My husband & I married in 1994. We immediately began trying to have a baby. After a year of being unsuccessful, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during routine testing. We headed off to the fertility doctor for help. We spent the next four and a half years trying to conceive a child. Finally in 1999, my son was born. Before and during this entire five year journey, I ate and drank only soy products. I even went vegan for one year, but fell off the wagon after giving in to a Big Mac. I continued eating soy products until my son turned four. I have often wondered if eating all those soy products caused my infertility. And I fear that all the medications that were pumped inside my body during those fertility years will come back to haunt me some day.
After my son was born, I was in heaven. I never wanted anything more than to be a mother. And I was a really great mom. Around the time my son turned two, I noticed I was flying off the handle quite a bit. I was yelling at my child and throwing things. I couldn’t control my temper. So I went to my GYN and she suggested Prozac. I began this medication in 2001. It helped. I also stopped eating soy products around the same time.
The Prozac, along with Synthroid for my hypothyroidism made a difference. I had more energy. I didn’t lose my temper as often and I stopped yelling all the time. About six years ago, that all changed. My body just wasn’t the same anymore. I was pretty much eating anything I wanted. Processed foods and eating in restaurants were the norm for me. The weight began to creep on. I began to get tired and I had trouble falling asleep. Once asleep, which usually took a few hours, I slept through the night. Problem was, I couldn’t wake up. I was tired all day. I had my thyroid checked every six months and after a few adjustments of my medicine, I was good to go. . .for a few months. And then it would start all over again.
I developed a condition called Menorrhagia, which meant my menstrual cycle was so out of whack, that I couldn’t leave the house. I eventually became so iron deficient, I had to have surgery to fix the Menorrhagia. During this treatment, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, which to this day, I can’t explain it to anyone, but it is thyroid related.
I was told by my doctor that losing weight was possible, but it was going to be twice as hard for someone with Hashimotos. I’ve always considered myself a “lazy” person. If there is an easy way to do something, that’s usually the road I take. Putting time into exercise was going to be too much work. I was only about 15 pounds overweight and I didn’t think that was too bad. Problem was every time I gained five pounds, I would try to lose it, but nothing worked for me. And then another five pounds, till eventually I was weighing in over 150 pounds. But it was still okay, cause I knew I would lose it.
Hashimoto’s. Wow. An excuse. Thank you doctor! So, I didn’t work out. I just ate and ate and ate. Why not? I had a great husband, great child, great friends and what I thought was a great life. I kept on eating fast food. My freezer was filled with processed foods. I was raised on processed foods. Steak-ums, Banquet Chicken, and Salisbury steak right out of the freezer.
During those packing on the pound months, I went to Weight Watchers six times. I joined Jenny Craig. Tried Nutri System for three months. I even tried the cabbage soup diet. I have been a member at every gym in the county that I live in. I never attended more than a month. All those weight loss attempts were failures. To be fair to Weight Watchers, I did lose 20 pounds, but it was all crappy foods that I was consuming. I gave South Beach a try and lost 12 pounds in two weeks.
After my 14 days were up, my husband and I treated ourselves to a pizza. We were so proud of our weight loss, we treated ourselves to food! About 30 minutes after eating the pizza, my body began to feel weird. My back was hurting. I had trouble breathing, a feeling I had never experienced before. Within 10 more minutes, I was on the floor crying and yelling to my husband that I thought I was having a heart attack. A few minutes later, we were hearing fireworks! I was belching like I had never belched before. Whatever had built up in my body, was coming out anyway it could! My husband laughed, but I was in serious pain. It finally passed. I blamed it on the South Beach Diet and my sugar restriction.
Like always, I went back to my sugar eating ways. Another ten pounds gained. I finally reached 160 lbs. I joined a gym, yet another attempt to get healthy. I was eating a lot of salads (with dressing) and I cut out sodas. I stopped using salt. To me those few changes meant I was fine to eat all the other stuff. I was a week into a new gym membership when I had this great idea to go roller skating. I was 45 years old and I hadn’t been roller skating since I was 16. I thought it would be great exercise. While at the rink, I looked over at my friend and said, “Watch this!” And down I went. I tried to do some flip in the air that I had once did in my teens. I broke my ankle. My husband was away on business for two months, so I was on my own.
