We had a huge response to a blog Tom posted a few weeks ago where he talked about how he had lost a lot of weight and improved his health using something called algorithms.
Since then, people have messaged and stopped us to ask for more information and comment on how healthy we are both looking lately.
Tom really eloquently explains his reason for using algorithms to lose weight but I have been asked about what I have been doing so I thought it was time to let you know what has been going on with me for almost a year.
For the past year, I have been quite poorly, It started early last September when I had what I thought was food poisoning. It was prolonged and awful and at a time when we were unable to see a GP, the only medical advice I had was over the phone. This went on for a month and I have never felt so ill. Eventually, we decided to pay to see a Gastroenterologist who said he would run some tests. Essentially my results were not very conclusive, but there was a query that I could have something called "quiescent Crohns". If you know about Crohns, you will know that it is an awful and debilitating disease with some really extreme medical treatments needed such as immunosuppressants and steroids. There is no cure for it.
The fact that they suspected 'quiescent Crohns' was, in my consultants words, very good news as it meant it was inactive (although it certainly didn't feel that way!). It also meant that there was little he wanted to do in terms of medical treatment.
This left me feeling very confused and isolated. I knew I felt really poorly, but it was good news! For months, I battled with a few good days followed by many more bad days until January when I decided I needed to get a handle on things myself.
I decided that instead of being frustrated with my body or angry I couldn't eat what I once had, that I would instead treat everything as an experiment. In an experiment, there is no emotion, only feedback. If I did something and felt good, that was feedback, if I did something and felt bad, that was still feedback.
Here are just a few things I have done:
Taken supplements - no measurable positive result
Had gut based hypnotherapy - did not work for me
Had acupuncture - helped me relax, positive result
Meditation - helped me relax, positive result
Intolerance tests - educated me on what foods my body does and does not like, positive result
Change of diet - testing foods my body responds to, mixed results
Stopped being vegan - a huge one for me morally but physically a huge improvement, positive result
Fasting - Hugely impactful. Positive result
Breathwork morning and night - one of the biggest improvements, positive result
Herbalist - taken mixed herbs from a trusted herbalist since April, huge improvement, positive result
Exercise - the more I walk, the better I feel. Positive result
Ice baths / Cold Showers - instant relief! Positive result
EFT - dealt with many emotional issues, Positive result
As I say, these are only a few of the things I have tried. It has been exhausting (and expensive!) at times but I am relentless in believing that I can not only heal my body and restore my health but that I can also use this experience to be stronger, happier and healthier than I have ever been.
I have made so many changes in my life over this time and experimented with many things, some that have worked and some that have not. When I have found something that works, I have created an algorithm to ensure I keep doing the good stuff. Here are a few of my algorithms:
If I wake up, then I have kefir and seeds for breakfast
If I go in the shower, then I end it as cold as possible
If I go downstairs, then I go to do meditation and breathwork
If it is 6pm, then I stop eating
If it is 8am then I can eat
If I am feeling unwell, then I work even harder on my healing
If I feel scared, then I remind myself that my body has done amazing so far
For me, this is no longer about 'getting better' this is about constantly treating my life as an experiment and tweaking my actions as a result of the feedback I get. When I reflect, I am now far healthier than I was before I got poorly and I understand myself better more than I ever have. My stomach problems have settled massively and I am more energetic than I have been in years.
Of course my disclaimer here, is that we all need to conduct our own experiments and deal with the information we have, so what is working for me will not necessarily work for you. I have ensured I have worked alongside the medical tests and information I have received from doctors, to do what works for me.
However, whether you have a health concern, work issue or even relationship issue, then using an experimental mindset can help you view the situation differently and make some highly impactful changes.
What can you experiment with today to get different results for tomorrow?
If you need help with anything raised in this blog and you would like support from Lianne or Tom then you can contact us here