My Little Miracle...

No, for once I'm not referring to one of my precious babies! So, I was reading through my daily blogs one afternoon in June and came across this little post on one of my fellow mom of multiples' blog:
Stacee's Pieces Blog - Metabolism Miracle

And OMG - I felt like she was writing it for me! I had to know more info, so I went on Amazon, pretty much immediately, and ordered the book and the cookbook. A few days later they came in the mail and I read that sucker cover to cover and was floored by all the information and how closely it seemed to resemble my issues. In the words of Suz, have you ever found something that just “works” and you want to shout it from the rooftops?…
I believe I have found “that thing” that works for me.

Take a look at these photos of me from the end of May (just before starting MM) and one from today (after 7 weeks on MM - please don't make fun of me, I know I'm fat, that's why I'm doing this):

(Ugh, must tell the hubs not to include my face!)

Some of you know that I have been struggling with my thyroid for a little over a year (I was diagnosed with post-pregnancy hypothyroidism about a year ago), and my doctor finally found the magic amount of Synthroid that works with my body and has kept me in the "normal" range for about 5 months now! What that means is that my hormones will start to level out and my metabolism will speed back up, and theoretically, I should be able to lose the weight I gained from this whole thing. However, I started to get frustrated that what I was doing, and what had always seemed to work in the past (calories in/calories out - working off more calories than you take in) was not working, and it wasn't until reading Diane's book that I finally realized why!
Over the past 7 weeks, I have adjusted my eating patterns based upon the guidelines in the book: The Metabolism Miracle~ written by Diane Kress, RD, CDE, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.
I have had some amazing results--- more than just physical changes---I FEEL better all around (more energy, no cravings, happier)!

Here are some of the KEY phrases that jumped right out at me and slapped me in the face:

• fatigue & tire easily (like tired all the time, even after getting 7+ hrs of sleep)
• gain weight easily and find it difficult to lose (only since the babies were born) 
• diets that have worked in the past fail you (not that I'm a "dieter" but the standard calories in calories out application was not working)
• people around you can eat more and yet weigh less than you (ah-hem, Jason) 
• mild depression, anxiety, irritability, short fuse (super fun to be around~ tee hee)
• cravings for sweets, candy, bread, pasta or chips
• midline fat around the waist regardless of your efforts (again, I thought this was because I carried twins around for 8 months)
• decreased libido
• you feel an energy slump late in the afternoon
• have trouble sleeping
• have racing thoughts
• often forgetful and worry about your short-term memory
• bright light or headlights at night bother you
• have frequent dull headaches
• infertility issues
• hypothyroidism

If you have the majority of these symptoms, then you likely have something the author calls Metabolism B or Met B (which is different from “normal” peoples’ metabolism).

“Individuals with Met B will never succeed at following a traditional weight-loss diet because their alternative metabolism follows a different set of rules than those of the standard metabolism.”

It is something that you are born with---45% of those struggling to lose weight were BORN with the genetic predisposition to Met B. (Update: The present day percentage has increased from 45% to 55%! YIKES!)

Health conditions that are linked to Met B:
(I have the ones in bold)

• ADD or ADHD
• anxiety or panic attacks
• elevated cholesterol
• chronic fatigue
• mild depression
• prediabetes
• type 2 diabetes
• gestational diabetes
• fibromyalgia
• GERD (gastric reflux disease)
• high blood pressure/hypertension
• hypoglycemia
• hypothyroidism
• infertility related to hormone imbalance
• metabolic syndrome
• midline fat deposits (a roll around your middle) and increasing weight without increasing food intake
• osteoarthritis
• osteoporosis (I have low bone density - a precursor to osteoporosis)
• PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
• sleep apnea
• sleep disturbances

If you or a relative currently has or has had several of the medical conditions listed above, then you likely have Met B. Crazy, huh?! Is this hitting home with any of you??? Especially those of you who had trouble getting pregnant. It sure did for me.

