I need to GAIN weight... and I need your help!!! page 2

[HopelessDreamer]

Siren,
have you been tested for parasites? I know its not common in the "civilized" world, but they are out there...
I hope you get a diagnosis and help soon! Good luck.

[Siren]

I've been checked for parasites (the stool test). Just like all the others: negative. I truly am convinced it's a functional thing, or possibly hormonal, since there doesn't seem to be any visual, physical explanation. My colonoscopy report mentioned something about a "twist," but my doc didn't say anything about it. I've got a follow-up appt with her in 2 weeks, and one with my regular doc today. I'm hoping I can convince my GP to push for another, but more thorough, thyroid test, or at least another referral. I might also ask about having my hormones checked, since I seem to feel better in the days following the start of my birth control cycle. Anything is worth a shot at this point...

[Siren]

Good news! My regular doc got me blood tests with both more thorough thyroid panels AND a hormonal balance check! =) I also just had my first bowl of ice cream as the first step on my affectionately-dubbed Ice Cream Protocol. i did this last spring to help regain some of the 10 pounds i'd lost in 3 weeks on a liquid diet. basically, i eat ice cream in quantity, sweet potatoes, some white potatoes, and some white rice as well as banans, squash, and other starchy veggies & fruits. i'm also going to be eating a lot of fat in the form of coconut oil, olive oil, butter, and animal fats (eggs, salmon, beef, etc.) in the hopes that the increased starch/sugar/fat combo will start putting some weight back on me. insulin resistance be damned; i'm starting to look like a Holocaust victim. the LAST thing i need to worry about is my leptin...

[Siren]

More good news: got my biopsy results. They came back negative for everything. That means I don't have cancer. That's a good thing =) but... it also means I still have no answers. I'm starting to think this is an endocrine issue. Thyroid & adrenal glands are the most likely culprits if that's the case. Oh well. Back to square one... =/

[Zelli88]

Hey Siren,

I used to and still do struggle with the same problem of gaining weight. You may not be absorbing any nutrients in your gut. Simply boosting calories and/or carbs may not do the trick, or fix the issue. Perhaps eating heaping amounts of nutrient dense, low inflammatory foods such as veggies, healthy meats/fish, and good fats would help. Take it from someone who went from 108 lbs to a stable 134 lbs in 1 year.


What helped me most was eating the right foods while avoiding the incorrect foods (sugar, processed foods, bad oils), using BHCL/pepsin supplements, drinking good quality spring water, lots of sleep, supplements and "detoxifying". Detoxifying is essential in today's world, and I believe from my own and other's experience that it contributes to over half of today's diseases. I eat only veggies, meats (antibiotic free/grass fed/lean & fatty), wild caught fish 1-2x a week (salmon or sardines), coconut oil & EVOO & beef lard (from U.S. Wellness meats). Beef stock helps me tremendously. The most I weighed was 140 lbs, when I was eating loads of sunflower seeds & supplementing a good amount of zinc and eating the aforementioned foods.

Try either visiting a holistic doctor and/or using supplements. Do you have amalgams? Also, do you live in a healthy home? Or is it "toxic"?? Your environment can play a huge factor as well, cause it sure did/does for me.

[Wildrose]

I think I might suggest making full fat coconut milk smoothies... or coconut milk hot chocolate, that's delicious. And coconut milk is definitely a calorie bomb while still being good for you.

[Timthetaco]

You said you were checked for parasites. Did that include toxoplasma gondii? I did some half-assed research that seemed to indicate it could lower GI motility. Plus it's the only thing I can think of that could cause both intestinal and emotional problems. If you figure it out, let me know so I can get the same test. Please and thanks.

I'd like to clarify that I didn't mean to imply you have emotional problems. I do, and our situations seem to be fairy similar, which is why I suggested toxoplasmosis as a possibility.

[Siren]

Timthetaco: I don't think I was tested for toxoplasmosis, but I don't have many of the listed symptoms: Toxoplasmosis: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com
It's not impossible, just not very likely, but I'll ask my GI doc when I see her in a couple weeks.

Zelli88: the diet you're describing is EXACTLY what I was following both before and shortly after I got sick (after the "liquid diet" phase had passed; I thought I had Norovirus). The beef stock/ bone broth protocol helped a little, but after 2 weeks of drinking it 6 times a day, I got so sick of it that it didn't even want to look at it for a month after. I should probably start that up again... Any suggestions for detoxing? I'm not big on "cleanses" (the boxed stuff they sell at health food stores) or juice diets, or any of that; just good, clean, Primal food. Can I "detox" in the way you're suggesting on a fully Primal diet?

[Zelli88]

Zelli88: the diet you're describing is EXACTLY what I was following both before and shortly after I got sick (after the "liquid diet" phase had passed; I thought I had Norovirus). The beef stock/ bone broth protocol helped a little, but after 2 weeks of drinking it 6 times a day, I got so sick of it that it didn't even want to look at it for a month after. I should probably start that up again... Any suggestions for detoxing? I'm not big on "cleanses" (the boxed stuff they sell at health food stores) or juice diets, or any of that; just good, clean, Primal food. Can I "detox" in the way you're suggesting on a fully Primal diet?

Absolutely. In fact, I've read that saturated fats, like those found in butter, lard and coconut oil actually help the body to detoxify heavy metals, infections, etc..Eating a strict-primal like diet will augment a detox protocol, but is also one in itself.

When I did some serious detoxing, I was under the guidance of a holistic doctor. He prescribed certain herbs & nutrients (supplements) based on muscle response testing. Mainly, I think it was the chlorella that helped me detox the most. I also used betaine hydrochloric acid to combat my low stomach acid, which a lot of people have. I don't believe in "cleansing diets". I just believe in eating nutrient dense whole foods and taking supplements. So, either try visiting a local holistic doctor or naturopath, or start supplementing with some vitamins and minerals.

What cookware do you use? What oils do you cook with? What kind of water you drink? Or liquids for that matter. Do you eat ANY gluten or gluten containing grains? Do you eat grains at all? What supplements do you take atm?

-Ryan

[Zach]

Honestly i think you are on the right track. I completely agree with Ryan about everything else he is saying but if it is a thyroid/adrenal issue then doing the four S's (salt, sugar, starch, saturated fat) can help tremendously with that. I Still think you should choose wisely for example, hagaan daz ice cream over a cheapo brand with a ton of fillers. But calories from saturated fat, sugar and starch, lots of rest and reduce stress as much as possible can go a long way.