Starvation Mode?

July24Lioness

Disclaimer******I am not starting a debate or an argument, I am merely presenting articles that support the WAY I Feel. This may not reflect the way you personally feel and that is ok. Please do not harrass or start arguing.

I am aware that there are just as many articles and studies that say otherwise, but I disagree. If this were the case, I would never lose an ounce because I practice Intermittent Fasting (and sometimes go 20 hours or longer without eating).


Personally, I feel like starvation mode is a myth and the term is used around this website and many others I frequent, way to loosely. I highly doubt that anyone on this website is in starvation mode, unless you look like an anorexic person..........

Here are a couple of articles for you to read and decide for yourself.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

This article is very good at explaining what is "real" about starvation mode and what is "myth"............

http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

questionablemethods

Disclaimer******I am not starting a debate or an argument, I am merely presenting articles that support the WAY I Feel. This may not reflect the way you personally feel and that is ok. Please do not harrass or start arguing.

I am aware that there are just as many articles and studies that say otherwise, but I disagree. If this were the case, I would never lose an ounce because I practice Intermittent Fasting (and sometimes go 20 hours or longer without eating).


Personally, I feel like starvation mode is a myth and the term is used around this website and many others I frequent, way to loosely. I highly doubt that anyone on this website is in starvation mode, unless you look like an anorexic person..........

Here are a couple of articles for you to read and decide for yourself.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

This article is very good at explaining what is "real" about starvation mode and what is "myth"............

http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

I tend to agree that the term "starvation mode" is batted around too lightly most of the time. However, I completely believe that a person can eat 500 calories/day and continue to lose weight. Eventually, that person will lose weight and will end up looking like the men in that starvation study. Keep in mind though that those men lost WEIGHT: fat and muscle.

I think that drastic cuts to calorie intakes will cause a person to lose weight. Sometimes lots and lots of weight until they whittle away to nothing. But I think a more delicate balance is needed when wanting to lose FAT and maintain muscle.

I think we've strayed far from the original topic. I have read about intermittent fasting and I can see it has some benefits. I don't think skipping a meal or even several meals will cause a person's body to start burning muscle. But fasting over long periods of time? Yeah. Look at those men in the photo -- not a lot of fat but not a lot of muscle, either.

Just my two cents. (Cora, I think we're in agreement. Not an attack. :flowerforyou: )

July24Lioness

Disclaimer******I am not starting a debate or an argument, I am merely presenting articles that support the WAY I Feel. This may not reflect the way you personally feel and that is ok. Please do not harrass or start arguing.

I am aware that there are just as many articles and studies that say otherwise, but I disagree. If this were the case, I would never lose an ounce because I practice Intermittent Fasting (and sometimes go 20 hours or longer without eating).


Personally, I feel like starvation mode is a myth and the term is used around this website and many others I frequent, way to loosely. I highly doubt that anyone on this website is in starvation mode, unless you look like an anorexic person..........

Here are a couple of articles for you to read and decide for yourself.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

This article is very good at explaining what is "real" about starvation mode and what is "myth"............

http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

I tend to agree that the term "starvation mode" is batted around too lightly most of the time. However, I completely believe that a person can eat 500 calories/day and continue to lose weight. Eventually, that person will lose weight and will end up looking like the men in that starvation study. Keep in mind though that those men lost WEIGHT: fat and muscle.

I think that drastic cuts to calorie intakes will cause a person to lose weight. Sometimes lots and lots of weight until they whittle away to nothing. But I think a more delicate balance is needed when wanting to lose FAT and maintain muscle.

I think we've strayed far from the original topic. I have read about intermittent fasting and I can see it has some benefits. I don't think skipping a meal or even several meals will cause a person's body to start burning muscle. But fasting over long periods of time? Yeah. Look at those men in the photo -- not a lot of fat but not a lot of muscle, either.

Just my two cents. (Cora, I think we're in agreement. Not an attack. :flowerforyou: )

Yes, we are in agreement............. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

And no, we didn't get off topic.

