Be YOU...and Happy PCOS Awareness Month!

True or false: Several nights (or days) each week, you find yourself surfing one of the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and get down on yourself because, well, you simply are not having as much fun as all your social media friends?
If you say, 'False', then I will be short and sweet and let you know I am jealous but I am striving to be like you, oh confidence ones!
If you say, 'True', first, it makes my sister and I look like less of boring old, young ladies and more human. Secondly, although my sister just (yes, I'm a late bloomer...in every sense) helped me realize that I compare myself to others, especially strangers, all too frequently, I am adamant on fixing this and hope you will do the same! While I've never watched the television show, "Portlandia", my sister was describing an episode where a guy comes back from what was apparently an amazingly fun-filled vacation with his new girlfriend (according to all the airport photographs they posted on Facebook) but in all actuality, she slept the whole time. (If you watch this show and my summary of this episode is incorrect, please let me know, or I will just go catch up on it myself. Thanks!) So, how did this conversation arise? You see, my sister lives in Chicago, where there is always something to be doing, but recently quit her longtime job to focus on finishing her degree-she's also still a 'newlywed' but my brother-in-law works ump-teen hour days. This means--->she is now finding herself at home alone many nights delving into Netflix and calling me to talk for hours. Hey, at first, I laughed with her and felt depressed because I am a military spouse, so I am ALL TOO aware of the beauty of having Netflix and peanut butter by my side while my husband is away; although I find this extremely unbeautiful after multiple deployments. (Mind you, we do live in the middle of nowhere basically, too...which makes me look on Instagram at all the bodybuilding competitors I follow and wish I was at least doing 2-a-days with them and getting glammed up to eat nothing but healthy food out of Tupperware. Okay, that was a bit facetious, given that I do look up to a lot of them as role models but idolatry is not something we should cherish-but I hope you get my gist here.) Okay, so to wrap it up, my initial thoughts on this changed after her and I dug more philosophically into this issue and recognized that we really ARE NOT the only ones doing this: comparing our seemingly boring lives to our friends on social media, who MUST have a million real life friends, always be sitting on the beach, working out with celebrities and NEVER sit down to watch Netflix. Now, I'm not by any means saying not to reach for the stars in our goals, dreams, aspirations, etc. because one day I will have all those things (to my own personal degree, I suppose) but for right now, how about we just enjoy the life we are living and stop trying to be someone else, who we think someone else is or how they live their day and cherish the here and now.
That.is.hard.because I love change and it can be difficult to sit still but, to relate this to our PCOS, we are already hard enough on ourselves given the condition of our body, hormones, and possibly TTC, so why pretend to be a fake version of ourselves when our true, confident personality (and sitting home in our snuggy every once in a while) is what makes us unique.
As always, I know I ramble, but I hope that my intent shines through....
So, if anyone is reading all the way through, here is a question for PCOS Awareness Month, so we can focus on positive goals:
What is a dream of yours that you've been told is impossible or have felt is too far out of reach?
(I'd love to hear how you can change that impossible into a possible, too! Reach for the stars!)

What pre-dep leave can do to you...

...a.k.a. make you 'fluffy'. Yes, I could have easily worked my willpower against the evils of dining out, but I have been learning to take the punches and roll with them to make the best out of them. 1. I might have had several days of food that I would not recommend as a PCOS-friendly diet (too much starchy carbs and lack of portion control) but the difference between my mindset now versus the past is that in the past I would've continued to say, "Oh, tomorrow I'll be back on a strict diet"....and then pig out past my satiated point and the rollercoaster diet cycle ensues. Now, I'll eat a few bites of this naughty food and stop before I feel like I can't get off the couch (I envision myself here with a prego size belly not able to get up without rolling around like a 2 legged dog; I'm weird, whatever...and no I'm not dogging on pregnant ladies, geez even though I don't want kids now, someday I'll be wishing I was rolling around with a babe inside of me when I can't....I like ... & italics today, can you tell? Oh yeah, and my grammar and sentence structure sucks today; ADD day I suppose.) Anyhoo, moral of that story: Yes, I gained some water weight and fat but I made sure I was staying consistent with lifting or working out whenever possible even though pre-deployment has entailed being away from my home, my routines, my house being upside down with projects, and trying to make my husband as relaxed as possible before he has to reside in a living version of Hell again in the coming months. Mind you, he is going to miss football season, big holidays, and birthdays yet again this year; so we are celebrating early, right?!
With that said, I knew after 1 week of this 'carefree' attitude that I was ready to get back on the ball more hardcore and focus back solely on nutrients that my body loooooves. Well, my body must have enjoyed that break because my body is responding better than ever, high intensity lifting sessions, added in some TRX training at home, a slight bit of running to build my endurance back up and cycling my carbs a bit. (One day low, one day moderate, one day high; this isn't an end all-be all approach, it just helps me reduce cravings in the long run if I know I can look forward to more varied food choices the following day.) My muscles look more full and I feel great. I did take a week off of the Metformin when my prescription was up to remember, or really truly recognize, if it was assisting me and I have to admit that the week of not so good food didn't really add the aforementioned 'fluff' until I went off my pills. Disclaimer: I'm purposely took this break so that I don't become dependent on a medication to make me feel less fluffy, but I could definitely tell the insulin spikes were back slightly when off of the medication. I wasn't going to continue with it but had a follow-up with the doc and informed her that I finally lost the negative side effects (mentioned in the last post) so we decided to just see if the positive response ensues for the next few months. I have been back on it for a day and feel amazing thus far; fingers crossed I don't publish this then get nauseous and narcoleptic again...

