Female weight loss question

[Dustin07]

I have a question for the scientists and nutritionists here. My wife is 5'3, 50yrs old, and appears to have a metabolic baseline of 1250 cals.

I wish it was higher but she consistently gains weight at anything over that and can't cut weight at 1250.

1000 calories seems crazy low.

I'm looking for any discussion, feedback, suggestions, even if they include a trip to the doctor. She has had her thyroid tested in the past few years and it was fine.

 

[sns8778]

That does seem very low and there could be a lot of factors involved with it.

My thoughts would be to have her thyroid tested again and make sure they they test for reverse T3; a lot of times they don't do that testing unless you request it. I would also request to have her cortisol levels checked.

I don't discuss diet or training on here much because I tend to look at things from the science or medical side moreso than the bodybuilding or fitness side of things, so I probably won't be very active in this thread overall, but you're welcome to pm me and I'd be glad to help in any way that I can.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I have a question for the scientists and nutritionists here. My wife is 5'3, 50yrs old, and appears to have a metabolic baseline of 1250 cals.

I wish it was higher but she consistently gains weight at anything over that and can't cut weight at 1250.

1000 calories seems crazy low.

I'm looking for any discussion, feedback, suggestions, even if they include a trip to the doctor. She has had her thyroid tested in the past few years and it was fine.

Did they test free t3 and free t4 with that last thyroid? And was she taking biotin at all when she had that testing done (even some in a multi)?

 

[Dustin07]

Did they test free t3 and free t4 with that last thyroid? And was she taking biotin at all when she had that testing done (even some in a multi)?

You know the biotin is a good question, however t I highly doubt. She is going to check with this Dr that specializes in metabolic health this week as it sounds like he runs labs dirt cheap.

What's the biotin effect?

 

[GreenMachineX]

You know the biotin is a good question, however t I highly doubt. She is going to check with this Dr that specializes in metabolic health this week as it sounds like he runs labs dirt cheap.

What's the biotin effect?

Biotin can falsely elevate a whole mess of labs including thyroid, to a significant degree.

 

[Dustin07]

Biotin can falsely elevate a whole mess of labs including thyroid, to a significant degree.

Right on that's good to know.
I'm going to learn more about this new doc and see if I can get blood panels via him as well since it's a helluva lot easier and faster than my traditional GP

 

[SweetLou321]

Biotin can falsely elevate a whole mess of labs including thyroid, to a significant degree.

Doses would need to be pretty high though, 5mg or more, and taken within 8 hours of the test bc the half-life of biotin is pretty short.

 

[SweetLou321]

That does seem very low and there could be a lot of factors involved with it.

My thoughts would be to have her thyroid tested again and make sure they they test for reverse T3; a lot of times they don't do that testing unless you request it. I would also request to have her cortisol levels checked.

I don't discuss diet or training on here much because I tend to look at things from the science or medical side moreso than the bodybuilding or fitness side of things, so I probably won't be very active in this thread overall, but you're welcome to pm me and I'd be glad to help in any way that I can.

I doubt reverse T3 (rT3) is all that bad tbh. The alternative medical view on it has zero peer-reviewed scientific backing. It potency at the thyroid receptor (TR) is too weak to compete with free T3 (fT3). It functions more of a thyroid regulation mechanism, to be more specific, for a break on the metabolism. It functions as a break because T4 is being converted into it instead of T3, shifting the balance of activity at the TR to one that is slower, as rT3 is the weakest thyroid hormone at stimulating the TR. If good fT3 levels are seen with higher end rT3 levels, this is not much of a cause of concern. In the cases in which it is seen as elevated and fT3 levels are much lower, that is usually good as it helps slow down tissue breakdown when the body is not well equipped to keep with rebuilding it, such as high stress, chronic severe illness, older age, ect.

 

[SweetLou321]

I have a question for the scientists and nutritionists here. My wife is 5'3, 50yrs old, and appears to have a metabolic baseline of 1250 cals.

I wish it was higher but she consistently gains weight at anything over that and can't cut weight at 1250.

1000 calories seems crazy low.

I'm looking for any discussion, feedback, suggestions, even if they include a trip to the doctor. She has had her thyroid tested in the past few years and it was fine.

This seems super normal to me based on experience with clients. The social media campaign of 1,200 being too low is just silly. She is not very tall and if she does not have a lot of muscle mass, workout often, and move a lot during the day, then 1,200 seems realistic for maintenance. If she were to lift 3-4 days a week, do 150 min of moderate intensity cardio or 75 min of high intensity cardio per week, and walk around 7,500-10,000 steps a day on average, I bet her maintenance would be much higher, maybe around 1,600-1,700. Just some food for thought.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Doses would need to be pretty high though, 5mg or more, and taken within 8 hours of the test bc the half-life of biotin is pretty short.

Dr. Chris Masterjohn put out an article recently with evidence that shows high doses would need 4 days to a week clean, but even consistent doses of 100mcg taken for months could cause an issue.

 

[SweetLou321]

Dr. Chris Masterjohn put out an article recently with evidence that shows high doses would need 4 days to a week clean, but even consistent doses of 100mcg taken for months could cause an issue.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[sns8778]

I doubt reverse T3 (rT3) is all that bad tbh. The alternative medical view on it has zero peer-reviewed scientific backing. It potency at the thyroid receptor (TR) is too weak to compete with free T3 (fT3). It functions more of a thyroid regulation mechanism, to be more specific, for a break on the metabolism. It functions as a break because T4 is being converted into it instead of T3, shifting the balance of activity at the TR to one that is slower, as rT3 is the weakest thyroid hormone at stimulating the TR. If good fT3 levels are seen with higher end rT3 levels, this is not much of a cause of concern. In the cases in which it is seen as elevated and fT3 levels are much lower, that is usually good as it helps slow down tissue breakdown when the body is not well equipped to keep with rebuilding it, such as high stress, chronic severe illness, older age, ect.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I was just trying to be helpful.

I have an autoimmune condition and a very rare endocrinology condition that really sucks, but the good I try to take from it is that I try to use the information that I've learned to help other people. Because of how rare my condition is, I've been a participant in 2 different studies and have gotten to meet and spend time with some experts from UVA, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Mayo Clinic.

Also, I was able to meet and talk with some of the great doctors and experts on thyroid issues from MD Anderson, where a good friend of mine was a patient for a rare recurring form of thyroid cancer.

I know a lot about endocrinology issues, but I also know that my knowledge is nothing compared to that of some of the level of doctors that I've been fortunate enough to meet and discuss a variety of topics with, including reverse T3; and if they all feel that it is significant that reverse T3 levels be tested in order to properly assess thyroid function, that's good enough for me.

It was simply meant to be a helpful suggestion.

 

[Dustin07]

This seems super normal to me based on experience with clients. The social media campaign of 1,200 being too low is just silly. She is not very tall and if she does not have a lot of muscle mass, workout often, and move a lot during the day, then 1,200 seems realistic for maintenance. If she were to lift 3-4 days a week, do 150 min of moderate intensity cardio or 75 min of high intensity cardio per week, and walk around 7,500-10,000 steps a day on average, I bet her maintenance would be much higher, maybe around 1,600-1,700. Just some food for thought.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I was just trying to be helpful.

I have an autoimmune condition and a very rare endocrinology condition that really sucks, but the good I try to take from it is that I try to use the information that I've learned to help other people. Because of how rare my condition is, I've been a participant in 2 different studies and have gotten to meet and spend time with some experts from UVA, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Mayo Clinic.

Also, I was able to meet and talk with some of the great doctors and experts on thyroid issues from MD Anderson, where a good friend of mine was a patient for a rare recurring form of thyroid cancer.

I know a lot about endocrinology issues, but I also know that my knowledge is nothing compared to that of some of the level of doctors that I've been fortunate enough to meet and discuss a variety of topics with, including reverse T3; and if they all feel that it is significant that reverse T3 levels be tested in order to properly assess thyroid function, that's good enough for me.

It was simply meant to be a helpful suggestion.

