Stress And Thinning Skin

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
Hey all,

So I'm currently in my late 20s and have had literal non-stop anxiety since I was a teen. I read on here that high levels of cortisol can destroy tissue. My skin is so thin. I get cut very easily, take a long time to heal and my veins are slightly visible, which I hate. My mom has the same issue.

My questions are:

1) If I get things under control and finally solve my stress problem would my skin get thicker/experience regeneration?

2) Is there anything you would recommend to achieve this?

Thanks for your time.
 

redsun

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
3,013
Hey all,

So I'm currently in my late 20s and have had literal non-stop anxiety since I was a teen. I read on here that high levels of cortisol can destroy tissue. My skin is so thin. I get cut very easily, take a long time to heal and my veins are slightly visible, which I hate. My mom has the same issue.

My questions are:

1) If I get things under control and finally solve my stress problem would my skin get thicker/experience regeneration?

2) Is there anything you would recommend to achieve this?

Thanks for your time.

If you are talking about your actual veins like the one's that go up your biceps, I have veins going up my bicep that came up when I was a kid that recently got pumped again as I attempt to raise histamine levels. Thats perfectly normal and is dependent on histamine levels largely. As for the other symptoms... sounds like high cortisol/insulin resistance/ diabetic(poor wound healing) condition. You can find many many studies posted here through search function about lowering cortisol and treating diabetes.

A general guideline for you that is pretty tame. Number one is to make sure the diet you are currently eating is nutritionally adequate. Manganese, zinc, Bs are especially important for blood sugar regulation and insulin function. One of the worst cortisol boosters is wild blood sugar levels.
 
OP
Summer

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
If you are talking about your actual veins like the one's that go up your biceps, I have veins going up my bicep that came up when I was a kid that recently got pumped again as I attempt to raise histamine levels. Thats perfectly normal and is dependent on histamine levels largely. As for the other symptoms... sounds like high cortisol/insulin resistance/ diabetic(poor wound healing) condition. You can find many many studies posted here through search function about lowering cortisol and treating diabetes.

A general guideline for you that is pretty tame. Number one is to make sure the diet you are currently eating is nutritionally adequate. Manganese, zinc, Bs are especially important for blood sugar regulation and insulin function. One of the worst cortisol boosters is wild blood sugar levels.

Thanks for the response. When I say you can see the veins, I mean the blue color beneath my skin. Not like when you are working out and they protrude, sadly.

I don’t think I’m anywhere near diabetic as I recently had a health exam at work and all of my results were very good. High HDL, low LDL, nominal waist size and weight for my height, nominal blood sugar levels, etc.

I will say that I’m 6’2” and 160 lbs but I just can’t bring myself to consume more than ~1600 calories per day. I just am never that hungry. And the rare times that I do is usually done with fast food. I don’t even know how I would achieve more calories otherwise. I do supplement zinc and niacinamide. I’ll do some research here. Thanks.
 

somuch4food

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
1,281
I will say that I’m 6’2” and 160 lbs but I just can’t bring myself to consume more than ~1600 calories per day. I just am never that hungry. And the rare times that I do is usually done with fast food.

The first step is to increase calories. When I was undereating last year, I was the most anxious I have ever been. Your minimum target should be 2500-3000 calories a day. Your metabolism is suppressed because you are starving yourself even if it's not voluntary.
 
OP
Summer

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
The first step is to increase calories. When I was undereating last year, I was the most anxious I have ever been. Your minimum target should be 2500-3000 calories a day. Your metabolism is suppressed because you are starving yourself even if it's not voluntary.

How would you suggest going about this? I've looked through a lot peoples' personal diets here for inspiration but too much sugar makes me feel shaky/dizzy and I can't really stomach shellfish.
 

somuch4food

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
1,281
How would you suggest going about this? I've looked through a lot peoples' personal diets here for inspiration but too much sugar makes me feel shaky/dizzy and I can't really stomach shellfish.

Personnally, I have given on the perfect diet. I go with the flow. Some days are high sugar others only starches. Sometimes I eat raw vegetables, etc. I was being orthorexic in the last few years and I was just going downhill. My main foods are potatoes, rice, wheat, apples and applesauce, tomatoes, dairy and muscle meat. I eat oysters and liver when I fancy them, about once or twice a month.

