Primal Journal:Momto3 page 31

[Momto3]

We did the mud run in 51:33 minutes! It was so much fun! We signed up for another one in October.

I am still hanging around 138-139.6, but my body fat % went down. I ordered some Athleta size 8 shorts and capris and they fit! My size 10 stuff is getting looser.

I keep forgetting to do the ice pack on my belly.

I signed up with CrossFit and had my first intro session. I deadlifted 103#, 3x, no problem! I think I am going to like CossFit a lot.

I read Primal Body/Primal Mind.... my favorite take aways were the chapters on insulin and leptin. I am now avoiding starch - unless it is a heavy workout day, but enjoying the fat. My calories still land in the 1400-1500 range. I'm still trying to figure out her protein recommendations. I definitely don't want any excess protein turning into sugar.....but her numbers are pretty different than Mark's. I'm going to ask my coach at CrossFit for his opinion.

oh, and I'm avoiding dark chocolate right now... I went off Metformin once again to see how it goes. Nora mentioned how diabetic drugs get in the way of the brain signals of leptin and I don't want anything to in the way. The last times I've gone off it my cycles go wonky. Hoping for a better result this time. We'll see.

[Momto3]

Tomorrow will mark the 2nd anniversary of going Primal! It's been an awesome journey thus far. To mark the anniversary, I am going to do the 21 day Sugar Detox. I have been procrastinating so bad on doing this....kinda shows how much I need to do this. Sigh.... Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it at all. So I am here..posting it to the forum, for some kind of accountability.

One thing I don't get about the detox is that green tipped banana or green apple is allowed daily, yet when I asked the Facebook forum about doing a few berries instead they said no. Wouldn't it be better to do a lower glycemic fruit if one is allowed per day. Doesn't make sense.

There is allowance for some starch on workout days. We are doing Crossfit 2x a week.

I've cut out most things on the list already since being Primal but here is a list of things I will be cutting in addition to the primal lifestyle:

heavy cream
cheese
dark chocolate
rice
the occasional nut thin, potato chip etc
salami
dijon mustard (at least the kind I have in my fridge has sugar)

The list doesn't look too bad. This should be interesting.

[NorCalGirlDiver]

Hi Momto3! How are you? I have been absent for a while. Which Crossfit are you going to? I have been thinking about trying it out - there is one right across the street from my office. I have been doing Super Slow and I have been getting a lot stronger but not leaner.

How did the 21 day Sugar Detox go? I am settling for cutting out rice and corn(I had let them back in) for now.

[Momto3]

I guess my posts have turned into quarterly updates.
I am just finishing up a Whole 30 since our gym was doing it for September. It's been going pretty good. I have been craving butter and heavy cream mostly, but the last few days I have been wanting dark chocolate. Mostly because my stress levels are up and I have turned to chocolate many times to help me through. My shirts and pants have been fitting slightly looser, but there hasn't been dramatic results. I will be glad to get back to good 'ol primal.
I have been having a rough day today in other ways. I posted a thread in the odds & ends section.
"I have been Primal for over 2 years now. I'm not sure where to start. But I will try to be brief.

Endometriosis diagnosed in 1996. Treated with hormones and pain gone or controlled up until 2 years ago. The adhesions were on my ovary and behind my uterus.

Since going primal my periods have been regular and symptoms much improved except that the pain of the adhesion behind my uterus has increased during bowel movements and sex. (man, I am embarassed that I am typing this out)

Anyway, regardless of being primal the pain was increasing so I went on hormone birth control to get my cycles to come every 3 months to help reduce the aggravation of the endometriosis. It was going ok for the first two months, but I missed a pill and have been having breakthrough bleeding for 12 days now. Plus I am experiencing major mood swings...especially rage. I am a stay at home mom of 3 young boys and I am flipping my lid WAY too much.

I don't know what my options are. I am trying to avoid surgery because the endo has likely gotten mixed up with my colon. The birth control doesn't seem like the ideal situation on even though the pain is now greatly reduced, but I don't know if I can take these mood swings and I want this bleeding to stop. My Dr says to give more time and keep taking the pill.

I thought about Vitex...but I don't know if it will help reduce the pain of the endo.....I think I need to stop bleeding so often so the endo is not aggravated.

Maybe just trying a different birth control?

Anyone have ideas, comments or experience?"

It's been a rough day. I'm glad it's almost over. Hopefully things will seem clearer tomorrow.

[MamaGrok]

I just learned a few interesting things. One, I likely have Hashimoto's (this is s upposed to explain almost every side issue I have, from digestion to mood swings, as the thyroid controls so much), and two, my firmicute:bacteroidete ratio (two classes of bacteria in the gut) is the one that obese people hav.e I'm not obese, but my weight loss has averaged less than half a pound per week for 2.5 years ... that's pretty darn slow. Yours is similar, so I wonder if you have the same issue. I'm supposed to keep working on circadian rhythm (through daily & seasonal light/carb/temp fluctuation), leptin resistance (especially with the big protein breakfast), & paleo/primal diet.