I gather from all your posts that both of you have more biological and chemistry knowledge than I do, so here's something. Her whole life she hung out in the 120s. she was likely in the neighborhood of 15% BF at 126lbs. I guestimate because she did have abs (although complained that all she wanted was abs, lol). Back in Sept she got back on the horse, but mostly with daily cardio. while it wasn't hard work compared to my standards, it left her quite sweaty and she put in enough effort to set PR's with 2 and 3 mile runs. her calories stayed around 1250 and she didn't lose a lb. she may have hit 1500-1700 occasionally with wine.

by mid Dec she got back under the barbell, in addition to the cardio. She hasn't had a drop of alcohol in nearly a month, has been regular at xfit and with the cardio, calories have stayed steady at 1250 or less. During the past month she has not lost a single lb. she tends to gain 1 to 3 here and there. right around 144 I believe which is where she has been stuck for some time.

I did tell her to have low expectations the first few weeks getting back under the barbell, I've never met an athlete who went back to strength training after a year+ off that didn't swell/gain a few lbs the first week back. But by now, I would expect it to start consistently melting away.

Given:
She's a woman, so hormones are at play
She's on BC, so hormones are at play
She's 50... so again likely, hormones are at play
Yes she has a desk job, but she had that job 5 years ago when she was 20lbs lighter as well.


My thoughts based upon my experience is that the metabolism is fucked and that a reverse diet for 3-4 months may be required to see fantastic progress. However I also understand how scary it could be for someone who feels like they're already 20lbs heavy to risk putting on more.

 

[Dustin07]

If she were to lift 3-4 days a week, do 150 min of moderate intensity cardio or 75 min of high intensity cardio per week, and walk around 7,500-10,000 steps a day on average, I bet her maintenance would be much higher, maybe around 1,600-1,700. Just some food for thought.

I mean basically she is. lifting/HIIT is 3x per week plus an occasional 4th day with me at the gym
Cardio is a mix of moderate and intense and averages 120-180min per week. (usually 30 min sessions 4-6 times a week. )

I've never seen anyone, even over 50, struggle to drop weight when doing essentially all the right things. She does use dairy in her macros, which I wouldn't but she's never had issues with dairy before and IIFYM?

 

[BCseacow83]

I mean basically she is. lifting/HIIT is 3x per week plus an occasional 4th day with me at the gym
Cardio is a mix of moderate and intense and averages 120-180min per week. (usually 30 min sessions 4-6 times a week. )

I've never seen anyone, even over 50, struggle to drop weight when doing essentially all the right things. She does use dairy in her macros, which I wouldn't but she's never had issues with dairy before and IIFYM?

Whats the actual diet look like? I know people say it does not matter but once you have ruled out all other variables you have to look at those not tinkered with.

Is food being weighed? Not measured but actually weighed? I ask as I was measuring and I had three different brands of "1 cup" measuring scoops and they were all off by as much as 20% when I weighed them, that's plenty to screw up a good plan.

Over the last 8 weeks I went from running ZERO miles a week to running 20-30 miles a week culminating with a 50K on my 40th and I changed NOTHING diet wise and lost ZERO pounds but I look MUCH better. I say this to demonsrtate that the bodyweight scale is almost useless IMO, toss that fucking thin in the bin. HOW DOES SHE LOOK? Does she feel better? Is she getting leaner/harder/fuller/rounder? Then who cares how much gravity is pulling down on her, like I said in the bin.

 

[SweetLou321]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I was just trying to be helpful.

I have an autoimmune condition and a very rare endocrinology condition that really sucks, but the good I try to take from it is that I try to use the information that I've learned to help other people. Because of how rare my condition is, I've been a participant in 2 different studies and have gotten to meet and spend time with some experts from UVA, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Mayo Clinic.

Also, I was able to meet and talk with some of the great doctors and experts on thyroid issues from MD Anderson, where a good friend of mine was a patient for a rare recurring form of thyroid cancer.

I know a lot about endocrinology issues, but I also know that my knowledge is nothing compared to that of some of the level of doctors that I've been fortunate enough to meet and discuss a variety of topics with, including reverse T3; and if they all feel that it is significant that reverse T3 levels be tested in order to properly assess thyroid function, that's good enough for me.

It was simply meant to be a helpful suggestion.

This is fair. I am 100% open to experience from qualified professions out weighing the current published data. I will admit there is not much data on rT3 in the peer reviewed literature ATM. I know many endocrinologists think the opposite and many agree with the points you raise. I am sorry if my tone was off putting, was trying to get a response our fairly quickly. I have had high rT3 in the past with no medical consensus, I did a deep dive to see what data was out there. Nothing as of yet is really there to support that it is an important marker to test for general metabolic issues, it can be informative though when other states are present to result in metabolic slow down, but as a defensive mechanism, which is good in those states. But this is my interpretation of the research that is available.

 

[SweetLou321]

I gather from all your posts that both of you have more biological and chemistry knowledge than I do, so here's something. Her whole life she hung out in the 120s. she was likely in the neighborhood of 15% BF at 126lbs. I guestimate because she did have abs (although complained that all she wanted was abs, lol). Back in Sept she got back on the horse, but mostly with daily cardio. while it wasn't hard work compared to my standards, it left her quite sweaty and she put in enough effort to set PR's with 2 and 3 mile runs. her calories stayed around 1250 and she didn't lose a lb. she may have hit 1500-1700 occasionally with wine.

by mid Dec she got back under the barbell, in addition to the cardio. She hasn't had a drop of alcohol in nearly a month, has been regular at xfit and with the cardio, calories have stayed steady at 1250 or less. During the past month she has not lost a single lb. she tends to gain 1 to 3 here and there. right around 144 I believe which is where she has been stuck for some time.

I did tell her to have low expectations the first few weeks getting back under the barbell, I've never met an athlete who went back to strength training after a year+ off that didn't swell/gain a few lbs the first week back. But by now, I would expect it to start consistently melting away.

Given:
She's a woman, so hormones are at play
She's on BC, so hormones are at play
She's 50... so again likely, hormones are at play
Yes she has a desk job, but she had that job 5 years ago when she was 20lbs lighter as well.


My thoughts based upon my experience is that the metabolism is fucked and that a reverse diet for 3-4 months may be required to see fantastic progress. However I also understand how scary it could be for someone who feels like they're already 20lbs heavy to risk putting on more.

I want to preface that this may not be correct and it could certainly be something else, like perimenopause for example but she is on BC. Outside of a major hormonal landscape change, like entering perimenopause or menopause, I would personally not look at her hormones as the root cause.

Usually weight gain for most people is a slow process. It usually happens in small bursts for a normal person not really exercising or monitoring their weight ect. Most commonly around holidays. So someone could be 120, holidays roll around, they go to 123, not much to notice, then stay stable for the next year, until the next holidays, and the cycle repeats. Enough of these and it can seem like the weight gain came out of no where bc it was so gradual at first until it hit a threshold where the person notices they have gained weight and cannot unnotice it.

If she is not dropping weight but gaining since lifting again, I would guess its water retention and muscle mass. One can gain muscle at or around maintenance since the caloric needs to build muscle are not that high for someone coming off a lay off.

Exercise is great, but sadly, some people compensate for it. I doubt its via food intake since she is tracking but maybe she has a lower NEAT and it could be at the cellular level too. Some data shows in some people, they can burn 500 cals and compensate it all back, resulting in no change. Not much can be done about the cellular level stuff from what I can tell, practice acceptance. But aiming for a step count can help make up for NEAT changes, a step count isnt NEAT, but its a trade.

I personally doubt a reverse diet would help. Stronger by science has a great article on it. Even if the reverse helps bring up her maintenance cals, usually in those that this works, they are adaptable so once they drop again, it will all wash away for the most part.

Reverse Dieting: Hype Versus Evidence

This article explores the reverse dieting research, which tells a much different story than the hyped-up anecdotes you’ll see on social media.

macrofactorapp.com

 

[SweetLou321]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I was just trying to be helpful.

I have an autoimmune condition and a very rare endocrinology condition that really sucks, but the good I try to take from it is that I try to use the information that I've learned to help other people. Because of how rare my condition is, I've been a participant in 2 different studies and have gotten to meet and spend time with some experts from UVA, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Mayo Clinic.