As for the suppressed appetite, I haven't experimented this ever. I was suppressing it mentally, but I've always been a big eater. You could try force feeding yourself to bring back hunger or maybe eat what you crave most. If it's not Peaty, you can try making it yourself in a more Peat friendly version.
 
OP
Summer

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
Personnally, I have given on the perfect diet. I go with the flow. Some days are high sugar others only starches. Sometimes I eat raw vegetables, etc. I was being orthorexic in the last few years and I was just going downhill. My main foods are potatoes, rice, wheat, apples and applesauce, tomatoes, dairy and muscle meat. I eat oysters and liver when I fancy them, about once or twice a month.

As for the suppressed appetite, I haven't experimented this ever. I was suppressing it mentally, but I've always been a big eater. You could try force feeding yourself to bring back hunger or maybe eat what you crave most. If it's not Peaty, you can try making it yourself in a more Peat friendly version.

Thanks for the feedback. I do love starches, so maybe I'll double up on those. And I definitely need to eat more muscle meat for the protein if anything. Maybe some more butter and milk along with it. As for foods I'm desiring, I need to find a good Peat-za recipe :D
 

morgan#1

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
295
The first step is to increase calories. When I was undereating last year, I was the most anxious I have ever been. Your minimum target should be 2500-3000 calories a day. Your metabolism is suppressed because you are starving yourself even if it's not voluntary.
This is so right. Just so you see what I’m doing I’m gonna post a few days of cronometer. I’m 5’4” weighing 122-123. And I think my set point is 122ish. Because I’ve maintained at that eating 2,700-3,200. I work out, so I don’t know if I could get away with the high calories...good luck.

The 3,300 calories was a reset cheat day. I don’t usually go above 3,000. 229BC1CD-5727-43C8-B755-255B05DF67BE.png 15EE56AA-A77A-49C8-8D40-3C0EDE767803.png

It takes a while to go from 1,600-3,000. I would think if you’re over 6’ your body needs at least 3,000. Don’t rush it, I wouldn’t think. A couple hundred calories, baby steps. You might gain a bit a water weight, and then after a couple weeks it goes away. At least it did for me. Remember this is calories =energy =repair food. Especially now.
 

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morgan#1

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Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
295
skin get thicker/experience regeneration?
Regeneration happens when the body has enough energy to repair. When I weighed 95 pounds my skin was very thin, now it’s much better and tighter. Skin is an organ. You have to regenerate all your organs and that takes a lot of calories.
 

lampofred

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
3,244
This is so right. Just so you see what I’m doing I’m gonna post a few days of cronometer. I’m 5’4” weighing 122-123. And I think my set point is 122ish. Because I’ve maintained at that eating 2,700-3,200. I work out, so I don’t know if I could get away with the high calories...good luck.

The 3,300 calories was a reset cheat day. I don’t usually go above 3,000. View attachment 14816 View attachment 14817

It takes a while to go from 1,600-3,000. I would think if you’re over 6’ your body needs at least 3,000. Don’t rush it, I wouldn’t think. A couple hundred calories, baby steps. You might gain a bit a water weight, and then after a couple weeks it goes away. At least it did for me. Remember this is calories =energy =repair food. Especially now.

Sunflower oil???
 

lampofred

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
3,244
Hey all,

So I'm currently in my late 20s and have had literal non-stop anxiety since I was a teen. I read on here that high levels of cortisol can destroy tissue. My skin is so thin. I get cut very easily, take a long time to heal and my veins are slightly visible, which I hate. My mom has the same issue.

My questions are:

1) If I get things under control and finally solve my stress problem would my skin get thicker/experience regeneration?

2) Is there anything you would recommend to achieve this?

Thanks for your time.

