Overcoming Challenges in Plant-Based Eating

 “Plants are infinite – this diet isn’t limiting and there’s so much more to explore! That’s what excites me about it most.” Denai Moore on the Simply Vegan Podcast

When I made the switch to plant-based eating, I jumped in with open eyes and hope for better health. I didn’t realize how many roadblocks I’d hit along the way. Essentially, I went from not eating any plants to eating nothing but plants. How could I go wrong you ask? While there was no doubt I was eating far healthier foods, there were many things I didn’t know anything about. This week, I’d like to share a few of the roadblocks I faced and what I learned along the way.

Benefits of Plant-Based Eating

A plant based diet can enhance cognitive function. Studies indicate that it also reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.  Both my mother and grandmother had Alzheimer’s, so this information motivated me to switch to a plant based lifestyle. Additionally, plant based diets are often lower in calories and saturated fats, making them beneficial for weight management. Further, plant-based diets offer numerous health benefits, including  reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. It can improve your gut health and potentially increase longevity.  

Plant-Based Challenges

Transitioning to a plant-based diet came with three key challenges. First, I had to figure out what to eat. Second, I needed to understand the importance of plant diversity. Finally, I had to ensure I was getting enough protein.

After building my knowledge and awareness, it was clear I needed to make some changes to my approach. Below are the changes I made and the impact they had on my journey.

1. Meal Planning

Eating a variety of plants is key when following a vegan diet—for more reasons than you might think. It can help support a healthy gut and also ensure you’re getting a broad range of nutrients, making the most of what plant-based foods have to offer. Mixing different fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and herbs gives your body the fiber and beneficial compounds it needs to thrive.

Protein also plays a big role in keeping our bodies running smoothly—it’s essential for things like maintaining muscle, supporting growth, and staying healthy overall. While plant-based proteins aren’t always “complete” like those from animal sources, it’s totally possible to get all the essential amino acids you need with a well-rounded vegan diet. The key is variety and balance.

All of my initial challenges could be addressed through meal planning. Initially, I purchased a prepared vegan meal plan to guide me. I used this meal plan for months and felt confident that I was eating more balanced meals. There are several vegan meal plans available. I chose one that provided me with a weekly plan of recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner. It also include a shopping list. I found it helpful in reducing my stress about meals and learning how to make delicious plant based meals. It opened me up to trying foods I may not have tried on my own.

Here is the plan I used – Forks Over Knives Meal Planner

Next Steps

If you are new to plant-based eating, I suggest you spend some time investing in yourself. This time is important to build your personal knowledge base. At first, I didn’t know how to create weekly meal plans that would address plant diversity and adequate protein intake. I was a creature of habit and found comfort in eating, on rotation, my favorite meals. I would select my groceries based on what I liked to eat. As I learned more about the importance of plant diversity, I knew I needed to make changes.

There are so many resources you can use, but I like to keep it simple. Here are a few to get you started :

Forks Over Knives (great information for your journey, as well as meal plans)

Food Revolution (courses, recipes and powerful docuseries)

The China Study: Reducing Health Risks with a Plant-Based Diet

Eat to Live

Looking back, shifting to a plant-based lifestyle was one of the most empowering decisions I’ve made for my health. It wasn’t without its challenges, but each obstacle taught me something valuable. By investing time into learning, planning, and experimenting, I’ve built habits that feel both sustainable and nourishing. If you’re considering your own plant-based journey, I’d love to hear from you! What questions do you have? What challenges have you faced—or are you anticipating?

Drop a comment or share your experience. Let’s learn and grow together!

Finding Balance: My Journey to Mental Wellness

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung

As we moved into 2025, I took a much-needed mental health break from blogging. I focused my energy instead on personal reflection and growth. Coming off a difficult injury recovery, I knew that I wasn’t in a good place and needed that time. I had a micro tear in the arch of my foot, which was not responding to PT. Could it be that I was not going to bounce back this time? Was this part of the aging process? Would I no longer be able to engage in the activities I loved? Would I live in constant pain?

Choosing to step away and focus on my wellness was a hard, but necessary decision. I needed to put myself first and ensure that I didn’t give up on the journey to reclaim my health. I had done that when I gave up running, after my last marathon. This led me to the unhealthiest point in my life – overweight, stressed and depressed.

Healing Plan

In January 2025, I went to my doctor frustrated and in tears. I told him candidly that I needed to find something to help me heal this foot. I told him how hard it was not to be able to engage in the activities I loved. I expressed clearly that it was affecting my mental wellness. I needed a plan of action to heal my foot, because I still had pain with gentle walking.

We discussed alternative treatments that I could try and I settled on dry needling and electric stimulation. By February, after painful dry needling, I was able to walk without a limp. The PT gave me the green light to try gentle yoga classes and see how the foot felt. I then added a beginner Barre class, which offered great stretching of the foot. By late February, I walked back on the pickleball court for the first time in months.