Your issues point to a serious hormonal imbalance. I'd definitely look into the tests recommended by Dr. Dzugan - should be rpetty easy to find online. Let me know if youcan't. Hormonal contraception, like most of modern medicine, just hits one aspect, forgetting about all the ther hormones, and leaving yo with more imbalances ... typically.

Sorry about the t yping .. something wrong with my keyboard!

TAke care!

[Momto3]

I just looked at my first few posts in this thread. I was eating 2300 calories. I am now eating 1600 calories and feeling very full. I have a feeling this post will be scattered so bear with me.

Since stopping the whole 30 my weight has gone back to 140, my pants are fitting tighter. I am exercising more.
I am taking my birth control same time every evening and thus has made a huge difference in my acne (almost clear!) and my mood swings. I had no idea you had to be so precise. The bleeding has stopped. The pain has been greatly, greatly reduced. The major downside is the weight gain in my chest, hips and belly. Pretty typical I think with hormonal birth control.

We had a blast at our second mud run and I feel stronger than ever. I got my family hooked now. We signed up for another one in April.

Meals look like this:

3 eggs, chicken bone broth with a TB of cream OR green smoothie with whey protein, Swiss chard, blue berries coconut milk

deli meat, carrots, pickles or left overs or salad with meat

dark chocolate , plantain crackers

Meat, veggies, on workout days sweet potato or squash

Every now and then I have had some potato chips, sour cream dip, cheddar cheese, almond flour/flaxseed bread
Last night I made pumpkin pucks with pumpkin and almond flour.

I wonder if 100g of carbs is too high for my conditions and situation.

Continue on the journey...

[Momto3]

Three weeks ago I cut out all forms of sugar. Two weeks into it my digestion took a turn for the worse. I have had IBS-D symptoms off and on all my life. It cleared up mostly after going primal then it would flare up - usually when I would eat too many fibrous vegetables or certain FODMAPS. I've been experimenting with digestive enzymes and HCL. It's helped some. I saw my Dr and she suggested soluble fiber. She suggested Citrucel, but I did not want to be taking that. So I added a bit of rice or applesauce with each meal. It slowed things down, but still not optimal. I am still very bloated and have some pain when I eat or drink right in the center of my ribcage(kind of right below ribcage) Then a naturopath suggested acacia powder. It just arrived today.

Another thought for myself is that in the last 3 months I have switched my exercise. I went from 2x week to 5x week. I was getting up earlier, but not going to bed sooner. maybe this weight gain is part of a stress response. I know my gut is very sensitive to stress.

One thing the naturopath talked about ( I went to a class on digestion she was doing) was that if our digestion is poor we can begin to build up an immune response (IGg) to food that we regularly eat, but don't digest well so then it gets through the lining and our body begins to attack that. I thought that was interesting. Since cutting out sugar I bloated up 4 lbs with measurements going up too. It was so discouraging!

I have an appt with this naturopath to get my gut tested finally. Time to see what's growing in there. I'm so tired of the guessing game.

Aiming for Cals 1600-1800, 110g protein, 75g carbs, the rest fat
Get adequate sleep
Switching up exercise once again:
Sun - Rest
Monday - Strength training then walk with kids
Tuesday - Walk
Wednesday - Run 3 miles
Thurs - Strength Training then walk
Friday - walk
Saturday - run 3 miles or hike

I was looking back through my journal and the best 6 months of weight loss was when I was training 3x week plus going rock climbing regularly. It's that moderate movement! It takes so long, but it is so beneficial.

[MamaGrok]

If the running is new or increased, it certainly could contribute to overall stress driving cortisol highs or lows and/or pregnenolone steal.

I'm quite tired of health mysteries. Bleh. I wish someone could just tell me what to do and I would see immediate (say, within a month) results. Just lay it out for me. Nothing I've tried has worked long.

[Momto3]

A new high. Not a fun one. 144.4lbs. I do not like this trend. Hopefully I am getting closer to an answer. I can hope at least. I will be getting a complete bloodwork done, testing my lipase and amalyase, cortisol and comprehensive stool test done. I've cut back on the training. I've added some leisurely walks in. Getting 7 hours of sleep. Hopefully things will begin to turn around. I had sugar at a lovely valentines dinner. I am paying with some intense cravings since then. So we'll see what kind of results come in.

[Momto3]

My bloodwork was mostly good. It showed that my B vitamins are low. Dr suggested lymph brushing since that seems to be congested.
Saliva test showed cortisol levels high consistent with PCOS, so she suggested Krill Oil and phoso lipids
Stool test showed H. plyori, mold, low good bacteria, and highly sensitive to gluten. So I have some adjustments and treatments.

I am taking Pyloricil which has zinc, mastic gum and bismuth

I'm also taking glutamine, DGL, and aloe

Right now, on day 3 of the Pyloricil I am in more pain and more bloated etc.

My size 8 pants barely fit. The weight gain is strictly around my waist and hips. Hopefully as these bugs die off my belly won't be so distended. Grace and patience. Still training for mud runs. Not as intensely. Not sure how the 10K will go. I will do my best and that is enough.