I was laid up for about two months. This became a great opportunity for me to order my food in. Cheese steaks, pizza. . . you name it. The weight kept going up. I was eventually 170 pounds. That’s when the snoring began, and the indigestion, and the heart burn, and the acid reflux. That’s when I began developing what I call fat people sickness. Every person I knew who had these issues, was heavy. I was on the sofa all the time. I was having trouble falling asleep at night. It normally took me about 2 to 3 hours to fall asleep. After my son went to school, I would get on the sofa, watch TV and fall asleep until noon.
I went to see my Endocrinologist and my thyroid levels were checked and he said everything was fine. So I went to my GYN and she told me that I was depressed, so she doubled my dose of Prozac. I truly believed that I couldn’t live without my happy pills. My husband has always been against me taking these meds. He always told me diet and exercise would cure everything. I didn’t listen. I would tell my husband that I was going to go off the meds, but I never did. I hid the prescription bottle in my purse.
In January of this year, I went to see my Endocrinologist for my six month checkup. I weighed in at 182.4. I was mortified. How could something like this happen?? I met my friend for lunch that day, and I was so depressed. I wanted to talk to her about it, but my friend was sitting there in her 115 lb. body and I didn’t think she’d understand. It was a horrible day for me. I called my mom and cried to her. She was very supportive and said the usual stuff, “Kymmie, you have to start working out.” There was that exercise thing again!
That evening I was sitting on the depression sofa watching television and my husband was listening to something on his laptop. I turned the TV down and listened. It was from Dr. Mercola’s website and it was someone talking about eating like a caveman. I listened and found it very interesting. I remember laughing at my husband and saying stuff like, “Yeah, right! Can you imagine eating bacon?” A few days later, I went into the bookstore and was looking for a food diary and there they were, Paleo books! I picked them up and starting looking through them. I had a few in my hand and couldn’t decide which to buy. I ended up choosing The Paleo Solution, because it had recipes in the back and the guy on the back jacket was cute. Like always, I wasn’t taking this too seriously. I had my doubts.
Well, I read the book. I was like, HOLY Crap! Could this be for real? My cholesterol is up and I’m allowed to eat all this meat! I talked it over with my husband and we decided to give it a shot. We started that Monday. We took pictures and measurements. I told my husband we had to rid our kitchen from any bad foods. I’m an all or nothing gal, so we were gonna do this thing right or we weren’t gonna do it all. It was difficult to get rid of the steel cut oatmeal. We were told over and over again how good this stuff was for you. My husband ate it every morning. We cleared the pantry and threw away any product with sugar in it. High fructose corn syrup, and all the other sugars went in the trash. No more bread. I gave my mom all my pasta noodles. I gave her my bread machine and rice cooker. I cleared them all out. My husband & I went grocery shopping and we restocked our kitchen with grass fed/free range/antibiotic free foods. The only meat that ever came in my house before was already in the shape of hamburger. Not any more!
The first week was easy. I never craved sugar. I was never a cookies and cake person. I could down a bag of Doritos in one sitting, so for a few days, I did crave my salty snacks. But it wasn’t that bad. Bacon tasted a lot better. I was cooking meals that I had never fixed before. I made beef stew. I cooked a little chicken in my crock pot. That was a little difficult for me. Just touching a naked little animal like that was kind of gross, but I managed to get the bag out of its belly and wash the little creature off. I mean, this was a living thing at one time and it took me awhile to get passed that. I prefer my animals already clubbed, cut up and prepackaged. It’s funny, cause it didn’t take me long to get over it. I still can’t believe I am cooking real food!
After my first week, I was sleeping like a baby. I was falling asleep within 10-15 minutes. The most surprising thing was, and I still don’t understand this huge change, but my night sweats stopped. My GYN had told me it wasn’t my hormones and my labs were all coming back fine. Another huge, gigantic change was that in a few days, yes DAYS, the indigestion, heart burn and acid reflux were GONE. My snoring has decreased a lot. Some nights, I snore. Some nights, I don’t. But I am still packing on an extra forty pounds, so I’m sure as the weight loss keeps going down, so will my snoring.
