Beachguy - New Doctor - New Plan

[beachguy]

Woke up this morning and felt good - no fatigue, metallic taste, cravings. Food today has been on plan. Went to gym and walked 3 miles and did 20 minutes on exercise bike.

This is the shortest period of time for the cravings, metallic taste, fatigue, so I am going to keep eating the way I have been for the last month. I am also taking several supplements that are new. So not sure exactly what is helping, but will keep up the supplements and especially the flax. The flax seems to be helping some with energy.

[beachguy]

Yesterday and today were both good. Food was on plan, but ate a little too much.

Exercise was unbelievable. I had the most flexibility and least pain I have experienced in years. Walked 3 miles at about a 16 minute mile pace. My previous best was 17 minutes and that was several years ago. Also did 30 minutes on stationary bike.

I think all the supplements and foods I am eating to reduce inflammation are starting to pay off. Just need to get weight loss back on track.

Week 1 - 6 lbs
Week 2 - 2 lbs
Week 3 - 2 lbs
Week 4 - 2 lbs
Week 5 - 3 lbs
Week 6 - 4 lbs
Week 7 - 3 lbs
Week 8 - (2) lbs
----------------
Total 20 lbs

[beachguy]

Another good day of exercise. I was a little sore from yesterday, but body is really starting to feel stronger. Walked 4 miles and did stationary bike for 20 minutes. Hunger is down so weight should start coming back off.

[beachguy]

Walked 4 miles and stationary bike for 30 minutes. Food is good. Feel good. Energy good.

[beachguy]

Legs are a little sore, so I lightened up a little today. Walked 3 1/2 miles and did 4 weight machines. Food OK.

[beachguy]

Ate too much for a couple of days, so vlc yesterday and today. Gone from great energy to tired again. Every time I think I have the energy thing under control, fatigue comes back. Doesn't make sense that I feel great for a few days and then feel like crap. I wish I could relate to either eating or not eating a certain food, but there doesn't seem to be a guilty food.

[beachguy]

Walked 3 miles. Took it easy because I haven't been able to keep much food in me lately. Have had upset stomach for about a week. Very unusual for me. Three possibilities that I can think of: undercooked chicken from grocery store, started using different brand of flax meal, or bad eggs. Drinking diet coke for 1st time in 2 months to see if it will help calm my stomach.

Week 1 - 6 lbs
Week 2 - 2 lbs
Week 3 - 2 lbs
Week 4 - 2 lbs
Week 5 - 3 lbs
Week 6 - 4 lbs
Week 7 - 3 lbs
Week 8 - (2) lbs
Week 9 - 3 lbs
----------------
Total 23 lbs

[beachguy]

Walked 3 miles and every step was torture. Head ache, neck hurts, fatigue, general blahs. Wish I could figure out why I have these ups and downs. Food was good yesterday so I don't think its food related. Scale is slowly moving in right direction. Blood pressure has finally dropped into normal range. Maybe my body doesn't like "normal".

[beachguy]

Ate a lot yesterday but it was all acceptable food. Maybe I get this way because I need more calories. I will have to pay more attention to my daily calorie count and see if that is it.

Walked 4 miles. Got easier as I went along.

[beachguy]

Last few days were a pig out. It was exactly the same pattern I hit every darn time. I am going to change to the Fat Resistance diet for 4 weeks and see how that goes. Eventually I will figure this out.

Week 1 - 6 lbs
Week 2 - 2 lbs
Week 3 - 2 lbs
Week 4 - 2 lbs
Week 5 - 3 lbs
Week 6 - 4 lbs
Week 7 - 3 lbs
Week 8 - (2) lbs
Week 9 - 3 lbs
Week 10 - (8)
----------------
Total 15 lbs

Starting new 4 week program.

[beachguy]

Well, it has been 10 months since I last posted. Quit gym - partially to see if I could lose weight without exercise. The answer is no. I have gained about 30 lbs and scale keeps going up.

I did find out I have low cortisol and started medication last week. This could be good and bad. I should have more energy, but the medication usually causes weight gain. Also found out I have a thyroid problem, high reverse t3, which causes metabolism to slow down. Hoping that fixing the adrenals will resolve the rt3 problem, if not I will need medication for that.

Also seem to have a problem with food absorption. I had a vitamin d shot and have been taking 20,000 iu/day and still my vitamin d level was only up to 53. Doc said this shows I have a severe absorption problem. I need to start taking supplements to improve absorption.

Just started taking dhea and am getting tested for high copper. I did a lot of research and found things the doctor overlooked. She is a good doctor, but after 3 years, she still hasn't found out what is causing the fatigue. I went out on my own and had cortisol tested and then took the results to her. Kind of bothered me she didn't apologize for not having the test run or even thanking me for doing it on my own. I also pointed out to her that the low dhea and testosterone went along with the low cortisol.

