What I did the first few months after loss when I was anxious? Ran like crazy, did as many spin classes as my gym offered and kickboxing, pilates, yoga, weights. Anything so I didn’t have to go home. Anything so I could feel my legs hurt instead of my heart. I know it wasn’t the best thing spending 3 hours at the gym every morning after dropping my kids off at school, but it was the healthiest thing I could think of to do with my head that woulnd’t stop thinking and over thinking. After about 3 months I was, lets just say skin and bones. I weighed under 90 pounds. Super toned, but I was told by my yoga teacher- wayyyy too thin. So if you are going to spend lots of time working out- as some of you might, I’ll give you a few tips I have learned over the years while trying to mend my heart and still be healthy.
1. Take supplements- this is what I take every day…Calcium, Vitamin B, D, E,magnesium at night (helps you sleep and soo much more)
2. Drink or eat 20 grams of protein within one hour after you work out. Working out without the protein after doesn’t do your body good. Ask your doctor or nutritionist, but I have been told to eat protein in the morning.
3. Drink water! Half as many ounces of water as you weigh. So if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water PER DAY.
4. If you hare having a hard time eating much- try a supplement drink. My teacher said I needed to drink something like Ensure every morning. Then more throughout the day if I couldn’t/wouldn’t eat.
5. Meditate. As always I have to put this in there becasue it has had the most dramatic change within me. Seriously if you can do just 3 minutes a day it will help you. I started to be more creative, my mind cleared, and I could slowly respond to things that came up instead of instantly react. Theres no certain way you have to meditate. You can just set a timer on your phone for 3 minutes and sit and count your breaths. I usually count to ten.
6. Tell yourself something positive all day every day. Some people call this a mantra or saying that will help you that day (I am happy and healthy, I am fearless, I am enough, I am grateful, I am beautiful, I am worthy of love, I am strong) Any of these or make up your own! Do you know your brain cannot have fear in it and grateful at the same time? So think of all the things you are grateful for.
7. Journal. Please please write in your journal. Even if you feel like it was crappy that day- write it because you will soon see that it gets better as the weeks go on. You can also look back to see your progress. Way to go- you’ve come so far! I hardly ever weighed myself but I’m glad I journaled my weight a few times that year so I could see I really did get under 90 pounds. I am small and normally weigh about 100, but losing 10% of your body weight may not be good.
8. See a doctor. I was not good at this. Now our insurance (I believe most are this way?) pays for everyone to have one check up per year. Go. I have found out so much stuff I would have never thought of – like taking tylenol was NOT good on my tummy and I was bleeding from the inside. My doctor also gave me suggestions for sleep which I desperately needed.
Good luck, my friend, please be so kind to yourself.
