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PMDD: The Silent Life Destroyer

Blogging, Health, Mental Health, Mom Blog

My Struggles With Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder –

Signs, Symptoms & Treatments of this little known condition

PMDD: The silent life destroyer- my struggles with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Signs, symptoms and treatments of this little known condition.

While everyone has heard of Prementrual Syndrome (PMS) and either experienced it or witnessed it first hand, many do not know of a more severe form of PMS known as PMDD. I am one of the unlucky 3 % – 8% of women who suffer from this silent life destroyer.

For many years, I was told I suffered bad PMS. Statistics say 75% of women have experienced the symptoms of PMS at some point in their life; the cramps, the mood swings, the tender breasts and so forth. This is unfortunate, but a normal part of a woman’s life during her child-bearing years.

I knew, however, that something was different about me and soon came to be diagnosed with “severe PMS” or PMDD. PMDD means that for at least 2 weeks out of every month, I suffer agonising cramps, acne breakouts, horrible and uncontrollable mood swings, severe anxiety, extremely tender breasts, bloating, weight gain, irritability, sleep disturbances, headaches and/or migraines, chronic IBS, depression, increased anxiety and the list goes on and on.

In recent years, my PMDD has become so bad that I am now permanently on anti-anxiety medication, simply to control my mood swings for the second half of my cycle. If I am not on this medication, I am literally out of control.

For women who have never experienced PMDD, it is simply put like this: once the second half of my cycle hits, anything and everything is like waving a red flag to a bull. The slightest thing can send me into an uncontrollable rage. One minute I can be laughing and joking, the next I am crying or yelling, for no good reason at all and it is usually the ones we love the most that cop the brunt of these unpredictable mood swings.

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I know now the day the switch is flicked and my hormones start to drop, that is the day I struggle to keep it together during the day, I am extremely irritable and impatient and usually either in the car on the way home from work, or just as I walk in the door, I break down and cry uncontrollably. Every day after this day is a slippery slope, where I feel worse and worse with more and more symptoms piling on daily.

I suffer debilitating cramps, extreme fatigue, insomnia and iron deficiency due to heavy menstruation. I am forgetful and find it extremely difficult to concentrate, making simple tasks very frustrating. The side effects are so severe that they interfere with my day to day life, making being a good wife and mother very difficult.

This is perhaps the hardest side of the condition. My tolerance level for my children is at an all-time low during these times, I have no energy to play with them, I cringe when they come running up for a hug knowing my stomach and breasts are so tender that any form of contact from them is going to hurt. I am so easily irritated that I generally avoid activities with them as I know I’ll lose my temper.

Lately, the break in symptoms that I get after my period ends and I am completely symptom-free has dwindled from 2 weeks down to just 2 – 3 days. My ever-suffering husband has to tolerate my moods now for most of the month and while I try my best to control them, there are often times that they get the better of me.

And herein lies one of the biggest hurdles with PMDD. Being overly hormonal and moody means the sufferer needs to have a heightened sense of self-awareness. At times, it is hard to determine if you really are irritated at events that are occurring or are just currently being overly sensitive. Doubt begins to creep in when people say “seriously you are over-reacting.” Your mind truly does deceive you and you find that those around you will use the hormonal/overly emotional line often, making it very difficult to ever justify being truly upset again.

There are times when I do realise that I am being overly-sensitive. At these times, the only way to describe it is like an out of body experience. I know that I am over-reacting. I know I need to calm down. I have an internal dialogue reminding me that I am in my PMDD sphere and I should just keep quiet: but I can’t. The compulsion to keep going is uncontrollable.

But perhaps the most frustrating thing about PMDD is that doctors do not know how to fix it. There are band-aid fixes, such as anti-anxiety medication however these, to me, are just temporary solutions. There is no real fix, everything is an experiment to see if it works and unfortunately for me, not much has.

IS IT PMS OR DO I HAVE PMDD?

If you are feeling like your symptoms are perhaps more severe than regular PMS, it might be worth heading to the doctor.

The following symptoms are characteristic of PMDD:

  • Lasting irritability or anger that may affect other people
  • Feelings of sadness or despair, or even thoughts of suicide
  • Feelings of tension or anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Mood swings or crying often
  • Lack of interest in daily activities and relationships
  • Trouble thinking or focusing
  • Tiredness, low energy or severe fatigue
  • Food cravings or binge eating
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Feeling out of control
  • Decreased libido
  • Painful menses
  • Dizziness and/or fainting
  • Paranoia and issues with self-image
  • Backache
  • Hot flashes
  • Physical symptoms, such as cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain

I can safely say that I have experienced every symptom from the above list, most I suffer with now for the best part of the month – whether it be one or two symptoms in a day or a large combination, making my day fairly miserable at times.