Self-Reflection

During the months I was struggling, I engaged in a lot of self-reflection and journaling. Self-reflection can help you get unstuck by giving you a clearer understanding of what’s holding you back. By examining your thoughts and feelings, you can identify patterns or fears that are keeping you from moving forward. It helps you recognize your strengths and areas where you might need improvement. By understanding these aspects, you can set realistic goals and take action to achieve them.

Reflecting on my history, I realized that my identity was strongly tied to my ability to engage in sports. When that was removed, I tended to give up on living a healthy lifestyle. It also affected my mental wellness and confidence. Therefore, my motivation was coming from external sources, not intrinsic sources.

I believed my pursuit of wellness was driven by my commitment to health, but discovered it was fueled by my need to compete. Therefore, rooted under all that was my need to be valued. This understanding has helped me set healthier sports goals as I move forward. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I am making better choices when planning my fitness goals these days.

Begin Your Self-Reflection Journey

As in my case, starting a self-reflection journey can be transformative. Here are three tools that helped me, and can help you, to get started on your journey.

1. Set Aside Regular Time: Dedicate a specific time each day or week for self-reflection. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, allowing yourself the space to think clearly and deeply about your experiences and feelings.

This was hard for me, but early morning seems to work best. I need to have the house alone to truly have space to self-reflect without distraction.

2. Start a Reflection Journal: Write down your thoughts, experiences, and emotions in a journal. Reflect on what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from your experiences. This process not only helps in organizing your thoughts but also provides a reference for observing patterns over time.

I purchased journals in bulk to always have on hand. I used a separate journal for self-reflection.

3. Ask Yourself Reflective Questions: Use guiding questions to delve deeper into your thoughts and actions. Questions like “What did I learn today?”, “What am I grateful for?”, or “What could I have done differently?” can help you explore different aspects of your experiences and gain new insights.

In my case, I asked, “When have I felt like this before?”, “What could I have done differently?”.

Reflections on My Journey to Heal

Reflecting on my journey through injury and self-discovery, I’ve come to appreciate the impact of self-reflection on my personal growth. By taking a step back, I’ve set myself on a path toward a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. While the journey is ongoing, I am empowered by the self-awareness I’ve gained, which will guide my wellness journey.

Whether you’re facing similar challenges, or starting self-reflection, every step moves you toward a healthier self. Please share your experiences in the comment section to inspire and connect with us all. As always, feel free to reach out to me directly at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog.

Understanding the Injury Recovery Cycle: A Personal Journey

I’ve been taking a much needed mental health break these past few weeks, enjoying some down time. I received some bad news from the doctor regarding my injury recovery just prior to Thanksgiving. Hearing the words, degenerative damage, really sent me spiraling. I had been trying to hold on and push through, so hearing those words felt like a gut punch. Ironically, as bad as it was to hear, it was what I needed to move forward.

I’ve really been in a rut this last month. As my recovery time wore on, I became quite frustrated and deflated. I spent a lot of time trying to kick start my motivation and couldn’t quite get anything going. Having been through this before, I recognized that my mental wellness was suffering. While quite common during injury recovery, that should not be underestimated.

My thoughts recently have centered around injury recovery time and mental wellness of athletes. I am not a high level athlete, but I have always enjoyed participating in sporting events and working out. I thrive when I train and engage in these events, physically and mentally. I think it is the structure of training that fuels me. I love to workout for a purpose – i.e., to run longer distances, or run a distance in a shorter time. I strive to lift a heavier weight or to add a set to the lift. Knowing the end goal really pushes me to do the work.

Recently, I had been focused on my performance in pickleball. I’ve been working out at the gym to improve my performance, as well as drilling and playing games. I made steady progress and was truly enjoying the sport. It felt great to be part of the pickleball community. When the injury occurred, I assumed it would be a quick recovery. As the time passed and I still experienced pain, I began to try to navigate my way through.

I’ve come to understand that there is a cycle many athletes go through when recovering from injury. It doesn’t matter what level you are, though I imagine it’s far worse when you are an elite athlete. What matters is that, much grief, there are stages you move through as you work toward recovery. The mental aspect of this process is what I have been focusing on.

I have a competitive personality. I thrive when I am striving to accomplish a goal. I love to figure things out and especially love the learning process of it all. When I was a runner, I wanted to learn everything I could to make me a better runner. Same, in my professional life. I was always striving to learn and grow. My personal identity was strongly tied to my ability to run the distance, or improve my school. With an athlete mindset, I dealt with life through my sport, it is part of who I was. I was a runner, I was a Principal, I was an athlete.