So I'm not sure what to do exactly, but I have to do something. There is a possibility that, for me, eating a low carb diet caused the low cortisol problem. I was usually eating less than 20 gm day of carbs over a long period of time. I have suffered from fatigue for years, so I think it is more likely the very low carbs contributed to low cortisol but didn't cause it.

Since starting on the cortaid, I have been sleeping a lot more. Since I have had trouble sleeping for years, I will just go ahead and sleep as much as possible for the next week or so and then cut back to 8 hours. Also found a supplement that helps with prostate problem and only occasionally have to get up during the night to use bathroom. Also started taking vitamin B6 which gives me a little energy boost and seems to help with memory and focus. Again, things I found by doing my own research.

So I know I still need the fats and the proteins. I will take a look at Atkins and see what carbs I can add back in. For now I will shoot for about 60 carbs a day. Will probably have to watch calories to be able to lose any weight.

So tomorrow I will start logging my food and shooting for about 1800 calories/day. Will also shoot for minimum 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Will try this for the month of July and then re-evaluate.

[TaDa!]

Hey Rich!!!! So nice to see you! I'll be cheering you on!



Pauline

[beachguy]

Originally Posted by TaDa!

Hey Rich!!!! So nice to see you! I'll be cheering you on!



Pauline

Hi Pauline. I could use some cheers.

[beachguy]

1st day down. Food was OK, but didn't get exercise in. For some reason my exercise bike decided to run a program I couldn't do. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get the darn thing to reset. And I couldn't find the manual for the bike. If I don't get it fixed today, will have to come up with different exercise plan.

Ordered a ton of supplements from netrition. Digestive enzymes, probiotics, and cleansing supplements, plus all my usual stuff. Can't wait to try the ox bile!

[Phranquie]

Rich, just stopped by as I saw your journal and read about your cortisol levels and adrenal issues. I had a very low cortisol level last year and my doc said I had adrenal fatigue. He likes to try the natural route first so he put me on OTC adrenal support which is basically desiccated adrenal glands. I take one daily along with DHEA. He said adrenal fatigue can be caused by stress. I am also hypothyroid and take Cytomel and Armour Thyroid. I am way low on my vit D too. But all in all it does get better once you get to the proper levels you'll start feeling better. If you end up being like me with metabolism issues you may just have to consume fewer calories than most men your age who are on a LC way of eating. It is not fair but can be dealt with over time. But since you are going to the gym perhaps that will help boost your metabolism. Best of luck in your journey!

[beachguy]

Originally Posted by Phranquie

Rich, just stopped by as I saw your journal and read about your cortisol levels and adrenal issues. I had a very low cortisol level last year and my doc said I had adrenal fatigue. He likes to try the natural route first so he put me on OTC adrenal support which is basically desiccated adrenal glands. I take one daily along with DHEA. He said adrenal fatigue can be caused by stress. I am also hypothyroid and take Cytomel and Armour Thyroid. I am way low on my vit D too. But all in all it does get better once you get to the proper levels you'll start feeling better. If you end up being like me with metabolism issues you may just have to consume fewer calories than most men your age who are on a LC way of eating. It is not fair but can be dealt with over time. But since you are going to the gym perhaps that will help boost your metabolism. Best of luck in your journey!

I feel for you Frankie. Trying to get hormones are good levels is more of an art than a science. My problem in the past has been that I have to get calories so low to continue to lose weight that I crash real hard.

[beachguy]

Food was OK. Did 30 minutes on exercise bike. Bike still isn't working right.

For the 1st time since I started on the cortef, I didn't sleep well and feel like crap.

One thing I need to check is my body temperature throughout the day. For years I have felt warmer in the early evening and it lasts for a couple of hours. I need to verify this with a thermometer. Maybe I need to skip or reduce cortef at night.

[beachguy]

Food OK and 30 minutes on exercise bike. Sleep a little better. Tonight I will skip the cortef and see if there is any difference.

Scale not moving, but at least that means it stopped going up.

[beachguy]

Food OK. I have been getting hungry around 9 pm which is unusual for me. I think it might be one or more supplements creating a sensation that seems like hunger. Last night I ate a banana and that seemed to help.

35 minutes on exercise bike. Still need to get the darn thing working right.

Got my new supplements in. Started probiotics and digestive aids today. Will note and changes.

Feel like crap today. Felt great yesterday. When I first started the cortef it seemed to help my sleep and now it seems to be making it worse. Maybe it is a dosage issue.

