Problems After Significant Weight Loss - Physical & Social

(Greta) #1

Anyone having problems after massive weight loss?

So, I’m literally half my former weight.

I’m having odd problems that might be stemming from losing the fat that coats the nerves. Well, one of my doctors suspects that, but it isn’t his specialty. He just had a patient that happened to who developed it after massive weight loss. I’ve been evaluated by a neurologist and a physiatrist (doc specializing in pain). MRIs and a LOT of other testing don’t show anything. I do have peripheral neuropathy which started when I was heavy and diabetic and got worse with weight loss and a normal A1c (4.8 to 5.1 last three tests). I have also developed a breathing problem-it could be a nerve in my neck. Everything else has been ruled out.

The other issue is people scrutinizing me and what I’m eating. I don’t have any real friends at work, just friendly coworkers. It isn’t terrible, but it’s annoying. Eyes are on me and whatever I’m eating. No one cared when I was heavy. Now it’s like, “Should you be eating that?” Ugh.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The physical effects you are describing are not something I’ve heard of in connexion with a ketogenic diet, but there’s a first time for everything. If you are concerned about your myelin sheaths and other nerve effects, be sure that the fats in your diet are mostly saturated and mono-unsaturated fats and that your fat sources are ones the human race has evolved with. For example, even olive oil was not as used as a foodstuff 2,000 years ago; it was considered to be a cosmetic and a lamp fuel. Butter, lard, and tallow are what I would go with.

As for the social effects, those are common. I remember one forum member said she finally had to say to her co-workers, “Why weren’t you concerned when I was wolfing down all those doughnuts?” And another had to deal with co-workers and friends who were concerned that her “abnormal” weight loss was because of cancer. That last assumption ought to give pause to anyone who espouses the current standard dietary advice. The fact that anyone who actually loses any weight is ipso facto believed to be ill, is a strong sign that said dietary advice is completely ineffective.

But a ketogenic diet is unsustainable, and arterycloggingsaturated fat is going to kill us. Right!
#NOTDEADYET

(Greta) #3

Thank you for your reply Paul. Good point on oils. I use some butter for cooking. I don’t use olive oil (have always hated olive oil anyway).

I don’t know that magnesium has anything to do with nerves. I was googling and saw someone said his neurologist said to take magnesium for nerves. I have rarely taken any and my fruit/veg intake is definitely low. I need to research that one.

Interesting on cancer comments-literally one of my neighbors thought I must be ill. She was so relieved and said she was afraid I that had cancer.

The scrutiny is so annoying!

#4

@Greta

TIME FOR A MASSIVE WHO IS YOU NOW!!! intervention LOL

you are not you from that past but in our tiny brains, and our past IS US and then it is time for massive changes on our presciption of you we are now ya know and the brain game begins!!!

you have mind game issues now. Not about others or their thoughts and it can never be that. Let that loose and never listen to ‘others’ unless you are in some free fall into ‘abnormal dieting crazy behavior’ and yea then get a clue LOL

but if you are less than you find the NEW YOU and don’t listen. In that this is 1000% about you…not a darn soul other ever.

Remember too you shared your journey with them I take it. NOW THEY FEEL they have a hand in it as you asked? like said don’t let me eat xyz or abc and be sure I adhere to my ‘lc menu’ as I need?

BUT THERE IS A TIME where ya gotta tell the others, ALL in your life, YOU GOT THIS!!! YOU ARE NOT babying stepping this any more and need massive support.

your mind changed, as did the info from science to work for you and not against you as you researched, as you ate and changed.

so my advice is now say to ALL you are YOU NOW…not before, ya learned, ya changed, you have grown into science for your body and it is obviously responding to your goals.,but NOW TIME to say, I appreciate the help and would always love support now as you can give BUT ON MY TERMS and put a new you down on this one :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
hope some of that info makes sense to ya :slight_smile:

Don’t be you and what you need in the past from others and appreciated, it was as you know you told them I am sure but it is NOW YOU moving forward in NEW changes and make sure those who ‘wonder about ya’ get just that :slight_smile:

new change. New goals and new you and NO NEED to ever be the old you in response now ya know. You take the forward control point blank.

OK that is my advice as I see it, which is I see you SO changing with others holding ya there in some form. Dump it and tell them what you need now and what you expect and how ya go forward.

Old big times WE MUST have help no doubt and big help and opinions but there is that turn point ya gotta say done, but some help as I ASK form ya’ll is good :slight_smile:
ok just chat on it :slight_smile:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

It’s most helpful for leg twitches and cramping. There is a lot of useful information here, if you do a forum search.

I don’t know whether you saw the other thread, in which I remarked how plump Sophia Loren used to look back when I was a kid. She was gorgeous, but quite zaftig. I remember noticing this while watching a re-run of Houseboat on television after school. I recently saw some stills of her from that same movie and was struck by how thin she now looks, compared to people today. Our standards have greatly changed, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to brace yourself. Just keep calm, and keto on!

(Edith) #6

You may also want to read the Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, M.D. It is a fascinating read about all the processes in our bodies that need magnesium and all the health problems we can get when we are deficient.

(Greta) #7

I happened to be listening to a Dom D’Agostino youtube interview where he went over a few magnesium brands, and I decided to order one.

I’ll look up Dr. Carolyn Dean. I have piles of books I haven’t read though, so I have quit buying them. Maybe she has a youtube lecture.

I’m just whining about people here. I’m not going to engage with them. That makes it more annoying IMHO.

Another thought, more of a positive - I lost my balance in the garage the other day. I fully expected to fall down, but I didn’t. I have weak muscles and just used to fall a lot when I lost my balance. So there’s that, a plus-

(Jane) #8

^^^

I second this. You can buy her liquid magnesium and will get zero “bathroom effects” from it. My huband and I both use it.

(Jane) #9

I just reorderd another 16 oz bottle. We take 1/2 tsp at a time so it lasts for months.

(Bob M) #10

Have you thought about body weight training? Things like a one-leg drinking bird:

https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/perfect-form-one-leg-drinking-bird/

(Though I do this with my arms down so that my fingers touch the ground; but the way shown is good too.)

There’s also a two-legged version.

Tons of books, videos, etc. in this area. And you can do it all at home. Though I do have some “specialty” equipment (dip bar, pull up bar, TRX cables), but mostly I’m on a mat with maybe a chair and stool.

(Robin) #11

Sounds like I should read that one. If I don’t take my nightly water with magnesium and salt, my sleep is crap and I have leg cramps. I am a believer.

(Robin) #12

I like the bathroom effects, probably because in my pre-keto/carni life I was constipated all the time.

(Greta) #13

@Bob - I do the body weight exercises! I’m a weakling, so I can only do the progressions to pull ups, push ups, and squats. I also do beginner HIIT to YouTube, and HIIT rowing (the only thing I can really do well).

There is a free gym at work, so I am working on the pull-down machine to try to build up strength for pull ups.

Man, I was a lot stronger when I was heavier. I lost strength as I lost weight; I guess I didn’t try hard enough. I did try. At one point I was gaining lean mass as I lost weight, but only in the legs, and only on one Dexa scan. I know fat is 87% fat and the rest lean tissue, but I lost more than that. Perhaps it was too much fasting. I still think it was worth it. I just have to keep trying.

I’ve heard body builders feel like they need to eat in a surplus to gain muscle. No way I’m doing that-

(B Creighton) #14

Unusual problems to have after such successful weight loss. I suppose the other thing you could try is to replace that fat, the doctors suspect is at issue. Those are your essential types of fat - that is why they are essential… your body uses them. So you are talking omega 6 and omega 3 fats - DHA and EPA being the most important nerve wise.
Here is one I have started using:
https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/swanson-efas-super-dha-500-from-calamari-30-sgels
They are enteric coated - no fishy burps - if you can wait, you can look for them to go on sale esp on the weekends. Also quite safe with no mercury concerns.
I also use krill oil, but it is way more expensive to get the same amount of DHA.

Also if you eat meat, eat grass fed - it has better omega 3 profiles.

