Tabitha Martin...YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!! 
Those words keep ringing through my head and I still can't believe it!  This was hands down the hardest event I have ever done, both physically AND mentally. I swam 1.2 miles, biked 112 miles and finished off my day with a 26.2 mile run, and I did it in 14 hours and 38 minuets. 

Swim | 1:25:48
The swim start was intense for me. This was a rolling start where you self seed yourself into a swim pace category ranging from zone 1 (under an hour!) through zone 4. I figured I would put myself in the middle of zone 3. I was so nervous but the reassurance from experienced athletes combined with high fives from other first timers helped me enjoy the moment of being there.
Running out of my shoot to the water I could feel my heart beat in my ears...this was it. On the way out to our first swim buoy the water had some swells and was a bit choppy, but after the first turn it calmed down a bit. I really focused on finding my rhythm and breathing every few strokes. I fell into my pace and found myself swimming with a pack of about 5 people. I only had one @hole on the swim who kept smacking my feet and at one point shoved both of my legs down. I shot up ready to show him my elbow but he moved off to the side and did not bother me again. The swim was a 2 lap course so I really tried to focus on my sighting to make sure I stayed on course, the last thing you want is to swim extra...which I did, but just a little bit! I chose to go wide on my turns to avoid the sea of people trying to get around the buoy, I would rather add just a few meters than get kicked and hit. 
I finished the swim in 1 hour and 25 minutes and I am pleased with that time! The biggest issue I had was with my wetsuit rubbing the back of my neck. I felt it a bit during the swim but did not realize my neck was raw till I got to transition and had to put sunscreen on it (OUCH!). 
The swim to bike transition took me 13 minutes and 17 seconds. Not too bad considering I had to change out of a full wetsuit into my biking gear. The volunteers were awesome in the changing tent, helping us get changed and suncreened up before we took off on our bikes. 

Bike | 6:38:04
Since I have started this triathlon journey biking has been my favorite/strongest event. However, I did not feel that way for this course. Everything you read or hear about this course is that it is "flat and fast"...while yes it was flat, it did not feel very fast. The course had a lot of head wind and cross winds that just made me feel almost heavy at times. I did not let it get to me though, I just settled in and found a comfortable pace and went with it. My Coach puts a big emphasis on nutrition because that is where most people will fail. At every aid station I was grabbing a new bottle of either water or electrolytes and eating some sort of nutrition. At the half way point on the bike I grabbed my special needs bag and had THE BEST peanut butter sandwich of my life. The second lap seemed to take forever even though my average pace was a bit quicker. 
I came in from the bike at 6 hours and 38 minuets, I am proud of it because 112 miles is a long way to go but I thought I would be a bit quicker than that. 
My transition from bike to run was a little quicker at 11 minutes and 54 seconds, not having a wetsuit on helped! 

Run | 6:09:18
26.2 miles, a full marathon, is how you end an IronMan, this course was a 4 lap course. I honestly had no idea what to expect from myself on this run. I did a marathon several years ago but that is nothing compared to doing it in an IronMan. The race strategy my Coach and I went over was to start very conservative so I could finish strong. Well, I THOUGHT I was being conservative with my pace when I started but about 4 miles in my body started letting me know that I was going too hot. My heart rate was through the roof and I was light headed. I slowed at an aid station, hydrated and put ice down my shirt and in my hat. This helped cool me off and let me keep going (at an actual conservative pace). 
Lap 2 I started having SERIOUS leg cramps, like legs locking up and me nearly falling over leg cramps. I was drinking tons of water/electrolytes and keeping my nutrition up so I knew that I was super depleted in salt. I started doubling down on electrolytes and eating bananas at aid stations trying to help my legs out. I would run until my legs started cramping and then I would walk it out for a bit. 
Lap 3 was the HARDEST...my legs were screaming at me... while I never once thought about quitting I did wonder why and the hell I was doing this! Then something awesome happened - a woman who I had met on the bike course passed me and asked how I was doing. I told her my legs were cramping and she tossed me a salt/water pack she had! She warned me it was going to taste like vinegar but I did not even care, I was desperate. I ripped it open and drank it like my life depended on it!   It took a few miles to kick in but when it did I felt like a new woman, and just in time for my last lap! 
Lap 4 was hands down my best lap. I chalk that up to a combination of knowing how close I was to being an IronMan and the fact that my legs where not cramping up anymore. I was able to hold an easy run the whole lap, with the exception of walking through aid stations to drink. Getting "last lap" high fives from people who have been cheering for you for hours is both emotional and motivating! As I was getting closer I was hearing the announcer call other people over the finish line and I knew that my time was coming, I knew I had made it. The second my foot hit that carpet down the chute I wanted to cry, I was so surreal. Everyone was screaming my name and I saw my husband standing across the finish line waiting for me, this was the best feeling ever. Hearing the announcer say "Tabitha Martin...You ARE and IRONMAN" was almost as awesome as hugging my husband as he said "YOU DID IT BABE"! 

