Weight Loss Diary 2017 - Goal 1-0-5

visited my parents for a bit, it was good, spent 5 days there.

I just got a call from insurance and the lady on the line sounded brutal, she is not my usual case worker but I feel she has already made up her mind to deny my 3-week extension. She's like, "you can't just take an extended leave because you want to." I was flabbergasted. Plus she thought my last name was my first name for the first few seconds of the call, I don't know how silly you have to be to put two and two together.

In any case, I plan on going back to work May 18th and taking sick time off if the leave does not get approved.

I had a very hard time sleeping yesterday, like every night. This time I tried melatonin spray and it really didn't help. Neither does the OTC sleep medication I tried, but I only tried one brand. I fell asleep at 3:30am and then work up at 4:30am and then fell asleep at 6:00am and then slept for a few hours until 11:00am.

Today I am doing what I said I would do, more job hunting (this will take a few months). I want to get out for a walk, I did yesterday and it was great. The weather is warming up slowly and it was pleasant yesterday. I must admit, I miss the gym though. When I go back to work, esp if I go back May 18th, I am hoping to purchase a walking pad.

I'm hoping I can manage this detox and working. I talk to Amanda (functional doctor) on the 19th. I think I need to space out my days or go lighter on the supplements. This program has to be more manageable and I'm 100% sure she will recommend I go longer than 4 months. I haven't seen any benefit to date and I mentioned this to her in my last e-mail. I have been a squeaky wheel in that regard. I am also waiting for my appointment on the 14th with another practitioner, Jessica, for a second opinion.
 
I hope you get to go out for a walk, Misty. I am finding it is so good for me. I looked up what a walking pad is. I was given a treadmill once and hated it. Can you get outside where you are all year round or does it snow?
 
Hi Cate, it's warming up a bit now, we were at 11C yesterday. Temperature tends to fluctuate here but our warm months are June - August. Sept can be iffy. The rest of the year it's pretty much cold. That's why indoor gyms are so popular here.

I like the walking pad idea b/c it's compact. I live in a very compact space in Toronto. I also live in a dense part of Toronto, so lots of traffic during the day but during the night, since quarantine has started, it's mostly homeless people outside and they freak me out. A lot are mentally ill or drug addicts and they don't understand social distancing. I typically take evening walks but lately I have not been feeling safe b/c the streets are so empty and the shops and restaurants are closed due to quarantine. Also evenings are typically the best time to take a walk after working hours.

WalkingPad video:

Toronto real estate prices are crazy. Can't wait to start a family of my own and move to the suburbs some days. More space, more greenery, real estate is slightly cheaper.
 
I got my thyroid results back and they are not good...like they indicate hypothyroid, but I was off my meds (naturopath prescribed) for a few days and this mineral balancing protocol is wearing heavy on my body. So I am not sure if my TSH was up due to the stress on my body or me getting off my meds or true hypothyroidism. I am going to test again in 2-3 weeks on my meds. My medication is very low dosage though. But this explains why my hair loss and fatigue is worse, if TSH goes up, then hypothyroid symptoms go up and the ideal range is 1-2 , I am 3.3.

Regardless, I told this to A. I told her I am miserable on the protocol, my TSH is up to hypothyroid levels when it wasn't before, and that nothing has changed since this protocol started. I moved my appointment with her up to May 14th, the same day I have a 2nd consult. Couldn't find an earlier time for either practitioner. I was reading online that it is ok to take a break on the protocol to allow the body to rest. I didn't take many supplements yesterday and I'm going to skip today.

On the other hand, I have been having hypothyroid symptoms for the past 2-3 years so in case the test is right, then I can take it to my family doctor and ask for proper medication finally (not what the naturopath has prescribed me). The level I have been (range of 1) has not warranted medication. However, I want to check with a second test and have the consults before approaching my family doctor. TSH could fluctuate on a mineral balancing protocol.

