Eat More Fat! The Nutritional Ketosis Challenge continues... page 195

[252dlp]

Thank you Pebbles and Demuralist!

Count me as one who is starting fresh! I am determined to change things, so I jumped on the treadmill here at work for about 10 minutes earlier this morning, and just got back from a 20 minute walk on my lunch break (I only take 30 minutes).

[demuralist]

you have a treadmill at work?

[GigiLaPatate]

Gigi, I'm so sorry you're having these struggles. It could well be that you're just one of those metabolisms that needs to fire up on a higher carb rate. We're all different and this is the home of n=1! The other problem you might be facing is thyroid. Mine went haywire a couple of years ago and played havoc with everything. Cold all the time, tired, hair falling out in handfuls. I was totally freaking. I reversed course with some vit/min supplements and all is hunky dory now. But it was a huge thing. Can you get a thyroid function blood panel done without any hassle?

Thanks. I definitely think it some kind of hormone thing. I had my thyroid tested about a year ago at Dr. said it was in the normal range. Seriously over the past year I have made huge changes to my diet: First I went discoverd and went primal, then I tried the Jack Kruse leptin reset for about 3 or 4 months. I was pretty strict on it, but couldn't get my carbs below 50g. Although I felt better on it, I still wasn't losing weight. I went to a naturopath who gave me various chinese herbs, which made me feel better, and recommended a blood-type diet. I'm type A blood, which is mostly vegetarian (!!!). I decided to try it and I actually enjoyed eating beans and chickpeas again and lots of vegetables as well as fish and chicken.

All this time I neither gained nor lost a single pound, other than a few 2-3 lb fluctuations either way, but stayed stuck at 215.

Then I quit the naturopath and tried the Natasha Turner Hormone diet - I think all the supplements helped me but I gained weight because she recommends 6 meals/snacks per day. I didn't feel good on it either. Then I just gave up and ate whatever, still didn't gain or lose.

Then I went back to the naturopath one last time and he recommended strict calorie restriction (1200 calories per day) and also suggested HCG. The 1200 calories was completely impossible for me and I although I haven't ruled out HCG, I didn't want to give this guy any more of my money.

Then I gave up again. Just before Christmas, though, I got extremely sick with strep throat and lost 10lb because I could barely eat for 10 days. That gave me hope because I realized that I could actually lose weight if I got my calorie intake low enough. Strangely, I haven't gained any of that 10lb back, even after going back to my old eating habits. In January I felt inspired to come back to MDA and have been trying EMF. I like it, but just can't get my carbs low for more than a few days in a row.

As I said in an earlier post - I've made huge strides. I don't binge anymore and my out-of-control carb cravings have reduced to mostly controllable. My energy has improved, although still not as great as I would like. I run regularly on my lunch hour and a year ago I was so hypoglycemic on low carb I could not go for a run unless I ate carbs in the morning - now I have a pretty good run on a no-carb morning, although if I've been low carb for a couple of days I start to crash and don't have the energy for a run.


I've been convinced for quite some time that my hormones need help. I'm just so wary about spending money unless I know it's going to work. My doctor won't do any tests unless I'm in menopause. There's a clinic in town that has MDs working there and they specialize in hormone health. They charge $750 for a one year treatment plan, plus the cost of getting tests done ($200-$500), plus the costs of the bio-identical hormones. Ouch. I think I'm going to have to go for it though.

I will keep you posted, if (when?) I do.

[jenn26point2]

Jenn, my general modus for those sorts of things is to carry a small fancy handbag that I have to hold (no strap and really too small-plus its beaded-to hold under my arm) in one hand and a diet drink of what ever sort they have in the other. No free hands for eating. If anyone asks did you try the ... I feign that I did or that I am allergic. I generally just don't eat at all. Unless it is a sit down-then well, all bets are off, except that it rarely tastes good enough for the calories and damage it will do, so I try to eat as little as possible.

My plan is going to be to eat before I go. I have the Fat Fast Cookbook and will make something from that for lunch and then take a fatty sweet treat with me. The parties are buffet style deals. The one has a $5 all you can eat price tag. The other is a "hey, thanks for coming, fill your plate" kind of party. Usually loose meat sandwiches, chips, beans, etc.

