The Period Recovery Podcast
The Period Recovery Podcast
Is Weight Loss Possible After Recovery?
Past client Sarah 41, resides in Ireland and works in Ministry.
Just like you, Sarah wondered- will I always be this weight?
When Sarah stepped into the spotlight to share her deeply personal journey of battling the fear of weight gain during period recovery, she not only opened her heart but also paved the way for a profound discussion about body image, health, and self-acceptance. This episode is a celebration of doing the healthiest thing for her body despite societal pressure.
The conversation takes an emotional turn as we tackle the shame and fear that often accompany discussions about weight and health. Sarah's candid account of her struggles and the support she found in the period recovery community and friends who looked beyond her size highlights the importance of redefining health on our own terms.
We recount the steps she took to regain her menstrual cycle, emphasizing the mental hurdles and societal misconceptions she overcame. Leaving you the motivation to do the same !
Listen in to hear how Sarah found a happy healthy weight for her while maintaining a regular period !
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Website: https://www.periodnutritionist.com
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For the full show notes - please visit my website: periodnutritionist.com
Welcome to the Period Recovery Podcast. I'm your host, cynthia Donovan, registered dietitian and period recovery expert, who has been where you currently are. This is the podcast to listen to if you want your period back, month after month, or if you want to restore your fertility and feel more relaxed around food and exercise. Consider this your safe space that will take the guests and the stress out of period recovery and bring you the information, the inspiration, tools, stories and empowerment that are key in getting your period back month after month. Get ready to be inspired, get ready to get your period back and get ready to get your life back. Come on, let's dive in. Today I have on here my past client, sarah.
Speaker 1:Sarah had lost her period due to her weight loss quote unquote journey and through her weight loss journey she discovered that health wasn't really about what she looked like. So when she embarked on period recovery, one of her biggest fears was going back to her quote unquote, as society deems it as quote. A larger body or overweight, slash, obese BMI. Period recovery can be for anybody in any body size, but Sarah really showcases how difficult this journey was for her, but also how rewarding and where she is at now and she's actually losing weight and not to say this is supposed to be about weight. But once you are taking care of your body appropriately and it feels safe enough and you're eating the right foods to be satisfied and you're moving your body in the way that feels good, your body falls into the weight that it should be. But first we have to get to a place of safety. So let's hear from Sarah on her amazing journey and where she is today. Hi, sarah, welcome to the Period Recovery Podcast.
Speaker 2:Hi, cynthia, great to be here.
Speaker 1:I am so excited to have you here. It's been a little while since we caught up and, if you can remind me, was it a little over a year ago.
Speaker 2:It's been over a year. So I remember getting my first period back. I think it was like October, it was October time, and so it's been definitely over a year.
Speaker 1:So Okay, yeah, yay. And how are we doing with the periods?
Speaker 2:We're good, everything is normal. I have my iPhone keeps track and it's like your period is due within seven days, and within seven days my period always starts. So days.
Speaker 1:Within seven days, my period always starts. Awesome. Let's kind of go back in time a little bit and talk about how your periods weren't always regular or were absent. So you tell me, Sarah, where should we start? Where do you think you know now, looking back, where your journey of your missing period truly began for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I was really intent on like getting in shape, but I think more than that. I was more focused on losing weight and I had worked with someone who said they're a personal trainer and I said this is how much I worked out in a week and then they set my calories for me for that week so that I was tracking my calories and then I noticed that I started just kind of spotting in a month and then I noticed the period just stopping overall and I didn't really know what to do and I was just my brain was I'm losing weight. This is great, so I'm just gonna keep going not realizing until I think finding you on Instagram as speaking with the doctor kind of the problem that was not having my period, especially when I'm still at the age when I should be having a period. So it really was just around me wanting to lose weight and be excited that when I stepped on the scale, the numbers were going down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So just a matter of losing weight, in a nutshell. And so how long was your period missing, sarah, before you knew like, oh okay, this might be a problem here.
Speaker 2:Three years.
