Peata
Member
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2013
- Messages
- 3,402
Hello!
I wanted to give this woe some time before I joined the forum and talked about results.
What's your age?
39
How long have you been Peating?
Just over 3 months.
What is your favorite part about Peating?
My way of Peating is perhaps looser than some, but I find it simple and nourishing. It's helping me with my issues, results I can see and feel.
What is the worst part?
Three things that I can think of:
At first, I would get hypoglycemic episodes as my body adjusted to using sugar. These were scary and uncomfortable, but after a week or two, I adjusted and haven't had any problems (unless I just plain go hours without solid food, but that would happen anyway.)
Also, eating this way required a huge leap of faith for me, since a lot of it went against what I'd learned my whole life about health and nutrition (for example, conventional wisdom says avoid sugar and salt but eat lots of veggies). To be honest, I was scared at first eating the Peat way, and wondered if I was really going to hurt myself. But I just came back with, "**** it, I've followed just about every so-called healthy woe out there trying to help myself. Some were OK, at least short-term. But there has to be something I'm missing. I'm just gonna go for it - give it a really good try. I can always stop if I want to."
And last, it's been easy for me to overdo the calories. I don't think this is a Peat thing though, especially since I've switched to lower calorie dairy products and cut back on the milkshakes. I track everything in Cronometer, and if I keep it under 2,000 calories I tend to start losing, but I find it hard to get on the weight-loss bandwagon and be strict with calories. I keep going between 2,000 and 2,700 calories most days. I am not gaining out of control or anything - I just keep bouncing up and down between the same 3 or 4 pounds. I would like to lose 5 - 10 pounds, and it's my fault for not being more strict with the calories. I guess when I want to lose weight, I'll put effort into it. I haven't been too concerned about it since I'm not gaining uncontrollably or anything. Just concentrating on healing.
What are your health issues?
It's really too long of a story, but symptoms and organ issues - some even that "shouldn't have anything to do with hormones" would get worse at certain times in my cycle, and I just knew there was a hormone connection. I read and realized I was estrogen dominant. I think that's where I started reading Ray Peat. I began using a progesterone cream and had good results right away, though it didn't magically cure everything. But enough that I started reading more of Ray Peat and decided to go for the woe - at least what I understood of it and could incorporate in my life without bogging myself down in food issues.
There were also health issues like PCOS, acne, poor skin condition (what seemed like premature aging), mood and anxiety problems. More stuff, but that gives you the idea. Also over the last few years, gallbladder issues. Some of these I knew were hormone problems, but I just didn't see the big picture - how they all fit together.
Over the years, I've done different diets and variations, such as low fat, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, intermittent fasting, mostly raw, Perricone, etc. and etc. I've taken so many supplements.
After so much trial and error over the years and now finding Peat, I realized it all seems to come down to a few things and that working on those (thyroid, estrogen), is affecting the other things.
After starting Peat, I saw results in how I looked and felt within a couple weeks. For example - my gut health improved wonderfuly. Gone was the stomach burning, diarrhea, etc. Skin looked smoother, brighter, more glowy, less acne. Moods like a dream. But after a month and a half, I got too careless and regressed. I wasn't eating the way I had been in the beginning and then I started drinking alcohol regularly again = I stopped looking and feeling good.
But eventually, I went back to how I was eating in the beginning and things have improved again.
Peating hasn't fixed all my issues, but I'm willing to be patient. I still may have to have my gallbladder out some day, for one thing, but I'll just keep doing what I can in the meantime.
So, my way of Peating is helping me, as long as I stick to certain things and don't get *too* loose with it.
For example, I find that I have to watch my alcohol intake or it messes with how I look and feel, no matter how much good Peating I do. After a certain amount the alcohol becomes "disorganizing" to the body systems - is the only way I can put it - it just messes up everything as a toxin. The only drink I seem to do OK with is rum (with OJ or Coke), but I still have to limit it even with Peating.
I guess that's my intro. I may come back and add more info when I get the time. I'm glad to be here.
