Introduction (long - you may need crackers)

[Cheri]

Hi everyone!{boing}

I'm on day three and feeling great!

Like almost everyone else here, I've been there, done that, seen it all, ate it all... and somehow landed here.

I'm 44 years old. I have three daughters, ages 24, 21 and 3.
Yes, I said 3 - and yes, I am crazy.
I also have two granddaughters born two months apart. They are almost nine and seven months.
(Sheesh, you know your life is confusing when YOU don't even know how to explain it!)

Six years ago I weighed 130 pounds. After a series of miscarriages, a high risk pregnancy, severe hormonal problems, adrenal burnout, blah blah blah... eighty eight pounds have found their way onto my body and have been clinging to me like I'm a tree in a windstorm.

Last summer I went to my doc with complaints of sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and weight gain. He, of course, put me on anti-depressants and sent me on my way. As my condition worsened and depression grew darker and deeper, I was diagnosed as bipolar. I was then put on more drugs. Massive amounts of Klonopin, Xanax, Lexapro, Topamax. I was a zombie.
I did notice that my symptoms would get worse with my monthly cycle. I would explain this to my psychiatrist but he would just up my dosage of meds and I would stumble home.

I put on a lot of weight around then and through my drugged up fog I realized that I needed to get some help to lose it. I found a Dr. that provided a liquid diet program so I quickly made an appointment.

This wonderful woman took one look at me and my list of symptoms and asked me, "Do YOU think you're bipolar?":thinking:
Hmmmm... noooooo.

She then told me that she believed me to be hormone deficient and prescribed bio-identical natural hormone replacement.
She told me to slowly come off the anti-depressant drugs and see how I felt. Her diagnosis resonated so strongly with me that I stopped all medications that day.
I found out through testing that I had the hormone levels of a post menopausal woman.
A hormonal imbalance can make you feel crazy, hopelessly depressed and even suicidal. My bipolar-ly illness was 'cured' with estrogen and progesterone. My weight however, is another issue. When I read about Dr. Cohen's program I wanted to cry. A diet that addressed hormonal issues? wow.

So here I am. I've been lurking for a few weeks, so I feel like I know some of you even if you don't know me.
You are all so inspiring, kind and welcoming. I feel very lucky to have found this program and support forum.

Cheri

[bitten]

OMG cheri....
i could have written so much of your above post.
i too was having horrid symptoms in O6 and was put on so many different drugs.
i stopped all of them and am now on armour thyroid and bio-identical (have you read dr, john lee's book?)hormone replacement topical creams.
i am so, so much better.
but it took cohen's to get the weight shifted.
i am estrogen dominant and my wonderful, holistic GP really feels that the less you weigh the less estrogen can hide, etc.

well done and welcome. i look forward to hearing more.
bitten

[Bronwyn]

Wow Cheri! What a story!! I'm so glad you have joined the boards and that you have found this diet. Mostly, I'm glad you found a doctor who helped you to see that you did not need to "cure" your symptoms with those horrible drugs. I'm a firm believer in that those drugs only mask your symptoms and do not cure anything. You are going to be a new person now that you've got that sorted out and you're on the path to taking off the extra weight through this program. I can't wait to watch your progress.

Bitten - ditto to you too! So happy you found a holistic doctor to see you through your hard times too and to figure out what is really going on in your body to make you feel depressed and down. I wish there were more doctors who would use that approach instead of masking symptoms with drugs and curing nothing. You are doing such a great job here and I'm so happy for your continued success.

[Cheri]

Yes, Bitten, I have read Dr. Lee's book and learned so much from it.
I just went to my bookshelf and counted 10 books that I own dealing with hormones. Not to mention all that I have checked out of the library!
I believe I first heard about HGH from Suzanne Sommers - she also has some interesting things to say.

I'm so glad to have found you here, we sound like we could be sisters- chunky hormonally sad sisters, but sisters nonetheless. Just kidding - we're on our way out of the fog and into a new day, dancing right out of our fat pants!

[Cheri]

Bronwyn,

I feel truly fortunate to have stumbled on to such a great doc. I left my first visit with a prescription for natural hormones and a recommendation to take Melatonin, 5HTP and evening primrose oil.
'Modern' medicine seems to treat only symptoms, not the cause. I have had high blood pressure for over TWENTY years - while fat or skinny - so I know there has to be a 'switch' that my system is missing.
I firmly believe that with this diet, using food as medicine, my body will be in harmony once again.

[Finally Free]

Welcome Cheri! We're close in age and have similar amounts of weight to lose. I'm so glad you've taken charge of your health! I think doctors are too quick to dismiss women's symptoms and just prescribe something. We're too much a drug society.