Speaker 1:I believe Three years, yeah, and did you? And I hate to talk numbers and we don't have to talk how much weight you had lost, but I'm trying to think how we can put it so we're not sharing too many numbers. So when you did go on this pursuit to lose weight, you did, at that point, had a regular period. Yes, okay, and so then we'll just say how long. So we'll say day one you started your quote. Unquote. We lost journey, as many people will call it day one. And then, how many months, how many weeks after that did you lose your period?
Speaker 2:I think it was probably two or three months, like it wasn't that much. Just because then I've really like having talked with friends of mine about how, like what, my calorie intake was at, like it was extremely low. I was also working out way too much, but for the amount that I was working out and the very few calories that I was taking in, it did not take long for the period to go away.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So just just a few months. And did you? You don't have to say how much weight, but did you lose a significant amount of weight in that period of time, when that was a few months?
Speaker 2:I lost a good bit amount of weight. I'm trying, I don't remember how much, but I did notice it was noticeable to people and to myself and kind of how the clothes fit and all that, yeah, and I mean knowing what you know now, your response may be different, but back then, before you learned about true health and regular periods, how did that make you feel when you did lose weight?
Speaker 1:Like what were people saying? How did how did that like, really, I guess, boost your, your ego and good feels?
Speaker 2:Yeah, people are just like oh my gosh, you look great and look like, look how skinny you are. And I, um, I was living abroad and I purposely like didn't post pictures of my full body and so my family didn't see it until I got back home. And I got back home and my family kept on going on about like, oh my gosh, you look like so great and so much better than you did before, and and that was really I mean, that was triggering for many different reasons, but yeah, like I felt great. So I was like yeah, like I look great, like maybe part of my body's not working, but it's's, but it's looking, it's looking great. And you know, and doctors are happy, they're like, yeah, she's finally getting skinny.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, yeah, and would you, if you, without, I guess, sharing numbers, if you went to the doctor prior to the weight loss and your doctor calculated your BMI, would it have been in the normal range, the overweight range, the obese range, if you could remember.
Speaker 2:Probably overweight to obese yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. And so when your friends and family were like, oh my gosh, doctors, oh my gosh, look at you, you look great, like what are you doing. How did you do it Right? Look at you, you look great Like what are you doing. How did you do it Right?
Speaker 2:And that probably made you feel damn good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I was like I feel great, like I'm doing what everyone says, which is to eat less and work out and the weight will come off, and yeah, and it worked and so, but other things were compensated, like a period, right, yeah, and so how, sarah, did that play a part for you when you were like, okay, so I might have to like, eat more, rest more, potentially gain weight? How scary was that for you?
Speaker 2:It was really scary. I think it took a while, within your program working with you, for me to like just stop like working out period, like I used to still do like one workout a week and finally I was just like I can't, and it was so hard to like stop tracking calories and to just listen to my body and eat and just to only go for walks. Like that was all I did. And I remember like putting on the weight and being really scared when all of the clothes I had no longer fit me or were like really tight besides stretchy stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and it is. It is I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's always difficult and no woman ever is like, oh, I'm going to gain all the weight and I'm going to love it and it's going to be great, especially when we are in what society would deem as a bigger body or as an unhealthy body according to BMI, which BMI is a crack of shit and that's nothing we should really ever I don't want to say ever pay attention to, but it's, yeah, it's not a good indication of health. So, you know, we feel good after all these compliments. Then we get scared of like okay, now I got to gain weight, even though we know rationally it's the best thing for our bodies because we need to get our cycle back.
Speaker 1:For you, sarah, what, what helps you the most to be able to get through those fears of weight gain? Because that is the number one fear of many women, and for you particularly. You were in, quote unquote, what society would deem as unhealthy body. And then it's like well, oh my gosh, what if I have to go back there? And then what will people think? So how did you, I guess, first, before you got through it, what were your fears, aside from like oh crap, I don't want to gain weight because this is scary. What things went through your mind about that?
Speaker 2:It was how people are going to view me, because I'd moved to a different country and I was going back to visit like the place where I'd lost the weight and like visit people from the gym that I had joined where, like I went through my whole like losing a bunch of weight and getting fit, and I was just like people are just gonna be like what happened?
