Help- Health/Slow Metabolism?/ Looking Primal
(15 posts) (11 voices)-
grokkillfire
MemberHelp!? I am looking for input/fresh perspective in dealing with my Doc/medical establishment. A little health background first. I will try to keep this as succinct as possible. I am a 6ft/204lb/45yo professional firefighter who has made longevity of my career, high level of physical work performance- new hires seem to be younger ever year;), durability and being an example of long term physical health, and functional strength for my sons priorities in my life.
Have just completed fifth round of p90x and have added a weight vest to my workout to increase intensity(p90x has given me a great workout framework that works well for my life at home and at work). I have been living/eating primal 2 months now. Through the fire department I receive yearly physicals/blood work/bodpod testing and all has been excellent except for body fat percentage, 24-26% over last several years. Every year they council about diet and physical exercise- low fat/oatmeal etc.- right;)? Throughout my life I have always have put on weight easyily and have had difficulty puting on muscle. I have always attributed roll around my waist and high bodyfat% to just not pushing hard enough and eating right. So for last two years I have increased resistance and aerobic training and followed low fat diet(until going primal 2mos ago). Today I feel stronger and have more muscle but still have a roll of jelly as my sons describe it.
When I made changes and recommited to my health several years ago I independently had my Resting Metabolic Rate RMR tested, back in the prePrimal days of watching calories, and was told it is 1843 calories a day. At that time they said I needed to increase intensity/muscle to increase calorie burn. So I did increase my physical efforts and saw very little body fat change although aerobic capacity went up and general strength was better. But I also was getting more tired and sore. Several month ago had same RMR test done and my current RMR has dropped to 1627.
Being literally sick and tired from working out I have tried to talk with my personal doc about my workouts, normal bloodwork/ekgs, tiredness/soreness and high bodyfat that gets me the anual warning from the department physician about being too fat. My Doc tested my thyroid which was on bottom end of normal range so I am currently on 50mg of synthroid after he thought we might give that a try?. I really have seen only a small change in visual body fat and waist of pants not as snug but still have the belly jelly. I am not sure thryoid medication doing any good and I sometimes feel more tired after taking it.
When I talk to Doc/medical professionals about doing all of the above testing/excercise they all seem to listen to what I have to say but don't really believe I am as physically active as I am. AND, while I'm trying to get them to listen to me about body fat I am not even going to try to convince them of the validity of a Primal lifestyle.
Not sure I explained all of this well but hoping someone has some input that might give me new perspective. I found MDA while searching for answers. I am not AS tired or sore since I have been eating primal but still body fat remains an issue. I am stronger and notice a functional strength I didn't use to have. But I am tired physically, I am tired of being told my body fat is too high, and the vein side of me is tired of the fat that my sons call belly jelly. My youngest son prays he doesn't end up like me working out like I do and still carrying too much fat.
Thanks for the help.
DavePosted 4 months ago # -
PaleoMom
MemberHave you looked into adrenal fatigue? Thyroid problems are almost always just a symptom of adrenal fatigue. Belly fat is also a symptom of hormonal imbalance. Adrenal fatigue can be brought on by stress which can come in the form of poor diet (especially lots of carbs), food sensitivies (often gluten and casein among many other), excessive exercise (p90x fits into that category imo) and I'm sure your jobs has a good level of stress as well and exposure to toxic fumes that adds more stress to your body. Please look into this more online. If it is a problem for you, attack it right away. It takes a long time to recover, so you don't want to let it go. Traditional MD's aren't too good about diagnosing this. A good ND is usually your best bet. Find someone that can give you a 24 hour saliva test. Good luck, I hope you find your answers soon.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Dave, it sounds like you definitely have something going on there. Belly fat is a sign of insulin resistance, which, like PaleoMom said, is a hormonal imbalance (too much insulin). It also causes high blood sugar. If you're not getting anywhere with your regular doc try an endocrinologist or the naturopath. A lot of times docs are so busy they don't keep up on current research. Keep your spirits up and let us all know how things work out.
Posted 4 months ago # -
go_ginger_go
MemberSecond vote for looking into adrenal fatigue. Go to a naturopath (ND) for this, however, not your regular doctor. My coworker was just telling me that our naturopath put him on something for his adrenal gland and now he has to wear suspenders because his pants would fall off him if he didn't. He has done nothing to change his diet.
I used to think as well that my metabolism was slow, however since I've gone primal, I can see that that's not really the case as the weight is coming off me. Are you still eating dairy? I have been amazed at what a difference not having any has made for me, in terms of ease of weight loss. I really limit my nuts. And the only fluid I drink is water and, once a week, unsweetened iced tea (it's nasty at first, but you become more acclimated to no sweetener in things).
Keep us posted, please.
edit: The naturopath also told my coworker-friend to get off the dairy (but he hasn't).
