From Grace, Age 18 - 01/12/13 - IP#: 70.193.8.xxx  Click here to reply  
Ht. 5'5", Start: 245 lb, Today: 222 lb (BMI %tile: 98), Goal: 155 lb - Hey everyone! I just turned 18, so I think this is my first time on the 18+ bulletin board :) I'll fill you in on my story. Since I was about twelve, I started noticing that I was heavier than my sisters. As I grew older, I got more and more overweight and I started wondering why. No one in my family is obese, and I didn't eat any more than they did! Still, I kept gaining. Needless to say, it was very frustrating. Finally, when I was 17 my mom took me to an iridologist, a natural doctor. She told me that I had a thyroid problem. It had knocked my hormones all out of balance and had caused an overgrowth of yeast in my body. This caused me to gain weight that I wasn't able to lose. I felt relief that I finally knew what the problem was! The doctor gave me some natural supplements that would help regulate things in my body as well as a diet that would "starve out" the yeast in my body and return me back to good health. Since then, I have lost 23 pounds and I feel so much better! I have a ton more energy and I feel more confident about myself. As you can see, I still have quite a few pounds to lose and a lot more self esteem to acquire, but I'm working on it, one step at a time. Support from other people really helps too, and I think this website is great for that!