New Here, "Peating" 2 Months, Need Suggestions

[Sonybaloney]

Greetings,
I'm new here. I've been lurking for a while and reading as much as I can. I will try to keep this short & simple. I've been attempting a Peat Style of eating since November. I always tried to eat for nutrient density, but it seems sugar is a nutrient. So, in short, I probably fall into the chronic low carb, high pufa diet if we were to look to the past. I've recently been on accutane and BCP, so I know there's some sorting out to do in regards to liver function and hormones.

A little background: I have a special needs autistic boy (13) that has had constant problems in school with aggression & behavior. That took a lot out of me. Currently he is living with his dad. I needed to make that change because I was on the verge of a breakdown. So stress has been a predominant issue. I've also been trying to go to nursing school during all of this. I'm back to full time school and have 2 other children 16, 8, at home. Married. Happy.

I've been dealing with chronic fatigue. I've been "cold" all my life until recently. My temps have improved by a whole degree and my energy has been great about 80% of the time, which is an improvement from waking at 7 and needing a nap by 10, trying to get up again at 1 and barely functioning by 4. Then I was a night owl. Repeat.

A basic day of eating for me:

Bfast: 2 eggs (fried in CO or butter), 1 C salted OJ with Collagen, 1/2 C coffee + 1/2 C raw milk.
Daytime at short intervals: Cheese, apple sauce, sugared milk, homemade marshmallow, carrots, mexican coke.
I don't eat a full on "Lunch".
Dinner: Small portion of either shrimp, short rib, roast, lambchop, hamburger made with onions, apples & maple syrup. Either butternut squash, acorn squash or sweet potato/reg potato. Applesauce, more OJ, cheese.

Supplements: Progesterone oil 2-3x/day plus wherever there's an ache/pain, NDT 30 mg 2-3x/day. Pregnenolone 70mg everyother day, aspirin 300mg daily, Vit B1,2,3,5,6,7 2x/day, ADK 2x/day, Vit E 1g/day, Collagen, incandescent light first thing in the am and a lot during the day.

I recorded yesterday in Cronometer. It showed 2100 or so calories, which seems high for me. I think I was way below 1200 for YEARS... I was running on stress hormones for sure.

I've been feeling great on this diet thus far. However, like many, the rapid increase in calories, probably due to OJ & milk, have put 10 extra pounds on me. I think some of it is water retention. I have always been thin, so being chunky is quite distressing. I'm trying to see this all as a process. Any advice would be great!

I've attached cronometer from yesterday. The only thing that may be a bit off is the milk. I get raw milk from a local small family dairy and I do my best to skim it, so I'm not sure of the fat content.

The one concepts I'm struggling with:
How to increase my metabolism. Do I eat more sugar and high calories for a while?
How would I evaluate my liver function to know if it's doing what it's supposed to?
How do I fix this GD bloating?!

 

[Peatful]

Hi.
Welcome.

I have a lot of thoughts in regard to your data, but, I am at work, so this is going to be abbreviated, direct and possibly cryptic.

1) congrats on raising your temp thus far. Good start.
2) get off the accutane and BCP ASAP
3) yes, your weight gain is probably water retention, glycogen storage refilling, and some believe necessary for healing. @lisaferraro may have more on that for u.
4) your diet...to me you are not eating enough, and certainly not eating frequently enough. Plus, I would like u to take away your B vitamin and eat liver once a week.
5) bloating meaning water retention?
Aspirin, as much as I loved its therapeutic benefits, it made me gain weight fast and furiously. Also, consider less liquid and more solid food. Lots of liquid is sometimes hard digestively for folks.
6) 2 months is no time at all. Think two years. You will self experiment and learn so much valuable data by learning what works and doesn't work for u.

Lisa and @tara are great resources.

 

[Sonybaloney]

Thankyou @Peatful. I like the direct approach, really.

