She-Groks Only.......... cuz it works different for us page 133

[Pamsc]

Fast forward to post-menopause, and all my doctors were concerned about my LDL, which was above the lab range, but nothing to be concerned about, especially because, like you, I have high HDL and low trigs. However, that LDL was actually inflated by my undiagnosed hypothyroidism because I foolishly listened to my primary who kept telling me that my escalating hypo symptoms were 'just normal aging.'

I think my thyroid has been getting sluggish, though my doctor only tests TSH and while that has been creeping up it is still in the normal range. I have been taking iodine (up to 25 mg) and selenium in hopes of boosting it, and I am feeling much more energetic and warmer. So I hoped that would bring down my LDL, but no such luck.

[cavequeen]

Mmmm, home-made soup! But it's too damn hot here to even think about making soup. Or bone broth for that matter. I just realized that I almost always put barley into soups - will have to adjust to that when it gets cool enough to have a pot simmering on the back of the stove for a few hours.

Can't be much hotter than where I live, I live in the South and our a/c didn't work well for several weeks this summer. At one point it was 88 degrees in the house! So glad to have my 78 degrees again. I cook soup year around and use my crockpot a lot. My family is used to it as I have always done that so I could throw in more veggies. Now I also add in my bone broth. I especially want to do that for my 8 year old who is that age where he is exposed to so many diseases at school.

[Jodis]

cadamsgis, I hope you gave the doggies a tick bath too. Sadly, tiny little ticks sound like deer ticks, which are the carriers of Lyme's disease. Not saying it's inevitable that deer tick bite = Lyme's disease, but it's very likely. Make sure your doctor knows this, the sooner they treat the better I think I've read. Probably should get the doggies to the vet and get them started on treatment too. Or at least find out what your vet recommends.

I was away for nine days, and now I've been back a week. I got a fancy schmancy pedometer (Fitbit) before I went. Its been very enlightening in terms of activity. Lots or walking/hiking on vacation. At home, I've been a slug again. I went out for a walk last evening though, and was quite pleased that it now seems a lot easier than previously. So, back to more walking (as long as the weather cooperates). I also dropped about 4 pounds.

[golangrok]

Hi everybody, I'm new here, and just adopted the Primal lifestyle a few days ago.
Before I had terrible carb cravings which I'm sure is a common issue here. I started supplementing with GABA, l-tryptophan, magnesium, and a few other things, and for the past few days I haven't had that drive to eat carbs.
I'm doing this for general better health, and a much needed lifestyle change. I want to enjoy my youth in shape, unlike the past decade of my life.
I'm turning 17 in November, am 5'4" and weigh 165lbs. I'm going to lose 25lbs, and perhaps more. The lowest weight I've been at this height is around 146, and from that reference I feel 135-140 is a comfortable weight for me to aim for.
Looking forward to getting to know everybody

[tomi]

Hi everybody, I'm new here, and just adopted the Primal lifestyle a few days ago.
Before I had terrible carb cravings which I'm sure is a common issue here. I started supplementing with GABA, l-tryptophan, magnesium, and a few other things, and for the past few days I haven't had that drive to eat carbs.
I'm doing this for general better health, and a much needed lifestyle change. I want to enjoy my youth in shape, unlike the past decade of my life.
I'm turning 17 in November, am 5'4" and weigh 165lbs. I'm going to lose 25lbs, and perhaps more. The lowest weight I've been at this height is around 146, and from that reference I feel 135-140 is a comfortable weight for me to aim for.
Looking forward to getting to know everybody

Welcome! That seems like a reasonable goal for a girl you're height and age. Be careful to get enough of the vitamins and nutrients that you need because at 17 your still growing. Your bones haven't finished yet....... Lots of veggies and proteins and don't skimp on calories......... I'm sure at your age your metabolism is still purring away - so don't go low cal. just eat healthy and get lots of movement in your day!

There --- thats my mothering speech for you! Eat your vegetables young lady!