This journey has been long, hard, tiring and rewarding. While the event itself is solo it truly takes a village to get you there! I could not have done it without the help of my awesome coach Cameron ONeal. His programming and experience prepared me for the toughest event I have ever done. I also don't think I could have made it through some of my training sessions without some of the awesome training partners that I have! I am lucky to have friends who will meet me before the sun comes up to put in the miles. I have to credit my improved swim confidence to Amphibious training and coach Andy for helping me with my technique and efficiency in the water. 
Most importantly I could not have done this without my husbands support. He put up with my insane training schedule. Training sessions starting at 3 a.m., lasting upwards of 7 hours on weekends, going to bed a 6 p.m., just to give you an idea. The training, combined with work and general anxiety of actually doing the race made me more than a little difficult to deal with I am sure...so he is the real MVP here. 
I don't know if I will do another one... ask me after I am recovered! 

Swim: 1.2 miles | Bike: 56 miles | Run: 13.1 miles
This was my second race at this distance, 70.3 miles. I was better conditioned and prepared for this race but actually came in 2 minuets slower than my first, but I am ok with that! My first race was in MUCH cooler conditions so considering all the variables that came into play race day I am happy with my time. 

For those of you that have been following my journey you know that I have been training fat adapted, and I love it. However, what I was not prepared for was traveling to a foreign country and staying compliant with my diet given the choices that I had. I felt so restricted with my choices (and overwhelmed) that I ended up eating rice and some other carbohydrates that I usually restrict just to ensure that I had enough calories to race. I still kept it as "clean" as I could so I don't really think that my performance was adversely affected by it. I honestly think it affected my recovery more than anything. I am in touch with a nutrition coach that specializes with endurance athletes and fat adapted nutrition, so I am hoping that will help me as I continue to train. 

For this race I used a bike service offered by Specalized - BEST DECISION EVER. Travelling with your bike can be expensive and stressful. You break it down, pack it in a bag and then trust the airline employees are going to treat it like the fragile, expensive piece of equipment that it is. The Specalized bike team met me at the airport and picked up my bike when I landed! They put it together, tuned it up and stored it for the days leading up to the race. Post race they cleaned my bike, packed it up and took it to the airport A WEEK LATER when we flew out! I really feel that they went above and beyond with their service and I can not thank them enough for the amount of stress they took off my plate. 

The night before any race I am very anxious. I like to lay all of my stuff out and make sure I am prepared for a smooth morning and then get to bed early. Well apparently the whole city of Lapu-Lapu decided they were going to have a raging party. The music was so loud that it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to sleep... at 11 P.M. I started to tear up with anxiety of not getting any sleep before my race. I finally put on my husbands noise cancelling headphones and got about 2-3 hours of decent sleep. When race morning rolled around the hype of getting to the start line made me shake off my lack of sleep and I was ready to race! 

The swim has typically been my least favorite event in the triathlon world, but lately I have found myself not hating it so much! There were talks about the swim being cancelled because of the water conditions and I actually found myself hopeful that it wasn't!  Luckily race morning they made the call that the swim would happen. This was my roughest race swim to date, but also a solid performance (for me). I have never been confident with my swim so when I registered I put a time that would put me in the last wave of swimmers to go. I won't be doing that again... The entire time I was swimming through groups of people, getting hit, getting kicked and getting pulled... when I came out of the water I had caught up to the wave of people in front of me. Next time I will start a little earlier in the pack so I don't have to swim through so many people. So while the swim was tough, it really built my confidence with how much improvement I have made since starting. 

