Help..I am gaining weight!! Hypo, Menopausal and chronic constipation! page

[tinacristina]

Sorry for the post here but I am looking for advice and some direction if anyone can share.

I like to share a brief background of myself. I am 51/female and I struggle with chronic constipation (last few years) and am menopausal (last few years) with hypothyroid (last few years). By the way, regarding constipation, if you suggest fiber, flax, miralax, herbal teas, probiotics, Smooth move, yoga moves, relaxing, mind training, chai seeds, physillium seeds, calm, magnesium, aerobic magnesia ...been there and done that times 120 billion other things. At this point today, I do my best NOT to take any laxatives because that creates lazy bowels over time and mine require using an enema just to go and their lazy enough!! It's pretty serious. Let's just say I am day 4 and no movement. By day 5, I have to deal with this via enema and yes my Dr knows all this and I have had a coloxcopy and no one knows how to help me yet except we think it's the thyroid.....My Dr. is upping my dose of thyroid meds to see if we can jump start it..At one point last year I became hyper and actually started to have BM"s for the first time in years but that stopped when another Dr. took me off of the pills 100% because he said I was hyper and shouldn't be on them......grrrrr...so I am like starting all freaking over again because I am hypo again. Been on 100 mg. but no BM's yet at 4 weeks and he just upped me to 125 mg 4 days ago. At 137 mg I was hyper so it's the most I can go now and still no action down there...moving on...

With that being said...I battle with weight when I never, ever use to until all this hit me several years ago. So what do I do besides cry. I went on the HCG diet recently as that was the only thing that worked for me. I lost 27 pounds in the last year and I lost that 3x's after gaining it back 2x's...I didn't eat out of control but my body likes to gain fast...My goal is to keep it off and I am trying like crazy. So today I am paranoid because my weight is starting to crept back up again..I wish I had kept up on my calorie count and carbs but I think my carbs were exactly where they were supppose to be...maybe this is all poop in my belly...heck I don't know guys but I just wish my weight would chill down.

I wear a slize 6...not big person at 5.7" it just my weight ...I want to keep it down at 155 or lower if I can...which was the goal I had and it just went up, up and up...I'm nervous about all this!!

So here is the break down:

Started Primal eating at 158.2(Keeping carbs under 50)
Day 1 158.4 (+2) 1562 calories/32 carbs
Day 2 157.6 (-8) 1911 calories/24 carbs
Day 3 157.2 (-4) 1836 calories/24 carbs
Day 4 157.2 (0) 1434 calories/25 carbs
Day 5 157.0 (-2)
Day 6 158.2 (+1.2)
Day 7 158.6 (+.2)
Week 1 of Primal: (+.2)

Day 8 160.2 (+1.6)
Today! Day 9: 161 (+8) 135 calories so far today and it's 4PM..I am too nervous to eat now!

Well unfortunately I stop counting calories and carbs. Perhaps that would of been helpful at this point. Did I eat too many carbs? I don't think so but I did start adding in nuts..macadamia ones to be exact. A good cup full too here and there...also was eating more HWC and CO....what should I do? Anybody deal with this?

[Sandra in BC]

Have you tried eating more FAT to help move things along? You didn't list fat. Fat and caffeine combo has a very 'regular' effect on me.

You are normal sized. You wear a size 6. What difference does the number on the scale make if you are comfortable in that size?
Ditch the scale And then read PART TWO.

All those numbers are irrelevant. WHAT DID YOU EAT???

[2ndChance]

Am I reading it right that you gained 7 lbs. in a day? EDIT: Nevermind, I get it now. I was thrown by "+8"... you really need to stop sweating decimal changes in your weight. You'll make yourself crazy!

I agree with Sandra, forget the number on the scale, what are you eating? No grains, right? Those things will stuff your butt right up. If I slip up and eat even a small serving of grains, there's a good chance I won't poop the next day. My heart goes out to you waiting days at a time for a BM. That must feel awful I think you should focus on resolving your constipation issues and forget about your weight. I say this bc I believe if you resolve the constipation, your weight will stay down on its own.

Do you eat a lot of fruits and veggies? Apples, broccoli, asparagus, and a good salad are a few that really get things moving for me. Yogurt used to help, but I'm trying a period of dairy-free to see if it affects my acne and/or mucus levels.

Give us a more detailed idea what you eat besides macadamia nuts-- also, I'm not sure how I feel about using nuts to ease constipation. I find nuts rather binding, actually. To be honest, a cup-full at once sounds like an intestinal nightmare. I think your diet probably needs more raw veggies. I could be wrong, though.

EDIT: Seeing just *how* low your carbs are, it seems like there's no way you're eating enough veggies/fruits. Don't fear the carbs from veggies and fruit. Relax, stop counting them. Just stay far, far away from grains.

Food rules way too many people's lives, especially women. I struggled with eating disorders for the past 8 years or so before going primal, and I still struggle to follow the primal way without becoming obsessive about it. (stress = worst thing for your health, way worse than going over your self-imposed carb limit one day or gaining a few pounds) Somehow being told to relax never helps, but I hope you decide to throw away your calorie calculator and enjoy food again.

[sbhikes]

Have you visited the Gut Sense: How to reverse and prevent constipation in children and adults website?

Looking at your list of weights, you really haven't gained anything at all. That 0.4lb difference between day 1 and the last day is about equivalent to what I lose if I forget to cross my legs while I sneeze. (Guess I need to do some kegels, eh?)

