"Cryotherapy Queen"

It's been awhile since my last check-in here, but I wanted to offer a few quick updates!

First - yes, I continue to do daily whole body cryotherapy.  At least I do it every single day that I can.  When I travel, it can be challenging and recently there was a long stretch (almost 2 1/2 weeks!) where both travel and fate conspired to prevent me from getting my "chill" on.  

Was it a problem?  You betcha!  I came to realize just how vital cryotherapy is in my life pretty fast!

You see, since I started doing daily cryotherapy in September 2016, I had not gotten sick at all.  I came close a few times - I was sick when I first started - but I hadn't gotten sick.  No colds, nothing.  As someone who is always the first to catch any cold, this was a bit monumental for me!  I watched as those around me caught and suffered terrible colds, but I seemed to remain immune!  It was a bit mystifying, really...

Well, no sooner had I missed a series of days due to travel, lost a good bit of sleep and endured some stress and wham! - I caught a nasty cold that I am still working to get over.  

If cryotherapy was, in fact, boosting my immune system to keep me healthy - then, no doubt the lack of it left me vulnerable and exposed when I needed it most.    It's hardly scientific evidence, but it's pretty compelling for me personally.  

I can only tell you this - for my entire life, everyone who knows me will tell you that I am known to be the first person to catch a cold.  If someone sneezes within 5 miles of me, I catch the flu.  The period from September 2016 - June 2017 that I went without a single cold is incredibly remarkable and worth taking note of.

Second, my weight?

Well - it's exactly the same as my last update.  That might not seem like an impressive victory, but it is for a couple of reasons...

(1) I just returned from a long vacation where I am pretty sure I ate California.  Seriously.  If there is a food shortage on the West coast, look no further - I am squarely to blame.  I ate everything that wasn't nailed down.  Wolfgang Puck came to my table at Spago (true story) to introduce himself (still true) and get a look at the woman who ate his entire menu offering - and then the menu itself (possibly exaggerated).

(2) I might weigh the same, but I must have lost inches - because I am no longer a size 8/10.  I am solidly an 8 and occasionally a 6.  Most of my size 10's are now too big.  

(3)  I may or may not be eating Dorito's as I write this.  There could be many reasons that my fingertips are orange.

Here is a picture of me from one year ago (taken July 2, 2016) and another from last week.

Your welcome to be nice about it, but let's be real.  The 'me' on the left looks like it actually ate the 'me' on the right.  It's not a bad picture (okay, it's not just a bad picture) because all my pictures from this day are the same...I literally look inflated.

I just want to go back in time to that poor girl, pat her on the back and tell her it's going to be ok...

The funny thing is, when I look closely - the angle is very close.  There's no mistaking it's still me.  The slightly smaller right eye, the slightly raised left brow, the little smirk/upturn of my half-smile on the left side of my mouth...the things that make me are all present.  Other then my hair and slightly darker lighting...and a ton of weight - everything is the same.

So - that's my personal update!  I happen to have one more tidbit to share - but I am going to give that one it's very own post...coming soon!

120 Days: An Update from Way Beyond

Remember Day 1?  194 lbs, Size 14 on 9/26/16.

Happy 2017!

It's a New Year and a "New Me", for sure...and a huge thanks to cryotherapy for that - so it seems only fitting to drop in and give an update from "beyond".

Just a quick reminder where I started way back on September 26, 2016.  My weight was 194 on that day and I wore a size 14.  The picture to the left is me on day one, getting ready to start my 30-days of "consecutive" cryotherapy.  (I use quotes here because it didn't and still doesn't include Sundays, and the occasional impossible travel day or holiday, etc).

So, what's happened since then?

Now:  156.5 lbs, Size 8/10

Well, I am still doing my "daily" cryotherapy and still losing weight, albeit slower now - but that's ok...because I'm close enough to my goal to take it slow and steady.

My weight, as of this morning, was 156.5 and I wear a size 8/10 (depending on the brand/item) - and I am just fine with that!

My goal is to drop about 7 more pounds, to get to a solid 150 stable.  I don't really care if I drop another size or not.  If I do, I do.  If I don't, I'm ok with that too.  My next goal will be more about toning, rather than pounds anyway.

I found a really compelling graphic image in my phone that I wanted to share with you.

Please allow me to explain what you are looking at below.

© Copyright 2017.
This image is the sole
property of The Cryotherapy Diaries.
Interested parties may link to this post/blog,
but contact me to discuss any further permissions.
Cryo954 always granted permanent rights/permissions.

The image to the left is a screenshot from my LoseIt app.  