Posted 4 months ago # -
grokkillfire
MemberThanks for the replies. Gone primal with exception of occasional milk in coffee. Do feel better eating this way. Life has its stresses but my wife and I feel like we've done well dealing with them, excercise has definately been a great outlet for it. My wife has been encouraging me to find endocrinologist but was kinda using Primal diet as last test for something I can change.
Dave
Posted 4 months ago # -
darienx19
MemberI recommend also giving PB a little longer to correct your BF%. When I started, I was above 25% and am down right now to about 17%... 8 months later. It started off slow though, and not everyone's body is the same.
I agree with checking into the hormonal imbalance like everyone is saying, but find a doctor that is willing to work with your lifestyle... otherwise their "help" won't be much help.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Hey, grokkillfire,
This isn't just an attempt to sell a book, but an honest question: Have you read my book?
Also, as darienx19 said, give it some more time. If you've been eating according to the SAD for decades 2 months on the PB isn't going to reverse everything.
Don't buy into the idea that more is better. You may be hurting yourself in the long run. Remember to play, rest, and get a good deal of low level aerobic activity.
Read the book, do PB as well as you can for a couple more months then come back here and report your progress.
Good luck, grokkillfire.
Posted 4 months ago # -
emmie
MemberYou need to find a good thyroid doc, and that isn't always easy. With synthroid, you're only getting T4, and if your T3 is low, you'd be tired and unable to lose weight--which is what I sense from your post.
Giving supplemental T3 is relatively new in thyroid treatment, so a lot of doctors don't even know enough to prescribe it. The body converts T4 to T3 in the liver, so they assume giving you T4 is enough. However, once you're hypothyroid, that conversion becomes impaired.
I did OK on a version of synthroid (Levoxyl) for 2 years, and suddenly my T3 tanked. I was so exhausted that I couldn't function--and I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks while eating exactly as I had been when losing.
My endo gave me T3 (Cytomel), and it has made all the difference in the world.If you tested 'low' on both T4 and T3, and he only gave you T4, I really think you need to find someone who will treat you properly because your symptoms reflect a T3 deficiency.
Posted 4 months ago # -
grokkillfire
MemberMark haven't read the book yet but have been following MDA for some time now. I realise more isn't better but it has been a real struggle to figure out what is going on with me. I know I personally tend to fall into the trap of pushing harder, digging hole to clean basement window, and not necessarily living smarter. As I wrote previously I really am working to find the balance both personally and professionally. My job is a big motivator for me in living strong and well.
The professional side of this journey for me is to continue to do a physically demanding unkown task at a moments notice well for the rest of my career and additionally thrive in my personal life. I will get there. I just have been frustrated with the medical establishment's inability to assist me in figuring this out but still saying something needs to change. I and am gratefull to all here for helping me to keep moving in a positive direction.
I have been trying to find an endocrinologist to at least discuss the situation but finding a good one has proven a little elusive.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Minxxa
MemberYou don't need an endo to get good thyroid treatment... in fact, most endos specialize in diabetes-- it's the biggie-- and their thyroid knowledge is shaky at best. I second the suggestion to get more thyroid testing-- you need the complete testing with T3 and reverse T3, etc. You can find more details if you google either "stop the thyroid madness" or "mary shomon".
I take Synthroid and Cytomel (t3). If I don't take the cytomel, I can feel the energy drop. And it took about 4-6 months of medication as well as kicking grains and dairy before I saw any weight loss. So it might take a bit.
Also... turns out i had a pretty severe Vitamin D deficiency... and that can contribute to difficulty in weight loss.
Just some thoughts...
Posted 3 months ago # -
Vick
MemberContinue to monitor your blood and thyroid.
I believe that people need to cut out the grains, rebalance their omega 3-6 ratio and exercise less.
I really come across on this board as the "do high intensity and take lots of time off" guy. (Somebody has to do it.)
Once you perform an brief but intense enough exercise that covers appropriate sequential stimulation of the muscle fibers, your muscles will start the healing and growing prcess. Any exercise beyond that is a drain on resources and that slows the healing.
Increased muscle mass should improve your metabolism rate if everything in your system is properly balanced.
You may find this article by fitness expert Nash Jocic
a good read.
http://www.ultimateshapeltd.com/articles-resistance-vs-aerobic-training.htm
Posted 3 months ago # -
go_ginger_go
Member@PaleoMom:
He said he is taking desiccated adrenal, which can be purchased over the counter (you probably already know that). He wasn't sure of the dosage, but he is taking it 3 times a day, with meals. The naturopath he and I both go to said that if he wasn't getting good results that he could double what he's been taking (that hasn't been necessary, however). The naturopath said this is to give the adrenal glands a rest. She said to stop taking it when he started feeling hyper; his adrenals were back to fully functioning on their own then.Posted 3 months ago # -
Tarlach
MemberHere's a decent article on 'metabolism':
http://www.carnivorehealth.com/main/2009/11/4/the-carnivorous-diet-your-thyroid.html
Posted 3 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.