I ended 2019 with some progress in my health journey of improved respiratory function, better migraine control, and great strides in increasing exercise and exercise tolerance. In December of 2019, I realized with lab validation that my Thyroid was out of whack, and so were my female hormones. Although I had increased activity, no matter what diet I chose, I wasn’t losing weight. Sure, I’d lose a few pounds, and then they would come right back. In the past few years, I was diagnosed with Primary Immune Deficiency called CVID, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, A >90% Collapsed Airway called Tracheobronchomalacia, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
I felt like I was falling apart. I’ve also had three spinal surgeries and Chronic Intractable Migraines, and I am a Stroke and Severe Pre-Eclampsia and HELLP syndrome survivor. I’m 47 years old. The middle-aged weight gain that started in my thirties compounded things with more medical issues. I’ve improved a lot from 3 years ago, but the past 16 years have not been ideal and have stolen my life and career as you can imagine. After a scary colitis battle and low Thyroid diagnosis of December, I prayed for God’s help in finding something that was the best fit for me, since I was out of options. I no longer wanted to search in vain without lasting results. I needed something sustainable, helpful, with measurable results.
I felt led to look back at UTMB, my university, for help. I wasn’t sure how or what that meant, but I waiting for confirmation and clarity and began to eat clean again. One day on Facebook, a couple of days after my prayer, I saw the Galveston Diet advertised on Facebook. It caught my attention. I emailed Dr. Haver, and she and I emailed back and forth for a week. I tried the free recipes and free info I could find, but her message on Intermittent Fasting I had not heard before. It empowered me. I was worried I couldn’t successfully do it, but I tried as I felt desperate and hadn’t tried this option yet. I tried it for a few days, talked to my doctor, who is also a UTMB Graduate, and he was very much in support of it. He said from research this is the best thing to do!
I signed up for the program, recipes, and journals. Then I found out about the Private Coaching Program and decided that it would be great for the support getting started. Even with January’s struggle of shingles and February’s struggle of a low back flair with sciatica, restricting exercise, it didn’t stop me. I saw my Doctor in February, and I had lost 14 lbs since December, my blood pressure was lower than it’s been in a long time, excellent number, my energy level was like my old younger self, and by early March have lost 19 lbs. By April, I was down 22 pounds. I’m blown away that the weight and inches started falling off finally! But more than that I have so much mental clarity, more sustained energy, more self control, and my husband and I have a better relationship too. I’ve learned to meal prep, plan more on healthy meals and healthy snacks. What I thought was healthy needed some tweaking. I wasn’t eating enough protein or fats. The results have helped me gain more self esteem and confidence too.
I cannot adequately express how grateful I am to Dr. Haver for creating the Galveston Diet and for sharing it with all of us. It’s given my body a jump start, and my friend just said it’s like you have come out from the fog of illness, and you have just come back to life. I felt it, and what I couldn’t articulate, she did for me. I’ve even had energy for hobbies that I lost years ago. My life is abundantly more vibrant, thanks to the Galveston Diet. I’m grateful for all of the love and support from our coaching group too! If you think you are too sick, too far gone, try it. It’s so incredibly easy. Just a few small and simple changes are yielding huge results with big payouts for me. I wondered if it would work for me with all of my issues, but it has so beautifully, and my desperation was bigger than my doubts. I was worried whether I could do the Intermittent Fasting. It was so much easier than I thought. It just took a few days to get used to it. I’m so glad I did this! I’m so glad I jumped in with both feet. It’s the best decision I’ve made to invest in myself. If you feel better, you can do so much more!
