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Posts from the ‘Medical’ Category

Apr 8

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The benefits of Fascial Stretch Therapy…

…rehab after injury, increased flexibility and mobility, & so much more.
If you don’t know of it yet, it’s time!

While the title of this blog may not sound sexy, I’m here to tell you it is! What could be sexier than feeling better in your entire body and experiencing relief from pain after an injury?! Or, improved performance in your workouts? How about increased mobility and flexibility as you age? More energy? Better posture?

If you’re not familiar with Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) — this blog may change your life. Really!

I first learned about Fascial Stretch Therapy about six years ago when my personal trainer and close friend, Sandra Swami, was in training to become a Level 1, 2 & eventually a Level 3 Fascial Stretch Therapist. I benefited from being one of her early clients, but learned of its true value in the summer of 2015 when I experienced a debilitating sciatica issue.

Sandra’s been my go-to person every time I experience tightness or soreness and don’t know where to start. Case in point, plantar fasciitis earlier this year. I called Sandra and got a fascial stretch. That combined with rest, ice, and regular stretching exercises that I could do at home and it healed over time.

Most recently, at Sandra’s urging, I found a skilled Fascial Stretch Therapist in Maine to help me rehab from a fall on the ice a few weeks ago. Enter Jillian Magee, Fascial Stretch Therapist, Portland, Maine.

So what is Fascial Stretch Therapy, and why am I so excited that I’m devoting an entire blog and urging my readers to check it out? Read more

Mar 26

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Setbacks. Learning to honor the struggle

This is not the blog I intended to write. I had every intention of writing about being consistently back in the gym and finally in a groove with my exercise routine. It turns out, the Universe had other plans.

After struggling to get in a regular winter exercise routine, and with the number on the scale moving in the wrong direction, I decided to take it back to the gym. The first couple of months were a challenge as my body was not used to being pushed that hard. But after a string of great workouts recently at Wilcox Wellness and Fitness,  things were starting to gel. I began to feel stronger and more capable.

The cool thing is that I know what comes next! The next phase includes me pushing myself even harder, feeling even more capable and stronger, and then actually starting to enjoy it, and finally craving it! Yes, I’ve been here before and I will be again. But I know you can’t get to that level without working through the more challenging phase one — which is where I have been.

It has taken months to move from my goal of getting back in the gym to get this extra weight off — to feeling like I was in a regular groove and could actually see strong and fit again! Finally, I was ready to claim progress, if not momentum.

Enter – setback. Read more

Oct 27

From last one up the mountain to the heart health of an athlete

lori-oct2016

Guess who has the heart health of an athlete? Yep, this is her!

If you struggle with self-care and avoid the doctor, or believe you can’t change your health trajectory, please read on!

Dejavu?! Last week, I found myself in the exact same situation almost six years to the day (Oct. 2010-Oct. 2016). In a a hospital gown at the doctor’s office sitting on the edge of the bed talking with my doctor.

While the scene was the same, the visits and the results were not.

In 2010, I FORCED myself to go to the doctor for a medical exam after a nearly 20-year avoidance of all things medical. I had to have medical clearance to participate in the weight-loss boot camp that I was signed up for in Nov. 2010. Of course, my sheer terror of all things medical and the shame I carried around related to my weight, had me procrastinating and cutting this mandatory doctor’s visit pretty close to the start of the boot camp.

As you can perhaps predict, the actual experience of visiting the doctor for the first time in 20 years wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I had made it out in my head to be (often the case with our fears). Though I had myself worked up to a state of near panic going in so who knows how that affect my blood pressure!

The doctor’s sage advice that stuck in my head from that terrifying visit in 2010: “I’m going to clear you for the weight-loss boot camp, but I want you to keep your competitive spirit in check and be the last one up the mountain.” Read more

Jan 25

7 tips to increase your water intake & lose weight

Part of our getting back to basics — nuts & bolts blog series

sparklingwaterI used to drink a case of diet coke every 3-5 days. My office was stocked with the stuff and I felt addicted to it. I also consumed my share of heavy milk shakes, juices loaded with sugar and alcoholic beverages. I can’t even begin to tell you how many calories I drank.

Five years ago when I went to weight-loss boot camp that all came to a screeching halt. That’s when I went “cold turkey” and replaced all of those high-calorie beverages with pure water. Well, all but the occasional alcoholic beverage, which I still enjoy!

