Going back to FAT

So the formula that works is:
Protein to fill me up
Fat to keep me full
Carbs to convince me I’m full

Something strange I’ve noticed. After eating a full cup of rice I feel full. Where as I can eat 8 oz of chicken, a salad, stir fry veggies and a cup of yogurt and still not “Feel Full”.
On the other hand, if all I eat is rice, I’m back in about an hour for more. By adding a little fat and a moderate amount of protein I can be full for hours.
There is a point where the protein becomes too heavy and the fat feels to overwhelming. This is when I want to give up on the dietitian’s recommendations and take matters into my own hands. But then I remember how crappy I used to feel.
The other piece of my diet that I’m becoming very aware of is how much additional food I need in the morning and post workout. Post workout a few additional grams of protein will keep me going until my next planned meal time (10-20 grams)
I’ve been gaining weight, it sucks, I feel like a blimp, I’m not, but I feel like it. My clothes don’t fit like they used to. Here is my new suggested plan I will propose to my dietician tomorrow:
AM:
Snack: Protein Drink
Meal: 15 g protein, 80 g carbs, 10 g fat. Salad or other significant portion of veggies.
Ex: 2 eggs, ½ cup cottage cheese or Greek Yogurt, 1.5 cups of cereal.
Snack: 35 g carbs, 10 g protein or 5 -8 g fat
Ex: crackers w/ cheese, crackers w/ hummus, rice cakes w/ cottage cheese, Cereal w/yogurt
Total AM Calories: 750
Afternoon:
Meal: 15 g protein, 50 g carbs, 5-8 g fat, Salad or other significant portion of veggies.
Post workout protein: 10-20 g
Snack: Snack: 35 g carbs, 10 g protein or 5 -8 g fat
Total Afternoon Calories: 550
Evening:
Meal: 15 g protein, 50 g carbs, 5-8 g fat, Salad or other significant portion of veggies.
Dessert/snack: BE WISE 200 calories
Total Evening Calories: 500

Total: 1800 – This seems MUCH more reasonable and still hits the requirements I need for energy and fullness factor. We will see what she says. But I’m totally not going to eat 2500 calories a day any more! I’ve gained 10 pounds in 3 weeks!

2500 Calories per day

6 meals a day – I took a hammer to my scale, screw looking good, I want to feel good.

My dietician has me eating 6 times a day. It looks like this:

Three 600 calorie meal with about 15- 20 g protein, 30-50 g carbs, 10-15 g fat, 1 serving of dairy and veggies/fruit

Three 300 calorie stacks with two of the following: fat, carbs, protein. …Veggies and mustard do not count as a snack anymore,

This is a lot of calories, about 2500 per day. In the past I would have closer to 1800. This means I’m gaining weight

The problem is, I feel SO much better. I set out to run 3 miles tonight and ran 6. I worked out cross fit style for over an hour yesterday and I didn’t want to stop, I had another hour in me!

I have had a human sized BM on three out of the last 5 days! (You have no idea how exciting that is for me)

When I expressed concern to my dietician about gaining three pounds she asked, “Do you want to recover?” She then explained to me all the reasons why I need to gain a little weight for a little while and how this is the past to feeling better. She also explained to me that the scale is not my friend through this process. The scale will tell me not to stick to my meal plan. She asked me to get rid of my scale.

 

So I killed my scale with a hammer!

 

High Creatinine Levels

I recently had my Basic Metabolic Panel ran. My BUN and Creatine levels are slightly high. After a bunch of research I’ve come to one conclusion: eat less meat!

I live on meat, I have meet eggs and dairy at every meal and snack. Protein keeps me feeling full. But it also keeps me slow and tired. 

New plan, eggs for breakfast to sustain my morning but no more big heavy protein meals or snacks until dinner, even then I’m going to take it easy on the portion size.

This means loading up on veggies or else the hunger urges will come and I just know I’ll give in to sweets and fats. 

Hello even MORE veggies…yummy!!

Starvation Recovery

Still just not feeling like I’m settling into a body that is the balanced size for me. Energy level about zero!

Feeling sick after every bite – That is how the last three or four days have been. Just when I think I’m getting better –BAM! Something else hits me.

I read an amazing starvation study the US government conducted in the 50’s. Men were given the choice to be drafted in the army or join the starvation study. Basically they were given only half their normal amount of caloric intake for three months and then their behaviors were monitored during another 6 months where they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. The results: the men were completely unable to detect hunger within the normal definition. They binged, felt guilty or uncomfortably full, restricted calorie intake to make up for the binge or purged, then because of the lack of proper nutrients, their bodies told them to binge again and the cycle repeated.

What does this mean to me? After having undergone a lengthy period of time when my body was not using the nutrients I gave it… causing vomiting or diarrhea, and falling underweight; my body is now in starvation recovery mode. I’m still having a hard understanding the feelings of hunger my body is giving me. I feel constantly hungry, even right after I eat a big meal. It is now extremely important that I eat on a REGULAR schedule. Three meals, three snacks, no seconds, no grazing, always cleaning my plate. That way I know in my head that I’ve been nourished; there is no need to guess if I need to eat more and perhaps set of a binge/starve/undernourished cycle. When I make a plate, I make sure it has everything I need on it so my head knows I’m full even if my belly doesn’t.

This seems to be working. Sometimes I don’t feel like eating at snack time but I eat a balanced snack anyway.

All the research says that a meal plan and extremely mechanical eating are the keys to re-nourishing a body that has undergone starvation in one form or another. As I write this I have some strange sense of satisfaction in my belly.. .could that be what is feels like to be full?