The bike has always been my jam. I enjoy it and I was pretty strong going into my training with it, so my confidence has always been strong on the bike. My first lap of the course I held back a little bit just to feel out the hills and the headwind. The second lap I picked up the pace and it felt good! The headwind was tough in one direction but the tailwind more than made up for that when you turned around. I was very grateful for the hilly terrain and headwind in Guam because I was definitely prepared for that course. No warnings or penalties for drafting so I would call it a successful ride! 

The run was HOT! I am used to the hot weather so I feel like my training  prepared me for that.  I would have liked to had a bit faster pace but at the end of the day, given the variables I am satisfied with my time. Just like the bike I wanted to be conservative on the first lap of the run, just to feel out the terrain and heat/shade situation. My plan was to pick the pace up on the second lap of the run but I ended up keeping a pretty even split the entire time. Had I slowed down I would have been upset with my run but I easily kept my pace the entire time so I am happy with that! The course was shaded for the most part and lined with TONS of people so that helped keep my motivation high! There were a few miles that were out in the blazing sun and those were tough miles that would slow me down a bit, but it never stopped me! I stopped/slowed at every aid station on the course and had ice put down my top and grabbed hydration. The temperature was in the high 90's with extreme tropic humidity so hydration can make or break you on the run. The ice in my top helped keep me from ever really feeling like I was running a half marathon, in the late morning, on a tropical island. Around mile 5 of my run I could feel the right insert of my shoe moving. By mile 6 it was out the back of my shoe and rubbing my achilles raw. I did not realize how bad it was till I stopped at an aid station around mile 9. I just pulled the insert out and ran the rest of the race with out it... In hind site I should have stopped, taken my shoe off and put it back in...but "race Tabitha" can be a little crazy and did not want to take that time. Well lesson learned from the blisters that came from the last few miles without an insert in my shoe! My favorite part of the run was when a group of young girls saw me and screamed "GIRL POWER!" I yelled it back and high fived them all as I ran by - something about that just gives you a little more "GO"!  

I am now 3.5 months out from doing a full IronMan 140.6 mile race. My performance in this race has really made me feel confident with where I am at in my training for that race! I went into this race wanting a faster time than I had in my last race but given the heat conditions, nutrition issues leading up to race day and lack of sleep the night before I am extremely happy with my performance. At no point during this race did I question my ability or have doubts about finishing, I felt strong the entire race. While this race is an individual competition the day of, it took a kick ass team to get me to the start line. My coach, Cameron ONeal, who is quite the accomplished athlete himself,  has really helped me improve in all three disciplines of this sport. I am grateful for all of his awesome knowledge and support to help get me ready. Coach Cam has really helped me grow as a triathlete and I am excited to be the next athlete on his team to complete a full IronMan. I am also lucky to be surrounded by tons of awesome triathletes on Guam. They all motivate me and join me for long rides, open water swims and sometimes I can even get a running partner! The community out here is amazing and I am thankful to be part of it! There is no way I could do any of this with out my biggest supporter, my husband. On days I did not want to get up and train (it happens) he would remind me of my end goal.  When I am doubting my ability he is quick to remind me of how far I have come... Sometimes I think he believes in me more than I believe in myself - and for that I am thankful! He travels around the world to support me and watch me race, which means he is up at 3 A.M. with me and heading to the start line with me. He waits 6 hours in the sun to hopefully see me at transition, or maneuver to a spot on the course and see me for a few seconds and cheer me on. He is at the finish line with a big smile ready to listen to me recap the WHOLE race about 10 times...that my friends is love. 

I did it! I am still in a bit of disbelief that I am writing a race recap for a half IronMan! 
Half IronMan is 70.3 miles and broken down into 3 disciplines: swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles. 
I honestly had no idea what to expect on race day. I had no idea how long it would take me. I knew I was physically ready but ANYTHING can happen on race day. 

