Sunmountain's Log

I wanted to let you know that I just developed gut pain at night, not sure why but possibly lowering metabolism through lowering calories even with additional t3. Seeing as my mantra is health first I'm adding back some fat and some calories immediately to attempt to undo this damage.

thebigpeatowski said:

Hi sunmountain, I guess I am wondering WHY you are cutting fat and starch? You only weigh 130 pounds, let your body go through the healing process.....and perhaps reconsider being a vegetarian if it isn't working well for you.

Just to be clear here, I did my no starch no fat experiment when I weighed 170 pounds (and I'm only 5'2") AND I had some other serious health issues that required prompt estrogen reduction. My sincere apologies if I recommended my experiment to you...

Please eat with reckless abandon on your vacation and ENJOY!!!

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I'm REALLY glad you mentioned this, BP! And thank you, tara for mentioning the importance of getting enough calories.

I'll admit, with all the low-fat talk going on around the forum, I started to worry that I too should be keeping every last drop of PUFA out of my diet, which inevitably means cutting out even saturated fats. I mean, I'm technically estrogen dominant too, even though my body fat percentage isn't high. My progesterone levels are almost nonexistent and my liver isn't up to par so can you see how dangerous that line of thinking can be?

With that comes my food perfectionitis and given my already restrictive food choices at the moment, this means I go too low in calories. Too low in calories sets me up for the digestive troubles, headaches, disturbed sleep, dreaming about food being served to me by comedians and country singers LOL and reduced temps. Add to that, Ray's most recent interview where he mentions finally finding a source of fully hydrogenated coconut oil to try because after seeing a recent study, he's making a "shift" which leads me to believe he's trying to drop PUFA intake even further...well, I just about wanted to cry. I'll be honest, I have a lot of respect for Ray, but this new finding makes me question if all I've been doing this whole time is chasing Ray Peat's own fears. I just don't have the energy in me anymore to be chasing fears.

Anyhow, sorry for dumping all that on your log, sunmountain. And please forgive my ranting, everyone. I guess I'm just hoping we can all remember to treat ourselves like we would our own daughters and sons. I want us to love, value, respect and nurture ourselves as much as we would our own children. Remember, you're somebody's baby too! And though I know it's hard to believe it when we feel less than stellar about ourselves and our health, you really are perfect just as you are. You're all beautiful people to me no matter if you're straight or curvy, chiseled or soft. I love you all!

I hope you have a great time on your vacation, sunmountain and have safe travels!

How about we decorate your log with a little music and remind ourselves what we are...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I1-Yl50nCX4

Such beautiful sentiments and wisdom Jennifer. Thanks for reminding us that we are more than fine just the way we are.

Blossom said:

Such beautiful sentiments and wisdom Jennifer. Thanks for reminding us that we are more than fine just the way we are.

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Aww...you're welcome! And thank you for the kind words. I needed to remind myself too because sometimes I get too caught up in my head and forget about the bigger picture...that we're pretty amazing here and now, as is. I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a race to the finish, but a slow and steady journey. And hopefully at the end of it, I'll have so much more insight into me that I never would of had had I not gone through all this. Hugs all around!

Wow, ok, Jennifer and Sueq! This sure was a timely reminder for all of us!

Hugs back to all you amazing ladies!

Now here's the thing. I thought the fever broke this morning, but it came back in the afternoon with a vengeance. 102.7 after AJ, so might have been higher. I took a Rite-Aid nasal decong to clear the headache, and it worked after the second one. Took 4 x 80mg aspirin, but it doesn't seem to have dented the fever much.

So I'm wondering. Should I go tomorrow or not? I have the $50 travel insurance which has a limit of $500 for trip delay. The airlines miles will go back on the account; I'll have to negotiate with the hotel since there is basically no notice. Ugh. My daughter says we must go. I'm in a quandary, mainly about the travel tomorrow...we reach the hotel 10pm. I'll need to medicate out of my mind...nasal plus acetominophen/ibuprofen.

