What to do when your labs are “normal”, but you don’t feel “normal”

The one where your doctor hands you your labs and says “you’re the picture of health” while you’re exhausted, bloated, and on the verge of a breakdown.

Yeah, I’ve been there too. It’s a total bummer.

Did you know it takes on average 7 years hypothyroid symptoms being present before a proper diagnosis and intervention is made?

Seven. Years. You don’t get that time back.

Catching issues before they’re actually issues can literally give you your life back. When I think back to my early 20’s, I don’t have memories of GNO or fun trips with my then boyfriend or wearing the latest fashion trends.

Nope, my 20’s were spent either at the gym trying to lose weight the seemed to pile on over night or being too exhausted (and too uncomfortable in my clothes) to go out and hang with my friends after work. What’s worse? The harder I tried, the worse it got.

That is, until I realized how to work WITH my body after truly understanding my body.

Imagine waking up refreshed, being present and productive at work, enjoying your work out instead of dreading it, having enough capacity to cook dinner, and connecting with your partner in the evenings over a some dark chocolate chips without the guilt or shame or a lack of control. (Did I ever mention I eat dark chocolate every single day and don’t ever plan to stop? LOL)

It’s possible. I’m living proof. And so are the literally >1000 women I’ve worked with over the past decade.

It’s possible for food to be less stressful.
It’s possible to let go of the hours and hours you’re cramming in at the gym and still get results.
It’s possible to feel comfortable and confident in your clothes.
It’s possible to go out to eat with your friends and not feel like the weirdo of the group.
It’s possible to truly love yourself (And as corny as it sounds, it’s one of the most important things you’ll gain)

It’s all possible, but you have to know what you’re doing.

That’s where I come in 🤝

The internet will tell you that true health is all about deprivation and cutting things out, but I’m flipping the switch on that lie. Nourishment and abundance mindset actually beats out deprivation every time.

Sluggish metabolism, low energy, bloated tummies, annoying periods… those are symptoms of adaptation. Yep, your body is doing it on purpose, but not because it’s trying to play tricks on you, but because it’s keeping you SAFE. Hypothyroidism in an of itself is a metabolic adaptation. It makes us feel crummy, yes, but it’s the way our body conserves energy in the face of stress, chronic deprivation, nutrient deficiencies, and more. When we travel down this path of thyroid dysfunction, it’s important to dig deep and target the root of it all. I wish I would have known the early signs of thyroid dysfunction before my body transitioned into full blown autoimmunity and hypothyroidism, but hindsight is 20/20… right?

MEET MY CLIENT…

My client had been struggling with daytime fatigue and nighttime insomnia for years. She resorted to taking sleep medication to get a good night’s rest, but then had to start taking stimulants to help her stay awake during the day. She felt like she was chasing her tail and spiraling out of control. Beyond that, her weight was creeping up, and despite her efforts in the gym, didn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

She’d be told over and over that there was nothing wrong with her and that her labs looked great, but deep down she knew that wasn’t the case. That’s when she reached out in a last ditch effort to salvage her quality of life.

We following my Investigation, Information, and Implementation framework to make sure she’s as supported as possible.

What did we do?

  1. 1. Investigate

We didn’t give up. We didn’t settle. We investigated to see what could be contributing to the messages her body was sending in the form of symptoms. We did specialty labs, spent a lot of time dissecting her symptoms, and truly listening to her story.

What did we find?

2. Information: the lab data revealed a deeper level of information that explained many of her symptoms.

  • Low available thyroid hormones even though her total amount looked normal (explanation: likely related to birth control pills increasing thyroxine binding globulin which takes free hormones out of ciruclation)
  • Higher than ideal TSH. The brain is picking up that her body is hypothyroid, so the brain begins to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to get the thyroid working.

Now what?

3. Implementation: creating and implementing strategic interventions to support her body.

We’ve just begun our work together, but within a few weeks we have already identified that her thyroid numbers do LOOK normal, but they’re definitely not optimal. She’s never been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and doesn’t technically meet criteria, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t support optimal thyroid hormone status. In fact, nutritional therapies can be SUPER helpful to prevent full-blown official diagnosis!

Now that we have answers into WHAT is going on, we can move on to WHY it is happening and HOW to fix it. Feeling “stuck” is a thing of the past! We have answers and now have a plan of attack!

You can read the full case study here!

If you’re in a place where you’ve been told things look “fine”, but you don’t feel fine. Or perhaps you were told you are “borderline” and given no intervention. Or maybe you are actively dealing with thyroid dysfunction, taking your medications, and still not feeling your best.

-Nicole

Hey There, I'm Nicole!

Nicole Fennell is a functional nutrition dietitian and fellow Hashimoto's patient with first-hand experience navigating the ups and downs of living with thyroid and immune system dysfunctionn. Her unique approach to nutritional management of chronic disease and nagging symptoms includes focusing on nourishing and building the body up versus tearing it down with low-calorie diets and high amounts of exercise.

Nicole has a real food approach and believes healthy eating, physical activity, and peace of mind are key to disease prevention and management. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys being active with her husband and three kids, lifting weights, practicing yoga, walking cooking, eating, and being outdoors.
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Whether you’re dealing with exhaustion that never ends, a Hashimoto's diagnosis, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, painful PMS, or stubborn acne that just won’t quit—please know you’re not alone. At Chews Food Wisely, we’re all about connecting the dots between your never ending list of symptoms and personalized nutrition solutions that last.

Let’s fix those hormone imbalances that are making you feel crummy!

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