If you don't know about my liver issues, please read the last update from November HERE.

Date Weight AST (10-30) ALT (6-29)
(Ideal: 22) (Ideal: 25)
5/03 330 43 36
3/13 257 33 21
6/14 257 57 37
9/14 246 42 29
12/14 244 39 29
6/15 255 48 30
9/15 255 51 46
1/16 242 35 26
I am ecstatic that my numbers were lowered without significant weight loss. The first thing my doctor said, however, when he walked into the room, was: so how about you lose some weight to get your numbers down further? I almost lost my freaking mind! I barely lost any weight and got my numbers down with good diet and supplements. Why would I try to punish my body and mind by trying to lose weight??? His argument was I didn't know the side effects of the supplements I am taking. My argument is that I DO know the side effects of the diet drugs he's been trying to push on me! And they always end with me gaining all my weight back plus some in the end. I was so angry. I told him I had made it this far without actively trying to lose weight, so I was going to continue on that route.
Unfortunately, I may never know if there was one single thing that helped lower my numbers so quickly. I ate less sugar (and better food in general), I stopped my Stelara shot for psoriasis in November (click HERE for an old post about Stelara), I stopped my birth control pill (which I had taken for 24 years), and I continued with the supplements Ellen suggested to me. The end result of all of those efforts is that my numbers have been lowered to near-normal levels! I am so happy and relieved.
(Side note: I believe I have been on Stelara for close to four years. I am happy to report that I have minimal return of my psoriasis patches. It is such a difficult disease because the topical treatments are usually thick lotions or gels, which are completely impossible to use on pole dance days. I am hoping that, with diet, exercise, and keeping a handle on my stress levels, I can avoid going back on Stelara. Although the drug fact sheet does not list higher liver panels as a side effect, most other biologics DO list it as a side effect, and some people in online forums complained their liver panels had gone up after taking Stelara. It was a hard decision to make but I felt like I needed to stop the drug if there was a chance it would heal my liver.)
Once again, Ellen saves the day. If you want to read the testimonial I wrote for her website, please click HERE. If you are looking for a nutritionist who will help you actually figure out what is wrong with your digestive system, please give her a call. She was the first person who ever told me to keep a food log and write down how I felt after I ate said food rather than log how many calories I ate. Following her advice helped me lose 20 pounds in the last year and a half without cutting calories or feeling like I was dieting. Yes, I am choosing foods that are better for me. But I do that because they make me feel better, not because I'm restricting calories to make my body smaller. In fact, I would say I eat more calories now than I was before. I also still indulge in sweets on occasion. I just don't do it 57 times a day. And I never feel like I am missing out on anything -- realizing I was making the CHOICE not to eat foods that made me feel crappy gave me my power back. It has been my first satisfying experience in the "diet" department, and I am very grateful for everything Ellen has done for me.
I am quickly approaching 40 later this year, and I can honestly say this is the happiest and healthiest I have ever been. Here's to 2016 continuing to be an amazing year for both my health and well-being.