I actually cried the first time I was reading this book. For the first time EVERRRRR, I felt like someone actually GETS ME! I just kept telling Jason all the things I was reading. Once I understood what was going on inside of my body (the relationship between my liver & pancreas…how my pancreas overreacts and releases excess insulin) it all made perfect sense. You’ll have to read more about it…Diane explains it beautifully in the book. I think my mom and dad were both pretty skeptical, but when they saw me a few weeks ago after having been on the MM plan for only 4 weeks, they sure noticed a definite difference in my overall appearance.

So, about the plan:
There are 3 steps with The Metabolism Miracle. I am currently in step 1 (Until Sept. 5th).

STEP 1
8 wks~ A low-carb period to rest your overworked pancreas and liver while shrinking fat cells. Your energy will soar and you’ll feel content. You will lose weight and your belly fat will slim down. Cholesterol, trigylcerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure all decrease. Oh, and I LOVE that you do not weigh yourself for 8 weeks! So liberating. I AM NOT DEFINED BY A NUMBER ON SCALE, amen?! (I should also note, that I inadvertently made a few mistakes with some food choices and had 2 planned slip ups and subsequently had to tack on extra days to my step 1 phase.)

STEP 2
8 wks or longer until you reach your desired weight~ Reintroduce healthy carbohydrates in the proper amount and at the right time, to promote continued fat burning and weight loss. Gently restart your rested pancreas and liver.

STEP 3
Lifetime weight maintenance~ Opening your diet to more carbohydrates, including the treats that you may have been missing on Steps 1 & 2. Keeping your health and energy levels in tip-top shape and maintaining your weight loss permanently.

Other things that I LOVE about this way of life:

~ EXERCISE: Intense exercise isn’t necessary! 30 minutes of increased activity (it can be broken up throughout the day), 5 days a week. A light bike ride, walk around the neighborhood, swim in the pool, etc. I actually decided to start the 30 day shred (again), but fully intent on finishing it this time, I am currently half way through it! I also went to my first Zumba class the other day, and have also been working on endurance running. I can currently run about 3 miles before I completely die! I'm thinking of starting the Insanity workout once I am finished with the Shred.

~ SLIP UPS: For a specific party or special occasion (a one time thing), don’t change anything during the day to compensate for the party. Enjoy the party, eat what you want and then return to your plan by eating an appropriate snack before bedtime that very night! (no more than 1 slip up a week) I did this for my dad's 60th birthday last month and just had to add on 3 days to my step 1.

For a long weekend, holiday, or vacation~ eat what you want and then as soon as you get home, go through a quick 10 day detox (Step 1), followed by 10 days of reprogramming (Step 2). SUPER EASY and you don’t have to feel guilty. The trick is PLANNING for the slip up, and planning for the clean up afterward as well.
TOTALLY doable, right?!

~ HEALTHY FOODS: I don’t have to buy any expensive diet shakes or weight-loss products. It is a rounded diet full of healthy veggies, protein, good fats, good carbs, etc.

My fav things to eat on Step 1:

• nuts (more specifically, Emerald Cocoa Roasted Almonds, OMG YUM-O!)
• cheese
• veggies (you will not believe the versatility of cauliflower and/or spaghetti squash!)
• meats
• salads
• low carb bread and tortillas (no specialty store needed, Sara Lee and Mission made 'em!)

You can also have diet sodas, coffee, liquor and wine! I bought The Metabolism Miracle Cookbook that has tons of recipes. I NEED MY SWEETS and I always make sure to have plenty of the peanut butter cookies on hand. I also joined the Miracle-Ville website, which has been INVALUABLE! There are women (and men I'm sure) that are full of support, advice, tips, recipes, etc! Even if you just joining for 1 month, it will be SOOOOOOO worth it!

By following the steps in this book, I have seen remarkable improvements in my physical, emotional, and mental health~ and I am just beginning! Maybe Suz wasn't trying to necessarily lose weight, but I was, and I wanted to BE HEALTHY and feel better, ya know? Have more energy. Get that twinkle back in my eyes, some life back in my face. The weight loss and shrinking waistline are just an added bonus.

I hope that some of you reading this post will be able to relate to my situation and know that this plan can help you too! It will change your life. I promise.