Peata's Log For Weight Loss & Misc

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Peata

Peata

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I've been listening to my body about what it's craving the last few days. Some of the things I usually eat are not appetizing at this point. Things like chocolate, raisins, lots of coffee, tomato based foods, coconut oil chips.

Things that have more appeal lately through all this: cheese like Laughing Cow, a little milk, half a banana, instant potatoes.

I went with a craving and had a fast food burger yesterday evening, only eating it until I was satisfied and didn't finish the rest. And today had some scrambled eggs and potatoes fried in coconut oil. My stomach is feeling much less irritated is why I can eat these things but I still feel there are limits since I'm recovering from that awful episode this week.

Back to diarrhea talk - it's likely all that chronic diarrhea I had last year (which later cleared up with pepto until recently) was the gastritis problem brewing. Esp since I also had those bad feelings with eating and not eating.
 
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Peata

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And one last thing I want to get down for this journal is that I have indeed lost some weight. Seven pounds since May 27. It's not fast, but I don't care. When I went from not being able to lose even one pound for over a year and in fact gaining - to losing some weight, I'm just happy. Before, I was thinking something was broken, like my metabolism would never get better. But it required getting the metabolism up, the glycogen storage better and so being able to reduce calories. And apparently it's getting my gut fixed up so I can absorb more nutrients, feel good, have normal bathroom times, maybe stop bloat, increase time between meals, etc.
 

Giraffe

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Peata said:
But I've also had increased appetite. Food cravings (hamburgers, potato chips)...
I seem to have potato weeks. Each night I find myself in the kitchen slicing two small potatoes and frying the slices in coconut oil. A pile of salt on each slice... Yummi!
 

tara

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Hi Peata,
I don't usually have any severe GI symptoms. But on the rare occasion I do - eg tummy bugs, diarrhea, vomitting, it is often accompanied by severe weakness and dizziness - like lie down on the floor and pass out, crawl to the loo cause I can't walk, etc. Gut and head and general strength are definitely connected for me in these cases.
 
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Peata

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Giraffe said:
Peata said:
But I've also had increased appetite. Food cravings (hamburgers, potato chips)...
I seem to have potato weeks. Each night I find myself in the kitchen slicing two small potatoes and frying the slices in coconut oil. A pile of salt on each slice... Yummi!

:thumbleft
 
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tara said:
Hi Peata,
I don't usually have any severe GI symptoms. But on the rare occasion I do - eg tummy bugs, diarrhea, vomitting, it is often accompanied by severe weakness and dizziness - like lie down on the floor and pass out, crawl to the loo cause I can't walk, etc. Gut and head and general strength are definitely connected for me in these cases.

Yes, there is a connection there. I am considering going back on a tiny dose of cyproheptadine to see if it helps at all. I am taking some lysine for serotonin but maybe it's not enough. Not that I think serotonin is the only problem, but I do want to hit the problem from all sides.
 
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Peata

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GI issues update

The doctor advised me not to eat before bed, which might have been contributing to some of my sleep problems and feeling unwell in the morning. I don't know, but I'm trying it. I had 1/2 cup of kefir (which he also recommended I try) a couple hours before bed, and had good sleep and didn't wake up with symptoms, so I'll keep it up a while.

I've been taking 1/2 mg. Cyproheptadine or 12 mg. Benadryl before bed the last couple nights, and that seems to be helping sleep. For six weeks, I'd only been getting 3 - 5 hours most nights, but the last couple nights I've had a good eight hours.

I was still suffering with the gastritis symptoms up to last night, including the dizziness and weakness feelings, but so far today - knock on wood - it's better. Though I felt it start to try to come on after eating breakfast.

I am on some prescriptions for my stomach and intestines. It's a short term treatment, a month, to see if things improve. One thing is Carafate, which I took many years ago when I had an ulcer. It coats the stomach, especially the raw parts. Another thing is Bentyl, to lessen cramps and diarrhea. Also omeprazole, which I've also taken in the past, for no more than a month.

My blood work showed dehydration, he said. Probably from diarrhea even though I was taking Powerade.

I can only handle one cup of coffee per day since all this struck me a week ago (after months of relatively few problems).