I had read a success story before I had began Paleo and the girl telling the story told of how she went cold turkey on her depression medicine. I decided to do the same thing. I haven’t had any Prozac in over 30 days. I am not depressed! I believe that I was being drugged with all the chemicals and sugars I was putting in my body. Maybe other people can handle these sugars, but it’s so obvious now that I can’t. I wake up with a spunk. I don’t watch
TV during the day. I clean my house and I am obsessed with clean recipes and Paleo cooking. After dinner last night, all I wanted to do was get my recipes out and see what I could come up with for today. We’re having scallops tonight. I can’t wait! Scallops!
Paleo has changed my life. Do I still think about eating bad foods? Absolutely. Like I said, I’m the type of person where it’s all or nothing. I can’t have one taste of sugar and I know it. I’m an addict. Sugar is my cocaine. My alcohol. It’s what will end up killing me some day if I don’t stay away from it. I know being the person that I am, if I were to eat a Big Mac, I would be finished. I lack willpower. All this work I have done would be for nothing. And I don’t want to ever end up on the floor again thinking I am having a heart attack. I feel as if someone has given me my life back.
Robb Wolf, the author of The Paleo Solution, asked one thing from me, just one thing – Give Paleo a chance for thirty days. I committed fully to Paleo, and am ecstatic with the results. I may still be 167 pounds, but I feel amazing. And by summer I plan to be at my goal weight and riding bikes with my son. I want to kayak. I want to go hiking. I just wanna move and stay healthy and I truly believe that I will. Thanks to Paleo!!
– Kymberly Irwin
______________________________
1/11/12 –
Total Cholesterol, 224
Triglycerides, 202
HDL, 41
LDL, 143
I’m having my lab work done next week. I am very anxious to know the results. I will let you know as soon as possible!! – Kymberly
Kymberly,
Hang in there and stay focused. My Paleo journey began last Feb, 2011. Now 50 lbs lighter, happier, sleep better. I suffer from psoriasis and fibromyaliga. My pain is gone most days and my skin hasn’t been this good in a very long time.
My blood labs have improved greatly. My A1C is no longer creeping up toward diabetes (several family members have it).
Stay strong.
Linda
As Kymberly’s doctor have said, “Give Paleo a chance.” Or, If all else fails, try Paleo Diet. Thanks for sharing her story, I love to hear about successful stories of any kind and I really feel happy for those people like Kym. Is there a link where I could check updates about her Paleo lifestyle?
I will keep updating as the good news rolls in. I am so excited and happy today getting the results of my blood work. My cholesterol went from 224 down to 187. Trigs went from 202 to 93. All this in under six weeks. Not to mention 17 lbs. lost.
Gotta hit the gym!!! – Kym
I know this story is old- but how are you doing now? It was almost as if I wrote your story. Started paleo a week ago, haven’t lost an ounce. Hashimotos x18 years. Diets never seem to work for me because I think I give up too soon. I was successful once on WW but that was just after I was diagnosed, so I think my thyroid wAs still working sometimes. Up 40 lbs in 18 yrs. peri/menopausal (50 yrs old). I feel Prozac (20 years), menopause, thyroid disease and lupus pain are all against me and I’m so frustrated not being able to lose (we’ll see how the Paleo diet goes- it’s only been a week). I usu. give up by 8 weeks if no weight is lost. I was just curious if you’ve stuck with it and there is light at the end of my tunnel!
Thanks Jen
Pls respond direct to my email not this post.
You go, Kymmie. You are on the way! Bless your mate for his support. Your young’n will row up understanding how to eat!
PLEASE don’t stop antidepressants cold turkey! Many people experience severe withdrawal symptoms when stopping antidepressants (that being said, Prozac – but not other antidepressants like zoloft, celexa, etc – has such a long half-life that many people do not experience withdrawal from Prozac specifically).
I am so sensitive to such medications that, even with very slow tapering, I have Serotonin Withdrawal Syndrome. Symptoms include “brain shocks” (feels like it sounds), muscle twitches and pain, confusion, sleep disturbances, nauseau, vomiting, etc.
I completely agree that many people will not need antidepressants on Paleo. I don’t. But, PLEASE do not stop without talking with your doctor. These drugs are not harmless and withdrawing from them can be a difficult process.