The 1.2-mile swim is the first event. The level of nerves associated with the swim cannot even be expressed in words for me. I just really started open water swimming about a year ago and it's not my strongest discipline. This swim was in Lake Taupo, and while it was amazingly clear, I normally swim in warm salt water. Adjusting to a full wetsuit and freezing face, feet and lungs was a lot to overcome on race day! My goal was to survive the swim and make it under the 1 hour 10 min time cap. On the way out the sun was in my eyes and blurring out the yellow buoys that I needed to sight on. I picked a mountain in the distance and just kept it in my line of sight and stayed the course. When I hit the 6th buoy at the turn around point I had settled into a comfortable pace and felt a sense of calm rush over me and I knew I was going to make it. 
The transition from the swim to bike was a bit longer than what I was expecting. Race organizers said it was a 400m distance (think, one lap around a track) but it FELT longer... I kept slow jog pace up the transition mat using that time to start getting out of my wetsuit. My feet and hands were frozen so I was hoping the jog would help warm me up. When I got to my bike I was happy to see that there were still bikes on my rack (we were racked by age group) so I was not the last one...not that I would have let that discourage me, but it was a bit of a boost! 
The bike is normally my jam! A 56-mile ride is an easy Sunday in my world. I would consider it my strongest discipline of the sport but like I said before...anything can happen on race day. My legs were cold and my feet were numb, I could not even feel my toes! The bike course started with a climb, which felt harder than normal because I needed to warm up. After the first climb we had a gradual decline but since I was still cold I did not gain nearly as much speed as I wanted to. Riding stiff and cold caused my back to tighten up a bit, but it was manageable. At the halfway point I FINALLY felt like my legs were warmed up. However, at the halfway point the course turned and we had a gradual climb back in. This was a non - drafting race, meaning you have to stay 12 meters behind the bike in front of you. If someone passes you, you have to drop back the appropriate distance and if you are going to pass someone you have 25 seconds to complete the pass. They do have officials riding motorcycles on the course to monitor this. You get 3 warnings before you get a penalty card that costs you 3 minutes.  I did get 1 warning for not passing quickly enough so after that I was super cautious with my passing times and distance. I was hoping to finish the bike in 3 hours or less but I came in at 3 hours and 13 minutes. While it was not as fast as I wanted I was still happy! 
When I came into the transition from bike to run the first female pro was coming over the finish line! It made me laugh a little that I was JUST starting my run and she was done for the day, but it also motivated me. I quickly changed my shoes, threw on my hat and ate my banana as I took off running. About 1/2 mile in I realized that I still had my cycling gloves on and I literally laughed out loud! I almost threw them out but since they were new I just shoved them in my back pocket... this is a rather expensive hobby that I have and I would kick myself later for ditching them. 
13.1 miles as a finisher, I must be crazy! It's important to pace yourself out of the gate. Your legs want to move fast because you have had them in a fast cadence for the last few hours. If you start out too fast though you will pay for it on the back half of your run. I could not believe how good I felt for my run! Normally I shoot for a 10:00-10:30 pace off the bike, but the cooler weather in New Zealand is a bit easier to run in than tropical Guam! I felt comfortable in the 9's so I kept it there. The run was a 3 lap course of rolling hills, with one at the end of the lap that was a little aggressive.  When I started my 3rd lap I could not believe how good I felt, I remember thinking "that's it?" and I knew I was going to finish. 
The emotion I felt coming down the finish shoot was overwhelming! Everyone is cheering for you and yelling your name, I felt like a rock star! I picked up my pace and pushed hard for a strong finish! 6 hours and 10 minutes after I started my swim I was done. It was an emotional finish for me filled with tears of joy and random hugs. 
Something this big takes a team. While I physically ran the race, it took a tribe to get me there! Some days I would open up my training calendar and just stare at it in disbelief and was certain that my coach made a typo (he never did)... He told me from day 1 to "trust the process" and he was right! Thanks, Coach Cam, I could not have done this without your awesome programming and I can't wait for the next one! 
I am also extremely grateful for my training partners, while there are a ton here (the entire Guam Tri/Cycling community) I had a few ride or die gals, Allyssa and Rachel. On days that I did not want to train, I knew that one of them would be there to suffer with me...not letting them down made me stronger. It's an individual sport but I was driven by their dedication, motivation and general badass-ness! Love you ladies and I appreciate you more than you will ever know! 
Lastly, I could not have done this without the support of my husband! He believes in me more than I believe in myself. For the last few months my days started before the sun came up and if I was not in bed when it went down I was asleep on the couch... no matter how tired, sore or let's be honest, whiny I was he reminded me of my goals (and that I signed up for it, haha). Even when I do crazy things like sign up for races 3,000 miles away, he supports me. Nothing fills my heart more than seeing him cheering for me on the race course and hugging me at the finish line. I love you, babe! 

