Show Notes – Steph McKee

Used to be a hard-core sportsperson.  Worked late at night.  Did triathlons.  Until she broke herself – burnt out and got adrenal fatigue.  Also put on weight.  Even though she increased her exercise and ate less and kept gaining weight.  So she started researching the issue.

When you are in a state of stress the body chooses to store reserves.

Signs of that our body is under stress – sleep disturbance, heart palpitations, regular illness, not as resilience as you used to be. 

Sleep – diet can impact.  If you under eat carbohydrates your blood sugar might be too low to get to sleep.  If you eat too many carbs before sleep your blood sugar will spike and your insulin will spike and you are likely to wake early.    Try to get to bed 9.30 – 10 pm rather than later.  Deep belly breaths can help to calm the system.  Get off your screens and devices a couple of hours before hand.

Certain diets all work for different people because of differences in metabolic states.  Might slowly reduce carbohydrate content.  Learn to read what your body is saying and don't make too many changes to quickly.  She doesn't encourage sudden weight loss as it is a big stress on the body.  Don't aim for more than 500 grams per week.  Even better ignore the scales and focus on your measurements instead.  How you feel in your skin is more important.

Running might not always be the best exercise to start with.  Start with gentle walking first.  Restorative practice can help a lot with weight loss.

Talked about optimal exertion during exercise and if it isn't making you feel good then try something else.  Try biking instead of running.

Think of exercising more gently but for longer.  Think of a goal for a year.  Most people want to achieve their goal in 6 weeks but often the weight comes on again.

Some people work well with goal setting. 

The average age for women to go into perimenopause is 42.  We need to adjust our diet and exercise to allow for hormonal changes.

It is never too late to start an exercise programme.

Movement is important at any age but the older your get the more important it becomes.

We discuss whether you can start a programme on your own perhaps using the Internet or whether it would be better to get a coach.  Pick your coach carefully.  By the time her clients are finished with her they don't need her again because they are educated along the way.

Talk about exercising for different body types.

Personal tools for resilience – sleep, nutrition.  Yoga or breath.  Yoga with Adriane on You Tube. 

The value of exercising in nature.