Rita Hicks
Autoimmune Disease, Personal Trainer and Coach
No better time for this post than my birthday!! My last year in my 30’s and I have to say it’s the best I’ve ever felt. I got diagnosed last year with Hashimoto’s… I know sounds like a cool motorcycle, but it’s a very uncool autoimmune disease. Turns out I’ve been battling it forever. So, once I found out I had an under active thyroid, low testosterone and loads of other endocrine problems I dove into research on fixing it. Turns out diet is the number one way to help autoimmune problems… so as many of you know I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life. Well, this diet eliminates gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, canola oil, and pork… so I had no idea what to eat now. I was stuck. No protein sources. I got fluffy, and I have never had to pay attention to what I eat. I’ve been practicing a bad diet for years. But I had no idea how bad I actually felt! So, with no protein sources I decided to start eating meat. And I needed help. Uncharted territory. And honestly by the grace of God I got a DM from Consistency Breeds Growth asking if I needed help with a diet. Was Instagram reading my mind again?? Lol so I said Hell yes!! I can say that 12 weeks into the program I have completely changed my body composition. I gained muscle, lost fat, but most important I changed my relationship with food. I am now enjoying eating meat, I don’t have to count calories or look at food like it’s something I have to earn. I now look at it as nourishment. When I lost weight in the first two weeks eating more food than I ever had I knew they knew something I didn’t!! I also have to say that I don’t miss being vegetarian at all! I love my lean meat, and easting new foods is like being on a new planet, I almost don’t miss my nachos lol. I can’t thank Justin Paul Romaire enough he literally changed my life.”