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[QUOTE=MamaGrok;1099581]Jen, I was horribly hypothyroid, but with a strong possibility of Hashi's (by signs & some tests, but haven't tested positive for antibodies, probably since my diet was so squeaky clean for the year prior to each test). I started the STTM protocol of increasing natural desiccated thyroid (increase half grain every two weeks till you stop seeing improvement and/or start seeing signs of hyper) and felt better with each dose, never feeling hyper.
Still, when I realized suddenly that I was on 6+ grains/day (b/c I learned that ThyroGold is a lot more potent than most people think), I decided to back down some, especially given those high T3 results you're talking about having seen. I've backed down slowly and am on 3.5 or 4 grains every day now, still feeling well as far as the specific energy & mood signs that I use to gauge my thyroid progress.
[B]So I'm not hyper b/c of overproduction, but because of overmedicating, nonetheless, I'm working on remedying that. [/B]
The cravings were bad when I was hypo for years without knowing it, and actually for many years before the bad hypo signs came. The cravings came back before the hyper grew. I don't think they're related, but certainly I'm always working on balancing my thyroid dose. I know my adrenals are wonky (low in range in AM, med-hi in evening, but BELOW range at noon) and am using the circadian T3 protocol to work on that. I have heard good and bad about adaptogens, and even serious adverse results if you use one kind and your body wants another (b/c of TH1 or something), and have been hesitant to dive into reading up on them while focusin gon reading up on so many other things. I know I shouldn't take maca, but I can't remember why, lol.
I am seriously at a loss. Maybe I'll try 5-HTP next. What the heck?
I think I have a serious deficiency in something, but not sure what.
That reminds me; I need to call that doc I got a referral to stat, to get my Pg:E2 worked out, and I need to order a micronutrient blood test stat, too.[/QUOTE]
Yes, that was actually what I meant - not that your body itself had been thrown into it. I thought maybe your adrenals could be responding to that, but it sounds like you're addressing them with your T3 protocol. You're right about the adaptogens, though - I had no doubt that if you were to look into it, you'd research it fully and know exactly what to take and what not to take in your case.
Good luck in finding the culprit in all of this. Hope to read that you're feeling better soon.
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[QUOTE=MamaGrok;1100082]
Well, no "Day One" yet.
I need 7 days of pplenty of ox bile & HCl, no carbs, no violations, no CAFO meat, so I can really see if I can get rid of this water problem, and then go back to working on the strange mood upheavals of late.
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Sorry, for yet another post - I just read this. Is there any chance the mood upheaval is related to whatever might be causing the water retention? Maybe they'll leave the building together?!
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Th emood stuff started first, but it's possible that the root cause is leading to the cravings driving the food choices contributing even more to the bloating & water retention.
I don't mind posts! I appreciate all input! :)
I was just thinking about how I feel about sugar now vs years ago before primal. I used to think about the thought of never eating sugar (or say, my formerly favorite food, cheesecake) again, and it was literally like thinking of never seeing a best friend again. It was sad, made me angry to have to do without when others don't, and I didn't even want to be at a place where I didn't want it, b/c I thought that would be a place where I had little enjoyment, because sugar gave me SO MUCH enjoyment.
That's not at all the case now. I don't enjoy sugar even. Some foods taste good and I do get resentful at rarely or never being able to have them, but virtually no grains are in that category, and I am so rarely eating sugared foods now that when I have them, only about 1% even taste good. I'm glad that strong internal attachment is no longer there. It's purely a physical draw now, now a taste or pleasure or desire one. Not really even an emotional one.
So I'm grateful - very grateful - for that.
But there was that one period of six months where I didn't want the stuff at all. I couldn't even summon a desire for it. I didn't feel any resentment, not even at the difficulty of avoiding every speck of it, not even at the monotony of eating only what I ate, even when others were eating a bunch of other healthy & tasty stuff around me that just isn't best for me. There was nothing, no component, to my food choices other than what was nourishing for me, and I enjoyed all that I did eat because of that nourishing aspect, in addition to the fact that nourishing food really is tasty.
I don't know what happened to change that.
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Not bad today. I had fruit - a lot of dry fruit - in the evening b/c for the 4th out of 5 days, had difficulty getting dinnre on time. But I brought a whole cow home and hauled the whole thing down to the freezer myself, so double-bonus - shouldn't have that problem anymore, and I certainly got a workout in.
Still bubbly.
Need to get in 7 days of
- no carb
- ox bile & HCl with every meal
- no CAFO meat
so I can get this blimp down and work on figuring out what is responsible for that and for the cravings. After 7 days, I will probably add sweet potatoes and/or apples - one/day for a few weeks, then probably add some berries and/or greens.
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Finally complete day one of seven.
I noticed yesterday morning that my skin, esp. tummy & upper arms, is smoothest EVEr. Upper arms were a bit bumpier by late afternoon.
Noticed last week that I seem to have lost upper arm & leg hair again, or much of it. What's there looks new. But yesterday, it seemed like I had lost even more. The two times before when this happened were right after I went primal (cut out the half serving of sourdough I'd been having a day) and right after I started the leptin reset.
In my funk now. Feeling headache-y and sleepy and unable. This usually lasts two hours. It was earlier the last two days than previous weeks. About 11 or 12.