I think skin regenerates relatively easily with enough calories, nutrients, and a decent metabolism. Do you get enough protein, fat soluble vitamins, zinc & selenium? This is from a RP article on multiple sclerosis but I think it could also apply to thin skin/cortisol excess:

"Vitamin E and coconut oil; vitamin A; magnesium, sodium; thyroid which includes T3; large amounts of animal protein, especially eggs; sulfur, such as magnesium sulfate or flowers of sulfur, but not to take continuously, because of sulfur's interference with copper absorption; pregnenolone; progesterone if needed. Bright light, weak in the blue end of the spectrum and with protection against ultraviolet, activates respiratory metabolism and quenches free radicals. Raw carrot fiber and/or laxatives if needed; charcoal occasionally for gas or bowel irritation. Coconut oil serves several purposes. Its butyric acid is known to increase T3 uptake by glial cells. It has a general pro-thyroid action, for example by diluting and displacing antithyroid unsaturated oils, its short- and medium-chain fatty acids sustain blood sugar and have antiallergic actions, and it protects mitochondria against stressinjury. "
 
OP
Summer

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
This is so right. Just so you see what I’m doing I’m gonna post a few days of cronometer. I’m 5’4” weighing 122-123. And I think my set point is 122ish. Because I’ve maintained at that eating 2,700-3,200. I work out, so I don’t know if I could get away with the high calories...good luck.

The 3,300 calories was a reset cheat day. I don’t usually go above 3,000. View attachment 14816 View attachment 14817

It takes a while to go from 1,600-3,000. I would think if you’re over 6’ your body needs at least 3,000. Don’t rush it, I wouldn’t think. A couple hundred calories, baby steps. You might gain a bit a water weight, and then after a couple weeks it goes away. At least it did for me. Remember this is calories =energy =repair food. Especially now.

Regeneration happens when the body has enough energy to repair. When I weighed 95 pounds my skin was very thin, now it’s much better and tighter. Skin is an organ. You have to regenerate all your organs and that takes a lot of calories.


Thanks so much for posting all that info. It seems I need to double up on a lot of the stuff I’m already eating and gradually add more sugar to give my body time to acclimate. This gives me hope.

I think skin regenerates relatively easily with enough calories, nutrients, and a decent metabolism. Do you get enough protein, fat soluble vitamins, zinc & selenium? This is from a RP article on multiple sclerosis but I think it could also apply to thin skin/cortisol excess:

"Vitamin E and coconut oil; vitamin A; magnesium, sodium; thyroid which includes T3; large amounts of animal protein, especially eggs; sulfur, such as magnesium sulfate or flowers of sulfur, but not to take continuously, because of sulfur's interference with copper absorption; pregnenolone; progesterone if needed. Bright light, weak in the blue end of the spectrum and with protection against ultraviolet, activates respiratory metabolism and quenches free radicals. Raw carrot fiber and/or laxatives if needed; charcoal occasionally for gas or bowel irritation. Coconut oil serves several purposes. Its butyric acid is known to increase T3 uptake by glial cells. It has a general pro-thyroid action, for example by diluting and displacing antithyroid unsaturated oils, its short- and medium-chain fatty acids sustain blood sugar and have antiallergic actions, and it protects mitochondria against stressinjury. "

Thanks for the info. I know for a fact I can do with more protein as I’m not even hitting the 70g per day mark. Selenium too I’m sure. I’m kind of afraid of taking preg and progesterone. More research is needed on my end. Last time I was taking 1 tbsp of coconut oil a day it didn’t make me feel so great. Maybe if I take it with food it will go down easier.

Alright you guys have given me something to work on. Thanks again. I love this place.
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
I will say that I’m 6’2” and 160 lbs but I just can’t bring myself to consume more than ~1600 calories per day. I just am never that hungry. And the rare times that I do is usually done with fast food. I don’t even know how I would achieve more calories otherwise.
Have you got a kitchen? Get a decent cookbook or search for recipes online.
The first step is to increase calories. .... Your minimum target should be 2500-3000 calories a day. Your metabolism is suppressed because you are starving yourself even if it's not voluntary.
I agree that insufficient food is the likely cause of low metabolism and thin skin. The young men in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment were eating around 1600 cals during the starvation phase.
If you've been on the half rations for a long time, there may be a small chance of refeeding syndrome. It's rare but dangerous if not treated promptly. You can mitigate the risks by:
- increasing calories gradually - eg by 200 cals every few days till you are up close to normal calories (3200+ cals)
- being in communication with a medical professional how understands starvation, refeeding, and the risks.
- make sure someone who you see daily knows what you are doing and to look out if you get sick and get you help.
How would you suggest going about this? I've looked through a lot peoples' personal diets here for inspiration but too much sugar makes me feel shaky/dizzy and I can't really stomach shellfish.
I'd suggest a eating a wide range of foods to replenish yourself. Unless specific things disagree with you, fruit, roots, veges, milk, cheese, eggs, fish, meat, maybe a bit of grains, add enough cream, butter, coconut coil to make things taste good, or more if you need more calories. Go easy on the PUFA, too much refined sugar, and anything you are allergic to. As snacks between meals, milk, smoothies, cheese, fruit, dried fruit, chocolate, fruit jellies, ...
As for foods I'm desiring, I need to find a good Peat-za recipe :D
Depending on what your sensitivities are, you could try:
Eat some regular pizza - if you are starving, eating is more important than eating perfectly. You might want to improve on that eventually.
There are gluten-free or wheat free pizza crust recipes if you want to avoid those.
Or maybe try slicing potatoes, lining a dish with them and then baking them. Then cover them with sauce, cheese and other toppings?