That second article states that there is such a thing as starvation mode, but it doesn't happen until there is basically no body fat left to burn..............

As long as there is ample body fat to burn, that will be the body's "preferred" choice to burn first in the absence of carbs (in this case they were starving themselves, so a drastic absence of carbs.)

So it takes quite a while for starvation mode to actually set in..........

SHBoss1673

Cora, I never understood why people put out the Minnesota study as a reason why there is NOT starvation mode. It clearly proves that starvation mode is real, and even the weight watchers article proves the theory.

for example, straight out of the Minnesota study is the following quote (this is not taken out of context, this is a full paragraph, with no external meanings before or after it):


"As the men lost weight, their physical endurance dropped by half, their strength about 10%, and their reflexes became sluggish — with the men initially the most fit showing the greatest deterioration, according to Dr. Keys. The men’s resting metabolic rates declined by 40%, their heart volume shrank about 20%, their pulses slowed and their body temperatures dropped. They complained of feeling cold, tired and hungry; having trouble concentrating; of impaired judgment and comprehension; dizzy spells; visual disturbances; ringing in their ears; tingling and numbing of their extremities; stomach aches, body aches and headaches; trouble sleeping; hair thinning; and their skin growing dry and thin. Their sexual function and testes size were reduced and they lost all interest in sex. They had every physical indication of accelerated aging."

this is a direct quote from Dr. Keys, one of the researchers and comes from the conclusion. Mind you the Minnesota experiment did NOT cut their subjects off from food, instead they mimicked conditions in war-torn Europe (I.E. about 1600 calories a day of nutrient deficient food).


NOW, I agree that people who say that you AREN'T losing weight because of starvation are most likely in error, that doesn't mean starvation mode is not real. It simply means that many people don't understand the concept. That article you linked to IMHO had it wrong and he misread the Minnesota study's findings.

specifically taken here from his article:

"
There is a true phenomenon known as the starvation response and it is well documented in the Minnesota Starvation experiments and the Hunger Fasts that have been studied. However, it only happens in humans when they lose enough body fat that they fall below the level of essential fat. In a man, this would be below around 5% fat and in women just above that."

but I'm not sure where he get's these numbers as I've read that report, and I just re-skimmed it, and nowhere in the report do they limit any of their results to when a person is at 5% body fat. In fact, Keys specifically states in the report that the effects started within weeks of the semi-starvation phase beginning. Maybe he's talking about other studies, but if he is, he doesn't reference them directly and thus I cannot review them.

As to the weight watchers article,

I'm trying to find in that article where they dispute starvation mode. They dispute ones specific myth associated with starvation mode which is that you stop losing weight when in it, which I've NEVER been a proponent of, but again that doesn't mean starvation mode isn't real, it just means people's perception of it is wrong. And in fact, in the weight watchers article itself they state many times that the body slows it's metabolic rate on a reduced calorie diet, which is exactly what starvation mode is, a reduction of your metabolic rate triggered by prolonged time in a negative energy balance.

What do you think? I think maybe I'm just looking for an agreement to starvation mode being real and that many people on here have it wrong.

anyway, looking forward to hear your thoughts.

lilmissy2

I agree that people don't really understand the concept. The main things that I think are not understood are:

* There is no strict calorie amount that will put each person into 'starvation mode' just as there is no strict calorie allowance for every single person.

* Eating below your basic requirements consistently will not stop you from losing weight. If you eat less than you burn you will lose weight. It will make you burn less and therefore slow your weight loss. Also, often people who do eat so few calories in a day tend to get very hungry and have extreme cravings... so you may be for example eating way below your calories for 5 days a week (and lowering what you are burning) then eating way above for 2 days and thus gaining weight.

I didn't look at the Minnesota study that is quoted above but wow! Is that even an ethical thing to study?!? Imagine signing up to eat like that? haha

SHBoss1673

I agree that people don't really understand the concept. The main things that I think are not understood are:

* There is no strict calorie amount that will put each person into 'starvation mode' just as there is no strict calorie allowance for every single person.