Kymberly, thank you for your story! It’s inspiring to see another person (family) sack the Standard American Diet!
Hey Kymberly,
Good for you for getting on this journey! You won’t regret it!
It infuriates me (and breaks my heart at the same time) that none of the doctors you had seen for all those years addressed diet with you. (Or, if they did, they most likely parroted the “healthy whole grains” and low-fat dogma.) I am SO glad the Paleo Physicians Network is growing. We NEED more doctors and healthcare practitioners to see the light, as it were. It honestly astounds me how quick some folks are to dish out meds without even *asking* what someone’s eating.
I’m so happy that you’ve found your way here. It sounds like you’ve already had some great progress, and more is on the way, I’m sure. In no time, I bet friends and family will be asking what you’re doing because you’ll look and feel like a million bucks and they’ll want to know your “secret.” Keep up the good work!
Oh, and I *do* think the soy probably played a role in the fertility problems. Lots of soy + female (and male!) hormones = “NO BUENO,” as Robb might say.
My doctor called with my labwork. I was in total shock. I began laughing on the phone saying over and over again, “I did it! I did it!” She was like, “What???” My total cholesterol is now 187. Trigs are 93, HDL is 40 and LDL is 128. Paleo really does work. I asked my husband over the weekend about what was going to happen if my cholesterol came back high. He was like trying to tell me I would have to work even harder. And here I am, not even chewing gum. How much harder can I work at this. Well, the proof is in. I am going to continue doing exactly the same thing.
LIFE IS GOOD
Great job, Kymberly, that’s awesome news. And a great reward for your gung-ho attitude. You’re really setting yourself up for the rest of your life. Congratulations!
Good work — and great job, being so brave, and jumping in with both feet!
In googling something with regards to the zone for athletes I was directed to this wonderful site! I loved your story it further proves that good solid nutrition is the key to so many problems. Your story re-ignited my commitment to eating good old fresh foods, nothing from a box!! Continued success and lots of good luck.
Awesome. I want to encourage you to never give up….keep on with what you know works. I’ve been Paleo for 3years/3months. I was a chronic migraine suffer for over 30 years before Paleo. I had tried all kinds of diets to cure my migraines. Nothing worked until I discovered Paleo eating. It’s the best!!
Great story. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your story Kymberly, it brings tears to my eyes. Reminds me to continue spreading the Paleo message! So many people suffer from all the misinformation and over-prescribing-only-to-cover-the-symptoms in our world today. The answers aren’t in a bottle, but what’s in (and not in!) our kitchens! You go girl!
This shit is awesome. Congrats and keep at it. You just saved your life and maybe your husband and kids too.
Damn I love bacon.
You know it only occurred to me while reading this that my wife’s snoring has gone away as well. I mentioned it to her just now and she wants to eat a cupcake to see if she snores tonight. Luckily we threw out the baking mixes long ago.
Congrats! I am still a newbie at this Paleo thing but just went to the store and start the 30 day challenge tomorrow! I tried for one week on my own and it did make me feel good but now I am doing the Meal plans for a month! I am also an all or nothing type gal and so starting tomorrow I will be giving it MY ALL! I will report again after the 30 days are up and let you all know how I did!
Way to go!
Great work! I hope you continue to feel amazing!!
I was glad to read this story. Kymberly’s story is my story, with exception of having a child. I never had children and I am 42 now. I am just beginning this journey and after a week and a half, I feel better. I am still getting the hang of what to eat. I am not creative at all, so I get bored with the same things. Because of never being home and always on the go, we eat out alot and it is hard to go Paleo and eat. Not impossible, but hard. I wish I was home more. I can pack stuff, but that is hard for me and we eat out with other people all the time, so that would make it hard, too. Anyway, I would love to keep hearing updates on Kymberly, since we are one in the same. LOL!
When I was reading her story, I thought, man, that is me. I have struggled with weight ever since the Hashimoto’s came on. I hate it! I have two younger sisters and they are thin and it seems easy for them. I exercise off and on, but I have to make myself. I do not enjoy it and I have no energy. I feel great when I am done.
Wish I knew Kymberly personally, as she would make a great Paleo partner for me.