Good luck with your journey and post often!

[bitten]

i am loving this thread...great to have such woman of wisdom and always searching for an alternative to DRUGS!!!! booo to bigpharma!

cheri- have you done the somersizing and schwarzbein (?) principles?
i am curious as to your other books. i love christine northrup!

wow- really happy that you are here and feeling well.
thanks bronwyn and julie, too-
bit

[Cheri]

Hey again, Bit!:)

Yes and yes. I have somersized and it worked while I 'worked' it.
I'm such a food addict, constantly in negotiations with myself while I'm dieting... always trying to justify that extra bite here and there, so a diet plan like that just didn't work for me in the end.

I have both of Schwarzbein's books - and it all made sense, but again, I couldn't stick with it.

I have books by T.S. Wiley also - she has developed the 'Wiley Protocal'. Are you familiar with it? High doses of hormones, pretty controversial. She also wrote a book called "Lights Out", which addresses sleep and weight loss.

There's so much information floating around, but much of it is contradictory. Ugh! Who do you believe? I decided to trust my doctor but educate myself so that I would have the final say in my treatment.

I haven't taken any hormones in awhile - I started having pelvic pain and my Dr. said that it was probably my ovaries "coming back onliine", and to discontinue the estrogen.
You poor estrogen dominant thing - I had a low tolerance for any estrogen replacement, I would always gain weight and just feel lousy.
Progesterone, on the other hand...:party1: Saved my life, I think!
I haven't used my progesterone cream since I started the diet and I feel great so far.
I would truly love to use the 'food as medicine' approach. That is, of course if I can avoid an overdose.:munchies:

I'm with you on this journey, girlie. :)

~ Finally Free, nice to meet you!
Women's medical issues are most certainly dismissed in our society. If a middle aged woman goes to the Dr. complaining that she can't sleep through the night she will most likely get a sleeping pill prescription. It just makes me want to scream, "It's hormones, stupid!!" (To the doctor, not the woman.)
I am still composing letters to my former doc and psychiatrist. Think it woud do any good to actualy send them?

[bitten]

thanks cheri-
you are certainly a wealth of hormonal knowledge.
i cannot have any estrogen...i have far too much of it.
i use progesterone and testosterone topical creams, prescribed and then order from a compounding pharmacy. i cannot have any soy or soy products. that was a shock as i was trying to be VEGAN!!!! well, needless to say my health and my ethics are at odds with each other.
i have decided to trust my brilliant lady dr, read loads and do what dr. cohen says, too.
bitten

[Cheri]

I TOTALLY get what you're saying about health and ethics. I've been there.
I used to be vegan, too. My kids (older ones) are still vegetarian and we all eat a lot of soy. I started eating meat again (for various reasons) about 8 years ago after being vegetarian/vegan for, gosh, maybe 10 years before that. After I started eating meat, I lost a lot of weight rather quickly, so even then my hormones were probably out of whack and my all soy protein diet didn't help matters.

I get the topical cream, too - compounding pharmacy, also.

Hmmm, I'll have to ask my mom if I have a younger sister she never told me about. :)

Cheri

[bitten]

wow....we do have lots in common, how fabulous.
yeah the meat thing ways heavy on me (no pun intended...)
i do find i like it and sometimes i hate that.
i felt great being 'animal free' as i called it...or nothing that has ever had a mother...
i did not lose weight really, but i did not gain and my irritable bowl was quite well behaved....then i over dosed on soy and i got really ill and gained 30 lbs in just a few months...(mind you i was already 200 lbs, so this was just too, too much)
i lost 75 lbs in 05, on a complete meal replacement, medically monitored diet. 130 days and i went from 220 lbs to 145lbs...but i screwed up my brain and body big time.
i reactivated my bulimia and just went nuts. i maintained my weight (by 10 is lbs) for only a year and then we moved from the UK to the US and in 18 months I gained 85 lbs....the meal replacement was all soy protein isolate and i think the damage started there.
who knows?
all i do know is am feeling better and losing weight and my ED is in recovery...again.
glad you are here to get ideas from, yea!
bitten

[Shasha]

{hi} there Cheri, Bitten, Bronwyn and All

WOW, the long lost sisters meet again on the 1st Personal Diet Forum! {grouphug1}

I'm thinking you ladies would be surprised as to how many vegetarians or ex-vegetarians struggle with weight problems. I believe the problem is too much starch - remember legumes are high in starch, together with other vegetarian foods this triggers too much insulin and drops blood sugar too low too fast, the result is hunger and so the vegetarian person tends to get hungry too soon and eat more often as a result... Proteins are essential to keeping blood sugar stabilized.

