Hypothyroidism & Food

It's been two months since visiting the specialist about my hypothyroidism. Something that hasn't left my mind. I'll admit, it was a rather defeating moment for me after realizing that I was not going to get the answers that I truly wanted and felt I deserved. When you feel as all hope is lost...you feel confused, hurt, sadness, anger, and you even may want to give up. I've never been a quitter, but that thought had crossed my mind a few times. But then, I decided that all I needed was God and to become informed on my own.

I started doing my own research. It was more overwhelming than I ever expected. So many sources, so many different pieces of information. But I didn't allow that to stop me, day after day...and night after night...I kept searching for answers. Truth is, prayer is what helped me through all of this. See, no matter how down you are or how alone you feel, God is always there for us.

We may not feel His presence at all times or hear His words, but He is. He has carried me through this journey for a reason and while I was very angry at first, I have started learning what purpose I may serve.

I have battled weight issues most of my life. Most of my years I have been a yo-yo. I go up and down...constantly fluctuating. I hated it, but never gave much thought to it and just chalked it up as "normal." We all know that food is a huge part in our health and our weight. But why is it always so hard? Why do so many people struggle with it? I would eat when I "thought" I was hungry. Late night snacking has always been a struggle for me. I thought I knew what proper nutrition was, but I'm a picky eater, so I just stayed within my realm of what was comfortable. Besides, exercise can outdo everything I put into my body, right?

I was quickly proven that was absolutely the opposite. There were times where I would go on a "health kick" and binge off of juices with handfuls of strawberries and kale or spinach, thinking that I was doing my body good. Since doing my own research on Hypothyroidism, I realized that I was actually harming my body. Food is one of the topics that we have never truly been educated on. And it's a shame.

Foods containing goitrogens, especially when consumed in large amounts daily, can be very toxic to the thyroid. Foods such as strawberries, kale, spinach, collard greens, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, peaches, pears, mustard greens, millet, pine nuts, peanuts (including peanut butter), soy...just to name a few. Since doing my own research, I have personally started eliminating these foods from my diet.

I decided that I needed to give my body a restart. It's been a very long time since I have lost weight. I have seen the scale climb and while I know that the scale isn't the best indicator, I can feel the tightness in my clothes. Making the decision to do the 3-Day Refresh was intimidating, scary, and exciting. I do my research before diving into things and some reviews were great, while others were not so great. I decided that I would give it a shot and if I ended up not liking it or not feeling satisfied, I would just never do it again.

Those three days were absolutely life changing for me. My physical results were amazing, but my mental outcome was far better than I ever imagined. I lost 6.2 lbs and 1.5 inches off my waist, but what I learned about my body, the impact on food, and how to eat...was my biggest take away. I honestly have never eaten better in my entire life. The idea of 80% eating healthy and 20% exercise, finally made sense to me.

I woke up each morning drinking 10oz of water and also drank 10oz between each meal and during every meal (if not more). I learned to eat not because I was bored or thirsty, but because I was hungry. I also learned to stop eating when I felt satisfied, not to the point of feeling full or bloated. Bloating? I didn't feel bloated at all for the 3 entire days! Since the cleanse, I have significantly cut down my dairy and grains and still haven't dealt with bloating. I have learned to incorporate so many more different kinds of vegetables.

My body has honestly never felt better. I feel happy, I feel satisfied, I feel clean, I feel energy, I feel healthy. I am no longer a slave to food. This ball and chain has been broken.

-Becky