TREATMENT FOR PMDD

The first choice of doctors in treating this condition is the birth control pill. Yaz is said to be one of the most effective in helping relieve symptoms by stopping mestration. Unfortunately for me, Yaz only made my symptoms worse along with every other pill I tried.

While doctors will go straight to the pill as a means of controlling the symptoms of PMDD, the feelings behind whether this actually works are very mixed. As it is a case of trial and error to see what helps, the pill is worth trying but shouldn’t be continued if it is exacerbating your symptoms as it did in my case.

Another treatment used is anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. This medication has helped me in managing my irritability and anger but doesn’t work to help anything else, leaving a large number of symptoms untreated.

While I am yet to find the best solution, I am hopeful that one day something will work and I can finally be symptom free.

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When A Woman’s Right To Choose Is Not Her Own

Health, Mom Blog

My Story On Wanting A Hysterectomy

When a woman's right to choose is not her own - my story on wanting a hysterectomy and my battle to get doctors to enact my wishes.

While I would never label myself a feminist, I would say I am very much for women’s rights. So, it is only natural that I felt when being faced with health issues relating to my body that it was my choice to make if I wanted a hysterectomy. This is where I am apparently dead wrong.

I have suffered from endometriosis since I was 14 years old. I was told at 17 years old I would never fall pregnant naturally. I have endured 7 keyhole surgeries, endless hormone treatments and had an ovary removed along with a cyst the size of an orange. I now have nerve damage which causes almost daily pain and I am still suffering horribly with premenstural symptoms, for most of the month.

So, after having two beautiful children (naturally I might add, guess those doctors were wrong…) I decided the use for my uterus and ovaries had come to an end.

So, at 36 years old, after much thought and research on the procedure, the side effects and the recovery time, I decided that I wanted a hysterectomy. I feel I cannot endure any more pain and it’s high time my pesky woman parts got the flick. This was until I came to learn that this decision, to free myself from pain, is not my decision to make at all.

I have had male doctors, of all people, tell me that no one will touch me until I’m 45. I’m told I’m “too young” to have it all out. So this begs the questions, whose decision is it anyway? And should a doctor have the right to dictate to a patient what should occur with her body?

While I understand that doctors have a duty of care to do the best for their patients, to simply put an age limit on a woman’s ability to get a hysterectomy is frankly narrow-minded. While woman obviously can and have had surgery prior to this age, it is when the risk outweighs the benefits regarding the woman’s health.

But, for a woman like me, who suffers pain, crippling emotional issues and hormonal side effects, it apparently isn’t enough. Despite my quality of life having been severely impacted, the need for these doctors to maintain their blanket ban on anyone under the age of 45 remains.

These discussions, with a female doctor friend, brought up her own issue. After giving birth to her second healthy child, she decided that was enough children. She is a GP and her husband a specialist doctor. She asked her Gynaecologist to tie her tubes as she was finished having children. Despite being a doctor herself and understanding the risks, he refused – citing that she was “too young and healthy” to have the procedure.

So, when is it the patients right to choose what happens with their bodies? What God-like powers do these doctors think they have? Should she fall pregnant again now, does that doctor bare some responsibility given his refusal to enact her wishes?

I am now in a battle with the Gynaecologists. I am seeking out a female doctor in the hopes she may understand my predicament a little better. If she refuses to help, I will simply move on to one who will.

We live in an age where everyone is terrified of being sued. We are all too scared to do anything, say anything that may cause a lawsuit. Is this what prevents women such as myself from choosing what happens with my body? Or are doctors simply bound to an “ethical” code whereby they won’t entertain a hysterectomy on a woman younger than 45 unless it is life threatening?

In the meantime, I continue to suffer. Unsure as to my fate. Unsure as to whether I’ll have to endure another 7 – 8 years of crippling pain whilst I wait to hit that magic number.

Do you have an experience similar to mine? I’d love to hear from you!

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The Many Faces Of Domestic Violence

Blogging, Health, Mental Health

This Evil Takes More Forms Than Many Realise – How You Can Recognise The Signs

The many faces of domestic violence - raising awareness and recognising the signs of domestic violence

We have all heard of domestic violence, but do we really understand how many different forms it can take?

