The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Quote:"As little as one microunit of insulin in serum will prevent the breakdown of stored fat. Even starvation does not bring insulin levels to normal in obese subjects."
I think doctors look at us overweight gals and think, "you are probably cheating, eating more calories than you say."
And that is the first place to look, definitely. That's one thing I learned from Leigh. I burned 1475 cal yesterday when I was in bed most of the day.
But at a certain point a doctor needs to trust that a patient has looked carefully at her/his foods and is still having problems. My Endo in Wash DC that is also LaraT's endo did listen to me besides looking at the mostly normal tests. My Primary Care Physician did not listen to me, and put me on a white bread, low protein diet.
Sheryl, might as well eat some avocado while you're at it........
And I'm gonna continue the high calorie high carb-low fat weekends, and the low calorie high protein/low carb weekdays and see if I can minimize my waterweight gain, maximize my fat loss
That's why I'm taking both Vitamin D and Metformin; they both treat the symptoms of IR, Metformin treats PCOS, and hopefully I'll get a double-whammy.
Hope it helps you too-it improved my energy getting my levels back to where they should be. My endo explained it to me this way-when one hormone is out of balance in your body it can cause a ripple effect-effecting other endocrinological systems as well. You have to figure out and repair the root cause-you can't throw prescriptions or supplements at it willy nilly or you won't know the cause or what is working to repair your body. It seems your PCOS is at the root of everything-maybe check out some PCOS forums to find a really competent specialist in your area? It is a really heart wrenching disorder-my girlfriends daughter has spent 5 years pursuing invitro treatments and is finally pregnant.
The PDF book is really about heart health (it's called Track Your Plaque), but has excellent information about Vitamin D, the differences between D2 and D3, the differences between the FORMS of D2 and D3 (tablets vs. oil-based gel caps), and the length of time it might take for it to begin taking effect and build up in the body.
As I read this I realize my doctors are really quite behind the times. Whatever happened to doctors who did research? It used to be that if they didn't know or if they didn't understand something, they'd still help you FIND the reason for your difficulties rather than just settle for their own status quo and limited information/current education to help you. Now they just go from patient to patient, helping some -- and those patients for whom they don't have answers, they assume the issue is the patient. But all the while never raising their intellect.
Most of them simply have too many patients to find time for doing their homework & keep up with the literature.
Plus, regarding the D3, that's a nutritional supplement. Supplements fall under a totally different 'type' of law.. it's not a medicin, hence there's no or little interest & as a result there's little research on it (no funding) , so they won't read about it much in the literature they do read..
At home we have a book called Physician's Desk Reference for Nutritional Supplements.. I'm betting 95% of doctors don't own that one.. the data used to be available online, but it no longer is.. at least not in the level of detail they used to offer (for free): http://www.pdrhealth.com/home/home.aspx
For the layperson , there's still enough to find out about.
As for doctors who DO their homework.. my specialist is one of them, but then again, he's in his 70s and has a long waiting list of patients that would love to be his patient yet he doesn't take more than he can 'swallow' as he takes a lot of time for each of them...
As for doctors who DO their homework.. my specialist is one of them, but then again, he's in his 70s and has a long waiting list of patients that would love to be his patient yet he doesn't take more than he can 'swallow' as he takes a lot of time for each of them...
Several months ago when one of my endos walked in to see me, he asked me how I was. I said, "Well, that depends on this visit." His head jerked up, he put his hand up in a gesture as if to stop me and said, "I only have 20 minutes." Guess he really didn't care to hear how I was -- and yet I'm paying this man. (And I don't really have a choice -- he's one of only two endos within an hour's drive of me covered under my health insurance).
So count yourself blessed, Espi. Count yourself blessed.
Several months ago when one of my endos walked in to see me, he asked me how I was. I said, "Well, that depends on this visit." His head jerked up, he put his hand up in a gesture as if to stop me and said, "I only have 20 minutes." Guess he really didn't care to hear how I was -- and yet I'm paying this man. (And I don't really have a choice -- he's one of only two endos within an hour's drive of me covered under my health insurance).
So count yourself blessed, Espi. Count yourself blessed.