The athletic part of my life became a strong coping mechanism for me, both growing up and as an adult. What a fabulous stress reliever to go out early in the morning for a long run, or workout. I started most of my days with an early morning gym session, run or walk. Therefore, when I get injured, it can feel like a personal threat to my identity. Suddenly, it feels like my life is altered and my routines disrupted. The morning athletic time is no longer an option, leaving me feeling isolated and sad.

I want to share my journey through this injury cycle. I hope it helps anyone else dealing with a similar situation.

Stages of Injury Cycle

Much like grief, there is a cycle people can experience when they experience an injury. Those, like me, who engage in training outside of professional sports, are no exception. The cycles do not necessarily follow a linear order. Instead, we go through them in response to our personal experiences. Here are the stages and my response to each.

1. Denial

The day I sustained the injury, I knew it wasn’t good. But, I thought if I stretched, I would be fine. When stretching did not help, I knew enough to leave the court. I went home and iced my foot, followed by compression and elevation. I thought for sure I’d be fine in the morning. I planned to take the next day off and expected to be ready to play by Saturday. I truly didn’t think it was anything serious. Honestly, I still haven’t canceled my playing commitments. I’m still going week by week, hoping to be back on the court. Denial of the injury is quite common and considered the first step in the recovery process.

2. Anger

As the days went on and turned into weeks, I started to get frustrated. I could barely walk to the corner without feeling pain. I didn’t understand why the pain wasn’t getting better and refused to stop trying to walk. Each day I got angrier about this inconvenience. I was angry at myself for not doing a proper warmup before playing and blamed myself for the injury. I was angry at my body for failing me. I was angry that I was missing so much playing time.

3. Bargaining

At this point, I was desperate to be done with the injury. I decided to rest for a few days and see if that improved my recovery. It was as if I said to my body, I’ll give you a week of rest, then will you heal? I remember thinking I just need to stop exercising entirely. I’ll recover quickly and it’ll be worth it. When that didn’t work out, I’ll admit I was back to anger. That’s what I say the cycles are not experienced in a linear fashion. When my bargain failed, I was right back to being angry. I was thinking, I gave you what you wanted, why are you not doing your part. It is quite frustrating!

4. Depression

Right before Thanksgiving I felt like I was at my lowest. It have been 8 weeks and I still wasn’t feeling better. Every day I had pain and I was ready to just give up. I remember hobbling in to the doctor’s office that morning and telling him I needed help. I shared with him everything I had done to improve and that nothing was working. I said there must be something he could recommend. I was on the verge of tears and said, soon I’ll be chubby and depressed. I will admit he was very patient with me and truly explained things to me. That is when degenerative issues came up. My feet have logged a lot of running miles. Many years of long distance running and training were not kind to my body.

5. Acceptance

This was the lowest point of my journey. I also think it was the moment that slapped sense into me. It felt like there was a moment of clarity for me here. I understood better the timeline and the reality of my injury. I also understood that it was not my fault entirely and I had done nothing wrong. As I drove home from the doctor’s office, I was extremely upset. When I got home, I got my gym bag packed and headed to the gym.

I decided that day, that I had to do something different. I was going down a slippery slope and needed to find something that wouldn’t cause pain. That day, I did something I’d been resisting. I put on my swim suit and got back in the pool to swim laps. I knew that meant I accepted my injury for what it was. I also knew that I still needed something athletic to engage in to improve my mental wellness. Swimming is something I’d done in the past when recovering from tendon repair surgery. I can’t say I love it, but it is very therapeutic and a great workout too.

Next Steps

I am two weeks past the news that this injury is way more than I anticipated. I have created a new schedule for my workouts. I have been able to lift weights throughout the injury, just modifying for anything that puts pressure on the foot. I’ve now added one mile lap swims two days a week. I also tried a Barre class locally and was able to do the class without pain.

My new routine has been so helpful for my mental wellness. I am focused on my recovery and finding ways to engage in movement is an essential component for me. I am now working out again, six days a week with one full day of rest. I started dry needling at the doctor’s recommendation. It is a bit painful, but I do feel it is helping.

My best advice is to find solace in setting new goals and focusing on other areas of your life. Injury recovery is tough, especially when you are used to being highly active. It is hard to accept that you are not able to just push through. Take that energy and use it to fuel your recovery. For me, setting new goals and focusing on other ways to move has been a lifeline.

I would be very interested to hear about your journey with injury. What have you found helped you the most? Please share in the comment section below, via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram.

Transform Your Health by Accepting Yourself

As part of any health journey, I believe we need to address our inner critic and make peace with our true self. Removing our masks and accepting ourselves as we are, not striving to be who others say we should be, can be so empowering. For far too long, I was trying to change my outer self, without addressing my inner self. I think this is why I failed, time and again on my health journey. 

Read part two of the post I shared last week, by clicking the box below – Kritajna Hum: I am gratitude. If you missed part one, you can find that here. I hope you feel inspired to reflect on your inner critic and find ways to embrace your self, just as you are right now. It could be the key to moving forward towards wellness, it was for me.