* Eating below your basic requirements consistently will not stop you from losing weight. If you eat less than you burn you will lose weight. It will make you burn less and therefore slow your weight loss. Also, often people who do eat so few calories in a day tend to get very hungry and have extreme cravings... so you may be for example eating way below your calories for 5 days a week (and lowering what you are burning) then eating way above for 2 days and thus gaining weight.

I didn't look at the Minnesota study that is quoted above but wow! Is that even an ethical thing to study?!? Imagine signing up to eat like that? haha

it was during a very patriotic time in our country's history. All volunteer, and very closely monitored. These guys knew quite well what they were getting into. I know though, put a gun in my hand and ship me off to war, but I'll be damned if you're gonna starve me for 6 months!

Troutman

Sorry I said anything.

July24Lioness

Cora, I never understood why people put out the Minnesota study as a reason why there is NOT starvation mode. It clearly proves that starvation mode is real, and even the weight watchers article proves the theory.

for example, straight out of the Minnesota study is the following quote (this is not taken out of context, this is a full paragraph, with no external meanings before or after it):


"As the men lost weight, their physical endurance dropped by half, their strength about 10%, and their reflexes became sluggish — with the men initially the most fit showing the greatest deterioration, according to Dr. Keys. The men’s resting metabolic rates declined by 40%, their heart volume shrank about 20%, their pulses slowed and their body temperatures dropped. They complained of feeling cold, tired and hungry; having trouble concentrating; of impaired judgment and comprehension; dizzy spells; visual disturbances; ringing in their ears; tingling and numbing of their extremities; stomach aches, body aches and headaches; trouble sleeping; hair thinning; and their skin growing dry and thin. Their sexual function and testes size were reduced and they lost all interest in sex. They had every physical indication of accelerated aging."

this is a direct quote from Dr. Keys, one of the researchers and comes from the conclusion. Mind you the Minnesota experiment did NOT cut their subjects off from food, instead they mimicked conditions in war-torn Europe (I.E. about 1600 calories a day of nutrient deficient food).


NOW, I agree that people who say that you AREN'T losing weight because of starvation are most likely in error, that doesn't mean starvation mode is not real. It simply means that many people don't understand the concept. That article you linked to IMHO had it wrong and he misread the Minnesota study's findings.

specifically taken here from his article:

"
There is a true phenomenon known as the starvation response and it is well documented in the Minnesota Starvation experiments and the Hunger Fasts that have been studied. However, it only happens in humans when they lose enough body fat that they fall below the level of essential fat. In a man, this would be below around 5% fat and in women just above that."

but I'm not sure where he get's these numbers as I've read that report, and I just re-skimmed it, and nowhere in the report do they limit any of their results to when a person is at 5% body fat. In fact, Keys specifically states in the report that the effects started within weeks of the semi-starvation phase beginning. Maybe he's talking about other studies, but if he is, he doesn't reference them directly and thus I cannot review them.

As to the weight watchers article,

I'm trying to find in that article where they dispute starvation mode. They dispute ones specific myth associated with starvation mode which is that you stop losing weight when in it, which I've NEVER been a proponent of, but again that doesn't mean starvation mode isn't real, it just means people's perception of it is wrong. And in fact, in the weight watchers article itself they state many times that the body slows it's metabolic rate on a reduced calorie diet, which is exactly what starvation mode is, a reduction of your metabolic rate triggered by prolonged time in a negative energy balance.

What do you think? I think maybe I'm just looking for an agreement to starvation mode being real and that many people on here have it wrong.

anyway, looking forward to hear your thoughts.

Well, I do believe its real in the context that a human being has lost enough body fat that it can't really spare any more.......

I spoke with my Naturopath today and she says that yes the metabolism slows down, but that does not mean a person is starving.

She used the example of people getting Lap Band or Gastric Bypass. In weight loss surgery, they intentionally make the stomach small to hold a very small amount of food. The person that had the surgery is going to consume very small amounts of calories to force the body to burn its own fat as energy. She said in no way are these people in starvation mode.