Speaking the words “domestic violence” for most elicits images of battered and bruised women, subjected to unspeakable physical violence by their abusive partners. While this is certainly domestic violence, it also takes many other forms that go unrecognised. Here are some of the many forms it takes.

Physical Abuse

When talking about domestic violence, this is the main one that comes to mind. While it is clearly the most deadly form of abuse, many would argue that emotional abuse is equally as destructive.

Any man who is willing to put his hands on a woman in order to gain control or assert authority over them is a weak and gutless individual.

Similarly, any woman who abuses her male partner is equally as despicable. It is not acceptable for anyone, regardless of sex to use physical violence towards their partner.

Using violence of any kind against someone close to you is not love, it is to control pure and simple and it is wrong.

Emotional Abuse

This form of domestic violence may not be as easily recognised as physical violence but it can be extremely damaging.

A perpetrator will subject the victim to emotional abuse in the form of “put down’s” — name-calling, pointing out a victim’s flaws, humiliating the victim. These are all acts the perpetrator will use on an abuse victim. The aim of this is to make the victim feel worthless, with the intention of keeping the victim beaten down so that the perpetrator can maintain power and control in the relationship.

In essence, it is the perpetrator who is the one with the insecurity. They are so fearful of losing their partner that they feel they need to destroy their partner’s self–worth in order to keep them. These types of people are generally very jealous and controlling personalities and will tend to want to know every aspect of their partner’s life in order to take complete control of it.

According to Whiteribbon.org, examples of emotional abuse include:

  • Blaming the victim for all the problems in the relationship
  • Constantly comparing the victim to others in order to undermine their self-esteem or self-worth
  • Yelling, insulting or swearing at the victim
  • Intentionally embarrassing the victim in public
  • Making the victim fee guilty if they refuse sex
  • Threatening suicide
  • Stalking

We all have fought in relationships and things can be said in the heat of the moment that we may regret later. However, if your partner is consistently putting you down, making you feel unloved and worthless then it is time to face the music.

Financial Abuse

Depriving a partner of money, withholding access to bank accounts or threatening to cease making payments on the mortgage are all examples of financial abuse.

Another such example is preventing a partner from joining or re-joining the workforce in order to prevent any type of financial security. This is sadly something I know all too well. My mother, I loved dearly. She was an angel on earth. She was, however, financially (as well as emotionally & socially) abused by her husband. She may not have recognised it, I certainly didn’t at a young age, but it was debilitating for her. Even in death, my step-father attempted to control my mother’s money.

Do not be fooled by this type of behaviour. These traits are considered domestic violence and should be taken seriously. People who possess these traits are not simply mean or frugal with money. They are abusers plain and simple.

Social Abuse

This is another form of domestic violence that is not as easily recognised as physical abuse. Social abuse is when a perpetrator isolates their victim, keeping them from their friends and family, preventing them from making or maintaining friendships and preventing the victim from speaking with neighbours or others within their community.

Taking away a person’s family and friend network can make it extremely difficult for a victim to then leave their abusive relationship. Making a person wholly dependent on the perpetrator is a way to manipulate that victim into staying when ordinarily they wouldn’t.

Some examples of social abuse include:

  • Monitoring someone’s phone calls, texts or emails
  • Deciding which family members or friends the victim can spend time with
  • Continuously criticising the victim’s friends and family
  • Moving the victim far away so they cannot reach their friends or family
  • Verbally and/or physically abusing the victim in public or in front of other people

Source: Whiteribbon.org

Controlling Behaviour

It is not the trait of a decent individual to elicit control over someone they love. Monitoring their every move, controlling where they go, who they associate with, what time they get home. Checking social media accounts, messages, phone records and the like is not them being protective nor is it this person caring about you.

These are the traits of a perpetrator and should not be ignored nor tolerated and should be addressed.

Blaming The Victim

“It is your fault I did this, you make me so angry, you made me act that way.” These are the manipulative words that a perpetrator will use to absolve themselves of blame. Making the victim feel as though they caused the perpetrators actions is a way the perpetrators keep the victim quiet as well as making themselves feel better by laying blame elsewhere.

Similarly, blaming certain factors like a woman’s hormones, emotional state or telling them they are psycho, crazy, that no one else would love them as they are all fall under two categories. One, blaming the victim – to absolve themselves of any blame and two, controlling behaviour. Making the victim feel worthless is a way to keep the victim under their control.

Any form of domestic violence is never the victim’s fault. Their actions did not cause any of the perpetrator’s behaviour, that is entirely their own responsibility. It is a responsibility that is rarely taken however because then perpetrator would have to admit they are the problem, something they are rarely able to do.