Regeneration happens when the body has enough energy to repair. When I weighed 95 pounds my skin was very thin, now it’s much better and tighter. Skin is an organ. You have to regenerate all your organs and that takes a lot of calories.
+1
and gradually add more sugar to give my body time to acclimate.
I would aim for foods with lots of minerals and vitamins - not lots of refined sugar calories. Getting sugar from fruits gets you potassium and other minerals too.
Last time I was taking 1 tbsp of coconut oil a day it didn’t make me feel so great. Maybe if I take it with food it will go down easier.
Rather than 'taking' it like medicine, how about eating it as part of food? I've eaten coconut oil straight, and when I'm hungry I've enjoyed it. But I think it's probably much better to incorporate it into meals/snacks. Eg use if to fry eggs, onions, mushrooms, bake potato 'fries', melt onto other foods, incorporate into baking, ...
 

Aaron

Member
Joined
May 7, 2018
Messages
184
Location
Portland, OR
Lift heavy weights, drink lots of milk, eat lots of carbs, and keep stress low. The only person who can put calories in your mouth is you.
 

rob

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
146
Location
UK
@Summer A lot of what has been said is bang on, calories are currently your number one priority.

I don't think you said how physically active you are, but if you do a bit of exercise then, at you height and age, I would support the aforementioned calorie goals. 3000kcal sounds like a
pretty good ballpark to work towards - I presume from all of this you’re on the leaner side?

At a simple level, carbohydrates and fats are your new best friends. I wouldn't go crazy on the protein (meat and fish) because it's not too energetically efficient and it's harder to digest, thus, large servings could quickly fill you up if you've been undereating for a long time.

Also, with your appetite struggles, for now, focus on palatability/what you find appealing. Even in animal studies, it has been shown that highly stressed subjects are indifferent to their normal chow but happily tuck into foods high in fats, carbs and salt. Once you have settled down hormonally, you'll be in a better place to nuance things.

On the micronutrient side, technically, you might want to consider things like B vitamins and magnesium, but I don't want to overload you with supplements. Also, bear in mind, when you're hitting those higher calorie goals with a varied, omnivorous diet, a lot of the micronutrients will naturally come. That said, some important electrolytes, such as potassium, can be easy to not get enough of, especially if also exercising. Coconut water, potatoes, freshly made orange juice and a banana or two will all help you on your way.

Oh and get a Cronometer account if you haven't already. Not perfect, but gives you a decent idea of where you're at. Also, if you are hitting any bumps in the road, you can post screenshots of your daily diet on here, like @morgan#1, and members will have a much better idea of how to help.

Finally, get plenty of rest as you feed up – certainly ensure a solid sleep routine. Any athlete will tell you how vital recovery is after stressing the body. That's the best time for all that repair/'regeneration'.
 
Last edited:

morgan#1

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
295
Thanks so much for posting all that info. It seems I need to double up on a lot of the stuff I’m already eating and gradually add more sugar to give my body time to acclimate. This gives me hope.
For me it was really hard to understand that calories = energy = repair. I stopped reading those sh itty magazines (airbrushed/photoshopped, they tell you stop at 2,000, you’re a female and females shouldn’t go above 2,000!) at the gym, and I just held my own hand and realized that I needed to do something about my health. For me it was a different story, I was coming out of my ED, I was running over 5 miles and then doing hot yoga at night. I needed to gain weight, it sounds like your metabolism is stuck, and it definitely will get unstuck in time. You have to see the big picture...I was crazy about the scale, weighed myself twice a day. Now I do it when I go to the gym. I’m still nervous about weight. But I eat, and I realize the more healthy food I put in my body, it has almost negated the 20+ years I was destructive to my body. The food hasn’t me that precious time, but I feel better than I ever have. And for you it’s a win win situation, just stick it out and you’ll get rewarded big time.

