Lori Harvey Breaks Silence On A Decade Old Health Battle

Lori Harvey has had her fair share of the wrong side of medicine, and she is shouting it on the mountaintops!

The model bared it all about her years of struggle with some reproductive medical conditions and how long it took her to get a diagnosis after a series of dismissals from her physician.

Lori Harvey has made a name for herself in Hollywood as a model, media personality, and a love interest who has left a handful of high-profile romances in her trail.

The influencer got comfy and candid with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney about her experience with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Endometriosis. She revealed that for years, her symptoms had been dismissed by her gynecologist, leaving her very frustrated.

Harvey could not shake the feeling that something was truly wrong with her body despite responses from the medic saying otherwise. "But every time I go to her, she's like, 'You're fine, you're fine, you're fine. Nothing's wrong.' And I was like, 'But I don't feel fine. I feel like something is just off,'" she explained.

Harvey finally got a breakthrough when she got referred to Aliabadi, a Los Angeles-based OB-GYN who heard her out and gave her a diagnosis a few minutes into their first appointment.

The model revealed that she had been dealing with these issues since she was 16, but her ignorance about them left her in the dark about how truly severe things were.

From fluctuating weight gain despite living a very active lifestyle, to the facial hair and painful periods, to the acne and rosacea, Harvey went through it all.

"I used to have the most excruciating periods of my life, every single time I felt like I needed to go to the hospital, just crazy cramps," the media personality noted on the SheMD podcast.

Despite taking strong painkillers to provide comfort, Harvey stressed that it seemed like a dead end until Aliabadi entered the picture.

Since Aliabadi gave Harvey the answers to her pressing questions, the fitness enthusiast claimed she also began educating herself and others on PCOS and endometriosis. She likened their situation to living in silence, as no one had any idea of what they were dealing with for a very long time.

The OB-GYN chipped in about the stigma associated with the condition, normalizing the behavior of staying silent rather than seeking help. It also does not help that medical practitioners typically choose to dismiss patients' complaints rather than look into them swiftly.

"I think this is a very, very important conversation because so many of us are suffering with it, and we all need to be heard. Everybody should be able to feel at home in their body," Aliabadi added.

Harvey disclosed that through the medical doctor's help, she is now on a helpful medication to help her control her blood sugar and normalize her hormones. Her symptoms are better managed, and she can keep up with her fitness routines without fear of spontaneous weight gain and loss.

Three years ago, the star pulled up on the Met Gala carpet looking like a Greek goddess in a black number that flaunted her abs. E! Online noted that Harvey was generous enough to let the world in on her secret, sharing that pilates helped form the core of her fitness routine.

"That is when I saw the most change in my body. I've gotten good at it, but I still need a trainer to show me all the moves," the star shared.

When she is not taking intense pilates classes due to a knee and lower back injury at the time, the star stays in shape with low-impact training and incorporates walks and hikes into her routine. She is also very strict about portion control, revealing that she does not go above 1,800 calories daily.

"I really just watch my portion, but I still eat what I want to eat for the most part. I also do my green juices in the morning. I've been on an overnight oats kick lately, so that's been my go-to in the morning," Harvey explained.

The media personality has remained open about most of her strict fitness regimens. The star had shared that getting together with her now ex, Michael B. Jordan, earned her 15 pounds of relationship weight, and she had to shed them through a very rigorous process.

As shared by PEOPLE, Harvey revealed that her routine at the time included pilates, a calorie-deficient diet, hikes, and regular cardio exercises. 

"And when I was trying to drop weight, I was working out like five, six times a week, and I would even do, for the first month and a half, I would even do two-a-days," Harvey noted at the time.

While her honesty about it was enviable, the model faced criticism for allegedly promoting unrealistic beauty standards. Others slammed her for encouraging radical weight loss through unhealthy options among women.

Another thing Harvey stays in the news for is her readiness to explore a romantic connection, and in 2022, the whole world cheered when news of her and Damson Idris becoming an item went public. 

The Blast shared that the duo confirmed the relationship the next January with a picture of them sharing a warm hug at her 26th birthday dinner on his Instagram Story.

The actor and Harvey even celebrated their first Valentine's Day together in February with Damson spoiling his lady with roses, candles, and designer gifts.

Unfortunately, things did not hold out for long between the iconic couple as they ended things amicably in November 2023 via a joint statement confirming that they had decided to move on.

"We are at a point in our lives where our individual paths require our full attention and dedication. We part ways remaining friends with nothing but love and respect for each other and the time we shared together," the statement declared.