Also, I was able to meet and talk with some of the great doctors and experts on thyroid issues from MD Anderson, where a good friend of mine was a patient for a rare recurring form of thyroid cancer.

I know a lot about endocrinology issues, but I also know that my knowledge is nothing compared to that of some of the level of doctors that I've been fortunate enough to meet and discuss a variety of topics with, including reverse T3; and if they all feel that it is significant that reverse T3 levels be tested in order to properly assess thyroid function, that's good enough for me.

It was simply meant to be a helpful suggestion.

Btw I hope you are well and things have improved for you. I know your health history is a rough one.

 

[sns8778]

I mean basically she is. lifting/HIIT is 3x per week plus an occasional 4th day with me at the gym
Cardio is a mix of moderate and intense and averages 120-180min per week. (usually 30 min sessions 4-6 times a week. )

I've never seen anyone, even over 50, struggle to drop weight when doing essentially all the right things. She does use dairy in her macros, which I wouldn't but she's never had issues with dairy before and IIFYM?

I've seen it happen with a lot of people, but I deal with so many people that I see it probably more than most; and plus being that I enjoy helping people that are going through difficult situations like that, I tend to have a lot of them sent my way so that's another reason I see it more.

I doubt that it would be dairy related since she's never had a problem with it before.

I would have her do some other food intolerance testing if its ever convenient for her though.

 

[sns8778]

I gather from all your posts that both of you have more biological and chemistry knowledge than I do, so here's something. Her whole life she hung out in the 120s. she was likely in the neighborhood of 15% BF at 126lbs. I guestimate because she did have abs (although complained that all she wanted was abs, lol). Back in Sept she got back on the horse, but mostly with daily cardio. while it wasn't hard work compared to my standards, it left her quite sweaty and she put in enough effort to set PR's with 2 and 3 mile runs. her calories stayed around 1250 and she didn't lose a lb. she may have hit 1500-1700 occasionally with wine.

by mid Dec she got back under the barbell, in addition to the cardio. She hasn't had a drop of alcohol in nearly a month, has been regular at xfit and with the cardio, calories have stayed steady at 1250 or less. During the past month she has not lost a single lb. she tends to gain 1 to 3 here and there. right around 144 I believe which is where she has been stuck for some time.

I did tell her to have low expectations the first few weeks getting back under the barbell, I've never met an athlete who went back to strength training after a year+ off that didn't swell/gain a few lbs the first week back. But by now, I would expect it to start consistently melting away.

Given:
She's a woman, so hormones are at play
She's on BC, so hormones are at play
She's 50... so again likely, hormones are at play
Yes she has a desk job, but she had that job 5 years ago when she was 20lbs lighter as well.

My thoughts based upon my experience is that the metabolism is fucked and that a reverse diet for 3-4 months may be required to see fantastic progress. However I also understand how scary it could be for someone who feels like they're already 20lbs heavy to risk putting on more.

Thank you for the detailed information.

Here on AM, I mainly just post about supplements and in the occasional thread like this to try to help people, but I usually don't go very in depth because a lot of the things I've seen in the real world with unique situations go against what is considered the norm here - but that's because sometimes it requires outside the box thinking and unique approaches to deal with unique situations.

Before starting SNS, I used to do a lot of helping people with diet and exercise routines, back in the days before online coaching and things like that. When I started SNS, I had scaled back and stopped doing that except for people with unique medical situations and needs that other trainers wouldn't work with. I remember having a very nice client that had just given up bc no one would work with her, she literally had to workout with an oxygen mask on. I only bring that up as an example of having dealt with some truly unique situations over the years.

As a supplement company owner, we get referrals from a wide variety of places like doctors, trainers, coaches, and most of the time its for supplement suggestions, but many times too its to see if I would be willing to help people that just aren't responding and doing well with normal diet and exercise or have unique medical situations. I've always had a special place in my heart for people like that because some of them are the sweetest, nicest, most appreciative people you'll ever meet - and I always tell them up front that your situation is unique so your solution may be unique, and it may take us some trial and error to figure it out.

I think that you are correct in your assumption that hormonal issues are likely at least partly to blame, but it may not be just the normal traditional thought process with hormones, which is why I had suggested having her reverse T3 checked next time she had bloodwork done.

One important thing to think about that is so often overlooked with hormones, especially if people don't have baseline bloodwork from over the years is - that just because something is in the normal range doesn't mean its normal for them. An example of that could be that someone's cortisol levels or thyroid levels could be in the normal range but be skewed from what they were used to and even though they appear normal, that could have a lot of affect on the way they look and feel.

If diet and exercise is right, then the first things I always try to have people look at are:
- Hormone levels - including the not so commonly checked ones like reverse T3
- Food allergen and food intolerance testing - because that can affect nutrient absorption and utilization

^^^ and even if hormone levels are within the normal range, sometimes will target things to optimize them in case they are still skewed from what they used to be.

I hope that helps.

I'm glad to help in any way that I can and you're welcome to pm me and I'd be glad to give you my contact information for you or to pass along to her.

 

[Dustin07]

Whats the actual diet look like? I know people say it does not matter but once you have ruled out all other variables you have to look at those not tinkered with.

Is food being weighed? Not measured but actually weighed? I ask as I was measuring and I had three different brands of "1 cup" measuring scoops and they were all off by as much as 20% when I weighed them, that's plenty to screw up a good plan.

Over the last 8 weeks I went from running ZERO miles a week to running 20-30 miles a week culminating with a 50K on my 40th and I changed NOTHING diet wise and lost ZERO pounds but I look MUCH better. I say this to demonsrtate that the bodyweight scale is almost useless IMO, toss that fucking thin in the bin. HOW DOES SHE LOOK? Does she feel better? Is she getting leaner/harder/fuller/rounder? Then who cares how much gravity is pulling down on her, like I said in the bin.

Diet is good, we weigh everything. The only thing I personally don't like in her diet is dairy as mentioned, but again, there's not really any reason for me to be overly concerned about it IIFYM. our diet largely consists of chicken salad (no dressing) for lunches, but again, we weigh and measure everything. dinners weighed and measured but we mix up fish, lean pork and lean red meat throughout the week for a sake of balanced nutrition. I truly don't think her issue is because she's eating 2000 cals and thinks she's eating 1250.

I want to preface that this may not be correct and it could certainly be something else, like perimenopause for example but she is on BC. Outside of a major hormonal landscape change, like entering perimenopause or menopause, I would personally not look at her hormones as the root cause.

Usually weight gain for most people is a slow process. It usually happens in small bursts for a normal person not really exercising or monitoring their weight ect. Most commonly around holidays. So someone could be 120, holidays roll around, they go to 123, not much to notice, then stay stable for the next year, until the next holidays, and the cycle repeats. Enough of these and it can seem like the weight gain came out of no where bc it was so gradual at first until it hit a threshold where the person notices they have gained weight and cannot unnotice it.

If she is not dropping weight but gaining since lifting again, I would guess its water retention and muscle mass. One can gain muscle at or around maintenance since the caloric needs to build muscle are not that high for someone coming off a lay off.

Exercise is great, but sadly, some people compensate for it. I doubt its via food intake since she is tracking but maybe she has a lower NEAT and it could be at the cellular level too. Some data shows in some people, they can burn 500 cals and compensate it all back, resulting in no change. Not much can be done about the cellular level stuff from what I can tell, practice acceptance. But aiming for a step count can help make up for NEAT changes, a step count isnt NEAT, but its a trade.

I personally doubt a reverse diet would help. Stronger by science has a great article on it. Even if the reverse helps bring up her maintenance cals, usually in those that this works, they are adaptable so once they drop again, it will all wash away for the most part.

Reverse Dieting: Hype Versus Evidence

This article explores the reverse dieting research, which tells a much different story than the hyped-up anecdotes you’ll see on social media.

macrofactorapp.com

Menopause definitely is on my mind. Been watching her friends go through it, but she hasn't had any other symptoms aside from the weight gain.

I've seen it happen with a lot of people, but I deal with so many people that I see it probably more than most; and plus being that I enjoy helping people that are going through difficult situations like that, I tend to have a lot of them sent my way so that's another reason I see it more.

I doubt that it would be dairy related since she's never had a problem with it before.