Speaker 2:Like you were so skinny and then you left and now you're you're putting on weight, and so it really was kind of my idea of people's thoughts of what I looked like and the fact that my body wasn't what it was when they last saw it, and it was only until I kind of shared that I lost my period and now I was going on this journey to like regain it, and people were like, yeah, like we kind of had a feeling that the way you were going, you probably were going to lose your period. Like some of them were like we think we tried to warn you and you didn't really listen and I was like you probably did and I probably didn't listen because I was happy that I was losing weight, but I think it really was like the fear of how people were going to view me and my body yeah, and was for you, Sarah, to come out and say like, all right, I got to do the opposite of what I was doing because I need to regain my period.
Speaker 1:Did that help you? Through it all being transparent and just being like this is what's going on, you guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really did. I could really kind of tell who my good friends were, because they were the ones that were just like we want you to be healthy. Like if you need to eat food, like eat food. I'd go visit people and I was like I kind of feel like a donut and these people are like city and then they're like let's go get a donut, and they're just like there was no issue with just like we've just been for like a bit of a walk and we've eaten a nice lunch. Now we're gonna go have a donut. And there was no like second guessing or be like, oh, we need to go like work this off now. It was just, uh, let's just go enjoy our time together. And so, knowing that kind of people's support, yeah, through all of it between your program and other friends, just having that constant reminder of what's important is getting myself healthy not fit, but healthy first.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and thank you for sharing that. Sarah and I want to know was there any apprehension in telling these people? Was it kind of like, oh, like what if I tell them what will they think? Was there any apprehension? Or Was it kind of like, oh, like what if I tell them what will they think? Was there any apprehension? Or were you kind of like you know what I'm going to tell them and whoever's going to still be my friend is going to be my friend, and whoever isn't, well, maybe they just weren't needing to be in my life.
Speaker 2:There was a bit of apprehension. But then, as I told people, and just kind of people being so great and gracious and still just being like we're your friend, no matter kind of what you look like, because that's not what matters, like your size is not what defines how we see you, or our friendship, like it's just a number but that doesn't change who you are as a person. Because I think there's also the shame of like allowing myself to get to the place where I hadn't had a period in three years, and them just being like oh my gosh, why did you let yourself get there? And I'm just like, because that was what seemed like the right thing to do, was that's how I lost weight and when, then they're just kind of but that's not good for you. And I was just like I was finally learning that that wasn't good for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I appreciate you sharing that, sarah, because it's a quite vulnerable thing to be able to be like all right, hey, well, this is what's going on, and the shame that comes and plays a part. It's so brave to be able to share your story because not only is it going to help you feel a little bit more normalized in the whole process, but you never know how many people you could be helping by sharing your story. And I like to say there comes a time and place for everyone whenever they're ready to share their story. But what I do want to highlight here is that there's these stories in our heads before we maybe, you know, share something like oh my gosh, you know, maybe they're not going to want to hang out with me anymore.
Speaker 1:I know, for me, I was fearful of sharing because I, you know, I was a dietician. I should know better. So there was a little shame there. And then also I'm like well, what am I going to do? Like, these are my friends at the gym and that's all we do is go to the gym.
Speaker 1:But the people that are truly wanting to be in your life and truly care for you, they're going to support you no matter what and the people that aren't aren't going to and maybe they're not supposed to be a part of your life. But knowing that you are able to share that and totally get maybe the complete opposite of what you thought, because we do, we tell ourselves these stories about all the things and chances are it's completely different and the people that are supposed to be in our lives are going to love us no matter what. So I really really appreciate you sharing that because I think it's a big stuck point, sarah, for many, many women out there. Like I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to share, I'm shameful, I'm gaining weight, all the things. So, aside from being and sharing some pretty private information with friends of yours, joining the coaching program of mine, which I know is super helpful. What do you think really helped motivate you to get through the fear of weight gain so that you could get a healthy period?
