What Does Healthy Look Like?

For those of you who have read about my story, you know my immune system for whatever reason decided to attack my muscles. If this post is your first visit, I encourage you to read about my diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) in previous writings. For this post I am going to focus on what defines health.

After getting my MCTD diagnosis, my doctor at the time told me there was no cure. It took me about six months after the diagnosis to get over the shock and stop feeling sorry for myself. About eight months into my conventional treatment I began to fight back against the attack.

In early 2014, I started the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet and lost a significant amount of weight. This was a combination of losing muscle over the last five to seven years, discontinuing prednisone after being on it for eight months, and changing my diet. In just a few months I went from 148 pounds to 119 pounds and went from a size 8 to a size 2. While I was starting to feel better by starting the AIP diet, there was still a lot of healing that needed to happen.

Fast forward to 2020 and I am back up to a healthy 140 pounds! I am proud to say I have regained my muscles, even after being told a woman my age could not restore them. I may not be as strong as I was prior to my illness, but I can say with confidence that I feel healthier now than in 2014 when I weighed 119 pounds. This is a prime example that thin does not mean healthy.

It took me a long time to feel comfortable sharing my story. I may not be a doctor or nutritionist, but I am passionate about sharing my experiences to help others. Nutrition, fitness, and mindset all played a role in regaining my health. I love how my immune system has been built up rather than being knocked down with immunosuppressive drugs that I was taking. I have now been medication free for over two years.

I have learned that weight does not define health. Health is having a strong immune system, getting good sleep, having healthy skin and hair, and even being happy. I can honestly say that I love the way I feel now. I hope to continue to share my journey to inspire others that healing is possible for you, too!