When Enough is Enough

In 2012, at the age of 33, I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and hyperthyroidism. My case was pretty severe, and it seemed like the only solution was radioactive iodine to kill the thyroid and supplement with hormones. So my nightmare began… I had always been active, healthy, and maintained a weight of about 135 at a height of 5’7”. I slowly started gaining weight, year after year, with no end in sight. I hired a personal trainer, ate smaller but more frequent meals, but nothing worked. I suffered from migraines, low energy, eye pain, bloating, inflammation, and rashes. For YEARS. I had my son in 2018, and 2 years later I weighed in at 172 lbs. I hated taking photos, I hated the way I felt, and I hated the way my clothes fit me. I had done Atkins in my 20’s and cutting out carbs always felt right for my body. So when the keto trend hit, I knew I had to go back to a more controlled way of life. I started doing keto with the help of an app that helped me track my carbs in January of 2020. Fast forward to today and I am back down to 145lbs. My skin looks better. I don’t suffer from migraines or rashes. I have loads of energy than I know what to do with in the morning and have started going o the gym now. Everyone tells me how great I look, which is nice but honestly - I just FEEL like myself again. Something that I thought was gone forever. I made the decision to become my own advocate for health because not ONE of my endocrinologists was willing to check for insulin resistance or inform me that gluten can increase symptoms for those who have an autoimmune disease. If I choose to have a cheat day or a cheat MONTH - I’m not hard on myself. I allow for that flexibility, but get back on the horse when I’m good and ready. The keto diet has changed my life.