Surprise Side Effects

This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here

So, I guess I’ve been going to acupuncture for just over two months and I’ve noticed a few little extra benefits that I think are attributable to the acupuncture.

Coffee. I am drinking way less. Not that I usually drank lots of coffee, but I don’t get up in the morning and wonder whether I set the timer on the machine the night before because I really only feel like having one cup and then it’s only two or three times a week.

Sleep. I didn’t sleep poorly before. And I did get eight hours most nights because I’d force myself to bed at 10:00 so I could drag myself out of bed at 6:00. I’m still getting eight hours and I still have to remind myself eighty-three million times that it’s after nine now and you have to be in bed by ten, but I get there. I’m NOT dragging myself out of bed anymore. So I think maybe the quality of sleep has changed.

Stretch Marks. Ugh. They improved over the first six months after I had J, but that was it. Then they stopped. Nothing. And a year later I started acupuncture and now, well, WOW! The angry red marks are now much more subtle slightly pink marks. And my acupuncturist is trying a new treatment just for the stretch marks…I’m her guinea pig. She was surprised as I was that there was such a remarkable change, but she puts it down to gathering the energy in my abdomen for the hormones and that was probably just a really positive thing for the stretch marks too!

So yeah…I’d say just for the added benefits the acupuncture was worth it!

Getting Needled

This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here

As I mentioned before, my hormones have been running wild since I had my daughter and they just don’t want to calm down…my doctor has run the tests and changed my pill, three times in the last eight months, but things are still out of whack. And I’m positive that some of my weight loss struggle comes from my crazy hormones – hormones in general, not just hormones that come to visit once a month.

I decided to try some alternative therapy to get those hormones back in check. According to the blood tests they are within “normal” range, but according to the cravings, mood swings, acne, etc. and my husband, they’re definitely not!

So I did a little bit of research and found myself an acupuncturist who specializes in a few things, one of them being hormones. And she’s only two blocks from our house.

I went for my first session today – the initial consultation is free and then I could decide if I wanted to “get needled” then or later. I decided since I was there, I’d just do it.

I was a bit nervous because I’m not a fan of needles, but I just closed my eyes and it was fine. I felt most of them go in and two or three pinched a bit but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Acupuncture is all about changing the flow of your Qi and I swear I could feel weird things going on in my body…there was this strange sensation across my forehead that sometimes moved up to the top of my head and sometimes moved into my jaw…it was very bizarre.

And when I was done I felt very relaxed. I’m going back again next week, so we’ll see what happens. The acupuncturist said it could take a few weeks (and maybe a few cycles) before I notice many changes, but I’m very excited that things might actually change!