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May is Lupus Awareness Month: Athar’s Journey

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Athar weight loss story

May is Lupus Awareness month.  We want to promote awareness of the disease because is affects the African-American community disproportionately. “African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. African-American women tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more severe symptoms than white women. [source]”  Athar was diagnosed with Lupus and still lost 150 pounds and fought for her health.  She sent in an update this month (updated photos below):

“Hi, You featured my journey back in February. I was hoping you could feature it again in May being that it is Lupus Awareness Month. I’d like to give a personal message to anyone battling this debilitating disease.

God doesn’t give us anything that we cannot handle. We are strong and through faith we can accomplish anything. My advice to anyone fighting lupus who want to loose weight is to get healthy first. Physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy. Learn that maybe you CAN walk to the corner today, but maybe not tomorrow. It’s ok. Because if you don’t give up, that short walk will turn into 5 miles in six months or maybe even a year.

May is about Lupus Awareness. Talk to your doctor’s and challenge them to help you get to a place in your treatment which will allow for low to moderate exercise. I’m still showing that it can be done.”

Read Athar’s weight loss story. 

Check out this article: What is Lupus: The Basics

Athar weight loss update
Athar’s weight loss update – May 2014

 

Athar lost 150 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Athar (aka Peaches) lost 150 pounds and was able to put her Lupus symptoms in remission.  She fought hard to find the right treatment for her lupus and hypothyroidism.  She was determined to beat obesity, eat right and get active.  Here is what she shared with us about her amazing health victory:

Athar weight loss story

My name is Peaches. I have gone from a size 26/28 to a size 12. I have lost a total of 150 lbs! My weight problems really began around the time I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE in 1987. I was only 12yrs old and have been sick as long as I can remember. My weight has been due to a multitude of factors starting with Lupus, overeating due to depression and hopelessness, reactions to medication, and hypothyroidism.

By 2010, I had ballooned to 383 pounds. I had been in a Lupus flare for what seemed like eternity, however it was only a few years. My doctor was diligently trying to get my insurance to approve a motorized scooter for me. I was morbidity obese and miserable! How can someone who has lupus and is in so much pain loose weight? In 2010, I had a dream that took me to Atlanta, GA. This is where I picked the first Rheumatologist I could find within a few miles of my new home. Little did I know this Doctor was going to change my life forever. She changed my treatment plan and I challenged her every step of the way. I absolutely refused to go back on any medication that would have side effects to where I could not work. I would get up and move everyday, so I needed her to get my treatment right. Six months later, Dec 2010, we found my miracle. I started coming out of my flare and dropped almost 30 pounds immediately. In April 2011, I had my thyroid completely removed! The weight kept falling off!

July 2012, I knew it was time to get serious. I first adopted my Chihuahua who forced me to get up multiple times for walks. Then, I joined the gym and started taking aqua aerobics 3 times a week. When I built up enough strength, I went to the cardio machines. In Feb 2013, I hired personal trainer and was working out 6 days a week. Three days of 1 hour sessions, with heavy weight training/boxing circuits. Two days kickboxing, and a day of bootcamp class. By the end of 2013, I was down to 233 pounds! Only 3 weeks ago, I started CrossFit and I am loving it! I recently got a clean bill of health from my doctor, aside from the lupus markers. God willing, I will continue to be in remission and pain free. I am back living and loving my new active life in South Florida!

Throughout my journey, I have changed how I eat completely. I eat clean and drink lots of water. I stay on a high protein, lower carb diet. I consume all carbs prior to 3pm. My calorie intake is 1200-1500 depending upon my activity level.

My advice to anyone struggling with Lupus and weight to listen to your body. However, the key to overall health is to challenge the doctors to work together on alternative methods to treat your symptoms enough for you to get moving. The rest you can do on your own through nutrition and exercise!

What is Lupus: The Basics

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“African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. African-American women tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more severe symptoms than white women.” – womenshealth.gov

Note: Let me just note at the beginning of this article that there is much to learn about Lupus and the research has not bore out all of the answers about how people develop the disease and how it affect the body.  What I want to present is an overview of what is known, but I acknowledge that every person’s experience is not the same.

nurseI believe that Lupus is something we should ALL know about in the Black Community. Lupus occurs when the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and begins to attack normal tissue as if it were an infection to be destroyed. While anyone can be diagnosed with lupus at any time, young black women are more than three times as likely as whites to develop the disease. To put that in perspective, this means that 1 in 250 black women between the ages of 15 and 44 are could develop a form of this painful disease. Fortunately, there have been great strides made in the treatment of lupus and while there is no cure, with proper medication you can live a satisfying and full life.