Re: weight, I hadn't been taking care of diet and had gone up to 116.2lbs. Today weighed in at 114.8lbs. It has been difficult managing weight during a quarantine with fatigue/hormonal issues. But I have 9 more lbs to go and it feels manageable, within 2 months (note my weight has been sort of constant for a year or two so I do not know if I am BSing myself but I am trying to be positive). I think I can manage.

CW: 114.8lbs
 
Last edited:
My appetite has not been great. Works for maintaining weight lol but yeah it's a sign my thyroid is out of whack. I need help. I'm going to talk to my regular naturopath, I want to do a test on and off the meds to see where my baseline is.

I have been off the detox for two days and I feel more like myself. I'm going to stay off it until I chat with Amanda on the 14th. It was supposed to help but it's just put more pressure on my thyroid it seems. I can't tell if my thyroid is swollen, and unfortunately doctor's offices are closed. I don't know if they are doing video calls. I will have to check later.

CW: 113.8lbs

8 more lbs to go.
 
Good for you on the weight loss!

Happy that you are feeling more like yourself. Maybe the detox has run its course?

Hope you continue to improve, and get those last 8 lbs off!
 
alligatorob said:
Good for you on the weight loss!

Happy that you are feeling more like yourself. Maybe the detox has run its course?

Hope you continue to improve, and get those last 8 lbs off!
Click to expand...

Thanks so much, Rob <3

Perhaps its run its course, I'm still not healed, but healing in a long-term game anyways. I'm slowly coming back onto healthier foods. It makes such a difference with food prep when I have the energy to do it!

If she wants me to get back on I'm going to ask for a different type of supplement, one of them is just not suiting me. I feel better off of it.

I checked the rest of my thyroid labs, for the most part they came back normal, my TSH is a bit high, and my reverse T3 is still high. That just shows there is stress/inflammation, though that could be the protocol. I am going to run a thyroid panel again in 3-4 weeks.
 
Pam
I talked to my local naturopath (Pam), the one who diagnosed me with PCOS years ago. She acknowledges my results look like subclinical hypothyroidism. My mom has it and some people with PCOS have hypothyroidism because one set of hormones affects the next unfortunately.

She said I to clean up my diet some more and just take it easy and then re-test - generic advice but she said to cut back on fruits :( I admit, I eat a lot of high sugar fruits (bananas, mangoes). She said berries were ok - low glycemic fruit. I have a mango left over and a papaya that I will need to finish off and then start clean.

Pam is a bit old fashioned. She's nice but sometimes her theories don't line up with what I research online and confirm with practitioners on instagram. So, I don't rely on her whole heartedly. I did not mention the protocol to her because when I approached her for the mineral balancing testing last year she wasn't a fan of it. But I have also found her approach a bit passive and I'm not a fan of that. I do rely on her though because she's always happy to do blood work and I do appreciate her diagnosing me with PCOS in 2018 when I went to my own doctor over ten years with symptoms and she dismissed me (I switched to my latest family doctor in 2019).
----------------------------------------------------
Amanda - detox lady

I feel kind of relieved confirming my thyroid is what's causing a lot of my remaining symptoms. Reasons are numerous, inflammation, poor gut health, poor sleep, nutritional deficiencies, heavy metals, stress etc. But I feel one step closer and I am actively working on all the above. Amanda's work has helped with some of these. Pam's focus hasn't been as extensive.

Re: Amanda/detox. I talk to her on Thurs, I can't function well on the vitamin K2 supplement she's provided me, it makes me fell drowsy and weak. I want to first ask a) why does she think my thyroid is worse than when I started the protocol b) if she provides a super valid explanation, I want to ask her to tweak my supplement protocol or make it so that I do not feel miserable. Right now, I am skeptical. Not that there isn't research on mineral balancing protocols, but whatever is out there is limited and it's not a mainstream practice (yet) and I am finding only a few success stories online.

-------------------------------------------------------
Family doctor
I booked an appointment with my family doctor to ask at what level I would require thyroid medication. I also want to ask her about medical options for insomnia, just to see the options. I do not want to take the drug route but its good to know the backup options.