So, for all you readers that may have those times similar to my pre-deployment celebratory eating, don't forget to stay consistent and listen to your body when it tells you no more. I have found that because PCOS can easily relay into depression for various reasons, when I don't eat PCOS-friendly to a 'T' I only get depressed when I am eating out of emotional disturbance, to clear my mind of thoughts, and truly if I let my mind get the best of me. Never quit, just keep on trucking and never view something as a 'negative', even if it is outside of your norm; just make everything a positive.

Are all my posts sounding too similar...? I'll switch up the next one to something radical, I promise.

Take time to connect.

....and not online! I've gotten comments on my social media & BodySpace pages about being absent from posting in the past month. Reason #1 is truth: I was feeling insecure about the changes going on with my body. It's extremely difficult not to compare ourselves to others, or even what we once looked like. At the end of the day, though, only we can really tell the physical changes (because we nit-pick) and typically what we see of others is altered in some fashion. I was upset with myself for feeling this way because I felt like a hypocrite, trying to promote inner beauty and confidence to other women (and now some very impressionable teenage girls) but yet was allowing myself to hide. Aside from my insecurities, I also have been resting and sleeping....a lot. While I miss working to no end, at this point, I feel blessed to a point that I had the option to rest when my body needed to; which is a lot on these medications. (Reference previous post.) After the initial 2 weeks of really getting adjusted to the new meds, I do feel like I have a handle on them for the most part. I revert back to symptoms of fatigue, nausea and dizziness if I don't eat enough food with them; which is actually hard because my taste buds are way off. Anyway, I do think they are assisting in my insulin levels, for sure. When I'm not drained and eating at proper intervals with them, I recognize a consistent level of energy, rather than prior instances of spikes and crashes. It may help that I have not had a taste for starchy carbohydrates, (or any, really) either. While I have always tried to keep my diet gluten-free and avoid those carbs that will send my body out of whack, we are all human and enjoy something different for time to time. The past month, my husband was away training, and being in the military, oftentimes he goes through a period where he'll have a hankering for restaurant food because he is deprived of food choices on a daily basis.
With that said, I had my first experience with pizza in a long time. Normally after one slice, I feel bloated, hyper then tired, and retain a lot of water the following day; my body does not like dairy and cheese, as that's recommended for almost all with PCOS (to at least not overdo the consumption, obv.). I hadn't been able to eat all day because well, every time I make a smoothie or salad lately, I can't finish it without feeling grossed out. Bizarre. Anyhoo, he had a few pieces the other night and I was not tempted whatsoever (that's a first!) but eventually got hungry and took a few bites....then the whole slice...and he asked me how I felt. Amazingly, not the same as before; so, my silly husband bugged me to eat the other one (Is he trying to fatten me up yo?! No, his claim is that he never sees me indulge and he knows how mental PCOS is for me in 'not being normal'...eff that, we are a special kind of normal!) So, I did...and guess what, it was like I never had pizza at all! I woke up the next morning still with ab definition, (I didn't mention, I've been leaning back out slowly) if not more than the day before! So, I always see fellow bodybuilders bragging about this, doing IIFYM (If it fits your macros), and at least getting to carb cycle and get super jealous because all those approaches don't work so hot for me but I finally got where they are coming from the day after an 'off' meal.. (I don't like the word 'cheat', it is dirty and presents the opportunity for guilt.)
To sum it up: Metformin, you must be doing the trick yo; you have mean side effects and I am not sure how long I will take your daily grumpiness, but thank you for that little moment. If anything, having that moment made me appreciate, even more, the hard work we put into a PCOS-friendly diet, exercising, and practicing meditation. I have always wondered how my body would really respond to my bodybuilding lifestyle if it was 'normal' and I suppose maybe I had a glimpse of that and it was validation of willpower, determination, and greater respect for all the other ladies out there dealing with PCOS. There is no cure, but we can know that every step in the right direction makes us more powerful from the inside-out.
To finish off: the title of my post was intended to describe the time I have been resting, I have taken that time to reconnect with my spirituality on a deeper level and am reflecting through prayer and reading, as well as self-introspection on how I can become a better person for myself, my husband, my family, friends, even those on social media. You never know whose day you may change with the smallest action or word.

Metformin...sh** just got real!