Common symptoms

While the rate of diagnosis for young black women is high, the awful truth is that the path to a correct diagnosis of lupus can be a long and difficult journey. The common symptoms of lupus are easily mistaken for other diseases, like cancer or MS, especially if they are just showing up. It isn’t until there is a history of symptoms present that a doctor may even suspect lupus. This can be very troubling and causes a lot of confusion. The most common symptoms can include;

  • Rash or color splotches on the nose and cheeks that are red in color
  • Swollen, painful joints
  • Unexplained fever
  • Breathing causes unexplained, sharp chest pains
  • Hair loss
  • Extremities such as fingers and toes turn purple with cold
  • Similar purple discoloration in extremities when under stress
  • Unusual sun sensitivity
  • Low blood cell count

[More info on symptoms]

While all of these symptoms taken together would seem like it would be easy to make a diagnosis, the truth is that most people with lupus appear healthy and the symptoms are intermittent at first. Lupus can often be experienced in waves, with a period of high symptoms followed by a period when there are none present. One clue that researchers are beginning to track down is that while these symptoms could be attributable to other diseases, most are unusual in young black women. There is a strong chance that lupus is inherited so doctors will ask about family history (inheriting lupus is suspected but not absolutely proven).

Three different types of lupus

Generally, there are three different types of lupus, not all of which share the same grouping of symptoms but may display all of them too. The first is the most severe; systemic lupus erythematosus is a form of lupus that affects the joints of the body and different parts of the body including the skin. The second type, discoid lupus, is limited to the skin and the last type, drug-induced lupus, is exactly what it sounds like a form of allergic reaction to a medication you are taking.

How lupus is treated

The good news is that drug-induced lupus will likely disappear once you stop taking the medicine, but some symptoms could be on going. For most people, it is a matter of simply finding a replacement medicine if you have a chronic condition that the medication that caused the induced lupus is treating. This can take some trial and error. It can also be complicated if you are on multiple medications as you will have to figure out which one is causing the lupus. Do not stop taking any medication on your own if you think it is causing your lupus, stopping medication of any type should only be done with a doctor’s approval and supervision. For lupus that affects the skin, there are many ointments and creams that are now available that can help to relieve the rashes and other symptoms associated with discoid lupus. Treating systemic lupus is more involved as you will have to work with your physician to find a pain relief medication that can also reduce any swelling without causing any disruptive side effects in your life. Treatment varies from individual to individual, so these scenarios may not be the case for all people.  If you suspect that you are suffering from lupus, TALK to a DOCTOR (I’m not a medical professional.  This article is based only on my personal research…not medical expertise)!

How did I get lupus?

No one knows for sure why lupus develops. It is heavily suspected that genes play a role as there is suggestion that lupus can be inherited. However, there isn’t enough evidence to prove that hypothesis so no scientist can explain why one person in a family would develop lupus and two other complete generations not have any symptomology. One benefit from all the research and attention lupus is receiving is it marks a turn in the nature of scientific investigation that is focused on and inclusive of minority health issues. Lupus may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for many who will benefit from the new approach to addressing disorders and disease within minority population that had been missing from health research for too long.

For more information check out this fact sheet from The Lupus Foundation of America –  Lupus.org 

Keena lost 58 pounds

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Weight loss story of the day: Keena of New York lost 58 pounds and now she helps others to get fit and healthy.   She had to battle with a number of medical issues, like Lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue disease.  Now, she is a trainer.  Here is what she shared with us:

Keena weight loss

My name is Keena Laster. My journey towards weight loss began in June 2009. During the time, I was commuting back and forth over 4 hours a day, not eating correctly and not exercising. One day while my family members were visiting me, I began to feel weak. I was tired and unable to function. I had to go to the emergency room that night to make sure that my blood pressure was not too low. Upon my initial exam and blood work they found that my red blood cell count was down (4.7). Doctor inquired about me possibly having an accident and was bleeding internally or not. He informed me at that time that I had to stay in the hospital for blood transfusion to figure out what was wrong.