I'm off the meds. 6 mo off BCP and 3 mo off Accutane
I do think most of my weight is water. My tissues all seem swollen, but it's mostly the midsection, saddle bags, upper arms, face. My body isn't used to a lot of liquid, I guess.
I'm drinking a lot of my calories, for sure. I guess I just don't know what to eat all day besides cheese, eggs, carrots, fruit (winter sucks), root veggies, shrimp(eww). So to get my protein I have been adding collagen to my milk and OJ.
My B vitamins are liquid and supposedly at 'peaty' doses. Why no?
I'll cut the aspirin and see if that makes a diff. What should I do for the serotonin issues?
I think the milk may be the culprit of my swelling. I could try cutting it altogether, but I want to make sure I'm getting enough calories and nutrients.
The bloating is different than the water retention/swelling.

Something is working. My mood is improved, energy, higher, sleep is better, overall pain is less (I've suffered with constant muscle and fascia pain for decades), libido is improved - during menstruation...odd. I've had sluggish bowels for YEARS. As in needing a suppository to "trigger" a BM even though after I triggered it, it was soft. TMI :P That is almost fixed. I seriously had to "urge" for a couple years, and now i get daily urges at least.

I guess my immediate concerns are the dmg i did to my liver with the accutane, keeping the good gut motility and regular BMs, improving the swollen tissues.

Do you recommend eggshells for Protein if I cut the milk?

 

[Peatful]

U mean eggshells for calcium if u cut the milk, correct?

So...it looks like you have a plan.
Limit aspirin for a season. Limit milk for a season.
Then add back in slowly at different times to see how your body reacts.
Protein is important, esp for liver health.
Keep it above 90g daily or at least 40% of your calories.
Add beef liver into your diet and I believe you will see its benefits within the first month of adding 4oz weekly.

 

[theLaw]

@Sonybaloney

Greetings,
I'm new here. I've been lurking for a while and reading as much as I can. I will try to keep this short & simple. I've been attempting a Peat Style of eating since November. I always tried to eat for nutrient density, but it seems sugar is a nutrient. So, in short, I probably fall into the chronic low carb, high pufa diet if we were to look to the past. I've recently been on accutane and BCP, so I know there's some sorting out to do in regards to liver function and hormones.

A little background: I have a special needs autistic boy (13) that has had constant problems in school with aggression & behavior. That took a lot out of me. Currently he is living with his dad. I needed to make that change because I was on the verge of a breakdown. So stress has been a predominant issue. I've also been trying to go to nursing school during all of this. I'm back to full time school and have 2 other children 16, 8, at home. Married. Happy.

I've been dealing with chronic fatigue. I've been "cold" all my life until recently. My temps have improved by a whole degree and my energy has been great about 80% of the time, which is an improvement from waking at 7 and needing a nap by 10, trying to get up again at 1 and barely functioning by 4. Then I was a night owl. Repeat.

Welcome!

First off, you describe a ton of stress in these initial paragraphs, so erring on the side of more nutrition, not less will increase your recovery speed. This is especially true with sleep, so making sure that you have enough fuel to get you through the night is very important (generally, you shouldn't be waking up during the night). You can improve your diet all you want, but if you trigger stress responses every night, then it will be an uphill battle.

A basic day of eating for me:

Bfast: 2 eggs (fried in CO or butter), 1 C salted OJ with Collagen, 1/2 C coffee + 1/2 C raw milk.
Daytime at short intervals: Cheese, apple sauce, sugared milk, homemade marshmallow, carrots, mexican coke.
I don't eat a full on "Lunch".
Dinner: Small portion of either shrimp, short rib, roast, lambchop, hamburger made with onions, apples & maple syrup. Either butternut squash, acorn squash or sweet potato/reg potato. Applesauce, more OJ, cheese.

Supplements: Progesterone oil 2-3x/day plus wherever there's an ache/pain, NDT 30 mg 2-3x/day. Pregnenolone 70mg everyother day, aspirin 300mg daily, Vit B1,2,3,5,6,7 2x/day, ADK 2x/day, Vit E 1g/day, Collagen, incandescent light first thing in the am and a lot during the day.

This is actually a very good well-rounded diet, so dialing it in will just depend how different foods make you feel. Nothing stands out here as overtly harmful.

Personally, I would try to add as much raw milk as is comfortable throughout the day, as it's a superior source of protein, calcium, and general nutrition (even contains thyroid as well) that few people have access to currently, but don't be afraid to add sugar/salt as your appetite allows. However, if raw milk is causing allergic reaction, you might try another brand.