There is only so much I can do. Worst case, my thyroid will plummet and I will need proper medication for it. What can I do. I am tired and opening up to medical options when natural ways have not worked. But will give my thyroid 3 more months (July/Aug) to see how I re-test and will go from there.

----------------------------------------------------------
BHRT - after 6-12 months - will explore

I am thinking of bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) instead of being on the birth control pill - I don't want to be on synthetic hormones - but it has been SO hard to find anyone well versed in BHRT in Toronto. In the States, however, things are more progressive and I have tried that route but the bloodwork alone costs thousands of dollars without American insurance and I cannot spend that much money. I just cannot afford it. Anyways, I am planning to stay on the pill for a while, until some of my thyroid symptoms subside and then look into BHRT again. The benefit of BHRT is less symptoms and it doesn't interfere with pregnancy if I was to decide to start a family at some point.
 
So I talked to Jessica today (for the consult) and I feel a lot better after talking to her. She's basically said my adrenals need a lot of help which is why I am feeling lousy. She said to start taking more magnesium, eat more healthier carbs, eat every three hours, pair carbs with protein, stop the iodine if I don't want to take it and I should be ok in 3-4 months. She said not to worry too much about the copper toxicity. I have to buy some more supplements & discontinue some stuff I was taking but I feel better talking to her.

This is going to sound complicated, but this is for my documentation purposes. She said I likely have progesterone deficiency because I have not ovulated much in my life. She said my estrogen is low in my blood because it is stored in my tissues and that years of taking synthetic iron without any progress means I have iron toxicity. Said not to focus too much on low copper diet or copper toxicity. The point is to nourish myself and eat enough and get my minerals in balance. RE: iodine, I can get it from natural sources (seaweed) or go back to Thyrocare vs. using strong supplementation.

Basically, Jessica's approach is a more modified approach and right now I want to try that to see if I make any progress there. It also seems much less stressful. And if I want to switch practitioners, eventually, I can.

We also talked about the birth control pill, she said to stay on mineral balancing for three months and see how it goes and if I feel symptoms are reversing, then I can slowly transition off of birth control, supplement with bioidentical progesterone (starting high and going lower) and go from there. She brought that up herself - which confirms I need a good BHRT practitioner. There are days I wish I lived in the States for this kind of stuff!
 
Hooray for Jessica!
This all sounds so much better :)
I have not known what to say for ages & I feel more relieved :grouphug:
 
I picked up my modified mineral balancing protocol today. I will be re-testing my hair end of June.

I feel like it's a long road ahead and that I don't have much fuel in me. At the same time, I want so badly to get back to normal. I'll probably step out for a bit today to enjoy the weather, it's warming up some more and I'll visit my parents soon too.

Basically this all goes back to where I was square one - I need a regular period. And supplement with progesterone cream where I can.

So two steps:
1) Balance Minerals
2) Get off birth control + start ovulating

Seems simple - but a part of me thinks,if I haven't ovulated in my life properly, what makes me think I will be doing it now. It's a scary thought, but we are not even there yet, step #1 is mineral balance.
 
I tried the vitamin K2 again after about a week's break. It still knocks me out cold.

So I am trying a different variation and if that does not work, I will stick with it only at bedtime vs. 3 times a day. My healing will take longer but I have acknowledged this is not on my timelines. It's in God's timing.
 
Ok the more and more I read about progesterone deficiency, the more it makes sense.

And I'm reading up on progesterone cream and why it didn't work for me, and I've just come to the conclusion that the lady I dealt with had NO idea what to do. I kept getting early bleeds and she was so confused and told me to stop using it. When it says clearly online, bleeds are because estrogen is high and exiting the body...and you're supposed to stay ON the cream, not get off it. Jesus. I was in such a state of distress back then that I didn't look it up myself either.

Jessica said I had estrogen dominance by just looking at a few tests - I wish I had met her earlier. However, she just started practicing last year but still....would have saved me a lot of time and money and hair =(

Anyways, I am glad things are starting to stick together.... as mentioned above, first I need to balance my minerals and then I will need to transition off the pill.

