Dec 18, 2019 | Blog
This story of transformation features 12 Weeks to Transformation client, Tracey.
For anyone passing by it looked like Tracey had a pretty good life. She was raising three great kids, was married to her college sweetheart for 27 years, had a successful career, wonderful friends and was doing things she enjoyed.
But behind the “good life” there was an underlying tension. Life felt closed and like something was broken. It wasn’t something she could really describe but it was always there. And those things carried into her marriage, but she didn’t really know what the root of the problem was.
The “good life” needed to continue, so she ignored the tension and kept going through the motions.
In 2018 this California girl had a front-row seat to watching her life crash.
She learned that her husband had been cheating on her.
For the next six months, the trauma and stress took a toll on Tracey. She had already been living with a lung condition but under the weight of the stress, her body gave in to an extreme case of pneumonia which led to a two-week hospital stay. The sickness progressed to the point that she had to have an extreme procedure called a thoracotomy to scrape the infection out of her lungs.
What Tracey didn’t realize was that this hospital stay would be a major turning point for her life. At the lowest point in her life, things were about to shift.
It was during this time that a friend of Tracey’s told her about Elizabeth and the Primal Potential podcast. For two weeks, Tracey lay in her hospital bed listening to the podcast. Tracey recovered, was released from the hospital and continued listening to the podcast.
Through the podcast, she was hearing and seeing things that were causing the “lights to go on.” She had found exactly what she needed to change her life.
Tracey was initially drawn to the podcast because of the science-based nutritional and health information. As she began to put into practice Elizabeth’s teaching she watched her health improve dramatically. She lost weight she had battled for years. But she realized that was only one part of the equation to changing her life in a significant way.
The second, and biggest part, was changing her mindset. She came to understand how she thought, how she “talked to herself”, and how the decisions she made were key to major life change and realizing her true potential.
Even though she was still dealing with the aftermath of an affair, working through things with her husband and recovering from a major illness she knew she needed more.
That’s when she made the decision to get off the fence, invest herself and joined the 12 Weeks to Transformation.
It was during the 12 weeks that she got the practical and personalized no-nonsense tools she needed to open up her closed life. She was no longer racing through life, ignoring herself and her relationships.
She started to overcome the fear and self-doubt she had lived with most of her life.
By trusting the process, following the structure of the transformation and answering tough questions with brutal honesty she experienced the change she had been seeking.
Today Tracey describes her life as:
- Expansive – life is no longer closed, it’s expanding all the time in all different areas
- Limitless – “I feel more unlimited than when I was 22. I’m 53 and I am so excited about the day, the year and the rest of my life.”
- Peaceful – “I’m super peaceful and I don’t think I’ve ever had that like inner peace. I’m standing on a rock of my faith, but I also have these tools that Elizabeth gave me to navigate things and to call myself out on my bullshit.”
To maintain her transformation Tracey has implemented a daily routine that is made up of different practices. There’s a physical component of exercise and nutrition. And then there’s the mindset component where she’s checking in with herself. She’s asking herself questions throughout the day AND paying attention to the answers.
If you desire to live a limitless and peaceful life and step into your true potential, just like Tracey you absolutely can.
Learn more about the 12 Weeks to Transformation here.
Start Your Own 12 Weeks to Transformation
Dec 6, 2019 | Blog
Praise! We made it to the 3rd trimester! 11 weeks until my due date!
The end of the second trimester was a total whirlwind. I had a mastermind meeting in California then I was off to ASCEND in Portland Oregon. We were home for a couple days and then left again for an incentive trip to Costa Rica. As soon as we got back it was Thanksgiving and then our baby shower! Primal Potential’s new COO starts next week, the 12 Weeks to Transformation launch is next week, I’m continuing to record 5-6 podcast episodes each week to make sure I’m well ahead before baby…there’s been a lot happening and that makes time go by so fast!
I feel big and also totally welcome the fact that I’ll be getting much bigger. It’s all good! This is a “big” season of life in every way!
She kicks like crazy and still has enough room to roll over and change directions – I’ll routinely see her head or her bumb sticking out from my belly.
The very BEST news is that our tenant moved out of the apartment on our property so we immediately moved into it. That means that though the renovation of the main house continues, we now have a kitchen, a real bathroom and a bed that isn’t on the floor! (We love our tenant, we’re just sooooo pumped to have a kitchen after nearly 6 months without one!)
That means I’m back to cooking and eating more “real” food! I’ve made chili, brussels sprouts, cauliflower rice…it’s amazing what having a kitchen will do for a pregnant woman! Baby very much prefers apples and starchy carbs, but we’re finding a far more comfortable balance now that the kitchen is back in play!
We’re hopeful the renovation will be completed by the end of January. I’m sure we’ll be recruiting the help of family to get our stuff out of storage and into the house since I’ll be little to no help at that point!
Pregnancy Insomnia Is Real
The struggle right now is lack of sleep. I can fall asleep easily but wake up within an hour and stay awake for many, many hours. I’m adjusting to it, but that’s the hardest part.
Physically, I feel more limited. Bending forward is no longer comfortable. Sitting up from a reclined position is a unique challenge. I get winded much more quickly. The other day I was doing kettlebell swings in my office and I felt winded after the first 10!
I have a fair amount of pelvic bone pain and recently started to feel some low back pain, but otherwise, I feel great physically.
Excitement
It still feels entirely surreal that there will be a baby here soon but we are very excited. It will be interesting to not have a maternity leave but I have an epic support system and I know we’ll make it work for us.
At our shower, there was a little trivia game. One of the questions was what we are each most excited about related to the baby.
For me, I’m most excited to see her face. I’m second most excited to see my grandmother (who is 99) hold her first (or second) grandbaby. My cousin and I are both pregnant and our due dates are only 3 days apart! I can’t wait to see my grandmother hold both baby girls!
Preparations
Since the house is still being renovated, my office is filling up with boxes of baby stuff. Bassinets, car seats, swings, breast pump, etc. Every day I try to create a little order, but it will really have to wait until the renovation is complete.
I’m in no rush to pack a hospital bag – there’s really not much I’ll need and there’s nothing that can’t be grabbed after we get there.
We’ve been talking about who we want to inform when we head to the hospital and how we want to handle/limit hospital visitors, but again, we aren’t feeling too much pressure to have a firm plan. We’re pretty flexible about all that stuff.
As long as the house is complete when baby comes, we’ll plan to have any guests (my mom, his parents, etc) stay in the apartment so we can have time, space and privacy in the main house without guests for the first 4-6 weeks.
We’re so excited to watch this journey unfold!
Nov 17, 2019 | Blog
I spent some time writing down my holiday gift ideas. Though I started shopping a couple months ago, I still have more people to buy for and I always want to have a few ideas on hand for when people ask me what I want. I’ve never been much of a gift person, in large part because I’m both practical and a minimalist. Fortunately, I have some great ideas that are both practical and minimalist! I thought I’d break it up between gifts I love to give and gifts I’d love to receive.
Holiday Gift Ideas – To Give
I love to gift books! Every year, I keep a list of books I’ve loved. Depending on the person, they’re often a fantastic, easy & affordable gift to give. Here are a couple on the list this year.
The Third Door by Alex Banayan – great for any business owner or for anyone who wants to bring new possibilities into their lives
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell – perfect for anyone on your list who loves to learn
I also enjoy giving Audible gift cards. I know a lot of people who would love to read more but prefer listening.
Food! A Butcher Box subscription, 1-time delivery or gift card is a serious crowd pleaser. I had to pause my monthly box because we don’t have a kitchen and it’s one of the things I’m most excited about when the renovation is done! Their meat is so high quality and delicious you will never want to buy from the grocery store again! In fact, I haven’t bought meat from the grocery since I started with Butcher Box.
Holiday Gift Ideas – To Receive
I’m always asking for practical things. If you’re like me and always looking to upgrade your cookware, this is a great opportunity ask!
I’m a big fan of Le Creuset, but it is a bit pricey! Put it on your wish list!