As you can see, I have charted my weight since well before Feb 2014.  More than 3 years.  

You can also see that my weight pretty consistently stayed between 197 and above 200.  The highest being that tall peak of 218 just before the down pattern begins.  It was at that point that I had reached my limit and went to my doctor and got a prescription for Qsymia, an appetite suppressant.  

You can see from the slight drop, that I had some success.  I dropped 24 lbs in about 3 months and got to 194 lbs and then I hit a plateau.  From June to September, I stayed at that 194 level.  Sometimes varying a bit, but always bouncing back to 194.  

On 9/26/16 I introduced daily cryotherapy - and 9/30/16 (indicated) was my first time logging the weight again at 189 (matches the blog date/entry).  

From there, the picture tells the story.  You can clearly see the line sharply and dramatically goes down.  This image shows what I personally consider to be the most compelling evidence of the cryotherapy effect on my weight loss journey.

Beyond weight loss, I am sleeping just fine - when I'm not, it has nothing to do with insomnia!  My skin is super soft, I have no sagging skin that is usually associated with a large weight loss (yay!), I have no real anxiety and I feel great more often than not!

I had more than my fair share of some intense personal issues that were a bit stressing and put a strain on my smile, and I did my best to manage them. 

Some days I did better than others.  I had a rough week or two, but looking back I believe that I did the best I could.  I am learning to let go of things beyond my control, stop letting my happiness be dictated by others and to get back to my own wild and whimsical ways.  Focus on myself, work and doing the best I can in any given day.  

Inspired probably by this blog, I recently took up a form of private journaling some of my more complicated thoughts & feelings as a means of releasing the pressure, since I had no way of honestly talking about it with anyone otherwise.  That seems to be relieving some internal turmoil.  There was a lot built up there and some new plot twists & turns were only further adding confusion for me daily.  I think I was a bit like a pressure cooker inside without a means of release.  Whether or not I will ever share the contents of those entries with the cast of characters featured in my scribblings is unlikely, but... I have learned to never say "never".  

In any case, I will give credit for both the inspired "writing it out" and the clear head to focus on coping with (not resolving) complex thoughts/feelings to cryotherapy as well, since it brought me to this blog...and probably a better sense of calm.  I think I can fairly say that in another time and place I might have handled things more recklessly and more emotionally.

Stress aside, I feel pretty great over all.  I think clothes shopping is one of my favorite things to do, which is good since I have now replaced my entire wardrobe at least twice.  I enjoy picking out my clothes each day in a way that I never did before.  

On a recent night out, I even had some random attention which was pretty flattering.  The first time I noticed it, I was completely thrilled by it.  It was just a very deliberate 'looking over' that was hard to miss when I walked past two men to a table in a restaurant.  It was so blatant that I started laughing.  Smooth, right?  No suave hair flip...no saucy hip swish...me?  I burst out laughing.  I was tempted to thank him and offer him a high-five, but I'm guessing that would have been even less 'cool'.

The second time, later the same night, a man actually approached me to tell me how much he loved my dress and compliment me.  I don't think I even took it as a 'pick up', because I was too busy enjoying the compliment.  I'm pretty sure I told him who the designer was and then discussed whether or not the color red was lucky or not.  Since we were in a casino, I assumed he meant the slot machines.  Later, I realized I might have been missing the obvious double entendre he was trying to hint at with my dress being "lucky".  I suppose it's a good thing I'm married, because clearly, I have absolutely zero "game".  Social misfit, party of one - but as long as I am amused and entertained, I'm not minding that.  


I've brought a few friends to cryotherapy and I'm going to keep it up...for as long as my friends at Cryo954 can put up with me, I'm going to keep showing up.  It's become a cornerstone of my routine and it's incredibly important to me as a part of my total wellness.






XOXOXO,
Christine ♥
  

A Quick Update From Beyond the 30 Days!

Happy December!  (Can you believe it's December?)

I am just popping in to let you know that I have continued to do daily cryotherapy.  I am not doing it this week due to a commitment that has me unavailable - and I am missing it like crazy!!!

I can't wait to get back to doing it daily.  The non-daily routine at the moment is definitely against my will and is more subject to a work commitment, holidays, time off for the Cryo954 team and my own family travel.

As a quick update - I am still feeling great.  My weight loss is still on a positive trend, a bit slower but still moving in the right direction!

As of today - 168 lbs.  Down from the original 194.

That's a total of 26 lbs gone since I started.

I'm happy with the results.