I recorded yesterday in Cronometer. It showed 2100 or so calories, which seems high for me. I think I was way below 1200 for YEARS... I was running on stress hormones for sure.

I've been feeling great on this diet thus far. However, like many, the rapid increase in calories, probably due to OJ & milk, have put 10 extra pounds on me. I think some of it is water retention. I have always been thin, so being chunky is quite distressing. I'm trying to see this all as a process. Any advice would be great!

Calories are not super-low, but you could easily go to 3000 as long as your macros + micros are in order with no problems.

Saying that you went from "thin' to "chunky" with only 10lbs is not a reasonable statement mathematically. You might very well feel that way, but it's not connected to reality, especially given the fact that you already said you were unhealthy and running on stress/caloric restriction for a long time. I mention this as it can be a serious sticking-point for some people who refuse to let themselves get healthy because of an arbitrary number.

Water retention sounds like excess estrogen, so the worst possible offender would be birth-control pills followed by either endotoxin from undigested food (starch) or the release (burning) of pufa. There are many different views about Aspirin here, but I think that taking enough to block the release of pufa (also using niacinamide) is a safe approach.

You might also consider going through your sups to make sure that they're safe. It's amazing how many sups are actually doing more harm than good. A member here runs Idealabs and has an excellent range of sups including everything that you are currently taking.

Also, if you think your glycogen storage is poor then using Tuarine could help (once your stores run out, then stress hormones rise).

Taurine Doubles Liver Glycogen

The one concepts I'm struggling with:
How to increase my metabolism. Do I eat more sugar and high calories for a while?
This is a very complex question, so you'll need to read more on this forum and experiment. No one can tell you if this will work for you in particular, so testing is the best answer.
How would I evaluate my liver function to know if it's doing what it's supposed to?
Caffeine taken with enough sugar is a great way to gauge liver health.
How do I fix this GD bloating?!
Increasing salty foods/liquids is an effective way to resolve this, especially early in the morning. You can add eggshell calcium as well.

Cheers!

 

[Steene]

The more reviews I read about Aspirin the more it seems that it is effecting women or people with a sedentary lifestyle in general in terms of weight gain. In my experience it does the opposite it is easier to maintain weight on a calorie surplus probably due its uncoupling effect on mitochondria, reduction of estrogen and lowering fat accumulation and lower water retention.

I use 500 mg to 1000 mg Aspirin daily.

 

[Broken man]

The reason that you gain some weight even you are eating good is that you are not using sugar effectively. Caffeine, niacinamide, theanine should help. You can try this Surrogates For Thyroid Hormone

 

[Sonybaloney]

Saying that you went from "thin' to "chunky" with only 10lbs is not a reasonable statement mathematically. You might very well feel that way, but it's not connected to reality, especially given the fact that you already said you were unhealthy and running on stress/caloric restriction for a long time. I mention this as it can be a serious sticking-point for some people who refuse to let themselves get healthy because of an arbitrary number.

So true. I am working hard to get over the mental game I've been playing for years. I'm doing my best to let go of the "weight" idea in regards to health. I feel stronger, more alive, less fatigue and mentally clear. I can live with some tight pants for that at least for now.

I have eliminated a lot of the stress response. My waking pulse and temps show big improvements. I sleep great and am waking refreshed instead of groggy at least most of the time.

I have been doing the milk + sugar for a while, but I had a feeling it was what was giving me swollen tissues. I eliminated it yesterday just to see, and sure enough swelling is reduced. Perhaps I"ll try milk that isn't raw and see how that goes.

I want to trust the process and continue in the research so I appreciate your comments and advice!

 

[kreeese]

welcome and happy new year from nyc!!! I can relate....minimize the supplements....really. why do you feel you need all of them? I dropped all supplementation and I never felt better...u may be surprised
Kristian Rocco nyc

 

[tara]

I've been feeling great on this diet thus far. However, like many, the rapid increase in calories, probably due to OJ & milk, have put 10 extra pounds on me. I think some of it is water retention. I have always been thin, so being chunky is quite distressing. I'm trying to see this all as a process. Any advice would be great!

