Thanks for sharing Cynthia. Best line > “We are all different and need to eat according to our body’s needs”

So true! I also have cut out foods that make me sick and have let go of over 115lbs without dieting. Its about health, not numbers!

I was lucky enough to not have any “health issues” when I was 245 pounds, however I knew that wouldn’t always be the case so that motivated me a lot to lose the 100+ pounds that I did!

AND, I would like to point out that I did it by Not Dieting as I do not believe in it anymore, it doesn’t work and is unhealthy for you. I did it the plain old fashion way……..lots of hard work at the gym and on the pavement and by eating healthy as much as possible! =)

P.S. My Biggest Reward besides finally becoming a real runner and getting healthy was being a “good role model for my daughter”, that was the most important thing to me as I did not want her to struggle with weight and a negative self body image as I did most of my life!

Thanks so much for posting this! I was diagnosed with IBS in June, and I’ve had to make a lot of the same dietary changes Cynthia did. I’m happy to see someone else go through the same thing!

I think as I started to lose weight and get healthier I realized how low my self esteem had been in years past. I would stay home all the time, not talk to many people at work, and spend my time alone. As I lost weight and became healthier and started exercising more, my esteem went up and I started putting myself out there more.

I got the guts to join the Police Reserves in my city and that is where I met my husband! So I’m glad I put in that time in myself and boosted my confidence level to put me in that situation 🙂

Cynthia: great story! Thanks for sharing!

Great story, Cynthia!

I called 2009 my “year of health”. I started eating better, got married, exercised more, made my first ever lady doctor appt (at 24!) and so much more. Then in April 2010, I decided to get a physical since I had never had one. I found out that I had a blood disorder, h. pylori, high liver enzymes, high cholesterol and crippling anxiety. I was devastated. Here I was at 24 years old, the healthiest I had ever been in my life and this is the result??!

I haven’t fixed everything yet, but I’m working on it. Going for acupuncture has actually helped me quite a bit.

It’s amazing how much I ignored about my body back in college. All I can say is that I am so thankful that I finally took responsibility for myself before it was too late.

Really interesting and inspiring story! I can only imagine how often people avoid going to an MD for a proper diagnosis because they are afraid of their weight being the culprit- or misdiagnosis, for that matter!

Love you Cynthia 🙂

I think I am in the middle of that right now. I have been feeling way worse after my weight loss than I did before! Which seems so odd, but hopefully when my tests come back I’ll know the reason why!

YES! I spent years distrustful of doctors because they would say that the “cure” to my severe eczema was steroids and cortisone creams. I put cure in quotes because all they do is surpress the condition and hope it solves itself. Well, I’ve had it since I was a baby and it progressively got worse and worse. I would continually have to get stronger medication, to the point where I was putting creams on my face 3X a day that weren’t even approved for long term use and came with warnings to not let it touch your face. On top of that, they weren’t even working 100%. In college, I realized this was a sign of a bigger problem and resolved to get healthy, but despite all the improvements, my skin continued to worsen. On top of that, I started dropping weight rapidly, my stomach was always a mess, my always irregular periods stopped altogether and I couldn’t figure out why I felt so awful.

Over the last year and a half, I’ve found out I had a parasite (gross, but surprisingly common), celiac disease, as well a condition in which my body produces large prolactin molecules. The first two were causing my weight loss and digestive issues and the second explained why I was always cold, lethargic, had poor muscle tone and absent periods. I have now gained about 20 necessary pounds, am completely gluten free and am on medication to correct my prolactin levels, which can cause a tumor on your pituitary if you don’t catch it in time as well as infertility. Best of all, my eczema is GONE, I feel great, have energy and won’t be tied to awful medication for the rest of my life. If you’re suffering from mysterious illness, it is SO worth it to keep searching until you find a solution. You know your body better than anyone so don’t be afraid to question your doctor and look elsewhere for help! Alternative therapies, my chiropractor and my naturopath helped me immensely. It’s so great to get your life back!

My mother has IBS, it’s no fun 🙁 My uncle has Chron’s and my husband has diverticulitis. Glad you figured out what works best for you!