OK I read this several times here and I'm playing devil's advocate here but sorry I don't get why you were offended. How would you feel if the situation was reversed and he said that to you? I'm having a very hard time seeing your comment to the dr as anything but antagonistic and confrontational from the get go.
Or if his greeting wasn't just a greeting but actually part of the exam in terms of actually wanting to know what your issues and concerns are then "that depends on this visit" doesn't answer his question about how are you doing?
Of course I wasn't there and maybe the guy is a first rate jerk and there's a lot more to this situation than what you're relaying.
Now the 20 minutes comment is frustrating but it's also realistic. Around here that is standard practice meaning the appointment time is limited and outside of true emergencies that's all you get at any doctors office. If you have additional concerns that still need to be addressed then you are expected to schedule an additional followup appointment (with an another copay of course) or if you know ahead of time that more time is needed then you tell the receptionist so they can book an extended time slot in the first place if there's one available. As a patient and someone who's paying for their services I have actually come to really appreciate this policy although it did take me aback a little bit at first. But by doing this it means that when I see my PCP or endo for regularly scheduled appointments they're not routinely running behind and I'm not cooling my heels in the waiting room. They're not rushing through my appointment because they got behind. And if they are running behind it was because a previous patient had a truly emergent issue that couldn't wait. And when I'm the one needing same day treatment for either diabetes or asthma I've been appreciative of the extra time when it's been medically warranted.
I hope you find your answers regarding your difficulties with weight loss. I've always had trouble losing weight and understand your frustration. I've been reading this discussion with interest.
Around here even the family practice physicians are checking serum Vit D levels on most everybody and prescribing Vit D it's so widespread. I'm sorry if the dr's in your area of the world aren't being as aggressive about it. It is new and something that should be addressed.
The Vit D council also has a lot of information on their website and is another source of information.
I'm not trying to burst your bubble but insulin, leptin, insulin resistance, and PCOS is all very, very complex. And now throw Vit D deficiency into the whole mess. I've had type 2 diabetes for over 20 years now and I'm also Vit D deficient so do have quite a bit of personal experience with both conditions. I'm also obese and have a very hard time losing weight. Aggressive management of both the diabetes and the Vit D deficiency has not fixed my weight loss problems. I'm not saying that I don't think all these issues and body weight regulation aren't related I think they are. But correlations do not always equal cause and effect and even when cause and effect is established that doesn't mean you can always do anything about it all. Or that treatments that address Vit D or insulin resistance will also automatically result in successful weight loss. It's just not that simple.
I do hope you find your answers but it's probably going to involve more than just supplementing Vit D.
"Of course I wasn't there and maybe the guy is a first rate jerk and there's a lot more to this situation than what you're relaying."
There is. And I know a lot of other patients who have experienced the same thing with the same doctor. I drove the 45 minutes home from that particular appointment completely in tears, and decided I would never go back to see him again without my husband.
Now get this. When I saw him six weeks later -- he was a completely different person with another man in the room. My first thought, "Who are you, and what have you done with my doctor?!" Not only did he spend not 20, not 25, not 30, not 35, not even 40 -- but 45 minutes with me in that appointment (without asking), he complimented us on our kids' behavior (they were both in the room with us), he shook our hands on the way in and shook our hands on the way out. We couldn't get him to stop talking!!
Explain that one to me.
As for the Vitamin D - we'll see. But I tell you one thing -- I'd rather err on the side of the positive than the negative. I'd rather think about what could be than what couldn't be. Nothing's ever been achieved that way. No one who has ever achieved great things or great discoveries have filled their heads with what might not be. They have one burning desire, one goal, and that's what they go for.
I'm not afraid to be wrong. Being wrong is in itself a success, because it just means I'm one step closer to a right answer. But I'd rather be moving in a direction than not moving at all. One thing's for sure -- if I sit still just because "it might not be the answer," I guarantee you 100% that I'll still be in the same place a year from now. And that I refuse to do. And so I march on.
To have something you've never had, you must do something you've never done. Someone very wise said that. My dad.
Most people who become Drs are just like everyone else.
They do what they need to do to get the job and then they settle into a routine juggling life, work, family etc.
A few Drs are exceptional and dedicated to their craft but most are not.
My sister is a Dr, and I have several frends that are Drs.