I would have her do some other food intolerance testing if its ever convenient for her though.

Thank you for the detailed information.

Here on AM, I mainly just post about supplements and in the occasional thread like this to try to help people, but I usually don't go very in depth because a lot of the things I've seen in the real world with unique situations go against what is considered the norm here - but that's because sometimes it requires outside the box thinking and unique approaches to deal with unique situations.

Before starting SNS, I used to do a lot of helping people with diet and exercise routines, back in the days before online coaching and things like that. When I started SNS, I had scaled back and stopped doing that except for people with unique medical situations and needs that other trainers wouldn't work with. I remember having a very nice client that had just given up bc no one would work with her, she literally had to workout with an oxygen mask on. I only bring that up as an example of having dealt with some truly unique situations over the years.

As a supplement company owner, we get referrals from a wide variety of places like doctors, trainers, coaches, and most of the time its for supplement suggestions, but many times too its to see if I would be willing to help people that just aren't responding and doing well with normal diet and exercise or have unique medical situations. I've always had a special place in my heart for people like that because some of them are the sweetest, nicest, most appreciative people you'll ever meet - and I always tell them up front that your situation is unique so your solution may be unique, and it may take us some trial and error to figure it out.

I think that you are correct in your assumption that hormonal issues are likely at least partly to blame, but it may not be just the normal traditional thought process with hormones, which is why I had suggested having her reverse T3 checked next time she had bloodwork done.

One important thing to think about that is so often overlooked with hormones, especially if people don't have baseline bloodwork from over the years is - that just because something is in the normal range doesn't mean its normal for them. An example of that could be that someone's cortisol levels or thyroid levels could be in the normal range but be skewed from what they were used to and even though they appear normal, that could have a lot of affect on the way they look and feel.

If diet and exercise is right, then the first things I always try to have people look at are:
- Hormone levels - including the not so commonly checked ones like reverse T3
- Food allergen and food intolerance testing - because that can affect nutrient absorption and utilization

^^^ and even if hormone levels are within the normal range, sometimes will target things to optimize them in case they are still skewed from what they used to be.

I hope that helps.

I'm glad to help in any way that I can and you're welcome to pm me and I'd be glad to give you my contact information for you or to pass along to her.

She meets with the metabolic doc tomorrow, I don't think they're doing blood work yet but at least we'll have more info. She was frustrated to wake up 3lbs heavier today after a weekend of tight nutrition and a good gym session yesterday. It is sorta weird. it wasn't unusual for us to go on a weekend pubcrawl in the past but this weekend we ate very clean and didn't drink an ounce of liquor. we woke up monday morning and she was up 3lbs to my 1.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

Diet is good, we weigh everything. The only thing I personally don't like in her diet is dairy as mentioned, but again, there's not really any reason for me to be overly concerned about it IIFYM. our diet largely consists of chicken salad (no dressing) for lunches, but again, we weigh and measure everything. dinners weighed and measured but we mix up fish, lean pork and lean red meat throughout the week for a sake of balanced nutrition. I truly don't think her issue is because she's eating 2000 cals and thinks she's eating 1250.



Menopause definitely is on my mind. Been watching her friends go through it, but she hasn't had any other symptoms aside from the weight gain.




She meets with the metabolic doc tomorrow, I don't think they're doing blood work yet but at least we'll have more info. She was frustrated to wake up 3lbs heavier today after a weekend of tight nutrition and a good gym session yesterday. It is sorta weird. it wasn't unusual for us to go on a weekend pubcrawl in the past but this weekend we ate very clean and didn't drink an ounce of liquor. we woke up monday morning and she was up 3lbs to my 1.

has she tried any DHEA>?

 

[Dustin07]

has she tried any DHEA>?

no, nothing outside of just fiber diets, and basic supps like collagen, fish oils, etc that kinda thing.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

no, nothing outside of just fiber diets, and basic supps like collagen, fish oils, etc that kinda thing.

go get her some!
In a woman it actually converts to test far more easily. now, its not going to give her muscle mass or anything but just a tiny bit of test goes a really long way for fat loss.
another option to raise test and increase FBing would be nolvadex.

this is a sure-fire way to get her burning fat if she's game.

keep in mind that the latter option is kind of extreme. I would use the DHEA first as its OTC and available everywhere.

you might try to find a sulfate version for longer half-life.

 

[Dustin07]

go get her some!
In a woman it actually converts to test far more easily. now, its not going to give her muscle mass or anything but just a tiny bit of test goes a really long way for fat loss.
another option to raise test and increase FBing would be nolvadex.

this is a sure-fire way to get her burning fat if she's game.

keep in mind that the latter option is kind of extreme. I would use the DHEA first as its OTC and available everywhere.

you might try to find a sulfate version for longer half-life.

Dermacrine is a DHEA right? I thought the guys said that could cause a little mid section water retention... which is why I was waiting till after my trip here in a few weeks to give the dermacrine a try. Do you recommend oral or TD, etc for female use?

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

regular oral will be fine for her.

get a sDHEA single ingredient at walmart .... its too cheap to fake these days and its on every shelve in the vitamin aisle`

no to demacrine or TDs. that would likely be too0 strong for chicks and could exhibit some andronicity.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

i would try to find a 25mg caps so she can tailor a dose that feels good and helps with FBing

 

[Dustin07]

right on, orals for her and Dermacrine for me

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

right on, orals for her and Dermacrine for me

have u tangled with Hyperion yet?

 

[Dustin07]

Hyperion

no sir, am not familiar tbh

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

no sir, am not familiar tbh

oh brother! you got to try it out~ its based around our 99% divinil extract but includes DHEA too

Hyperion (apex-alchemy.com)

 

[Dustin07]

oh brother! you got to try it out~ its based around our 99% divinil extract but includes DHEA too

Hyperion (apex-alchemy.com)

ha funny thing is when I dug into it first google result was here on AM. what were your results when you ran it?

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

ha funny thing is when I dug into it first google result was here on AM. what were your results when you ran it?

ragin boners and feel good effects.

 

[Dustin07]

ragin boners and feel good effects.

 

[sns8778]

She meets with the metabolic doc tomorrow, I don't think they're doing blood work yet but at least we'll have more info. She was frustrated to wake up 3lbs heavier today after a weekend of tight nutrition and a good gym session yesterday. It is sorta weird. it wasn't unusual for us to go on a weekend pubcrawl in the past but this weekend we ate very clean and didn't drink an ounce of liquor. we woke up monday morning and she was up 3lbs to my 1.

That's great to hear that she has an appointment with a metabolic doctor.

I can understand the frustration to waking up heavier, but try to reassure her that it has to be water retention or needing to use the restroom or a combination of the two because one couldn't put on that much actual fat over the course of a weekend while eating correctly.

Most metabolic doctors when they do bloodwork will likely test for Reverse T3 like I had mentioned above; if they' don't, I would request it.

Also, some will do food intolerance and allergy testing right off the top, but some don't - I always encourage people to request it because it can play a role too.

I think that her situation is likely not one thing but a combination of a variety of different ones that all add up.

I hope it goes well for her.

 

[sns8778]

I'm not trying to disagree with anyone or get into any debates with anyone over anything, but I would absolutely not get her DHEA at her age without her DHEA levels being tested in bloodwork first.

If the issue that she is dealing with is hormonal, which it likely is, incorporating DHEA into it could make things a lot worse and also make it much more complicated for the doctors to figure out what the issue is.

You need bloodwork done representative of what her levels are without taking any type of hormonal supplementation.

And even then, she only should try DHEA if her bloodwork DHEA levels are low.

DHEA can be good for younger women if their DHEA levels are low &/or can be good for postmenopausal women in some cases, but right now imo trying it as a supplement may cause a lot more harm than good and also skew her bloodwork and keep them from finding that actual root cause of what's going on.

 

[SweetLou321]

Diet is good, we weigh everything. The only thing I personally don't like in her diet is dairy as mentioned, but again, there's not really any reason for me to be overly concerned about it IIFYM. our diet largely consists of chicken salad (no dressing) for lunches, but again, we weigh and measure everything. dinners weighed and measured but we mix up fish, lean pork and lean red meat throughout the week for a sake of balanced nutrition. I truly don't think her issue is because she's eating 2000 cals and thinks she's eating 1250.



