Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines — if you want to get some strength training in your life — this is the key!

Today’s guest is Kaleigh Cohen. Kaleigh has two YouTube channels, Kaleigh Cohen Cycling & Kaleigh Cohen Strength. She creates indoor cycle & strength programs that will transform you into an unstoppable force.

Links for you:

Kaleigh’s other episode on exercise in pregnancy (episode 248)

Timestamps:

00:00 Pulling Curls podcast: pregnancy, parenting, routines, YouTube.

06:05 Start with basic weights; focus on form.

07:24 Working out despite weight challenges; gradual progress.

10:23 Workouts help me discover and surprise myself.

Keypoints:

• Discussion on the importance of strength training for women’s overall health, especially as they age.

• Introduction of guest Kaleigh Cohen, who runs two YouTube channels focused on strength training and cycling.

• Personal anecdotes from Hilary about her mother’s severe bone issues and how it motivated her to take strength training seriously.

• Explanation of how resistance training helps increase bone density and overall strength.

• Clarification that strength training won’t lead to unwanted bulking up due to different testosterone levels in women.

• The misconception that walking alone isn’t sufficient for comprehensive strength training benefits.

• Recommendations for starting weights for beginners: light (5 lbs), medium (10 lbs), and heavier (15 lbs) sets, emphasizing good form.

• Encouragement for even small, consistent efforts in strength training, such as 10 minutes, three times a week.

• Personal insights from Kaleigh on how exercising helps her manage life’s challenges and improve other aspects of life.

• Call to action for women to start strength training, regardless of age, to avoid future bone-related health issues and maintain functionality.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:01.410] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 252, we are talking about strength training for women. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:10.600] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:38.790] – Hilary Erickson

This episode of the Pulling Curls Podcast is sponsored by Family Routines. If you are looking to make margins in your life where you have some room to do extra things like strength training, come join me where we help you prioritize what you really want to do with your family and maybe even get those kids to help out a little bit more.

[00:00:56.690] – Hilary Erickson

Today’s guest has two YouTube channels, one about strength, one about cycling, and I join her a few times a week on YouTube so that I can do them with you. I want to introduce today’s guest, Kaleigh Cohen.

[00:01:08.110] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, Kaleigh, welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:01:10.540] – Hilary Erickson

Thank you.

[00:01:11.100] – Kaleigh Cohen

I am so excited to be here again. This is just so much fun with you, Hilary.

[00:01:14.750] – Hilary Erickson

Yes. So we actually just recorded an episode on exercise and pregnancy, but I was like, we don’t need to leave out all my non-pregnant listeners. Let’s talk about strength training for women, because I feel like growing up, they were like, let’s do aerobics.

[00:01:29.800] – Hilary Erickson

Now I’m older than you, Kaleigh. Let’s just put that out there. But the more I’ve researched strength in women’s lives, the more I’m like, oh, we got to do this.

[00:01:40.020] – Kaleigh Cohen

Absolutely. And for real, it has become my passion to just share how much you can gain from just strength training in your life, especially for women who are hitting that menopause age, and even well after that. It makes such a huge difference in your everyday life. So I love it, and I am so excited to talk about it. Yeah.

[00:02:06.010] – Hilary Erickson

So a little backstory, Kaleigh already knows this, but my mom has bones that are like pretzels. So she got knees done, both femurs broke after she got knees done. It cracked her femurs. And then she recently broke one ankle, went septic, it healed, and then she fell and broke both ankles.

[00:02:25.270] – Hilary Erickson

Literally, it looks like a pretzel, like somebody just stood on a little stick pretzel on X-rays. So in seeing all of this, as I am 47 at the time of… Wait, am I 48? I think I’m 48 at the time of this recording. I’m like, I only have a few more years of estrogen flowing through my body. It’s time to really take strength seriously. I have done pretty lightweights here and there. I loved the Firm back in the day. I don’t know if Kaleigh, do you remember the Firm?

[00:02:53.360] – Kaleigh Cohen

That sounds super familiar. Was there a step?

[00:02:57.270] – Hilary Erickson

Oh, there’s a step. They are like step for wives because They are all perfectly in sync, perfectly with smiles plastered on their face. There’s no sweat at any point, no frustration. I did the firm for a long time, and I was really into that, getting with my Stepford Wives, doing exactly what they were doing. But let’s add heavy weights. That’s what I’ve been doing in the last year, and I am excited to talk about it because we got to grow our bones, ladies.

[00:03:25.990] – Kaleigh Cohen

Absolutely, yes. And that is one of the benefits of strength training is increasing your bone density, which you wouldn’t think so. But I should mention, resistance training kind of umbrellas all of the things.

[00:03:42.330] – Kaleigh Cohen

So I’ll interchange strength training and resistance training. Strength training generally falls under barbells, dumbbells, things like that. So just to put it out there, because there are so many other ways of resistance training that you can do kettlebells, exercise bands, resistance bands, all those things. So just as an umbrella, strength resistance will be interchange with my lingo today.

[00:04:04.910] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And the beauty is that you can really make a good variety of it. You don’t have to just stick with dumbbells, because in my head, I was like, I’m going to have to get a bench and I’m going to be like Popeye with these big arms.

[00:04:19.110] – Kaleigh Cohen

And that’s another misconception that women are just going to bulk up, and you’re right, look like Popeye. And we don’t want that. But that’s not how strength training will go for us, because we don’t have the same amount of testosterone. So women will generally take a more lean look when they start adding strength training to their routines.

[00:04:38.810] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And I think that’s what… Well, we all want Michelle Obama arms, right? That’s what we’re hoping for.

[00:04:43.520] – Kaleigh Cohen

Yeah, exactly.

[00:04:46.430] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And the other thing, a lot of my friends are like, Oh, I just go on walks. And I do think walks are such a great thing for so many different reasons. Vitamin D, getting outside, fresh air, walking with a friend, therapeutic. It’s amazing. Walking with a great podcast. Absolutely. Yeah. But walking isn’t particularly resistance training, right?

[00:05:07.470] – Kaleigh Cohen

No, it’s not really. You don’t necessarily have that weight-bearing aspect that you need to gain all those benefits that you would from resistance training overall or strength training.

[00:05:17.910] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And it’s just in one range of motion, I always seem. I walked for a long time, but my joints were in a one way. We only go one way.

[00:05:28.290] – Kaleigh Cohen

Exactly. Yes, that’s really true. That’s another really good point, because when you do add resistance training, you’re going to be moving all the different joints in the upper body and the lower body, all the things. So there is that aspect of strength training that really encompasses the entire body as opposed to walking.

[00:05:47.160] – Hilary Erickson

What weight do you suggest most people start at? I just have dumbbells. I have those little tiny dumbbells you can pick up at Walmart. I do not have a barbell. Not interested in that. My husband has some bow and arrow type thing that he’s always like, You should try it. And I was like, I would rather die.

[00:06:04.210] – Kaleigh Cohen

I don’t even know what that would be. So that’s actually really interesting. But that is a really good question because I think part of the most intimidating… One of the most intimidating things of strength training is just getting started because it can be so overwhelming.

[00:06:18.580] – Kaleigh Cohen

You’ve got dumbbells and, like you’ve mentioned, benches and stuff, but you don’t need anything fancy. If you just have a couple of sets of weights to begin with, so the weight that you would select if you’re just starting out will vary. To be honest, when you stick with it, you’re going to have to up your weights probably pretty quickly. But just to make sure as you start out, because I always say getting solid form in your workouts is going to be key, and picking the proper weight for yourself is part of that form.

[00:06:50.500] – Kaleigh Cohen

Starting out, if you had a light, medium, and heavier set, even 5, 10, and 15 pounds, and then from there, work your way up. One thing to is honestly just go into the store and just pick them up and just do 30 seconds of bicep curls. And if you can get away with it with ease, you’re like, This was easy, then that’s probably not where you want to start.

[00:07:12.360] – Kaleigh Cohen

You probably could up your weight a little bit from where you are. So we can test them out in the store and see, too, how we feel. Same with squats. You can check your upper body and lower body right there in the store and then make your decision.

[00:07:24.930] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. It’s such a triumph when I’m like, I think I’m going to try it. I’m going to order… And I I just went up to 10. I don’t want you guys thinking that I’m like… So I do like a 5, 8, 10 when I’m working out with Kaleigh because that’s where I’m at.