I'm not saying Dr.s are bad but lets face it they are operating in a system where they have to see a lot of patients just to say in business.
Relying solely on your Dr to solve your problem even if they are a specialist is a bad idea. Utilizing them as a resource and becoming their partner to solve your problem works much better and seperates you from the average patient and therefore you get better service from the Dr.
I used to suffer from dibilitating headaches, sinus related. Three specialists and 3 general practictioners could not solve my problem although one performed surgury and make it much better than before. I solved it myself.
I'm only 37 but in my years to to a variety of jobs, children, different health insurances, etc I have seen my share of Dr.s and only TWO were impressive.
Anyways I'm rambling and likely not telling you anything you don't already know.
Relying solely on your Dr to solve your problem even if they are a specialist is a bad idea . . . I used to suffer from dibilitating headaches, sinus related. Three specialists and 3 general practictioners could not solve my problem although one performed surgury and make it much better than before. I solved it myself.
Hooray for you, Nacho! And that's all I'm doing -- trying to solve it myself. Granted, I might be wrong. But I might be right. The chance that I might be right is still worth the risk of ending up wrong. Thomas Edison once said, "I didn't fail. I've just found 10,000 ways that didn't work." I know he's glad he tried just one more time -- and so are we. That one last try changed the world.
We celebrate Thanksgiving this month because a group of people launched out, willing to take a risk, defying all the odds, disregarding what everyone said, and decided to put aside thoughts of what couldn't be done, and establish a free country. Heartache along the way? Sure. Mistakes? Most definitely. Many died. But I sit here in a free country today because they did it anyway.
And so one thing's for sure -- I'll never know if I don't try. I won't have failed if I'm wrong. I fail if I don't try. That's the real failure.
Here's a link to a PCOS forum a friend recommended to me. There is even a section in their forum for women with PCOS who have had wls-maybe someone with similiar issues would be of more help to you.
Here's a link to a PCOS forum a friend recommended to me. There is even a section in their forum for women with PCOS who have had wls-maybe someone with similiar issues would be of more help to you.
Thanks Lyrica. I was on that forum for a total of about 2 hours one time probably a year ago. I found another WLS patient on there who was having similar issues as I was, and was crying out for help. The person who responded to her (who ended up being the administrator of the site) told her that she just needed to do A, B, and C and it would happen.
I chimed in to encourage the poster. I told her I'd had WLS with PCOS, done A, B, and C myself (whatever they were -- can't remember now, it's been so long), and it didn't happen for me. The administrator promptly blocked me from the site.
Since I didn't say anything offensive, I couldn't figure out why in the world she (the administrator) did that?? The only thing I could think of was that she's possibly insecure. I could only surmise that she only wanted people who agreed with her to post on her board, that she didn't want anyone to share a differing opinion from hers. Maybe she only wanted her posters to take her advice. I don't know. So . . . I haven't been back since.
You know, I just checked out the site, and I can read posts without joining -- so I just won't say anything this time.
But interestingly enough, people on soulcysters with PCOS have found a link between their PCOS, insulin resistance, and their Vitamin D. Some of their doctors have said there isn't a link between the two -- but some have, and some of them have posted articles. Many of them are taking Vitamin D as part of their daily regimen and have said they feel much better once they get their levels back up.
I thought having thyroid problems was hard but PCOS sure can be heart wrenching especially for those having fertility problems. Some sites are like that-especially f you post a dissenting opinion or your story is not a success-kind of an oxymoron in an open forum.
Thanks for bringing that up. FYI, I've had a mild case of PCOS myself but already was on the mend when it was diagnosed. Mostly due to vastly increased & persistent daily activity levels, combined with low stress = cycling across North America for a year, the cycle normalized itself. It's been hard for me too to lose weight as I often thought & still think that lowering calories just made the body survive on lower calories, rather than shed fat.
Keeping cortisol levels low by avoiding stress is another factor you should look into.
not bring insulin levels to normal in obese subjects."
And that's all I'm doing -- trying to solve it myself. Granted, I might be wrong. But I might be right. The chance that I might be right is still worth the risk of ending up wrong. Thomas Edison once said, "I didn't fail. I've just found 10,000 ways that didn't work." I know he's glad he tried just one more time -- and so are we. That one last try changed the world.
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