I had been seeing a friend's transformation over the past few years. She completely changed the way she ate, her routine and the results were amazing. I'd seen her posts on various other products before but never really saw the need. I had tried shakeology and oils and never really saw the benefit to justify the cost. Honestly, when she started promoting #thrive, I unfollowed her for a while. It was just too much. I don't remember what I saw that made me look up her profile one day. Turns out I had missed quite a bit of her story over just a couple months. Honestly, she looked amazing and there was just a new outlook and tone to her posts. They didn't feel like a selling post, but more pure excitement to feel awesome.
In my last post, I alluded to some issues I had gone through in the past year. It is time I really shared because I think it is important for me to own up to my own negligence and ignorance when it comes to my health. I was diagnosed with Graves disease in 2004. Of a list of over 20 symptoms I had all but one (unexplained weight loss). A couple months later, I had a radioactive ablation and began taking thyroid replacement medication. I have never been good at taking pills. I do great during the week during the school year, but summers, weekends, breaks are never consistent and therefore the habit never really sticks. I felt better for the most part. I no longer sweat like crazy for no reason, my eyes don't bug out of my head, my anxiety and depression subside. There are definitely symptoms that stay with me now that I am considered hypothyroid. I experience chronic fatigue with insomnia. I become extremely sluggish not only in my movements but in my speech. I can tell when my levels are off because my tongue will start to swell. At my worst last year, my entire body was swollen and my organs were beginning to shut down. The hair on my arms and legs will fall out. I start to get bald spots near my temples. I grow long black hair on my chin. My skin becomes so dry it is scaly and cracked. My nails get thicker but brittle. But worse than all of those symptoms is thyroid brain fog. I struggle to complete thoughts, sentences and conversations with people are hard. I'm short tempered, impatient mainly because I'm angry with myself for not being able to think clearly.
Which brings me back to Amy. One of the stories she posted caught my eye. The person did the 8 week trial and one of the main benefits she spoke about was mental clarity. I still wasn't buying in, but I stopped dismissing these testimonials for #thrive. A couple of weeks ago, Amy posted that she was giving away a sample and I thought why not. She sent it to me with the warning that this is really a system and that I may not see a benefit in the 3 days, but I could see what the 3 steps were like, whether I liked the lifestyle mix, and see if I wanted to try it out. I had my doubts but at this point figured I had nothing to lose. Side note... as of my last blood work a couple months ago, my thyroid levels are "normal" but I still experience some of those same symptoms. I had just kind of accepted that this would be my life. For all intents and purposes I am relatively healthy. So that Friday morning I got up, took the vitamin, put on the patch and went about my day. I was testing students that morning which normally wears me out mentally. I noticed around noon that I wasn't tired. I wasn't bouncing up and down with energy but I wasn't drained. I also wasn't scattered. Y'all, I had forgotten what it was like to think clearly. It was amazing. Even that afternoon and night, I was able to remember why I walked in a room, follow a task to completion without getting sidetracked. If a colleague popped in with a question, I could answer and get back to what I was doing without a 10 to 15 minute delay trying to figure out where I was or what I was doing before they came in. It doesn't sound like much, but for me it was everything. I could think clearly instead of feeling like my brain was working in slow motion trying constantly to catch up. Saturday, I took the one vitamin, followed by the patch and the lifestyle mix. Again, I didn't feel any burst of energy, but I didn't want to go back to bed or just lounge all day. I got up. I made breakfast. I didn't need a nap or start falling asleep after being up an hour. I cleaned up the kitchen, did laundry, folded and put it away. I wasn't doing anything special but on any other Saturday I would have gone back to bed, taken a nap or made any excuse not to do the things that need to get done. That Saturday I realized it was time to do something so I did it. Did I run around the block or go for a long walk? No. I sat on the couch and watched TV with Gibson or played with him, but I didn't feel the urge to procrastinate. I also noticed that I had more patience with Gibson. I wasn't as quick tempered with him as I usually am. I don't give him his medication on weekends in an effort to make his prescription last longer so weekends around here can be tough. I'm exhausted, he is tired, but he can't focus and has extra energy to burn which leads to frustration on both our parts. On Sunday the final day of my trial, Amy called me to talk about what I thought and whether I thought it could be a good thing for me and I had to admit I was sold. But I'd have to wait til payday to order and work it into my budget.