What I posted was high on the milk and protein, I don’t usually go that high, I keep my milk around 24 oz and protein around 110-120. I don’t think it’s good to have protein that high for a number of days. Yesterday I had around 100g. I’m still working my way around the food, trying to figure out what’s good for me. But I think you’ll find that your skin will be SO much better if you body what it needs to carry out it’s task: rejuvenation of all your cells. Big task, right kind of calories.

When I first started, I gained a lot of weight quickly. So if your like me, don’t be alarmed, it’s just your body getting used to it. For me it took about 2 weeks and then I started to lose weight, I wasn’t eating any less. It just happened.



Thanks for the info. I know for a fact I can do with more protein as I’m not even hitting the 70g per day mark. Selenium too I’m sure. I’m kind of afraid of taking preg and progesterone. More research is needed on my end. Last time I was taking 1 tbsp of coconut oil a day it didn’t make me feel so great. Maybe if I take it with food it will go down easier.

Alright you guys have given me something to work on. Thanks again. I love this place.
 

morgan#1

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2016
Messages
295
that’s strange. My post is in the middle of your post. Never had that happen before...

There we go, copy paste. This is what I wrote:

For me it was really hard to understand that calories = energy = repair. I stopped looking at those sh itty magazines (airbrushed/photoshopped, they tell you stop at 2,000, you’re a female and females shouldn’t go above 2,000!) at the gym, and I just held my own hand and realized that I needed to do something about my health. For me it was a different story, I was coming out of my ED, I was running over 5 miles and then doing hot yoga at night. I needed to gain weight, it sounds like your metabolism is stuck, and it definitely will get unstuck in time. You have to see the big picture...I was crazy about the scale, weighed myself twice a day. Now I do it when I go to the gym. I’m still nervous about weight. But I eat, and I realize the more healthy food I put in my body, it has negated the 20+ years I was destructive to my body. And I think it’s turned back time physically. The food hasn’t given me back that precious time, but I feel better than I ever have. And for you it’s a win win situation, just stick it out and you’ll get rewarded big time.

What I posted was high on the milk and protein, I don’t usually go that high, I keep my milk around 24 oz, I haven’t gotten to where I can drink milk unaffected-it makes me bloated if I drink more than 24oz. I used to not be able to handle 16. And I keep my protein around 110-130. I don’t think it’s good to have protein that high for a number of days. Yesterday I had around 100-110g. And the multi-supplement I take, I do that 3 days. I’m still working my way around the food, trying to figure out what’s good for me. But I think you’ll find that your skin will be SO much better if you body what it needs to carry out it’s task: rejuvenation of all your cells. Big task, right kind of calories.

When I first started, I gained about 10 pounds quickly and then the 15 ish my body took about a year to settle on my set point: maybe 122-124. But I was very underweight. I was loosing and gaining. Don’t be alarmed, it’s just your body getting used to it. For me it took about 2 weeks and then I started to lose the water weight, I wasn’t eating any less. It just happened.

Edit: That’s so funny, I just read rob’s post! Exactly. Not too many supplements and not too much animal protein.
The sleep is a funny thing, before I was waking up so many times to “pee”, and now I’m almost sleeping through the night. That’s a huge thing for me. Also be careful with the Cronometer gauge, it’s way to little. I manually adjusted mine.

Oh my temps are good. Usually morning temps before I’ve gotten out of bed are 98.1-98.5
My pulse is more stubborn, sometimes I hit 75 but usually it’s in the mid to low 60s that’s another aargh. I think my menstrual stuff has something to do with that. I’m progressing, I’d like to get my pulse at least 70, that’s when I’m chipper.

Also, I’m trying to figure out what ratio of fat to have. I think that I do best on 20% fat, any less and I tend to feel anxious, and surprisingly my stomach is a little rounded. Oddly if I have at least 20% fat my stomach is lean and I eliminate several times in am. I think what works for you will be different than what works for someone else, I’ve learned this through trial and error after error. Just giving you some pointers, nothing is written in stone.
 
