Before After
On December of 2008, my husband and I bought our first home. We were excited, happy, and really wanted this for our children. After a few days, I realized I could not get up the stairs of our two-story home. I kept asking myself, “Why can’t I go up the stairs? I am only 33 years old!” Every day, I kept getting worse and worse. It was late December and I had no choice but to call my Doctor.
I couldn’t breathe, and I was grasping for air every step I took. My husband made the appointment immediately. The moment my Doctor saw me she said, “If you don’t take care of yourself first, you can’t take care of your family or anyone else for that matter”. She checked my weight and I was 184 lbs at 5 feet tall. I knew I was in trouble. It was a defining moment for me. I knew my weight was an issue but I didn’t want to accept it. My test results came back. My Doctor said my liver enzymes were elevated due to a fatty liver. A sonogram showed that I had stones in my gallbladder. My options were to lose weight or try to remove my gall bladder to see if the enzymes decreased. She said, “Michelle, lose the weight or go under the knife!” I was committed to finding the right diet. I realized I needed to change my eating habits or my health would suffer.
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. I dedicated time to get to know my body first, eliminated junk food and went back to eating greens. My neighborhood Earth Fare (Raleigh) was a great source of support. They had a great selection of healthy food, and promoted healthy living. The healthy food and daily exercise became my new lifestyle.
After losing 25 pounds, I went back for more tests. The liver enzymes were down and I was no longer in trouble of destroying my liver! I continue to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Earth Fare is definitely part of my new healthier lifestyle. I thank you and so does my family.