Sigh, it will be a bit of work getting off the pill too, I need a good practitioner. Jessica doesn't do BHRT - not all naturopaths are licensed to dispense bioidentical hormones and she lives in the States anyways- she said I'd have to find a good practitioner, so I am now looking for someone in Canada - as opposed to just Toronto. I could do virtual sessions.




1589617223117.png
 
Protocol:
I tried getting back on the mineral balancing protocol yesterday. I am really pairing it back, taking supplements only at night and half of the dosage Amanda suggested. Still feeling a bit drowsy, but I can do them every alternate day also. I started back up on progesterone. Maybe I overdid it yesterday b/c progesterone can also cause drowsiness. I will have to test and learn.

Weight:
CW: 113.4lbs

I got my masks so I will be taking short walks outside. They're a bit uncomfortable to wear but I suppose I will get used to them.

Goal #1: 108lbs (where I was last year)
Goal #2: 105lbs
 
Last edited:
Cate said:
Masks do take some getting used to, but you do. Short walks outside will be good xo
Click to expand...

They do. I bought a cotton & polyester blend as I cannot afford to keep buying surgical masks, which are supposed to be better. See below.
There is a lot of controversy on wearing masks online but some services here have mandated them, like Uber. So I can't see my parents unless I get into an Uber with a mask on. Luckily I have not needed to use public transit as yet b/c I am not going to work but I imagine they will mandate something similar.


1589754409523.png
 
Interesting, it seems we should be wearing one of the masks on top. Do you know if these efficiencies apply to protection of the wearer or others? And I assume that you need to be careful to breath through the mask for it to work. I have not worn a mask much but that does seem to me to be a problem. I have one of the surgical masks here and am trying it on now. Getting it to seal around the edges doesn't seem possible. Harder for me with the beard, but still around the bridge of my nose there is no seal. I am sure it's better than no mask, but I can't see getting those high efficiencies.

Misty, it sounds like you are finding a better path to health, I hope that is true. I want to see you feeling better!
 
alligatorob said:
Interesting, it seems we should be wearing one of the masks on top. Do you know if these efficiencies apply to protection of the wearer or others? And I assume that you need to be careful to breath through the mask for it to work. I have not worn a mask much but that does seem to me to be a problem. I have one of the surgical masks here and am trying it on now. Getting it to seal around the edges doesn't seem possible. Harder for me with the beard, but still around the bridge of my nose there is no seal. I am sure it's better than no mask, but I can't see getting those high efficiencies.

Misty, it sounds like you are finding a better path to health, I hope that is true. I want to see you feeling better!
Click to expand...

There's too much controversy on masks - from earlier reports it says that it's more useful if you're sick and that way you cannot spread it to others, so there is no protection in you "catching" it but rather protection of others in that you will be less able to "spread" it. The N95 and surgical masks are in short supply due to nurses, doctors and hospitals needing them, so I suspect we are not being encouraged to get those because then the shortage situation will get worse. People love hoarding. The fact that those are the types worn in hospitals makes me think those are the only types that truly work.

Here is an article for fun: Do face masks really reduce coronavirus spread? Experts have mixed answers. | Live Science

The other problem is that COVID is air-borne. The droplets, if in the air, can still settle on your face and you can still touch your face. There are also conflicting reports of COVID transferring through the eyes. I'm not sold on the efficacy of masks but at the same time, there is no good information to go by and perhaps some protection is better than no protection. But this does also come down to your immune system, healthy eating, vitamin C, D, Zinc is what natural medicine is advocating for, however, they're being told by the government to not give out any advice on COVID. Legally, naturopaths in Canada, are not allowed to give out that info although it makes sense.

There is so much unclarity on the situation. There are a lot of political layers to what people are sharing.

If you cannot get it to sit properly, Rob, then the best is an N95. I don't know how comfortable that would be to breathe with though. Did you see the pics of doctors and nurses with the masks on for long periods of time? They're all bruised up. These masks aren't comfortable.

Maybe you just need to tighten up the surgical mask by tightening the elastic bands?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top