It sounds as though you have been seriously undereating for a long time. 2100 cals is still on the lowish side. According to some of what I've read about recovering from anorexia and related undereating issues, unless you are exceptional or exceptionally short, it may not be enough to recover on, though it's a big improvement on continuing as before. 10 pounds is not much to gain.

I found some of Gwyneth Olwyn's writing on the subject interesting. I don't mean to imply that I am diagnosing you wiht anything but amongst other things, she includes a lot of information about the physical effects in the body of energy deficit, and what happens when sufficient food is eventually consistently provided.
Patients and General Public
Her previous website was called Youreatopia, and there's a related thread in this forum here:
Recovery From Undereating - Youreatopia

I've attached cronometer from yesterday. The only thing that may be a bit off is the milk. I get raw milk from a local small family dairy and I do my best to skim it, so I'm not sure of the fat content.

Maybe consider not skimming the milk, and see how you do with it?

 

[Sonybaloney]

@tara
Thankyou so much. I spent a few hours looking at the link and reading the thread. It seems I may have been dealing with disordered eating. I fall into the orthorexia category. I have been undereating for a LONG time, as you mentioned. After reading a lot about that today, my focus has shifted somewhat. I want to focus on increasing my calories by first increasing protein, matching it with enough carbs and then adding fat if needed to make it above at least 2500 a day. I'm going to drop all of my supplements and try that for 2 weeks and see how I feel.
Perhaps I'm always looking for the bandaid, the next thing to improve how I feel, etc. and ignore the basic principles of energy and health. I want to see how my body reacts to just basic food nutrition. After I feel that I've adequately addressed the energy deficiency, I will tweak from there.

Thankyou Thankyou!

 

[walker_in_aus]

@tara
Thankyou so much. I spent a few hours looking at the link and reading the thread. It seems I may have been dealing with disordered eating. I fall into the orthorexia category. I have been undereating for a LONG time, as you mentioned. After reading a lot about that today, my focus has shifted somewhat. I want to focus on increasing my calories by first increasing protein, matching it with enough carbs and then adding fat if needed to make it above at least 2500 a day. I'm going to drop all of my supplements and try that for 2 weeks and see how I feel.
Perhaps I'm always looking for the bandaid, the next thing to improve how I feel, etc. and ignore the basic principles of energy and health. I want to see how my body reacts to just basic food nutrition. After I feel that I've adequately addressed the energy deficiency, I will tweak from there.

Thankyou Thankyou!

Hi Tara,

I spent three years obsessing over what I ate until a health professional pointed out that the "hole in my bucket" caused by disordered and stressed eating was far bigger than the hole cause by eating something "non optimal".

I find drawing a picture of a bucket and labelling things that are holes in it, and also things that fill your bucket very helpful.

No amount of supplements or strict eating can fill a bucket full of holes!

 

[Sonybaloney]

So true, walker_in_aus.

 

[Arnold Grape]

Hi Tara,

I spent three years obsessing over what I ate until a health professional pointed out that the "hole in my bucket" caused by disordered and stressed eating was far bigger than the hole cause by eating something "non optimal".

I find drawing a picture of a bucket and labelling things that are holes in it, and also things that fill your bucket very helpful.

No amount of supplements or strict eating can fill a bucket full of holes!

The whole thing is that Peat-eating inspires orthorexia, most people here are aware of that and balance a thin line, while attempting to stave off notions of becoming over-obsessive about everything they eat. (e.g. The whole idea of being aware of PUFA's in a consumer environment replete with these foods is an example of this thinking.)

 

[Sonybaloney]

But that can be true of any type of eating style. That's probably what led most of us here. Interest in health, disease, and treatment of our symptoms through practical dietary and supplemental changes. I think most people have good intentions when eating for health, no matter the plan. Each style of eating I have tried has come with the problems of obsessing over what is ok and isn't. THe problem for me is that I haven't tried anything that's easy to maintain long term.

 

[sladerunner69]

Greetings,
I'm new here. I've been lurking for a while and reading as much as I can. I will try to keep this short & simple. I've been attempting a Peat Style of eating since November. I always tried to eat for nutrient density, but it seems sugar is a nutrient. So, in short, I probably fall into the chronic low carb, high pufa diet if we were to look to the past. I've recently been on accutane and BCP, so I know there's some sorting out to do in regards to liver function and hormones.

