Hi all, I'm new to this, so i apologies now for anything that i may repeat that someone else has said...
I'm going to do a bit of a rant, so please excuse me, I'm just so fed up. My colon was removed 7 years ago for IBS, chronic constipation as well. Since then I now have allergies, I'm allergic to anything that touches my skin and a lot of foods, the condition has been put under the guise of salicylate, which means allergic to most things.... that's not my query today... i am also glucose intolerant... i have an excellent diet! I have also had an electronic device implanted to keep my bottom shut instead of having a bag... This works fantastic.. My diet is such that I can't improve on it..I never eat processed foods, only fresh or organic as much as possible, I exercise 5 times a week for 2 hrs each time... i have done this for 2 years, my weight has increased... i am now obese, I can't understand it, my Dr can't understand it nor can my husband, who has lost 16kg by eating exactly what I do but he doesn't exercise.... i have paid out hundreds of dollars on dieticians to no avail... does anyone have a suggestion?
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missbe
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Do you eat a lot of starchy or sugary foods? I have cut these out and increased the amount of natural fat in my diet and this really seems to help to keep my weight down, while the fat helps me to feel fuller for longer. I follow the type of diet suggested by people like dr john briffa here in the uk and Robb wolf and Mark Sisson in the US. It might be worth taking a look.
Hi gfmom, not if i can help it, i avoid starch & sugar like the plague as it upsets me... The only time I'd consume either would be when we're at people's place for dinner...
I absolutely second this. Have you checked out the thyroid uk health unlocked site? There you will find information on misdiagnosis and blood test ranges. If your endo says your thyroid is sluggish then it probably means that you really should be on medication. Many thyroid patients have a problem with this. I can't recommend going on the thyroid uk site to you more. And I have no vested interest lol. Allergies can be a hypothyroid symptom, as can ibs and weight gain, although they also may not be thyroid related. It's a very complex disease. Unfortunately more complex than most doctors and endos realise. Take care and good luck! X
Hi Regal bird, yes I have, I've been under an endocrinologist for the past 10 mths, he has it tested every 2 mths. It shows that it's sluggish, but not enough and doesn't answer the increase of weight in the last 2 yrs... we thought it was my hormones initially, and I'm on meds for this, but it hasn't made any difference to my weight.
I sounds to me as though you have been given poor advice by dieticians. If you are intolerant to salicylates (a form of naturally occuring food chemical), then you're not on the right diet. Your example daily diet includes lots of foods that have high levels of these food chemicals because they are found in most fruit and fruit that are considered to be vegetables, such as tomatoes.
Salicylate sensitivity is an inflammatory condition, and inflammation is a major reason for weight gain. (On a personel note, I suffer from constipation, which can be a symptom of an inflamed gut, and I only gain weight when I'm badly constipated). Salicylates also enhance insulin release, which sounds to me as though they worsen glucose intolerance (otherwise known as pre-diabetes). I think you need to go on a proper low salicylate diet.
Like some of the others mentioned, it would also be a good idea to get your thyroid checked. For a proper picture, check for thyroid autoantibodies and actual hormone levels, not just TSH.
By the way, are you gluten sensitive or coeliac? I know this is the gluten free gueriillas message board, but you didn't mention it, and your daily menu includes stuff like multigrain crackers.
Poing, no one has ever mentioned that salicylates could be the problem.. I take 2 antihistamines a day to keep my hives at bay, and I take steroids when it gets really bad.. I'm gluten insensitive as well as glucose intolerant. When starch molecules are reheated & I'm unaware of it, my stomach can expand 10-20cms and causes so much pain. I'll do more research on salicylates and diet and give it ago.. Thank you so much for your post, could be a break through. No dieticians has ever said it could be a problem...
Missbe, I was picking up on the fact that you mentioned that your condition had been blamed on salicylates, which are a kind of food chemical. Histamine - another food chemical - can also cause hives and allergic symptoms. The diet that I posted the link to is designed to deal with all kinds of food chemicals, and I do hope it can help you. On the bright side, I gather that food chemical intolerance is not permanent, and you may be able to reintroduce foods into your diet gradually, once things have settled.
You may also be suffering from bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine that is responsible for the bloating when you eat starch. Reheated forms of starch contain high levels of something called resistant starch, which is beneficial for most people, but sounds like it is harmful for you (the bacteria that eat resistant starch are normally found in the colon but your colon was removed). You can find out more about resistant starch on a blog called freetheanimal.com, which also contains lists of foods that are high in resistant starch.
Some foods that are safe on the low salicylate diet may not be safe from the point of view of resistant starch, so you might have to refine the diet. I hope your doctor/dietician can help you work through things because it sounds like it will be a bit complicated. Good luck!
You have wealth of knowledge Poing, most of which I've never heard before. Jan this yr I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks with Helicobacto, this was incredibly painful.. The specialists said a symptom is weight loss, I lost nothing.... I have searched and researched for the last 2 yrs something that could lead me in the right direction, but to no avail... Thank you so much.
You're very welcome. Please bear in mind that I could be wrong in what I've said, as I don't know that much about you, only what you've written here, and am not a specialist, just a patient who has read a lot of stuff on the internet. I really do hope the information helps though and you can start to feel better soon.