Seeking Help

Shame is one of the biggest reasons why victims continue to endure domestic violence. Feelings of embarrassment and of being a failure mean women and men stay in relationships when they ought to leave.

If you are in a situation where you are suffering from domestic violence, a code of silence is not helpful. While seeking out help is hard, staying is more detrimental in the long run. Admitting you are a victim is not an admission of failure. It is not a reflection of you, it is a reflection of them and them alone.

Many women choose to stay believing that the perpetrator will change. Believing the lies that they can somehow, overnight, change who they are is quite simply put, naive. A tiger never changes its stripes. This is also true for someone who has it within them to hurt the one they allegedly love.

Making The Decision To Leave

Children play an enormous role in a mother’s or indeed a father’s reasons for staying in an abusive relationship. Not wanting to uproot your child’s life and believing that keeping the family unit together is best for your children are considerations you will obviously make.

On the flip side, raising children in a home where, for instance, a father abuses their mother either physically, emotionally, mentally or financially or a combination of all of the above is far more detrimental to their wellbeing than their parents separating.

Your children will survive. They will forgive you. They will come to learn the truth, should you make the choice to tell them. If they are old enough to know what has been happening before you separate, they will respect you more if you choose to leave.

There Is Help Available

Speak to your GP should you wish to seek counselling in relation to the abuse, the separation or both. Crisis accommodation is available to get women away from domestic violence if they have nowhere else to go.

Confide in someone, be it family members or a close friend. Don’t go it alone. Find and join support groups for women who have been through the same situation. Find strength in others.

Most of all, forgive yourself. It isn’t your fault. You did not cause this behaviour. Men who commit domestic violence are inadequate in some part of their lives. They are the ones with issues, they are the ones who are wrong. Be kind to yourself. Regain your self-esteem and your self-worth and know that despite all that you have been through, you have survived.

Do you or someone you know need help regarding domestic violence? Visit www.whiteribbon.org for more information.
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Simple Exercise Tips To Motivate You To Get Fit!

Fitness, Health, Mom Blog

Tips, tricks & tools to help you get fit faster!

Are you wanting to get fit but struggling with motivation? Unsure where to start or what the best exercise regime is?

We’ve all been there, trust me. I know I have. However, after years of trials, struggles and fails, I am finally figuring out what works best for me. Here are some of the best tips I can give to get you motivated and a fit mama in no time!

RUNNING & CARDIO

Do you want to start running but are unsure how to go about it? I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a natural–born athlete. I have always loved fitness, but running is probably the hardest exercise for me. I would much rather go to the gym and lift weights, but I know cardio is just as important in maintaining fitness.

I also have a bucket list and one of the things on my list is to run a half marathon, so this year I ramped up my running. So, here are some simple tips to get you running and keep you running!

  1. Start slowly. Don’t think you’re going to start running a half marathon or at a super-fast pace when you first start. Truth is, it will hurt at first and will take time to build up fitness. Aim for distance over pace at first, but set small goals – such as 1 km today, 2 km by the end of the week etc.
  2. Stretch, stretch and stretch! I learnt this the hard way. I was always hopeless at stretching but when I was told my Achilles tendon was so tight it was about to snap, I started forcing myself to be better. Ensure you stretch before and after your workout to avoid injury.
  3. Don’t just run at the same pace. Change it up. Do a 30-second sprint, followed by a 1-minute jog, 1-minute sprint, 30-second jog and the like. This will improve your cardio fitness quicker than just plodding along at the same old pace.
  4. Heard of the Beep Test? I’ll honest here and say I HATE the Beep Test. I once had a personal trainer who made me do it and I would tell him I hated him every time he made me do it. But, my cardio fitness was through the roof doing it. Short, sharp sprints that slowly increase in speed will get you fitter faster than just jogging, so give it a try!
  5. Don’t compare your progress with others. While it is great to be a little competitive and indeed, this can get you motivated, it is unhealthy and detrimental to your progress to compare yourself to others. Some people are much fitter than others, some people are natural runners. Go at your own pace and focus on your own goals, rather than feeling down if you aren’t running as fast or as far as your friends.

Want a beginner’s half marathon training guide? Get the one I have used here!

CHANGE IT UP

Don’t do the same exercise all the time. Ever heard of the saying “he skips leg day?” Some people do just focus on certain parts of their bodies, but this will not improve your overall fitness.

When I first starting really focusing on training, I learnt pretty quickly that despite just wanting to focus on my problem areas – my tummy and my legs and butt, I needed to change it up and work out areas I never even thought that I needed to gain overall fitness.