Cheri: I'm curious, how are you feeling on the 1st Personal Diet Program? You must have your hands full with your 3 year old {wave}

I think it's really wonderful that you've discovered you were misdiagnosed. Imaging living years and year of your precious life on the wrong medications and feeling terrible all the time! At least you were able to find the right help and move on...

FYI: Melatonin, 5HTP and evening primrose oil are all fine to use while you are on the 1st Personal Diet Program.

I'm hoping to see each one of you reach your goal and that this will be the last Diet that all of you's ever needs to do!{cheerleader} GREAT JOB on the support Ladies!!

[makena]

It's true - I'm another ex-vegetarian (10+ years) that has struggled with weight problems. Maybe there should be a club.
It's hard, because there is part of me that still wants to be a vegetarian, but I've realized that unless I'm healthy I won't be able to focus on any of the causes that are important to me...

[bitten]

nothing is more important makena, then our health and well being.
i just wish i could be a skinny b*%tch vegan!!!!
not this time around....
i wish you well & i do understand!
bitten

[Cheri]

Hi Shasha!

I feel great! I always feel full. Never hungry in my body, just my mind. But I'm really commited to not deviating at all, so I just deal with it and move on. Cheating is not an option for me, I know.

I was making my daughter a peanut butter and jelly sandwich today and I had to open a new jar of peanut butter.
Does anyone else know what that means? :)
The smell... and of course the first delicious spoonful.
I opened the jar and decided to just smell it... it smelled so good.
But then - wait - I smelled it again and it smelled like peanuts. Just plain old peanuts.
I smelled it again and it didn't smell good at all. I started thinking about it and I don't even like peanuts!:laughing:
It's funny how your (chubby) mind can play tricks on you.

Thank you so much for the info on the melatonin and 5HTP. My sleep has improved so much in the last week. I'm out like a light at night and I wake up at 6:30... even though I don't need to.
Who knew?

Thanks again,
Cheri

[bitten]

ohhhh cheri-

stop your dirty talk...
peanut butter is my fave!!!

i love your attitude and you are so right about not deviating, it cannot happen!
bitten

[Cheri]

Little do our men know that when we say, "dirty talk" we want them to mutter things like, peanut butter, ice cream, brownies, ... slice of bread, half slice? a bite? ... oh, if only they knew, this world would be a better place.

[bitten]

amen sister....

do me a favour, NEVER, and i mean never...talk about brownies in a forum that i may be trolling around in...

i cannot handle it.
actually they are my favorite yummies.
and i passed by some fab homemade ones at my little girl's dance class end of year soiree...she had one and it was bigger than her head...
i was ok...i just know that they are not an option.
but i do lust after a good brownie....sad but true-
bitten

[Cheri]

I did hesitate a bit before I wrote that list...

My daughters and I once renounced the evil temptress "Little Debbie", holding hands and commanding that she release us from her wicked grasp.

It didn't work.

I vow to not mention the 'B' word again.

[bitten]

your kindness is extraordinary.

i owe you a cracker....

[Shasha]

{hi} there Girls

:cop: THERE WILL BE NO MORE DIRTY or PERVERSE TALK ON THE FORUM!!!

GO AND WASH YOU MOUTHS OUT IMMEDIATELY WITH TWO GLASSES OF WATER!!!

Words such as Bro*n** and Pe****B*tt** will no longer be tolerated... I now have the power to ban these posts and, I'm not afraid to use it!!! (LOL)

I heard something really good the other day, some people were talking about changing BAD habits and how before you know it, old thoughts creep in and you're off thinking some stinking thinking...

So, now it's time to get a check up from the neck up and what the one guy said was that he recommends tying a rubber band twice around his wrist (- a large enough rubber band so as not to cut off the circulation...) Anyway, when he thinks the undesirable thoughts he is trying not to think, he simply pulls the rubber band, lets go and shoots himself on the wrist.


BAM!!! :crying:

And, guess what??? It WORKS!!!
There is just {noway} you can feel the pain and think Choc***** Bro**** - those thoughts just don't jell together...

When going to those food functions, I'm thinking the rubber band trick may come in useful to block those shall we call them counter productive thoughts...


Sigh, a girls' gotto do what a girl's got to do!!

[bitten]

thanks miss shasha-

i have heard about this rubber band usage as well.
it is meant to be great for breaking bad habits and negative thought patterns....

i need to go find a rubber band!!!LOL!
bitten

[Shasha]

{hi} there Bitten

No problem... Just take your pick: