Thank you. 
I just listened to a podcast with Elle Russ, author of the The Paleo Thyroid Solution and decided to order the thyroid tests she suggested.
Free T3 & T4, Reverse T3, TSH, Thyroid antibodies and DHEA.
I don’t have all the thyroid symptoms, but figured it was a good place to start. I’m also making an appt with Dr Ken Berry, to see if he has any ideas.
This post is the definition of determination. All the best and I am interested in what Dr. Berry has to say for sure. I’ve been listening to his podcasts for a while now.
Too much magnesium loosens the stool for me. I can only have it every few days and, at nighttime as it puts me to sleep. But if I were to have magnesium three nights in a row straight I would have the most god awful cramps and stomach pain. Maybe you have the same issue? Just a thought. Love following your feedback and progress for DSK!
Andrea, how are things going? Are you near the burning areas of NV? Not sure how close those are to Vegas? That would be adding additional stress if you are. Hope you have something positive to report back soon.
Hey girl! I’m good - I got a full thyroid panel done and had an appointment with Dr Ken Berry to review. All the numbers looked pretty okay, so he suggested I get a hormone panel. I’ve done it before and my testosterone numbers were really low - I don’t know why I never looked into that further. I just went and got my blood drawn today and am looking forward to those results.
Because I have the MTHFR gene, I’ve also recently added a few things:
methylated B vitamins
choline supplement
daily creatine supplementation
I’ve made a few other changes as well… I am increasing my protein significantly - I realized that I might just have a higher need because of all my training. After listening to Ben Bickman and Ted Naiman, I don’t think added protein is going to hurt, and I’d rather err on the higher side. I have 100lbs of lean body mass and I work out 10-13 hours a week, so I’m currently taking in 115g. I also JUST changed my workout routine, I’ve added in 3-4 days a week of weight training (heavy) and have reduced my cycling to 2-3 days a week.
I’m also moving from heavy saturated fats to more unsaturated fats. My genetic testing showed that I process polyunsaturated fats better than monounsaturated or saturated. I thought that was really interesting!
Finally, I’m cutting out artificial sweeteners for awhile. I highly doubt I’m having an insulin response to them, because my BG doesn’t change when I use them, but I figure it’s one less variable so I’m taking them out. (I’m literally on day one of this…and it’s already hard!)
I know, it’s a lot of things to change at once, but I am determined to get results!!
PS I must not be near the burning areas because I don’t know anything about it!
Always inspired by you and your willingness to try new things. I’m following you on Instagram now and love your daily updates.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is that I do that works and if I’m honest it’s keeping everything simple. Currently eating three meals a day of protein and salad/veg (lots of olive oil). Plus in the evening a small snack of cheese and nuts. No ketofied foods, no sweetners, no alcohol. I usually don’t have my first meal until around 11. However if I’m biking or running hard (parkrun on Saturday morning). I fuel that with a banana - it’s like rocket fuel when you don’t any other carbs.
I’m 5.3 and losing weight (slowly) on 2000 cals a day. I run, bike, swim and walk (I walk a lot and think this helps - low intensity movement). I’m 52 and around 130lbs. For years I sat around 140lbs and then I got more consistent with the simple real food. It seemed to work but it’s taken a while
Sorry to write so much - but I talk to you in my head quite a lot lol! and I thought I should write it down. One other thing, I think the weight training will be very good for you, I look quite muscular for an old chick and I’m sure this is what helps me eat 2000 cals a day and lose weight. I recently had my resting metabolic rate tested at a metabolic facility and it says I can eat 2400 a day with the activity level I do so that does make sense. My RMR was 1450.
One other thing - if I eat 2000 cals of junk food (pretty rare, but it happens) I get puffy and bloated and hold water (weight). Real simple food is the way to go.
Keep up the good work - you are so interesting to follow and I hope you find what works for you.
Thanks! I love that you talk to me in your head! 
Please talk to me foreal! What’s your insta name??
I am pretty simple with my foods too - bacon, eggs, meat, and spinach. The only veg I eat 90% of the time is spinach and cucumber. I have been doing fat bombs as part of the DSK program, but am cutting those out now, along with sweetener. As mentioned above, I’m also moving back towards olive oil rather than coconut to see if I respond better to unsaturated fats.
Do you know about what ratio your fat is, in terms of macros? I’m trying different amounts to see what works. DSK was 80% and I always had great ketone levels but I’m moving it down to 75% so I can get in more protein. I’m currently eating around 1900, will continue doing that unless I see a gain. Right now I’m averaging 151lbs, before and during DSK it was 149.5. I realize that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but the trend line moved up, which I don’t love. I assume it’s because of that lowered RMR from DSK. I’m maintaining the higher calorie level to increase it. I’m also doing 14-16 Hours of fasting (just water, coffee) daily.
I also want to try carb cycling a bit (like what you were talking about with the banana) but I’m so h hesitant to do so until I lose some weight. Last night I thought - okay, I’ll add some extra carbs today…and I ended up at 17 total for the day (which is high for me, but clearly not enough to be considered carb cycling, haha).