Speaker 2:I think it was just knowing what the like, what the driving force behind all of it was, which was I need to get my period back, having that focus and knowing, yes, this all might kind of really suck at this moment, but the moment that I get my period back, like I can rejoice, knowing that I've I've done the work that needed to be done to get my body working again, and kind of knowing as well, just kind of I have this one body and I've kind of put it through a lot, of, a lot of shit by not looking after it and by trying to make it fit this mold that society tells me I need to fit, instead of making sure that every function of my body is doing what it is designed to do as a woman.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and unfortunately, somewhere along the lines it could be from early childhood, it could be, you know, teen years. Somewhere along the line we were fed some complete bull about what health is, and health is weight loss, health is being in a thin body, when that couldn't be farther from the truth. Because look at all of us here, look at myself, you, sarah I bet every single audience member that's listening to this podcast right now is likely in a thinner body or had tried to get into a thinner body, all in the pursuit of health. And of course, there's other ways we can acquire HA. We could be athletes, we could just be not eating enough unintentionally. So there's many other things, but for the most part, this health is a driving factor when the distortion of health isn't, it's not thinness, because look, here we are now. I mean not so much anymore for you and I, but maybe a lot of the audience members listening. So could you provide, sarah, some insight of how did you get your period back? Like what? What are some of the things that you did?
Speaker 2:It sounds so simple, but I just I stopped working out and I just started eating more and I realized and not that that was what my body needed at that point Like it was really just those two simple, difficult, but those two eat more. Stop focusing on good food and bad food. And well, I should eat more greens, because greens are less calories. Instead of just being like I feel like having chocolate right now, so I'm gonna freaking have some chocolate right now and screw what everyone else says that you shouldn't have chocolate and just allowing my body to rest. Because when I look back on like how much I used to work out in a week, like no sane person should be, like, unless you're training for the Olympics, no sane person should be working out as much as I was working out in a week and not fueling my body as much as I should have been fueling my body.
Speaker 1:And I can say that, sarah, easier said than done. Right, eat more, move less. Simple, simple, simple. And when I too figured out, okay, I have to eat more and rest more, for me a big thing was, I feel like that's going against anything I ever learned about health. Like it's like eat less, move more, right. So it's hard to do the opposite of what the rest of the world is doing, right. So what, for you, helped you eat more and rest more? What, like, was there any mindset shifts you had to do? I mean, I know you were a part of the group at that time. How did that influence you know, this being it was never easy, but maybe a little bit more digestible to do those things.
Speaker 2:I think, writing down and doing like my food journals to kind of see what I was eating in a day and also learning what the cues that my body was giving to me, that, even if my stomach wasn't saying you're hungry, like feeling cold or feeling like a bit of brain fog or feeling tired, and be like, okay, my body's saying you need food and and for once in years, like honoring and eating something beyond a carrot or a rice cake or something, and being like let's have something that's actually going to give me some energy and get my body kind of back on the right course.
Speaker 2:I mean, I didn't. I've stopped tracking calories because I realized how triggering that was for me, because then I was like, okay, that's me done for the day and it would be like it could be like 4 pm, but I've gone through like what were before, like my allotted calories, and then starting this program and hearing the 2500 calories, at first I was like that's so much food. But then I look at like how much I eat now and I probably eat about the same, if not sometimes a bit more, but just because my body's saying you need food and you need something more than just those empty, like rice cakes or a piece of celery or a carrot, like carrot with peanut butter or you know some chocolate and something else, but being more present to what I was eating, but in a way that I was knowing that I was actually properly fueling my body, than just kind of putting in like maintenance kind of here's just enough to keep going without going over your allotted amount of calories for the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And Sarah, what do you think? Because, when we're just using 2,500 calories as context, because you know what Sometimes people need more yeah, I don't want to say they need less, because, you guys, there's a lot more repair that has to be happening in our body and since we're in this severe energy deficit, let's just again throwing a number out there. That really should be a minimum, but let's talk about that because chances are.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know, back in the day I was eating a lot less than that, and I'm sure you were too, sarah, and it just that amount, that two, five, zero, zero, something about that is just like whoa, that is a lot of food. So how did you, how did you kind of get through that barrier of like all right, well, I was eating like this amount, which probably was, if I had to guess, probably the amount a toddler needs, which most women will. I know, at one point I was. And then, going to that, going to that much food, was it really that much more food, you know, or was it like you know what? It still felt like a lot of food, but then I saw these amazing benefits, like I started having less brain fog, I started seeing signs and symptoms of my period coming back. So what was that for you to get through that mindset barrier of like, oh, this is a lot of food.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it was probably around double of what I was eating before, and so it did seem like. So when I saw that number at home, she's like how in the world am I going to eat that much in a day? Like there's no way. But then I started seeing like, because I would be so tired throughout the day and I would kind of be like more caffeine, more caffeine. And then, as I started eating more and I was just like I don't, like I don't need as much because my body's actually getting like what it needs at that point, and so I kind of started seeing that my body was working better. And then I started having the signs of a period, like the egg white, cervical mucus and that kind of stuff like that started coming and I was like, oh, this is finally like. This is finally working.
