Hi Maggie:

Grrrrr, I have a very slow metabolism, it seems. I haven't lost any inches or weight since May. I may have lost 1/2 lb in the last week, but we'll see, the jury's still out. I've been trying everything - upping calories, lowering calories, upping carbs, lowering carbs, eating clean, blah blah blah.... I had my thyroid checked but it's normal. I have really high estrogen levels from environmental estrogens so maybe that's what's giving me trouble.

That's amazing you can eat that much. I have trouble eating all my food on high calorie days, which is roughly 1750 calories. The only way I could eat more would be to either eat fewer times/day or eat high GI carbs. Maybe my body isn't used to eating so much b/c I've always been around 125 lbs until my weight gain after last Christmas. Who knows.

Maybe you're sensitive to wheat or yeast. They're big offenders. I do love sprouted grain breads though.

I'm actually Northwest of Toronto. Toronto's too big for a small town girl like me. But I love being able to drive there in 45 minutes when need be. What conference are you going to?

At the time, I only lost 3 lbs but I had a great body transformation. I kept thinking BFL wasn't working b/c I wasn't seeing great changes in my measurements. About 11 weeks into it, I tried on my pants that I couldn't fit into and they fit, so I was pretty shocked.

Your HIIT sounds so beautiful, running up the mountain with your Maggie. That must have been one tough workout.

Wanda

Hi Wanda

'Normal' thyroid huh?

I was diagnosed 4 yrs ago, after much agnst, going from 132, to 182!! in about a year and a half. My doctor said I was depressed, suffering from anxiety, etc. What a load of bull. He prescribed zoloft, which I flushed down the toilet. I ended up going to a naturalpath who properly diagnosed me.

Do you happen to have a copy of your tests? Often a person will test borderline when they are actually low. There is another problem with improper conversion of thyroid hormones that's called Wilson's syndrome. I would be interested to see your tests.

On my way to Toronto, for the Family Mediation Canada conference (Missauaga) I'm stopping in Vancover and will see another naturalpath about trying Wilson's protocal, something that I hope will help me get off thyroid meds.

I will post here about my progress with this, it's a big leap of faith for me.

Wanda, where do you live in Ontario?

Good for you for persevering through everything. I know you will succeed.


Maggie

Hi Maggie:

The sordid details are on the first post of my regular journal, but I've been seeing an MD who practices holistic medicine for about 4 years now. I don't know what I would have done without him. Nobody has high estrogen without getting them from their environment, so the first thing he did was have my mercury levels checked. They were off the chart. So I've been through a process of getting my mercury fillings safely removed over the last year by a holistic dentist. Today he removed my last quadrant. I have to go for another mercury test in 2 weeks to see where my levels are now. If they're still high, then I have to start chelation to remove the mercury. Fun!

As for the thyroid, I had DH (he's an MD) check my thyroid for me. My TSH has actually decreased in the last year (hmmmm, since I've gained weight). It was 2.53 last time it was checked. I don't know. I see lots of fat and cellulite on my lower body, but maybe my body's quite happy at this weight.

Here are the numbers. I asked to get Reverse T3 checked, but the lab tech did T3 Total, RIA. Is that the same thing?

TSH: 1.8 (.3-4.70) - I thought the upper limit was changed to 3?
T3 Total: .9 (.7-2.1)
Free T4: 14.2 (9.1-23.8)

I'd love any advise you can give me and thank you so much! I even thought about getting DH to give me thyroid medication to see maybe if my tests were sub-clinical, but realized that it would be stupid to do at this point. I'll probably discuss this problem with my holistic doc when I see him next. Although he saw me today briefly and he said "You look great, you've gained weight!". How demoralizing! He thought I was happy about it. Of course, when I saw him 4 years ago I was underweight and "failure to thrive", but I really didn't want to be 40 lbs heavier.

I live in Newmarket.

That guy you're seeing in Vancouver, is that the famous one that treats hypos? What's his name?

Wanda

Changed my workout rountine today

Lower body squats

12 x 45
10x 65
8 x 75
6 x 78
12 x 45

Much better workout then just leg extentions!

Leg extention

12 x 50

Hamstrings

12 x 20 barbell lunges
10 x 30
8 x 35
6 x 40
12 x 20 legs shaking now!

Leg curls

12 x 50

Calves

12 x 45 (4 sets)

Pilates class before weights

FINALLY felt like I challenged my muscles. Really want to feel like my time in the gym is worthwhile. I have a hard time going for the burn. I'm such a whimp!

Weigh in Friday, and will post

New measurements:

Waist 28.5 (was 33 " at 182!!! nothing but rolls then)
Hips 39 (no change)
Legs 22.5 starting to pare down, will look terrific with an inch of dimpled fat gone!!!

One hour walk with my chocolate lab Maggie in afternoon.