Kritajna Hum: I am gratitude

Looking forward to spending some quality time with my family this week, cooking and hanging out. I hope you have some time off as well. Please do share in the comments any thoughts you have on this two part series. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback. Remember you are perfect just as you are. Feel free to email me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog if you’d like to discuss your wellness journey, or have any questions about my posts.

The Power of Gratitude in Healing

As I continue to recover from an injury, I’m working hard to maintain a positive mindset. It’s so easy to feel sorry for myself and believe me I do some days. The truth is, it is hard! Today, I reminded myself that an attitude of gratitude can create spaces of light. Today, I gave myself time to rest and reflect on all I am grateful for. Today, I am resharing the first of a two part blog series I wrote on this topic last November.

Discover the transformative power of gratitude! It’s so easy to overlook the small blessings that can lead to happiness and success. In this blog post, I shared how an attitude of gratitude created space for happiness after a difficult time. Click to read the post and learn how a simple shift in perspective created space for positive changes! A reminder I needed today!

Dhanya Vad: I Feel Gratitude

The Importance of Rest in Injury Recovery

Recovering from an injury is not just about the physical recovery. It’s about giving your body and mind the time they need to heal. This is not easy, especially for people, like me, who are used to being highly active. I have always tried to push through and keep going, even when I know I shouldn’t. I knew at mile 20 of a marathon that I was injured and continued to the finish line anyway. This decision made things much worse. I’ve learned the hard way, that the most overlooked element of recovery is rest. Adequate rest allows the body to repair. Understanding the importance of rest is crucial for anyone, like me, seeking to heal and return to activity. It is also the hardest thing to do sometimes.

Why It Matters

Rest is crucial when you’re injured because it gives your body the time it needs to heal and repair itself. Rest also helps to reset the nervous system, improving focus and mental resilience. When you rest, your body can focus on the recovery process and rebuild strength. Overexerting yourself or returning to activity too soon, can delay your healing, exacerbate the injury, and lead to complications. Rest also helps prevent further stress on the affected area, giving it the optimal environment to recover fully. Rest is vital for mental recovery, as it can reduce stress. In short, proper rest is the foundation of any successful recovery.

Stay Positive

When resting during an injury, maintaining a positive mindset is key to preventing frustration and the urge to give up. I’m now struggling with this as time drags on. I find it helpful to focus on what I can do and celebrate the progress I make each day. Today I actually walked around the block without any pain in my foot! I’ve found that cultivating patience, self-compassion has helped me and I know it has built my resilience for future challenges.

Stay Focused

Staying positive and motivated to lose weight while resting due to an injury can be challenging. Nonetheless, it is possible with the right mindset and strategies. Here are some suggestions to help you stay focused and on track:

1. Focus on Nutrition

Since physical activity is limited, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet becomes even more important. Shift your attention to what you can control—your food choices. Plan meals that are rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied. Consider tracking your meals to stay accountable. I use the Cronometer app these days and find it to be very easy to navigate.

2. Set Small, Achievable Goals

Break your weight-loss goals into smaller, manageable steps. For example, focus on staying within a certain calorie range each day or preparing healthy meals in advance. Each time you hit one of these small milestones, take a moment to celebrate. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

3. Embrace Non-Physical Activities

Rest doesn’t mean inactivity. There are still ways to stay engaged with your fitness journey, even when you’re injured. Practice meditation, listen to podcasts or read books you’ve been wanting to read. Consider researching exercises you can do that are low-impact or gentle on your injury, like stretching, yoga, or deep breathing. This week, I purchased a new cookbook to try out some new recipes and signed up for a course.

4. Find Support and Accountability

Consider joining an online support group or connecting with a friend. Sharing your struggles and celebrating successes together can keep you accountable and motivated. Having someone to encourage you or share ideas with can also make the process feel less isolating.

By shifting your focus, celebrating small wins, and practicing patience, you can stay motivated to continue your weight loss journey.

Conclusion


In conclusion, resting when injured is not just a pause in your routine—it’s a crucial step in your recovery. Remember, healing is a process, and by prioritizing rest, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. Give yourself that gift of time.

What strategies or mindset shifts have you used to stay motivated while you rest during an injury? Please share in the comment section below. We’d love to hear your ideas. If you’re more comfortable, email me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram @reclaiminghealthblog

Transforming Setbacks into Strength: My Weight Loss Story

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t”. – Rikki Rogers

When you are on a weight loss journey, the path is often littered with obstacles, and injuries can feel like major setbacks. I know this first hand, as I’ve had major injuries throughout my journey. I’ve suffered three (3) femoral stress fractures and one (1) peroneal tendon repair surgery during my time as a long distance runner. These repeated injuries were behind my decision to step away from running and contributed to my emotional struggles and significant weight gain. I’ve learned the hard way, that the way you approach these challenges can make all the difference. A resilient mindset not only helps you navigate your physical limitations, but also empowers you to maintain motivation and sustain progress.