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Speaker 2:But when I first saw that and first started eating more, I just kind of felt like holy crap, I'm just like. I was like I'm going to need a bigger plate because there's no way I could fit this much food. And then, as you break it up, it wasn't like, it wasn't nearly as much as I originally thought it was, and that number no longer became a number that I was scared of. It just became food and fuel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and that number. We're very number fixated. I know I was. I can't think of a client of mine that was never fixated on numbers. So that is very learned. So just like we learn it, we can unlearn it.
Speaker 1:But for you, sarah, and many women out there and I know I was one of those people where I thought, oh my gosh, this is so much food. Because when I was eating let's just say I'm going to use just a number for context right now say, 1,500 calories I was eating like a crap ton of vegetables, low fat, this, fat free, this, and so I was I the volume of it. So I thought like, oh my gosh, if, like I eat that much, I'll be eating for days to make that amount of food. And so switching that mindset, first of all, volume eating we don't want to do that and then switching to like, how can I eat smarter and not harder? So what we're looking for is energy dense foods. And so when we focus on these energy dense foods, such as more carbs and fats, that number doesn't seem as volumistic, right? So it's a little bit more easy to think about having that much fuel in a day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because I remember like I used to get the powdered peanut butter. So I was like, oh, this is very low fat, this is really great. And I'd to get the powdered peanut butter. So I was like, oh, this is very low fat, this is really great. And I'd like be like fake peanut butter. And then I started having real peanut butter and having full fat yogurt and I was like, holy crap, this is so much better than the fake stuff and it was carrying me longer in a day than something that focused on what the numbers on the package of food said. Like I look at this more now for like reference, just to kind of for serving more, for like cooking or like just being aware of kind of making sure I'm getting enough in me, but not of a punishment or being like, oh, I can only have half a serving or whatever of a certain food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So that's completely shifted for you and I want to start to shift into what is life like now. So how do you feel, sarah, your overall health is improved. You know it could be your preoccupation with food. Maybe before you were thinking about food tons, I heard you say you've already had increased energy levels, like way back when you before you were thinking about food Tons, I heard you say you've already had increased energy levels, like way back when you before you even got a period.
Speaker 2:But yeah, how have things and this could be not just health like physical health, but also mental health- yeah, I don't nearly as much like focus on making sure that I'm like eating the healthy foods, like, yes, there are times like I listened to my cravings a lot more now than I did before. So if I'm craving a piece of chocolate, I'm not going to go stuff a carrot in my face, I'm just going to have a piece of chocolate and it's going to be great. I'm going to move on with my day. I'm not like so focused on good and bad. Are there times I still get a bit stuck on it, absolutely, and then I just kind of tell my brain to shut up and then keep going on with my day. But it is still easy sometimes to get stuck.