So, don’t skip exercises that focus on your back, shoulders, chest etc. You need to do all of these to get overall fitness. Plus, you cannot “spot” train – that is, you cannot get fit just by working out one or two parts of your body.

DO HIIT TRAINING

HIIT stands for “High-Intensity Interval Training.” Sounds hard right? Well, it is. But it is also the best way to gain fitness, especially if you are short on time.

The aim is to work out hard and fast, not allowing too much rest in between sets. It challenges your body, gets you fit faster and is great for those who are really short on spare time (let’s be honest, that is most of us these days!).

I am not going to lie, it’s going to hurt. A lot. Generally, I think to myself while in the middle of one of these workouts “What the hell am I doing?” But knowing it is only a 28-minute workout can help keep you going and get to the end. Whats 28 minutes out of your day anyway? And a bonus, at the end of it, you will feel absolutely great!

GET A WORKOUT PLAN

Join your local gym and ask for a workout plan. This will keep you on track and show you different exercises for different parts of the body.

If you can afford it and have the time, get a personal trainer. I did once and it was the fittest I have ever been in my life. Granted, this was pre-kids and I had a lot more spare time. But it is a great way of getting fit without having to think about your workout plan at all and they can be a great source of motivation for you also.

Alternatively, you can google a fitness plan and follow that. There are heaps of them online, focusing on gym workouts or at-home workouts to suit your needs.

Another great way of getting ideas on different types of exercises is to jump onto Instagram. There are literally thousands of workout videos on there and best of all they are free. If you are really serious about getting super fit, you can sign up to some of the apps they promote or you can just save their videos and use them as inspiration.

As mentioned in my other article “The Best At-Home Exercises For Busy Moms” – my two favourites are Krissy Cela —-> find her on Instagram here and Kayla ITSINES —-> find her on Instagram here. Both focus on the HIIT method and short, sharp and super-effective workouts.

KNOW YOUR BODY

This is one tip I am still learning. As we get older, our body and our bodies needs change. I have learnt slowly that I need to listen to my body and adapt my workout depending on how I feel.

For women, where you are in your cycle is crucial to how you feel. I really struggle to get motivated and indeed workout during the last week or so of my cycle, so in this time I either do yoga or I give myself a break.

It isn’t ideal when you are training for something, such as a half marathon like I am, however I know if I try and force myself to train I will fail miserably and then be upset with myself, which sets me further back.

So, to combat this lack of motivation and fatigue, what can you do? Well, it’s simple. I workout hard (and a lot) in the first two weeks of my cycle (that being the first two weeks after my period) because this is when my energy levels are highest and I most motivated.

In the second two weeks of my cycle, I slow down. I focus less on running and more on weights because I find this easier than running during this time.

If I want to work out but I’m feeling really unmotivated for anything strenuous, I do yoga. This way, you are still working on muscle tone and are increasing flexibility also.

EAT RIGHT

Trying to exercise while starving yourself won’t work, your body needs fuel for energy much the same as a car needs petrol to go.

Similarly, eating crappy junk food and trying to exercise won’t work either. This is because there is little to no nutritional value in these foods and your body will not have enough energy to output for your workout and you will wind up feeling really flat afterwards.

Eating fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, fish, lean red meats and carbs will all help give your body the fuel it needs for exercising.

If you struggle with what to eat, get a healthy eating food guide or subscribe to something like “You Foodz”, “Lite N Easy”, “Marley Spoon” or something similar to keep you on track.

ALLOW YOURSELF A BREAK

If you aren’t feeling up to exercising DON’T. If you are tired, unwell, run down etc, just don’t do it. It is counter-productive exercising when you feel like this. You simply will not be able to do it and you will feel miserable afterwards.

I remember seeing a post on Instagram that Krissy Cela put up. She drove to the gym and sat in the car crying because she didn’t have the motivation to go into the gym that day. Even super–fit women like her have bad days, so allow yourself a break if you need it.

This is, of course a lot different to the “I’m just being lazy” vibes. Then, you totally should get off the couch and get out there! You’ll know the difference, so don’t make excuses!

SUPPLEMENTS

This is something I highly recommend but admittedly they aren’t for everyone. I use a Thermogenic supplement to give me the energy I need to do my workout. I love them but be warned, some of them have loads of caffeine in them, so if you are sensitive to caffeine, use them with caution. Start with a quarter or half dose and slowly build-up to the full dose.