[00:07:39.070] – Hilary Erickson

I also have a lot of weight on my body right now that we’re working to get off. But if you guys listen to my weight loss episode that was earlier in the season, I’ll also link to that in the show notes. But if you’re already working with your body overweight, adding more can maybe make you sore. I’m trying not to hate it too much.

[00:07:58.710] – Kaleigh Cohen

Yeah. Well, good. See, that’s the thing. You don’t want to hate it. So wherever you are, wherever you feel like starting, start there, because that is going to be the best place for you to start. Because that is the one thing with any type of exercise, really, is you don’t want to get overwhelmed and you don’t want to get discouraged right out of the gate, because that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. No one wants that.

[00:08:16.310] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Or being so sore the next day. You can’t even sit down to pee. Yeah, right.

[00:08:21.460] – Kaleigh Cohen

You’re like, The toilet and the stairs are my enemy right now, and I do not want to go to you. Yes. So I totally get that for sure.

[00:08:29.680] – Hilary Erickson

Okay. Okay. Do you have tips for people who are like, I don’t know about strength training, anything to get them started? By the way, follow Kaleigh on YouTube. I found her workouts, and I was like, I really like that she struggles a little bit. She challenges herself on her weights.

[00:08:42.330] – Hilary Erickson

As we’re recording this, she’s 37 weeks pregnant, still filming workouts, and she’s not so bright and bubbly that I literally want to kill her because I work out at 05:00 AM. So really, when they’re just like, Let’s go. I’m like, Let’s drive a knife into your heart.

[00:08:58.000] – Kaleigh Cohen

Yeah, let’s not. But that’s funny. So when you’re getting started, and we actually talk about this in the pregnancy podcast, is just do what you can to start out. Even if you just start out small, just start where you are. Start.

[00:09:12.130] – Kaleigh Cohen

Because once you get started, you’ll find that you’ll go longer and longer each time, or even that workout in that time that you’re there, that five minutes is going to turn into 10, 15, and 20. I would say the biggest thing is just start, even if it’s five minutes, and go from there. Because you will find that you will love it. And so that’s how I always feel. I mean, there have been a lot of people that I’ve worked with who started and question why we’re doing this. And then after a few sessions, they’re like, I get it. I’m like, yes, you get it. There we go.

[00:09:46.200] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah, that’s amazing. I will say when I was researching it on myself, getting my bones thicker, they were 10 minutes, three times a week. 30 minutes of strength training can really make a difference in your bones. And in my head, I was like, okay, I can do 30 minutes a week. That’s something that’s doable for me. And now I’m increasing that just because I like the benefits and I feel like it could be helping me lose weight, et cetera, and just feel better.

[00:10:08.980] – Kaleigh Cohen

If you just start it for that… If you pick that one reason and just stay dedicated, just for even, like you said, 30 minutes a week, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish from there.

[00:10:20.430] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Anything else? What do you love about working out, Kaleigh?

[00:10:23.040] – Kaleigh Cohen

What I love about working out is it’s that time for me to just let go of everything else, not worry about anything, and just find out what I’m capable of. Because I think sometimes we get so bogged down in life that we are just going through the motions, and we don’t have that opportunity to really step out and just take charge of something.

[00:10:44.020] – Kaleigh Cohen

I feel like when I am doing my workouts, that’s a time for me to really just find out what I am capable of. I usually surprise myself.

[00:10:53.650] – Kaleigh Cohen

Now, every day is not like that, but when you have those days, they’re really good. Those are what always bring me back.

[00:10:59.110] – Hilary Erickson

And they remind you that you can be capable like that in other areas of your life, in your business, in parenting, especially parenting teenagers. I can breathe through this. We’re going to be fine.

[00:11:08.580] – Kaleigh Cohen

Exactly. Yes. That’s what I love, too, is just how what you take away from your workout will actually spread all throughout the other aspects of your life, not just in the weight room or whatever exercise you might be doing.

[00:11:23.930] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. I’ve seen the benefits all through my life, so I can’t recommend people to try it out more. Our moms, the people that are my age, our moms made the mistake of not using weights, and we’re seeing that they’re having to go to nursing homes to assisted living earlier because of their bones.

[00:11:41.020] – Hilary Erickson

Like, mentally, they’re there. They’re still great with my kids, but they’re going to have to go somewhere else because they just can’t hold themselves up. They don’t have the function that they need to live on their own. Yeah.

[00:11:51.470] – Kaleigh Cohen

And that is really a struggle to see. But really, at any age, you can start training. So don’t ever feel like it’s too late for yourself to start if you haven’t yet, and you will still see those benefits come through.

[00:12:06.780] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And hopefully, I’m hoping that now that I’m doing it now, once I hit menopause, which will probably be in the next year or so, no, probably a couple of years, I’ll feel the benefits even more and keep functional and all those different kinds of things. I just don’t want to end up with pretzel bones.

[00:12:24.000] – Kaleigh Cohen

Yes. No, for sure. It makes such a big difference, especially during that time of your life. I have heard so many benefits from women who do the workouts that have experienced positive outcomes during that time because of their strength training.

[00:12:38.000] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. All right. Thank you for coming on, Kaleigh. Thank you for your workouts, even if I swear at you sometimes at 5:00 AM.

[00:12:44.310] – Kaleigh Cohen

Well, thank you for working out with me. It’s always my favorite to have someone to work out with. It makes the workout way better.

[00:12:50.170] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. All right. Thanks, Kaleigh Cohen.

[00:12:53.520] – Hilary Erickson

Guys, I hope you enjoyed that episode. I can’t tell you that the more I’ve shared my mom’s issues, other people have tell me that their mom has had similar issues, and I know none of us want to be in that situation as we get older. So let’s grow our bones together. Let’s keep doing strength training. Thank you, Kaleigh, for all the good work you do out there. I love that your YouTube channel is free and totally available for all of us to check out and do, even if I swear you every now and then.

[00:13:22.160] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

strength training for women, resistance training, women’s strength training, bone density, menopause and strength training, strength training benefits, strength training tips, resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, exercise bands, weight lifting for women, increasing bone density, starting strength training, women and weight lifting, workout routine for women, menopause and exercise, strength training misconceptions, strength training form, benefits of strength training, prenatal exercise, postpartum exercise, body weight exercises, importance of resistance training, home workouts, functional fitness, starting weights, motivation to exercise, health benefits of strength training

The post Stronger Bones, Stronger Women: The Benefits of Strength Training appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Links for you:

The Workout Witch: https://theworkoutwitch.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Surprise parenting led to seeking somatic exercise.
04:45 Key takeaways: Calories matter, add fiber, beans.
07:14 Preventing osteoporosis through strength and mobility exercises.
10:22 Kelly Clarkson shares honest weight loss journey.

Keypoints:

Sure! Here’s the summary without the numbers:

• Introduction to the Episode:
• Hilary Erickson announces the focus on her personal weight loss journey and the episode aim to help keep things simple.
• Initial Struggles:
• Hilary describes experiencing pain, fatigue, and discomfort, prompting her to consider a focus on her health as her youngest child started high school.
• The Workout Witch:
• She discovered ‘The Workout Witch’ on social media who claimed to heal various pains through somatic exercises. Remarkably, Hilary’s hip pain was alleviated after following the exercises and addressing her jaw tension.
• Health Coach Involvement:
• Hilary engaged a health coach for focused guidance. This coach had a background in dietetics and helped Hilary with diet and nutrition strategies.
• Key Dietary Insights:
• Emphasis on three dietary pillars from the health coach: Protein intake, fiber consumption, and calorie regulation.
• Introduction to Semaglutide:
• Hilary began using semaglutide around Christmas, noting some side effects and the importance of gradual dose increases.
• Exercise Routine:
• Hilary implemented weight-bearing exercises to prevent osteoporosis, aiming for short, consistent sessions throughout the week.
• Weight Loss and Plateaus:
• Over the months, Hilary lost approximately 12 pounds but experienced plateau phases. Emphasis on protein, fiber, and calorie counting continued despite slow progress.
• Food Habits Changes:
• She noted that semaglutide reduced food chatter in her mind and made her cautious about overeating, particularly at restaurants.
• Overall Takeaway:
• Hilary is happy to have reduced pain and improved functionality, prioritizes sustainable small steps in her weight loss journey, and aims to eventually stop using semaglutide while maintaining her progress.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.630] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls podcast. Today on episode 237, we are talking about my weight loss journey. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:10.690] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:38.750] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, last fall, I found myself just in pain, tired, fatigued. No matter what I did, I just was miserable. And my youngest was starting high school. That’s an era where they have a little bit more autonomy. I knew that I wasn’t going to be as important in her life as friends and extracurriculars.

