Live your life despite....

      Hi Loves & Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a great weekend and are so far having a good week! So the last time we spoke I had just started my gluten free journey. I did a lot much more research over the course of the week, and each article confirmed even more than the last how important it is to be gluten free when you have Hashimoto's Disease. It hasn't been hard because I did it for about 5 months last year and so I know what to expect. During this time in my life, I'm just really trying to embrace and soak up Hawaii as well as the luxury of having free time. Even though I am trying to get healthy again and lose this darn weight, I'm making an effort to still live my life despite being heavier. 
       I always lived in the "When I get there" mentality, meaning landing that perfect boyfriend, perfect job, or that perfect weight then I'll allow myself to really live and be happy. Not no more, because in doing that for so many years I realized I wasted so many opportunities for great memories. When I was at a  heavier weight, years back, for example I wouldn't do as many fun things or put off buying cute clothes because of my bigger size. But here I am at 31, being the heaviest I've been in a long time but it is what it is! I refuse to not live my life to the fullest because of a bigger jeans size. I will live my life despite what my inner critic aka: the ego says to me. i 'm working hard to get back to good health, and that doesn't mean becoming a hermit because of it.
      This weekend was so carefree and I just enjoyed every second of it. I think it really is all about balance. So for example, Saturday we went to North Shore and I had a coconut water, gluten free pizza, salad, a glass of wine, and ended the night with some light fish. Sunday we went to the beach, I brought my almonds and an apple to snack on....and even gasp; bought a new bikini! The old me would tell myself I didn't deserve to buy one until I lost more weight, but I now vow to live my life despite what the scale says, or whatever issue I led myself to believe was bigger than it really was. And you should do the same! Do what makes you happy, despite what someone says about you, despite your insecurities, and despite your inner voice critic! Because honestly at the end of the day, life will pass you by. And were here to live a life beyond our wildest dreams, despite the occasional nightmares. We are here to LOVE OURSELVES!

Know when to Surrender.....

      Hi Loves! Can you believe it's almost Friday already? This week flew by! I hope you're all having a great week! So Monday when I blogged I was talking a lot about body love and trying to just go easier on myself with my thyroid and weight gain. I started at a hot yoga studio that day which offers bikram, along with other classes. I personally love bikram since its repetitive, ( I don't like change) and it's really easy on my wrists. Anyways it felt amazing to be back in a studio, and surrounded by like minded people.
        So even though I'm trying not to obsess over my weight, I still am trying to be aware and mindful, so I weighed yesterday since it had been a week but was up two pounds! I couldn't believe it, because even though I had splurged Saturday I had gotten right back on track! Not only was my weight not moving the right way, but also I have been feeling super bloated and swollen. So this morning I woke up on a mission, and I started researching more and more over the right way to eat when you have hypothyroid aka: Hashimoto's Disease. I actually found way more helpful information on Pinterest, than google.
        What I found was a lot. I guess in a way I knew certain foods that weren't good for patients with autoimmune diseases, but what I didn't realize was that these foods truly can work against our bodies. Despite wanting to lose the weight I've gained, I mostly want my body to have a chance to just be at its healthiest. And how can I expect that if I'm living in denial? Foods that are on the no no list are things such as gluten, soy, sugar, certain veggies and fruits that are high-gylcemic; the list goes on! I've given up gluten before, so that won't be as hard, but as far as the other stuff I'll have to take it one day at a time. 
        Today I weighed again hoping yesterday's weight gain was a fluke, but it wasn't. In fact I was up even more! But I didn't get upset truthfully, I took a deep breath, had some hot lemon water and researched about my new life changes. I was really sore from all the yoga this week, but went anyways because it's like a gift I'm giving to myself. And during class I was in a pose when the teacher said something that really struck a cord. She said, "Know the difference between when to give effort and when to just surrender." I thought that was so profound because it hit me that sometimes in life when you've put in so much effort into something, and yet nothings changing, than it is probably time to just surrender. Surrender to what will be, instead of what you want it to be. And I'm not just talking about weight here, that applies to really anything in life. So within this big health change, I'm choosing to surrender to what my body needs to be healthy. And not so much as what I think it needs. I guess in life, you just gotta know when to let go, give it to your higher power, and know that what is meant to be will be. Just know that sometimes what is meant to be isn't always what was in the plan, it may seem like a more complicated path, but sometimes the more complicated the better the end result. So just surrender and listen to your intuition.