I am gluten intollerant and I have reactions to loads of other stuff too, I have also been unable to lose weight for the past 3 years, my partner eats the same as me and loses weight easily which is very frustrating. I was recently diagnosed as having non alcholic fatty liver disease. I have researched this in detail and apparently if you do have nafld it does affect weight loss. One of the things which has been suggested to me to cut out of my diet is fruit as fructose can clog up your liver - the only fruit I can have is berries, which I do keep to a minimum. I have also increased natural fat in my diet and cut carbs to the minimum. In the last 6 months I have lost 4lb which although not much has made me feel so much better, and I actually do feel better inside if that makes sense.
Hi Louise, thanks for your post... about a yr ago I completely gave fructose & sugar up, I did a lot a research and stuck to it for 3 mths, but I lost nothing... it did show me however that my stomach was so much better without sugar, hence I try to avoid it.
Professor Hadjivassiliou who is an expert and world leader in gluten illnesses, says there is an association between gluten sensitivity and thyroid illness - (I know you've had your thyroid function checked but bear with me!) apparently the antibodies attack part of the thryoid as a cross reaction because the cells are similar to gluten. In many / most countries and certainly in the UK the so called 'normal' range for thyroid function is too low and rules out a lot of people who would benefit from some sort of thyroid replacement - me included. Many experts say that a TSH reader of 2 or more (depends on the range used of course) is suspicious - mine was 2.5 but I was constantly told it was normal and my thyroid was fine - it wasnt!
I was fortunate in finding a website forum called thyroid patient advocacy and then found a endo consultant through TPA who diagnosed me on my first visit. As you have already been told your thyroid function is not optimal this is definitely something you need to investigate - its almost certainly the cause of your weight gain. Louise low thyroid function can also contribute to non alcoholic fatty liver disease and high cholesterol.
As Poing has mentioned you need to understand the thyroid hormone levels (T4 and T3) - the TSH is not a thyroid hormone - most GPs do not understand any of this - mine said 'err T4 oh this is out of my league'!! My TSH was always normal and I dont have thyroid antibodies but I do have anti gliadin antibodies. I can recommend the above forum and website and also a book called 'Why do I still have thyroid symptoms when my lab tests are normal?' by Datis Kharrazian - have a look at his website thyroidbook.com
Along with other suggestions this is definitely something to investigate and on balance thyroid is the most likely culprit!
Hi Gill, thank you for this information... many years ago a naturopath told me my thyroid was 'subclinical', she prescribed natural thyroxine, I certainly felt better, at the time my weight wasn't an issue, so I've never thought to investigate further. How do you get a GP to listen? You would think that once they do the tests, they'd be encouraged to investigate further...
hi Missbe - go to the TPA website and they will advise you on what to do to get your GP to listen and if not how to sort yourself out! from what you have said about this past experience and the naturopath Im sure this is the problem and its easily sorted. Your GP should also check your T4 as the latest guidance recommends but they dont they just go on the TSH so as a kick off you could ask that your T4 is checked. I had my T4 and T3 tested and a test for thyroid antibodies - this is what I used to get the GP to refer me to an endocrinologist. And send for the book it is very good.
let us know how you get on.
By the way Poing mentioned the multigrain crackers - if you have a gluten sensitivity with or without coeliac disease you need to be completely gluten free to stop the damage gluten can do - any amount of gluten will cause antibodies to develop - you cant be a little bit gluten free but have to be strictly GF - sorry if that's teaching you to suck eggs and the crackers are the gluten free ones!
Thanks Gill, I'm reading the thyroid patient advocacy right now. The crackers are gf, I have them to increase my fibre without eating too much fruit.. I'm going to nz to work next week for 6 mths so will have to search out a new Endo, I'll read the blog and see how best to discuss it... Once again, thanks.. I'll keep everyone posted...
good that the crackers are gf! TPA has members in NZ Im sure, and they will help a lot - ask a question on the forum and you will get a lot of advice - please do let us know how you get on. Gill
Do you have a meter to check your glucose levels? Following a low carb high fat diet will lower the glucose in your blood , you need to remove all gluten from your diet.
Thanks Penel, I've completed the questions on Dr Rodney site and have in my little hot hand a report to take to a Dr in NZ. Thanks for the link. I've started on a Salicylate diet this morning, we shall see how I go for the next couple of week, will keep you posted... Thanks everyone for there suggestion, advice and simply answering to the post, I really appreciate it..
Well I'll be damned, after sticking to a salicylate free diet yesterday, recommended from the failsafediet.wordpress.com, I have lost 1.2kg over night. Unbelievable! I'll follow the recommendations from the site and keep everyone posted. I also have an appointment with my Endocrinologist tomorrow where I live in Brisbane, so I'll talk to him again about my thyroid.. Thank everyone for their input, I really appreciate it...
I have the most wicked headache today. Even though I've always eaten healthy, but now I'm doing the salicylate free diet, would I be detoxing? It sure feels like it, i feel rather nauseous....
Thank you for the Thyroid advice, I will definately have a word with my GP as my on my last blood test he said my Thyroid function was borderline, but basically would have to cross the border before I could be treated.
I got up this morning, got on the scales and couldn't believe it! 2 days on salicylate free diet and I've lost another 700gms... i have been fighting to lose weight for four years! I could cry! Thanks again everyone!
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