For a few months I have been gaining weight and feeling that after a reasonable meal food is just sitting there for a few hours after eating. My appetite is not great as I've lost my sense of smell and some taste with having nasal polyps. I know that can cause inflammation with frequent sinus infections, but I'm wondering if it's got something to do with long term B12 deficiency (20 years). I SI 2 X a week for the last 5 years.
I've been trying to lose the weight again by cutting out chocolate, cake desserts and biscuits and walking/gardening, but there's a limit to how much activity I can manage. I don't drink and otherwise have a reasonably healthy diet. I am losing only a couple of lbs a month.
Has anyone else had the sluggish food thing, or any experience of trying to lose weight without flooring themselves?
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RoMello
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I use the 20/24 version I only eat during a 4 hour period. It sounds harsh but remember that the non eating period includes sleeping time. And you can eat what you want during the eating time.
I use quite an extreme version as it also controls my diabetes type 2. Most people use 16/24. It is best to start using 12/12 and gradually work up to 16/24. If your last meal at night is a 8pm you can eat at 12 next day.
If you don't want to use this method you can find other ways to reset your metabolism on the net.
I do not think they mean exactly what you want during the eating period, more like as much as you want. They do recommend that during the eating period one should eat healthily and lowish carbs. If I was allowed 4 hours of what I want - chocolate, cake, biscuits, crisps, - no end of intermittent fasting would help me lol.
I know, I don't want to mess with energy levels. I think my metabolism is very slow when I'm tired.
I've lost weight in the past but sometimes when stressed and have lost my appetite. Thanks for the encouragement about small meals. That's pretty much what I have had to do.
I understand the calories stuff and really have to manage my energy expenditures, so not all that sure about 'metabolic reset'. It might well floor me.
But the food not going anywhere feeling is the part that's new. I'm not short of fibre or quality of diet, I really wonder if it's a digestion thing? Acidity or lack of?
Try adding something acidic at the end of a meal . Lemon juice or cider vinegar on last mouthful of food.
Food just sitting is a horrible feeling.
Exhaustion/ fatigue like you say affects digestion.
Literally too weary to digest.
One of my daughters had to change what she ate and the way she ate it because of slow transit and digestive issues .She amongst other things is better gluten and diary free.
I'm sticking to earlier regular meals .
Not cut anything out .
My metabolic rate for sure has slowed down.
Also I simply can't do the same level of exercise as in the past .
Having PA means a lot less exercise for me. For the past year I had to stop long walks and am just beginning to attempt them again. But 2 miles at most. I have to cut out carbs when I accumulate excess weight and that tends to have a very rapid effect. Also sugar, except daily dark chili chocolate, to which I'm addicted. Digesting is an issue and sometimes I make sure I stand after eating and I've had to stop breakfast in bed or eating in front of the telly to make sure my stomach isn't kinked. I no longer bend for more than a few seconds whilst gardening for the same reason. Because PA is stomach-based, anything that looks after my stomach helps, whether nutritional, mechanical or emotional. I sympathize about nasal polyps, taste and smell. I use Neilmed daily nasal wash which successfully stops infection.
Nackapan has mentioned slow transit. It appears you most probably have early satiety. Have a read about the Migrating Motor Complex and see if that fits in.
Loosing 1 or 2 lbs a month is better than nothing or gaining.
Thank you those that shared there ideas and experiences on fasting. In the late 70's pre internet many of us yoga types used to fast for 24 hours once a week. First week fast was water only, second week was juice only. Repeat.
I abandoned the practice as I was working very physically at the time and I could not perform well with fasting the way we thought was best at the time.
I can relate to the slow weight loss, and sluggish digestion, I’ve always put it down to having an underactive Thyroid. I’ve tried all sorts of diets but the best seemed to be a straight forward calorie counting diet which was useful to educate myself about the amount of calories in certain foods and I also like the 2:5 diet where you looose about 1lb a week. You pick two fasting days (not consecutive) where you eat only 500 calories for a women or 600 for a man and on the other 5 days you eat what you want but need to stick to the recommended daily allowance for women. You can eat what you want but should aim to eat healthily with lots of vegetables and fruit etc. on fast days you shouldn’t have tea or coffee unless it is black and unsweetened but you can have zero calorie drinks, water, herbal teas etc. Fasting has lots of other scientifically proven health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and some people had used the diet to cure themselves of type 2 diabetes. It’s quite interesting when you look into it.
I keep to an eight hour eating window. What I think is most important though, whatever you do, is not to eat several hours before bedtime. Sleeping and digesting food are not a good combination and both are compromised.
You describe me about a year ago and I am now much better. Even eating a small meal felt like having a brick in my intestine for days. Horrible.
Mine was caused by low stomach acid due to 20+ years of b12 depletion which manifested as P.A. You need stomach acid to feel hunger, digest food and absorb nutrients from food. PA and low B12 often go hand in hand with low stomach acid.
I found focussing on raising my stomach acid and gut healing, and in particular these things helped:
I took 2-3 Betaine and Pepsin before each meal - this increases stomach acid. If you get a sensation of heartburn take 1 tablet less next meal.
I eat Romaine lettuce or cruciferous greens with each meal.
I made and drank homemade Kombucha.
I drank natural, organic kefir ( I now make my own courtesy of a very generous forum member)
I ate cheese with A2-casein protein only ie not English cheeses but French and Swiss cheeses from non-Friescian cows.
As I result I now eat more food and more protein, with no painful transit issues and I have reduced two clothes sizes. I still eat dark chocolate!
Check your vitamin D too as low levels can also cause weight gain.
Once these started to work I began taking a range of amino acids to build up my gut health. But I could not take aminos easily when I felt like you as they made me feel nauseous and unwell. But after 6 months of the above I could take aminos and they helped.
Hope you find something that will help you along your health path.
I had to spend a week working hard on my elderly parents' garden in late July and was forced to keep going a week after, as I was away playing music at a festival. Lots of bus, walk and camping.
I did crash energy-wise, and worried that I was very very tired but it did seem to kick start my metabolism.
Not a fine example of pacing... But I was also outside daily for much of 2 weeks. I made a point of only eating if I was hungry, no alcohol and tried to keep up the veg intake, though not v strict about treats.
I'm astonished that I seem to have kicked into losing about 2 lbs a week. And the sluggish digestion feeling has stopped.
I have overdone it and am back to pacing to do essential life stuff again. But I'm more aware of what I'm doing/eating. And all the comments others have made here have been literally food for thought😉
But pleased to report progress: it could be anything from daylight and more sunshine, more physical work, more veg and more motivation to keep going with the weight loss. Then as I lost a bit more feeling better so I could do more...
Anyway thanks all. I'm going to try to keep off what's shed, and be more mindful of both what and when I eat as the days get darker.
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Feeling very ill out of nowhere 
B12 deficiency, digestion and insomnia
Just diagnosed and hoping for a better future. 
Just had my 3rd injection and I feel awful...?
Hives after B12 injection