I always want more pairs of Klassy Glasses. These are blue-blocking glasses that protect your eyes from the blue-light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer or television. I have a couple pair but they’re so trendy (and effective) that I like to have options! These should totally be on the “give” list, too! I know a ton of people in my life who would be excited to have a pair or two!
I’m obsessed with Away Luggage and can always use another piece or two! I have two of their small toiletry cases and their carry-on size suitcase. They’re perfect. Durable. Good looking. Large capacity. I love all their stuff!
Blank journals! I can’t have too many of them. I’m always writing down ideas & notes. I’ve recently started a journal of thoughts and ideas for my daughter. I like to have several new ones on hand for when I’m ready or to give as a gift. I prefer Moleskine journals.
Alright – it’s your turn to share! What are your holiday gift ideas? What are you giving? What do you love to give? What’s on your list?
*This post includes affiliate links. If you were to purchase some of these items, I could earn a few pennies.
Oct 18, 2019 | Blog
One of the top 10 questions I get is, “Elizabeth, what supplements do you take?”
I’m always hesitant to answer because we all have unique needs and therefore should have unique supplement regimens. With that caveat, that what works for me won’t be what works for you, today I’m happy to share what I take and when.
Many of you know that for a long time, I didn’t take any supplements at all and I’ll tell you why:
- It wasn’t a priority for me early in my journey. I was hyperfocused on eating well and building consistency around food.
- I was jaded and cynical. After working in the supplement industry and seeing so many cut-corners, I was skeptical of the industry as a whole. I hadn’t found brands I really, really trusted.
- I didn’t understand the impact that optimizing my microbiome would have on my overall efforts, my health and my life.
What I know now that I didn’t know then…
I didn’t realize what a huge role the microbiome plays in things like drive and motivation. At the time, it made a lot of sense to me to focus on eating well and getting consistent with my choices. However, I had no idea just how major the impact of a rich, diverse microbiome on the neurotransmitters responsible for making us feel motivated and driven! I probably could have made things a lot easier for myself if I made my microbiome a priority then.
I have to clarify though…too many people are thinking about the microbiome only in terms of gut health and digestion. Taking a probiotic product that targets bloating and digestive efficiency is not going to make you feel more motivated. I talk about that in more detail in episode 630 of the Primal Potential podcast. You can listen here or click play below.
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“EB, what supplements do you take?”
Let’s remember that I’m pregnant. The list of what I take will certainly change post-partum.
I start each morning with a powdered probiotic & an energy blend mixed into water. This particular probiotic blend targets brain health, stress resilience, focus, mood, vigor, anxiety and depression.
With every single meal I take digestive enzymes. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m eating, I take these daily.
Each evening, I take a multivitamin, omega, probiotic and natural sleep aid. This particular probiotic is in capsule form and targets digestion and immunity.
As needed (once a week or so), I take a natural mood support product.
EB, why no links in this post?
Being a business owner and sharing your life with the public requires a lot of judgement calls. When I’m uncertain, I air on the side of caution and responsibility. I don’t know what your health, dietary or supplement needs are as I write this post. Recommendations for you require information about you. I would be happy to have those conversations with anyone who comments on this post or emails me directly. That’s the judgement call I’m making for today.
Oct 11, 2019 | Blog
We are officially past the halfway point of this pregnancy! Woohoo! So much has happened in the last few weeks and I’m excited to give you an update!
About a month ago, I started feeling subtle baby movements – tiny little flutters that I could almost mistake as gas or muscle twitches. I had been so excited to feel movement and remember thinking, “I’ll worry so much less when I start to feel her move.”
Those future markers are never what I think they will be! Feeling her move came with heightened nervousness when I didn’t feel her move!
A couple weeks ago, a few days went by without feeling any movement from baby girl. Though movement had been daily, I reminded myself not to worry because it was still early for movement and far too early for things like kick counts.