It's more than weight loss, obviously.  I'm sleeping better.  No more chronic insomnia. My skin feels un-freaking-believable.  No kidding.  Like silk. I don't mean to get all weird, but there are moments I just stroke my own arms in pure delight.  Soft, soft, soft.

I really, really really wish I could just submerge my face in the cryosauna for a few hours each day.  Wow....!  I can not imagine.

I have heard before that cryotherapy has an effect on skin, but I can now truly attest that this is looking pretty darned true.  My skin is smooth, softer than the softest silk and feels amazing.  

As of today, I have not been able to do cryotherapy for five long days...but the benefits of cryotherapy have not subsided.  

The only cryotherapy benefit I am craving and lacking right now is the anti-inflammatory and pain relief.  My current project involves long days, on my feet and my knees are a bit swollen from 12 hours and my back is killing me...

I can't wait to get back!

Day 30: The Synopsis

Day 1

Do you see a difference between day 1 and day 30...?

Day 30

Day 30 finally came and here are my thoughts on "30 Days of Cryotherapy"...

First of all, my final weight came in at 179 lbs and my dress size is a 12.
I started at 194 lbs and a size 14.  That's a solid 15 lbs down.  During this time, I did absolutely zero exercising.  Honest.  You couldn't make me exercise if you tried...

But I will now.  I promised myself that once I got below 180, it was time for the gym and that time is here...(yes, I cursed when I saw the scale - but it was a happy curse too).  In my personal opinion, the theories about cryotherapy and weight loss as proven to me.

Beyond weight loss, I absolutely sleep better.  I have been a lifelong chronic insomniac for my entire life.  I have tried everything.  I have tried meditation, hemi-sync cd's, hypnosis, counting sheep, staring into the abyss, melatonin (nasty allergic reaction to that one!), Zzzz-quil, over-the-counter sleep aids, Ambien (my go-to) and much more... chemically induced sleeps are the only good sleep I have known for decades until now.   For 30 days, I am unable to watch even 15 minutes of tv before I have to turn it off because my eyes are closing...  My personal opinion?  Cryotherapy does help me sleep like a baby.

Chronic headaches are another of my plagues, but I haven't had one in a month.  I had forgotten all about them.  

Anxiety reduction?  Absolutely.  I've had plenty of reasons for anxiety this month.  As I write this, I am awaiting the results of a biopsy to determine whether or not I have endometrial cancer.  I've never had a biopsy before.  It wasn't fun.  I should know something anytime now, but I am in good spirits and not anxious.  Sure, I'm hoping for the best - but I think in another time and place I would be chewing my nails to the cuticle and climbing the walls.

Depression reduction?  Sure.  I've had some hard hits this month to knock me on my butt.  Good reasons to feel like crap.  While I appropriately felt the blows and reacted with sadness and frustration when they landed, I think I bounced back better than usual and tried my best not to dwell on things.  In the past I believe I might have lingered in the sadness a bit longer or let things bring me down longer.  This could be hard to judge since I did have some sad days and you can't possibly know how I normally react - so I'll assure you that I think it helped and we'll call it a draw.  Someone with more chronic depression issues would be a far better judge than I am.

Pain relief?  Anytime I felt aches or pains, cryotherapy definitely helped.  On my final day, I actually pulled some muscles in my mid-back while doing a variety of things (landscaping, a lame attempt to see if I could do a single "plank", moving a giant cooler...) and cryotherapy helped relieve the pain.  The next day I had no noticeable pain at all, aside from some minor tightness that I had to really think about to notice at all.

Other things...?  I feel like cryotherapy boosted my immune system.  It is incredible to me that I got sick mid-experiment with strep throat and didn't know it.  The antibiotics knocked it right out, but - still...!  Wow.

Overall - I feel great.  So great that I immediately signed up for my next 30 days already.

I won't bore you with them, but perhaps I will pop back in with an occasional update in the future if I notice anything amazing.  

I genuinely hope I've convinced you to give it a try - and if you are in the South Florida area, I hope you'll pop into Cryo954 and say hi to the amazing duo of Dr. Hamm and Alma.  

Let them know Christine sent you?  I don't get any perks beyond the the fact that they tolerate all sorts of craziness from me - but I like them to know I've got their backs and that I adore them both!

XOXOXO,
Christine :)

PS:

Is there a better way to celebrate ending 30 days than with champagne?

My husband and I had the honor of having dinner tonight with Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger of Taittinger Champagne and I got to break out my new red dress.  It was a great night and no sooner had we posted the pictures to our Facebook page than my phone was busy with messages from friends who were full of wonderful compliments.