When it comes to health and fitness the biggest road block in your path to success is YOU. The road to success is paved with good intentions but we tend to build barriers that send us off in every direction but forward. Part of living a full life is enjoying the zigs and zags in our path, but in order to have the fullest life we need to learn how to zig, zag and recover.

How do you break down barriers? You need to listen to your body and learn about yourself. Ok, I know you are thinking “no one knows me better than I know myself” and I get that…but my question is do you LISTEN to yourself?

For example, I am a morning person and I HAVE to take advantage of that fact. I know that if I don’t do my workout first thing in the morning then I will find approximately one million reasons why I can’t get it done later in the day and if by some chance I do manage to do it later, I do it with half the motivation or intensity that I should. I know myself and I listen to myself, by doing my workout first thing I have removed that barrier from my day. My husband on the other hand is the exact opposite from me. He is NOT a morning person and if he were to schedule his day around a morning workout it would probably not happen. Knowing he missed his workout would set a negative tone for the rest of the day. So, to remove that barrier, he schedules his workouts for the afternoon/evening time. Instead of using our schedules as an excuse to miss our workouts we schedule our day around our workouts.

What barriers have you put up that are keeping your from making optimal nutritional choices? The biggest barrier I see (and experience) most often is being prepared. Preparation come in many forms, the key is finding what works best for you! Meal planning? Meal prepping? Shopping weekly or bi-weekly? Look at your routine and see where you have created a barrier. For example, if you don’t get home from work till 7pm this week. You are tired and have no motivation to cook… how are you going to handle that? Did you prepare for this barrier by food prepping earlier in the week, or are you going to use this an excuse to order out?

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle there is no “one size fits all” approach. Yet, there are general guidelines we can follow. At the end of the day you have to find what works best for you and stay true to that course of action. Look for the barriers in your life and instead of using them as an excuse, use them as a stepping stone to change. Zig, Zag and enjoy the process of finding the path forward! ​

Today I was sitting in my office working on my 30 day kick start program and I realized it was almost 10 years ago I that was diagnosed with PCOS. It really got me thinking about my journey with this diagnosis. How far I have come, how far I have to go... 
The beginning of my journey was met with resentment, misunderstanding and denial. I lived that way for years, blaming my diagnosis for any issues rather than learning how to take control. Once I got pregnant I assumed that PCOS was not that serious and that as long as I took the pills they gave me I would be just fine. It took the loss of my son for me to realize that I HAD TO CHANGE. 
For years I wondered "What if I had taken better care of my body, would the outcome for him been different?"... To have a question like that in the back of your mind is agonizing. I knew that if I ever wanted peace, I needed to figure out how to take back control of my body. 
I have said many times before, the process for me has been a marathon not a sprint and I think that is why I have been successful. I experimented with different nutritional paths to see what works best for my body. Today it can STILL be a struggle for me to eat properly (hey, I'm human), but I can honestly say that 90% of my nutritional choices are right for me. Because of that, the 10% of the time I am "naughty", my body lets me know that it's not happy.... and I love that it does that! You know why? Because it means that it knows whats good and whats bad! The fact that I have programmed my body to reject toxins rather than crave them is AMAZING! 
I also work out consistently - NOT JUST CARDIO. I have found a combination of cardio and strength training are most effective for me. I don't look at my workouts as punishments for "being fat" or "cheat meals". Rather, I look at is a reward and that I am lucky to be able to move like I do! Believe it or not, eventually you begin to appreciate how much a good workout can change you.. not just physically but mentally! 
By changing my nutrition and fitness, and staying true to those changes, I have successfully combated the symptoms associated with this pain in the ass diagnosis. This has not been an easy journey, the process was slow for me. I often resisted the change because it was HARD, but dammit, it was worth it! My cycle operates like clock work, I have only had 2 cysts in 10 years, my skin is clear, my weight is under control and quite frankly I look the best I ever have! These were some of the biggest issues I was having with my diagnosis, and in the process of 10 years I have TAKEN BACK CONTROL! 
My journey is not over and I am ok with that. I want to continue to improve my health and use my journey to help others. I don't want it to take 10 years for every woman battling this diagnosis. I think this is my purpose in life, and I will fulfill that purpose! 