[00:00:56.290] – Hilary Erickson

And I just knew I would probably have some extra time in my life, right? I will say there are times in season in parenting, and I’m getting to that season where parenting doesn’t take as much of my time. Parenting takes you by surprise because all of a sudden a kid will need you a lot in time that you thought you would have otherwise.

[00:01:15.710] – Hilary Erickson

But I knew that I would have some extra time in my life, and I really wanted to start making a difference in my own health. So the first thing I did, I had seen her on social media. Her name is the Workout Witch, and she just said that she would be to heal your back, your pelvis, jaw, all these different types of pain through somatic exercises. And at the time, my pelvis was just really hurting, the right side of my pelvis, right in front of my hipbone.

[00:01:42.200] – Hilary Erickson

I was trying every stretch. I tried mobility, And I honestly felt like mobility had taken my plantar fasciitis away, but had just moved it on my pelvis to that hipbone, and I could not figure out how to heal it. So I was like, you know what? Let’s try this workout, which I really enjoyed her. And during the jaw session, I realized that I was chewing my tongue really frequently.

[00:02:07.920] – Hilary Erickson

And I know you’re going to be like, Hilary, you’re insane. Just go with me. And I was like, okay, I’m going to stop doing that because she was talking a lot about jaw tension. And I actually set up this thing in my phone where every 20 minutes it would remind me, don’t chew on your tongue. And I had that on my phone for a month. We were going on vacation, and my husband was like, is that still going to be on your phone when we go on vacation? And it wasn’t. It only took a little while, and I stopped chewing on my tongue. And just in general, a jaw tightness was what I was feeling. And after I stopped doing it, that hip pain went away entirely, which she does seem like a witch.

[00:02:44.080] – Hilary Erickson

And she said that’s how she got the name her friends. She would show her friends exercises to help with their problems, and they would be like, You are a witch. And it totally took it away. So I’m a big believer in the somatic exercises. I like that lady. It was a one-time purchase, which I’m a big fan of.

[00:02:58.240] – Hilary Erickson

So after I I was done with the Workout Witch, which I still wasn’t losing weight. One of her claims is that you’ll drop weight. Did not happen for me. And I decided to get a health coach. So I had seen a gal online. She had actually reached out to me first asking to partner with me.

[00:03:15.540] – Hilary Erickson

She wasn’t a great fit for that type of thing because I already have a nutritionist that I love for pregnancy. But later I was following her and I just liked the vibe that she had. And so I signed up with her to be my health coach. So she’s a gal who has her bachelor’s in dietetics. She is now on her way to getting her master’s. You have to have a master’s degree before you’re a dietitian, but she knew about diet quite a bit.

[00:03:38.260] – Hilary Erickson

That’s why she was a health coach, not like a dietitian. Side note, I had worked with a dietitian with my health share a few years prior to that and didn’t see much luck. So I wasn’t sure that a dietitian was going to help me anymore. And honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the coaching business model at all. And I was wondering what on earth she could provide me that I couldn’t just provide myself. Now, I will say that I’m an extremely motivated person. Once I say I’m going to do X, Y, Z, that ends up happening.

[00:04:06.190] – Hilary Erickson

But I tend to get caught up in which path am I even supposed to follow. And so sometimes I’ll change direction or too early to tell if something’s working or something like that. And so I found that this health coach ultimately helped me to just stay focused. And I boiled it down to three pillars. So that I needed to focus on protein, and then I also needed to remember about fiber, and then I also needed to remember that calories matter, right? Because you see so many people that are like, eat a high protein diet, and then they’re just like having steak every day.

[00:04:42.630] – Hilary Erickson

And for me, that is not a way to lose weight. You have to remember that the calories matter and you have to add the fiber in, right? Which a lot of things that are high in protein, except for beans and lentils, who doesn’t love a bean and a lentil now and then, are not high in fiber. So adding beans into the diet seemed to fit both of those bills.

[00:05:02.000] – Hilary Erickson

Those are just the three things that ultimately I took out of my health coach journey with her. So I was working with her for, I think, three to four months and had a great experience. She still touches base with me online, and I really appreciate that. But it just helped get my head on straight instead of just always trying the newfangled thing in weight loss. Because you and I know that weight loss is one of those things that we’ll listen to because a lot of people want to lose weight.

[00:05:29.500] – Hilary Erickson

In fact, there is a blogging lady that I followed at the beginning of my blogging journey who had a lot of good things to say about blogging at a reasonable price point. And then she made a coaching thing that was incredibly expensive and just continued to make it more and more and more expensive.

[00:05:46.260] – Hilary Erickson

And then that dried up. There weren’t bloggers who wanted to follow her there. And so what does she switch to? Dieting. She’s not a dietitian. She has no experience. She’s just telling people to follow the keto diet. And I’m like, Isn’t that the way? We just know that people want to do this thing, and so we will charge huge amounts of money to tell you silly things. And so that’s what a health coach did for me. It was a short period of time, and the principles have remained the same for me.

[00:06:14.410] – Hilary Erickson

I did start Semaglutide right before Christmas. I am using a compound pharmacy to get my Semaglutide. It ends up being about 125 a month, I think-ish. It really hasn’t been bad most of the time, but I did try and increase my dose a while ago, and I was like, exercise in the restroom. So I backed it off a little bit, and I’m just slowly increasing it by a unit every week. My doctor is really cool about things. He doesn’t feel like I have to follow the… Because usually it goes like a 5, 10, 15 jump. Right now, I’m at 12.

[00:06:47.310] – Hilary Erickson

This Thursday, I’ll give myself 13 just to see if it can help me lose weight. Ultimately, I am… Well, we’ll get to that. Don’t worry. I don’t want to spoil it, how I’m just a skeleton now. Just kidding. And the other thing that really ultimately became important in this journey was weight-bearing exercises.

[00:07:06.810] – Hilary Erickson

So my mom has had an issue with broken bones, and her bones are just real thin and fragile. And I have made a goal to not let that be me because I’ve ultimately seen that it can be really problematic as you age. So I wanted to prevent osteoporosis, especially before I go into menopause. I’m 48 right now when I’m recording this, and bone growth was something that I really wanted to work on. And studies show that the best thing you can do for bone growth is weight exercises, so strength training.

[00:07:37.970] – Hilary Erickson

And they say you really don’t have to do a ton of it a week. Ten minutes, three times a week is what I focus on. I do some strength training, and then I really work on mobility and functional exercises so that I retain those things. One of my least favorite, but probably best ones, is where you’re kneeling on the ground and then you stand up, and then you get back down, and you kneel, and you stand back up.

[00:07:57.070] – Hilary Erickson

I hate that exercise, but they say that that is one of your best ones to keep your function around. So ultimately, I have lost, since Christmas, maybe 12 pounds. So we’re about six months out when I’m recording this from Christmas. I’ve lost about 12 pounds.

[00:08:16.420] – Hilary Erickson

I mean, I just don’t think that’s anything to write home about. That’s like two pounds a month. I am currently and have been stuck at the last month at a one to two pound variance. Part of me is like, Is it something mental? I did track calories for a week. It seemed to help, but I still have not gotten below. I want that second number to change, and I haven’t had that change yet.

[00:08:38.140] – Hilary Erickson

But I’m going to really just keep trying to focus on protein is important, so is fiber and calories matter, because I think when I do those things, the weight should come off, especially with the semaglutide. In case you were wondering, what have I seen otherwise besides negative side effects, I do feel like my food chatter in my brain is very minimal. I am extra cautious about eating extra because that’s when you get sick.

[00:09:03.220] – Hilary Erickson

So I really listen to that alarm in my head that is like, Okay, you’re full, so that I stop eating, especially at restaurants, because I don’t know what types of fats and things they’re cooking with. So fries, I try not to order any. I just have a couple off of my husband or kids plate, which I’m sure they’re a huge fan of. But you’re also aiming to just not get sick, because if you eat too much on the semi-glutide, you immediately get sick, and it’s not fun for anyone.