I've been down and out for a bit. My hormones have always played a huge role in my mood, obviously, and I cannot say it helps being a military spouse. Even with the removal of my tumors last month, I still managed to keep an intense workout regimen (of course, I semi-listened to the doctor on recoup periods but I was not in pain, anyway) and actually rather on point with my food intake, but not obsessing over it and enjoying family time or the rare times out of the house. Yes, I was a bit thicker but I was using that extra bit to lift heavier. No bigs, right? Well, I thought not...until my husband left for training and I tightened my diet and put more HIIT cardio into my routines. Mind you: the last time I incorporated this same amount of HIIT, I was getting ripped pretty quickly. Nonetheless, somehow I managed to continue gaining and I realized I was definitely losing hard earned muscle. For the matters of health, I had been keeping a slightly lower intake of animal proteins, but nothing extravagant. My diet extremely PCOS friendly but yet, I could just FEEL myself out of whack; I am not typically an emotional person and I was crying, stressing, and confused about so much that was trivial and don't get me started on my damn mustache! Okay, okay, sob story over, I was proactive and made an appointment to discuss more endocrinology.
In the past, I have tried Hormone Replacement Therapy (progestin, chlomid, femara) and while I was not trying to conceive, my Doc wanted to see if these would help regulate my cycles, hence seeing if ovulatory function was even possible. My body reacted horribly, feeling like it went through menopause but yet the medication did not work for me but once. With that said, I said EFFFFFFFF feeling like a crazy lady (right, right!?) and really tried hard at the all-natural approach, simply healing through food, meditation, exercise, and only several herbal supplements to enhance proper function. Well, I haven't had a period in all that time and I have not been on a medication for nearly 2 years now.
Turns out, something in this crazy world of PCOS decided to trigger my hormones in another weird direction and I caved to TRYING, key word TRYING out a month of Metformin & Spiro. I can't even lie, just saying I'm on these suddenly makes me feel like part of this PCOS community all of a sudden. Sounds stupid, right? Since joining communities and reading educational studies on PCOS, I have constantly found and witnessed all these women on Metformin, but I was convinced that that was not for me because I did not think I had insulin resistance nor am I actively TTC. I've always been more of the, "eeehhhh what happens, happens" type of lady. So, to be on this stuff now, yes, yes, sh** just got real in the Sklenicka household! (I'm sure Ken will be happy he's not home for a while...) First 2 days review thus far: I've never NOT been thus UN-hungry. I can't lie on this either folks, I love to eat (be honest, who doesn't!?) and while I know how to eat clean and keep within my macro/kcal limits, these pills make me disgusted by even my favorite most tempting, colorful salad arrangement or (gasp) nut butter! I've been forcing some food in and trying to workout, although I feel fatigued rather quickly and thus my strength is down. Nausea was listed as a #1 side effect and ya, it isn't too bad but my digestive system has been making some funny sounds.....and I blame it on the dogs?! :-0  I have recently heard of Glucosmart and Glucocerin, which I am told are all-natural, which I'd prefer, but unfortunately I am sure are NOT covered by my healthcare. I'll dig deeper, though.
So, after this novel of a damn post, I was writing with an old friend and she made a comment on me having it rough these days; to which I replied, "More stories to add to the book of life!" It can be frustrating having issues that no one understands because they may not be visible to the naked eye and we can be on a rollercoaster of weight loss to weight gain, or even lose something so precious to our future (material or non) but at the end of the day, those build our character and make us stronger. God would not give us anything that He did not think we couldn't endure.

Oooh that pesky thing called STRESS!

PCOS Tip of the Day

  Choosing High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) over medium-maximal prolonged cardio can increase your resting metabolic rate, aid in muscle building, and has a lessened effect on rising cortisol levels! Many women with PCOS (myself being one) have the symptom of amenorrhea, or lack of a menstrual cycle, and it has been shown that this is exacerbated when the heart rate is elevated for long durations. Research study can be found,here. So: hit the track, your backyard, or a piece of cardio equipment and train like an athlete.  Short burst of high-intensity, mixed with some bodyweight exercises or a medium-intensity and then rest and repeat several more times; this will allow you to get the benefits mentioned above and you won’t spend hours in the gym wrecking yourself while you think you’re doing something healthy. *Note: I speak from experience, as I had once done 1 hour+ of cardio on the treadmill or stepper every day and actually ended up gaining weight and my hormones went ALL out of whack! 

First PCOS Tip of the Day!

PCOS Tip of the Day

Apple Cider Vinegar: with the ‘Mother’ has many proven health benefits for everyone and has been especially helpful in reducing my personal PCOS symptoms of acne, bloating, insulin spikes (when taken around higher carbohydrate or sugar intake) and lessened IBS, just to name a few! 

To start my day off on the right foot, I take a shot with a pinch of cayenne pepper spice and it is DELICIOUS as a dressing substitute!

Click here to read further information on the benefits of Organic ACV, straight from medical professionals!

Not 'if' but 'when'.

Not if, but, when I get my entrepreneurship revved and going, I am thinking: Six Packs & PCOS! I am starting to see my 6-pack coming back; limited cardio, heavy ass weights and food that works with my hormones rather than against it! Full blog coming later...