She told me the metabolic rate is lowered (but not stopped) to "prepare: for famine, but since there is plenty of body fat, there is no starvation mode.............She agreed that starvation mode is when the body gets to the point of Anorexia.

It is just another one of those debated topics.

In reading that paragraph from the weight watchers article, if you follow any type of reduced-calorie diet (which would include low carb too, LOL) then everyone is in "starvation mode" to lose weight. I don't think I agree with that.

The endocrinologist I went to when I lived in Virginia did not believe in starvation mode at all. I had that discussion with her when I first started Atkins in 2003 because everyone on the Low Carb Bulletin Board I belonged to then stated that if you didn't eat even 3-4 hours as Dr Atkins said to do in the book, you would immediately go into starvation mode.......... I got scared and asked her about it because I was never hungry enough to eat that often.

In 2003, I was really starting to learn about low calorie, low carb, etc.

dj_stevie_c

I think I was in starvation mode for about 4 or 5 months once.

I ended up being borderline diabetic, almost gave myself liver/kidney problems, I was very lucky I didn't end up giving myself serious health issues, I'm very lucky I recovered, I lost 10 stone on that (it did include working out 2 hours a day as well). a year later it was ALL back on I did things the wrong way and I will never go that way again. Slow, steady, sensible. That is the way to go, losing 1-3lbs a week is optimal.

At 14 stone (my lowest at that time) I was shaking all the time, felt sick most of the time, had back problems, knee problems.

Even though I had lost the weight there were so many things wrong and it's far too easy to yo-yo back to where you were before. Training the body to eat less rather than starving it for weeks/months at a time, in my humble opinion, is the way to go, not fast/feast/fast/feast/fast/feast.

But things work differently for everyone.

SHBoss1673

This is follow up to Cora, I didn't want to quote the whole string as it gets long.

So I think we are just debating semantics at this point.

From my perspective, and technically speaking, I think you, and your naturopath are just confusing starvation with starvation mode (2 completely different terms).

I would wholeheartedly agree that starvation begins when the body runs out of resources and begins to shut down because it doesn't have the resources to continue functioning correctly.

BUT, starvation mode isn't starvation (at least, not how they have been defined to me), so lets call it something else so we don't get confused. Lets call it negative energy balance.

When the body enters negative energy balance (or catabolism, or starvation mode, or famine response ...etc. pick your poison), I would like you to ask her (your naturopath) what happens if the negative balance is greater than the amount of fat plus consumed energy the body can convert to energy at any one time. Because depending on how much wide spread adipose fat you have, you can get to a point, well before you reach any type of dangerously low fat percentage, where you can no longer supply enough energy to function at that metabolic level.

If you could, perhaps present this example for your argument (let's take me)

here are my stats currently.

6'2", 182 lbs, 9.5% body fat, currently I'm at 2678 calories (measured about 3 months ago in a lab) for maintenance.
What would happen if I were to eat say 1400 calories for 2 weeks. Obviously I would not lose 4.5% body fat in that 2 weeks (nor, I imagine, would I even lose 1%, dunno, I'm not going to try). If it were true that we never enter starvation before that anorexic level, I would simply lose fat % until I reached that point, and I don't think anyone believes that 9% fat is anorexic (not even close for a guy, more like 4 to 5%). Basically I'm asking that, if we never enter that mode, then where do the extra calories come from? Surface area of fat isn't a debate, that's a fact, your body can only take fat from areas where fat is open to extraction. Is she saying that you get your energy from some other stored form of fat? I'm just confused as to where it comes from.

I submit that my metabolic rate would slow (by shutting down organs), my body would begin to preserve more fat, and I would internally start to canabalize muscle tissue (thus actually gaining fat %) as well as becoming lethargic, have limp skin and hair, and become (probably because of nutrient deficiency) slightly anemic.