Menopause definitely is on my mind. Been watching her friends go through it, but she hasn't had any other symptoms aside from the weight gain.




She meets with the metabolic doc tomorrow, I don't think they're doing blood work yet but at least we'll have more info. She was frustrated to wake up 3lbs heavier today after a weekend of tight nutrition and a good gym session yesterday. It is sorta weird. it wasn't unusual for us to go on a weekend pubcrawl in the past but this weekend we ate very clean and didn't drink an ounce of liquor. we woke up monday morning and she was up 3lbs to my 1.

She cant really go into menopause if she is on hormonal birth control, similar to a guy can really has low T levels if on a stable dose of TRT keeping his levels up, if that makes sense.

 

[SweetLou321]

That's great to hear that she has an appointment with a metabolic doctor.

I can understand the frustration to waking up heavier, but try to reassure her that it has to be water retention or needing to use the restroom or a combination of the two because one couldn't put on that much actual fat over the course of a weekend while eating correctly.

Most metabolic doctors when they do bloodwork will likely test for Reverse T3 like I had mentioned above; if they' don't, I would request it.

Also, some will do food intolerance and allergy testing right off the top, but some don't - I always encourage people to request it because it can play a role too.

I think that her situation is likely not one thing but a combination of a variety of different ones that all add up.

I hope it goes well for her.

Not saying this is right or wrong but this article does a good job going over the research on rT3, I have read all the references and they are represented well IMO, meaning they match what is written in the article itself:

Reverse T3 Test: Low & High Levels + Usefulness - SelfDecode Labs

Some think it’s useless but others claim it explains thyroid symptoms. Find out what research says about reverse T3.

labs.selfdecode.com

I am asking a genuine question on how food intolerance or allergies could lead to weight gain? Arent digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, and IBS associated with weight loss because if the body cannot absorb nutrients well, this also applies for calories? If food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies were negatively impacting food absorption and utilization, would we not also expect weight loss?

 

[sns8778]

Not saying this is right or wrong but this article does a good job going over the research on rT3, I have read all the references and they are represented well IMO, meaning they match what is written in the article itself:

Reverse T3 Test: Low & High Levels + Usefulness - SelfDecode Labs

Some think it’s useless but others claim it explains thyroid symptoms. Find out what research says about reverse T3.

labs.selfdecode.com

You're entitled to your own opinion. I recognized the poster's name and was just trying to help him with a question; I normally don't ever post in this section here on AM because so many people think they're always right and don't look at people as having unique situations, health issues, and different outcomes - and after this thread, I will never come back to this section.

On the subject of the Reverse T3, as someone that has an endocrinology disorder and have had to go to multiple specialists, I've learned a lot about this and just am not going to debate it on an internet forum. I'm sorry, but if endocrinologists at UVA, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill along with a thyroid cancer specialist at MD Anderson all agree, that's why I think its significant.

I truly don't understand how something that is a simple additional blood test that most insurances cover became an issue.

I posted a simple post trying to be helpful and you quoted me and tried to make it sound like I'm some random person that doesn't know what I'm talking about.


I will reply to the part about food intolerances in a separate quote/post later on today or this evening when I have time to type out a really detailed post.

I post on here throughout my work day to try to help people - and didn't realize that me trying to be helpful in this thread was going to lead to something where I feel like I'm being put down and a huge time drain in having to type out so much detailed information when I was just trying to help.

I love helping people but I hate conflict and negativity and am getting to the point that I hate AM. You won't have to worry about me posting in this thread anymore after I type the food intolerance/sensitivity post later, and maybe not on AM at all.

 

[Dustin07]

I love helping people but I hate conflict and negativity and am getting to the point that I hate AM. You won't have to worry about me posting in this thread anymore after I type the food intolerance/sensitivity post later, and maybe not on AM at all.

well if nothing else hopefully we'll have some more answers and feedbacks over the coming week. If we make progress and do blood testing then I'll share results for constructive purposes. I appreciate your posts.

 

[sns8778]

well if nothing else hopefully we'll have some more answers and feedbacks over the coming week. If we make progress and do blood testing then I'll share results for constructive purposes. I appreciate your posts.

I hope that everything goes well for her at the doctor.

I really am glad to help in any way that I can and you're welcome to pm me anytime and if you don't already have it, I'll be glad to give you my email and phone number in case she or you have any questions.

I'm going to post my super long reply in a moment about the importance of food intolerances and sensitivities in general, and especially in situations where it seems that weight loss should be happening but isn't.

I want to make sure to clarify too and make sure that you know that none of my frustration in this thread is at you at all; I like you and that's why I popped in this thread originally was to try and be helpful. I normally never post in this section.

After posting my reply about the food intolerances in a moment, I'm probably going to bow out of the thread bc I had no idea that me trying to provide a couple of helpful tips on subjects that I know a lot about was going to turn into all of this and me having to take a couple hours out of my workday. I just wanted to clarify and make sure that you knew I wasn't frustrated with you at all; just the overall situation and feel like this place is so negative now that can't even just give simple suggestions or helpful tips anymore.

 

[sns8778]

I am asking a genuine question on how food intolerance or allergies could lead to weight gain? Arent digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, and IBS associated with weight loss because if the body cannot absorb nutrients well, this also applies for calories? If food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies were negatively impacting food absorption and utilization, would we not also expect weight loss?

This reply is going to be so long that it exceeds the maximum post length so I'm going to give it based over a couple of posts and break it down into parts.

First, it’s important to clarify the context of the conversation:

Dustin07 had stated earlier in the thread that he was a bit concerned that she had dairy in her diet and wondered if that could be a factor although it had never been in the past. Then in the same multi-quote reply that he replied to me in at the bottom, at the top in his reply to BCseacow83 he had mentioned again that he really doesn’t like that she has dairy in her diet but wasn’t overly concerned about it. Then he had replied to me and said that she had an appointment with a metabolic doctor tomorrow.

In relation to food allergies and intolerances my reply was:
“Also, some will do food intolerance and allergy testing right off the top, but some don't - I always encourage people to request it because it can play a role too.”

This is a very common testing done with metabolic doctors for three primary reasons:

1. Before they start to make any type of dietary suggestions or refer someone to a nutritionist, they like to cover their bases and make sure that aren’t going to be instructing them to eat things that could be counterproductive to their overall health or making the situation worse.
2. Food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies sometimes can go hand in hand with other medical issues and conditions so they can be a useful tool in the big picture of overall informational picture.
3. Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances are often linked with chronic inflammation which even at low levels that a person may not even realize can be affecting them, may contribute to weight gain and make it harder to lose weight for a variety of reasons.

My reply to him on that was a suggestion based upon what many metabolic doctors do, and the ones that don’t are most of the time very glad to do so if asked to, and many are thrilled that they’re meeting with a patient that has the awareness enough to even ask for such a test.

The reasons I suggested that to him were so that it could help ease their mind and wondering as to if she had any dairy allergy or intolerance that could be affecting her in any way and also to help them gain helpful information as to if there could be any other potential issues that could be negatively impacting her ability to lose weight or her health in general.

 

[sns8778]

I am asking a genuine question on how food intolerance or allergies could lead to weight gain? Arent digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, and IBS associated with weight loss because if the body cannot absorb nutrients well, this also applies for calories? If food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies were negatively impacting food absorption and utilization, would we not also expect weight loss?

I want to clarify that this is going to be such a long and detailed reply that I’ve typed it in a way that its not directed at you, but is written in a way that hopefully it will help someone reading this thread now or maybe in the months or years to come.

Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and Irritable Bower Syndrome (IBS):

Ulcerative Colitis is an autoimmune related disease that is classified as an inflammatory bowel disease and causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. An overactive immune response causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue in the gut, leading to inflammation of large intestine.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease and autoimmune disorder in which your body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in your body. It is considered to be a type of inflammatory bowel disorder and causes swelling and inflammation in different parts of your digestive tract, most commonly in the small intestine, but may spread to other areas of the digestive tract.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is considered to be a functional bowel disorder, whereas the above-mentioned Crohn’s disease and Colitis are autoimmune disorders, and a lot of people don’t realize that it is possible to have both IBS and an autoimmune disease. IBS affects the GI tract and can have a wide variety of symptoms.


With Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, they are autoimmune disorders and IBS is a functional bowel disorder, and even though they are normally associated with either weight loss or no fluctuation in weight, any of the three can also cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight in many people. Researchers and doctors think that the weight gain or inability to lose weight that some people experience due to these is related to inflammation and certain hormones that reside in the gut.

^^^ As interesting as all that may be, the reason that I went into those details was to wrap up at the fact that even though one would think that they would all cause weight loss and they do in some people, in some people they also cause weight gain.

Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities, and Food Intolerances:

It’s important for people to understand the difference between a food allergy, a food sensitivity, and a food intolerance.

• Food Allergies
  • A food allergy is an immune system reaction/response to certain foods.
  • Symptoms can include rashes, congestion, nausea, swelling of the lips and tongue, and if severe cases, anaphylaxis.
  • Onset time: seconds to hours depending on the severity of the allergy
• Food Intolerance
  • A food intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting certain foods or ingredients in certain foods.
  • Unlike food allergies and sensitivities, a food intolerance does not involve the immune system, and is mostly related to the GI tract.
  • Notable intolerances include lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, histamine intolerance, and more.
  • Symptoms can include constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and more.
• Food Sensitivity
  • A food sensitivity is when a certain food elicits an immune response and can prompt the immune system to create internal inflammation, joint aches, congestion, skin rashes, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, migraines, and severe fluid retention in some individuals.
  • A person may have a food sensitivity for many years and not know it because symptoms may not appear immediately and can take days, weeks, months, or years to manifest themselves.
  • There is also a school of thought that thinks that sensitivities can become more pronounced during periods or stress (physical or psychological) and/or be ‘activated’ and become more pronounced when there are a variety of factors involved.
  • Another important aspect is that as foods become more concentrated, an individual may have a more pronounced outcome to a food sensitivity, maybe even one that they didn’t know that they had.
    • For example, let’s say you have a mild sensitivity to peas and don’t even know it. You start dieting and start eating a protein bar with pea protein in it or drinking a protein shake with pea protein in it, whereas before you only ate peas occasionally, you are then consuming daily and maybe even multiple times per day the amount of something you may have been sensitive to and never known before.

 

[sns8778]

I am asking a genuine question on how food intolerance or allergies could lead to weight gain? Arent digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, and IBS associated with weight loss because if the body cannot absorb nutrients well, this also applies for calories? If food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies were negatively impacting food absorption and utilization, would we not also expect weight loss?

So, now to the main part of your question and where all of this ties in together.

As detailed above, Colitis, Crohn’s, and IBS are very different from food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances; and even though weight loss is common in some people with these conditions, weight gain is also common in some people with them as well (so let’s rule those out of the discussion).

Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances are also all different things, but when a doctor requests testing for them, the tests are commonly done together (hence my suggestion that started all of this - to get tested for them all at once).

It’s not that food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances directly cause you to gain weight, it’s that they can contribute to a variety of issues that may make you gain weight or more commonly, make it harder for you to lose weight (which is the problem his wife is having – hence my suggestion).

Chronic Inflammation:
Chronic inflammation is a common allergic reaction that can contribute to weight gain or cause people to have a much harder time losing weight. It’s important to realize that we’re not necessarily talking about inflammation on a level that you can feel, it may be so subtle that someone just chalks it up to the natural aches and pains that come along with aging; some may not even feel it at all – but that doesn’t mean that low level systemic inflammation may not be happening. Chronic inflammation can lead to increased cortisol levels, increased blood sugar, and may contribute to insulin resistance.

A great example of this that is more commonly known is that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are more commonly susceptible to insulin resistance and metabolic disorder. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that involves systemic inflammation – so this is a great example of a common link between inflammation and metabolic disorders.

Chronic Inflammation – Bullet Points:

• Chronic Inflammation can lead to:
  • Increased cortisol levels
  • Increased blood sugar levels
  • Increased insulin resistance
  • Increased risks of metabolic disorders
  • Inflammation is commonly associated with weight gain and making it harder to lose weight.
  • Therefore, any food that may cause inflammation may lead to weight gain in some individuals.
  • Food intolerances caused by IgG antibodies can lead to a state of low-grade inflammation which can interfere with weight loss.
  • It has been noted that one of the big reasons why mast cell patients gain weight is because mast cells release molecules that cause inflammation. Some of these molecules are known to be linked to obesity when there is too high a level of them in the body.

Here is a list of just some of the other ways that they can contribute to weight gain or making it harder for some people to lose weight:

• Autoimmune responses by the body may not only trigger inflammation but may also cause fluid retention in many individuals which may make it harder to lose weight, harder to see the results of their weight loss, and lead to depression and anxiety in many individuals trying to lose weight because they often see the scale fluctuate a lot due to this and it can be very discouraging.
• Lack of proper digestion can lead to nutritional deficiencies, some of which can lead to weight gain, decreased metabolism, and make it harder to lose weight.
  • For example, a lack of Vitamin D and Calcium have been linked with weight gain and difficulty losing weight.

I’ve realized that after typing this out in a word document and it being 5 typed pages, that I could keep going on and on about this subject and I've taken way too much time out of my work day already typing all this up.

I’m going to end with one last thing specific to gluten sensitivity because I can speak on it personally.

Gluten Sensitivity – My Personal Experience:

• I was able to eat gluten all of my life up until I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity in 2011 and I had noticed that in the year prior I had stayed sick a lot and that my metabolism had slowed down dramatically.
• Remember: Any food that may cause inflammation in the body may also lead to weight gain; and when gluten sensitivity or intolerance occurs, so does inflammation.
• I have an autoimmune condition and even the smallest amount of cross contamination with gluten can cause severe inflammatory effects for me in my tendons and ligaments (usually not my joints) – and I’ve gained so much fluid weight from cross contamination that you could hardly tell where my forearm stopped, and upper arm started.
• Scale weight wise – I’ve gained up to 13 lbs. in 2 days of fluid retention related to this.
• One leading researcher on gluten sensitivity stated – “When you have a gluten sensitivity, it’s really getting your hormones out of whack and that leads to inflammation and swelling which makes you hold on to fat that should be burned off, so even if you go on a diet, if there’s gluten in there, you don’t lose weight.”
• My metabolism has slowed down significantly since becoming sensitive to gluten. I used to could eat crappy, do little cardio, and stay pretty lean. Now, I can watch my diet and do cardio, and I’ve never achieved the level of leanness that I did previously.

I’ve typed so much here that I’ll likely clean it up some and turn it into an article at some point in an effort to help people that are affected by these types of issues.

I really hope that all of this information does help someone in the future with not only losing weight but also with helping improve their health and overall quality of life.

 

[Dustin07]

So, now to the main part of your question and where all of this ties in together.

As detailed above, Colitis, Crohn’s, and IBS are very different from food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances; and even though weight loss is common in some people with these conditions, weight gain is also common in some people with them as well (so let’s rule those out of the discussion).

Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances are also all different things, but when a doctor requests testing for them, the tests are commonly done together (hence my suggestion that started all of this - to get tested for them all at once).

It’s not that food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances directly cause you to gain weight, it’s that they can contribute to a variety of issues that may make you gain weight or more commonly, make it harder for you to lose weight (which is the problem his wife is having – hence my suggestion).

Chronic Inflammation:
Chronic inflammation is a common allergic reaction that can contribute to weight gain or cause people to have a much harder time losing weight. It’s important to realize that we’re not necessarily talking about inflammation on a level that you can feel, it may be so subtle that someone just chalks it up to the natural aches and pains that come along with aging; some may not even feel it at all – but that doesn’t mean that low level systemic inflammation may not be happening. Chronic inflammation can lead to increased cortisol levels, increased blood sugar, and may contribute to insulin resistance.

A great example of this that is more commonly known is that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are more commonly susceptible to insulin resistance and metabolic disorder. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that involves systemic inflammation – so this is a great example of a common link between inflammation and metabolic disorders.

Chronic Inflammation – Bullet Points:

• Chronic Inflammation can lead to:
  • Increased cortisol levels
  • Increased blood sugar levels
  • Increased insulin resistance
  • Increased risks of metabolic disorders
  • Inflammation is commonly associated with weight gain and making it harder to lose weight.
  • Therefore, any food that may cause inflammation may lead to weight gain in some individuals.
  • Food intolerances caused by IgG antibodies can lead to a state of low-grade inflammation which can interfere with weight loss.
  • It has been noted that one of the big reasons why mast cell patients gain weight is because mast cells release molecules that cause inflammation. Some of these molecules are known to be linked to obesity when there is too high a level of them in the body.

Here is a list of just some of the other ways that they can contribute to weight gain or making it harder for some people to lose weight:

• Autoimmune responses by the body may not only trigger inflammation but may also cause fluid retention in many individuals which may make it harder to lose weight, harder to see the results of their weight loss, and lead to depression and anxiety in many individuals trying to lose weight because they often see the scale fluctuate a lot due to this and it can be very discouraging.
• Lack of proper digestion can lead to nutritional deficiencies, some of which can lead to weight gain, decreased metabolism, and make it harder to lose weight.
  • For example, a lack of Vitamin D and Calcium have been linked with weight gain and difficulty losing weight.

I’ve realized that after typing this out in a word document and it being 5 typed pages, that I could keep going on and on about this subject and I've taken way too much time out of my work day already typing all this up.

I’m going to end with one last thing specific to gluten sensitivity because I can speak on it personally.

Gluten Sensitivity – My Personal Experience:

• I was able to eat gluten all of my life up until I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity in 2011 and I had noticed that in the year prior I had stayed sick a lot and that my metabolism had slowed down dramatically.
• Remember: Any food that may cause inflammation in the body may also lead to weight gain; and when gluten sensitivity or intolerance occurs, so does inflammation.
• I have an autoimmune condition and even the smallest amount of cross contamination with gluten can cause severe inflammatory effects for me in my tendons and ligaments (usually not my joints) – and I’ve gained so much fluid weight from cross contamination that you could hardly tell where my forearm stopped, and upper arm started.
• Scale weight wise – I’ve gained up to 13 lbs. in 2 days of fluid retention related to this.
• One leading researcher on gluten sensitivity stated – “When you have a gluten sensitivity, it’s really getting your hormones out of whack and that leads to inflammation and swelling which makes you hold on to fat that should be burned off, so even if you go on a diet, if there’s gluten in there, you don’t lose weight.”
• My metabolism has slowed down significantly since becoming sensitive to gluten. I used to could eat crappy, do little cardio, and stay pretty lean. Now, I can watch my diet and do cardio, and I’ve never achieved the level of leanness that I did previously.

I’ve typed so much here that I’ll likely clean it up some and turn it into an article at some point in an effort to help people that are affected by these types of issues.

I really hope that all of this information does help someone in the future with not only losing weight but also with helping improve their health and overall quality of life.

Man I'm super curious to see what we find out for my life. Unfortunately I'm 99% certain gluten isn't the issue because there just isn't much in our life right now anyways. I sneak it (LOL) But I can't think of anything in her daily diet that includes gluten off the top of my head.

lots of great info here. And I mean, if that's how your body responds to Gluten perhaps there is some other allergen type reaction in her.

or who knows. maybe her hormones are just f'd lol.

 

[sns8778]

Man I'm super curious to see what we find out for my life. Unfortunately I'm 99% certain gluten isn't the issue because there just isn't much in our life right now anyways. I sneak it (LOL) But I can't think of anything in her daily diet that includes gluten off the top of my head.

lots of great info here. And I mean, if that's how your body responds to Gluten perhaps there is some other allergen type reaction in her.

or who knows. maybe her hormones are just f'd lol.

Thank you.

In the bodybuilding community, fat loss tends to get oversimplified in a way - but its the way that works fine for most people. But in the world as a whole, there are a lot of people that are held back by things that are outside the norm, and that's the things I like helping people with because it fascinates me, I love learning about it, and I love helping people.

The way that gluten affects me is just an example overall of how different sensitivities and intolerances can affect people. It doesn't have to be gluten specifically, it can be a different type for someone else and still affect them the same. That's why I always suggest food sensitivity testing and food intolerance testing for people that can't figure out what is going on - because at least if it doesn't turn out to be one of those, you've ruled it out and then have more information than you had before and are able to move on to the next step. But if it is, then it may help tremendously or at least be one part of the puzzle.

I'm not saying it is gluten for her, this is just a general comment - but a lot of people think that there's none or very little in their diet and then are shocked to find that if they do the bloodwork to see if they've been exposed to it that their levels may be through the roof. It's in so many things that people often don't think of, but also there are so many different levels of sensitivity to it. I could eat it all of my life with no issues until 2010, was diagnosed in 2011, and it just got progressively worse. Cross contamination is a major worry. I'll give an example of what happened to me - I was over a youth group for years and we had taken a group of kids to an amusement park and one of them got nervous in the crowd and took ahold of my hand. It was super hot and I wiped my mouth with the hand she had been holding and I remember thinking 'oh crap'. By the time of the drive home that night I was so swollen from fluid retention I could tell it in my hands trying to drive. Walked around an amusement park sweating and burning a ton of calories but that little bit of cross contamination blew me up 9 lbs. on the scale. I'm so sensitive to it that I have to wash my hands thoroughly before eating any little thing bc I could shake your hand after you eating a hamburger with a bun or even touch a door handle after someone that had and its all it takes for me. Now, I'm an extreme example and it won't be that bad in most people - but think about it - I'm 200+ lbs. and if I gain 9 lbs. of fluid from a food sensitivity reaction, then that's basically 5% of my body weight. Let's say a 150 lb. female is only 25% as sensitive to something as I am, that would still be 2 lbs. just from that alone based on the inflammation response and that wouldn't be counting any additional from any hormonal responses. I hope that makes sense.

I think that there is likely more than one factor going on with her and I do think that hormones will likely play a part, but it could also be some other things as well.

I'm working on an idea that I can't go into details on yet, but its not a traditional fat loss product. It's more of a product to decrease inflammation and improve overall health and digestion, and its a couple months out but you'll know it when you see us launch it; and when we do, if she's interested I would love to give her a bottle to try - because its a very multi-faceted product that targets digestive health and systemic inflammation from a lot of different angles and one of the big goals is to help people whose metabolisms seem to be 'stuck' for whatever reason.

I really hope that her appointment today goes well.

 

[Dustin07]

Thank you.

In the bodybuilding community, fat loss tends to get oversimplified in a way - but its the way that works fine for most people. But in the world as a whole, there are a lot of people that are held back by things that are outside the norm, and that's the things I like helping people with because it fascinates me, I love learning about it, and I love helping people.

The way that gluten affects me is just an example overall of how different sensitivities and intolerances can affect people. It doesn't have to be gluten specifically, it can be a different type for someone else and still affect them the same. That's why I always suggest food sensitivity testing and food intolerance testing for people that can't figure out what is going on - because at least if it doesn't turn out to be one of those, you've ruled it out and then have more information than you had before and are able to move on to the next step. But if it is, then it may help tremendously or at least be one part of the puzzle.

I'm not saying it is gluten for her, this is just a general comment - but a lot of people think that there's none or very little in their diet and then are shocked to find that if they do the bloodwork to see if they've been exposed to it that their levels may be through the roof. It's in so many things that people often don't think of, but also there are so many different levels of sensitivity to it. I could eat it all of my life with no issues until 2010, was diagnosed in 2011, and it just got progressively worse. Cross contamination is a major worry. I'll give an example of what happened to me - I was over a youth group for years and we had taken a group of kids to an amusement park and one of them got nervous in the crowd and took ahold of my hand. It was super hot and I wiped my mouth with the hand she had been holding and I remember thinking 'oh crap'. By the time of the drive home that night I was so swollen from fluid retention I could tell it in my hands trying to drive. Walked around an amusement park sweating and burning a ton of calories but that little bit of cross contamination blew me up 9 lbs. on the scale. I'm so sensitive to it that I have to wash my hands thoroughly before eating any little thing bc I could shake your hand after you eating a hamburger with a bun or even touch a door handle after someone that had and its all it takes for me. Now, I'm an extreme example and it won't be that bad in most people - but think about it - I'm 200+ lbs. and if I gain 9 lbs. of fluid from a food sensitivity reaction, then that's basically 5% of my body weight. Let's say a 150 lb. female is only 25% as sensitive to something as I am, that would still be 2 lbs. just from that alone based on the inflammation response and that wouldn't be counting any additional from any hormonal responses. I hope that makes sense.