Embracing a positive outlook can transform an injury from a roadblock into an opportunity for growth, demonstrating that mental strength is just as vital as physical strength. I am working through this right now, as my recent MRI shows I have peroneal tendinitis in the arch of my right foot. There is also evidence of micro tears. For the past two years, I have been paying pickleball extensively, walking and doing yoga. I have been pain and injury free and thought I was over the hurdle of dealing with these types of injuries.

In the past, I allowed injuries to let me give up, so I know that I have to work hard to keep my focus and maintain a positive mindset. My last injury sent me on a downward spiral and left me 80 pounds heavier. I lost most of that weight and do not want to lose any momentum. I have been reminding myself daily, that this is just a bump in the road, not the end.

I have been doing a lot of reflection on moving through this setback. I focused on finding ways to use resilience. With that in mind, I needed a simplistic definition of what resilience is and how I could use it. I crafted the following plan to maintain motivation and mental strength, as I move toward recovery. What follows is my thought process and the plan I crafted to use moving forward.

What is Resiliency

Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from setbacks, and it can be applied to both weight loss and overcoming injury.  Resilience is the ability to manage stress in effective ways. It’s not a choice of attitude, or something you’re born with. Rather, it is skills that can be developed by repeating specific behaviors.

This understanding led me to reflect on what skills I could employ as I navigate through my injury downtime.

Using Resilience When Overcoming Injury

With that definition in mind, what resilience skills could I employ when overcoming an injury, while trying to lose weight? Here are a few examples: 

  • Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and prioritize mental and emotional well-being 
  • Shift your perspective: Remind yourself that the injury is temporary. 
  • Continue to move your body: Modify movements to continue moving your body in any way that you can 
  • Follow through with a rehabilitation program: Put in the work to build strength 
  • Maintain a positive attitude: Focusing on the progress you’re making, not just the end goal

With these skills in mind, I made a list of specific actions I would take. I then narrowed it down to those I felt most reflect my personal struggle.

My Resiliency Action Plan

For each of the skills, I developed a specific action. My recovery time is 4-6 weeks and I will adjust this plan as necessary.

  • Practice self-compassion: I will recognize when I engage in negative self talk. I will notice and reframe those thoughts, thinking about what I would say to someone else who was in my shoes.
  • Shift your perspective: I will remind myself daily that this too shall pass. I will engage in reading and other activities I enjoy to pass the time.
  • Continue to move your body: I will pay careful attention to any pain I feel in my foot, as I engage in movement. I am able to continue with weight training routines, modifying anything that would involve that foot. I am able to take short and slow walks, skipping or modifying if I feel any pain during or after.
  • Follow through with a rehabilitation program: I will attend all PT sessions and follow up at home between appointments.
  • Maintain a positive attitude:  I will use the calendar to track my progress and celebrate milestones along the way.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, overcoming obstacles on your weight loss journey requires resilience and a positive mindset.

  • Setbacks are natural, so celebrate small victories and learn from challenges.
  • Stay flexible and adjust your goals as needed, and
  • Don’t hesitate to lean on your support system.

Remember, this journey is about more than just numbers; it’s about becoming a healthier, happier you. Keep pushing forward and embrace every step!

What strategies have you found most helpful in overcoming obstacles on your weight loss journey, and how did they change your perspective on setbacks? Please share in the comment section below, or send me an email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog.

Break Through Weight Loss Plateaus: My Journey

“When you get to a plateau, think of it as a landing on the stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of ‘rehearsal’ for maintenance isn’t the worst thing in the world”. -unknown

Recently, I have been deeply reflecting on my journey. I have been in a plateau for the past three months and it was starting to wear on my mindset. When I hit 160, I was a mere 10 pounds away from my original target weight of 150 lbs. I was so excited and remember sending a message to my coach saying, “Say goodbye to the 160s!”. Not so fast my body seemed to say, for here I am three months later still here and weighing in at 164 lbs. How many of you can relate to this? So close, yet those last 10 pounds still the ever elusive target.

In the past, this plateau would have caused me to get frustrated and perhaps even give up. This time, I’ve been digging in and holding on, embracing my time in this maintenance period. I believe my body was asking me for a break and time to readjust. Instead of giving up, I decided to really dive into what I am eating and how I am moving, trying to uncover why my body has stopped losing weight. This week, I’d like to share my process and reflection on being stuck.

What is a Weight Loss Plateau?

When we hit a plateau, it feels like everything stops. We question ourselves and often become overly critical. I know I always think I need to do more and be better to reach my goals. What we don’t take into account is that this journey takes time and does not happen quickly. It’s a SLOW process!

