ageekott, the nice thing about the fat fast is that it gets your weight moving down, fast; Atkins says it can break your metabolic resistance, but what I like about it is how encouraging it is.
I mean, I would start the week wearing one size, and end it wearing another.
It really got me into the gym, taking my supplements, pounding the water, because I felt so rewarded for my efforts.
I recommend using fitday to do it, though, because then you can really keep track of exactly what your fat, protein, & carb percentages are.
Obviously, the fat fast is so extreme that it's not a long term solution, but it can rejuvenate your faith in your ability to lose weight, and -- at least according to Atkins -- it can teach your body to start metabolising its own stored fat, thus breaking the stall.
Also, low thyroid CAN cause hair loss. I had undiagnosed hypothyroidism for years. My hair was like straw, sparse, dull, raggedy looking. I was also very sleepy all the time, my hands and feet were always icy cold, I was gaining weight, and I was prone to depression. I didn't have the other symptoms though (most folks also get constipated & their periods stop.)
The good news is that once you get on the synthetic thyroid it's completely cured.
Lacey O, in another thread in this forum, Rosebud directed me to a link about hairloss on this diet. Apparently it's quite common, due to the stress on the body from losing weight so rapidly. You start losing your hair about three months after rapid weight loss. The hair loss is usually temporary. I know how horrifying it is to have handfuls of hair coming out every day, and it's even more horrifying to start to see your scalp along the top of your head. But for most people the follicles will return to producing hair. (I wish I could say it's 100% of the time but the article didn't quite guarantee that we'd get it all back.)
Also, lots of women lose a lot of hair right after pregnancy. It's very, very common. What happens is, there's a normal dormant/active cycle for your hair follicles. Usually it's random. But when you're pregnant, all the follicles on your head get synchronized for some reason and they're all on the same cycle, so when they all go dormant at the same time, you feel like you're going bald. Again, this is temporary for most people. [This is according to a friend of mine who's a physician who was talking to me about my hair loss and said that childbirth is the most common reason for hair loss in young adult women. She said she's also seen overdosing on vitamin A cause hair loss.]
Anyway, I'm going to see a dermatologist this week and I'll let you know if I learn anything useful.
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