Speaker 2:But then I just have a lot more freedom around food and I can go out to a restaurant and eat food, like eat a full meal, and then like have a dessert. Be like okay, cool, like there's nothing wrong with that, I don't need to go home and then like calculate, okay, well, I need to eat less tomorrow because I've overeaten the night before. Like no, tomorrow's a new day, we're just gonna start over and have a full day of meals and not have to worry about like one meal impinging on anything. So it's like it's so great to be having a regular period and to know that when my iPhone says it's time and it comes within that amount of time each month and it lasts, and the whole cycle is going just fine. It's all just ticking along just fine with no issues, no missing anything and, yeah, just overall more energy, feeling better and not focusing on having to cut back or worried about doing too much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so would you say, sarah. Now, when you think about food, it's like, okay, I'm going to listen to my cravings, give myself what I want. But also, in addition, because I think a lot of us fear like, oh my gosh, if I do period recovery and like I eat all these foods, I'm just going to become unhealthy, right, which couldn't be farther from the truth. But you know, when you say you know I listen to my cravings, which is great, do you feel you look at food as more fuel? Like, hmm, I know, for example, if I eat a grilled chicken salad with just vegetables on it, that I know this is not going to truly satisfy me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I pay much more attention to my cravings but also make sure that what I'm eating is balanced. And I'm getting like I'm getting my carbs, I'm getting my protein, I'm getting my fats and I'm like I think also there's always been that fear for me around when you see foods that have fats, like peanut butter or eggs or chicken thighs or stuff like, I used to avoid them, be like, oh, fat and food is bad. And now I'm just like fat and food is not bad, like it is good, it is perfectly fine. You need to have fat within your food to maintain you through the day, and so sometimes I'll have a salad and then I'll have toast and I'll put some peanut butter on top of my toast and I'm like let's get a bit more in there.
Speaker 2:I I've never liked dressing on my salad, so I don't put dressing on my salad. It's not just that's not because I am avoiding it, I just don't like dressing with salads. Weird person like that. But I think I was scared when I started period recovery that I was just going to like finish and then eat unhealthy foods all the time. But no, like there are times that I just love to like stand and munch on like carrots and have some peanut butter with them, or like have a salad for a meal, but then I make sure it's not just vegetables. You know, there has to be something else in it to keep me going, and life is too short to not have chocolate yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Life is too short to deny yourself of any type of food. But, sarah, it really sounds like you have embodied a very intuitive way of eating, which that is my hope for all women, after they've regained a few cycles, to be able to just listen to their body. But it's also important that we listen to it in the fact that, like, okay, I know my body is not going to be satisfied off a grilled chicken salad. I just know it's not, and so I'm going to have some peanut butter toast along with it. So that's really important, and so I did want to touch upon not that I am a big focus on weight, but many women are fearful that, oh my gosh, I'm always going to be in this body. Can I ever pursue weight loss again?
Speaker 1:I know, when we were talking through Instagram DMs I think it was something I posted to my story that once your body is in a safe enough place, you're eating enough, maybe you're moving joyfully, intuitively, it may decrease in weight, and so I think you shared that's what happened to you, sarah, that you've embodied this intuitive way of eating, which, again, just side note, intuitive eating is not recommended until you have had a few cycles and some ovulatory cycles there, but it sounded like you know it's something you weren't. It wasn't even in the back of your head to lose weight at this point, because you knew that the slippery slope it could get into, but that your body felt safe enough, your metabolism is at the rate that it should be for where you are at in your life and your stage of life, and that now you're seeing a little decrease in body size.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I do work out throughout the week but I don't focus. My workouts are not to get skinny, my workouts are to get stronger. Like I love seeing my muscles develop and seeing, oh, I can lift a bit heavier. Like it was really funny before coming here I was out running some errands and I stopped off to get donuts from a girl that I know that makes really good donuts. So I'm going to work out and then I'm going to have a donut and then I'm going to have some other, like protein, to make sure that I like fueled my body after doing a workout. But I also picked out heavier dumbbells. Like cause, I am like I am getting stronger, but I'm no longer focused on being a certain size. I don't own a scale. I own a scale to measure my food. I do not own a scale to weigh myself. So I've stopped focusing on losing weight and and I just look to see, okay, oh, look, my clothes are fitting a bit looser. That's great, but look, I can lift this bit heavier or I can keep going a bit longer.
Speaker 2:I do think it is that it has been a shift on my own journey, that it's no longer about weight loss but it's more about getting stronger. Yeah, journey, that it's no longer about weight loss but it's more about getting stronger. Yeah, um, and, and I love like when I'm like, oh, look, I can see a bit of a, like a carve out of like my shoulder and then into a bicep, and then I can see like my leg muscles are getting a bit like more defined and I can lift heavier and and that kind of stuff. And that is kind of that's where I get excited. And people still see the oh, you've lost some weight, and I go, oh, really, yeah, like I didn't, like I haven't noticed, like I'm more focused on the fact that I can, I can do more.