Then, I started cramping. For several hours, I had intense cramps – they weren’t so bad that I had to stop working or lay down, but they were alarmingand I decided to call the doctor. They decided to have me come in for a urine sample and a fetal heart check. Sometimes cramping can come from a urinary tract infection (UTI) so they wanted to rule that out.
Fetal heart check was fine. Baby’s heartbeat was healthy & strong. I felt so relieved.
Because of the cramping, they decided to do a manual cervical check…holy moly was that more uncomfortable than I thought it would be! Pap smears don’t really bother me but this was something way more intense! My doctor explained that the cervix is significantly more sensitive during pregnancy. Everything seemed normal (except my pain tolerance!)
To air on the side of caution, they wanted to look at just one more thing – the length of my cervix – to make sure it wasn’t prematurely shortening. Basically, if you think of your uterus like an empty balloon…the balloon has a long neck when it’s empty and as it gets more full, the neck shortens. You know how it’s hard to tie it off if you inflate it too much? Same concept. It’s too early in the pregnancy for the cervix to be shortening.
The ultrasound seemed normal in that regard but they were a little concerned about the placement of my placenta. They said it was closer to my cervix than they wanted it to be. Later in pregnancy, that could post a risk of bleeding for me and baby so we agreed to keep an eye on it and they suggested “cervical rest”. I’m still unclear on what that means beyond “no sex”.
While checking on the length of my cervix, they also checked on baby. She looked healthy and strong! However, she looking like she was doing an Irish jig right on top of my cervix! She kept crossing, uncrossing and recrossing her tiny little ankles right above my cervix. As she did, you could see my cervix contracting, which was likely the cause of my cramping.
Ultimately, they sent me home and said we’d take another look the following week at my scheduled ultrasound.
Meanwhile, I’ve noticed some pregnancy related changes!
- Weight gain – everywhere!
- Increased hunger. I’m basically down for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and a big dinner. Ha! True story!
- Round ligament pain, especially at night.
- The return of nausea. Yeah, it’s back. If I start to get hungry, I feel sick. Most times, I also feel sick after I eat.
- Less sleep. I hadn’t been sleeping well in general but it’s definitely worse now.
- Movement! The movement returned and is more consistent and pronounced, especially after I eat and when I lay down at night.
Let’s talk frankly about the weight gain, shall we?
Prior to getting pregnant, I thought I’d be this clean-eating, CrossFitting pregnant woman, much like my non-pregnant self. I envisioned changes in my body but I didn’t envision major changes in my lifestyle.
Hahahahahahaha. We plan, God laughs.
In fairness, I’m not eating terribly, but I’m definitely not living up to my previous definition of clean eating. Veggies are basically intolerable. Chicken is the only protein I can stomach and it can’t be plain. Chicken tenders are my form of choice. Does that even count? I’m saying, “yes!”
Carbs settle my stomach. Pasta. Crackers. Bread. I had some graham crackers today and they were simply PERFECT.
Some “healthier” items are still in play. I love apples and crave them constantly, but, they give me diarrhea. 🤷🏻♀️I had a bunch of carrots last night and…you guessed it. Diarrhea.
So, what do you get when you combine eating more (I’m always hungry now), eating less clean, exercising less and growing a human under very stressful conditions?
Weight gain! Everywhere!
Watching this slow weight creep, I’ve had many moments of feeling disappointed in myself and almost as many moments of simply not giving a shit.
After bouncing back and forth with my thoughts and feelings about it, I decided to sit down and really get into my heart and my best self about it. Instead of just riding the roller coaster of emotions and letting it control my mood, I decided to take control back.
As I usually do, I began with questions:
What is the thing that bothers me most about the weight gain? What is it that makes me most uncomfortable or anxious about getting bigger?
Fear of judgement from others.
That’s the God’s honest truth. If no one else existed, I’d be fine with it. I’d have total peace with eating what feels good and avoiding what doesn’t feel good. I’d be way more comfortable with a larger, sturdier season.
It’s less about me. My discomfort comes from how I’m thinking about other people’s opinions.
Boom. Instant clarity.
That is NOT who I choose to be.
