Heidi: Weight Loss, Better Sleep, and Less Joint Pain at 55

couple of things. 55 this month. Last year, kind of builds over the last few years, but last year I just hit a wall. It just felt so insurmountable. Like I woke up just not even feeling like I could I had a lot of pain. I was frustrated with weight gain. We'd go to the doctor and I just felt like I was spinning my wheels, you know, and when you get to your 50s, you've you've tried to do it all right, you know, it's not it wasn't a new concept to me, nutrition. I I love nutrition. I've always [clears throat] been pretty healthy eater. Um I love exercise. I've always tried to be really fit. I love being outdoors. And so all of the advice and the discussions I would have with my doctor were just very frustrating because there was nothing new. And, you know, when I'd go in and say, "You don't understand. Like my joints hurt. I've gained 30 lbs. Like this is just not going to work for me." Yeah. You know, and um it can be pretty overwhelming and frustrating to not to get to a point in your life and be like, "Okay, well, I guess this is it." Right? And [clears throat] then um I started talking with other people and learned about you all here and decided to give it a shot and I can honestly tell you that I feel so much better. Like I just I know that I have more to do, but I just feel I know I can get fit again. I know I just have a path forward. It just feels really good. That's amazing. Yeah. So mentally, physically, all of that. What are like some of the tangible results you've noticed? So not as painful. You know, my joints aren't as painful. I'm sleeping way better. That's a big huge thing. Like just sleeping a lot better. Losing weight has been really important, but I wouldn't say that was the it's just feeling better so that I can take the torch myself. Yeah, right. You know, just feeling a lot better. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. What were some of the things you were exposed to at the Matrix that you maybe didn't know about or like were interested in that was kind of made available to you whether that was like testing or treatment or like Yeah, I think that the comprehensive testing. Yeah. And then having the one-on-one time with a doctor. Yeah. You know, to talk through some of the stuff and just have your eyes open to what's available. Um and it and um you know, I think that our conventional medical system, there's so many really good people. The doctors are great, you know, they're they're working hard, you know, um I have a little bit of a medical back background. Yeah. Um so I understand what they're doing, but it just it there it needs to be more. Yeah. You know, you need to put it together more. So I think to answer your last question, just access to someone who will listen, the comprehensive blood work, finding some other things to sort of jar some stuff loose. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. Um what was that first so can you walk me through more like that first appointment like the first hour with you with the doctor and like just kind of what yeah, what that was like? Oh, it was just a lot I think a lot of questions um that she asked me about the changes, you know, in my life and um the stress that had kind of kicked everything off. I feel like it was a combination of stress and just sort of where I'm at. Mhm. Yeah. Uh in my life. Um I think just that comprehensive discussion with her. What did the timeline look for you? I know a lot of people want to like how long until I start, you know, feeling better? Like what did that look like for you? Yeah, you know what? It's immediate when you have a plan. Yeah. When you go from feeling like you're just spinning wheels. Yeah, to now I have a plan, you immediately feel better. And then it's just been feeling better, feeling better, feeling better all along. Nice. Awesome. What is the like lifestyle implications look like? Like have you been getting back in the gym more? Like what does that look like day-to-day for you? What's changed? From the emotional side of it, just being able to be happy and and be back to myself and you know, so that feels really good. The physical part, like I've always I love being outdoors. I'm always really physical, but being able to take it up that notch again, I won't I wouldn't say run, but jogging, you know, I am it's harder on my joints than it used to be, but definitely changed to doing a little bit more weight training has been good. Yeah. Um but those are things that I just couldn't get out of my own way to do before. Yeah, that's awesome. Um you don't have to share this at all. I know a lot of people like to keep this stuff private. Um are you open to kind of like what are some of like the tools or medications or things that you use? Like peptides or I don't know. Yeah, one of the first things that we did uh was adjust my thyroid medication. Mhm. So, she took a look at that and tweaked it a little bit. Yeah. So, I think that's been great. Adding hormone therapy, so I had already started with HRT, but we've added progesterone and most recently testosterone. And so, I think the sleeping component of that has been amazing. Like I'm just sleeping way better. Yeah. Peptides for sure, so tirzepatide. I've I've lost some weight that It's not a ton of weight, but I've lost weight to the point where I feel more mobile and [clears throat] just better about myself. That's awesome. Fitting back into my clothes again. Yeah. Yeah, so. Cool. Thank you so much. Anything else that you would like um to add for you know patients who are kind of considering working with us or yeah, what what would kind of your advice be to them? I guess my advice would be just know that you can There are more things that you can do. Yeah. You can take control and I see this definitely developing and hopefully becoming more part of our conventional system, right? And more access, but I think just taking note of the things that are bothering you because we put them away thinking there's nothing that can be done. Yeah. There's just this you're just getting older and this is just the way it is. Start taking note of the things that gosh, if only I could lose a little bit of weight. If only I didn't have all this pain. If only I was sleeping really well. Like take note of those things. Bring them here. Have a conversation about it and see what can be done. Yeah, don't settle for just getting by. Why would I feel normal when you can feel awesome, right? So, awesome. All right, Heidi, thank you so much. Yeah, you got it. Appreciate it.