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I think that's 5 or 6 days of strict food & supplements. I saw a slight reduction in bloating overnight last night; hopefully it will stick.
We went to a big fundraiser Sat night and the theme was Crowns & Cupcakes. Cupcakes. I stuffed myself that morning and again at 4pm that night, and had no desire to eat the food, even though it looked good and even though there was a massive candy bar - literally, all kinds of candy, with bags to fill, and it was all free - as I walked in. That kind of surprise usually kills my intentions.
It really goes to show that *enough* nutrition will kill the cravings, but the question is still, why is it taking so much more now?
Anyway, my energy & mood have been really pleasant the last few days. I've really enjoyed it. Could be
-the ever-increasing iodine (up to one full eyedropper squeeze (which is really only half, b/cit won't fill up all the way)
-the ever-decreasing thyroid dose (1/2gr 2hrs before waking, 1/2gr on waking, 1/2gr at 11am)
-the DHEA (I've been taking 33mg/day for about 3 weeks)
-turning off the wifi at night
-increasing Mg (I went from 2caps Mg L-Th in AM to 3, and added 2 tabs Mg Oro PM)
I've been off the d-ribose for a week. I'll consider adding it in another few days, whether or not the bloating goes down. First I have to see if the cravings stay away for at least 10 days before I add it, to avoid being unsure about whether it's having the effects of cravings.
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Let's see, the good, the bad, and the ugly:
- No real cravings in over a week. I'm on close to two weeks sugar-free (dairy, carbs, etc., too).
- Still very bloated. Legs still up 1", wrist still up. Weighed this morning - up 11.5lb from six weeks ago. It must be all water, b/c I really don't see fat anywhere. All water & bloat!!
- Still off d-rib. Forgot DHEA the last three days.
- Getting eye twitches despite 3 Mg L-threonate in AM & 3 Mg Orotate in afternoon. ?! What?! Very disturbing.
- Waiting for Cholacol ox bile to come in. I really don't think the Nutricology is working for me, even though it's 500mg, and the Jarrow that worked was 600mg & the Cholacol was 300mg. On 2-2.5gr NDT each day and running out again.
- Realized I haven't done CT in about 3 weeks. I haven't felt up to the cold water. Maybe b/c I decreased house temp and have felt chilled most of the day each day?
- Physically & mentally feeling MUCH better. The last week I have had sleepy hours each day, but no need to crawl and hide. Had one morning of snapping at everyone, the night after I forgot to turn the router off. Forgot again last night; we'l see what the morning brings. I have a cold today (& yesterday). Garlic didn't kill it off entirely yet.
It really is wonderful being able to work every hour of a long, mentally trying day and at the end still have mental & physical energy to spare. Certainly there is still plenty of room for improvement, but wow, what a breath of fresh air. Of course, part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop - I hope and pray it doesn't.
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Dropped 2.5lb yesterday, none today, but wrist is deflating a bit. I definitely felt deflating yesterday afternoon toward dinner.
Why is it taking WEEKS to deflate this time instead of days? Dunno.
I haven't had any mystery slits in my hands in the last two to three weeks. I did have a thought about hair loss. It could be that the big connection in each time that I've lost upper arm & leg hair was each time I did a big carb drop. The first time wasn't really a huge carb drop, but I did take out the 1/2svg per day of wheat I was having. The second time followed 6 weeks of weekend bingeing and was when I started the LR. The third was after a few weeks of bingeiness on and off. I think there were probably other times I did a big drop and didn't have that result, though.
Who knows?
In another week or so, I'm planning to start adding in, one at a time, greens, sweet potatoes, & berries.
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Hey Mama Grok!! I haven't been on here in ages and actually only read through the last few pages to find out how your journey was going. When I read you were going to try 5HTP I needed to butt in. I have been taking it for 4 weeks now 100mg before bed along with GABA. HUGE difference HUGE difference. I sleep like a rock, I have dropped all cravings for sweets, for the first time ever in my life. I have struggled with it for like ever and more so since having children. I started reading this book here and ran out the next day to get the supplements and in one day I made 180 turn around. [url=http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Controlling-Weight-Cravings-neurotransmitters/dp/1456424548]Secrets to Controlling your Weight, Cravings and Mood: Understand the biochemistry of neurotransmitters and how they determine our weight and mood: Maria Emmerich: 9781456424541: Amazon.com: Books[/url] I follow Maria on facebook, she is fantastic and she is a paleo nutritionist. She recommends other stuff too that is just slipping my mind at the moment. Before bed though I am taking 500mg of Magnesium, 100mg of 5HTP, GABA. I also do Epsom Salt soaks now a 2x's a week. I stopped working out and really was struggling getting through workouts, kept getting sick and so sore. Magnesium has done miracles in this area for me as well, but alas I derail. I just wanted to say that 5HTP is a miracle in a bottle. I go all day without sugar cravings and if I do have it on occasion, I have no desire to sneak and down all of it. I also just learned too that on your heavy workout days that cravings happen because your body is seeking glucose so now I am trying Carb back loading paleo style to help. I started that this week and that helped me have way more energy before and after workouts. Ugh, almost 3 years of doing this journey for me and it really has become such a personal discovery and trial and error. Anyway, I hope it helps.