I wanted to give this woe some time before I joined the forum and talked about results.
What's your age?
39
How long have you been Peating?
Just over 3 months.
What is your favorite part about Peating?
My way of Peating is perhaps looser than some, but I find it simple and nourishing. It's helping me with my issues, results I can see and feel.
What is the worst part?
Three things that I can think of:
At first, I would get hypoglycemic episodes as my body adjusted to using sugar. These were scary and uncomfortable, but after a week or two, I adjusted and haven't had any problems (unless I just plain go hours without solid food, but that would happen anyway.)
Also, eating this way required a huge leap of faith for me, since a lot of it went against what I'd learned my whole life about health and nutrition (for example, conventional wisdom says avoid sugar and salt but eat lots of veggies). To be honest, I was scared at first eating the Peat way, and wondered if I was really going to hurt myself. But I just came back with, "**** it, I've followed just about every so-called healthy woe out there trying to help myself. Some were OK, at least short-term. But there has to be something I'm missing. I'm just gonna go for it - give it a really good try. I can always stop if I want to."
And last, it's been easy for me to overdo the calories. I don't think this is a Peat thing though, especially since I've switched to lower calorie dairy products and cut back on the milkshakes. I track everything in Cronometer, and if I keep it under 2,000 calories I tend to start losing, but I find it hard to get on the weight-loss bandwagon and be strict with calories. I keep going between 2,000 and 2,700 calories most days. I am not gaining out of control or anything - I just keep bouncing up and down between the same 3 or 4 pounds. I would like to lose 5 - 10 pounds, and it's my fault for not being more strict with the calories. I guess when I want to lose weight, I'll put effort into it. I haven't been too concerned about it since I'm not gaining uncontrollably or anything. Just concentrating on healing.
What are your health issues?
It's really too long of a story, but symptoms and organ issues - some even that "shouldn't have anything to do with hormones" would get worse at certain times in my cycle, and I just knew there was a hormone connection. I read and realized I was estrogen dominant. I think that's where I started reading Ray Peat. I began using a progesterone cream and had good results right away, though it didn't magically cure everything. But enough that I started reading more of Ray Peat and decided to go for the woe - at least what I understood of it and could incorporate in my life without bogging myself down in food issues.
There were also health issues like PCOS, acne, poor skin condition (what seemed like premature aging), mood and anxiety problems. More stuff, but that gives you the idea. Also over the last few years, gallbladder issues. Some of these I knew were hormone problems, but I just didn't see the big picture - how they all fit together.
Over the years, I've done different diets and variations, such as low fat, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, intermittent fasting, mostly raw, Perricone, etc. and etc. I've taken so many supplements.
After so much trial and error over the years and now finding Peat, I realized it all seems to come down to a few things and that working on those (thyroid, estrogen), is affecting the other things.
After starting Peat, I saw results in how I looked and felt within a couple weeks. For example - my gut health improved wonderfuly. Gone was the stomach burning, diarrhea, etc. Skin looked smoother, brighter, more glowy, less acne. Moods like a dream. But after a month and a half, I got too careless and regressed. I wasn't eating the way I had been in the beginning and then I started drinking alcohol regularly again = I stopped looking and feeling good.
But eventually, I went back to how I was eating in the beginning and things have improved again.
Peating hasn't fixed all my issues, but I'm willing to be patient. I still may have to have my gallbladder out some day, for one thing, but I'll just keep doing what I can in the meantime.
So, my way of Peating is helping me, as long as I stick to certain things and don't get *too* loose with it.
For example, I find that I have to watch my alcohol intake or it messes with how I look and feel, no matter how much good Peating I do. After a certain amount the alcohol becomes "disorganizing" to the body systems - is the only way I can put it - it just messes up everything as a toxin. The only drink I seem to do OK with is rum (with OJ or Coke), but I still have to limit it even with Peating.
I guess that's my intro. I may come back and add more info when I get the time. I'm glad to be here.