I use one called “Body Effects” – it has more natural ingredients and I find it helps me a lot with my running. There are plenty on the market, so do your research and find one that is best for you.

What else do Thermogenics do? They suppress appetite, enhance mood, and help to burn fat. Read and research the ingredients before taking any of these supplements as they are all vary in ingredients.

Here are a few to choose from:

  1. Body Effects
  2. Oxyshred
  3. Shredz Protein Thermogenic Made For Women
  4. Thermal Switch
  5. NLA For Her – Her Amino Burner

WORKOUT “TOOLS”

Get yourself a fitness watch. They are the best at helping you keep track of how you are improving. They can also be a great motivator, with a setting that basically tells you to get up and start moving so you can reach your step goal for the day.

I personally use the “Fitbit Ionic” and I love it. It has an inbuilt GPS so it is super accurate and is very simple and easy to use.

Other options include the Apple Watch, Garmin and others.

Download Apps that will help you keep track of your runs, set goals and compete with friends. I use the Fitbit app to sync with my watch but I also have an app called “Strava.” It uploads my run to its platform, allowing my friends to see my progress. It is a great motivator and a way to get encouragement from friends also. It has settings for runs, walks, bike riding, swimming and more.

Another great app is called “MapMyRun” – This is a great way to map out your route before you run, which is handy if you are aiming for a set distance.

Type in your address, create a route along your choosen streets and know exactly where you have to run to reach your desired distance.

SET A GOAL

This is a big one. What are you aiming for? Fitness, overall well-being, running a marathon?

Have a goal in mind, write it down if you have to. Mine is to run a half marathon, but yours might be as simple as “to lose my mommy pouch” or “be able to run 5 km.”

Whatever your goal is, know it and aim for it. If you have a target, you are more likely to stick to exercising than if you just do it for no reason.

DITCH THE SCALES

Oh wow, I cannot stress this enough. Ditch them, ignore them, put them in your cupboard.

After months and months and months of weighing myself whilst training and feeling like a failure with my weight going up and down, I decided enough was enough. I don’t even step on the scales now and I couldn’t tell you what I weigh today.

I did this for one reason – it is NOT a reliable indicator of how you are tracking on your fitness journey. During a woman’s cycle, her weight can fluctuate dramatically. I, for instance, can put on up to 1.5kgs with my period – and no, it isn’t from the chocolate I ate, it is all fluid. I know this because once my cycle ends, this “weight” disappears.

Second to this, the more I ran, the more my weight went up. I was baffled. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. But, truth is, is that muscle weighs more than fat. This is not a myth, it is the truth. The more I ran, the more I worked out on my legs, arms, back, shoulders, the heavier I became. So, I ditched the scales.

The best indicator for how your tracking is a measuring tape. Measure around your waist and keep track of that if you prefer.

What I prefer now is looking in the mirror. If I’m happy with what I see, then I am going well. If my clothes are fitting nicely, then I am also happy. I couldn’t care less what I weigh on the scales, this is just a number. It’s how I feel about myself that matters the most.

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AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

As mentioned before, stretch. This is SUPER important.

But, what I have also found important is replacing electrolytes I have lost during my run. I sweat when I run, a fair bit. So replacing electrolytes is key to me feeling better after a big run.

I bought Powerade powder and I mix it up after I finish running. You can also buy pre-made drinks if you prefer, but I find the powder a cheaper option.

Most of all enjoy yourself. Get out there and give it a try. You will be amazed at how good you feel and how much your overall health and mood improve once you start regularly exercising!!

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Living With Endometriosis

Health, Mom Blog

The Diagnosis, The Symptoms & Treatment

My life with endometriosis began when I was 14 years old. Around this time my mother was diagnosed with Oesophageal cancer and spent months in hospital. Everyone thought what was happening with my health was just caused by the stress of what was happening with my mother. While this is probably true to a degree, there were other things going wrong with my body that would take years to discover. 

What is Endometriosis Anyway?

Endometriosis is, in basic terms, when the lining of a woman’s uterus grows outside the uterus, such as on the bowel or pelvic wall. The displaced endometrial tissue acts like it normally would inside the uterus, meaning each menstrual cycle it bleeds right into the woman’s pelvic cavity, causing scarring, adhesions and sometimes severe pain, amongst other issues.

When my endometriosis first started, it began with issues with my bowel. Doctors told me that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. I was losing weight which wasn’t great as I was already fairly skinny. I had horrible pain in my stomach that would bring me to my knees. My period became erratic, heavy, painful. It was torture. 