Bathroom Break Through!

Something is working!

I recently made one dietary change and added three supplements, one or more of them are working!

Dietary change: On an empty stomach I drink 8 ounces of warm water with lemon, ginger and cellulose powder (about 8 grams of Fiber) each morning.

Supplements:

1. Potassium – Probably not too effective because I’ve found out the FDA limits potassium supplements to only include 3% of your DV of potassium. Although I’m taking about 8 a day, I’m still only getting the equivalent of one additional banana per day.
2. Calcium – I read that calcium is really important if you eat a great deal of meat since the body uses calcium stolen from your bones to break down the meat. Half my diet is meat.
3. Glutamine – This is an amino acid, I think this is the right one! Here is what web MD has to say about Glutamine: “Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Glutamine is produced in the muscles and is distributed by the blood to the organs that need it. Glutamine might help gut function, the immune system, and other essential processes in the body, especially in times of stress. It is also important for providing “fuel” (nitrogen and carbon) to many different cells in the body. Glutamine is needed to make other chemicals in the body such as other amino acids and glucose (sugar).” I think it is helping to improve the function of my smooth muscles – the ones that control the digestive tract. They seem to be doing their job all of the sudden!

I ordered all of the supplements from amazon together so I started taking them at the same time. I’m also on an anti-viral pharmaceutical right now for an unrelated issue – curious to see if that is helping my digestive issue????

The result – after only 4 days I noticed a difference. It has been one week now and I’m having no issues in the bathroom! Seriously, I feel like a new person today, I woke up and felt the need to go like I used to. I went…it was as it should be in size and consistency! This is the first time without the help of laxatives or laxative herbs that I’ve had normal bowl function in over 5 months!

On top of that my energy is through the roof and my appetite is normal. I get full like a normal person after a normal sized meal; I don’t need to eat every half hour. Yesterday I had a nice breakfast with protein and didn’t get hungry until 2pm! My body is actually using the food I’ve giving it. What a concept.

We will see how long this lasts for!

Bathroom Habits, Too much #1, not enough #2!

Too much number one, not enough number two…could these be related?

Running to the bathroom about every hour is a regular part of my workday

About the same time I started struggling with frequent urination I also started struggling with constipation. This is clue number one that the two might be related.

The type of muscle that contracts to hold the bladder closed without our conscious interaction is the same type that contracts to stimulate the flow of waste through the digestive tract, again voluntarily. Clue number two.

These muscles are called “Smooth Muscles”. There is a normal body process called “Peristalis” which is defined as a wave like motion of the digestive smooth muscles…think of getting the last dab of toothpaste out of the tube.  I looked this term up on WebMD and found this:

“The phrase intestinal motility disorders applies to abnormal intestinal contractions, such as intestinal paralysis. This phrase is used to describe a variety of disorders in which the gut has lost its ability to coordinate muscular activity.”

Senna Leaf is a natural smooth muscle stimulant, as well as Cascara Segrada Powder. Other stimulants include anything labled as a stimulant laxative, such as ex-lax. I have all of the above in the medince cabinate and the only way I have had any bowl movements for the last month is with the aid of one of the above.

The problem with this approach is that stimulating intestinal motility is habit forming. The body should be doing this on it’s own. The more outside help you give it, the more it needs. This MUST be the reason why the elimination of coffee from my diet worsened the constipation. My body was depending on the caffeine to stimulate the smooth muscles, now it is depending on the laxative tea I drink about once every three days. But without it I CAN NOT have a BM. This leaves my feeling sick, nausea ans weakness all over. What is my choice?

So what is the solution? This is something I cannot seem to track down. In all my research, there seems to be no answers. At least now I know it is not the commonly sited causes of constipation, lack of fiber, dehydration, lack of exercise

I did read one source that said potassium and chromium might help…I’ll continue reading, but tonight I’m going to drink my tea and go to bed!.

 

Three Months of hard work, Minimal Results

This is me one year ago dancing my face off. Tonight I’m going “out” but my energy is so low it sound like way too work to dance and have fun

It’s not working.

Since December I have changed a great deal of things in my life:

1. Adding carbs and healthy fats back into my diet – Goal gain some healthy fat and muscle mass. This has worked. I’ve gained about 10 pounds and am able to maintain a healthy weight
2. Cut out Coffee – Goal: reduce acid content and adreal stress in order to improve digestion and energy
3. Clean eating – no nitrates, nitrites, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, msg, sulfates, sulfites
4. Juicing 3-5 times per week – Goal: flood the system with healthy micronutrients in a readily usable form
5. Colon and Parasite cleanses – Goal: aid in digestion to increase energy and reduce constipation
6. Fiber supplements – Goal: aid in digestion to increase energy and reduce constipation
7. Digestive enzymes: – Goal: aid in digestion to increase energy and reduce constipation
8. Probiotics in the form of pills, homemade 24 hour yogurt, homemade kombucha –Goal: increase good gut bacteria to aid in digestion to increase energy and reduce constipation
9. Multivitamins, ester C, Fish oil, flax milk, omega 3 eggs,  the list goes on

Result: I gained weight but I still have battles (although not as frequent) with extremely low energy (can’t get up the stairs low energy!). The constipation is worse than ever. It is so bad that when I eat there is no room for more in my digestive track to I bloat and the only relief is to not eat for the rest of the day or to throw up – which contributes to the low energy.

 

WHAT AM I MISSING HERE? Frustrated!