​

Life can be so frustrating in general...but even more frustrating when you are fighting the PCOS fight. This picture was so powerful to me! These six things feed into our day to day life and greatly affect our overall wellbeing. 


     SelfControl.WillPower.Confidence. Determination.Balance.Calmness.

Think about those words, Warriors! Think about each one individually and then think about how one affects the other... If you are anything like me, and if you are here I am sure you are, then when one is damaged the others follow suit. 
2015 was the year of transitions for me - I got married, graduated college, launched pcosWARRIOR, and I moved to Japan!
I dove head first into 2016 with so much change and transition that I have to fight to keep these six things working in harmony. I have to remind myself on a daily basis that I am in control, I have the ability to either feed into my PCOS or starve it. The moment I lose sight of this my will power is weak. I find myself making poor nutritional decisions and lifestyle choices. This in turn will shatter my confidence - I don't like the person I am when I make poor decisions. My determination has fallen out of sight at this point, I will find myself feeling lost... out of balance...stressed. 

What am I going to do about this?
I am going to take control, because I know I can! I am lucky to be part of a strong community of Warriors who will support me. I started by taking a "me" week - I stayed out of the gym and focused on yoga, stretching and meditation. Next I found a program I wanted to follow. I am a firm believer in -even a trainer needs a trainer- it's important to have someone who will push you outside of your comfort zone (Like I will do for you!). I have started a new 60 day program that will help me reach my goals and keep my mind clear. When I follow a structured training program helps me with my will power - when my will power is strong it leads to calmness and confidence! 
By taking back control of my own personal wellness I am able to pour my hear and soul into the Warrior programming! Being my best allows me to give my best...and you my Warriors deserve nothing but the best! 

​The first of the year, a clean slate, day 1 out of 365… This time of year is the hardest for me – not because I am not grateful for my clean slate, but because I am flooded with memories from the past, I find myself lingering in the land of “what if’s”.  January 2, 2008, two years after I was first diagnosed with PCOS, I gave birth to my son Trent Aaron. Four hours after meeting my son I had to say goodbye. Sadly this is not an unfamiliar story in the world of PCOS.
That was a hard year for me when the rest of the world around me was embracing their clean slate I was grieving for the loss of my son and ultimately what felt like the loss of myself. 
This New Years Eve I was sitting next to my husband flying over the pacific ocean, headed to our new home in Japan.  I had a lot of time to watch movies…play games…annoy my husband…. and to think. I thought a lot about what my life would be like if things had worked out differently. Would I have met my husband? Would Trent be sitting next to us on this next adventure? Would he be a good flier? Would I be a good mom? I started getting sad, and I realized I do this to myself every year I play these “what if” games… Don’t get me wrong; I know I am allowed to grieve… I always will. However, I feel like my “what if” game puts a dark shadow over me, sometimes to the point of making me physically ill and I don’t like it.
One thing I have learned in these last 9 years is that if I don’t like something – I change it! I decided I would make a list of 9 positive things that have happened since my darkest day:

1. I realized my worth
2. I went back to school
3. I had the courage to change careers and pursue my dreams
4. I discovered I am an emotional badass Warrior!
5. I have learned to forgive
6. I met and married my soul mate
7. I have acquired a thirst for knowledge that I pursue with passion every day
8. I have learned to conquer my fears – (holy crap I ran a triathlon!)
9. I have learned to appreciate the holistic lifestyle and what it can do for our quality of life

This list might not seem like much to some, but it makes my heart shine. My darkest day has led me to be a better person, not only for myself but also for those around me. 
Every year I will add to this list so that my darkest day knows it is responsible for my strength, growth, and light. While I will always grieve, I know I am not defined by this day, I have become defined because of it. 

A few weeks ago I had the honor of attending the PCOS Awareness Symposium in Los Angeles, CA. First off let me tell you how amazing it was to be surrounded by not only specialist in the field, but hundreds of other women looking for answers and fighting this fight!

