Author Topic: Concerted Effort (Read 4310 times)

Lila · « **on:** August 25, 2013, 04:14:18 PM »

After my disappointing doctor appointment last week, I'm going to make a doubly concerted effort to drop the weight. Maybe if I write it down here, I'll really do it!

1. I got a Fitbit and am going to track my steps, activity, water, and sleep. (my technology fix for the month) Am certain I won't make 10K steps at first so I'm shooting for 5K. I strongly suspect that with my sedentary job I don't get close to 5K steps every day.

2. Although I have been tracking my carbs, I'm going to write it down rather than just count on the fly.

3. Taking 600mcg kelp per day (4 150mcg tablets). My doctor has not diagnosed me with Hashimoto's (Ha! He only checks for TSH and says it is fine with my daily dose of levothyroxine, so he wouldn't know!)

4. Keep doing the wheatless, grainless thing and loving the food I'm eating.

I also ordered free T3, free T4, and reverse T3 blood tests on my own. When I see the results and get them interpreted by our campus physician, I'll decide on what to do next.

I have alot to lose, but I'm really happy with all the great food choices. A lot more trouble than fast food, but so much more delicious!

Rita · « **Reply #1 on:** August 25, 2013, 05:14:05 PM »

I love that you are going to keep a personal diary. We're here to support you!

Barbara from New Jersey · « **Reply #2 on:** August 25, 2013, 06:12:15 PM »

Lila,

Once you really start tasting food again, you will not want to eat anything like the fast food your say you were used to. I think our taste buds become more aware of flavors once we are grain and sugar free. While it is a bit inconvenient to have to prepare your meals, they sure do taste better than most restaurant food.

Its good to make that list of what you are actually eating carb-wise. It surprised me that fruits were really high in carbs. I used to be a big fruit eater. Loved seasonal fruits. Never knew an apple had over 20 carbs! And don't put a container of nuts in front of me because I eat the entire contents at one or two sittings, really throwing off my carb count. I soon learned why my weight loss stopped!

Keep us posted on your progress.

Lynda (Fl) · « **Reply #3 on:** August 26, 2013, 11:55:28 AM »

Lila, your plan sounds great. You will refine it as you go along. You have great ideas, so follow your instincts. The worst hurdle is our own impatience. After all, who wouldn't want to feel better yesterday? And give that dr. a punch for me!

Lila · « **Reply #4 on:** August 27, 2013, 07:19:47 AM »

Yesterday---9600+ steps (wow, I couldn't believe it). That is if my fitbit doesn't over count, but even if it does, that's 'way more walking than I imagined I could do during a day. The campus where I work has a beautiful lake with woods so I walked around the lake and then walked to a meeting at our residence hall that is actually off campus. Beautiful day!

Had my free T3, free T4, and rT3 tests today so in a day or two I will have more information than I have now.

Alas, I have meetings and classes all day today so I probably won't be able to move around as much as I'd like.

Lila · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2013, 02:59:57 PM »

Update: Four days this week well over 7000 steps and each night averaging 7 hours sleep (with some restlessness, according to Fitbit). Maintaining moderate to large ketones

Weightloss? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

But I'm loving the excellent wheat free/low carb recipes and I feel excellent.

Jan in Key West · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2013, 05:12:48 PM »

Lila, are you taking a good probiotic? In researching 'gut ecology', it may take us awhile to regain a healthy gut flora after a lifetime of eating an inappropriate diet. After adopting the WB lifestyle, I took one for about three months, then stopped.....but have now resumed and will probably stay with it for the next few years.

Lila · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2013, 07:28:29 AM »

No, Jan. But I'm going to read through the discussion thread on this and look on the WBB site to see what is recommended. I might check out some pre-biotics as well.

We'll see how that works. I know I'm eating the right things, low carb (obviously from the ketone strips), and exercising.

Decided today to stop weighing every day. Maybe I'll start measurements once a week instead.

Lila · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2013, 06:56:27 PM »

Got my thyroid results today.

TSH: 1.77
Free T4: 1.85 ng/dL (high, but I'm taking 150 mcg Levothyroxine per day, taken in the AM so I would expect this)
Free T3: 2.4 pg/mL (within normal range but low end)
Reverse T3: 37.2 ng/dL (high)

By my calculations (and confirmed by the beta version calculator at Stop the Thyroid Madness), my T3:rT3 ratio is 6.4 (ppt). It should be > 20.

sigh. Now to get these results to my doctor.

Rita · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2013, 08:15:32 PM »

I'm looking at the calculator - http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/rt3-ratio/ . How do you get your RT3? Did you calculate your RT3 or is that a different test?

Here's an interesting analysis as well ( 2 pages )

http://www.drrind.com/therapies/thyroid-scale
and

http://www.drrind.com/therapies/thyroid-scale-matrix

Lila · « **Reply #10 on:** August 31, 2013, 06:00:47 AM »

I got three tests done (from https://www.truehealthlabs.com), Free T4, Free T3, and RT3 then calculated the T3:RT3 ratio myself. The labs were drawn and performed by LabCorps, the same as my doctor uses, only I went directly to the lab in Riverdale, GA instead of being drawn at my doctor's office.

The sites are down for maintenance but I'll check them out as soon as they're back up.

jgilberAZ · « **Reply #11 on:** August 31, 2013, 06:14:37 PM »

Make sure that you increase fat intake along with reducing carb intake.

People try to go low carb and low fat, but it just doesn't work.

You've got to eat fat to burn fat.

There's a thread on this forum that talks about it.

- Jeff

Lila · « **Reply #12 on:** September 05, 2013, 09:59:18 AM »

Update--this may or may not be good news. My PCP has referred me to an endocrinologist that specializes in thyroid dysfunction. I'm not sure how that will turn out, but at least my doctor took some action in response to my lab reports (that he didn't order). It may just be to placate me--we shall see.

I did have a consultation with a functional practitioner who confirmed that my Reverse T3 is very much elevated, is definitely affecting me and suggested a panel of tests that should be run. I will take these to the endocrinologist to see if they will do them, so my insurance can help pay for it.

Some good news--I lost 4 pounds this week, but I've been fasting and exercising, probably at an unsustainable rate (today is an example with meetings back to back and travel out of town this weekend). I am taking a probiotic now, thanks to a recommendation here.

Will keep you posted!

Rita · « **Reply #13 on:** September 05, 2013, 03:18:14 PM »

Good news that you at least are seeing an endocrinologist. Congrats on the 4 pounds!

Barbara from New Jersey · « **Reply #14 on:** September 12, 2013, 06:30:46 AM »

Lila,

So many things at once! You are on the right track, but remember to give your body time to adjust to each change. You have a lot of recovery ahead of you, rather than the declining health you have experienced before WB. The best is yet to come! Keep thinking about your goal for 6 month milestone, 1 year milestone, etc. Jot it down on a piece of paper and then look at it on that date. I am sure you will be rather surprised about the changes.

Wheat Free Forum · « **Reply #14 on:** September 12, 2013, 06:30:46 AM »

News:

Concerted Effort