I know right now you are thinking about how long you’ve been trying, because that’s where my mind went. I’ve been on this journey for a long time too. This most recent journey started back on February 1, 2023, almost two years ago. What I think gave me some perspective on time, was when I thought about how long it took me to become this unhealthy. Truly the answer to that is a lifetime, but the most recent weight gain was a solid five year time span. Five years to gain over 80 pounds. When looking at that perspective, two years to lose 65 pounds seems fantastic. Plateaus are normal to hit and how we respond to them will determine our outcome. For me, I am holding on and trying to find ways to get things moving along again.

I wrote about weight loss plateaus when I first hit this one, back in July. I think the post is worth reading to understand the evolution of thinking about my weight loss plateau.

Pushing Past Weight-Loss Plateaus: Tips for Success

You can also learn more about this topic here:

Metabolism and Reverse Dieting

What I’ve Learned About My Weight Loss Plateau

In my original post, I talked about metabolic adaptation, or our body adjusting to its new normal. When we reduce our caloric intake, over time our metabolism adapts to the new intake level. In order to achieve balance, our metabolism slows. Over time, this means that our caloric deficit no longer gives the result of losing weight. This can lead us to reduce our calories further and increase exercise, which can give us the exact opposite result than what we are seeking. That’s what happened to me and the result I’ve had these past three months.

When I spoke with my coach and dietitian, they kept going back to my food logs. I log my food on Cronometer daily, to ensure I am meeting my macros that were set for me. Being plant based, I’ve paid special attention to my protein intake and my target was 90 grams a day. I struggled to reach that goal some days and would add additional protein shakes, or meals to my day. This left me not hungry and feeling full. The ironic thing was that my daily caloric intake was only at 1100 most days, far too low, yet I wasn’t hungry. It was concerning and I kept telling them both that I could not possibly eat any more food. I was literally so uncomfortably full.

My newest blood work showed that my LDL had increased again and they all believe, including my doctor, that this is tied to my low caloric daily intake, coupled with my high daily energy expenditure.

I felt like this testing was the slap I needed. My body scans showed that the minimal caloric intake I needed (BMR) was 1526. This rate is just for my body to do the basic functions needed to live, and does not take into account the high levels of movement I do each day. My new daily target is 1600 on less active days, and as much as 2000 on active days.

Further examination of my daily logs revealed that I was eating about 55 grams of fiber each day. The average RDA for women my age is 21. Though this intake is not unhealthy, this high amount of fiber was causing me, at times, to feel uncomfortably full. In my attempt to increase my protein, I was adding silken tofu, flax seed, hemp seed and chia seed at the same time to each shake, which was way too much.

What I Did in Response

I went back to a lower caloric intake and then slowly began to increase each week. I originally went from 1100 to 2000 in a day and was truly uncomfortable. It was too much too fast (story of my life!). This slower and gradual increase has been life changing and allowed my body to better adapt. I am now eating 1600 calories with ease and actually look forward to my meals. Once I am consistently eating in a healthier range, we will begin to look at cutting back to ensure a deficit, but for now the focus is to improve my metabolism.

I also increased the number of weight lifting sessions I do each week. I originally was lifting heavy two days a week with a trainer. First, I added a third day and this week I added in the fourth day. That will be my target going forward, to lift heavier weights four times a week. Despite the plateau of my weight, I have continued to lose inches as evidenced by my weekly measurements and clothing size.

I cut back on the number of days I was playing competitive pickleball games. This was a hard decision, but after reflecting on the data in FitBit regarding readiness scores, I decided I was stressing my body. Readiness scores are provided to help us avoid injury and ensure we take needed rest days. I am an over achiever by nature and tended to ignore that data. In consultation with my coach, I finally understood that I was stressing my body. My Fitbit step counts were averaging 25-30K steps per day, seven days a week. That included long walks and pickleball. I am now playing an average of 3-4 times per week and my average step counts are between 10-15K a day. I do not take long walks on days I play pickleball, just a nice short walk in the morning to start my day. I’ve also added a full rest day, during which I do a short walk and consciously rest.

Finally, I purchased a body scan scale that gives me valuable data regarding the composition of my body. As a data geek, I love to watch the shifts as they happen each week when I step on the scan. I am now better able to study my body composition, including body fat and body muscle percentages. I also find the BMR targets helpful, as they are targeted specifically to my body. When I started my metabolic age showed at 71! I was horrified. Today it showed as 49!

I will continue to monitor my journey, through weekly body scans, measurements and periodic blood work. I am extremely excited about the additional weight training session each week. I am seeing some nice definition starting and feel stronger each week. I am relieved that the increase of LDL was not something to panic over. I was truly feeling badly about that and it really helped to have a registered dietitian explain why it was happening and what to do in response.