I would love to talk to you for real - I’ve been obsessed with nutrition my whole life and not many others share the passion. My instagram name is ‘gopaulagreen’ but I’ve only just joined and not posted much - nice picture of my bike though
This year is the first year I have tried to trust myself and not count cals/fat/carbs but the last few weeks I have been keeping an eye on my calories, mainly because I want to drop a few pounds to help my running. At my height 3 or 4 pounds really does make a difference. Like I say, I’m still eating around 2000, I suspect when I don’t count it’s nearer 2500. Not sure of the macros I’m afraid - I might have a week of counting everything and let you know.
It has taken me 35 years to find a way of eating that has got me near goal weight. I’ve lived through the 1000 calorie low fat diet years and it didn’t work - well, in a way it did work because I never got really overweight but I felt like my whole life I was trying too hard for the results I got, which is what I think you feel. I always exercised (long distant triathlons and weight training) but never looked like the athlete I was. I think compared to most people I looked fine, but I didn’t look like someone who trained 15 hours a week and tried so hard - I know you get this!
Like I say. For me, keeping it simple, real food and also consistency - I never really go off the rails - certainly not like I used to back in the low cals days.
I’m saying this quietly, but for you with all your exercise I suspect a bit of carb cycling might work. I use bananas and cold potatoes for my carb energy. The good thing is that I’m not particular fussed by either food so mentally they are just fuel.
I think on another thread we talked about Chris Froome eating keto - well this past week I listened to a podcast of his latest fueling in the Giro and it was a carb fest! I thought of you when I listened to it
I’m interested to see what your new blood tests reveal!
Paula and Andrea - you ladies are having a great convo on here and I’m very similar to you both in all that you’ve written - really enjoy reading your posts and hearing how it’s going!!
More protein and some carbs (bananas and cold sweet potatoes, coincidently) have made all the difference for me in the way of turning off hunger. Fat never did that for me. Higher protein helps, too. Let us know if you try it
Girl…This. Is. Everything. This sums everything up for me. Do I look okay? Sure. Do I look like the effort I’m putting in? Definitely not.
Hi there! It’s been a month or so, what did you end up doing? Did you take a break from exercising?
I definitely think a chronic stressor can completely and utterly stop weight loss. If you’ve tried everything else why not try stopping ALL exercise for at least a month?
Well, I had a freak accident and couldn’t exercise for three weeks and I had taken a two week break before that, so five weeks off. And… No,
I did not start magically losing weight. 
I’ve also started having heart palpitations lately and I’m tired of playing with my electrolytes, so I’m upping my carbs (more veggies and some fruit) to see if that helps with the palpitations.
Finally, I’m giving what @skinnyjeans13 has done to break her stall a try and giving up nuts.
I already don’t eat dairy due to allergy.
It’s a lot of changes, but I mostly care about the palpitations. If any weight changes occur for the better, I shall gladly shout it to the rooftops. 
Well, at least we figured that out.
I’m sorry about the palpitations! That could too little potassium or too much potassium right? I talked to Ken Berry and he said you can safely supplement 3000mg of potassium if you’re working out consistently/sweating a lot. I do about 1500-2000mg a day and that seems to stave off the cramps.
Re: nuts…yeah, I eat up to one ounce of nuts a day, so I’m not terribly concerned about it. They’re so high in calories that I literally eat about a quarter ounce at a time so I don’t waste macros on something that doesn’t fill me up!
What freak accident?!?!
Well… a brass lid, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter from a sewer clean out, shot out of a commercial lawn mower and hit me in the leg just above my knee. It took out a good chunk of skin. I needed stiches and had to wait for things to heal. I think the impact also knocked my knee a little out of alignment, but a few trips to the chiropractor helped with that.
See, freak accident. It needs no embellishments.
I just started easing back to exercise last week. Thanks for the potassium tip. Maybe I shall try upping the quantity of supplementation if a few extra carbs don’t help.
Hope you are healing well. That sounds terrible.
Check on the potassium in your added veggies, that is something that is a fine balance.
In my case it was too little magnesium, then way too much. I had to cut out supplementation and gradually add 200 mg. a day in over a few days. It takes a lot for me, but I had over done it and paid the price, I had gone way too far over the line, but the cut back and slowly adding it back seems to be working for me. If I happen to be eating a lot of mag. heavy veggies, I cut back on the supplements for a few days.
I eat around 10g total carbs now, so very few veggies - usually 2-4oz of spinach or a cauliflower pizza but that’s it. I don’t mess around with vegetables anymore…they do not like me.
me either! Especially raw. has pushed me towards something almost carnivore.
Are you still working through the protocol for reintroducing food stuffs, based on your tolerance test. Or you still limited to the few items that don’t cause you issues?
I have come across some references to how certain veggies, keto ones mostly, need to be cooked to release the nutrients. Did the nutritionist you are working with mention anything about that to you?