And seriously, who are these people in my life that I think would judge me for gaining weight?
Certainly not my daughter’s father. He thinks I’m beautiful and is concerned only with me and baby being healthy. Certainly not my family. Certainly not my closest friends. Certainly not colleagues who support me no matter what.
I dug a little deeper. Who? Who am I worried about? Who am I thinking might judge or criticize me?
The fear is about strangers, colleagues or clients who don’t really know me.
This realization was so enlightening. Even writing about this, I have tears in my eyes at what an awakening this was.
First, I don’t know that they are judging or would judge. That’s an assumption. I don’t want to be a person who makes assumptions. I practice not making assumptions and certainly not assuming the worst about people as a result of my own insecurity!
Second, if they do judge me, they aren’t people I want in my life. That makes this season a beautiful opportunity to enrich my relationships and enrich the group of people with whom I work.
This is happening for me, not to me.
Sweet relief.
Beyond that…I explored the question, “What is wrong with gaining weight?”
Am I healthy? Yes.
Is baby healthy? Yes.
Am Iistening to my body? Yes.
Am I eating when I’m hungry and choosing what feels right in the moment? Yes.
Am I being irresponsible? No.
Am I disrespecting my body? No.
So then, what is wrong with weight gain?
This is a season. It’s a miraculous season.
My past periods of weight gain have been steeped in shame, self-loating and hiding.
What a beautiful opportunity for me to navigate this differently…
What a beautiful opportunity for me to choose to love this. To choose confidence. To choose a complete embrace of my body and the fact that it’s needs and wants are very different right now.
I feel such peace and possibility when typing this out.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. That doesn’t mean I am free from frustration or fear of judgement. I certainly have moments of emotion, of sadness, of fear and insecurity.
But this new perspective is a choice I make a hundred times a day and it’s a choice I’m excited about.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this as I continue to grow. 🙂
Back to baby stuff….
Just yesterday I went in for my final (we think) ultrasound of the pregnancy. It was a long one – about an hour – and everything looked great! My placenta even moved! It was no longer “too close” to my cervix!
It was pretty miraculous to see all her fingers and toes, the four chambers of her heart and all her little ribs. The ultrasound tech was super chatty
I am admittedly biased, but I think she’s pretty cute already!
After the appointment, I got a phone call. This is where things get interesting and a little challenging.
The doctor was calling about the urine sample I left last week. The intial dipstick screening was negative for a UTI but they sent it out to see what bacteria “grows out” over time. Essentially, she was calling to let me know I have a “severe” UTI and that she was calling in antibiotics for me.
I was surprised because I don’t feel like I have a UTI. I’ve had them before and you certainly know when you do! While yes, I’ve been urinating much more frequently, that’s super common in pregnancy. I haven’t had, however, any burning, pain or discomfort.
She went on to explain that I had over 100,000 active cultures in my sample but that they didn’t test out for a specific strain. She said that it could be a contaminated sample but since UTIs can lead to infection or pre-term labor, they wanted to air on the side of caution and treat it.
I thought it was super weird that she couldn’t name a specific bacterium that was problematic so I asked,
How do you know it’s pathogenic bacterial overgrowth? Could it be that I just have a healthy, robust microbiome?
She said they didn’t know that it was pathogenic and that it could be representative of a rich microbiome and the fact that I supplement with multiple probiotics. Or, she reiterated, it could be contamination.
Here’s what’s so fascinating to keep in mind about most medical tests: their ranges for “normal” are based on populations, not based on optimal states of health. Here’s what I mean: they determine “normal” levels of bacteria in the urine based on what most people have, not on what is optimal. With this in mind, having a high amount of bacteria in the urine could very well reflect that I have a richer microbiome than most. Yes, it could also indicate an infection, but as they were unable to verify problem strains and I’m not having typical symptoms, I don’t feel comfortable jumping right to antibiotic treatment.
Heck, I’ve worked my butt off to improve my microbiome for my health and the health of my baby so I’m not eager to jump on antibiotics as a precaution.
So, here’s my plan. I have another appointment in just 4 days. Between now and then, I’ll increase my probiotic consumption and supplement with cranberry capsules and vitamin C. If there is an infection, that should help knock it out without antiobitics. My good friend Dr. Beth Westie also told me to drink lots of water, change my underwear 2-3x/day and watch for any symptoms like pain, burning, discharge or fever.
Then, we’ll retest in a few days.
In other baby news…
We painted the nursery yesterday and my mom & her husband are coming down this weekend to help us lay down wood flooring in there. I’ll show pictures on Instagram (in my stories) as we go. While the house is still in total shambles, there are two very small rooms upstairs that aren’t being renovated by the crew. One of those will be the baby nursery so we can get that situated even while we live in chaos.
Speaking of the renovation chaos – this week has been tough. Because of a big 5-day storm cycle, the crew hasn’t been here all week.
I had my first moment of real frustration with our living conditions (not to be confused with a lot of frustration I’ve had about the previous contractor). One particularly restless night, I just wanted the be able to go lay on the couch to watch TV and try to get comfortable. But, we have no couch and we have no TV. I wanted to be able to walk to the fridge and get a cold drink, alas, no fridge in the house.
I’m sure there will be many more moments of frustration as the pregnancy continues, but I’m determined to remain grateful for my home, grateful for my health, grateful for my baby and grateful for my family.
Until next time…I’m off to get some cranberry capsules and vitamin C!
Oct 8, 2019 | Blog
In the chaos of work, pregnancy and the home renovation, I realized I hadn’t announced to the world that our Nutrition Fundamentals course is now live!
We probably get 20 emails a week from folks who are looking to see if I have a one-stop-shop for all things nutrition, carbohydrates, dietary fat and protein. There’s a ton of info on the podcast but it can be tough to find exactly what you’re looking for and for most people, they’re getting one piece of the puzzle every few months.
By popular demand, we created Nutrition Fundamentals to guide you through the nuts, bolts, myths & facts of nutrition.
Best part is: it’s only $79 and you have access for an entire year! This is a self-guided e-course that you go through in your own time, at your own pace! Plus, over the next 6 months I’ll continue to add modules on micronutrients and supplementation!
You can get started right now!
Access Nutrition Fundamentals
Oct 7, 2019 | Blog
I have heard no fewer than 8 business leaders declare that ‘in person events’ are the next big thing for 2020. I’m a serious believer in the power of “putting yourself in the room” but in a time where EVERYTHING is virtual, why the shift away?
Think about it: You can go to school online. You can go to church without leaving your living room. You can visit a therapist or participate in a mastermind, traveling only as far as the distance between you and your computer.
Logic would suggest that because of the ease, accessibility and affordability of virtual events that fewer and fewer people would travel to live events.
Interestingly, nothing could be further from the truth.
Connection, in person, is both more important and more effective than ever because of the digital shift.
I’ve seen this play out in my own life. My preference is to stay in my bubble, in the comfort of my own routine and familiar surroundings. But, I force myself to join in-person masterminds and attend live events because there is growth and transformation that happens because I left my comfort zone and placed myself in a setting exclusively for moving to the next level.
I won’t lie – not only am I less comfortable attending live events, I almost always try to talk myself out of it. I try to convince myself that I can learn, grow and connect just as effectively at home.
Fortunately, I know that’s not true so I show up. I go to a minimum of 4 live events or in-person masterminds every single year and it proves true each time.
The level of growth and advancement I leave with doesn’t even compare to what I could create from the comforts of home.
This is why I host ASCEND every year – Primal Potential’s annual transformational weekend event. I love the podcast and the 12 Weeks to Transformation. I also acknowledge that nothing done at home can have the level of impact and breakthrough we can create when you step outside your comfort zone and remove yourself from the distractions of your day-to-day life.
This year, ASCEND is November 8-10 in downtown Portland, OR. Tickets had sold out over the summer, but we were moved to a larger space and now have 8 new seats that have opened up. If you really want to finish 2019 with massive momentum, I’d love for you to join us.