Summary of Changes I Made

In summary, here are the changes I made:

  1. Slowly increased caloric intake to healthier levels
  2. Increased protein intake and split it evenly across 3 meals a day (50 grams at each meal)
  3. Increase weight lifting sessions to 4x a week
  4. Decreased cardio events each week to avoid over stressing my body
  5. Use of body scan to monitor body composition data

Next Steps

I hope this post gave you some food for thought about your journey. If you connected in any way to this post, please do reach out and share in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your experiences, as they always help me feel like I’m not alone on this journey. Feel free to answer any of these questions to help get a discussion going:

Why do you think your body is not letting you lose weight?

Are you currently doing weight lifting sessions each week? How many per week?

What have you noticed about adding in weight lifting?

What is your current daily protein intake?

Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading your comments. If you feel more comfortable sharing via email, you can do so at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram.

Navigating Overthinking in Your Health Journey

“I thought about starting an ‘overthinkers anonymous group,’ but I couldn’t make up my mind.” – Anonymous

Hi, I’m Laura and I am an overthinker. I’ve been this way my whole life and it has both served me and held me back. When it comes to my health journey, recently it has lately been causing confusion and unnecessary complication. I’ll bet I am not alone on this path and that many of you will connect to this post.

Back in January of this year, I made the decision for my health to switch to a whole food plant based lifestyle. Like most overthinkers, I have strong analytical skills and used them to learn about this lifestyle. I enrolled in courses, became a certified health coach and learned new ways to cook. For me, learning is always stimulating and satisfying. Whenever I take something on, I fully immerse myself in the process. In fact, overthinkers are thorough and consider multiple aspects of a situation, which can lead to better decision-making and problem solving. This trait has served me well in my life and especially my career.

Overthinking can cause problems, as over time conflicting information, especially in the health and wellness industry, can cause confusion. There are multiple research studies to be found on any topic and all provide “scientific” evidence to support their claims. In my case, my need to ensure my health and wellness, led me to so much information and caused what’s known as analysis paralysis. This simply means that my overthinking led to indecision, which caused me to make unnecessary changes and ultimately led to confusion. My confusion caused me to over complicate my eating and then led to me doubting my ability to sustain this lifestyle.

Instead of changing course, I decided to seek someone out who could help fill in gaps in my understanding of my specific nutritional needs. I decided to work with a Registered Dietitian (RD) to better understand how to put information I learned into practice. You would think this would be an easy task, but it was most definitely not. It was very hard to find someone I felt comfortable working with who had a strong understanding of plant based lifestyles. Most RD programs do not have a specific focus on plant based foods, rather they cover it as one component in a holistic program. Sometimes this means spending as little as one week on the topic. When it comes to plant based and vegan lifestyles, it was important to me that I find a RD who specialized in plant based/vegan lifestyles, or was personally living it.

I finally found a dietitian that I feel comfortable with and am so excited to begin learning from her. I did, however, hit a few roadblocks along the way before I found her, so I want to share my experience to perhaps help you avoid making the same mistake.

Finding the Right Registered Dietitian For You:

  1. Search Your Healthcare Provider List for Participating Dietitians
    • This didn’t work well for me, as my search for Registered Dietitians mostly led to weight loss centers focused on surgery. It was hard to find one that didn’t specialize in that, and there were no plant-based RDs in my area.
  2. Search Online for Dietitians Near You
    • There were none to be found in my area.
  3. Search Online for Registered Dietitians
    • This search provided me with some leads. My next step was to set up interview meetings to see if we would be a good fit. This specific process led me to make a poor decision, but we learn from our mistakes.

Ensuring the Right Fit For Your Needs:

  1. Research Providers
    • It’s important to read through the provider’s website and ensure they speak to what you are seeking. I’d also do some google searching on the providers, as well as a social media search. See what others have said about working with them.
  2. Set up a Meeting on Zoom
    • I no longer work with anyone before I spend time speaking in a Zoom. If they are not providing a consultation meeting, then they are not for me. I would have know immediately that the first RD I met with was not a good fit for me and could have avoided wasting time and money.
  3. Be Careful of Programs
    • There are many programs out there that come up when searching for Registered Dietitians. They use the right words, but tread carefully. I had a consultation with one of these companies back at the end of August. I explained what I was seeking clearly and the woman I met with was just incredible. I signed up to work with this company, thinking I’d be working with her, for five months. I feel like it was a bait and switch routine, as the person I met with was NOT the person I work with. And, when I expressed my concern I was told I needed to trust them. When I emailed a second time, I received no response. This was an expensive lesson to learn, but learn I did. I just had a similar situation and knew enough to say no to this even more expensive program. Be careful as there are a lot of these types of programs. If it sounds like it’s too good to be true, it most likely is.
  4. Avoid Long Term Initial Contracts
    • I will no longer sign a long term contract to work with someone. There is no reason I would need to do this and I should have known better. I am paying monthly for a program that is not truly meeting my needs. If they are trying to lock you in, walk away. Reputable providers do not need to make you do this.