[00:09:27.210] – Hilary Erickson

Those are the things I’m going to keep doing moving forward. Focusing on protein, fiber matters too, so do calories, right? I’m going to keep doing the semi-glutide. My goal was to do it for the year and just see how I’m doing. It is a fair amount of money each month, so I don’t want to keep doing it if I’m not losing weight, but I’m not gaining weight, so that seems to be a win. And then keep doing the strength training exercises.

[00:09:51.190] – Hilary Erickson

I’m hesitant to increase my exercise too much because I feel like when I exercise more, I gain weight. Which it could be that I’m gaining muscle, they always say, but I don’t feel like my pants or anything is fitting looser or anything like that. So I’m just trying to keep it those 10 minutes of strength. And then I add cardio walking, pickleball. We love pickleball at my house. Of course, right now it’s summer in Arizona, so I try not to go outside in any form, but I’m just trying to keep moving a little bit more than I used to.

[00:10:22.400] – Hilary Erickson

So that is my weight loss journey. There’s nothing magical. I’m not the Kelly Clarkson who comes back for the next season and is stick thin. That has not been my experience. Would I like it to be? I mean, yes, in my head, I would like it to be, but I also know that small steps are ones that are easier to not roll back on, right? Because I don’t want to keep taking the semi-glutide for the rest of my life. I would like to go off of it at some point and hopefully maintain the weight loss that I found.

[00:10:49.330] – Hilary Erickson

But ultimately, I’m most happy that my body just isn’t hurting anymore. I was having so much pain with my hip and things like that, that it was just difficult to be my person. And so I’m really I’m glad that those are feeling better.

[00:11:01.210] – Hilary Erickson

I’m able to move better, move more. We go to Disneyland and stuff like that, and I’m not just dying. I mean, I’m sort of dying. It’s Disneyland. But in normal physical activities, I’m not dying. I feel fine. So that is my weight loss journey. If you guys have any questions, come find us over on Instagram. We’ll have a post for this episode.

[00:11:19.650] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. We are talking about Aspirin During Pregnancy on our next episode. And the week after that, I am talking about having more fun at home. So stay tuned.

[00:11:28.950] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

weight loss journey, Pulling Curls podcast, Hilary Erickson, overcomplicating things, serial overcomplicator, pregnancy and parenting, weight loss, fatigue, health coach, somatic exercises, workout witch, pelvis pain, fiber intake, protein intake, calories matter, dietetics, dietitian, semaglutide, strength training, osteoporosis prevention, bone growth, mobility exercises, functional exercises, weight bearing exercises, food chatter, nutritionist, resting, dieting myths, keto diet, weight management, health improvement

The post Semaglutide and Strength Training: Wins, Struggles, and Surprises appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines — if you’re looking for margins that allow you to fix things like incontinence or pelvic floor issues, you need to get your home life in order so come join me!

Links for You:

The Workout Witch: https://www.tiktok.com/@theworkoutwitch

Timestamps:

00:00 Language barrier made medical visits unbearable. Improved with shots.
05:18 Patience with bladder, routine, calm actions key.
06:20 Mixing up bathroom cues for better control.
10:55 Join me on Instagram, share your experience.

Keypoints:

1. Hilary discusses her experience with pelvic floor physical therapy after experiencing pelvic and tailbone pain post-pregnancy.
2. She shares her challenges with understanding the therapist’s heavy accent and lack of improvement in her condition despite multiple sessions.
3. Hilary tried Deroit shots and chiropractic treatment, but found no relief from her symptoms, including urge incontinence.
4. After seeking help from a well-known pelvic floor therapist on Instagram, she found that the focused core and pelvic floor exercises did not alleviate her urge incontinence issues.
5. Hilary reflects on the importance of learning patience and managing the urge to pee, attributing calmness and a set routine to her improvement.
6. She found that reducing her water intake lessened her urge incontinence symptoms, contrary to conventional advice to stay hydrated.
7. While focusing on pelvic floor training, Hilary experienced worsening hip pain, which she addressed through somatic exercises with The Workout Witch, leading to relief and highlighting the interconnectedness of the body.
8. Hilary emphasizes the need to explore different therapies and practitioners when faced with unresolved issues, with patience and individualized solutions being key.
9. The episode ends with a teaser for upcoming episodes on charting in labor and delivery and valuable Disneyland tips.
10. Hilary encourages engagement with her audience on Instagram to share their experiences with pelvic floor physical therapy and alternative treatments.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.000] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls podcast. Today on episode 221, we are talking about pelvic floor physical therapy. Might be a little too TMI for some of you, but let’s untangle it.

[00:00:11.980] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled: The Pulling Curls podcast.

[00:00:41.030] – Hilary Erickson

Today’s episode is sponsored by Family Routines. If you are looking to make margins in your life to do things like pelvic floor physical therapy, come join family routines where I can help you get into a routine and make more margins in your life and help your family to help out more.

[00:00:55.550] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so pregnant with last baby, intense tailbone pain. I had lightning crotch as well, said it was going to be to a TMI. So if this is too much, just stop. You can come join me on my next episode. But I had that the whole time. And after I had my baby, the tailbone pain continued to be really intense. Sitting in meetings for work or church were just excruciating. So they sent me to a pelvic floor physical therapist, and I went to her probably six times, and it never was getting better. Nothing was helping. And she was like, Oh, it’ll help next time. Also, big language barrier. She spoke English, but a real heavy accent. And in the area that we were talking about and the things she was doing, I didn’t understand what she was doing. And I was pretty good at speaking accent and the area of anatomy that she was working in.

[00:01:47.230] – Hilary Erickson

So the fact that I couldn’t understand her, it just wasn’t working. And I dreaded every trip. So I just decided to quit that. So I did get some steroid shots in my tailbone. One really helped. And when I noticed the one helped, also took away my plantar fasciitis, which I had as well. And it started to make me think, are these two related? I also went to a chiropractor. No luck with him either. I tried the things, didn’t help. And honestly, my doctor and everyone else was just like, that is how it is. It’ll take a while to heal, right? And I think it was probably maybe two and a half years later before I could sit in the car without just to die the whole time. So magical, yeah.

[00:02:33.210] – Hilary Erickson

So I’d worked on my pelvic floor and my core, and that seemed to help. But I did notice that I still had issues where when I decided I was going to pee, my body was like, “Great, let’s do it. Let’s do it right now.” And I would have a hard time then. So some people call it, I think they call it, a keyhole urinary incontinence or urge incontinence, I think is what a lot of people call it.

[00:02:57.850] – Hilary Erickson

And so I reached out to one of the big pelvic floor physical therapist that’s on Instagram. And I was like, Hey, this is my problem. I said, Urge Incontinence is my problem. Will your program help that? She was like, 100 %. It will totally help. Come join me. Paid cash out of my own pocket. I’m not going to say who it was. Did not help. It was a ton of core and pelvic floor, but honestly, I think my pelvic floor is okay. It’s my brain that’s not okay. So once again, I attended a physical therapist. I did it for 30 days straight, you guys. Like, Sundays, was it more than 30 days? I think it was longer than that. I think it was like 12 weeks. It was 12 weeks. Did it every day, every single day. I tried to speed it up, so that’s why I added Sunday. She was saying, Do it three times a week, and I added another day in there. Anyway, so didn’t help at all. I think I probably strengthened my core. It was just miserable. Strengthened my pelvic floor a little bit. She didn’t talk at all about any other type of incontinence.

[00:04:01.020] – Hilary Erickson

They act like the only type is where if you do jump on the trampoline or jumping jacks, then you wet yourself. And maybe that’s the more common kind, but it wasn’t the kind that I had. And again, I just felt like everyone was ignoring me. And I tagged her a few times in it. Also, her course, she doubled up on some videos, and I was like, did you realize that that week and that week are the same? And she was like, oh, didn’t notice. And I was like, “she’s like, oh, they should be different.” Anyway, that’s a story for another day. But anyway, it just didn’t work out.

[00:04:32.690] – Hilary Erickson

So then I decided it’s just a different incontinence. I shouldn’t have gone searching for something that fixes one type when my type is so different. So my brain, when it says, “yes, we’re going to pee,” my bladder is 100 % on board right then. It’s not like, okay, let me know when you’re on the toilet. It’s like, okay, let’s go now. Kind of like how I am. I’m extremely impatient, and so is my bladder, which is unfortunate. I feel like my bladder could be a little better than I am.