Speaker 2:I'm not focused on the, the losing weight, and that's not what I, that's not what I celebrate. And I don't be like, okay, now that I've got my period back, like, eat less. I'm just like, no, you're probably going to keep eating the sacks like about the same amount or more, because you're adding back in movement. You're adding back in lifting weights and doing some cardio. Granted, I don't do much cardio right now, just because I really don't like cardio, so I want to do weight lifting sessions.
Speaker 2:It's just been a total shift, and I heard something the other day on the news, um, that someone was saying that your body knows what size it wants to be and it'll do what it needs to do to be that size, and so I was like my body knows what it wants to look like, so if I have hips, I have hips Like I don't care, I am just glad that I'm healthy, and I think it's been my definition of what being healthy is that has really shifted throughout this entire like time, because it was healthy equals skinny, and healthy now means my body is working and I'm getting stronger.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you're mentally more clear. You're not thinking about food all the time, you're not worried about it, because life is so much more than what you look like. And, guys, life is short. We never know how much time on earth we still have. And I was listening, actually, to a couple of Instagram from Fine Food Freedom, I think and so she was talking about how she's been to a couple of funerals in the past few weeks and she's like no one said, when that person was lying there in the casket, oh gosh, she was so skinny before. Or like, oh my gosh, she did such a great job at like being so fit. You know, those aren't the things people are going to remember about you. They're going to remember what an amazing person you were, how you guys made memories together and so forth. So, thinking about that and, sarah, it just makes me so excited to hear where you are in your journey Because, let's face it, life is always a journey, right?
Speaker 1:Life always goes on. We never stop learning and growing and knowing that. You know, you said my body's the size it's supposed to be and guess what? You guys, it will become whatever it is supposed to become when it's at a place of safety, getting enough food. And you heard, sarah, she's eating probably the same amount that she is now. And guess what? Eating more does not always equate to weight gain. Moving more doesn't always equate to weight loss, and so there becomes a point of like what are my goals? Do I want to be truly healthy? Do I want to remove all these thoughts of food and body in my head? And then there's the thought of all right, well, this is hard, right, sarah? Nothing about this was like, oh you know, just, this is cake. It's hard, but you can choose painful growth over comfortable misery, right, because it might feel comfortable to stay in that smaller body size without a period, but you're also living in misery, because you know this is a problem.
Speaker 1:So I wrote a couple notes. Let me just see if I. I think I covered them all, sarah, and I just wanted to mention one thing. Sarah, you did mention you don't own a scale, which is amazing. There's no point Anyone owns a scale, unless you're trying to weigh your luggage. So it's not over the amount. But there's also a scale at the airport, you guys, but a scale for food. And I'm thinking you have a scale for food because, like, maybe you have to measure out how many grams rice is to cook with you know how much water or whatever. So measuring it for like recipe purposes, not so much for like.
Speaker 2:Oh, you know calories or macros or something? Yeah, no, it's 100% for recipes. And then, because I look at American recipes and then I have to like, do the conversion, and so it's like making sure that I've got like the right amount to like, because I'm still cooking and me and baking are still. We're figuring things out. So, that is more to make sure that I've got the right amount to make like even for making my oatmeal in the morning. I'm like, okay, I need to make. Like even for making my oatmeal in the morning.
Speaker 1:I'm like, okay, I need to wake up like measure out, so I have the right like oatmeal to water ratio. Yes, absolutely so. Tell me, sarah, if you had any words of encouragement or advice to women who are, you know, attempting period recovery themselves, right going through this journey themselves, and may not have quite gotten their period back and maybe are feeling frustrated or feeling fearful. What encouragement or advice would you give to them?
Speaker 2:I would say take a deep breath and just keep going at it. Like it might take a bit of time. I was really frustrated because I was like I'm doing the work and it's been a month and a half and where the hell is my period and I'm really sick of having to like not work out anymore. But then it'll work like your body will get going again. But you have to let your body know that you're actually are taking time to love it for what it is and what it can do, rather than trying to force it to do something that it's not quite ready to do yet. So just give it time, keep going at it. Your body will work, but you just have to. You have to give it time, Because that's what it needs, Just like it's.