Erin
Kymberly, Thank you for your story. I have been struggling the last two years trying to get my thyroid back under control. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2002 and until the last couple years it hasn’t affected me much and has been regulated with medication. The doctor is confused why we cannot keep it regulated now and why all of a sudden I have cholesterol issues and never did before. I had not done anything different in my diet or daily routines but have been packing on the pounds. Atleast now I can talk to the doctor about the Hashimoto’s and I am going to do as you and start this diet! Thank you for giving me hope because I am so tired of being tired and in pain all the time!!
So glad that Paleo is working for you! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s a year and a half ago and when I learned that Hashimoto’s often preceded celiac, I cut back almost all grains (I still drank beer now and again). Recently I made the choice to cut that out as well, and I’m losing more weight, almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. The best part, though, is that I’m off all antidepressants, off my thyroid meds, no longer getting the blood pressure spikes and dizzy spells and anxiety attacks and migraines I was getting on my ever-increasing doses of thyroid meds, my chronic joint pain is gone, and I’m still healthy! I’m due for a physical shortly to keep tabs on my numbers, so it’ll be interesting to see how that all pans out, but according to the endocrinologist, I should still be tired (I am a bit, but I’m also working full-time now on top of motherhood), I should still be gaining weight (lost 15 pounds in the last year), and I should be having all manner of thyroid symptoms which I’m not, and don’t have as long as I stay off the grains.
It’s been a blessing to have a supportive husband for sure, and it’s still hard when we eat out or visit family, but things are going so well that we’d be nuts not to keep it up. 🙂
Hi Kym,
Just read your blog.
Congrats on the weight loss and healthy feelings!
I just started eating Paleo about 10 days ago.
I have Hypothryroidism, Hashimotos, familial high cholesterol and blood pressure, and need to lose about 40 pounds.
I was on low fat, organic eating for years and gained about 40 pounds in 7 years, yikes!
I am now trying paleo and lost 2 lbs the first week.
I bought cast iron skillets, a food processor, and like you and your husband, fresh veggies, chickens, etc. No pasta, rice, sugar, or dairy.
I have read that a lot of other people had their cholesterol go UP on paleo; but I eat fish 3 x a week, chicken 2x a week and salads the other two nights.
Did you husband also test his cholesterol?
Did your doctor comment on the paleo way of eating?
I want to make sure I am doing good by my thyroid and cholesterol as well as overall health.
I would love to talk with you. Your story is mine. Please email me
[email protected]
So happy for you Kymberly!
Kimberly,
Thank you for your story! I have Hashimoto’s too and I would encourage you to check your antibodies TPO, T4, TSH, and T3 to see if you still test positive for the autoimmune disease or are even hypothyroid. You may have been allergic to soy, which in turn caused your Hashimoto’s and the other issues. You might also want to get another Endocrinologist.
I wouldn’t consider myself all the way Paleo. I jokingly call myself Paleoish, but reading your story has me wanting to take the plunge all of the way. Thank you again!
Hi Kym,
I am yet another “Kym”. So many of us with the same story to tell. The same milestones on the way downhill. I’ve been gluten-free for 2 weeks and feel a bit better, the immediate digestive distress abated. But, with 40 extra pounds, thyroid meds, depression meds, insomnia, etc. all still active – it’s going to take something bigger. I tried vegan eating about 3 years ago, for 6 months, but my short-term memory started glitching out and I needed glasses suddenly, (and I was craving fish so badly it hurt). Vegan isn’t for me…blame the Norwegian genes, gotta have my sardines and salmon. I need a path uphill, back to the health summit. This looks (and feels) right – both in the logic/science I’ve been reading, and in my gut.
Thank you for sharing your story, in so much detail, and with such enthusiasm. Perhaps in a short time, I’ll be able to reciprocate.
Theresa
Hey Kym! How about an updated photo? I’d love to see an “after.” 🙂
Kymberly,
I have Hashimoto’s too and am now Paleo. I am finally starting to slim down a bit. Why not start a Hashimoto’s Paleo support group online or something for folks like us? It is so danged hard for us to lose weight, and many of us still struggle with quite a few autoimmune issues, so I am sure there are supplements we might want to look into in addition to being Paleo.
This is a great idea!!