Replacing sweetened drinks with water not only spares you hundreds of calories in a day, but water is just plain good for you. I remember the day about four years ago when I tried a diet coke and couldn’t even stand a sip of it. It was too sweet for me! My palette now prefers water — and, yes, it also likes the occasional alcoholic beverage! 😉

Most of us know that water is a principal component in our bodies. But did you know that water actually makes up about 60 percent of your body weight? Every system in our bodies depends on water.

Here are a few of the benefits of water based on the research, as well as my personal experience. And if you struggle to get enough water in, here are my 7 tips for making it much easier – in fact, delicious. Read more

Sep 8

A pain in the butt!

What my body is teaching me

yourbody-rohnWhat started as a serious pain in the butt in early July — waking me at 4:30 a.m. out of a dead sleep — soon developed into full-blown sciatica.

I’ve now been struggling with lower back and leg pain for nine weeks, and at least four of those included chronic nerve pain, with little or no relief.

In mid August, the nerve pain shifted/traveled. Finally, it got so bad that I was grounded from my daily walking routine. This made matters worse because I lost my one healthy outlet for relieving the stress and keeping it together.

That was about the time I lost it. Read more

Sep 24

Hormones and weight loss. A formula for success?!

Women, I just learned something critical and want to share it. There is science and hope!

Photo shoot - Fall 2013

Photo shoot – Fall 2013

There are a few key sources I use as a go-to references for my ongoing transformation, and as a result, I’m always learning and evolving my thinking around total health and wellness. I’m grateful for that.

One of those key sources is Jade Teta and the Metabolic Effect. Metabolic Effect describes itself as a formula for optimal health, fitness and body transformation. It is similar in approach to the fat loss plan that I followed to lose  -200 lbs and nearly 50% of my body fat. And, it’s basic premise is how I’m continuing to keep the weight off.

The Metabolic Effect program is built around a basic hormonal protocol vs. calorie counting. So you’re burning stored fat and building muscle, not just dropping calories. It’s both science- and experience-based, plus it helps you learn about your unique body and needs. You can learn more about Metabolic Effect here.

Lately, I’ve been struggling with peri-menopausal issues. Me —  and most of my girlfriends my age. Just the other night, we were talking about the “joys” of peri-menopause and how we all noticing that our bodies are changing. The same diet and exercise approaches that we used when we were younger no longer work. The weight is settling right around the middle. Plus, to keep it interesting, we’re battling a host of other challenges — trouble sleeping, stress, mood swings, hot flashes and/or night sweats, and erratic periods. Fun stuff, both for us and the men in our lives! Read more

Sep 18

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Sugar smarts

Great blog on 10 sneaky sugar sources that sabotage weight loss

prod_img-1135593I ate a piece of homemade chocolate peanut butter pie last week at a family event, and then craved sugar for days. Yep, that one piece of dessert almost instantly made it harder for me to avoid sugar/sweets, and I’m still struggling almost a week later.

I’ve learned — and finally admitted to myself — that I have a sugar addiction. This was not easy to believe/accept. But I did and it’s how I’ve maintained my -200 lb weight loss for more than 2.5 years. (I’ve written about some of the research that helped me understand this here and here.)

Whether you have a full-on sugar addiction or you’re just having trouble dropping those last few pounds, it’s important to know what processed sugar can do to your body, how to recognize it on food labels, and in what foods it’s hiding. Read more

May 18

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We overeat because we’re fat

New York Times article asserts what might be a game changer in fighting obesity. Hope?!

LoriSchaefer-BeforeandAfterMost people you talk to about the obesity epidemic in America, or their own personal struggle to lose weight, subscribe to the theory that it’s a “calories in, calories out” formula that determines our weight. It’s simple, they assert, to lose weight, eat fewer calories than your body burns. It then becomes a test of willpower.

I used to subscribe to that theory because that’s what we as a society are taught. And I used to feel like a failure for not being able to assert enough willpower to stop overeating and lose weight.

Then, I got healthy. I lost 200+ pounds with the help of a crack nutrition and wellness team, and learned that it DOES absolutely matter what’s in those calories. Quality matters as much or more than quantity — along with a host of other factors. It’s NOT that “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.” Our bodies react to certain calories and types of food way differently, and the hormone insulin is a/the leading culprit in our skyrocketing obesity rates. Read more

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