[00:05:00.190] – Hilary Erickson

So let me tell you what I think it came down to for me. First off, I had to learn how to be more patient with myself. I needed to learn to be patient. My bladder needed to learn to be patient because as soon as I would get that urge of you need to pee now, I would tense up, I would get stressed out. I was making it worse. So I wasn’t being patient. My bladder wasn’t being patient. And I had to learn to just take some deep breaths, clench all those muscles that I had worked so freaking hard on in that program that didn’t work. And And then slowly go instead of just running.

[00:05:33.930] – Hilary Erickson

Because it really is like your bladder is like a whiny toddler. And when you give it the attention it wants every time it whines, it’s going to keep doing that. So being patient with myself, making it not an emergency, which means I probably wore pads a lot, helped for sure. Also doing all the things calmly rather than rushing and trying to take care of the winy toddler bladder, right? Doing things more calmly really helped out. The other thing that really helped was I was in a very set routine.

[00:06:07.000] – Hilary Erickson

So I work from home. I was in a routine where I would work for 40 minutes, then go pee. And so my bladder would see that I was on minute 38 and be like, “Okay, we’re going to pee soon. That’s awesome. Let’s go. Let’s get going, right?” My impatient bladder. And so I started to mix up how I peed. And when I got home from the grocery store, I would try to not pee right away. I would try to not pee right before I took my shower. So I was just trying to mix things up so that my body didn’t have all these cues that it was time to pee. Because when I was out and about, I wouldn’t end up having issues because my body didn’t have those cues. When I’m at Disneyland, I can hold my pee forever because there aren’t set cues that are like, “We have to go to the bathroom right now,” if that makes sense.

[00:06:47.880] – Hilary Erickson

And then here’s the last one, which is going to be a real shock coming from me because I’m the pregnancy nurse. I’m all about hydration, all about hydration. You got to drink more, you got to drink more. But I drink less because I watched some videos that they were like, “If you have this issue, it may just be that you’re drinking too much.” Now, my urine was nice and clear, but I would just keep drinking tons of water because that’s what they say you’re supposed to do. So I started drinking less. Instead of a full glass right as soon as I woke up, I would drink half a glass. And I noticed that the problem lessened, which is a real shock. But still feeling very hydrated. I’m making sure to get it in frequently during the day rather than one giant glass and then waiting two hours. I’m having a half glass every hour or so, which actually evens out possibly even water.

[00:07:31.010] – Hilary Erickson

So I think if you have this problem, you could just be making it worse by how much you’re drinking water. And that isn’t to say that you should dehydrate yourself, but I don’t think you need to overhydrate yourself so that you end up having this issue even more. I did watch some videos on YouTube that were super, super helpful for urgent continence. So if you’re looking for stuff like that, there are some really helpful ones.

[00:07:53.250] – Hilary Erickson

The UK has a nice series about it. So the odd thing is while I was doing the pelvic floor training with the big time Instagrammer, I started to notice that I had this hip pain that was getting worse. So I had cured my plantar fasciitis through different things, hip mobility and stuff like that. But it felt like it had come to my hip, it just traveled right up to my hip. And doing all the pelvic floor stuff with her somehow made it worse. The hip pain was an eight out of 10 a lot of the times. If I would stand up from seated, really, really painful. And so I was actually looking around. I found this person called The Workout Witch. She does somatic exercises. And I’ve actually found that by working on my hips, I did her program where you do hips and then jaw, neck, and then abs. I’m in the abs section right now, but the jaw, neck portion really helped my hips. I don’t have the pain at all anymore. And it is literally just from pulling on your ears, working your neck and stuff like that. So it was the workout, which I actually asked her to come on the podcast to talk to us about it. It’s somatic exercise. I doubt that she’s the only one that you should do. Her program was okay priced.  Luckily, the other thing I liked about it is it was a one-time purchase.

[00:09:06.720] – Hilary Erickson

I think so often course creators want to do fairly high priced monthly payments. And that doesn’t work for everybody. And I just needed a one-time program that I want to be able to do several times if I need it. So it was nice that it was a one-time purchase. But the somatic exercises have really helped my hips. Again, I have no idea why, but I’ve seen a lot of information lately about how you’re jaw relates to your pelvis. And I think somehow in doing those things, it helped my hips to relax, which is absolutely insane.

[00:09:39.320] – Hilary Erickson

So a few lessons here because I’m always like, “go to physical therapy.” But a lot of time, physical therapy is just like a doctor. They don’t listen to you or they don’t have the knowledge, and they really aren’t able to help you in your situation. I have done that now three times, all of them pretty darn unhelpful. So I just want to let you guys know that sometimes you have to look around and search, and it takes a little bit of time.

[00:10:02.410] – Hilary Erickson

It doesn’t matter how committed I was to that pelvic floor workout, which I was. I muscled through that baby. It didn’t fix my problem. Even in my head, I thought, “the more I work out, the better I’m going to be.” Side note, see my podcast on letting go. That’s a good one for this one as well. And then the second thing is, try some different things. I saw this lady who just talked about releasing pain in your hips, and I was like, I have pain in my hips. I would like to release it. And it honestly, it seemed crazy. But I was like, “You know what? Let’s give it a whirl because it sure seems different than what I’m trying with these other people.” And it seems to have really helped. And also to be patient with yourself. So you can have a patient bladder and a patient life.

[00:10:41.060] – Hilary Erickson

Those are my thoughts on pelvic floor physical therapy. Still work in I’m going to be in progress over here. Learning to be patient is always a work in progress, but I feel like I’m doing better. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, no matter how hard you work on a problem, you can’t entirely fix it. It just takes time.

[00:10:56.020] – Hilary Erickson

So if you guys are taking pelvic floor physical therapy, I’d love to see you over in my Instagram. We’ll have a post about this, and I would love to know you guys’ experience or if you’ve tried anything else that has helped.

[00:11:07.760] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. We are going to be talking about charting next week about why your nurse or your doctor spend so much time charting even more if they’re in labor and delivery. And then the week after that, I am sharing my best Disneyland tips with my best Disneyland buddies. So stay tuned for both of those.

[00:11:22.940] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls podcast today. If you like today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

Pelvic floor physical therapy, TMI, tailbone pain, lightning crotch, deroid shots, plantar fasciitis, chiropractor, urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, core strength, language barrier, anatomy, patient bladder, hydration, somatic exercises, hip pain, physical therapy, routine, pregnancy nurse, Instagram, charting, labor and delivery, Disneyland tips, patience, bladder health, anatomy, somatic exercises, water intake, pelvic floor workout, pain management.

The post Let’s Talk Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy appeared first on Pulling Curls.

{full disclosure, Flexispot gave me a bike to review — but once I saw it, I was all heart eyes about it — they are not paying me for the review and all opinions are 100% my own}

First off, you can get a 5% Flexispot coupon code if you use my link to buy any of the desk/standing bikes at Flexispot — pretty great!

I also have a post on the best office chairs for pregnancy.

Desk Cycle for Weight Loss

Before Flexispot sent me the bike I was pretty disgusted by my own sedentary lifestyle…. I found it really hard to work my 12-hour shift as a nurse and I found simple tasks were getting harder and harder to do.

The reality is that I spend a LOT of time at a desk.  Typing away and doing social media and responding to emails.  The majority of the time my kids are at school I try to just put my nose to the grindstone and get stuff done.

BUT, if I want to be able to walk them to the park or keep up on a bike I find myself floundering.

Plus, I am certainly not at the weight I’d like to be (honestly, I am probably 100 pounds over where a good BMI is at).

Using the desk cycle for weight loss is certainly my first goal, but a close second is just having more activity.

Pedal Exerciser Benefits

For me, there have been a lot of benefits.

I have really bad plantar fasciitis and walking has been KILLING my feet lately.  This gives a low-impact alternative.

Plus, it’s a great way to work on lower body muscles when you increase the effort.  Pretty great.

Related Post:  How to teach adults to ride a bike

Do pedal exercisers burn calories

Of course they do.

Is it as good as a full body cardio workout?

Probably not?

But you can also jump off and go make breakfast or whatever instead of crawling up the stairs like you are dying.

I do not believe that this will be my only workouts — I plan to also do cardio, weights and yoga.  But in hot Arizona, I think it’s the best of all worlds.  And I desperately needed it.

Deskcise pro review

I absolutely love the bike.  All of the details are in the video below – but here are my 5 favorite things:

Pros for the Deskcise

1.  It’s super sturdy.  For the price, I felt like it was sturdier than I was expecting.  I have nor fear of kids (older than preschoolers) getting on it
2.  The desk part is really big, and remains very stable.  I have no fear of my laptop falling, it also has a cushioned wrist rest for when you’re typing.  IT’s also plenty big for a workbook for wiggly bodies who have homework.
3.  The tension options are awesome, they make a big difference.

