BFC Servings Reminder

BFC Servings Reminder
15/6 = 15 grams sugar/6 carb servings
Carb serving (no more than 2 per meal)
5 grams - 20 grams = 1 serving
20 grams - 40 grams = 2 servings
Eat no more than 40 grams carbs and 5 grams sugar per meal!


Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thursday Feb. 28


Hi Everyone.  I know I've been missing for awhile.  It's hard to explain.  I'm just so sick of trying to figure out my health and weight loss, you know?  When I first started Jorge's BFC it was so great, and I was losing just about every week and I liked what I was eating.   It was almost a game to come up with great BFC options that I liked and was helping me to lose weight.  I dropped about 25 lbs fairly quickly and then about five months after I started, things slowed down, way down.  Months would go by without a loss.  I would change things up and try new stuff and still either no loss or a VERY slow loss.  It took me another year to lose another 10 lbs.  When my Mom got sick this past summer and then died, I still truly thought I was sticking to my version of the BFC, although I wasn't weighing myself and I was drinking more than usual.  Around November I finally got on the scale and was shocked to find that I had gained back weight -6-7 lbs worth.  I got drastic and tried scaling back even more; I gave up snacks, then grains, then my heavy cream in my coffee.  I tried Maria's supplements and protein and fat week.  Guess what?  I went down a pound and then right back up to the new weight.  It's all so frustrating.  I started reading about Atkins and looked at what people were saying on the Atkins bulletin board and it got me even more depressed.  People are talking about barely any carbs, and monitoring carbs, fats, proteins, and calories!  That is SO much to try to keep track of!  I'm turning 52 in a few weeks and I don't feel like doing all that, it's why I started the BFC to begin with. Next I sent away for a home Thyroid tests from ZRT labs and also signed my husband and I up for the 50,000 mile check up at a hospital in Baltimore, all along severely limiting my carbs, dairy, grains, and making no more "healthy" snacks.  I drink 1/2 my weight in oz of water EVERYDAY!    Our test results came back this week and here are the results that showed as abnormal:

From ZRT Labs:
My TSH was high 4.7 (.5-3.0 is normal range)
My cortisol level was high in the morning but normal at noon, evening and night
My Vitamin D, 25-OH D3 was low at 24 (32-100 is normal)
My Vitamin D, 25-OH total was low at 24 (32-100 is normal)

From Hospital Screening:
CBC:
My RBC, HGB, HCT are slightly elevated but the notes said this can occur in post menopausal women

Hemoglobin A1C (this is the blood glucose one) - 6.1% (4.2-5.6% normal range)  What!!!

Cholesterol: (did not do fasting blood test)    
     Total:  272 (120-200 normal range)          Yikes!!! 
       HDL:   78 (40-59 normal range)
      Ratio:  3.48 (should be <5.1)     

      TSH:  1.84 (.400-4.0 normal range) - Normal here but not on the ZRT Lab - weird!

Plus my blood pressure was high.

So how is that for depressing?  I've been low carb for almost two years and my Hemoglobin A1C test comes back as pre-diabetic!  How can that be?   

Plus my Cholesterol is so high! I guess the good thing is my good cholesterol HDL is also very high which balances it out a little.   I'll now have to get a fasting blood test done because I have no idea what my bad cholesterol or Triglycerides counts are, and that's important.

My husband’s report was just as bad, except his total cholesterol was 290 and his HDL was only 61. His Hemoglobin A1C was slightly higher than mine.   Also his liver enzymes were high, suggesting a fatty liver.  

All this time we've been eating what we thought was low carb and healthy.   Maybe our results would have been even worse had we not been eating this way.  Who knows?   What I do know is that I'm now at least 20 pounds overweight and my numbers were not optimal. I'm happy for those of you that can gain 5 lbs and then be a tiny bit more diligent and the 5 lbs is gone three days later. That just does not happen for me.  I also know what I'm doing is not working anymore. It used to work, but not anymore.  I know that writing down the nutritional amounts of everything I put in my mouth is not something I want to do. I know that I can walk around the field behind my house and I can do a small kettle bell routine in the morning but I am not willing to put hours into a gym workout. This all might just be harder post menopause for some reason.   Somehow I have to figure out what is going on and why all of this has to be so difficult.  I will continue to eat this way for now and think my next step will be to make an appointment for a real physical and maybe seek nutrition advice with someone I can actually go in and talk to.  I know a lot of you have found what works for you and I am so happy that you did.  It gives me hope that eventually I can figure out what will work for me that I am willing to live with. 

