Are you Tired? Understanding Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Fatigue

Let me ask you, do you resonate with any of these symptoms?

You are tired…or more like exhausted.
You can’t sleep. 
You frequently become sick.
You have gained extra weight but not matter how little you eat or how much you exercise the pounds don’t seem to budge.
You can’t imagine going about your day without coffee.
You regularly feel unmotivated, not yourself,  or even overwhelmed at times.

If it does, you are in good company…I’ve personally experienced all of these symptoms and have helped plenty of women just like you!

Today I want to talk about a serious issue that I am noticing more of. Many women that come to me have hit a health & fitness plateau, they are completely burnt out and have tried everything in the book to lose weight. I see clients who have been consistently working out, even 6-7 times per week, but are not seeing results.

Many of my clients have been conditioned to eat breakfast as soon as they wake up to get their metabolism “going”. They also are eating several small meals per day, which is constantly spiking their insulin levels. Another issue I see is the intense workouts they are doing combined with overwhelming everyday day stress has completely thrown their cortisol levels out of whack. To make matters worse many woman come to me and are significantly under eating based off the workouts they are doing.

The overall result is flattened energy levels, feeling anxious, often a bit depressed and the inability to lose fat around the midsection. These symptoms may be due to hypothyroidism or adrenal fatigue induced by harmful, but well intended, diet and exercise habits.

As a health coach, one thing I educate my clients on is the dangers of over exercising while under eating. There are many misconceptions that I help to expel such as “fat does not make you fat, sugar does” as well as “not all carbs are bad”.

When you don’t eat enough to fuel your workouts, or you don’t give your body time to recover between workouts, your hormones change and inflammation occurs in the body. This can lead to fatigue, fat storage, hormone changes and chronic disease. This is when we start to see symptoms of adrenal fatigue, subclinical hypothyroidism or even frank hypothyroidism. I want you to know that if you have been living this way, this isn’t your fault. There is way to much confusing and often inaccurate information out there.

Over the last couple years I have seen the fitness industry promoting “INSANE” workouts paired with a calorie deficit nutrition plan. While I love an intense, sweat-like-no-other workout, the issue is that doing this daily will ultimately lead to some serious health issues.

This type of program does initially bring you weight loss results, but those results over time will become increasingly more difficult to maintain. As your body enters into starvation mode, its goal is to conserve energy. That means in order for you to continue to see results, you will need to eat fewer and fewer calories to remain in an energy deficit. I have had women come into my program eating less than 1000 calories per day. Not only is this so dangerous in terms of your thyroid health, it’s a miserable way to live!

Insane workouts and under eating put your body under constant stress, causing it to release more cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. Too much cortisol makes it hard for you to sleep and zaps your energy levels. This type of lifestyle will also decrease your T3 (active thyroid hormone) levels. T3 levels are extremely important in regulating your metabolism and weight loss. When these levels are low, and your cortisol levels are high, your body stores fat in order to preserve itself.

Overall, this method brings some quick results, but they aren’t sustainable or healthy. Over time, living this way does more damage than good to fat loss, overall health and quality of life.
Ladies, I cannot stress this enough: your body needs the right food at the right time to fuel your workouts. This is so incredibly important for long term health, not just short term weight loss. Living in a constant energy deficit will undoubtedly cause you to lose weight, but you will also be losing fat burning muscle. In addition, you are really affecting your hormonal balance, and can be causing long term damage to your thyroid and adrenal glands.

This is why I am so committed to my Weight Loss on the Wild Side program reaching as many women as possible. You can workout smarter. You can eat to fuel your body well. You can see results that go far beyond the aesthetics of a six pack. It is time we start thinking long term ladies. It is time we start focusing on giving our bodies what they need and training in a way that strengthens, not tears down. If you’ve been spinning your wheels, working out insanely and eating tiny amounts of food several times a day, it’s time to hop off the hamster wheel. Doing so will help you to finally lose that weight around your midsection, increase your energy levels and stabilize your moods. Not to mention, your hormone levels, adrenal and thyroid will thank you.

Interested in trying out the Weight Loss on the Wild Side? This program can absolutely help you deal with the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. You will undergo paradigm shifts that allow you to listen to your body, fuel it well and exercise in a way supported by evidence. If you’re interested in joining my next round, we will begin on April 3rd.

Sign up before slots are filled, and join other women who have not only shed fat, but have begun to heal their adrenal fatigue issues with the combination of proper nutrition, smart workouts, and lots of support, accountability and encouragement along the way!

XOXO

Breanne