Cons for the Deskcise

1.  It takes a good amount of floor space (although it’s easily moved) — so if space is a big issue, it may not work for you
2.  It’s not as sporty-looking as maybe some would like.  It’s created for an office environment — which is fine for me.
3.  You can’t pre-program in tension changes like a spin class.  In fact, I’m not sure you could do a spin class type workout on this bike (which again, is fine for me).

Deskcise & Flexispot coupon code

You can get a 5% Flexispot coupon code if you use my link to buy any of the desk/standing bikes at Flexispot.  When you click through it will show you the code you can use on the bikes.

Best under desk cycle

Flexispot also has an under desk cycle.

While I think these sound like a good idea — I think it’s just hard in a desk chair at a normal desk.

Flexispot sells one, but I much prefer the Deskcise.

So, what are you waiting for?  Check out their desk options right now (they have awesome standing desks as well — my coupon is good on any non-sale items on the site):

The post Desk Cycle for Weight Loss Review: Plus a Flexispot Coupon Code appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Even if you’re an adult who wants to ride a bike, or a child who’s ready to ride without training wheels, this no-fall method will have you cruising your neighborhood in no time!

It’s surprising that my kid’s first words haven’t been “careful” – as I think they hear that more than any other word as they grow up.  I’m a paranoid mom, raising cautious kids.

It’s not that I’m proud of it – it’s just a fact at this point and as I was teaching my daughter to ride her bike sans training wheels I was regretting all those “careful” moments.

We removed the trainers when she was about 5.  She was a great bike rider and I knew she’d just take off!

But, oh — the tears, and tears, and tears made us put them back on.

But, a year later I was sure that she was ready, but she – again was not.  While I was holding her bike seat and running by her I tripped giving us all a nice fall and scrapes.  The tears were back – pleading for the training wheels to go back on.

After the tears had died down, cool heads prevailed and I turned to a good friend – YouTube.

It was time to see if there were any good videos about riding your bike.  She and I looked at them together and I have to say it was my best move yet.  Much better than tripping while trying to help her.

YouTube had a bounty of great videos that helped her feel like she could do it.

This one in particular was really great for her.

How to ride a bike

It was a 5-minute solution (which we turned into working on each step for a couple of days, and within 5 days she was riding on her own and SO proud of it.  I was crazy proud OF her.  It was a huge win for all of us.  Yes, there were still a few spills, but nothing too crazy and she got up and tried again.

Riding a Bike Without Training Wheels

I am not sure that this would work as well for kids who haven’t ridden quite a lot, but she was very familiar with her bike, so she was certainly ready to ride…. she just was too nervous.  This system was great!

Ok, let’s talk about the steps in this system which will teach you how to ride a bike without training wheels

1.  Use your feet to propel you forward, not using the pedals, and allowing your feet to catch you (this is easy to do if you have a balance bike, but we never had one of those — you can also remove the pedals at this stage, that will basically make a kick bike).
2. Practice turning as you do that.
3. Now practice with one foot on a pedal, and one foot kicking along — again, practice turning and breaking as you work this step.
4. Now, bring up both feet onto the pedals.  Make sure you practice using the hand brakes, vs bringing your feet down.

Tips for how to ride a bike as an adult

The steps are really the same as a child.  Just be sure to take it slow and really get your balance on the bike before you move to the next step.

Now, this next part is especially for moms, who may have issues with the bike seat:

Moms – you might see your kids riding with so much pride, thinking that family bike rides would be great.  And, you’re right.  But for me – my pelvis split when I had Princess P and I have had a hard time riding a bike since then.  I am working on it though.  Here are a few tips for moms trying to ride a bike:

1. Skootch back.  I was riding Right on the baby exit area.  Apparently, in my head, that was where you were supposed to ride.  Instead, you’re supposed to ride on your sit bones (those are the bones you sit on).  For me, that was done by scooting back on my seat.
2. Tip your seat forward. By tipping the front down a little bit, it allowed me to scoot back better and ride on just my sit bones.  Rather than any pressure on your lady parts.  I have a friend who actually broke her clitoris by riding right on that front part too hard.  Don’t do it!
3. Bike shorts – you can get good, quality padded biker shorts for not too expensive. I just got this pair off Amazon.  It doesn’t ride up and is super comfortable.
4. Padded seat – grab a padded seat – I’ve always gotten a cover (not the full seat). They last pretty well, even in Arizona where it gets really hot (although, my bike is kept in the garage, and not in the direct sun).
5. Sit more upright. Keep your pelvis more upright, vs leaning forward (like a racing biker).  That will keep you from leaning into your lady parts.

How to ride a bike to lose weight

While you might be tempted to jump right into a spin class, it can be smart to start slow and bike for enjoyment.

Going on family bike rides is really fun, but it can take a while to get back to it, especially if you’ve had pelvis issues with childbirth .  I’m a good 4 months into my bike riding experience and it still hurts a lot, but I enjoy doing it, and I hope that my endurance will build up.

And it might even repair my symphisis pubis by building those muscles (I sure hope so!)

If you liked this post and you’d like more tips for easier parenting, check out my newsletter.  Get just what you want straight to your inbox!

The post How to ride a bike for adults & children {the no-fall method} appeared first on Pulling Curls.

And thin.

Crazy thin.

I thought I’d be thin forever — I never thought it would change.

But, then I was on birth control and home a lot. I had a rough start in our marriage, just didn’t adjust well.

I found myself at a health spa (for a class I was taking). She weighed me in at just under #170 and she went on and ON about how fat I was and how I’d die an early death.

I knew my pants had gotten tighter…

But woah, I really had gained weight.

And in reality, I think I wasn’t too far off from a weight that is manageable for me.

But I was devastated and embarrassed. She’d done it in front of my classmates and I was humiliated. I vow’d that I’d watch what I ate.

I started to work out more and buy more chicken. I walked to school more and I really started to make an effort and “diet”

Except the weight didn’t change. I was staying about the same.

A couple years after that I got pregnant. I gained a normal amount of weight (feeling guilty about it the whole time).

I was absolutely miserable post-baby. I had been torn stem to stern, he cried ALL the time. I was alone, I couldn’t get his car seat to latch into the base in the car and I ended up staying home almost all the time. I had no friends, and I was in a pretty poor place.

I knew the weight wasn’t coming off so I went on a diet where I only ate fruits or veggies during the date, with a regular dinner.

Didn’t help lose weight.

Then, we moved to California. Suddenly I had even fewer friends, I worked the PM shift and my weight headed into a number that started with a 2. Just as I was starting to settle there, I had another baby. Weight was pretty stable in the “2” zone post having him. I tried diets and workouts. I really liked doing aerobics tapes in the early morning. Gave me a little place to get my aggression out. But, weight never really shifted.

I was trying to get pregnant all this time — and I knew that weight might be the issue it wasn’t working.

I saw a TV show about intuitive eating.

All along I thought that our body should truly be able to keep us at a healthy weight — that I must be somehow ignoring cues that I should be following to help me be healthy.

This program seemed to be something that followed your body’s natural rhythms.

And it worked — I finally got into the 180 range. And I finally got pregnant.

I was on the diabetic diet from 10 weeks along and it was rough. When she was born I went on a sugar rush. My friend brought me cake in the hospital. It never tasted so good.

And cue downward spiral post-birth.

I was having serious anxiety and panic attacks. I couldn’t focus on my cues because I felt entirely overwhelmed by everything. The slightest thing made me so anxious I wanted to scream.

So…. that went on for about 9 months. I finally decided to try weight watchers. I needed to try to control something. And, I did really well at it. Except that I was so obsessed with the points I thought about them about 1/2 of my day. Plus, when I wouldn’t lose with the points they had allotted me — I would decrease my # of points. Plus add exercise. It was a constant numbers battle in my head. But, I did lose — I got down to about 170 — and then my husband got laid off.

Cue downward spiral.

Only this time, I really tried to stay intuitively eating. I had found a portion size that worked, plus I was so stressed out by everything I was spending time buying a house on the internet and packing. Food definitely took a side-seat. I was too busy to eat. for me and I remember being early in our life here in Arizona and seeing 156 on the scale and just thinking how great I was.

