I had made the connection that I had fibromyalgia last year. My ex-girlfriend mentioned it to me because I had exactly the symptoms described. When I first looked it up on the web, I went to a site that focused on it being a mostly "female" problem, so I initially discounted it. I started thinking back to my initial diagnosis of sleep apnea, and I remembered that my sleep specialist said I had something called Restless Leg Syndrome and thought I might have Fibromyalgia, but then, for some reason, DID NOT TREAT IT. So, I started researching it more and discovered that Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia were connected, and I also stumbled upon the candida connection, but didn't pursue. I started taking Magnesium and Malic Acid last October, and I did notice an improvement but not a cure.
Fast forward to May. I started adding more protein to my diet and started losing faster. I felt a little better, but not a lot. I was still drinking my Coke, but trying to reduce how much I drank.
Then, in late June, I started on Herbalife, with a vast array of supplements and stricter low-carb diet. Within a few days, I noticed a marked improvement. Right around this time, I talked to Kristi at work, who was diagnosed with Candida infestation by her acupuncturist/naturopath and had lost a lot of weight. She gave me a book to read, "The Yeast Connection Handbook". This helped tie everything together. I found that Candida can cause weight gain AND fibromyalgia. I put myself on a pro-biotic (I had already taken them on occasion) and modified my low carb diet, but only slightly. I think I was basically doing what I needed to do to kill off the Candida already - the biggest thing being eliminating sugars and starches from my diet. Exercise also helps.
I think that eliminating Candida is important in my success. I could probably do a little better, since I occasionally get gas, but not nearly as much as I did before this WOE. I don't know if I could put a percentage on it.
Diet would be 40%. Exercise would be 35%. Supplements to supply my body with the proper nutrients and speed my metabolism would be the remaining 25%. The biggest thing supplements do is replenish my energy levels. My body has a natural tendency to want to be sluggish, and the exercise and supplements offset that tendency.
I posted some new content on my website last night...
www.brianmeloche.com
... including my progress chart and some recent pictures (in the other pictures links). This weekend, it will be time to add another column and set to those pictures on the home page. I have lost another 20 since the third set was taken last month.
About vinegar... I stand corrected. I looked it up, and vinegar affects PH balance in the stomach and intestines, and also destroys "good" bacteria, which promotes yeast growth.
http://www.nutritioninstitute.com/yeast_info.html
Reading that makes me think I should do a better job at reducing vinegar. I still eat a lot of mustard, mayo and salad dressing...