If you've followed my blog at all, you know that I am always on some kind of roller coaster. I was looking back and see that I've been on an exercise binge, done Weight Watchers and also had several crashes. Welcome to my world! ;-)
So, here's the latest and the greatest that I would like to share with you, my adrenal fatigue friends. And I do consider you my friends, because we share a problem that most of the world does not understand.
To the point at hand: I have done Weight Watchers on and off for some time now. At one point, several years ago, I lost about 35 pounds on the program. However, I was not well, meaning that physically, mentally and emotionally, I was a basket case! I did not feel good, my hormones were out of whack and I felt very out of control.
Shortly after that, we moved to a place that is only second to hell itself. We took a church and the people treated my husband and I like dirt. We aren't perfect people, but we walked into a VERY bad situation. So, rather than gain weight, the extreme stress caused me to lose even more weight!
By this time, things had completely fallen apart in this new church, in this new town, and we moved back home! Thank God for HOME! I was so happy to be home, that guess what I did? Yep, I ate. And ate. And ate some more! It was at this time in my life that I decided that I am a "happy eater." Some eat when they are stressed, but I eat when I'm not!
So, after I gained it all back (and then some!), I decided to go back to WW again. But it wasn't the same this time. I had lost my momentum and I couldn't get into it. I waited a few more years - which was in 2010 - and then tried again. At the beginning of this year, I decided that I can't do WW anymore. I wasn't doing it right, they changed the program, plus our group leader was leaving.
After getting off WW completely, I began to have some odd symptoms. I was hungry all the time, craving everything sweet and gaining quickly. I talked to my friend, the chiropractor (Dr. Bob) and he told me that I really needed to go Low Carb, specifically, the Atkins Diet. Dr. Bob had been a patient of Dr. Atkins, so he knew the the program fairly well.
I did take the plunge and start. It's not been impossible, but it has been interesting. The first two weeks were called Induction where you eat only certain foods and it's a pretty strict diet. After that, you can add more, but very slowly. I am only in week 3 and I'm doing okay with it.
I'm not losing alot of weight. I lost some, but I know that with my faulty metabolic system, and the adrenal fatigue, that's to be expected. What I have noticed, however, is that my blood sugar is not so unstable. I'm able to go for longer periods of time without eating. The dizziness and sick feeling in my stomach are gone. Instead, I eat alot of protein, only 20-25 carbs per day, and eat vegetables that are low in carbs. I also eat Atkins bars and drink Atkins shakes.
I was feeling a little frustrated tonight over my inability to eat much, especially when my family goes through McDonald's and everyone gets ice cream... and I watch... and I can't have any. I logged into the Atkins forum and the people there were really nice in encouraging me and helping me understand where I'm going.
However, the real clincher came when I did a search on Adrenal Fatigue and Atkins. I came up with this website that basically tells the world the the Atkins Diet IS the diet for people with Adrenal Fatigue (and other problems too!). This lady explains why Atkins works for people like us and how it can be tough to lose weight with the way we are.
So, I implore you to give it a try. I'm only on week 3 and I have only lost 3-4 pounds. That is really sad. But, I am not giving up because I am not doing this to lose weight. I do not want to be a diabetic, have unstable blood sugar, and be dizzy and tired all the time. Dr. Bob even told me that my AF may be caused by all of the carbs I eat.
So, yes, I'm on a new roll. I have a feeling that I will be here for awhile though because I think I've found something that works to help me get better. If you already do Atkins or are considering it, leave me a comment and let me know. Here's to hoping the best for you - energy, strength and blessings from above!