I remember being early in our life here in Arizona and seeing 156 on the scale and just thinking how great I was.

And then I thought that I could work harder and lose more.

So I did — I started counting calories…. and trying harder.

My weight inched up.

and I tried harder

and it inched up….

and now, I sit here with a 2 in front of my number again.

I tried hard, and it backfired.

In February I hired an accountability coach who had me read this book. I liked the idea. I often “forget” to eat — so reminding myself to pop something in my mouth helped.

And then my accountability coach stopped contacting me. Yes, you read that right. I thought it was odd — about a month into her not messaging me anymore I asked her what was up. I think it was a combination of my unwillingness to buy her meal plan (I did pay her for her time — and I was 100% up front that I didn’t want to buy pre-packaged meals), not getting the amazing results she could post on FB and her really having no clue how to help someone being accountable unless they followed the meal plan.

Plus, I think she REALLY wanted me to go Vegan — and I was pretty clear that was never going to happen.

ANYWAY. I was bugged, but in my heart, I knew I’d thrown that $100 bucks away anyway. She hadn’t taught me anything new. She had mentioned Intuitive Eating — which I just got and started reading.

And I’m liking what I’m reading.

I’m reading that dieting doesn’t work. It backfires and you lose weight.

That you have to let go of the weight, that you need to listen to your body. Fulfill your craving with small amounts of the foods you really want and move on with your life.

And I’m excited to be free of all of this.

I loved how she says that “Finicky cats are finicky because they always know another meal is coming.”

Much of my life is lived with a concern for the future. Do we have enough money, enough things? I was recently able to give up my money addiction and realize that we’d just get enough to fulfill our needs — and my worry about it, or constantly counting it wasn’t going to give us any more.

And it’s really free’d me.

And now it’s time to do the same with food.

As a side-note, we have signed up for a Christian Health Share (we chose Liberty Health Share) because our health insurance bill had finally gotten to be more than our mortgage. Because I am overweight, they have assigned me a health coach (I also have to pay $50/month more until I lose the weight).

Maybe this one will keep track of me.

It really does help having someone smart to talk it over with. Talk about my feelings and how things are going. I am hopeful it will help a lot.

But either way — I’m letting go of my need to lose weight, and I’m looking to stop obsessing over food. Stop over-filling myself, and start enjoying it all more.

I never want to have the feeling of eating too much again. Why do I give that to myself — was it really worth it?

I don’t even want to be back to the #118 — I really just want to be happy and healthy. I think that’s what we all want.

Oh, and as far as fitness — I’m using TRX bands. I’m hoping it will help my core issues. I like it — but it’s tough. Has anyone tried it? There are SO many ways to use it!

Does any of this resonate with you? I’d love to know in the comments.

Have you done a diet only to find yourself more overweight than when you started?

Tell me about it!

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The post My Weight Loss Journey appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Today’s a day that I’m keepin’ it real.  I’ve been stressed over the job situation.

I found comfort in some of my favorite Trader Joe snacks.  Anything salty of lovely or of good report, I seek after those things.  I did a whole workout program at the beginning of the year and I didn’t lose like I thought I should have and that depressed me.  Not long after that the job stress came on hard.  I am tired of being fat.

And {sigh}

I’ve gained 20 pounds’ish in the last year.

And I feel horrible about it.  I lost about 50 pounds at one point.  Over a LONG period of time.  I lost about 20, and then I got pregnant with Miss P.  I had glucose intolerance with her and I went a bit hog wild post-baby but got back on the wagon and when we moved here I was at a GREAT weight.  Of course, I wanted to be lower and I kept dieting and trying things which have led me to this point.  I’m within 10 pounds of my starting weight. {sigh}

I’ve had success with 2 things. The first off being the old Weight Watcher’s plan.  The one before fruits and veggies were free.  I can’t seem to lose on the new plan.  I also can’t haul myself to meetings or track on my phone at this point.  My obsessive nature takes over and it is ALL I think about.  Food becomes my entire life when I’m on that.  It’s not healthy, for me.

The other thing is just eating slowly til’ I’m no longer hungry and then STOPPING.  That’s how I started losing weight the first time.  And I think the reality is that I don’t eat a whole lot of calories on that diet.  BUT, I’m eating what I want.  I’m not obsessed with foods.  I think about what I want to eat when I’m hungry next, I wait til’ I’m hungry, I eat a few bites of that thing, and then I move on to my real life.  I have a firm belief that if we listen to our body, it will tell us when we’re full and we should STOP.  I lost 20 pounds on this type of a diet before I got pregnant with Princess P.

You’ll notice that neither of these plans includes working out.  Working out isn’t in the weight loss equation for me.  I really thought that this January when I tried SO hard with tough workouts and sticking to her diet I’d do great.  I just didn’t.

Now, I know there’s some of you just thinking I’m vain — and I am.  As are you.  But there’s SO much more to losing weight.  So, without further adieu I’m going to name the 10 worst things about gaining weight.

Think PCOS is stopping you from getting pregnant — check out this PCOS planner to help you conceive!

Why I’m Sick of Being Fat

I get worse cramps.

I don’t normally notice cramps at all, but when I’m not eating right, snacking too much on the sugar and the salt I notice that the cramps are CRAPPY painful.  NOT a fan.  I’m pretty sure I have PCOS and I know every pound I gain only exacerbates that {btw, I LOVE Clary Calm when I have cramps, total game changer!).

I get headaches.  

I know part of it stress, and allergies and dehydration in the 120-degree sun, but I also know part of it is my own weight loss battle.  I’m losing it and my brain knows it and it hurts it.

I hate how my boobs lay on my skin below it.  

Sure, that might be TMI but as I gain weight in my boobs that’s SUPER annoying!  Did I mention it’s insanely hot here?

Clothes don’t fit.

Duh.  I have gone up a few sizes, which isn’t AS painful, thanks to Goodwill.  BUT it still hurts that I have cute things I can’t wear.  Sometimes getting dressed is a personal nightmare as I find out clothes that no longer fit.

I’m breaking out.  

I’m sure the hormones involved in PCOS aren’t helping my face.  And my face hates me.  Son of a gun.

My watches don’t fit.  

I have a weird desire to wear my watches really tight, but right now they’re TOO tight.  Oy-Vey!  {also I have to wear a watch, it’s not even a question}.  Also, I couldn’t wear my wedding ring for a long time because it was too small.  I bet it’s completely perfect right now.  I can’t bear to put it on, though.

Belly fat

It’s the worst kind of fat, and guess where mine is.  You guessed it.  Heart attack waiting to happen as I stare at my abdomen.  Also, the belly fat is horrible for my pelvis that will never be the same.

I get more tired.  

I carb load and then I just want to lay down and SLEEP and my life doesn’t really afford a lot of sleeping on the couch time.  Darn you, life!

Too many folds.

I worked nursing home.  I know what happens when your skin is folding on top of more skin.  I sometimes envision things I could lose in those folds, even if they’re currently tiny.  They’re getting bigger.  Disheartening.

I feel horrible about myself.  

I worked SO hard to lose the weight last time, and it’s just creeped back on.  I know I have a family history and that prompts my genes to keep ALL this fat on me.  But that isn’t the reason.  The reason is me.  And that makes me mad at myself.

So, internet.  That’s it.  I’m done with it.  I hate these 10 things WAY more than I love food.  And the thing is, I can still eat my food.  I just can’t eat it until I hurt.  I don’t need to feel REALLY full.  I just need to feel not hungry, and I need to eat slowly enough that I can catch myself at the point I’m no longer hungry.

The points to this new eating lifestyle are

• Eat when you’re hungry
• Eat what you want
• Eat it slowly (put the fork down between bites, or put the food down between bites)
• Stop when I no longer feel hungry (at some point I figure out what feeling “full” is — but for now it will be when I’m no longer hungry).

I also hope to walk a few times/week.  Possibly with the husband.  I also want to keep doing the weights workouts with Pretty Fierce.  I am a big believer in muscle mass.  I’m gonna start small and slow.  I know that if I start workouts that are really pushing me I’ll just gain more weight.  I just need something to rev up that heart rate and increase my metabolism a bit.

Anyway, I just needed to put this out here.  it helps me stay on track if the whole world knows that I’m off track.

Maybe I should re-name my blog that, off-track.

Be sure to check out my health and wellness board on Pinterest!

*Before anyone says that I need to love my body.  I just have to say that I don’t.  I don’t love my body at this weight.  I gave you 10 reasons why.  It’s not my BMI (which will never be in the “normal” category — I just need to give that up).  I just hate feeling like Jabba the Hutt in my head.

*Also, I really did write this post at 4 am.  Something was beeping in my house and it woke me up.  I couldn't go back to sleep because I just sat there feeling fat and sad about it.  Well, and the 9 million other things racing through my head at all times.  It's rare I publish a post straight out of the gate -- but today I'm #keepinitreal

The post I’m Tired of Being Fat: What I hate about it, and what I’m doing! appeared first on Pulling Curls.

I mean, showing up is half the problem, right?

Yup, I gained a pound this week.  Actually, I’m not 100% sure what I weigh.  While weight is certainly a concern, I mostly am spending so much extra time working out that I don’t even think to weigh in – -but onthe days I did last week it was depressing.  I know I’m sore and I am sure I’m building muscle (which weighs more than fat) but it’s still disappointing that I don’t weigh 120 pounds by now.

The Workouts

1. Weeks 6 and 7 is a ton of strength training.  You do toning or running almost every day.  I’m really shocked by how sweaty and tired I am after these toning workouts.

2.  The butt workout in particular is a killer.  I, apparently, haven’t worked this part of my butt before.  I don’t remember being sore where I am sore at.  Either way booty-licious.

3.  The 2 days you’re not toning, you run.  I also hate running, but I like getting out of the house and not doing something in front of my TV.

4.  I am starting to wonder what I’m going to do once this thing is done.  I don’t want to start right back into it (they say to try it with increased weights).  I doubt I’m reading for lean out, as I still really struggle with this one.  I’m mulling over doing Lean Out when school starts again in the fall….  For anyone who’s done P90X — what did you do after?  I mostly know I can NOT keep working out 6 days/week.  maybe 3-4…. my willpower is fading.

5.  I haven’t missed a SINGLE workout.  I know I have 2 weeks left and plenty can happen in 2 weeks, but I am SO proud of myself.  Go me.

The Eating

1.  Last week was Mr Middle’s birthday.  I made him a cake on Tuesday and I had to dunk that bowl in water so fast not to lick the bowl, it was painful.  I did have a couple of small slices of cake.  That has to work into my lifestyle, somehow.

2.  So, you get one cheat meal and one cheat day.  The idea is that you’re following the meal calorie guidelines 80% of the time.  I mostly fantasize about certain out-of-bounds meals during the week and I’m hopeful I can cram that in on my cheat day.  Maybe it’s too much, and that’s why I’m not losing.  I dunno….

3.  We had a good talk about eating at work.  This is a new lifestyle this isn’t a diet.  It’s good to talk to other women who are all on a weight loss journey.  It’s nice to know everyone’s figuring it out.

Anyway, that’s week 6.  Onto week 7.  On to a skinny me.

Be sure to check out all of my Pretty Fierce Weight Loss weeks:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

The post Pretty Fierce Week 6 appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Now, I know my friends, who know me in person, will say.

Hilary, you’re overweight — who are you to write a post about working out?

And yes, that’s true.  I am.  It is my BIGGEST struggle.  I’m sure this new year has plenty of resolutions about my eating, but I must say that working out is something I have under control.

If you liked this post, be sure to check out my post about my course Family Routines:

When I get into a system that works for me, I stick with it.  This post will show you How to Plan Your Workouts, or at least how I plan my workouts.

I detailed what I am doing right now in my Core post, but here’s the gist of it (and it is altered when I get a bee in my bonnet to do something else):

Mondays:  Video (see below for some of my favorites)

Tuesdays:  Garden — because I call this a “workout” I feel like I should do something bigger than just go pull some weeds in the garden.  Time to get out the blower and wrestle up some leaves or something like that.  This has allowed me to actually garden, and get something done while getting some cardio in.  I also often walk with friends this AM.

Wednesdays:  Video or a run (which I hate — see below)

Thursdays: off (I usually work on Thursdays, and I am just not the person who can pull an 11 hour shift PLUS a workout — hats off to my friends who do it, you know who you are).

Fridays:  Video

Saturdays:  Try to get active with the family

Sundays:  Off (I am in charge of the children’s group at church so I pretty much just sit around eating bon-bons).

I have a pedometer on my new phone, it makes me WAY too happy to count my steps and see how much I’m walking each day.

I tried running, for a solid 6 months and just hated it.  I just think my body isn’t meant to do it.  I can’t think while I’m doing it, I start to worry I’m having a stroke.  It’s JUST not my thing.  I do add it in every now and then.

SO, that’s MY system.  What are the tips for your own system?:

• Decide if you need a gym.  I knew that getting out of the house and getting my buns to a gym would be one more obstacle in my way.  Perhaps it’s a reason to GO for you, I think everyone needs to figure out themselves and if that’s going to help or hurt.
• I really like the “class” feeling — hence, I like videos.  If you hate videos, don’t do them.  BUT, I would recommend trying a few. I often see decent ones at Goodwill — so check it out!
• At what point in your day, can you workout and get it done!  I know my body and my morning is my most awake and active time.  So, I do it RIGHT when I get up, usually around 5:30.  My body just gets up at that time, I don’t actually have my alarm set until later, so if my body NEEDS more sleep, it will get it and I will workout after the kids go to school.

Anyway, that’s my system, maybe it will help you get into a zone of your own.

I’ve tried a LOT of workout videos!

Here’s my top 5 (not in order):

1.  Jillian’s 30 day shred — Yipes, this is a toughie, but it gets it done FAST.  Don’t let her fool you into thinking it’s only 20 minutes (it’s just shy of 30).  She lies, and is a horrible person who give you a good workout.  I hate her, a lot.

2.  The Firm — I love these purple ones.  They give you a GREAT workout in just about 20 minutes.  You do weights and cardio, which is  a big thing for me (doing weights for women is extra important to help build up your bones).  I’ve done almost all the Firm videos.  I’m always on the lookout for them at Goodwill.  I think they’re well done and give you a good workout (and usually not quite as hard as Jillian).

3.  New York City Ballet Workout.  This is long (probably too long) but I really like how long and slender I feel when I do these.  it REALLY works your core and your legs (and my arms are’t big fans of being held out at my sides for long periods of time).  I don’t do it often, but I do enjoy it when I do it.

4.  Lindsay Brinn — she is OBSESSIVELY happy, but I still like her workouts.  I have linked to her pregnancy videos, as I think they are some of the best out there!  You can stay active and feel good about yourself even while carrying a watermelon around in your abdomen.   I am also mulling over her new series.  Anyone done it?

5.  Booty Ballet — is this a crazy hard workout?  No.  But sometimes I just need to have fun, and cheer the HECK UP.  So, I do one of these.

I’m not going to lie and not mention that about every 4 months my body just CRAVES me not working out.  It seems to happen t the same time as the kids are off of school for a bit, and so I let it go — but I always pick it back up.  I think that’s the key, that working out is your “norm” which you sometimes deviate from.

I am in the market for some new videos.  I’d love to hear what you love over on our Facebook group.  What keeps you into a good system of working out?

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The post How to Plan Your Workouts appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Anywho…. here’s my five things this week:

Good:

1.  I gave blood.  I think this is a good thing to do, and I think it’s good for your body to get in the process of replacing it.

2.  I did pretty darn well doing 5 fruits or veggies every day.  It has changed what I’m eating, and I certainly do tend to NOT eat crap as much because I’m full of the veg.

3.  I stopped by Trader Joe’s last week to refill on the veggies.  Part of my problem tends to be not having vegetables on hand.  I don’t like to buy it at Walmart, so it does take an extra trip.  I’m mulling over doing Bountiful baskets again.  Seems like that was a good way to get a GREAT variety.

Bad:

1.  I wanted to die on Saturday after I gave blood.  I hadn’t drank very well in the 2 days before (I worked) and I also hadn’t eaten very well.  I need to be kinder to my body.

2.  I missed the veggies that day as I mostly just BEGGED Drew to get me a hamburger.  Oh wait — no, I made myself a smoothie that probably did get me to 5 for dinner.  Go me.  It is what it is.  I was still kind of a mess for my workout today.  I haven’t given in a while I hope I get back on a routine of giving.  I’m O negative blood type, so I’m a universal donor.  Go me.

Anyway, any tips for 5 a day from you guys?

The post Five for Fitness 9/8 appeared first on Pulling Curls.