My mother came out of the hospital several months after her initial diagnosis and was on the road to recovery. She was in remission and everything seemed to be going back to normal with our family life. But my health issues continued. 

My mother took me to a multitude of different doctors and specialists. Everyone and anyone. They kept focusing on my bowel but it wasn’t until a Gastroenterologist told her that it wasn’t my bowel that was the issue that she forced doctors to start focusing on something else. 

By 17 years old I weighed 40kg. I was pale, dizzy all the time, fainting. I had no energy and was in constant pain. I had endured too many blood tests to count. They checked me for diabetes, crohn’s disease, thyroid issues all to no avail. 

In an effort to help me, my mother took me to herbalists, iridologists, chiropractors, Chinese herbalists, naturopaths. You name it, we tried it. One doctor tried telling me that I needed counselling because my parents divorced when I was four, a divorce I couldn’t even remember.

Eventually, she took me to our local doctor. He had a chat to me and told me that “sometimes we feel pressure from our peers to look a certain way.” Yes, he believed I was anorexic. This is despite the fact my mother told him I ate like a horse. Mom was at breaking point and so was I. The pain was so intense, I would collapse and yet no doctor believed me.

A few weeks later, after another bout of lying on the couch crying in pain, having a heat bag on my stomach and an ice pack on my face to cool the burning of my cheeks, my mother took me to another doctor. She begged him to help me. I distinctly remember her words “I’m losing her.” I was so skinny and so unwell. She was desperate. He asked whether I had been tested for Endometriosis. She said no. This was the first we had heard of it. He referred me to a Gynaecologist. 

A few weeks later and I was seeing the Gynaecologist. He performed an ultrasound and booked me into hospital for a laparoscopy. He put me in as an ‘urgent’ case. I was in within a week. 

I recall the doctor telling my mother I would be in and out in 45 minutes max. Over 2 hours into the surgery, my mother called, frantic. It ended up taking far longer because all of my internal organs were in a ball. The doctor had to carefully separate each ovary, my uterus and parts of my bowel that were all joined together by adhesions, which is skin that grows between organs after they lose their “non-stick coating”.

After returning to the Gynaecologist for a followup appointment, he informed me that my insides were a mess. My endometriosis was classed in his words as “moderately severe.” I had answers, kind of. No one knows how it started, why it started, why I have it and my sister doesn’t. I had an infection in my uterus, again no one knows what caused that.

It dictates my life and still no answers. The best solution the doctors could give me was to “have a baby.”

Signs & Symptoms Of Endometriosis

Common signs and symptoms of endometriosis include:

  • Painful periods (dysmenorrhea). Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before and extend several days into a menstrual period. You may also have lower back and abdominal pain.
  • Pain with intercourse. Pain during or after sex is common with endometriosis.
  • Pain with bowel movements or urination. You’re most likely to experience these symptoms during a menstrual period.
  • Excessive bleeding. You may experience occasional heavy menstrual periods or bleeding between periods (intermenstrual bleeding).
  • Infertility. Sometimes, endometriosis is first diagnosed in those seeking treatment for infertility.
  • Other signs and symptoms. You may experience fatigue, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.

Souce: www.mayoclinic.org

Medical Intervention – Side Effects & Risks

22 years on and I have endured 7 laparoscopies, including one in which my right ovary had to be almost completely removed, along with a dermoid cyst. Laporoscopies have been the go to treatment for doctors when treating endometriosis. While it definitely relieved my pain, it was only for a short period of time before I was back on the operating table once more.

Now, doctors are starting to realise that the over-use of laparoscopies in treating endometriosis has lead to a raft of other issues. While having a laparoscopy assists in removing the current adhesions within the pelvic region, it also causes more adhesions and scar tissue and in turn, more pain.

It is now widely believed that too many surgeries can cause nerve damage, resulting in a woman experiencing pain which she might attribute to the endometriosis returning, which is, in fact, nerve damage. This is the predicament I currently find myself in, experiencing a whole new world of pain that isn’t attributed to endometriosis.

Other medical treatments include the pill. The theory here is to stop a woman’s menstrual cycle and in turn, reducing the endometrial deposits. Progesterone only pills can also be used as again, lowering the amount of estogren a woman has in her body can slow the growth of endometriosis.

For unfortunate women like me who are sensitive to progesterone, these are not treatment options and merely caused a whole range of other side effects on top of the endometriosis.

Endometriosis and the associated complications are a pain in the proverbial. In modern medicine, we can cure a multitude of horrible diseases, yet this one is still a massive unknown. 