I really would love to hear her thoughts.

side note,

I went with my wife to an endo about 4 months ago because she was having a B*tch of a time with her loss (wife is one person I DO NOT council, to many pitfalls there with marriage), and that endo did NOT impress me with her knowledge, I was chatting with her (I went with the wife) and she had some pretty old concepts of metabolism (food metabolism) which kind of shocked me, and she hadn't read any of the recent studied from the NEJOM (like the diet study that did all the different types of diets that was done a few years ago) I was a little shocked, just adding a little warning to the endo thing, they're GREAT about hormones and glands, but sometimes they can get caught up in the mechanics and lose touch with the current findings. Especially with the epidemic of metabolic conditions out there, endo's are swamped with claims and it really felt like her exam was cursory and she was shuffling us out the door. It felt, to me, as if she was diminishing my wife's weight loss problems because she didn't have obvious symptoms of something more serious. My wife was crying talking about her struggles and this woman sat there stone faced and basically told her there's nothing wrong with you, you just don't try hard enough (not in so many words, but we got the picture), and she did this without a single test, all she did was feel her neck for inflamed glands (seriously? we paid HOW MUCH for her to feel her neck and tell her she doesn't work hard?). anyway, I wasn't all that happy walking out.

July24Lioness

i will ask her, her thoughts on this when I speak with her again, which should be soon.............I will do some more reading and research on this topic and I will ask her when I speak with her again.

Not to get too sidetracked from the Oiginal topic...............

You and your wife's experience with an Endocrinologist is basically the same thing I had been experiencing from a regular family practice MD, Gynecologist and an Endocrinologist..............

Hence the reason for switching over to Naturopathic Dr and a Natural Pharmacist that compounds his own scripts.

I have been told that there is nothing wrong with my Adrenals or my Thyroid............and I have been previously treated for hypothyroidism a couple years prior when I was still living in Virginia. The Endo there treated me based on the symptoms I was having and the underlying other endocrine and metabolic issues...........Moved to Illinois, no insurance - so did not go to the Dr to get meds refilled.

I paid independently for my own blood work along with what the Dr ordered through my insurance. Took both results to the Naturopath here in St Louis and she shook her head and stated.........."How can they say you don't have thyroid issues?" She also stated that basically the reason I am having such a hard time losing weight is because my Thyroid, Pituitary and Hypothalamus glands are not communicating with each other properly............And she said my Adrenal Glands are screaming at me from being fatigued.

She ordered a Saliva test to confirm the adrenal issue and was right............

xonophone

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

July24Lioness

Banks -

Question for you..............

Is it possible that most people that think they are going into starvation mode have some small degree of Metabolic Resistance?

I just have a hard time believing that because someone cuts their calories to lose weight that basically they are entering starvation mode..............

I think some degree of actual starvation (as demonstrated in the Minnesota Studies) would have to take place for such a phenomena to exist.........

Thoughts?

July24Lioness

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

Exactly...............We are engaging in a GREAT debate!! No arguing, just passing thoughts along...............This is the learning process at its best.

Do not fear confrontation!!!

SHBoss1673

Banks -

Question for you..............

Is it possible that most people that think they are going into starvation mode have some small degree of Metabolic Resistance?

I just have a hard time believing that because someone cuts their calories to lose weight that basically they are entering starvation mode..............

I think some degree of actual starvation (as demonstrated in the Minnesota Studies) would have to take place for such a phenomena to exist.........

Thoughts?

Hmm, metabolic resistance. It is absolutely possible. I'll expand that a tiny bit in that everyone has a different level of insulin resistance, and (while we call it genetics), it's just basic chemistry. I mean, there's a reason why people in certain areas of the world are more susceptible to fat storage (and specifically, fat storage from specific food types), and that goes back to the concept of evolution and the environment they evolved in. Natural selection will dictate which human ancestor flourished in cold weather, and it stands to reason that someone in an ice age who had better insulation and the ability to store fat faster would survive, considering how many ice ages there have been over the course of human evolution, I could see that.


I guess it's all in how you think about starvation mode.