I don't have a strapless purse. lol And even if I did, both parties are occuring at rural taverns, so a strapless purse would look a bit off... especially for me - a tshirts and jeans kind of gal.

you have a treadmill at work?

I have a full fledged gym at work. When the employer expects the employees to be of a particular physical ability, they have to provide ample means for said employee to reach said state... too bad the cafeteria doesn't have to comply... But then again, I work on a military installation, so it's a bit different than most companies.

[jenn26point2]

Then I went back to the naturopath one last time and he recommended strict calorie restriction (1200 calories per day) and also suggested HCG. The 1200 calories was completely impossible for me and I although I haven't ruled out HCG, I didn't want to give this guy any more of my money.

A friend of mine does the HCG thing. She said the HCG helps keep the calories low. She does 500 calories a day on her program and has lost something like 65 lbs in less than a year.

As I said in an earlier post - I've made huge strides. I don't binge anymore and my out-of-control carb cravings have reduced to mostly controllable. My energy has improved, although still not as great as I would like. I run regularly on my lunch hour and a year ago I was so hypoglycemic on low carb I could not go for a run unless I ate carbs in the morning - now I have a pretty good run on a no-carb morning, although if I've been low carb for a couple of days I start to crash and don't have the energy for a run.


I've been convinced for quite some time that my hormones need help. I'm just so wary about spending money unless I know it's going to work. My doctor won't do any tests unless I'm in menopause. There's a clinic in town that has MDs working there and they specialize in hormone health. They charge $750 for a one year treatment plan, plus the cost of getting tests done ($200-$500), plus the costs of the bio-identical hormones. Ouch. I think I'm going to have to go for it though.

I will keep you posted, if (when?) I do.

My thinking here is this. I too am a runner. Long distance runner (on a break to lose some more weight b/c running that far hurts my body at this weight). I have found that I run BETTER, FASTER, and more EASILY on the EMF... but, there's a HUGE caveat to that... you HAVE to finish the transition before running. If you run in a depleted glucose state and aren't yet in ketosis, running is HARD and once you're done, you're completley spent and craving carbs bad... at least, that's me. I have found that if I do EMF for a week or so, reach ketosis and THEN start running, running is amazing and I don't crave carbs afterwards.

Of course, right now, after having taken so much time off, I don't run far (3 miles a week or so in 1 mile increments as I'm building back up and don't want to get injured again) so your distance might make a difference.

My suggestion... jump back into EMF. Get your carbs down. And WAIT before you run. As a runner I know how hard this is. If you wait and get to ketosis, then start running again, you may find it's not as difficult as it is now. Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it. But it works for me.

Happy running!

[demuralist]

Gigi, I have to say that you have done a lot in the past year. I think you need to seriously jump onto the EMF (or whatever you can stick to-if it isn't EMF, you could try the Smarter Science of Slim-which can be totally Primal but is kind of the opposite of EMF-it calls for lower fat, higher protein and LOTS of veggies-actually very good plan) and stick to it for at least 6 months. The body is just not going to do a turnaround with so many things changing so often.

Hormonally, we all have hormonal issues of one type or another. I think if you find a plan you can comfortably stick to, eventually those will take care of themselves.

I think that many of us, focused first on getting enough fat, then lowered carbs and then protein. If the fat isn't up there you are going to be hungry. Then bouillon or broth is going to be your best friend. Homemade bone broth is going to give you the nutrients you need so that your body isn't going to go looking for food.

Lastly, patience, it is going to take time. Slower loss will make it less likely to have lose skin when you are done.

How many pounds are you trying to lose?

[eKatherine]

I was pretty strict on it, but couldn't get my carbs below 50g.

I like it, but just can't get my carbs low for more than a few days in a row.

What is it that keeps you from getting your carbs below 50g?

[demuralist]

is anyone on here stephconduit on MFP? She asked to be friends and I like to know who my friends are.

[geostump]

is anyone on here stephconduit on MFP? She asked to be friends and I like to know who my friends are.

No clue who that is. Maybe she is just a random person?

[jenn26point2]

is anyone on here stephconduit on MFP? She asked to be friends and I like to know who my friends are.

I would message her and ask who she is.