A little background: I have a special needs autistic boy (13) that has had constant problems in school with aggression & behavior. That took a lot out of me. Currently he is living with his dad. I needed to make that change because I was on the verge of a breakdown. So stress has been a predominant issue. I've also been trying to go to nursing school during all of this. I'm back to full time school and have 2 other children 16, 8, at home. Married. Happy.

I've been dealing with chronic fatigue. I've been "cold" all my life until recently. My temps have improved by a whole degree and my energy has been great about 80% of the time, which is an improvement from waking at 7 and needing a nap by 10, trying to get up again at 1 and barely functioning by 4. Then I was a night owl. Repeat.

A basic day of eating for me:

Bfast: 2 eggs (fried in CO or butter), 1 C salted OJ with Collagen, 1/2 C coffee + 1/2 C raw milk.
Daytime at short intervals: Cheese, apple sauce, sugared milk, homemade marshmallow, carrots, mexican coke.
I don't eat a full on "Lunch".
Dinner: Small portion of either shrimp, short rib, roast, lambchop, hamburger made with onions, apples & maple syrup. Either butternut squash, acorn squash or sweet potato/reg potato. Applesauce, more OJ, cheese.

Supplements: Progesterone oil 2-3x/day plus wherever there's an ache/pain, NDT 30 mg 2-3x/day. Pregnenolone 70mg everyother day, aspirin 300mg daily, Vit B1,2,3,5,6,7 2x/day, ADK 2x/day, Vit E 1g/day, Collagen, incandescent light first thing in the am and a lot during the day.

I recorded yesterday in Cronometer. It showed 2100 or so calories, which seems high for me. I think I was way below 1200 for YEARS... I was running on stress hormones for sure.

I've been feeling great on this diet thus far. However, like many, the rapid increase in calories, probably due to OJ & milk, have put 10 extra pounds on me. I think some of it is water retention. I have always been thin, so being chunky is quite distressing. I'm trying to see this all as a process. Any advice would be great!

I've attached cronometer from yesterday. The only thing that may be a bit off is the milk. I get raw milk from a local small family dairy and I do my best to skim it, so I'm not sure of the fat content.

The one concepts I'm struggling with:
How to increase my metabolism. Do I eat more sugar and high calories for a while?
How would I evaluate my liver function to know if it's doing what it's supposed to?
How do I fix this GD bloating?!

To avoid gaining fat like I did, eat lower amounts of fat and watch calories. Your metabolism probably isn't where you want it yet and can't burn all of the food you are having. going from 1200 to 2100 is a big jump, and you are more than likely still, at least somewhat, in stress metabolism mode. As that improves you can burn more and more calories. Sugar calories are less likely than fat to be stored as bodyfat, so easy on butter, eggs, cheese, milk etc.

 

[Sonybaloney]

Thankyou sladerunner69. It sure is a big jump. I was at the point where I wasn't even hungry for years. I've always eaten a good breakfast, so the rest of the day I just try to keep a steady supply of sugar/fruit intake balanced with some protein. A lot of retraining to do with my body. As far as stress metabolism, I think you're right, though I've improved. My temps and pulse are showing that. I'm also finding that I'm hot easily, whereas before I was always the cold person that everyone jokes about. Heating pad on my feet during the summer, etc.
What are some of the other signs of stress metabolism other than temps, pulse?

 

[danishispsychic]

hi! :) you might want to really think about your liver first and also getting a " clean gut ". for me- nothing on the typical peat way of eating worked really- until i stopped it all and worked on cleaning stuff out. i got a fatty liver doing peat that i did not have before eating that way. so i stopped and worked backward- i got my dna done, then imported that into self hacked and figured out a few things about my system. i was lucky too to figure out that i have virus and infections going to that were upping my cortisol. so in my humble opinion- i think that really understanding your baseline is key. knowing your dna markers is key. cleaning the colon an liver is key. i made huge strides when i started drinking h202 water and doing a few other cleansing techniques. just upping your calories and peating i think it great for people that don't have say... .parasites, and massive candida overgrowth and fatty or toxic liver and pathogens galore.... no supplement really worked well for me until i really did a detox and yes... ( gasp - peat forumers ) that meant fasting / master cleanse or a few days at a time and coffee e's. just my experience. i have gotten my temps up from 97.6 to 98.2 and it took 4 months of really working at it. sometimes i have a 98.6 day and im stoked. the big leap in temps happened when i made sure i added some animal protein. i hate having to eat it but helps me a bit. i used to be vegan. the main thing is to really listen to your body and the other thing is to get back in touch with your tastebuds. they are always right. xx