I think of starvation mode as nothing more than the gradual progression from feast towards famine, and our body's change as we progress down that scale. I don't think you flip a switch and go from normal metabolic rates to extreme fat storage, but I do think (think the scales of justice) that at a certain point the balance is tipped from burning more fat than your body is storing, to burning less fat than your body is storing while slowing down organ function to compensate for the lack of energy. For most normal people (I.E. people with less than about 35% body fat) that's a point anywhere between 1/4 lb per week deficit (for someone with a low % of body fat) to about 2 lbs per week (for someone approaching that 35% point). There's also (I'm sure) a point for people with dangerously low fat levels as well, but I haven't really studied anorexia so I can't say how the chemical changes occur for them.

that being said, I think it's virtually impossible for someone with very high levels of body fat to enter that starvation. Its all about surface area of body fat. The more "pockets" of fat you have, and the larger the volume of that fat, the faster you burn it and the more you can grab from stores at any one time, so someone who has lots, can burn more at any one point in time, essentially mitigating that tipping point so much that the body never recognizes a need to enter the extreme fat storage mode. It's why I always try to caveat my starvation mode statements with the exception of people who are obese.

SHBoss1673

Sorry I said anything.

Why? You asked a valid question and received a lot of feedback. That's what these forums are for.

Trout, I'm happy you asked it. This is one of the healthiest debates that we've had on here in a long time. No animosity, no anger, just good honest discussion with questions and opinions and thoughts.

It makes me happy I'm still a contributing member. P

spaniel

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

SHBoss1673

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

sounds like there are some metabolic issues you have to contend with. Those can be frustrating and actually Cora might be a bit better able to sympathize with you than I (I can from an outside point of view, but really, I could never truly understand because It just doesn't happen to me that way). I will say that I'm confident the answer is out there for you, you just haven't found it yet, just keep plugging, whether it's a nutritional change, a calorie change, or a combination of both along with different meds, I'm sure you'll find the key, and when you do...BAM! it'll work like a charm.

I'm happy to give any advice I can, so feel free to ask, but remember, there are plenty of others here that can help as wel, and some are far better than I at their respective areas of strength (I'm not to proud to refer you if I don't feel confident in an area).

keep tweaking, keep adjusting, and keep working hard, you'll get there!

best luck to ya!

SHBoss1673

doh, double post!

July24Lioness

Good Morning, Banks,

First let me say "thankyou" for all your advice and work on this website. I have been a member of MFP since February 2010 and although I consistently log my food and work out, I have not lost a pound. After many visits to various doctors (they tell me just to eat less) and total frustration with the weight problem (I am hypothyroid - but corrected with meds), I decided to have my RMR/BCA metabolism tested and will start working with a trainer in the gym. I should have my RMR results this afternoon. My husband has told me for years that I do not eat enough, but my brain just doesn't want to agree with that information.
My husband and I eat pretty much "clean", but I think sugar and the wrong carbs may be one of my problems. I am not giving up!!
This is a tremendous website that has helped so many people lose weight and share experiences. Congrats on your weight loss success and please tell your wife I feel her frustration.
Have a great day

GO RED SOXS!!!! Although we do have a new pitching sensation in DC....

Good morning to you!!!

Question for you..........

You mentioned that you are hypothyroid. Have you been checked for Pituitary, Hypothalamus or Adrenal Gland issues? My Naturopathic Doctor says that the Endocrine system is so complex (think intertwined like a spiderweb) that it is impossible to have 1 Endocrine issue without having multiple Endocrine issues.

I am going through the same thing you are going through...........I recently found a Naturopathic Doctor in the "new" area in which I now live to get me back on a treatment program.

I did the saliva test for adrenal fatigue, which came back as a positive result. And it is quite known (ehh hmmm, it should be anyway) that most times hypothyroid patients also have pituitary issues because the Pituitary is the Master gland and most times it is not communicating with the thyroid correctly.

Are you on T4 only or are you on T3 also? Also, where is your TSH at? My Naturopath says that a woman's TSH should be at or below 1.0 to function normally. That would include being able to lose weight also.

If your metabolism is that slow, your Endocrine system needs to be looked at on a deeper level.