That's It!!! I've had it!

2»

Replies

  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited April 2015
    For some reason I can hit the fats hard time to time without any real weight gain. I try to gain 3-5 pounds then drop down to a new low every 2-3 months so I know I am not under eating all of the time.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    I also read the posts and found them very helpful.

    I liked her explanation of cortisol inversion. Make sure you catch her other post on supplements, too. I hope some experimentation helps improve your condition.

    It's not fair that it's harder for women than men to lose weight, but we die sooner, so I guess we're even.

  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    edited April 2015
    mpantsari wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I am new to this forum, new to LCHF eating, and very intrigued by the differences between men and women with this diet.

    I am a Gastroenterologist, and have been working with a number of severely overweight patients using nutritional ketosis to help address their severe insulin resistance. It does seem, just like sljohnson mentioned above, that for some women on LCHF diets (<20-50g/d of carbs), too low carb, calorie, or protein can put your body in a starvation mode that really does begin to "preserve itself" by stopping normal hormonal production (thyroid, adrenal, sex hormones, etc).

    I am, in no way, an expert on this issue. However, if you are stuck in a rut, loosening your carb and calorie restriction, lightening up on energy expenditure, and ensuring you are resting would all be good starts.

    For the forum, I would very much be interested in your experiences with this (especially the women) so your anectodal experiences can be helpful with my practice.

    Hello! I will offer you my experience.

    I have been overweight and then obese since I was 14. I am 32 now. I have been morbidly obese for many years. I haven't ever had a regular period while obese and it took 8 years to fall pregnant when I started to try.

    I do very low carbs/keto. I have had no trouble with lessening menstruation and have had more periods this year than I ever have before. I can also eat 1320 kcal per day and am still losing weight just fine (more than or equal to 2lbs per week). I was eating between 700 and 1100 at the start of my weightloss journey (Jan 4th 2015) when eating regular food and plenty of carbs.

    I was 115kg/253.lbs at 4'11" so super morbidly obese. I was also heading towards type 2 diabetes. This morning I am 90.2kg which I believe is 199lbs or thereabouts.

    I have not noticed any single negative effect of a ketogenic diet on my body, feeling of wellbeing, menstrual cycle or sex life. Only good things :-). I have had a massive increase in fertile cervical mucous which was a nice surprise.
  • wheatlessgirl66
    wheatlessgirl66 Posts: 598 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    I also read the posts and found them very helpful.

    I liked her explanation of cortisol inversion. Make sure you catch her other post on supplements, too. I hope some experimentation helps improve your condition.

    It's not fair that it's harder for women than men to lose weight, but we die sooner, so I guess we're even.

    I'll check out the other posts and make note of supplements. Thanks, I hope so too.

    Plenty of times I've thought it unfair that we women have a harder time losing weight, especially after age 50. We pretty much lose that longevity advantage if we aren't successful.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Heh....my thread has been hijacked. @mpantsari To give you some background on my situation in regards to cortisol etc... I have LAMs disease, which is an autoimmune disease that only effects women of childbearing age and is quite rare (lymphangeoliomyomatosis). I also have pulmonary hypertension. I am on Prednisone, diuretics and a host of other medications, and supplemental o2, I am fighting to get a double lung transplant. My whole life is stress. I am coming off of a very severe calorie restrictive diet, and went to very low carb <20g, but still low calorie diet. I exercise 5-6 a week where typically my hr stays between 130-147bpm for about an hour between cardio and weightlifting. I have lost a grand total of 10 pounds in over 100 days. Which sucks. I still have to lose about another 20lbs in order to be eligible for transplant. I just raised my calorie limit to 1650 from 1350. I am kind of at my wits end. Anyway....carry on.
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
    Heh....my thread has been hijacked. @mpantsari To give you some background on my situation in regards to cortisol etc... I have LAMs disease, which is an autoimmune disease that only effects women of childbearing age and is quite rare (lymphangeoliomyomatosis). I also have pulmonary hypertension. I am on Prednisone, diuretics and a host of other medications, and supplemental o2, I am fighting to get a double lung transplant. My whole life is stress. I am coming off of a very severe calorie restrictive diet, and went to very low carb <20g, but still low calorie diet. I exercise 5-6 a week where typically my hr stays between 130-147bpm for about an hour between cardio and weightlifting. I have lost a grand total of 10 pounds in over 100 days. Which sucks. I still have to lose about another 20lbs in order to be eligible for transplant. I just raised my calorie limit to 1650 from 1350. I am kind of at my wits end. Anyway....carry on.