My advice? Do your research and know all side effects of any treatment your doctor wants you to undertake. Make sure the side effects of treatments don’t cause other issues you will suffer with later in life.

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THE BEST AT HOME EXERCISES FOR BUSY MOMS

Health

I will admit when it comes to the gym and exercising, I have always loved it. I first started running when I was 14 years old. The exhilarating feeling you get after completing a hard work out is second to none, not to mention the obvious results in terms of fitness, health and how you look. These have always been big motivators for me. However, since having kids, working and running a house, I find I have less and less time for me which means less time to exercise. When I do find a spare hour, I am so damn tired I can’t be bothered. But, when I actually drag my lazy butt there I always feel amazing after it.

Not all of us have the luxury though of being able to pop down to the gym for an hour or two whenever we want like we did when we were single and childfree. God knows I certainly don’t. So what is the alternative? Well, the truth is, there are plenty of at home workouts that get you fit and give great results without even having to leave the comfort of your lounge room. 

Most people think that to build muscle or tone, you need to be using machines at the gym. Well, the truth is, you can achieve the same result using resistance or your own body weight. After having Master L, I decided I needed to work out from home during naps or when he was playing quietly in his walker for instance. Now I have Miss CJ as well, I am even more time poor, so I have tried a tested many at home workouts, some good, some not so good.

So, here are some the best at home work outs I have personally tried and 100% recommend!

KAYLA ITSINES “BBG”

Kayla ITSINES “Bikini Body Guide” – I have used this and found it to be fantastic. You simply download her “Sweat” app complete with exercise programs, meal plans and shopping lists. Her program is designed for women on a time budget, which is perfect for us busy moms. Basically, you do a 28-minute workout, consisting of two separate sets of exercises (7 minutes each, then repeat). Her training is based around the HIIT – High- Intensity Interval Training method, which is the best way to get fit by working out harder for a shorter period of time.

I lost several kilos and toned up beautifully on this exercise program. The app has a 1-week free trialHigh-Intensity it is $19.99 per month after that. However, if you are unsure whether you would like this program or can even do it, jump onto Kayla’s Instagram page (@kayla_itsines) and watch some of her exercise videos for free. Have a go and see if you like it, essentially try before you buy!

KRISSY CELA – TONE & SCULPT

Okay so after a while, I decided I wanted a bit of variety in my exercise regime, so I starting looking through Instagram for something different. This is where I stumbled across Krissy Cela (@krissycela). To say this chick has a tidy rig is quite frankly an understatement. Her booty is incredible and I now have a slight girl crush on her body.

Anyway, I decided to try some of her exercises – which are tailored for at home or at the gym workouts. And, can I say DAMN… I literally couldn’t move for days after just the first booty workout! I have found her range of movements really challenges my body which is fantastic at getting results. They are also quite short, sharp exercises so they don’t take up much time. I have simply been following her Instagram page and doing the workouts from there, but she also has a “Tone & Sculpt App” you can download complete with exercises and custom meal plans. 

YOGA

If lifting weights or high-intensity training isn’t your thing, then there is yoga. I also do yoga to increase my flexibility and help stretch out my muscles after running or gym sessions. It is also a great, low impact way of staying fit on the days you just feel blah and don’t want to do anything too intense. You don’t need to go to a gym or spend a fortune on classes when you do yoga. I simply jumped onto YouTube and found a bunch of free videos from yoga instructors all around the world.

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The one I stuck with was “Yoga with Andrienne“. I started with “30 days of yoga with Adrienne” and found it easy to follow and a good beginners pace. Also, you can jump on Instagram and look up Simone Callahan – @simonecallahan (Yes Warney’s ex-wife) and check out her yoga moves. Again, wowser – what a body after having kids!! And she uploads plenty of free content you can follow however I find she is quite advanced and probably not something for beginners to attempt to follow. 

MICHELLE BRIDGES 12WBT

If you are looking to really push yourself and also have more free time, I have also completed the Michelle Bridges 12WBT training program after Master L was born. I had free time with hubby home and then working shift work. I became incredibly fit with this program, however, it was grueling to say the least.

Fast forward 7 years, another child and being back at work and I couldn’t imagine completing this program however you may be far more motivated than me. I also found it too time-consuming, training was for at least an hour, 6 days a week. Recently I’ve noticed the program now has “mini-workouts” if you are short on time, though I cannot attest to how good or bad these workouts are as I have never tried them myself. If you have the time to do the full 12WBT workout though, I guarantee that you will become super fit.

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