I get asked a lot of questions (obviously not on here since I feel like only Tiff reads this blog - hey girl) about my intolerance to sulfites, what I eat day to day, and how I stay in good shape.
To see a list of things I cannot eat, please visit this post: An Unordinary List of Things I Cannot Eat.
This post is going to talk about my history of how I was overweight and unhappy with my body, to figuring out what was causing these problems, how I got myself back on track, and how I keep focus when everyone around me is chowing down on glorious things I can no longer eat.
History:
In West Philadelphia, born and raised.....oh wait. I grew up active and never had problems with my weight. For being about 5'4 I maintained a healthy size of about 125-130 pounds. I danced, played soccer, and worked out ever since I could remember. My parents cooked us healthy, homemade meals almost every night and made lunches for us to bring with us every morning to school. Minus some weird periods in my life where I would randomly become allergic to something for a few months and then it would disappear (like pool chlorine, what the heck?), I never had any major problems with allergies or suffering from problems related to food. Even through college, everything appeared to be hunky dory. My weight rollercoastered some through college, mostly just 10 pounds here and there but was my heaviest just shy of graduation at 147 pounds. Then my appendix decided it wanted to quit this bitch and we parted ways. For about six months post-appedectomy, I couldn't really eat without being sick. My weight dropped to about 125ish pounds but it didn't last long.
What felt like literally overnight, nothing fit me. I assumed my unknown stomach issues sorted themselves out and my body wanted to be back to where it was. Again, I would fluctuate about 10 pounds or so but it was mostly my doing - like if I worked out and ate somewhat healthy I would be okay but I also would go through periods where I was lazy and wanted to eat Moe's nachos every night. Back in early 2008, the birth control that I was popping every day went generic. My doctor suggested I start buying the generic because why not - it is cheaper. More money for beer, wohoo! That's when things really started to spiral. It was around this time, I noticed that I started having problems going to the bathroom (i.e.: I couldn't for days) and my weight REALLY started to go up. I was tired all the time and didn't sleep well. No matter how much I worked out and how much or little I ate I could not lose the weight.
Me on the far left with some beautiful and skinny friends! Summer 2008
I tried everything. Every few months I would go to a general MD and get blood work drawn. Everything would come back normal. F UUUUU body!!!!! In late 2009, my GP thought he linked my issues to a gluten intolerance. My mother had been suffering from one for years and it's apparently hereditary. So off I went on a new gluten-free life. But even though I was gluten-free, I knew something wasn't quite right. I still was suffering from a weight problem (if anything my weight was continuing to go up and at this point I was 157 pounds) and I still had stomach issues. Another year went by and I still felt and looked like shit.
Me with my best friend Linds in early 2009
Me with my friend Casie in Boston in summer 2009
Me with my now-husband when we first started dating (I believe we became 'official' that night)
My husband and I after we just started dating - late summer 2009
My now-husband, myself at 157 pounds on my birthday, and my dad - Summer 2010
Me and some friends out one night in late summer 2010
I ended up at an endocrinologist's office in late summer 2010. I about had enough of dealing with the issues that I was having and I felt like they were escalating. The endocrinologist did a full blown work up on my blood - and started to unravel a lot of my problems. We realized my cortisol levels were dangerously high.....to the point that he wondered how I was still alive (normal range is 6-19, I was sitting at a pretty 37 for who knows how long). Through some digging, we realized it was the generic birth control I was on that was causing the problems. So the first step was to get me off that particular brand and work with my OBGYN to get me on something that would mesh better with my body.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything:
It was in early 2011 that we made the BC switch. I instantly dropped 10 pounds upon this diagnosis but I still felt off and knew something wasn't completely right. I really believe that the high cortisol levels are what masked a lot of my sulfite allergy. Minus one weird reaction I had to a cortisol steroid while doing my testing with my endocrinologist (which we later identified as a sulfite reaction), I really think that the extra weight I carried around hid the swelling and bloating that I get when I have a reaction. Once my cortisol levels returned to normal, then all my reactions could be easily recognized. I knew my weight was swinging 5-6 pounds overnight sometimes and there would be periods where I couldn't go to the bathroom for days.
In March, after a night of heavy wine drinking, I woke up after having insomnia all night with shooting pains up my arms, swollen and red hands that itched, and a 8 pound weight gain. WHOA. I started googling "wine allergies" and that's how I stumbled upon sulfite allergies. I started doing research and compiled a list. Almost everything on there were things I ate every single day thinking they were healthy. And the reality is, they ARE healthy things, they're just not good for me. And for whatever reason, my body decided it doesn't want to break down the sulfites anymore.
My college friend (and sorority sister) Sarah - who is fit and healthy! April 2011 - 146 pounds
Sarah and I again (same night) - I had wine during the day and then ate something I wasn't supposed to for dinner - notice how SWOLLEN my face is. The above picture was only taken a few hours earlier in the day.
Through some self-testing I was able to figure out what I could and could not tolerate. Which is pretty much everything with sulfites. I used online tools, websites, and support groups through Facebook to help guide me. From there, I read a book that really changed the way I feel about eating - Jackie Warner's This Is Why You're Fat. The science behind the book is what really helped me come up with a reasonable way to eat. Instead of focusing on calorie counting, fat counting, carb counting, etc, I focus on food goals for the day. Here are my daily food goals:
3-4 servings of lean protein
2-3 servings of healthy carbs
5+ servings of fruits and veggies
1-2 servings of healthy fats
8+ glasses of water a day
I realized that as long as I focused on my diet, I didn't need to work out for 2 hours a day. If anything, I scaled WAY back. It was around this time (June 2011) that I started doing Bodyrock (www.bodyrock.tv) and realized I could build lean muscle and lose weight by doing high intensity interval training for 12-20 minutes a day. I started running when I felt like it, and not because I felt like I had to. I started running in races and got faster every time I raced.
Through all my hard work and dedication (and many cheat days and mess-ups and reactions), I am lean and strong. I am fit and happy. But I am forever a work in progress.
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| My race friend Carrie and I - December 2011 |
Me and one of my closest friends, Nicole - January 2012
Me and my good friend Julie at my bridal shower - May 2012 (about 125 pounds)
My now-husband and I - May 2012
My husband and I at our wedding reception - June 2012 - 121 pounds
Wohoo!
I feel like this is the face I make all the time
Present Day:
I will admit, keeping focus is hard. Like REALLY hard. I am trying to be more conscious about what I eat and how it will make me feel. My husband is great and if he sees me eyeballing something we both know we shouldn't have, he will tell me how eating that specific food will make me feel miserable later. It is sweet because he has seen me rolling around the bed the next day in pain crying about how I can't get my rings on my finger because they're so swollen. Fun times over here let me tell you.
Sometimes I say F it and throw caution to the wind. Other times, I restrain myself and can hold back. But let's be honest - I have no self control so sometimes I can barely contain myself. Which is why I am doing this clean eating challenge. I am hoping I can stay far enough away from tempting foods long enough that when my challenge is over, I have very little to no desire to want to eat those things.
But let's be real - I will probably still want a cookie. And ice cream. And raw honey. And agave nectar. And all those other delicious things. But until then....I will drink my water and eat my stuffed pepper.
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