[beachguy]

Note: Just remembered, I didn't take any cortef before going to bed last night. Wanted to see if it would improve sleep if I didn't take the night dosage. Maybe that is why I felt bad this morning.

[beachguy]

Food OK and 30 minutes on exercise bike. Got up at 8 and went back to bed and slept until 11. My body seems to be reacting to something I am taking. Or maybe it is induction flu. Won't change anything and see if I feel better in a few days.

[NAVARA2011]

Hi Beachguy, have not been on the forum much lately but found your message on my question re Leptin Resistance.

- You might want to check out the Fat Resistance Diet book.

Since that post I have found the Rosedale diet and been on it a week and a half, I have to say, finally after 32 years of dieting, I am positive I have found the answer to this weight problem.

Recently - before I started on the Rosedale diet I had the flu and lost 6 pounds during that week, then over the next couple weeks put that 6 pound back on and ...wait for it..... another 7 pounds, HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE A BODY CAN DO THIS ???????


I defineately have Leptin Resistance, and already feel so much better since beginning to eat the way it says in the book, I do not even think about food anymore, except when I decide I had better eat something, but are not hungry for food or thinking what I will eat next, even as still eating the previous thing, I used to be planning the next..

Leptin is a hormone, and high leptin levels are the cause of a number of health problems and disease.

anyway, just wanted to thank you for your idea, and best of luck with your endeavours.

Andrea.

[beachguy]

Originally Posted by NAVARA2011

I defineately have Leptin Resistance, and already feel so much better since beginning to eat the way it says in the book, I do not even think about food anymore, except when I decide I had better eat something, but are not hungry for food or thinking what I will eat next, even as still eating the previous thing, I used to be planning the next..

Leptin is a hormone, and high leptin levels are the cause of a number of health problems and disease.

anyway, just wanted to thank you for your idea, and best of luck with your endeavours.

Andrea.

I am so happy you finally found what works for you. Atkins works for many people, in fact it used to work for me, but some of us seem to be blessed with really screwed up metabolisms. Finding what gets you going can be hard work.

[beachguy]

Food OK. Only did 25 minutes on exercise bike.

I'm back to feeling like I did before starting the cortef. Need to get motivated and start tracking temperature. I probably need to increase dosage.

[beachguy]

Food OK and 30 minutes of exercise.

Only lost 5 lbs this 1st week. Lost that the 1st 2 days and then nothing. Oh well. The way I usually lose is 2 lbs and then nothing for several days.

Have a really bad headache that started last night. Just took ibuprofen. I think it is from one of the supplements I am taking - but which one?

[beachguy]

Food OK and 35 minutes exercise. Headache went away and I felt really good yesterday evening. It might just have been a combination of starting diet, starting exercise, and starting hydrocortisone and my body had to adjust.

Skipped valerian root last night. Read somewhere that it is not good to take it while taking HC. I was able to fall asleep rather quickly, so will continue to skip the VR.

Also read that lysine and B5 are helpful for adrenal fatigue. Was already taking B5 so added lysine starting this morning.

[beachguy]

Food OK and 35 minutes exercise. Tried skipping the valerian root last night and couldn't get to sleep. Took my usual dose and fell right to sleep and got a fairly good night's rest.

Went shopping and like sometimes happens, got a craving for ice cream. With little effort, I was able to avoid putting a half gallon in the cart. It will be interesting to see if in a month, it is still so easy.

[beachguy]

I guess it's good to have nothing exciting to post.

Food OK, 40 minutes on exercise bike. Hoping to work up to 1 hour by end of month.

I seem to need the same amount of food each day regardless of when I eat it. If I'm not hungry in the morning and don't eat until 11 or 12, I still end up eating 2 more meals. I guess for me, I just need to be disciplined about eating the 3 meals so I am not tempted by trying to skip 1.

[beachguy]

Ate too much flax, but expect it will work out! Skipped the bike yesterday. Walked a little. Having trouble with achilles so only walked about 1/2 mile. Will try to increase over time if my foot stands up to it.

[beachguy]

Ate a little too much over the weekend. Calorie wise, I was only a few hundred calories over each day. Did some exercise, but should have done more.

For some reason, I am waking up feeling drugged, like I took a sleeping pill and feeling blah all day. This has been going on for several days. I read that it takes a couple of weeks to get the full effect of HC, so maybe I am just reacting to this dosage. Several times I got a headache right after taking it, so I don't think I can increase the dosage.

My brain seems a little sharper, but I think that is from other supplements I am taking, not the HC. My arthritis is also really hurting in my hands. I am taking all the supplements I usually take, so don't know why arthritis is flaring up.

Lost 3 lbs for the week.

Week 1: 5 lbs
Week 2: 3 lbs
-----------------
Total: 8 lbs