Any thoughts, anyone? What would YOU do??

Jennifer, I LOVE the song...how perfect for this moment, when we need just this reminder!

Please go ahead and dump and decorate more...it's the same boat!

sunmountain said:

Any thoughts, anyone? What would YOU do??

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Sorry I'm no help on this, I'd do what you are doing: vacillate. Is the trip going to be long enough that you can have a couple of days down to recover from whatever's got you and still have enough left to make it worth while?

Hi SM
Not great timing a day before you go away.
Since you asked for thoughts, starting point if it was me, if you have these ingredients - garlic, lemon rind and marinate in lots of honey and you can leave it in the fridge and spoon feed as needed, it takes a lot of energy for your body to throw a fever.
I agree with BigP you don't want to obstruct the fever as unpleasant as it is, better to go through it.
Whether to go or not to go, I get Tara's thoughts on vacillating pros/cons and what is the length of your stay may help determine that.
Trust your gut and do what's right for you, you will know.
Good luck.

sunmountain said:

Jennifer, I LOVE the song...how perfect for this moment, when we need just this reminder!

Please go ahead and dump and decorate more...it's the same boat!

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Haha! Okay, I'll be sure to! Glad you liked the song! :)

I hope you're feeling better and possibly on a flight right now because you ended up feeling well enough to go. I'd hate to think you missed out on some much deserved rest, relaxation and fun in the sun with your daughter.

Hope all is well!

Hey All...I'm in Mexico! The decision to travel was made by daughter. I felt too sick but she wouldn't hear of not going. She has been taking care of me in exchange...:)

Today is day 3 of vacay and still running a fever but at lower temps. Mainly lying around and eating and drinking, soaking in the sun and sound of ocean. A bit frustrated at lack of energy and very glad I'm sick here and not in Maryland!!

Drinking loads of fresh OJ. Now I see how Ray does it. You have to live in Mexico or tropics!

Seriously thinking of moving to warmer...Mexico, SoCal, Hawaii are all under consideration.

Is there a thread from people exploring moving to Mexico? The Internet here sucks so can't surf.

Hope you all are doing well!

My BMs are good now. No pepto needed so far. The fruit helps me go.

Feeling full too soon is still a problem.

It's unfair that it was so hard to heal in Maryland and so easy here.

Saw a doc here today due to ears feeling clogged. He said mild infection and prescribed 3 day course of azitromicin. Plus Celestine NS for congestion.

He asked about any other problem and I told him feeling full after eating a few bites. He prescribed Dom Peridone for that.

Are these meds Peaty? I'm going to take the antibiotic anyway, so just wanted to know.

Thanks

sunmountain said:

Seriously thinking of moving to warmer...Mexico, SoCal, Hawaii are all under consideration.

Is there a thread from people exploring moving to Mexico? The Internet here sucks so can't surf.

Hope you all are doing well!

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I'm SOOOOO glad you decided to go!

I've been looking in to moving somewhere warmer too....So Cal is VERY expensive to live there. Hawaii is more affordable, but the locals are not nearly as friendly as Mexico, plus you're trapped on an island and it's spendy to move a car there etc. Mexico you can't purchase land unless you buy 20 miles inland from the beach, but you can rent on the coast...or find a business loophole. Also, some areas of inland Mexico are less safe than others and yeah internet sucks, so does cell phone cost/coverage in some areas...

Hope you're feeling better!

I can't seem to walk more than a few minutes without getting achy and tired and needing to sit down.

What could be possible causes?

I left ALL my supps at home.

It's very discouraging.

On the plus side, my transit is perfect! I've been waking up at 7 am and needing to go! Once a day does it! I REALLY HOPE this doesn't change when I return tomorrow.

The doc said my ascending colon felt inflamed but everything else seemed ok. Is this something which will go down on its own?

BP, so great to hear from you! I don't know if I can tolerate summer heat here in Mexico. I LOVE mountains but unless they're like Hawaii, they will be cold. What places are you considering?

Hi sunmountain....You might still be recovering from your virus or whatever, relax and enjoy the rest of your vacay.

Mexico is fabulous during the winter, summers can be BRUTALLY hot. Hawaii is lovely, but can be expensive too, depending on where you go.

I'm considering Taos New Mexico for altitude and I love to ski...sort of considering the Lake Tahoe area too, on the Nevada side cuz I just cannot bring myself to live in Cali (tax laws etc. are horrid). I got kids in South Carolina, which I heard is very pretty, so I gotta go check that place out too. I sort of hate to feel land locked, I love beaches more than anything, but mountains are a very close second. So I guess I need a shack in in the mountains and a grass hut on a beach.

Hi All, I'm back since Tuesday evening. I'm still terribly congested, but otherwise ok. I came back with a perfect transit, though it has started to slow down since yesterday (today BM at noon). I'm eating good and started eating chicken while in Mexico, which is helping a lot with the protein.

When we arrived home Tuesday, the first thing I did was get my goat milk and warm up a cup of it. I had been missing it. Well, about halfway through the cup, my stomach began to swell up. Wow! I thought I had been tolerating it fine, but of course I was already so swollen that I couldn't really have determined my tolerance to it.

Since Tuesday evening, I've not drunk any milk. My stomach is definitely flatter, which is amazing. Now if my transit doesn't slow down too much, I will be a happy camper! I can't believe that one week in Mexico, with the flu, has done so much good for my health!

I still tend to feel full quickly after eating a little, but I'm noticing that I can continue eating if it's something yummy. I think my digestive juices had gone missing and got stimulated in Mexico, and I'm trying to keep them that way by eating to taste.

The fatigue I was feeling after the flu in Mexico is also better, especially after I nibbled a bit of thyroid after coming home.

When I walk down the steps, my knees don't hurt anymore like they did before Mexico.

I want to resume some light walking like I was doing in Mexico. I think that was very good for me.

I'm pretty sure the insulin resistance is still there, so I'm not burning sugar yet. I have two small new acne on my back since a couple weeks.

I hope you guys are doing well! I'll have to read your posts to find out what has been going on. But I wanted to share the mostly good news first.

BP, I'd love altitude too, but also want warm. Shack in mountains and hut on beach sounds about right!

I'm glad to hear your trip to Mexico treated you well, sunmountain. And I'm especially happy to hear about the improvement in your knees. YAY! That's one step closer to hiking again.

Welcome back sunmountain . I hope the improvements you enjoyed in Mexico stick around. I'm impressed that you did so well WITHOUT supplements!

Exactly my thought, Jennifer! I went for an "old people's hike" this afternoon. Went with some older friends. I walked like an old person, slowly. A bit of knee pain is back, but not as much as before.

Today I felt a sudden drop in energy and it was hard getting going all day. Could be the break from thyroid catching up. Nibbled T3 which improved things a bit, but felt much better only after acupuncture.

BM's still nice and good once or twice per day. THANK GOODNESS for that!

Stomach still swelling up. Eliminated OJ today and sticking only to AJ. Let's see if that helps. May try the Mexican doc's Domperidone. Acupuncture helped with stomach swelling.

Yea, Blossom, the only thing was the achiness I experienced in Mexico, which might have been lack of thyroid or the flu.

How are you guys??? I gotta catch up with your journals!!

Just a thought on knees, may not apply to you.
I've had some knee pain a few years ago, especially if I was running (not much running, just occasional, and not very strenuous), and my dr suggested a simple knee exercise to strengthen the supporting muscles. It worked a treat. Recently I started getting similar pain again when just walking. But last week I took a couple of shortish uphill walks, and this week my knee pain is gone again.
You may have more advanced damage than I had, but if you haven't tried strengthening exercises, they might be worth a shot. Sore knees take the fun out of walking. I can post a description of the exercise I was given if you are interested.