Last edited:
OP
Summer

Summer

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2019
Messages
851
Have you got a kitchen? Get a decent cookbook or search for recipes online.

I agree that insufficient food is the likely cause of low metabolism and thin skin. The young men in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment were eating around 1600 cals during the starvation phase.
If you've been on the half rations for a long time, there may be a small chance of refeeding syndrome. It's rare but dangerous if not treated promptly. You can mitigate the risks by:
- increasing calories gradually - eg by 200 cals every few days till you are up close to normal calories (3200+ cals)
- being in communication with a medical professional how understands starvation, refeeding, and the risks.
- make sure someone who you see daily knows what you are doing and to look out if you get sick and get you help.

I'd suggest a eating a wide range of foods to replenish yourself. Unless specific things disagree with you, fruit, roots, veges, milk, cheese, eggs, fish, meat, maybe a bit of grains, add enough cream, butter, coconut coil to make things taste good, or more if you need more calories. Go easy on the PUFA, too much refined sugar, and anything you are allergic to. As snacks between meals, milk, smoothies, cheese, fruit, dried fruit, chocolate, fruit jellies, ...

Depending on what your sensitivities are, you could try:
Eat some regular pizza - if you are starving, eating is more important than eating perfectly. You might want to improve on that eventually.
There are gluten-free or wheat free pizza crust recipes if you want to avoid those.
Or maybe try slicing potatoes, lining a dish with them and then baking them. Then cover them with sauce, cheese and other toppings?


+1

I would aim for foods with lots of minerals and vitamins - not lots of refined sugar calories. Getting sugar from fruits gets you potassium and other minerals too.

Rather than 'taking' it like medicine, how about eating it as part of food? I've eaten coconut oil straight, and when I'm hungry I've enjoyed it. But I think it's probably much better to incorporate it into meals/snacks. Eg use if to fry eggs, onions, mushrooms, bake potato 'fries', melt onto other foods, incorporate into baking, ...

Thanks for all the great advice. I’m still processing all of it but as you suggested, I have been gradually increasing calories over the past couple days. Still getting used to eating more. First world problems... I really like your pizza idea with the potatoes.

Lift heavy weights, drink lots of milk, eat lots of carbs, and keep stress low. The only person who can put calories in your mouth is you.

I really wish I could lift. Got an injury over a year ago that keeps reopening. Hopefully this helps with that problem too. Thanks.

@Summer A lot of what has been said is bang on, calories are currently your number one priority.

I don't think you said how physically active you are, but if you do a bit of exercise then, at you height and age, I would support the aforementioned calorie goals. 3000kcal sounds like a
pretty good ballpark to work towards - I presume from all of this you’re on the leaner side?

At a simple level, carbohydrates and fats are your new best friends. I wouldn't go crazy on the protein (meat and fish) because it's not too energetically efficient and it's harder to digest, thus, large servings could quickly fill you up if you've been undereating for a long time.

Also, with your appetite struggles, for now, focus on palatability/what you find appealing. Even in animal studies, it has been shown that highly stressed subjects are indifferent to their normal chow but happily tuck into foods high in fats, carbs and salt. Once you have settled down hormonally, you'll be in a better place to nuance things.

On the micronutrient side, technically, you might want to consider things like B vitamins and magnesium, but I don't want to overload you with supplements. Also, bear in mind, when you're hitting those higher calorie goals with a varied, omnivorous diet, a lot of the micronutrients will naturally come. That said, some important electrolytes, such as potassium, can be easy to not get enough of, especially if also exercising. Coconut water, potatoes, freshly made orange juice and a banana or two will all help you on your way.

Oh and get a Cronometer account if you haven't already. Not perfect, but gives you a decent idea of where you're at. Also, if you are hitting any bumps in the road, you can post screenshots of your daily diet on here, like @morgan#1, and members will have a much better idea of how to help.

Finally, get plenty of rest as you feed up – certainly ensure a solid sleep routine. Any athlete will tell you how vital recovery is after stressing the body. That's the best time for all that repair/'regeneration'.