8 comments:

  1. Hi Beth. Hang in there. It IS hard to figure out what will work for each individual. I'm still trying to find my way too! I'm not sure I would get too worked up about the cholesterol levels until you do a fasting lab.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so sorry that you are having a hard time. I know we are all different and what worked for me might not work for all. But I just never gave up or stopped at all and I kept eating things that I loved and what I knew I could eat forever.
    I really do feel that is a key point. I don't think No-carbing or Fast-tracking is the way to go, well maybe for a week every now and then.
    Don't give up - we are all here to support you. Have a great day :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Beth, I am sad that you are having such a hard time! I think going to get a physical and see a nutritionist sounds like a great idea. I would be frustrated too, if I were eating low carb and my blood glucose was too high. Please hang in there and be diligent - you will find out what you need to do! Hang in there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sorry that you are having a hard time with all of this. I agree with Dana that they cholesterol test may not be accurate if you weren't fasting. I would definitely see a Dr. and have these tests done with the assurance that you will get some answers and meds if needed. I believe you have to ask for the Vit D test to be done and also a hormone panel. It will help a lot to have someone be able to discuss all of your results. I usually do my blood tests a few days before my physical so she has all the results and we can make a game plan.

    I do want to say that keeping the weight off hasn't been easy for me at least. As soon as I eat things I shouldn't, I gain the weight back. I have kept most of it off, but it is a constant battle, every single day. Like Rosalie says, "we can never go back to the way we ate before". If I eat too many carbs or calories I gain. I think I have the sugar issue pretty much under control, but I still have to think every day. I can take the weight back off if I go back to the original BFC and actually do it. I am going to recommit on Monday and start journaling what I eat again. I lost when I was sick, but have slowly added a few lbs back and it isn't because I have been good, I have made bad choices and now I am gaining. I know it isn't what I should eat, but I do it anyway. I still don't snack, even when I am bad, so thank goodness for that.
    I wouldn't still be blogging about losing 2 years after I started this journey if I didn't have to slap myself upside the head all the time!!!
    Blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beth, I am so sorry that you are going through this. If it makes you feel better, I am feeling the same way. I gained some weight back and then after Christms my Dr. changed my thyroid meds again, and then I was on steroids for my knee nd now I've put on alot of what i lost and the scale just isn't moving. Hormones, all of them, not just Thryoid, really need to be in harmonious balance for our bodies to work like thy should. I just pulled out al the stuff from the vey beginning of the BFC and I am just going to try and go back to the basics, but going to choose low fat items if it doesn't cause the sugar to increase. Eating so much fat is always a worrisome thing for me, although my levels of cholesterol have always been good. You do have to do a fastin blood test for it to be accurate. When I was diagnosed with my hypothroidism, my TSH was 15 the first time it was done. Now my Dr. tries to keep it in the 1 range. It was really low a few months ago, and I was losing weight, but she said that wasn't good for my heart, so she increased my synthroid ( I also take Cytomel which is a T3) and when she did that, all weight loss stalled. Dr. Davis has some good blog posts about the thyroid. Maybe you should go to his blog and ask his suggestions. I see that he often responds to people. I'm guessing that Maria's plan didn't work out? Hang in there. Sending hugs and love!! XO

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks everyone, for listening to my whining! I feel much calmer today and ready to keep going. You guys are the best and I really appreciate all of you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Beth!
    This is such a lifelong battle, isnt it?? I totally know where you are coming from and if it makes you feel any better you are welcome to join me in my boat! YOu can be the skipper!!!(wink! lol)
    Anyways, I agree, fasting makes a huge difference so I wouldnt get too worked up over it. Get a physical with your Dr. & have them run a complete panel on you and go from there.
    Maybe speaking with a dietician or nutritionist will help. I know I have been feeling really lost lately too & it is beyond frustrating! I am hoping that doing the 17DD will help kick my weight loss into gear again.
    Sending you a big Hug!!!
    ((Sherri))

    ReplyDelete
  8. "It is a great post for weight loss. Loss weight is the important issue for this time.lose 15 pounds in 2 monthsthis food or exerciser can help your weight loss"

    ReplyDelete