Let’s Talk About Diet in 2014
Today is January 1, 2014. My diet strategies for 2o14 are the same as they were in 2013. This year my thyroid went out of remission for the first time since 2008. With all the stress of Hurricane Sandy and my daughter’s injury it led to hypothyroidism. I was never under active. I was always overactive. When I gained almost 15 pounds in a month, and other symptoms started to appear. I was fatigued, overwhelmed and depressed. I also felt very confused as I was living in a clouded world. I knew something was wrong. I saw my endocrinologist in May and he did blood work. I told him that if my results are normal to please write me a script for diet pills. My doctor called me a few days later and told me my levels are fine and he sent my a prescription for an appetite suppressant and a copy of my blood work. When I tried to fill the prescription it was going to cost $500.00 a month. I also read my blood report and I saw my T3 level was out of range on the low side. I told him that I gain weight when my thyroid levels go out of remission, either way out of range. I also told him I did take diet pills when my thyroid was out of remission and they did not work. I suggested that I go on thyroid medication. He put me on a low dose of medicine for the T3 level. The T3 level of the thyroid regulates your metabolic functions such as your weight, and fatigue issues. After 2 weeks on the extremely low dose of medication he prescribed, nothing was happening except the weight issue was still there. I called him crying and he increased the dosage. After a few days the cloud started to lift and the fatigued feeling was a bit better. I started losing the weight in July. It is all off now minus 1 pound. (I will take it and be happy). My scale fluctuates the 1-2 pound margin every day. I am back in my clothes. I am back to my size post hypothyroidism. I understand that I will probably be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life. I have come to terms and have accepted that as a real possibility. There are worse conditions to deal with and I will be on my doctors watch at closer intervals. Also out of range is my T4 level. It is also under active. The T4 in the blood regulate your hormone level activity. I also forgotten that I feel like I do not have a pulse anymore. My doctor put me on a low dose T4 medication. I do not feel any change at all. I am sure he will increase that medication too. Dealing with an under active thyroid is almost the same as dealing with hyperthyroidism. It is the same disease but different symptoms.
I am leaving you the Let’s Talk about Diet in 2013 because I still believe in it. I believe in my strategies and the way that i eat. I have maintained my weight loss except fpr the period when my T3 thyroid level went out of remission. I have stayed true to everything else. Let us all eat healthy and maintain a body weight that we can live with. Let it be a number that you can control without any outrageous extremes or behaviors. The best of luck in 2014 and please stayed tuned to my website bonappetitmom.com. Stay safe my fans and Bon Appetit.
In my youth, I was very overweight. And as I rang in every new year so would my resolution to lose weight. I was good New Years day, but it was down hill from the 2nd on. When I reached the ripe old age of 18, I made a resolution to stop making New Year resolutions that never came to fruition. My thought was that you can’t break a resolution that was never made. I also decided that it was meant to be that I be fat for all of my life. In 1975 who would have thought that a bathroom conversation at my sisters graduation party, would have changed my life forever. I joined OA (over-eaters anonymous), and it changed my life completely. I lost 75lbs on my journey with OA. Over the course of my life I have gained and lost weight, but I never gained the 40 lbs that I initially lost on OA.
Right now I am in a good place. I have successfully lost and maintained 75 lbs since 2008. I still don’t make resolutions that I know I will not keep. I just hope that the weight will continue to stay off. I don’t question why I lost the weight, I am just thankful for the fact that is gone. I feel so good being the size that I am. My thyroid is still in remission as far as I know. As far as I know my healthy is relatively good. I have put back on about seven pounds, but to be quite honest with you they really should not have lost. Although I must admit I did enjoy having them off. And now we are going into 2013.
Strategies for Maintaining Weight Loss
- Eat 4-5 small meals a day.
- Eat a freshly made salad every day
- Drink at least 32oz of water daily. In my terms 2 – 160z bottles of water.
- Cereal is a good snack food to keep on hand especially in the winter.
- Eat slowly. I don’t care who watches me eat and looks at me like I’m crazy.
- Portion your servings.
- Do not go food shopping when you are hungry.
- Keep healthy snacks with you.
- High salt does not make a healthy food at all.
- Enjoy what you are eating.
- Don’t make New Years Resolutions that you can not keep.