 

[walker_in_aus]

Thankyou sladerunner69. It sure is a big jump. I was at the point where I wasn't even hungry for years. I've always eaten a good breakfast, so the rest of the day I just try to keep a steady supply of sugar/fruit intake balanced with some protein. A lot of retraining to do with my body. As far as stress metabolism, I think you're right, though I've improved. My temps and pulse are showing that. I'm also finding that I'm hot easily, whereas before I was always the cold person that everyone jokes about. Heating pad on my feet during the summer, etc.
What are some of the other signs of stress metabolism other than temps, pulse?

When washing your hair, a lot comes out.
Dry shins and heels.
Slow digestion.
Insomnia and night sweats.
Dental Decay.
Low Libido
Lethargy

 

[CLASH]

@Sonybaloney
To answer your questions specifically:

“How do I fix this GD bloating?“

From my experience milk puts on weight like that pretty fast, especially in quantity. I think it may be related to its opoid effect and exogenous hormones. I am a male in my 20s, with no liver issues, problems burning sugar etc for context and I also experienced a weight gain in the midsection from milk (i tried raw goat, storebought goat, cow, raw cow; all permutations were grass fed organic) so I think its safe to trust your experience with this. Also, eating every 3-4 hours as opposed to grazing all day long may help with bloating. I think some people may give themselves SIBO by eating constantly all day long, it interrupts the migrating motor complex in the gut that flushes food through the system. Perhaps try to stick to consistent eating times in the day. Also some foods could be allergenic or irritating for you and could lead to bloating. Dairy could be one, eggs could be another. Have to experiment with yourself and see how you feel/ what works.

—————————————————————

“How to increase my metabolism. Do I eat more sugar and high calories for a while?“

I would avoid PUFA and allergens (gotta figure these out for yourself, the obvious are grains and dairy for some, white rice tends to be an exception for grains) and eat enough protein: https://www.google.com/amp/s/bayesi...-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/amp/ (heres an article from the bodybuilding sphere looking at different studies involving the utilization of protein by the body in the sense of finding the “goldilocks zone” of avoiding protein oxidation while maintaining lean mass, I think the numbers come out to be .7-.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight)

Eatenough carbs: gotta figure these out yourself, not too much research on absolute amounts. A good starting point is a ratio of 3:1 to protein or 1.5-3g of carbs per lb of bodyweight.

Eat enough fat: alot of people go very low fat here. I think you have to see what works for you. Fat is involved with stimulating digestion and enhancing nutrient absorption while “sterilizing” the small intestine. .4g/lb Seems like a good starting point. Make sure its saturated

Heres a a guidepost from another fitness researcher alan aragon’s site. I’d ignore the protein recommendations here, they are a bit high I think (http://www.alanaragonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Calories-and-Macros-Emma-Leigh-Synnott.pdf)

These are just starting points for you to get a rough idea. From here you can increase carbs and increase or decrease fat slowly over time to increase ur metabolism based on how you feel.

—————————————————————

“How would I evaluate my liver function to know if it's doing what it's supposed to?”

Labs: ALT, AST, albumin. Im sure there are a few others, @haidut may know a few others

—————————————————————

As for supplements, I would plug a days eating into cronometer, see what your missing and add in from there within the context of peaty supplements: mag, vit d, vit k2-mk4 (id probably supplement this one regardless), vit e, vit a, b3, b1, b2, biotin, b6, mag chloride, calcium. As for hormones and other supps like aspirin id try them by themselves for a week or two and tracked how i felt before i added another. I think doing too many supps, especially non-vitamin/ mineral supps such as amino acids and hormones/ drugs at once may be more harmful than helpful and can alter different pathways in the body that are relatively complex and intertwined.