Speaker 2:It's building in a different routine and routines take time and they take constant daily practice to keep them going. And it is just a routine and it's something that used to seem like the easiest thing. And then something shifts where you start losing weight or you start working out more and then everything's thrown off. And that's what happened for me. But then, when I got back on the routine of taking care of my body and loving it, no matter what size or whatever ability.
Speaker 1:that's when things started working again, our bodies will, in essence, reward us with so many things the mental clarity, the potential body composition change so that we can be stronger individuals in the gym and in life without having that primary focus of body change, because that energy alone is going to skew things and you'll never get to a place of contentment with your body. So your story, sarah, was truly, truly inspiring. And one question I like to ask all of my past clients here is because it's important that you guys not only get your period back, but I want you guys to start living your life. Get your period back, get your life back, but I want you guys to start living your life.
Speaker 2:Get your period back, get your life back. So how are you living now? I'm just enjoying, like I'm not restricted, I'm not worried about. You know, it's no longer a question of being worried about going out for a meal with someone or be like oh, there's nothing on the menu. Can we, you know, can we go somewhere else? Or be like, oh, there's nothing on the menu. Can we, you know, can we go somewhere else? Or I'll just eat a bigger, like I'll eat my meal before and then I'll, like, just have water at the restaurant. No, just like I go and I have a meal and I laugh and I enjoy and I don't focus on what's on my plate or being worried about, you know, putting on a bit of weight. Like I go on holidays and I just eat, like that's what you're supposed to do on holidays, you're supposed to just live it up, and I used to not do that. And now, like I live it up.
Speaker 2:Do I still go for walks? Yes, because I enjoy walking, but I don't go. Okay, I need to go on a 10 mile walk now to undo or to prepare my body for what I've just done. Like I went for a walk one day and I came back and I saw a donut cart and I was like, oh, there's a donut, I'm going to have a delicious donut right now. And then I went back and then had more food, had more food, like I'm just enjoying having a life where I no longer have to spend so much time calculating. Okay, let me track everything, like the amount of time that I used to spend putting in well, that's half a grape. So I need to put in half a grape into my calorie tracker to make sure I don't overeat.
Speaker 1:Doesn't matter calorie tracker to make sure I don't overeat. It doesn't matter, no, it doesn't. And so you are living now because you no longer have that what I like to call dark cloud over your head and you're able to enjoy the important parts of life making memories, trying new things, and I can imagine this has opened up so many more opportunities and things in your life that maybe weren't even imaginable at one point because of our constant fixation on all these things.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, because I remember I was really scared when I'd put weight on and I went back and saw my family, but when they started being like, oh you know, they started doing the before and after and I was probably able to say, listen, this is not helpful. Like I love you all, but this love should not be around body size, it should be around you loving me for me and being able to say that and being able to say not okay has made such a difference. And being open and honest with other people and other people like sharing their own struggles, like with maintaining a period, like friends of mine like and so it's. That's just been great to have a different level of conversations with friends of mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Sarah. And sharing stories, setting boundaries these are things that are not only going to help ourselves, but help other people in our lives that are meaningful to us. So, sarah, thank you so much for being here today and sharing your story and your journey, and I'm just so excited that not only do you have a regular period, but you are living your life now.
Speaker 2:Thanks, cynthia, thanks for your great program that got me here.
Speaker 1:Of course, All my pleasure, Sarah. A great program that got me here. Of course, All my pleasure, Sarah. Hi guys, I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please take a moment to think and reflect on how this could be helpful in your period recovery journey. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening to the Period Recovery Podcast. We know there are a lot of pods out there and I'm so excited and grateful you are here listening with me. If you need more support on your period recovery journey, schedule a time to chat with me on my website, periodnutritionistcom. If you found this podcast helpful, please help me spread awareness on missing periods by subscribing, leaving a review and sharing this podcast with others. Are you ready to get your period back and your life back? I'll see you in two weeks.