Soooo glad I changed my routine, it feels good to hardly be able to walk!


Maggie's mom

now that is an ideal leg workout...good job. I know about the legs shaking after those lunges...they kill !!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence lift, I feel even better knowing you approve of it!

Maggie

wanda he told you that you look great because you gained weight??

I would have decked him!!

Your free T 4 is on the low side. Total T 3 is also low. What you really need is a free T3, which tells you exactly how much active hormone is available to you.

Your ranges optimally should be in the mid to the upper part of the normal range. So for free T4, is should be at least 16.5.

I can't stress enough the value of a free T 3 test. Especially since your total T 3 is on the very low side of the range. I bet you anything your T 3 is way low.

TSH is not a good indicator of what's actually going on in your body. It's a test that measures how much hormone the pituatory is telling the thyroid to release, and thus a test of the pituatory. My TSH was 3.56 at diagnosis.

Recently, the new test range for a healthy TSH has been lowered to something like .5 - 1.5, although as I said that's not a good indicator.

Reverse T3 is expensive, but worth it if it's your last hope for diagnosis.

What I want you to do is check your AM temperature (oral) 3 mornings in a row. Don't do this when you're ovulating. If it's less than 97.7, it indicates a low thyroid. Mine was 96.7!

I did see the famous Dr Derry in Victoria, he does by clinical presentation, NOT tests. However, I had to get a local doctor to prescribe. I went through several, a real low point in my life as I think they just thought I was nuts!

Wanda, also try and get a Free T 3. If your local doctor won't do it, get it done through a lab like Great Smokies.

Best of luck to you.

Please post back as to your temperature, and what you decide about the Free T 3.

Maggie

Hi Maggie:

LOL, I've been taking morning temps for years. One of the symptoms of mercury overload is low temps. But I've been charting as well b/c I'd stopped ovulating when my estrogen levels went sky high. Initially I thought I was going through menopause, but was floored when the situation was the exact opposite.

My temps are generally around 97.7 if I were to give you an average (95.5-98 seems to be the range during the menstrual phase). However, I've noticed recently that when I take 3T of fish oil, my temps increase by about .3 degrees.

LOL, he might have been thinking the same thing by my reaction. He honestly thought I wanted to gain weight, I guess. Of course, right after that, I had to step on the scale for my vitamin drip and in the next moment, his chelation assistant's berating me b/c I'd GAINED weight! Whatever! Ya can't win!

OK, there's a lot of info you've given me and I am so thankful for it. I think I'll print it out so I can absorb it. I don't think the lab had all the appropriate tests. I wanted Reverse T3, but they must have tested Total T3 instead. So I'm assuming that those normal parameters aren't right according to the thyroid experts? I used to know more about this stuff but I've forgotten.

I can get DH to get me the tests, but it looks like the problem is finding a lab that has more extensive testing. Probably my holistic doctor would be the better choice than DH since he uses all the alternative labs for hormone saliva testing and such.

Yeah, some doctors can be narrow minded and there is seriously a lot of controversy around thyroid disease, just like HRT. They're so brainwashed in medical school, you wouldn't believe it. DH had his eyes opened when I got sick and realized that traditional medicine was making me worse.

Again, Maggie, thank you so much for helping me on this matter. Every bit of hope helps. Some days it's so hard b/c of my frustation at trying so hard, but being unable to lose. I keep working my butt off working out, wondering what the heck's happening to all my expended energy.

Wanda

LOL, Maggie, I remembered the exact same thing last night while lying in bed. I'd read this when I was doing my research on high estrogen levels, but I'd forgotten it after having such good success with BFL. LEF had a really good article I'll have to dig up.

The problem is that my progesterone levels were normal. My doc put me on small doses of progesterone to start. Maybe we'll need to increase the dosage. The high estrogen really does worry me though (from a health standpoint).

I'll definately make an appointment with him now.

Thanks again Maggie.

Wanda

Man, I'm paying for yesterday's leg workout today.

Trying to sit on the toilet for a pee, getting down the stairs, into my car, my quads are killing me, and my ass is even worse

I managed 35 minutes of plain cardio on the eliptical trainer, easier than trying to pee! Didn't actually feel that bad, but there was no way I was going to do HITT on the treadmill!

This aft, a 1 hr walk with Maggie, my chocolate lab, pics of her to come, she's my baby.

Hope everyone's having a good one. As for me, I'd like to cut myself off at the waist because I know this will be much worse tomorrow.

maggies mom

thanks red!

I did use glutamine, after workout, and before bed. i'll use it again, thanks for reminding me

and yes, i will post Maggie's pics when I get one, hopefully soon

Thanks for dropping in!

Maggie

upper body workout today, no cardio. I can still hardly walk

did free bench again, and changed my shoulder workout, so that was fun

Maggie