I finally feel like I am back on solid footing and have a strong plan moving forward. I felt better just from my initial meeting with the dietitian on Friday. She explained my blood work in a manner that I understood and she eased my mind about the concerns I had. She cleared up some misconceptions I had and is currently mining through the data I sent her. I am a data geek and was so glad she wanted the information I have. I am cutting back on the information I am taking in at this point. I plan to follow her guidance and find more clarity around my plant based food choices.

Have you had a similar experiences with overthinking? or, looking for a wellness provider? Would you like to share your story? So many of us are on this path to reclaiming our health and I’d love to feature your story in a future blog. Please reach out to me and let me know about your journey. We all can gain motivation and help each other through this sharing. Reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram, or in the comment section below.

The Compound Effect

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
― Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

As the fall weather is upon us, I am cleaning closets and thinking of the approaching winter season. Fall is my favorite time of the year. I start to organize and purge what not longer fits, including more than just clothing. Life is always about evolving and growing as we go and fall is the perfect time to slow down and reflect. In that manner, I have decided this week’s post will be a repost of one of my most popular blogs from this year. In this post, I speak about the importance of consistency and holding firm to my journey as I move through the winter season. Let’s all use the fall to prepare for the winter ahead. Much like the squirrels gathering their food for the winter, I believe we need to gather our motivation for the days ahead. I hope you enjoy the reread of this much loved post.

I first read Darren Hardy’s book many years ago as a new school leader. The Compound Effect outlined, is the strategy of being consistent with smart, tiny choices over time that will produce significant results. As I read the book I was focused on leadership, yet in the back of my mind I kept connecting back to my health journey. The concept is that smaller steps over a long period of time will have a greater, more beneficial and successful effect on your life than bigger steps in a shorter period of time (that most people will not stick to). Today as I view the predictable dwindling off of the New Year’s resolutionists at the gym I am reminded of this concept.

For many years, I was that person. The one who gets all pumped up for the reclaiming health journey. Those who have followed me over time know that every spring I have a rebirth and start over. Then, every winter I slowly fade away and fall backwards. This year has been different, albeit not easier. The temptation to fall back has reared its head repeatedly, especially on these 18 degree days. Using the concept of the compounding effect, I know that consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining momentum. I have held tight to that concept on my darkest of days this winter and continued with the small, simple habits and daily routines that will add up to a healthier life. My goal this year was to make it through the winter with habits in tact and see where I am come spring. As we are nearing February, I am very hopeful that this year will be different for me. 

Consistency is not easy if you make your habits too lofty, the key is to keep things simple and doable. When I selected daily habits, I’d say I even set the bar lower than I knew I could accomplish this winter. This helped me through the harder days and gave me added bonus boosts when I achieved more and kept me motivated. We all know success fosters motivation and failure often motivates quitting. For my movement goal, I merely set a minimum of a 30 minute walk in nature goal for every day of the week. This goal has been the easiest one to maintain, rain or shine. Setting a doable goal like this sets you up for success and avoids repeated failure that can serve to make you feel like a failure and give up. Obviously, it’s not my only fitness goal, but it’s the one I will never skip. Walking and being in nature cannot be undervalued on any health journey.

Another doable goal I set was to improve my nutrition through simple choices for my meals. I made a commitment to have a healthy breakfast every day. To make it easier, I decided to to a morning smoothie with protein and healthy nutrients, using simple recipes found in Joyfull, by Radi Devlukia. This sets me up for my morning workout and keeps me full until lunch. There are so many great smoothie recipes, but if that feels overwhelming just use a high quality protein powder shake, such as this one from Complement. I like the chocolate flavor when drinking plain and unflavored when using with the recipes from Joyfull. I have been super consistent with this goal as well. No cooking required for this breakfast and the variety of smoothies is endless. For lunch, I generally eat the main meal of the day to allow more time for digestion. I eat a whole food plant based diet consisting of protein, legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This also is very easy to do as salads are super easy to put together. 

On this cold winter day, I remind you that it’s not about perfection. It’s about the effort we put in and more importantly, the consistency we apply to our health journeys. Approach every day with a clean slate. If you ate too much yesterday (me eating pizza during the football playoffs), it’s all good, just return to your daily routine today. You slept in and didn’t do your gym workout this morning, get up do your 30 minute walk and return to the gym on your next scheduled day. Perhaps your body needed the rest. What we can’t do is give up and stop. Just keep to your routines as best you can and watch the compound effect unfold. 

If you have any questions or comments, please do reach out. I love getting emails at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog about your journey. Take a photo of nature from your 30 minute walk and tag me on Instagram at reclaiminghealthblog with #30minutesinnature . Let’s do this together, motivate each other and reach spring feeling healthier. It is only two months away!