I'm also on my period since Monday but the cramps really got me yesterday evening and as soon as I woke up...... TMI.........


clots. :(
 
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Weight loss

Great thing is, I'm able to lose weight, and am now down EIGHT pounds since May 27.

I still can't believe it when I look at the scales. And my waist is a couple inches less.

I'm starting to feel the need to build some muscle, so I'll probably start a light resistance program at home, things like pushups, crunches, squats, etc.

I am still holding my breath on the weight loss because when I think of it like this it's sobering - that I am STILL a little above the starting weight from four years ago when I embarked on a regimen to lose, and back then it was the most I'd ever weighed. Now I've had to lose weight just to GET TO THAT STARTING POINT, if you see what I mean

But I have hope. I never gave up hope that I could lose weight, and it's finally happening.
 
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Just an update.

No weight loss lately. But at least I'm not gaining.

Sleep has been pretty good.

I am leaning more and more toward a couple ideas that cause the problems with the lightheaded, RLS, and other bad symptoms that would come on when I ate something, went too long without eating, or even back when I took pregnenolone. As my stomach has healed over the last couple weeks since that bad incident, the problem hasn't come on too much, thankfully. I was reading about the vagus nerve and the connection it can have with IBS, hiatal hernia, etc. which I have. So when the symptoms would start to come on, I found I could shorten the duration or make it go away with some techniques for vagus nerve.

Unfortunately, I have had bouts of diarrhea for a while. Haven't been using Pepto but taking Bentyl and other things. I should try the Pepto again to see if that will permanently fix it.

I am more aware of the way symptoms come on to me that seem unrelated, but always my stomach will be hurting during these times, so it's related to that somehow.

I've been upping my caffeine intake to work on my liver some more, and I haven't had problems with the caffeine. I increased it gradually. I usually have at least 2 cups coffee each day, but I also take a caffeine supplement. Haven't had the adrenaline problem like when I tried it months ago, so I take that as another sign my issues are getting better, especially thyroid. I can pop 100 mg. caffeine at a time now, on top of coffee (as long as I have eaten) and feel fine. I take 400 - 700 mg caffeine total each day.

I stopped taurine and lysine and am back to using glycine with foods that could upset aminos. And calcium to help with cal/phosphate.

I also take a pump of Unique E oil with a pufa food. I consume coconut oil too.

Taking 1/2 mg. cyproheptadine several nights per week. No more than 2 nights in row in case I would get some w/d going off it.

Well, this is what I take regularly:
B vits
E
Progest E
Cyproheptadine or Benadryl depending on if I want better sleep or having allergies
Calcium
Glycine
Caffeine
Coconut oil
 

Lin

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Peata, I don't know it this will help you or not.... But, for me, the B-vitamins, especially niacinamide, are a terrific appetite stimulant. I lost weight only stopping them for a week. And I was not hungry. Lost 2 lbs in that week.
(Then I saw chronometer was showing a deficit, so started taking them again, got hungry, and gained the weight back!)
During that week, I only took one multi, every other day, and did not look at chronometer the entire time. Ha!

Planning to do the same, starting tomorrow!
 

Sheila

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Hi Peata
You mentioned some vagus nerve techniques that you used to help you, could you expand on which techniques worked for you please?
Thank you
Sheila
 
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Peata

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Lin said:
Peata, I don't know it this will help you or not.... But, for me, the B-vitamins, especially niacinamide, are a terrific appetite stimulant. I lost weight only stopping them for a week. And I was not hungry. Lost 2 lbs in that week.
(Then I saw chronometer was showing a deficit, so started taking them again, got hungry, and gained the weight back!)
During that week, I only took one multi, every other day, and did not look at chronometer the entire time. Ha!

Planning to do the same, starting tomorrow!

Thanks, Lin. I used to have problems when i mega dosed niacinamide. I would have to eat constantly or get a bad headache. I take much less now.

I use a liquid B vitamin from the supermarket which doesn't have all the Bs, but I add a couple more Bs to it: biotin and B1. I let those dissolve and shake it up. It's then dispensed by a dropper. Tastes bad but I've had worse.