[tinacristina]

Thank you...going to check out that site.

Have you visited the Gut Sense: How to reverse and prevent constipation in children and adults website?

Looking at your list of weights, you really haven't gained anything at all. That 0.4lb difference between day 1 and the last day is about equivalent to what I lose if I forget to cross my legs while I sneeze. (Guess I need to do some kegels, eh?)

[tinacristina]

Here is the fat count:

Started Primal eating at 158.2(Keeping carbs under 50)
Day 1 158.4 (+2) 1562 calories/32 carbs/114 fat
Day 2 157.6 (-.8) 1911 calories/24 carbs/166 fat
Day 3 157.2 (-.4) 1836 calories/24 carbs/131 fat
Day 4 157.2 (0) 1434 calories/25 carbs/88 fat
Day 5 157.0 (-.2)
Day 6 158.2 (+1.2)
Day 7 158.6 (+.2)
Week 1 of Primal: (+.2)

Day 8 160.2 (+1.6)
Today! Day 9: 161 (+8) 971 calories today 9 carbs/77fat//

What am I shooting for with fat?

Have you tried eating more FAT to help move things along? You didn't list fat. Fat and caffeine combo has a very 'regular' effect on me.

You are normal sized. You wear a size 6. What difference does the number on the scale make if you are comfortable in that size?
Ditch the scale And then read PART TWO.

All those numbers are irrelevant. WHAT DID YOU EAT???

[JamesS]

What you are describing is not all that uncommon. As a woman starts going through menopause the hormones start to shift with a more drastic drop in progesterone levels than estrogen. This leads to a condition called estrogen dominance if the estrogens are not being opposed by either progesterone or better yet phytoestrogens. If taking supplemental estrogen or ingesting large amounts of true estrogen in the diet from meats or dairy the estrogen load can rise even further. This leads to several problems. First of all estrogen causes weight gain by enlarging fat cells. It also promotes water retention and suppresses the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism in turn cause constipation as well as other problems. Hyperthyroidism has the opposite effect on the bowels.

First thing i would recommend is digestive bitters, which you can find at any health food store. I recommend a half dropper full on the tongue 3 times daily before meals. Drink plenty of water throughout the day when using bitters. Bitters will help the liver so a better job of breaking down excess estrogen.

A diet high in B vitamins or the supplement trimethylglycine (TMG) will also help the liver with metabolizing the hormones.

Maintaining the intestinal flora with fibers will also help. The flora further break down estrogen metabolites. I personally prefer rice or oat bran, which are "soft" fibers high in B vitamins.

A diet higher in plant material helps by increasing the level of phytoestrogens that inhibit real estrogens by locking up estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens are found in all plants we consume in varying levels. The drawback is that phytoestrogens are somewhat goitrogenic themselves, but this can be easily offset with the ingestion of an iodine source such as seaweeds, which are also a phytoestrogen source.

[tinacristina]

Todays meal
1/4 cup coconut milk..
Chicken and brocolli..1 1/2 cups combine

1/4cup homemade pesto (basil,olive oil, cream cheese, walnuts)
salad mix with vegies and advocado
Beef...5oz

Few walnuts,3
Whip cream...1/4cup with stevia
4 strawberries

[tinacristina]

Todays meal
1/4 cup coconut milk..
Chicken and brocolli..1 1/2 cups combine

1/4cup homemade pesto (olive oil, cream cheese, walnuts)
salad
Beef...5oz

Few walnuts,3
Whip cream...1/4cup with stevia
4 strawberries

[marcadav]

What you are describing is not all that uncommon. As a woman starts going through menopause the hormones start to shift with a more drastic drop in progesterone levels than estrogen. This leads to a condition called estrogen dominance if the estrogens are not being opposed by either progesterone or better yet phytoestrogens. If taking supplemental estrogen or ingesting large amounts of true estrogen in the diet from meats or dairy the estrogen load can rise even further. This leads to several problems. First of all estrogen causes weight gain by enlarging fat cells. It also promotes water retention and suppresses the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism in turn cause constipation as well as other problems. Hyperthyroidism has the opposite effect on the bowels.

First thing i would recommend is digestive bitters, which you can find at any health food store. I recommend a half dropper full on the tongue 3 times daily before meals. Drink plenty of water throughout the day when using bitters. Bitters will help the liver so a better job of breaking down excess estrogen.

A diet high in B vitamins or the supplement trimethylglycine (TMG) will also help the liver with metabolizing the hormones.

Maintaining the intestinal flora with fibers will also help. The flora further break down estrogen metabolites. I personally prefer rice or oat bran, which are "soft" fibers high in B vitamins.

A diet higher in plant material helps by increasing the level of phytoestrogens that inhibit real estrogens by locking up estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens are found in all plants we consume in varying levels. The drawback is that phytoestrogens are somewhat goitrogenic themselves, but this can be easily offset with the ingestion of an iodine source such as seaweeds, which are also a phytoestrogen source.

My experience suggests otherwise. As I moved into perimenopause my estradiol levels were undetectable, while my progesterone levels remained well within acceptable limits.

I suggest the OP get her sex hormones tested before assuming estrogen dominance. I also STRONGLY suggest, given her hypothyroid diagnosis, researching phytoestrogens'(soy) affect on thyroid function before throwing iodine supplementation, in any form, into the mix.

One size does not fit all.