Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 I can feel for you there. I need glasses, but with TED it would almost be a waste of time. My vision changes too often. Luckily, I dont need them badly enough for driving purposes. Not that I really drive anyway. I will occasionally take myself to the grocery store, but usually my hubby drives us. Everyone in my family wants me to have a baby. I have tried to explaine the risks to them, but apparently they dont hear me. My hubby is begging as well. My endo did say that we could concieve after August, but I want to be healthy. I still havent lost any weight.--My endo is going to shake his head and lecture me. (I hate that!) I just cant seem to fight the carb cravings yet. I got lazy with the underactive thyroid. Thats what I am battling now. Regaining my will power. Know any short cuts? he he he Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 Amber I don't usually recommend a particular diet because I too have strong carb cravings. It's almost like you salivate when you smell or see these things, and I think it's an insulin thing myself, even though routine blood sugar tests don't show it up. In my case, it's not the actual weight itsself, it's WHERE it's showing up. The old spare tire around the waist, and the fat has decided it's zeroing in right there. This, of course, at my young age (51, haha), is the most dangerous place, even though I'm not overweight, overall, it's still a dangerous problem. Anyway, I don't know, but they're all saying that the Atkins diet, or something of a reasonable facsimile to it is the best way to go for us. Reason being, we probably have insulin-sensitive cells that demand more and more blood sugar to knock that craving. To me, a high-protein, low carb diet is supposed to help the cells become less resistant. Mind you, I'm not advertising, and I have not bought this diet (don't have the money for that), but I do believe the basic idea of it. It seems that, as thyroid sufferers, our bodies demand more protein, smaller meals, more often. It seems hard to believe that we could lose weight on a diet like this, but the concept is supposed to be that the body will not go into "starvation mode" as fast (you know---saving everything in the form of fat, when it feels like you've gone without eating too long), instead of three large meals a day. Some people do well on the 3 meals a day. I think that most thyroid or endocrine sufferers, period, don't. As long as your kidneys are functioning properly, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. God I love chocolate!---that's why I'm afraid I couldn't stick to this 100%! Re: Re: RAI / Graves' I can feel for you there. I need glasses, but with TED it would almost be a waste of time. My vision changes too often. Luckily, I dont need them badly enough for driving purposes. Not that I really drive anyway. I will occasionally take myself to the grocery store, but usually my hubby drives us.Everyone in my family wants me to have a baby. I have tried to explaine the risks to them, but apparently they dont hear me. My hubby is begging as well. My endo did say that we could concieve after August, but I want to be healthy. I still havent lost any weight.--My endo is going to shake his head and lecture me. (I hate that!) I just cant seem to fight the carb cravings yet. I got lazy with the underactive thyroid. Thats what I am battling now. Regaining my will power. Know any short cuts? he he he Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 Well, I already eat like that---eat several times, but in small portions. The atkins diet, however, Is EXTREAMLY EXPENSIVE!!! I think I will try to follow it on my own, just lower carbs as much as I can and see what happens. I usually just have Protien Cravings. Like Beef Jerky. I always feel the need to eat more protien. I guess thats a good thing to help me out a little. Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 ... Since I became hypo after my RAI I ended up with carb issues.. I'm a carb addict now, there is actually a test (contact me off list and I can send it to you, I still have the long version). I found out about a program call Carb Addicts ( www.carbohydrateaddicts.com )... It is a way of planning your meals to reduce over all carbs, and to balance the insulin in the blood to reduce your risk of insulin resistance which leads to diabetes. In a nutshell you have to no carb meals a day, usually breakfast and lunch... two low carb snacks a day and then the one 'regular' meal, referred to as the reward meal, that consists of a normal meal that is one third protein, one third carb and one third fresh fruits/vegies. The reward meal, as long as the portions are kept in thirds can include things like potatoes, pasta, cakes, pies, etc.... I followed the program until I got down sized and couldn't afford to buy as much meat as I needed, carbs are much cheaper food.... But, I did learn enough while on it to understand how carb triggers work.. about insulin balance and how to avoid carb triggers... AND even more important to recognize when I am really hungry for food energy and just having a carb attack. The best part was after being on it for a couple of days that I broke the carb trigger reaction thing and my food intake naturally dropped.. my body was recognizing food as a fuel source and no longer reacting to carb triggers.. What does that mean? I'll give you the example that convinced me... I had been routinely hitting Mcs for breakfast.. convenience..... I'd have two sausage egg McMuffins and be starving before lunch time.. Sometimes I'd even have three and still be starving before lunch time... Once on the carb addicts program and learning to cut the carbs on all but my reward meal I started making my meats ahead so that I could just grab them for breakfast... I was having 2 or 3 brats for breakfast... at lunch I'd have a half pound of turkey burger and a cucumber and then my regular meal, including deserts. So this one morning I was running late, didn't have my stuff ready and shot out the door to work... (I rode the bus so I couldn't take the extra minute). Got to the last stop and went to Mcs... no other choice... Bought two of the McMuffins and brought them to work.. Opened them up and took the insides off the muffins (the carbs) and ate only the insides the two of them.. it seems like so little to eat, so much to throw away... but... I didn't get hungry.. I found that once you break the carb trigger thing that you won't be hungry all the time anymore.. your body is satisfied.... It was heaven to look at the clock and go "oh, time for lunch, cool" instead of having already been watching the clock and waiting for break for two hours so that I could go eat because I was starving. The weight melted off. AND because of the reward meal principle, when you get a 'normal' meal and can eat the foods that you love, as long as you maintain your proportions, you have a much, much better chance of sticking to the program. So, now that I'm short on meat I've learned to still balance proteins and carbs, adding extra milk powder and eggs to baked goods. Including higher protein things to my meals to offset carbs such as beans. And being aware of carb triggers and keeping in mind how and when to eat carbs to reduce the likely hood of triggering a carb binge attack.... How well does it work? Well, three years with little or no thyroid meds, had RAI 13 years ago so have NO thyroid production of my own... and still wearing the same pants.. With suspenders to keep them from falling off.. I've not gained the weight back. I admit that not every program works for everyone.. and this may not help you one bit.. but the books for this program are available through the library or online.. and it's well worth the read to see if it might be something you'd like to give a shot... I've recently found out, through a friend, about a book of low glycemic foods... a much better chart of carb content of foods... I've sent for a copy.. only $7... I hope to be able to fine tune my own knowledge of carb content and see if I can reduce carb intake or balance a bit better and see if I can start losing weight again now that I'm back on meds... Atkins works great for a lot of folks, I don't deny that... but for some it does not, for some they need to have that mental thing of being 'normal' of not having to give up EVERYTHING to be on such a strict program. Knowing that each and every day you get a 'reward' meal makes doing the other meals low carb so much easier to handle... and by gaining an understanding of carb triggers and insulin and blood chemistry, it makes sense in your head and it just seemed so much easier, for me, to be able to stick to it... Even now, with the modifications that I've made to it due to finances (it sucks that high carb foods are the cheapest to buy) I'm still able to maintain and cut triggers and greatly reduce 'hungries'. Topper ()Group Co-Owner http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Thyroid_Support_Group/http://toppertwo.tripod.com On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 02:01:15 -0500 " " writes: Amber I don't usually recommend a particular diet because I too have strong carb cravings. It's almost like you salivate when you smell or see these things, and I think it's an insulin thing myself, even though routine blood sugar tests don't show it up. In my case, it's not the actual weight itsself, it's WHERE it's showing up. The old spare tire around the waist, and the fat has decided it's zeroing in right there. This, of course, at my young age (51, haha), is the most dangerous place, even though I'm not overweight, overall, it's still a dangerous problem. Anyway, I don't know, but they're all saying that the Atkins diet, or something of a reasonable facsimile to it is the best way to go for us. Reason being, we probably have insulin-sensitive cells that demand more and more blood sugar to knock that craving. To me, a high-protein, low carb diet is supposed to help the cells become less resistant. Mind you, I'm not advertising, and I have not bought this diet (don't have the money for that), but I do believe the basic idea of it. It seems that, as thyroid sufferers, our bodies demand more protein, smaller meals, more often. It seems hard to believe that we could lose weight on a diet like this, but the concept is supposed to be that the body will not go into "starvation mode" as fast (you know---saving everything in the form of fat, when it feels like you've gone without eating too long), instead of three large meals a day. Some people do well on the 3 meals a day. I think that most thyroid or endocrine sufferers, period, don't. As long as your kidneys are functioning properly, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. God I love chocolate!---that's why I'm afraid I couldn't stick to this 100%! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 Yeah, I do use the beef jserky for my salt cravings as well, but I ahve major protien cravings like beef jerky, nuts, basically any kind of meat. I could live off of meat alone, so I think the high protien/low carb diet shouldnt be a total struggle for me. I do have MAJOR salt cravings, but not sweets very often. I guess thats a plus huh? Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 Ooops.. beefy jerky is a salt craving.. not protein.. when you are craving salt lick the back of your hand and sprinkle some on, like when folks drink tequila.. then lick your hand.. you'll ingest less salt with no calories... when I'm craving salt I want potato chips and store bought fried chicken.. both high in salt.. I do the salt lick thing - cravings go away.... Try to pick up the carb addicts books at the library so that you can get an idea about carbs triggering insulin release and such.. it will help you come up with an eating program that will help you control weight without blowing your budget... I'm thinking, for all the interest there is in carbs that I might start posting charts over TTSG or perhaps on my web site.... just so folks can look stuff up easily... I came up with a recipe over the winter that has been tasty and great at controlling carbs.. I called it bean burger.. a combination of turkey burger and mashed beans.. it was amazingly tasty and really covers the protein cravings while still being dirt cheap.... I get frozen ground turkey at .83 a pound and the dry beans I get for .33 a pound... I found that using the bean burger mixture for patties or meat balls.. I have a high protein snack that does not trigger a carb attack for me.. That recipe was already posted over at TTSG.. I think it in the files section too.. if not I'll try to add it soon.... Topper ()http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Thyroid_Support_Group/http://toppertwo.tripod.com On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 11:54:25 EDT AH19@... writes: Well, I already eat like that---eat several times, but in small portions. The atkins diet, however, Is EXTREAMLY EXPENSIVE!!! I think I will try to follow it on my own, just lower carbs as much as I can and see what happens. I usually just have Protien Cravings. Like Beef Jerky. I always feel the need to eat more protien. I guess thats a good thing to help me out a little.Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2003 Report Share Posted July 7, 2003 Amber, Oh yeah.. not craving sweets is a definate pluse.. I could live off a meat only diet and be quite happy... as long as I could still do chocolate! hehehehehehehe I used to go on BBQ's at the local park.. me, the sack of charcoal.. and a couple of family paks of pork chops or pork steaks.. I'd just throw them on the grill, one after the other.. and munch all day long while I wrote... ....ahhh those were the days! hehehehehehe Topper ()http://toppertwo.tripod.com On Sun, 6 Jul 2003 14:50:36 EDT AH19@... writes: Yeah, I do use the beef jserky for my salt cravings as well, but I ahve major protien cravings like beef jerky, nuts, basically any kind of meat. I could live off of meat alone, so I think the high protien/low carb diet shouldnt be a total struggle for me. I do have MAJOR salt cravings, but not sweets very often. I guess thats a plus huh?Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2003 Report Share Posted July 8, 2003 Not sure.. I get several hundred a day.. what was it about? Topper () On Tue, 8 Jul 2003 12:16:29 EDT AH19@... writes: K thanks. I appreciate it. Did you get my other email to you??Amber Schaefer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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