I have always believed that you can regulate the symptoms associated with PCOS with your nutrition and exercise. Sometimes I feel a bit defeated when all I read or hear about is the “next best pill” to make everything better…. Now don’t misconstrue my words, I do know that everyone have different circumstances – and sometimes options like clomid help with fertility. BUT at the end of the day I feel that you are either feeding your PCOS or starving it with your choices. Why introduce more chemicals into your system that is ALREADY imbalanced?

I listened to what all of the experts had to say, and it was all very interesting and I took a little bit away from each speaker. When I had first registered for this symposium there was one speaker and topic that I was particularly interested in:

PCOS and Your Pancreas – Controlling Insulin and Blood Sugar
Candice Rosen R.N., M.S.W., C.H.C

Candice spoke about Pancreatic abuse and how it affects your PCOS. It was so refreshing to hear someone who is considered an EXPERT in the field support what I have been preaching all along!

Our pancreas makes the hormone insulin. When you eat your food is broken down into glucose, which is a simple sugar. The glucose is then absorbed into your blood stream where the insulin helps the glucose enter cells of your body to be burned off as energy.

If you are not eating properly then you are going to overwork your pancreas – causing HIGH INSULIN levels.

What does it mean when we have high insulin levels?
Excess weight gain (your body is not burning, its storing)
You may notice dark thicker patches of skin (acanthosis nigricans)
Elevated androgen hormones (testosterone)… and what does elevated androgen hormone levels cause?

Drum Roll Please…..

Increased body hair
Acne
Irregular periods
Type 2 Diabetes


Sound familiar....What do those symptoms remind you of?

 

By being aware of our nutrition WE CAN TAKE CONTROL of those symptoms! Regulate your insulin levels by maintaining a low glycemic index diet – ditch the processed foods –

When you eat carbohydrates stick to complex carbs (natural, unprocessed carbohydrates). 

 

It’s also just as important to GET UP AND MOVE! Exercising regularly (notice I said regularly, not sporadically), teaching your body how to burn – which is responding to insulin. It’s all about balance – Be AWARE of how we are fueling our bodies – and MOVING to ignite the burn!

 

I have had more success with regulating my nutrition and exercise that I EVER had with taking a pill – It does not happen overnight – I have always said this process is a marathon, not a sprint.

If you want to learn more about nutrition and fitness – finding a plan that works for you and regulating your symptoms associated with PCOS feel free to contact me! 

I know out of the 11 million other things you have on your list this week...why a meal plan? Yes, it can be time consuming and yes, sometimes it can be overwhelming....but hey, that's why you have me! 

As a WARRIOR you need to look at your meal plan like it is one of your weapons in this battle! Your meal plan helps put you in control. Your meal plan can help you balance your hormone levels, increase your energy and even help combat depression! 

Your first step in this process is becoming AWARE of what you are eating - so do me a favor this week and write down when and what you are eating. Be honest - you owe it to yourself! I am going to do the same...my diet has days where I am far from perfect. Knowing where you stand with your nutrition is the best place to start, we can make changes from there. 

Keep your eyes out for a sample meal plan I will be posting this week - it will show you what a low glycemic index diet entails (and I promise its not even gross!).

I will be posting my food journal on Sunday. 

If you have any questions or need a kick start please feel free to comment or leave me a message! 
We are in this together WARRIORS! 

Starting this website was a huge step for me, I feel excited, scared and venerable all at the same time. 
Are women going to hear me? Will I be successful? Will THEY be successful?
These are my fears... The only way I am going to find the answers is to take that bold step forward, and try. 

I am not going to claim to have all the answers (no one does!) But I do have a few things going for me: 

1. I have the education and training background that helps me understand fitness and nutrition. I received my diploma from the National Personal Training Institute. Im not some "online" certificate holding preacher who is out to make a quick buck.  

2. I suffer from PCOS, I 100% understand the struggle that comes with infertility, weight issues, carb craving, depression, excess hair... (I seriously HATE writing out those symptoms)... the list goes on... 

3. I have tested and produced RESULTS with my diet and exercise programs - I KNOW that I can help someone control the symptoms that come with PCOS. 

In my heart of hearts I know that I am on the path that was meant for me. I want to help others who still struggle with PCOS and want to get it under control. I want to see other women reach their goals and take control. 

My fear is that I won't be successful....but it is only a fear...not my reality. Just like I won't let PCOS run my life - I will not let fear run my life. 

I AM IN CONTROL.