    Yes, I remembered this, which is why I suggested your slow loss is stress related. Not just physical stress from the exercise, which seems like a bit much to me when you are dealing with so many health issues, and in my experience isn't all that helpful for weight loss (just makes some of us more hungry), but also emotional stress from the pressure of waiting for lungs and trying to meet the surgeon's requirements.

    I think it's imperative that you give yourself a break. Make sure you are sleeping well, reduce the amount of hours you exercise, and give yourself a day of rest in between each workout, eat well and within the calorie, carb, protein, and fats calculated for your stats and desired weight loss from the keto-calculator.ankerl.com (realizing it's just estimates, and that your meds ....looking at you prednisone, could be causing a little bit of trouble in this department), and breathe, meditate, pray, whichever, or all three that you do.

    I wish you all the best and hope very much that you can lose the required weight to get your transplant.
  • annieboomboom
    annieboomboom Posts: 176 Member
    At 67 , I am on vagifem. low dose. <20 grams of carbs and hard to get the required fats and protein because my appitite isn't great. Have eliminated many veggies. Had a salad with avacodo but less meat.

    I go to the gym 3-4 times a week about 35 -40 minutes between a Lateral machine and free weights targeting my arms and thighs. I intend to bring in berries as the season approaches but mindful of the carb count.
    I have some fatique but don't sleep well . Use Meletonin in small doses.

    Stressful job . Not ending anytime soon.
  • annieboomboom
    annieboomboom Posts: 176 Member
    Doc. My weight loss is slow. But I have seen changes. I am phobic about the scale and have not been on in weeks. I look for clothing changes, measurements. I am large boned 5'7" , muscular and started at @ 200. lbs.
    last weigh in was 195 . 4 weeks ago.
    I am in very good physical heath: low blood pressure.


    My nephew is a brilliant gastro in Chicago.
    Rock on.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Heh....my thread has been hijacked. @mpantsari To give you some background on my situation in regards to cortisol etc... I have LAMs disease, which is an autoimmune disease that only effects women of childbearing age and is quite rare (lymphangeoliomyomatosis). I also have pulmonary hypertension. I am on Prednisone, diuretics and a host of other medications, and supplemental o2, I am fighting to get a double lung transplant. My whole life is stress. I am coming off of a very severe calorie restrictive diet, and went to very low carb <20g, but still low calorie diet. I exercise 5-6 a week where typically my hr stays between 130-147bpm for about an hour between cardio and weightlifting. I have lost a grand total of 10 pounds in over 100 days. Which sucks. I still have to lose about another 20lbs in order to be eligible for transplant. I just raised my calorie limit to 1650 from 1350. I am kind of at my wits end. Anyway....carry on.

    Yes, I remembered this, which is why I suggested your slow loss is stress related. Not just physical stress from the exercise, which seems like a bit much to me when you are dealing with so many health issues, and in my experience isn't all that helpful for weight loss (just makes some of us more hungry), but also emotional stress from the pressure of waiting for lungs and trying to meet the surgeon's requirements.

    I think it's imperative that you give yourself a break. Make sure you are sleeping well, reduce the amount of hours you exercise, and give yourself a day of rest in between each workout, eat well and within the calorie, carb, protein, and fats calculated for your stats and desired weight loss from the keto-calculator.ankerl.com (realizing it's just estimates, and that your meds ....looking at you prednisone, could be causing a little bit of trouble in this department), and breathe, meditate, pray, whichever, or all three that you do.

    I wish you all the best and hope very much that you can lose the required weight to get your transplant.

    Thank you. It's so hard to find a balance. The impulse to compare myself to others who do not have to deal with what I do is strong, so I push myself a lot. I don't want to be one of those people that uses their illness as an excuse for things (except saying no to smokey bars LOL..happy to use it as an excuse then). I just feel like, if I stop, I will ....I don't know, be "less than" (yes, I am in therapy for this ROFL). Anyway, you are probably right. I will at least be trying to eat more. Thanks again for actually responding to my post.

This discussion has been closed.