Which brings me to today, May 5th and the first day of my #thrive experience. I only took one vitamin and half a lifestyle mix today and the difference in my thought process is astounding to me. I've been told that weight loos is a side effect of #thrive. Honestly, with how well I feel and how clearly my thought processes, I would take it if it meant I would gain. It's been that amazing. I don't use that word lightly as I think it is overused but it is a true descriptor of my feelings about how I am responding to this simple symptom. I am going to update this daily and then post it when I am done with the 8 week experience. Day 1 is in the bag and I feel great! I went ahead and took before pictures just for myself. If there is a difference, I will post before and after shots!
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| As you can see, I'm not happy with what I see in the picture or the mirror. Definitely ready to see change for the better again! |
Day 2: completely full day at work and I'm happy to report that I was alert and focused throughout the day. It is teacher appreciation week and one of my schools had an Italian restaurant cater lunch. I don't remember the last time I had Alfredo (not the healthy choice I know, but seriously... it was delicious!) Usually after a rich carb overindulgence I am in a carb induced coma. Nope, not today folks. Still awake still focused and that is a great feeling. One thing Amy warned me about during my 3 day trial was not to have caffeine. I rarely have caffeine since my surgery so I didn't think much of it. She warned me that I would crash. Tonight I had a glass of tea with dinner. Caffeine never seemed to have an effect on me I thought so no problem right? Um, wrong... I was good all day and now at 8:45, I'm ready for bed! Lesson learned!
Day 3: nothing spectacular except I wanted to drink more water. Not in a I am thirsty I should drink water kinda way, but a I'm thirsty and water sounds really good to me kind of way. Love that.
Day 4-5: Continued taking the vitamins and the lifestyle mix. Again, nothing too noticeable. At work Monday I was able to focus throughout a day of testing while STAAR testing was going on.
Day 6: My first day with the full system! My DFT was a little delayed (thanks USPS) so I was excited when it arrived Monday and was not disappointed Tuesday. On STAAR testing days I am usually cooped up in my office which leads to day dreaming, feeling restless and generally scattered. I was able to complete testing, write reports and complete all the tasks on my checklist. Win!
Day 7-9: Can't say enough how amazing it feels to get up, do everything you need to do and not feel like you need a nap or a xanex (not that I had any but still...)
Day 10: THIS IS MY WHY!!!! I took Gibson to Six Flags. By myself. Without him taking his medication. Other than my eventual annoyance at the constant bouncing of basketballs ( I don't know why but that has to be one of the most irritating sounds on the planet to me), it was great. When my phone died around 5:30 we had walked over 4 miles in the 3 hours we had been there. We stayed until 9:30. I was tired, but I wasn't exhausted. I was sore but I wasn't in pain.
Day 11: This is why I will continue to #thrive: I woke up Sunday expecting to feel like a blob of goo. After a day at Six Flags on my feet for hours chasing a hyperactive 5 year old around a crowded park, I should be exhausted, mentally and physically drained right? I thought for sure that we would both sleep til noon and I was okay with that. To my surprise I woke up at 7. I got up, got dressed and started getting things on my to-do list checked off! I cleaned both bathrooms. I organized and cleaned out my bathroom (huge bag of unused products- gone), cleaned the kitchen, swept and mopped the floors. Moved all toys out of my living room and into Gibson's room. Cleaned Gibson's room (except his closet... that's his job). Did most of the laundry and actually put most of it away. Oh, and I played with my son. I even went to bed at a decent time, but not before I remembered to set the oven to self-clean and start the dishwasher. It is Day 12 as I write this. It is 3 pm and I have had 4 bottles of water and got a route 44 water from sonic. I crave water. That is amazing.... I've always hated drinking water so I didn't even when I knew I needed it. I'm awake, alert. I completed 4 ARD meetings today, finished all the paperwork and submitted it. I also wrote 2 reports.
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| Day 11 |
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| Day 12 |
I'm going to continue to post updates throughout this process, but I couldn't wait to share! I want everyone to feel this good!!! If you are interested, here is a link to find out more or order yours!
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