We kick off on Friday night November 8th for a casual meet & greet and then workshop all day Saturday and until about 3pm Sunday November 10th.
I’m sure these 8 tickets will go quickly so if you want to join us, here’s the link to snag your ticket!
Join Me at ASCEND!
Sep 22, 2019 | Blog
I felt OWNED by my past patterns. I felt like they had more power than I did. I kept repeating the same mistakes…until I didn’t. Here’s how I broke free.
Join the 12 WT!
Sep 20, 2019 | Blog
In a word: easier.
A few things have shifted since my last update.
- Far less vomiting and nausea
- I am under contract with a new contractor! Praise! (Still will be another 5 months before I have a kitchen/bathroom/etc)
- Far more energy
- Fewer food intolerances
- Far more heartburn
- Far less sleep
- A lot of congestion
- Way more peeing
Even though I’m hardly sleeping and I still don’t have a kitchen, things feel a lot easier. It’s amazing what hiring a contractor and being able to eat will do for a girl!
My Last Appointment:
I had an appointment to check on the baby the other day and all seems to be going well. Her heart rate was strong and they found it right away. (On the last visit, it took a minute and 20 seconds to find it! Yes, I was counting.)
I learned a couple of interesting things, stemming from the fact that my weight gain is a little more than they’d like to be at this point. 🤷🏻♀️
Apparently, when you have an autoimmune condition (as I do – Hashimotos), you retain a LOT more water during pregnancy than the average person. For example, let’s say the average person gains 30 lbs during their pregnancy. A person with an autoimmune condition might gain an additional 30 lbs just from water retention.
The volume & frequency of my urination points to the fact that I’m retaining a lot of water and my body is working hard to clear it.
It’s not dangerous, it’s just kind of frustrating because the weight gain numbers become skewed and I look and feel HUGE.
My face is SO puffy, as you can see. My hands are, too. Before I learned that about the water retention, I had been complaining about how tight and uncomfortable my hands feel. Now I know why!
Fortunately, the water weight sheds quickly after delivery. Unfortunately, my weight gain will be more significant and I just look very puffy and bloated.
Maybe in the next post I’ll share a bump pic? To be perfectly honest, I need some more time adjusting to this changing body and working to improve my mindset about it before I open it up for the world to comment, ya know?
One of the other things that came up during my last visit was the upcoming oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). For the uninitiated, an OGTT requires that you drink a really, really sweet syrupy drink to see how quickly and efficiently your blood sugar returns to “normal” or baseline afterwards.
I told my doctor that I was thinking of declining this test for 2 reasons:
- I don’t want to put that highly processed beverage in my system
- I don’t think the test simulates reality. If we want to see how quickly my blood sugar returns to baseline after a normal meal, great. But after straight sugar? No thanks.
She was totally fine with it and what she suggested I do instead is check my fasting blood sugar and 2-hour post prandial once per week. I’m cool with that, I just need to get my blood sugar monitor out of the storage unit!
What I’m craving:
Organic honeycrisp apples. I’ve always loved them, but I could eat them all day every day.
Virgin spicy bloody mary’s. I haven’t had one yet, but I’ve asked a few times!
What sounds gross:
Unfortunately, meat & veggies sound pretty bad most of the time. I’m definitely challenging myself to eat clean each day. I can do better. I will do better. It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure. Fortunately, it’s all great opportunity for practice and I’m getting a lot of good mindset work in!
What I’m thinking about:
My next appointment is on 10/10 and will include an ultrasound. I’m really excited to see how baby girl has grown since I last saw her!
I have a lot of travel and work stuff coming up, so I’m trying to stay very focused & efficient for the next few months.
Hiring. I will be adding a director of operations to the Primal Potential team. More on that soon.
The nursery – we haven’t done anything but I’m hoping my mom & her husband can come help us lay down a floor soon. The nursery will be upstairs so we don’t have to wait on the construction.
Speaking of construction – when will it start?! How long will it take? Will it be on budget?
Relax, Elizabeth. That’s always on my mind. Relax and enjoy the moment you’re in.