[cavequeen]

Bought some fit and fresh containers for my son's lunch. I like that they have the ice pack built in so I don't need to worry if things will keep until lunch as much. Also, I tried my first taste of kefir, just buying Lifeway plain right now. Maybe at some point I will start making my own fermented food and drinks. However, I think I am doing well just cooking and taking care of my family of 5 with my primal meals and homemade bone broths, mayo and dressings. I couldn't find pasture butter so just bought purity ghee and have fish oil on the way, Carson and Green Pastures. My 8 year old caught a really bad virus with high fever so I have everyone drinking bone broth to build up immunities. I like how I am getting in the groove.

I was able to go off my bp meds! Yeah, me. Now, if that weight would continue to come off that I gained the last year even better.

[Pedidoc]

[QUOTE=cavequeen;931523]My 8 year old caught a really bad virus with high fever so I have everyone drinking bone broth to build up immunities.

Cavequeen, I don't know what part of Texas you are in but Dallas county is under a state of emergency because of West Nile. We have it in Harris and El Paso counties also. High fever, headache, body aches, flu like symptoms can be west Nile. Please consider taking your 8 year old to be seen.

[emmie]

Pamsc-

If your TSH is 'creeping up,' you're probably already hypothyroid. When you say it's in the 'normal' range, are you sure? Many labs lists the range as 1.0-5.0, but several years ago, that upper limit was lowered to 3.0. Most thyroid doctors will treat anyone with symptoms and a TSH above 2.0.

If your doctor only tests TSH, you should ask him/her to also test T4 and T3. My primary isn't good with thyroid (I have an endo for that), but he tests T4 and T3 for his patients because it's the combination of those three values that provide a doctor with a sense of how your thyroid is working.

Also keep in mind that what doctors call "sub-clinical hypothyroidism" is very common. That's when the lab values all seem 'normal,' but the patient has extreme symptoms. That's what happened to me and why it took 5 years for me to get diagnosed. I was so fatigued that I could barely get through a work day, but my labs were all fine. My first endo told me that this is not uncommon, and a good thyroid doctor treats in terms of lab values AND symptoms.

[Pamsc]

Pamsc-

If your TSH is 'creeping up,' you're probably already hypothyroid. When you say it's in the 'normal' range, are you sure? Many labs lists the range as 1.0-5.0, but several years ago, that upper limit was lowered to 3.0. Most thyroid doctors will treat anyone with symptoms and a TSH above 2.0.

If your doctor only tests TSH, you should ask him/her to also test T4 and T3. My primary isn't good with thyroid (I have an endo for that), but he tests T4 and T3 for his patients because it's the combination of those three values that provide a doctor with a sense of how your thyroid is working.

Also keep in mind that what doctors call "sub-clinical hypothyroidism" is very common. That's when the lab values all seem 'normal,' but the patient has extreme symptoms. That's what happened to me and why it took 5 years for me to get diagnosed. I was so fatigued that I could barely get through a work day, but my labs were all fine. My first endo told me that this is not uncommon, and a good thyroid doctor treats in terms of lab values AND symptoms.

Yes, I understand this. I said something to my doctor and it is clear that she is wedded to the old standard approach to diagnosing and treating hypothyroidism. My TSH was 1.67 last year--I didn't have it tested this year because the insurance has been balky and I figured the iodine would throw it off. She did say my thyroid felt normal. Where I stand right now is thinking that supplementing iodine and selenium may be enough to perk up my thyroid. My energy is noticeably better and I am warmer. My LDL has not gone down, but it has always been a bit high (at least 20 years), so I think that is just my body's pattern. If I decide that I need thyroid medication, I will find a more knowledgeable doctor for that.

Is it enough to just go by symptoms? The easiest way to learn more would be to pay for a fT3 and fT4 test without going through my doctor, but I am not yet convinced to do that.

[cinico]

Hey new here to this forum although I have been creeping around for a while!! I am on week four or so of going primal again!

I have lost 3-4 pounds but most of that came off during the third week! I am still fine tuning here and there to see what foods help me or not! I love to workout!! I do two days of strength and two days of running, one day of sprints or a brief HiIt video!

I do have a question, do you guys track your calories? I have been ranging around the 1500 mark but I wonder if I need to eat more to sustain my workouts?

Thanks