I walk 10 minutes a day outside for the sunlight. That’s about the extent of my physical activity. As I mentioned above, an injury prevents me from exercising at the moment but I hope it changes soon. It’s odd. I’m underweight for my size but I’ve always been skinny-fat. I’m hoping to alleviate this with heavy lifting once I’m able to. I might just need muscle.
I actually used chronometer yesterday and sure enough there are more than a few vitamins that I’m not getting much. B1 is one I remember. Maybe I’ll invest in some Energin. My sleep has been terrible for years and have never found a way to fix it. I’m sure that’s a big contributing factor to my problems. My next attempt will be to incline my bed. Thanks for the advice.

that’s strange. My post is in the middle of your post. Never had that happen before...

There we go, copy paste. This is what I wrote:

For me it was really hard to understand that calories = energy = repair. I stopped looking at those sh itty magazines (airbrushed/photoshopped, they tell you stop at 2,000, you’re a female and females shouldn’t go above 2,000!) at the gym, and I just held my own hand and realized that I needed to do something about my health. For me it was a different story, I was coming out of my ED, I was running over 5 miles and then doing hot yoga at night. I needed to gain weight, it sounds like your metabolism is stuck, and it definitely will get unstuck in time. You have to see the big picture...I was crazy about the scale, weighed myself twice a day. Now I do it when I go to the gym. I’m still nervous about weight. But I eat, and I realize the more healthy food I put in my body, it has negated the 20+ years I was destructive to my body. And I think it’s turned back time physically. The food hasn’t given me back that precious time, but I feel better than I ever have. And for you it’s a win win situation, just stick it out and you’ll get rewarded big time.

What I posted was high on the milk and protein, I don’t usually go that high, I keep my milk around 24 oz, I haven’t gotten to where I can drink milk unaffected-it makes me bloated if I drink more than 24oz. I used to not be able to handle 16. And I keep my protein around 110-130. I don’t think it’s good to have protein that high for a number of days. Yesterday I had around 100-110g. And the multi-supplement I take, I do that 3 days. I’m still working my way around the food, trying to figure out what’s good for me. But I think you’ll find that your skin will be SO much better if you body what it needs to carry out it’s task: rejuvenation of all your cells. Big task, right kind of calories.

When I first started, I gained about 10 pounds quickly and then the 15 ish my body took about a year to settle on my set point: maybe 122-124. But I was very underweight. I was loosing and gaining. Don’t be alarmed, it’s just your body getting used to it. For me it took about 2 weeks and then I started to lose the water weight, I wasn’t eating any less. It just happened.

Edit: That’s so funny, I just read rob’s post! Exactly. Not too many supplements and not too much animal protein.
The sleep is a funny thing, before I was waking up so many times to “pee”, and now I’m almost sleeping through the night. That’s a huge thing for me. Also be careful with the Cronometer gauge, it’s way to little. I manually adjusted mine.

Oh my temps are good. Usually morning temps before I’ve gotten out of bed are 98.1-98.5
My pulse is more stubborn, sometimes I hit 75 but usually it’s in the mid to low 60s that’s another aargh. I think my menstrual stuff has something to do with that. I’m progressing, I’d like to get my pulse at least 70, that’s when I’m chipper.

Also, I’m trying to figure out what ratio of fat to have. I think that I do best on 20% fat, any less and I tend to feel anxious, and surprisingly my stomach is a little rounded. Oddly if I have at least 20% fat my stomach is lean and I eliminate several times in am. I think what works for you will be different than what works for someone else, I’ve learned this through trial and error after error. Just giving you some pointers, nothing is written in stone.

Thanks for the encouragement. I’m glad Peating has produced good results for you. The whole process seems daunting because Dr. Peat encourages people to get involved in their wellness as opposed to other nutrition archetypes that just say “eat this and take that”. You all check your temperatures, pulse, thyroid hormone etc. and make adjustments when needed. It’s a lot of effort but it’s what produces results at the end of the day. Like the example you gave of them saying that someone needs to set a 2000 calorie limit because they’re female. That’s crazy. Everyone’s body is different and we all do different activities. Thanks again!
 

ebs

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If RP is right, progesterone is able to reverse skin aging such as thinning.

Thin skin can be restored, sagginess as a result of aging cannot, according to dr. Jetske Ultee.
 

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