Discussion Board

I am on this WOE from december, but I still have some problems. I know now I was eating too much at the beginning and I was baking sweet all day and eating tons of food, using too much sugar etc.
I have some problems with thyroid hormones and I am waiting for check up in october. But there are times when I feel better and time when I get worse.
There are some positive things I am noticing: my hair got fuller, I don't need any moisturizer anymore and sometimes I don't have body odor, I have less fat and more muscle, I am stonger etc.

But then there are days when I have body odor again, I feel anxious or depressed, I don't feel my legs and hands and sometimes the whole body. I binge on rice cakes or canned food or even plain rice and oatmeal and STUFF myself and then I have acid reflux. Sometimes I have bloody spots in mouth or ulcers.
I stopped eating any fats and sugars even fruit, but two days ago I binged on two cans of green peas with sugar and piece of wheat bread. I was feeling better for some time, but now I am here with coated tongue, body odor, my nail fungus got worse and my digestion is bad.
When I started feeling numb and lightheaded I think I must eat even if I am full or I will faint, but then I feel really stuffed and my digestion got worse. I don't know why I am so hungry all day.
I really don't know what to do anymore.

I suspect, I binge when I don't have anybody to listen, when I feel alone or others are angry with me, but I am also wondering if my thyroid is making this or maybe I should take out my mercury fillings.

I just have to write this, because I obviously need some support. I can't do this alone.

And I am also scared I don't get enough protein, because I don't want to lose muscle and strenght again. I am trying to get in at least 50g of protein everyday, but I am a tiny girl, so this is in fact too much for me?
If I am eating only when truly hungry I dont eat so much food and then I think I didn't eat enough.

You mentioned starting this woe in December. Have you been diligent about the no-added oils and eating low-fat plant food? Are you following MWL or the regular program? Are you staying away from processed foods? Since you feel good sometimes and not others, you might want to keep a food journal to see if a particular food might be making you feel bad. Or you could try an elimination diet (but it is a lot of work).

Why don't you try posting a typical day's menu (including snacks) and see if we can help?

Yes I tried the elimination diet and I was already writing about this on here, but I can't eat too much brown rice, because I find it hard to digest and I need a lot of veggie with it. Potatoes constipates me.
I don't use any oils and now I eliminated all fatty food - I was eating ground flaxseed before and sometimes I drank soymilk.

Oatmeal seems to be the best for my digestion. I don't eat any raw food, no fruit and I avoid sugars. Fruit is the worst - I look like I am 9 months pregnant and there is lot of gas. I am using some salt because, if not, I retain water and my digestion slows, but this must be some problem with thyroid hormones. But as I said I have to wait for check up. Other blood tests were great.

I eat broccoli, pak choy and brussel sprouts, then oatmeal and a little brown rice. I was eating rice cakes and puffed millet, but now I eliminated these too.
Maybe I am just eating too much for me, because I still have some fat around my belly? Bad digestion and gas may be results of overeating? I am rarely truly hungry.

Have you ever been checked for candida in your digestive system? Candida can also mimic thyroid symptoms. Just a thought for you...

Heidi

When I read your story, the FIRST thing that popped into my head was candida. Your story sounds classic to me. Thyroid issues don't make you binge. People with thyroid issues barely eat yet still gain weight. And you admitted that it's emotional stuff making you over eat. Anyway, I highly suspect you have candida big time. Google it. You will have to go on a very limited and boring diet for awhile to try to clear it out, along with taking herbs and such.

Good luck!
Atheria

I have candida issues and have many of the same symptoms. I still stay on this diet, however. I tried all kinds of other things and they didn't work for me. When Dr. Klapper speaks, he even shows pictures of what candida overgrowth in the digestive tract looks like. I asked him if this diet feeds candida and he said you have to eat healthy foods to get it back in balance. I'm sensitive to medicines. Diflucan is the drug that kills candida but it can harm your liver. You have to have your liver checked every 2 weeks on Diflucan. So I take a lovely product called Candidazyme. I saw the doctor who makes it (Dr. Farinelli in Ft. Collins, Colorado) and he will chat with you on the phone or via e-mail. His product contains probiotics and cellulase and it really works. Here's the website: http://www.candidasurvivalkit.com/candi ... tment.html
Hope this helps you. My tongue used to be completely coated, too, now it's only coated in the back. The bloating used to be so bad that I looked 12 months pregnant. Now I only bloat a little and it's usually after I eat a ton of veggies-- which isn't so abnormal with all that fiber. The cravings used to be off the roof and now they are better. By the way, getting rid of all sweeteners is key. I will occasionally use a little stevia but the candida loves everything sweet.