I think that there is likely more than one factor going on with her and I do think that hormones will likely play a part, but it could also be some other things as well.

I'm working on an idea that I can't go into details on yet, but its not a traditional fat loss product. It's more of a product to decrease inflammation and improve overall health and digestion, and its a couple months out but you'll know it when you see us launch it; and when we do, if she's interested I would love to give her a bottle to try - because its a very multi-faceted product that targets digestive health and systemic inflammation from a lot of different angles and one of the big goals is to help people whose metabolisms seem to be 'stuck' for whatever reason.

I really hope that her appointment today goes well.

Dude that's crazy! But I totally know what you're talking about and now you really have my brain wondering. We have had those days where suddenly the hands are miserably puffy for seemingly no reason. The only gluten intolerant people I knew described vastly different outcomes from yours, but now you really have me thinking... and curious!

 

[SweetLou321]

You're entitled to your own opinion. I recognized the poster's name and was just trying to help him with a question; I normally don't ever post in this section here on AM because so many people think they're always right and don't look at people as having unique situations, health issues, and different outcomes - and after this thread, I will never come back to this section.

On the subject of the Reverse T3, as someone that has an endocrinology disorder and have had to go to multiple specialists, I've learned a lot about this and just am not going to debate it on an internet forum. I'm sorry, but if endocrinologists at UVA, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill along with a thyroid cancer specialist at MD Anderson all agree, that's why I think its significant.

I truly don't understand how something that is a simple additional blood test that most insurances cover became an issue.

I posted a simple post trying to be helpful and you quoted me and tried to make it sound like I'm some random person that doesn't know what I'm talking about.


I will reply to the part about food intolerances in a separate quote/post later on today or this evening when I have time to type out a really detailed post.

I post on here throughout my work day to try to help people - and didn't realize that me trying to be helpful in this thread was going to lead to something where I feel like I'm being put down and a huge time drain in having to type out so much detailed information when I was just trying to help.

I love helping people but I hate conflict and negativity and am getting to the point that I hate AM. You won't have to worry about me posting in this thread anymore after I type the food intolerance/sensitivity post later, and maybe not on AM at all.

I first want to apologize if this thread has turned to the tone of arguing or being negative. Neither were my intention. I do understand you were trying to be helpful. I do tend to take the philosophical idea that trying to be helpful and actually being helpful are not one in the same. So my providing counter points to some of yours stems from there. As an example, trying to help someone with their taxes and failing so they end up in jail leads to the same outcome as purposefully messing up their taxes? While the heart in this analogy was in the right place, the person still ended up in jail, so we were not in fact helpful. To me this simply means nuance and context are usually needed. I am not saying either of us are right or wrong.

I have spent too much time looking at a single things as "major factors" when it comes to my health based on people with good intentions making broad suggestions. Did addressing them help? Sometimes, but it took a lot of understanding the nuance of the thing in question, and a lot of times it was very misguided. I always want to provide context when needed when helping someone to try and avoid them having the same experiences I did. A lot of time can be spent on a "niche maybes" compared to stepping back and really focusing on the foundational stuff and narrowing in as needed.

Based on this, I try to look at complex topics from multiple angles where there is not a consensus from a variety of people much smarter than I. Just like us right now (where our opinions do not align), expects on a topic tend to interpret data and information differently and usually have differing views, so if a large group come together to form a consensus, I think it stands pretty high on the tier of information. To my knowledge, there is not a consensus on reverse T3. You suggested testing as being helpful, maybe it is, maybe it is not, the research is not super clear. I will try to clarify my posts above on this as only wanting to provide another way to look at the marker, as since there is no consensus, testing it and it being high, may mean something, but it just as easily could not mean anything. So it is just a "maybe" piece of the puzzle in the context of fat loss. I am sorry if my approach was off putting. To me, I was being helpful by providing more nuance to a marker with little clinical understanding so if one does test it, and it is high, they can properly put the results into context and prioritize addressing it in order of importance. Based its clinical usefulness for fat loss being unclear, it would not really rank highly on the order of importance when it comes to addressing it IMO only. You mention your doctors as credible resources, I get that is your personal consensus. My consensus was the countless researchers providing a counter to your in peer reviewed clinical journals. I am not arguing, I do not want to be negative, I am only trying to provide a fuller picture on this marker and suggestion to the OP, so he can make the most informed decision. Here are 5 separate papers all questioning the utility of reverse T3 testing:

Can Reverse T3 Assay Be Employed to Guide T4 vs. T4/T3 Therapy in Hypothyroidism?

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinical and laboratory aspects of 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T3) - PubMed

Reverse T3 (3,3',5'-triiodothyronine or rT3) is the third most abundant iodothyronine circulating in human blood and is produced by the inner ring deiodination of the pro-hormone thyroxine (T4). Unlike the more abundant and active metabolite T3, the measurement of serum rT3 is yet to find a...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reverse T3 or perverse T3? Still puzzling after 40 years

Few situations require measuring reverse T3; diagnosis of euthyroid sick syndrome may be one of them.

www.ccjm.org

Guidelines for the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: Prepared by the American Thyroid Association Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement

Background: A number of recent advances in our understanding of thyroid physiology may shed light on why some patients feel unwell while taking levothyroxine monotherapy. The purpose of this task force was to review the goals of levothyroxine therapy, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does Reverse Triiodothyronine Testing Have Clinical Utility? An Analysis of Practice Variation Based on Order Data from a National Reference Laboratory - PubMed

There is wide practice variation in rT3 testing. A high proportion of tests are ordered by a relatively small proportion of providers. There is little evidence to support high volumes of rT3 testing placed by some practitioners.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I agree that fat loss can be oversimplified, but I do think if we really talked about the topic in a manner of putting factors related to it into a tier of importance, we would likely agree on 99% of it. I think I have greatly miscommunicated on my end, I think maybe I am talking about things that are more foundational, and your are suggesting things that are more specific.

I appreciate your response on the food related factors. I see your thought process and I appreciate the nuance. I see the approach you are taking mentally. I will say for the OP, be cautious with IgG food sensitivity testing if this is done. Many allergy bodies in the world have the same consensus that the results are not useful clinically, at least not for food sensitivities:

https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Media-Library-PDFs/Tools%20for%20the%20Public/Conditions%20Library/Library%20-%20Allergies/eacci-igg4-2010.pdf

CSACI Position statement on the testing of food-specific IgG

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I wish you all the best, I am hope you are well. I did enjoy, on my end, our more in depth discussion of complex health related factors.

 

[SweetLou321]

OP

No matter what is going metabolically, inflammation, glucose, ect. None of these matter in the presence of a caloric deficit. Testing and addressing things may impact one's metabolic rate, so by all means explore those factors. But the simple answer to the fat loss issue ATM is your wife is eating too many calories for her current metabolic needs (before addressing anything). If she wants to lose fat right now, she has to eat less. People with inflammation, diabetes, menopause, etc. have lost weight when put into a caloric deficit in countless research studies without any special testing or diets ect. Even metabolic adaptation can be overcome with a caloric deficit. I do get the concern regarding lowering her cals more because then micronutrient intake can become a concern simply due to so little food being provided. The law of thermodynamics is a law after all.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I mean basically she is. lifting/HIIT is 3x per week plus an occasional 4th day with me at the gym
Cardio is a mix of moderate and intense and averages 120-180min per week. (usually 30 min sessions 4-6 times a week. )

I've never seen anyone, even over 50, struggle to drop weight when doing essentially all the right things. She does use dairy in her macros, which I wouldn't but she's never had issues with dairy before and IIFYM?

My wife is struggling also. Same type of thing but mine is 40. Her weight doesn't equal the input/output. I think I'm more frustrated about it than she is