out would really make Christmas that much better for me. I have spent the last 2 days on the couch watching my kids play because I used a TON of energy over the weekend and I seriously believe I overdid it. What makes that so hard is the fact that all we did was a little shopping and walking around a Christmas Market in Germany. Just a year ago I could have done that EVERY day and not feel like I do now. I'm ready to feel normal again and I am positive my husband and children are ready for me to as well!

I'll keep you updated as I know more! :)

Something is just "off"!

Oh man, where do I even begin? I guess first I should say that I am not used to being vulnerable. I tend to keep myself, my feelings guarded, which means I don’t always share what’s happening in my life. After thinking on this for the last week and really digging deep, I came to the conclusion that sharing this aspect of my life could not only help me but could in turn help someone else going through it and that’s my goal in life….to help others!

Now you may be wondering what this issue is and to some it may not seem like a big deal but to me it’s HUGE! I have been dealing with some “symptoms” for the past 3 or so months and because I have been just writing them off as stress or anxiety from this move overseas they have gotten worse and are to the point now that I need to see the doctor. I believe that my Thyroid is “off” and causing me quite a few problems. I honestly would have not even known the different symptoms if it weren’t for my experience with an enlarged Thyroid in December 2012. When I saw the Endocrinologist in January 2013 we had just found out I was pregnant with my second child so the doc wrote off my enlarged Thyroid as being a surge in hormones from pregnancy. That seemed legit to me and I went on not thinking twice about it. Fast-forward almost 2 years and I just don’t feel, look or act like myself. Let me break down some of the main symptoms that I have been experiencing.

Mood Swings

My poor husband doesn’t know what to think from one minute to the next. He’s been very supportive and tries to handle my INSTANT change in moods with grace but I’m not sure how he does it. I can’t even stand the change in my moods. It’s one of the top two WORST symptoms. I can be happy, laughing and joking and within seconds my fuse can be so short and my nerves rattled without anything happening. The worst part is not having any control over it! I’ve always had my moody PMS days but this is constant and pretty much a daily occurrence. A huge shout out is owed to my husband for just rolling with my moods!

Extreme Exhaustion

I can get 8-10 hours of sleep at night and still need to sleep more! This is horrible for a stay at home mom. I have two children to take care of and they don’t want to spend their days in bed….they want to be up playing and want mommy to play with them! The exhaustion is so bad that it’s hindering me playing with my kids, doing daily chores around the house, heck even finding the energy to make dinner is hard. Now some might say that I am just being lazy but unless you experience this then you have no idea how bad it is and how crippling it can be. The only reason I am able to pinpoint this as a symptom is because I know the person I was before. I was the mom that would get up, play with my kiddos, have dinner cooked, the house clean, and the laundry done and not even think twice about it. I had never had an issue getting things done. There were days that the kids wouldn’t sleep well and I would be tired the next day but NOTHING compared to how I feel DAILY right now. I don’t expect everyone to understand but those who know me know that I strive to be and do the best each and every day and right now, getting out of bed is a task.

Hair Loss

I am not talking about stands of hair…I am talking about CLUMPS of hair and all day! When I brush my hair each day my brush is FULL. I have to clean it out after each time I brush my hair. That’s just not normal!

Bloating

Yes, I know every woman experiences bloating but I’m bloated 90% of the month. I’m talking 3-4 pounds of bloat. Again, that’s just not normal unless it’s that time of the month but it’s not and I am!

Fatigue

The mental fatigue is the WORST! I am the type that likes research, analyzing and creating. I feel like it takes me FOREVER to complete a task that involves any analyzing or research. Heck, this is just a personal blog post and it has still taken me 3 days to type it up. It’s almost like a fog on my brain. I just want to think clearly again!

There is also physical fatigue. I haven’t been able to workout in almost 2 months! After spending my days with my kids and using every bit of energy I have I just can’t get through a workout. I hate that too because I know how good I used to feel when I worked out and I’ve tried to get through a couple of workouts but I just couldn’t. Physically my body did not have the fuel to push through even though I had eaten, hydrated and done everything I should.

Always Cold

There’s not much explaining needed for this one. Regardless of how many layers I have on, you will probably find me on the couch with a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, jeans, tall socks and a blanket on…and yes I just described what I currently have on LOL.

Headache

That’s not abnormal right? WRONG! I have a constant headache. It does NOT go away! I wake up with it, I go through the day with it and I go to bed with it. No, Tylenol doesn’t work, caffeine or water doesn’t take it away, Excedrin doesn’t take it away either. It’s even recently escalated into migraine status. It’s painful and doesn’t go away.

Cramping

I have always had horrible menstrual cramps but recently I have started having cramps even though I am not on my period or even near the time for my period. These aren’t slight cramps either! I’m talking about doubled over in pain cramps. Just this week I was in tears on the couch while my kids are playing on the floor next to me. Extremely painful and NO FUN!

Now those are some of the main symptoms that I have had. I could probably go on for a while about everything that seems “off” about me. There are also people that may say that my symptoms are just individual issues or even that I am depressed. I do not believe that is the case though. Once looking at all my symptoms and talking to some other friends, I believe that my Thyroid may be the cause. I have made an appointment with the doc and will be getting my blood work done on Monday. I am hoping for a quick response because I really don’t want to spend the holidays feeling like this and would love to start the New Year feeling better. What matters is that I am taking action and listening to my body. Would I love to keep being super mom and wife? Of course I would but I know now more than ever that my body just can’t do it. I need to listen to it and rest whenever possible. Once this is all figured out then I will be back to my normal and January starts a rigorous workout plan to get myself back. I’m also working on making serious changes to my diet. It’s believed that a gluten free diet will help people with Thyroid issues so I am up to the challenge. It definitely doesn’t happen overnight but if it will help me then I plan on putting it into action.

I guess my point for this post is that if you are struggling with anything like this then know you are not alone. I understand the struggle and helplessness you probably feel. Know that I am here for support and here to help you. I will share whatever information I find and I know that with the exceptional health care they have here in Belgium that I will be well taken care of!

If you want to follow my journey with this then please subscribe to my blog because I will be posting a lot of information here. If you are feeling like you need some support or that you may be experiencing some similar symptoms and want to chat then you can email me at cyoungblood1127@gmail.com.

Don’t take your health for granted! If something is wrong or “off” then get it checked out! Thank you for reading my post and as always feel free to share it. You never know who may benefit from it! Thank you for your support, have a wonderful day! Xo