Hi Mariella. I also have full blown Hashimoto’s and started Paleo 2 weeks ago. I have been gluten free for over a year. I would love if you can send me your personal e-mail and was wondering if that support group was ever started? Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you!
Hi Kym,
I am very glad for your success so far and would like to know if you have changed anything about your levothyroxine meds.
I have done a similar diet, but nowhere near as strict as yours seems to be, and I have met with some success.
Also tried 4 months off the Hashi meds (levothy) again with some success but recently started back on it (partial relapse scare). Kind of anticipate a major ‘blow-out’ down the road… so may try another stab at the paleo. Right now need to build up more levo usage so as to reduce /tsh levels. Look forward to more blogging from you. Thanks. Osama
I’ll try this I have hashimotos and fibromyalgia too. I am 50 lbs overweight and nothing has worked so far. I am 50 and tired and sad.
Hi Kym,
Are you off your thyroid meds now?
Kym thank you.I am suffering from Hashimoto as well as related issues.I have been so down and defeated.Your article has given me hope.
I have hashimotos but I have been paleo for 4 years (with a dairy cheat). Here are my numbers- same as yours but the difference is in the total. I also have celiac and lupus. What the hell can I eat? Nothing. LOL. I have been gluten free for 9 years. Grain free for 4.
I need to whack out the dairy. I’ve been eating dairy like it is my job and because I love it. But I would bet that if I gave it up… good bye LDL in a BIG way. I’ve recently cut back and swapped it out for greek yogurt and feta… but I can see that dairy has to leave. I know it has to leave. Since eliminating it for a week and reintroducing it I’ve noticed that it causes my heart rate to elevate and I get a bit jittery. You can see the dairy in my lipid panel.
Total 225
LDL 134
HDL 74
Triglycerides 65
A1C (for diabetes prevention) 4.8
So you see that my Tris (the really bad stuff you get elevated from processed foods are super low). My HDL is off the charts good. Last piece of the puzzle. My beloved dairy. I will NOT be giving up coffee or a dollop of cream in it though. Life is too short! HA!
I’m 5’9 155 pound 36 y/o female. I crossfit 3-4x a week and spin 2-3x. I’m a fit girl.
So in light of all this information, my question is this- anyone have a really time recovering from crossfit? I really struggle the next day. I do a MWF crossfit TTH occasional Saturday spinning class. Sat/Sunday 2 mile dog walks/gardening and that’s about the routine. I sometimes take a Wed off if it hurts to move.
Thoughts?
PS- I’m a synthroid- dessicated thyroid does NOT work for me. Synthroid 75mcg alternating 88mcg every three days. Free T4 1.4 Free T3 2.8 TSH 1.92. Those numbers are good enough for me.
Also, if you have hashimotos, please don’t go off your thyroid medication!!! You will need to take this for life- especially if you have been diagnosed with a TSH greater than 10. That means your thyroid is in failure. I know because I’ve had hashimotos since I was a teenager and didn’t start meds until I was 32- 4 years ago. There was other stuff the doctors could have done earlier on but whatever, it is what it is now. I will be on that medication for good. This isn’t something I would mess around with. Thyroid is the master and commander of your metabolism and it can really mess with your heart. Listen to your endo!
Thank you all. Once more, a glimmer of hope to have good QOL again. I will check this out!
God Bless.
This is a great story. I have been diagnosed with hashimotos for 9 months and it has been hell the last 6 months. Done well in the beginning then symptoms started coming back. Dr didn’t seem to care that I was so cold all the time and body temp has gotten as low as 94.7. Just started with new Dr he is checking my t3. I take l-thyroxine 25mcg. My sugar and cholesterol is elevated. I have given up pop and artificial sweetners and have gained 27 pounds in the last year. Went glutten and sugar free for 3 weeks and gained 3 pounds. I am so tired not sleepy just feels like my body has been in water all day and is tired. My voice is froggy all the time and I cough a lot after eating. I’m sure my nodule is growing. I’m going to the book store to find this book. I need something that helps. You are a true inspiration. Thank you
I just found out I have Hasimotos. My skin always itches and burns. I am going to start the paleo.
For some great info on Hashimoto’s and other thyroid related issues, check out this free ebook from our friend Chris Kresser https://chriskresser.com/thyroid/