Maintenance Weekly 15th May 2006 - Being Flexible

[Mitra]

No, Shadow, I'm not talking about this week's exercise plans ;).

We hasten to remind you that the absolute number is not as important as the principle: you will successfully maintain your weight or health only by keeping your daily effective carb intake at or below the level that your metabolism will tolerate at a given time and a given level of activity. The number may change as your circumstances change, and you must learn to be flexible.

from Staying Power

One of the things that's difficult about moving from intervention to maintenance is that suddenly you have to find out for yourself what works for you. During intervention, whether you're losing weight or improving your health, or (like most of us) some sort of mixture of the two, you have a nice clear set of rules to follow. It's not always easy to avoid temptations, or to stay on top of the planning, shopping and cooking, but at least you know what you're aiming for.

At maintenance, not only do you have to work out for yourself what your carb intake should be, but even when you've worked it out, the target keeps moving. Many of us here are women trying to keep up with changing metabolisms, but men have to make adjustments too - you only have to look around to see that older men don't stay lean and healthy as easily as younger ones. And apart from the changes of normal aging, we all have to deal with illness, injury, stress ... at different times. These things can directly change the body's ability to metabolise what we eat, or affect it indirectly, by affecting how much exercise we do.

What changes have you had to respond to? Were they short term or long, gradual or sudden? How did/do you deal with them?

[Shadow]

Well gosh, Janet - here I thought we were all going to get up and stretch :D :lol:!

Seriously... what a very appropriate start to the week! I have been muddling along without journaling and think I'm doing okay, but the old menopause is certainly putting a twist into things :rolleyes:. I haven't upped my carbs much, although I am probably eating a bit more than I was when I was journaling. But certainly nothing drastic has changed in the carbs I'm eating so I am safe to say I'm still in the transistion range ;). However, as my waist measurement was up again this weekend, I'm now wondering if I need to go back to intervention levels or what. I didn't have the nerve to weigh after the encounter with the measuring tape so I have no idea where that's at but I do feel "bigger" and have for a week or two. So I am going to wait one week and see where I'm at next weekend. If you all hear a very loud screech next Sunday morning, you'll know the results are not good :rolleyes:... In the meantime, for this week I'm just going to try to eat better than I've been and hopefully that will be enough for now. But it's so confusing at this point to know what is the diet - and what is the hormones, ya know?

[Relief]

I almost didn't post a reply to this because y'all KNOW where I stand :D

But it's so confusing at this point to know what is the diet - and what is the hormones, ya know?

Do I ever--shadow--did you get your book about menpause types? what did you think? any help there? YOu could also try taking your body temp and ir if is low, I would also advise going to Dr. Welson's site here: http://www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com/
I didn't start having sucess till I got my body temp up to normal.

personally I think you have to keep trying, investigating, on and on till you find the key. so yeah, flexibility!!!

[Shadow]

Deborah - Yes, I did get the book and according to it, I'm not only low on progesterone but high in testosterone :rolleyes:. I was thinking of doing the temperature thing, but then I completely spaced it out :o. As I recall, there was a point I was confused on and meant to ask you, so I'll have to re-read that information :). I know my temperature has historically always run low - although these days who knows ;).

Another factor I forgot to mention is that I changed my exercise focus which could be part of the problem.

Too many things to focus on :eek: :lol:!

I know you can definitely relate to the frustrations of hormones! I just wish I had the options available here that you have - and that hormone testing wasn't so horribly expensive :(! Plus having your tenacity and quest for learning would help a lot too :p!

[Shadow]

Deborah - This is my question... The site says
• Every 3 hours
• 3 times a day, starting 3 hours after waking

So is it 3x per day or every 3 hours? It obviously can't be both since the math doesn't work out the same ;). One way is 3, the other would be 5 or 6 depending on how late I stay up :p.

[Mitra]

I almost didn't post a reply to this because y'all KNOW where I stand :D

Well, those of us who've travelled with you from board to board over the last few months do, but people who've just joined us here might not - unless they read your recent success thread, of course.

I just realised that I was so busy asking questions that I didn't actually answer for myself.

I did have to do some adjustment during my first few months at maintenance - not because my needs had changed, but just because I was a bit optimistic about how much I could tolerate. Since then, it's stayed fairly steady. I'm definitely getting the feeling that my body is starting to change :rolleyes: but so far it hasn't affected my weight or my food requirements/tolerance levels. But Relief, Shadow and Ruth are all reporting difficulties with losing/maintaining in the face of hormonal shifts, so for now all I can do is watch what's going on and do what I can to make any changes I need to.

[Relief]

my understanding is 3 times only 3 hours apart so if you get up at 6 am you would take it at 9, 12, and 3 and then average those temps. I tend to go overboard and take it more times ( and sometimes more often :D) this was even helpful once I fonished with the T3 protocols and was working on my armour dose. My temp started hovering at about 99 and I knew I was at a too high dosage ( I was losing weight like crazy then, though, hee hee)

I did 3 t3 cycles using the timed release T3--i had to up my dosage everyday till I was taking 3 10mcg pills night and morning--thats the dosage it took to get my temp up to normal --then slowly reducing to zero and then upping again--3 times--then slowly weaned from T3 to Armour and am now on 3 grains of armour in the am. holding steady at that dose. If I use syntroid alone my temp drops and I get crazy type symptoms. If my temp starts going low again I will do another cycle of T3. it is the only thing that has worked .

i sympathize with how expensive this can be--tseting etc. I have no health insurance at all and my last thyroid panel was $300.00 Ouch! I have been lucky in finding help but I still have to do a lot of this on my own, as well. good luck to you!

[Shadow]

I almost didn't post a reply to this because y'all KNOW where I stand
Deborah - Oh jeez, I missed that part :eek:! But obviously I am very glad you did reply :p.

Okay, 3 times a day I can do next week for sure since I'm on vacation. But once I go back to work, I'm going to have problems with it...

And yes, I fully appreciate how much work you've done on your own! That's what I meant by saying if I had your tenacity and quest for learning that it would help me a lot too :D!

Janet - Luckily you've had some forewarning :p. I was totally oblivious about all of this until I leaped right into menopause :rolleyes:...

[Relief]

I'm very lucky because I work at the theatre where it is very wacky so i just go ahead and take my temp whenever I want--silly huh? the not so "free and easy " people think I'm very nutty but I don't care! I also have a thermometer that talks! a very computer voice says " your body temperature is ninety eight point 6 degrees fahrenheit" very silly!

[LisaS]

I guess I don't get the problem - unless you are in a job where you have to wait for a relief person to take a break - why can't you just take your temp when you visit the restroom?

[realruth]

Yeah well the goal posts sure shifted for me !!

I have had a bit of sucess dropping back a bit of the weight gained beginning menopause but....When I have a really light TOM I gain 2-3 lbs for the whole month....I'm exercising a bit more and it's not muscle ;)...I can feel it in my lower half , If i have a *normal TOM for me which is heavy flow* then I drop back down 2-3 lbs.
At the moment I am in an upward swing...10 days to go....

I am tempted to do the temp thing but as I am away from home and not seeing a reg Dr it would only be for my info.

Go back to NZ for a 2 week visit in July will book in to see Dr and get another full workup done.

[Shadow]

I also have a thermometer that talks! a very computer voice says " your body temperature is ninety eight point 6 degrees fahrenheit" very silly!
I think that's cool, Deborah! It would certainly beat having to squint like I do to try to read the blasted thing :lol:!