Maybe try half the amount of Bs and see if you find that balance? Edit: NM, I see you are taking it every other day which sounds good too. I would like to get where I don't need to supplement or maybe just on occasion.

My stomach feels a little flatter today, so I may have been retaining some water. I know around ovulation various things will happen. Thankfully my appetite is under control lately.
 
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Peata

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Sheila said:
Hi Peata
You mentioned some vagus nerve techniques that you used to help you, could you expand on which techniques worked for you please?
Thank you
Sheila

Hi Sheila. The only one I've tried is to hold my breath and "bear down" like I'm going to the bathroom. This seems to help. Maybe it's psychological, but it has helped me, so that's what I count.

There are other techniques I did not get around to trying but will if I need to: Jump up and down. Put face in ice water. Rock back and forth. Cough.
 

Sheila

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Thank you Peata, I appreciate your thoughts.
All the best to you.
Sheila
 
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My sleep could improve. But I think last night's issues were because I ate close to bed again. Seems like there's a balance between waiting too long between food and sleep, and eating too close. Either one can mean poor sleep. Either trouble getting to sleep or waking up too early. I'm going to work on that.

The only other issue I have at the moment is feeling lack of drive all of this week. Not sure if that has to do with where I am in cycle or if it's just a cycle of work and rest that is natural. I do all that I have to do, but I haven't felt much like doing anything extra. Normally I would get more things done. But this week, I am content to sit around more than I should. Alertness is fine though, it's not anything to do with being sleepy.

So, I'm not sure how to address this.
 
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I had a stomach "bug" of some kind yesterday. Diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, ugh. I took Pepto, Bentyl, sipped Ginger Ale. Took Dramamine. Could hardly eat all afternoon/eve. Made myself have half slice toast at night just because my stomach was growling. Seems all better today, thankfully.
 
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A word on Dramamine. It really helped me feel better during the worst of that stomach illness yesterday. Nice relief. Only thing is, it causes a lot of drowsiness, but I wasn't going anywhere so it wasn't a big deal.

I think Dramamine makes a better sleep aid for me than Benadryl or Cyproheptadine. Not only does it make me a lot sleepier a lot faster (seems to kick in within an hour or a little more, compared to longer for Benadryl and even hours longer for Cyproheptadine), but it doesn't seem to have the strong anticholinergenic symptoms that Benadryl gives me. In other words, I don't get that uncomfortalbe super-dry mouth.

This wasn't even brand name, was just walmart's equate "motion sickness" pills. One tablet is 50 mg. Dimenhydrinate. And they've been expired for 3 years. :roll: Anyway, just listing this info for my personal records. It is suprisingly easy to forget what one has done that helped and lapse into something unhelpful.
 
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And last thing I want to update on is how helpful caffeine seems to be over the last 2 weeks. I mentioned before that I drink coffee and take caffeine pills (after full stomach). I do not usually have any after 4 p.m.

I am still in the experiment phase, but it APPEARS to be helping boost my natural progesterone. No blood tests, but going by acne symptoms which are always obvious. I notice about one day per week I am too busy to get my caffeine doses in, usually getting under 200 mg. and the next day I have some acne. But it could also be a byproduct of that stress the day before. I dunno.

However, on the days I get at least 400 mg. I do not seem to get the acne outbreaks that would normally plague me, especially this time in cycle.

Other regular symptoms I will be watching to see if they occur or not - menstrual cramps and sore breasts.

I plan to keep this up and see if it's consistent. Maybe (hopefully) my liver is doing better. I also take at least 500 mg. glycine daily. I throw that info out there because I've read here before that it's also helpful for the liver. adding: But I had been taking glycine pretty regularly for months. It was only after adding the caffeine that I saw improvement in skin.

But I think the glycine has an overall beneficial effect anyway.
 
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Wow, lost some more weight all of a sudden. Lost 2 pounds between Sunday and Tues, then 2 more pounds since yesterday. :ninja

So 10 pounds total since May 27. Four pounds came off in the first week - no doubt water weight. Then it was a slow crawl after that, until the last two weeks it started up again. But this week has been a big whooshh.

I can see it in the mirror and feel that my clothes fit different. I'm down to 32 inch waist. Belly fat shrinking.

:carrot2 :carrot :dancenanner
 

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