Thank you, cryotherapy! ♥

Day 29: The Cool Down

Weight:  181 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  127/84
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Great!

It's going to be a busy day, a busy start to a busy week!

I woke up with a long to-do list and ready to go and get as much of it done as I could.  I knew it wouldn't all get done, but the list is going to be an ongoing project and I plan to just keep at it.  

I had a wonderful, impromptu date night last night with my husband.  We decided to go out to eat together.  I got to break out one of my new smaller size dresses - the quintessential "little black dress" - and all I can say is - the dress must have been a big hit, because I definitely had my husband's attention last night.  I'm sharing that here because I'm thanking cryotherapy for that - 13 lbs, 2 dress sizes and the boost I got wearing that dress was reward enough.  Ladies, you know...Just wait until he sees the red one!

Pre-Cryo:
I woke up earlier than I would have liked to - thanks to an obnoxiously demanding cat (who I am thrilled to have back to normal, but I really wish she'd let me sleep...) and with some tension in my shoulders.  I assume I slept wrong or something...?

I had a decent amount of energy and was in good spirits.  I dressed and headed off for a long day!

I've definitely been enjoying the weight loss side of the cryotherapy the most.  There's absolutely no scientific evidence that cryotherapy helps you lose weight or burn fat, but for me, it has definitely helped.  I find that I eat better while doing cryotherapy.  I make better choices.  It's hard to explain for a non-scientific type, like myself, but in simple terms - I feel as if I am clear-headed, not starving and able to make better choices about what I eat and when I eat instead of just eating impulsively.  

I still eat what I want.  If I really want a Big Mac from McDonald's, I'll go get one (and I have done so on occasion) - it's just far more rare and honestly I find that that much food doesn't "feel" good anymore.  

Cryotherapy (to me) feels like it 'resets' my digestive system and helps me want to eat cleaner foods.  Does that make sense?

They say cryotherapy burns a huge number (600-800) calories and increases your metabolism.  I noticed that on days where my weight stayed the same, I ate less.  When my weight dropped a bit, I was eating a bit more, small meals over the day.  That would seem to make sense with the metabolism theory.  What I'm theorizing here, going forward, is that as I continue on - I can maximize my weight loss by eating more small meals while doing cryotherapy rather than eating less.

I know I have a long way to go.  In weight loss, I'm still easily 31 lbs from my "goal weight", but I started with a huge number to lose.  

Post-Cryo:

I felt great and had a good energy boost - which I used well through my day to get a ton of work done.

I had the house to myself, as hubby was off to a "men only" philanthropy event - and I used the time well.  

Tomorrow is day 30 and the last entry!

I'll have to find a way to summarize it all.  

Day 28: Just Floating

Weight:  182 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  N/A
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   N/A

It's Sunday and that means no cryotherapy today - darn.

But it's a beautiful day and I am feeling great.  Better make the most of it...!

I'll put up some Halloween decorations with my husband, watch last night's SNL, get a few errands run, submerge myself into a sensory deprivation tank...

Hmm?  Oh, yes - you read right.  Sensory deprivation tank.  Because I am, and always will be, all about trying new things!  

Hope you also have a wonderful day and I hope you get to try something new too!

Day 27: A New (Cool) Day

Weight:  182 lbs  
Size:  12
Blood Pressure:  N/A
Feeling:    
  Pre-Cryo:    Good
  Post-Cryo:   Doing Good!

It's a beautiful day in South Florida.  A cool front gave us a pretty day to celebrate the weekend and I am going to push aside the bad and try my best to focus on the good.

As much I would love a nice, relaxing day - my husband had other plans.  He invited a house full of his college alumni over to watch the Texas A&M game this afternoon which is pretty much the opposite of how I would like to spend my day, but I plan to do my best to enjoy it.

Pre-Cryo:
I feel good.  Maybe a bit quieter, more reflective.  There's some stress and I'm a bit tired.  I might have enjoyed sleeping a bit late today, but that wasn't meant to be...

My stomach hurts a little bit.  Some cramps that I think are from yesterday's biopsy procedure.  Hopefully today's cryotherapy session will settle that.

Overall, I'm in a pretty good mood.

Post-Cryo:
I still feel good - certainly more energy.  I have a lot to do in order to help host a house full of people and I will need this boost!  

Funny enough, several of the guests actually wanted to talk about the cryotherapy.  I think I spent most of the first half of the game talking about it.  One of them may be joining me next week!  We shall see!

The scale gifted me with the loss of one more pound, but the tailgating food spread today may very well put it right back on...(sigh).

Hope everyone has a great weekend!