Heidi

I asked Dr. McDougall about candida, because I suspected I had it... but he said, he don't believe in candida overgrowth and that his diet should help with my problems. I red a lot about candida in past.

I started having fungus on my finger nails! I believe this WOE can help with my problems, but I really have to stay away from all sugar and fats. In the beginning I was eating too much flaxseeds ,soymilk and fruits. I never had fungus on my finger nails before this WOE, but I had other candida symptoms.
I still think I am eating too much starch, but sometimes I just can't stop stuffing myself, especially with puffed grains. I really have no control. With all this stuffing I am really not following McDougall advice ... Eat when you are really hungry, stop when satisfied!

Wow, I didn't know that Dr. McDougall felt that way about candida. I've been tested by blood and with stool samples and I have the overgrowth according to the tests. Dr. Klapper, who speaks at the McDougall functions, shows pictures of what a digestive system looks like with candida overgrowth, in his powerpoint slides. I think what really matters is trying to find a way to eat and not bloat or feel crappy and not feed the yeast. I'm sensitive to the Candida program from Renew Life but the owner of that company is on PBS sometimes right after Dr. Furhman. She talks about getting yeast balanced. I really like Candidazyme from Dr. Farinelli in Ft. Collins, CO. He will chat with you on the phone. The product is full of probiotics and cellulase so it can't hurt you. Plus, it kills candida and gets rid of that awful candida gas syndrome. I had the fungus on my toenails and don't get pedicures or manicures anymore. Do remember that you are not alone. I do believe that this diet will cure it in the long run. I, too, have massive problems with puffed rice, rice crackers and popcorn. I know it's tough to have to limit stuff, but if it makes one feel better, it can be worth it.
I did a stay at True North Health Center and it was very good for me. Dr. Lisle, Dr. Goldhamer, Dr. Sultana, Dr. Klapper and others practice there. You might want to check out their website.
I also tested for mercury in my system thinking that that was causing the problem. But I didn't have high levels of mercury. I hope some of this helps.
Heidi

I found page about fad diagnoses: http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/fad.html

I think I am just still eating something my thyroid doesnt like. Or maybe I am just iodine deficient. I know I am vitamin D deficient because I feel better when I go out on the sun. I also know I am sleep deficient.

I ate too much broccoli few days ago and few hours later I had a migraine. Dr. McDougall says you can safely eat cruciferous if you have enough iodine. I hope he is right.
Yesterday I felt lightheaded and numb, then I ate some broccoli and thing were better, but few moments later I felt my digestion slowed down.

You've got to calm down and stop overeating (I know...easier said than done). Overeating is very stressful on your system. Take a deep breath and tune into your body. What does it NEED vs. want? Some form of meditation or a relaxation technique would be beneficial.

I'm going to suggest something others might think is too "out there" but I find it to be fascinating...muscle testing/kinesiology. You can muscle test yourself to see which foods agree with you and which foods don't. It has seemed eerily accurate when I had it done to me years ago. I even tried to trick myself. I closed my eyes so that I didn't know what the person testing me was putting in my hands. Please look into it as a non-invasive diagnostic tool.

If you do have a candida issue, I think you'll not only have to avoid all sugars like the plague, but probably wheat. I met a woman years ago in Los Angeles who cured herself of candida by going wheat free and using candida cleansing products and such.

Good luck,
Atheria

What does "my digestion slowed down" mean? You say you can feel it happening - what do you mean by that? I can't feel my digestion at all, nevermind the pace of it.

Wow, this sounds just awful. Maybe, it's more an issue of food obsession than poor digestion or maybe not. Next time you feel like binging, why don't you try taking a walk, a swim, or doing meditation instead of stuffing down another rice cake. It works for me. I've found eating brown rice very easy on the upset digestive system. Dr. M. says we can do very well on just starches such as brown rice. It might be worth it to get everything calmed down. Have you read the Starch Solution?

I agree with this. WALK, swim, ride a bike - do some simple yoga poses or stretches - anything physical will help you and do you a world of good.