Tuesday, April 3, 2012

My turn! (Kind of long)

My name is Lauren.  I'm a 27 year old, non-mom.  I feel as though my weight struggles began long ago.  To start, I'm only around 4'9".  Some doctors would say I'm "height deficient".  Having the stature of a child but being a full grown woman poses its challenges when it comes to your weight.

When I started college I lost 15 lbs. in my first semester, but I gained it back shortly after.  Years later I became sick of my 140 lb. image and wanted to change it.  I put myself on a very restricted low-carb diet and spent every day on an elliptical trainer.  In no time at all I dropped to 115 lbs!  It felt amazing!  But then, slowly but surely, I started eating like most of us do and put all the weight back on.  As the years passed my weight continued to rise.  At that point it didn't matter how well I ate or how much I exercised, the weight wouldn't come off.  I was eventually diagnosed with a thyroid condition (which I take medication for daily), but the medication didn't do much for the weight.  Then I had my breakthrough.

My weight made it up to 164 lbs!  164!  That is a lot for someone as small as me!  My mother practically begged me to see a doctor.  She was upset seeing me at that size; she said it didn't look like me.  She was convinced there was a medical reason for my weight.  So, I went to see Dr. Ginsberg.  After speaking with me she decided that with my life experiences and medical history, I was under too much stress and estrogen dominant.  These are things that help contribute to my weight issues.  We did some bloodwork.  A micronutrient test.  They broke down the cells of my blood and were able to determine which vitamins/minerals/nutrients in which my body was deficient.  With the results in hand, she gave me a list of supplements to take daily and set me up with a nutritionist.  I wrote down everything that passed my lips for an entire month.  It was decided that I ate too many crappy carbs (low-cal pretzels, special k bars, etc) and I wasn't eating enough fat.  She started me on a modified paleo/primal diet.  This meant gluten-free, grain-free, grass-fed meats, healthy fats, organic veggies, seeds and nuts, and small amounts of dairy (organic butter and whole milk- no yogurt or cheese!)  My weight began to drop, my energy increased, and my joint pain was greatly decreased.  I kept this up for several months, but a change in my financial situation lead to me eating crappy food again.  I put on 10 lbs.

I've recently gotten back on the wagon.  I have been following my plan again now for three weeks and doing a good deal of work on a treadmill.  7 of my 10 lbs are gone!  I love eating whole foods.  It feels so much cleaner.  I realize that this approach to eating is a definite lifestyle change, not something that can be turned off and on.  I also know it isn't for everyone.  It can be boring and repetitive, but I always feel satisfied.  Knowing how good I felt for those months makes me want to make the change for the rest of my life!  I think about how much healthier I will be and how it can affect the lives of the children I will have someday.

That's my story!  Sorry it is so long!     

5 comments:

  1. I love you! (Lauren is my actual real sister, as opposed to "Aunt Bonnie" who has been my sister for 20 years) :)

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  2. I love you too, Lauren! I freaked out when I saw that you were 27. OMG. I still remember coming over to your house when Mer and I were at Westfield.

    Anyway, congrats on the weight loss. I'm down 6 pounds in just over 2 weeks. It feels amazing. I've got at least 35 more until I hit my weight goal, but I think it's doable. I've noticed that most of the foods I've been eating in my healthy lifestyle change are wheat/gluten free, but I still have a little bit in there.

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    1. Thanks! Congrats to you, too! I already feel like certain clothes are fitting better, and that feels really good. I've still got 25-30 lbs. that I want to lose. I have picked out a goal outfit (a close goal). I think that with another 5-10 lbs. I'll be able to rock it!

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  3. Thanks for sharing your story! It's an inspiration to see us all here striving for a common goal and I love that we all have our own approach. It's refreshing to be able to see such variety in one place and know we can all learn from each other and cheer each other on!

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    1. I think it's great, too! I was talking with Mer and voicing concern over sharing some recipes...didn't know if they would "fit in" since they follow paleo/primal guidelines. She urged me to share my story because my approach is different. I appreciate your comment!

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