In December 2009, I was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue disease by my Rheumatologist and tested positive for Lupus. During this journey, I was prescribed anti-malaria medication, psychotropic medication (for anxiety/panic attacks) and antibiotics to fight off any types of infections. I was not taking care of my body, spirit and mind. I was required to report to the hematologist every month, the rheumatologist monthly and my primary care physicians. All of the concerns were heightened by my weight of 200 pounds and my stress levels. I struggled with weight loss and weight gain for the following year and a half. I began to realize that the symptoms that I had were better when I lost weight and changed jobs.

After my last blood transfusion, I was cleared to do low impact exercises. I developed a habit of walking around the block in my neighborhood and tried to use mass transit in NYC to get my strength back and hit the gym. I was not effective with executing exercising while on my own.

In November 2011 my family member introduced me to a personal trainer/life coach. I begin with three times weekly and started to feel great. My blood count was beginning to get higher and my red cells were developing normally. In the interim I was able to stop the fibromyalgia in the fingers by beginning with low weights and reps to develop strength and balance. For the first two months, I was at three times weekly. At the end of February 2012, I started training three days one on one training and two days with group training. My journey begin to show results by May 2013. BMI was at 29%.  I am happy to say with my results and the understanding of how to teach Pilates, Cross fit, boxing and running with the trainer five days a week, I am now a fitness trainer helping others like myself.  I am proud to share this story since I have committed myself to working towards helping others overcome obesity, bad diet practices and corrective exercises (universalfitnessbx.com). I am now at 142 lbs with 21.89% BMI and 22% body fat.

My eating habits changed drastically. I was never much of a heavy eater.  I skipped meals and ate sugary foods, junk food everyday. I researched clean eating habits through different sites.  Working with my trainer and life coach, I eliminated all foods containing refine sugar, stopped eating breads, ate a minimum of 4-5 times daily so I can train and have the ability to tone and gain healthy muscles. I cook with virgin olive oils, brown rice, eat vegetarian foods and eat lean red meats a maximum of two times a month.

Bri lost 73 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Bri lost 73 pounds.  She was able to lose weight in a healthy way, eat right during pregnancy and deal with a diagnosis of Lupus.  Here is what she shared with us:

My weight loss story! I went from 216 pounds to now 143 pounds in less than a year, after giving birth to 3 children!  After getting pregnant with my second child and giving birth in 2010, I found myself weighing 216 pounds and wearing a size 14/16 in clothes. I struggled with my self esteem and my weight for the next 3 years. Was never quite able to lose it, no matter what I tried! Pills, shakes, bars they wouldnt work! Finally in 2012, I said enough is enough!  I changed my diet and started avidly exercising. I went from eating EVERYTHING I wanted and snacks galore to eating smaller meals and less carbs. I did 75 crunches a night and 110 squats. I walked 2 miles a day and drank A LOT of Water and 100% juice.  I also cut down my sugar intake and No snacks! Fruits! After losing 20 lbs in February, I found out that I was 5 months pregnant with my now 1 year old daughter. I still ate right, exercised and everything throughout my pregnancy. Then, I became very ill and bed ridden around May 2012. I still perservered through my eating. I was then diagnosed with Lupus and told that I could no longer exercise. However, I prayed and asked God to get me through it and he did. I gave birth to my daughter July 3rd 2012 and was 180 pounds. I got a personal trainer and kept on my diet.  Here I stand a year later at 143 pounds and healthy! I battle my Lupus like a good soldier and continue to eat right and exercise!

Bri weight loss story

Bridget lost 70 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Bridget lost 70 pounds.  This mother of 4 credits willpower and faith with helping her to battle the pounds and deal with Lupus.

Bridget weight loss

Here is what Bridget had to say about her weight loss journey:

“I am a Lupus sufferer and mother of 4. God has been Good.  I used to weigh 210 lbs. I am down to 140 lbs. Total of 70 lbs lost!!

No pills, no diet shakes.  All will-power and Faith. It can be done. Anything you put your mind too, can be done. ~Amen!~  I also wanna share that I’m a Lupus sufferer. I had to take steroids and I have a thyroid issue. I pray for anyone who is battling weight-loss, to never give up. It took me some time, but it paid off.

I cut out fried foods, sugar, sugary drinks and processed foods. I drink water daily and eats lots of fresh fruits, veggies and chicken or fish only. I grill all my meats and exercise daily for 30 min. I suffer from Lupus so at times my joints would hurt or I would be tired from fatigue, but I didn’t give up. I just rested when I needed. and picked back up with my routine. After a while, eating right, exercising and drinking water is just as natural as brushing my teeth and combing my hair. Prayer and Persistence guided me to a healthy weight.  God Bless you all!~Much love!”