It sounds like you probably had nerve conduction studies, but those would not necessarily show much even if you are having some demyelination. If it gets severe, it should show up. Just an aside - Demyelination cases are up about 400% with covid and covid vaccinations.

(Greta) #15

Thanks-I’ll consider more wild-caught salmon. I’m too worried about rancid omgea3 pills to go that route, although I think krill oil is supposed to be better preserved.

Ugh, I saw Robb Wolf say several times in YouTube videos that he was wrong about grass fed beef. It doesn’t have significantly more omega 3 than regular beef. He was a big promoter of that notion and said that he realizes it’s just not the case. He was so disappointed and seemed a bit stunned at the testing results. This was on his promotional appearances on his new book Sacred Cow on sustainable farming and of course still felt we should be eating grass fed. But I think he said farm raised salmon, a pinkie serving size, has more omega3 in it. I was shocked.

His co-author sadly reported that book sales were a flop and a loss for them. I don’t know why book sales were so terrible. I have the book but haven’t read it, LOL-

Anyway, I’m going to have my CRP tested again. It was sky high when this started, then dropped to high, then dropped to normal. I want to make sure it still is, to try to make sure this isn’t autoimmune in nature. I’m suspicious-it just doesn’t make sense to me that it’s weight loss related, except for that one doctor who thinks it could be.

He did say that his other patient with drastic weight loss with the issue did eventually recover. I hope it wasn’t with weight gain. I should ask him that.

(Greta) #16

My coworker wanted to go to the work gym, so we went. I worked really hard on strength training on arms, and then did HIIT rowing.

I can feel a small twinge in my sternum from the workout, I ended up with costochondritis (sternum pain) for a while earlier this year but it went away with the body/back pod device. I should find that thing and use it again! So far it is OK though (crossing fingers).

It sucks getting older!

Thank you for reading/chatting-

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #17

I’ve been learning about regenerative agriculture lately, and the nutrient profile of cattle apparently depends on the grazing practices of the ranch where they were raised. Grazing as usually practiced tends to deplete the soil, but regenerative practices enrich the soil, thus making the grasses more nutritious and therefore improving the nutrient profile (and taste) of the meat.

If you can find a farm where they practice what is variously called holistic grazing, adaptive multi-paddock grazing, or mob grazing (all equivalent terms), your chances of finding beef and lamb with decent nutrient profiles are good.

It’s possibly related, not directly, but because the same mechanism that causes obesity (chronically elevated insulin) can also cause systemic inflammation. Dealing with the root cause can solve both problems.

(Jane) #18

This is probably unrelated to your pain, but after I lost 35 lbs I couldn’t sleep on my side without a pillow between my knees. With all the extra padding gone, it was painful! And it felt more like nerve pain, than muscle pain but I am just guessing.

It eventually went away - not sure how long it took, but thankfully it did.

(Jane) #19

My take on this is jealousy if they are heavier than you. They see how much weight you have lost and have kept it off and they may not be willing to give up their carbs to lose weight so they pick on what you eat.

Or if they are thin and live on veggies and low fat foods then they are just projecting their own beliefs onto you. It is none of their business what you eat!

You could always beam a big smile and say “of course - it is delicious!” when they ask if “you should be eating that”. But that might invite more questions you don’t want to answer. In that case give a casual shrug like you don’t care and keep eating.

(Laurie) #20

Magnesium is good for many things. There are various kinds of magnesium; some are better than others, depending on what ails you or what side effects you want to avoid.

I think you mentioned you’d already bought some. I hope it helps you! If not, you can read up on the various types and what they do. Magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate is supposed to be a good all-rounder. Another kind is supposed to be even better, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

My daughter (mid-20s) was really bloated looking. She lost about 100 pounds and was 135 pounds. At 5’6", she was actually the perfect weight. People kept telling her she was “too thin,” etc. This is a very common story. It’s not just you, so don’t take it personally when people say such things.

I think Janie’s advice to just shrug it off is good. The more you try to explain yourself, the worse it will get. Smile and change the subject.

In your profile photo you look shapely and healthy. Congratulations!