rejoicealways8
State
Posts: 712
Joined: December 2013
Location: UnderTheBigBlueTexasSky
Stats: 151/129/115
Plan: Carnivory
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Post by rejoicealways8 on Oct 27, 2014 7:20:38 GMT -6
Hi all, so glad to see the posting going on here. As far as toothpaste I've been one to make my own and have fallen by the wayside. I think I'll start up again with the simple recipe of CO and baking soda. Clove would be another good essential oil for toothpaste as it is good for mouth health--though a little would go a super long way. Peppermint is nice, too. I have been eating bread. This is not good. There isn't anything reserved about it when I do. Though I do sleep at Mom's tonight, I don't arrive until about 10 p.m. on Mondays. That keeps me out of her kitchen trolling out of "I don't like this." There isn't any of that stuff at my house where I will spend the day so I'll get one day without temptation and thus no eating of it either. I still successfully avoid the cookies and the candy and the crackers that are part of her eating. (At 91 there is only a desire for us to keep her interested in food and enough calories of any sort, not anything about macros or determining what is best for her as far as a "healthy way of eating." The base of her usual breakfast is bacon and eggs so it isn't as if it is all on the carb side of life.) I've thrown over any desire to burn some calories in some fashion which contributes to my ballooning self. I am tired of that self now so motivation ought kick in now. There also isn't the leaden malaise of "it's hot outside now". Not that I was outside to burn calories anyway--that has to do with a better mindset generally because the weather is lovely and mild. Be good to yourself today!
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 8:39:27 GMT -6
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 9:06:18 GMT -6
Weigh-in this morning 178.8 and down point nine.
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Post by clueless on Oct 27, 2014 9:12:40 GMT -6
Weigh-in this morning 178.8 and down point nine. :jumpjoy:wow, you're doing great!
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Post by clueless on Oct 27, 2014 9:59:50 GMT -6
gretalyn, those legs crash sound pretty awful. My husband has something like restless leg syndrome. His legs keep him up at night a lot. I can't imagine having leg cramps all day. How irritating. I hope you figure out something to help.
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storytha
State
289.6/____/150
Posts: 545
Joined: October 2013
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Post by storytha on Oct 27, 2014 12:00:44 GMT -6
Oh. Something else I've been trying to do for the last couple of weeks is get 15 to 20 minutes of pure sunlight exposure a day. Have you noticed any difference? I never believed in SAD until I lived in Northern CA for 2 years. Humboldt county CA is foggy 188+ days out of the year and I definitely found myself with deeper depression (than usual) and had to drive inland 30 minutes on the weekends to get my dose of sunshine. Military actually built an airport there to train their pilots how to land in heavy fog because it was so continuously foggy. Now I'm back to my original home town where it is 300 days a year of sunshine and will never go back.
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 27, 2014 12:29:28 GMT -6
gretalyn, those legs crash sound pretty awful. My husband has something like restless leg syndrome. His legs keep him up at night a lot. I can't imagine having leg cramps all day. How irritating. I hope you figure out something to help. Thank you for the sympathy! It is much appreciated. But I should clarify - and I'm sorry I misled. My cramps are not in my legs, but in my neck, shoulders, and upper back. I'm sure the reason that it always strikes there is in part due to my posture, which I am working to change. But I know it's also at least partly biochemical, because of the correlation with my IBS symptoms. I do get leg cramps from time to time, but it's the muscles where the shoulders meet the neck that give me constant problems.
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storytha
State
289.6/____/150
Posts: 545
Joined: October 2013
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Post by storytha on Oct 27, 2014 14:03:54 GMT -6
On the cramps topic: I started getting bad foot, calf, fingers, and diaphragm cramps once I started going LC in 2012. I now take Potassium (which helps if I remember) and added Magnesium this summer because it wasn’t working on its own anymore. I’m 90% better. Sometimes excessive walking will trigger attacks immediately when I lay down to sleep. I tell you what; being woken up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep by a Charlie horse is NOT pleasant so I take my pills. I do see a correlation to excessive (almost clear) urine output and my cramps. I now try to drink 120-135 oz water, sparkling water, or diet tonic a day. I can defiantly add pickle brine. I like pickles. What about green olive brine? I saved some because I like dirty martinis.
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storytha
State
289.6/____/150
Posts: 545
Joined: October 2013
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Post by storytha on Oct 27, 2014 14:11:41 GMT -6
Happy Monday. My weekend was full, exhausting, and wonderful! I did eat a few meals off plan (though at the actual party, I did pretty well.) I had a house guest and so provided him a taco bar and then exhaustion at one point dictated pizza for dinner.
So my Halloween party went really well. We had around 60 people. Great costumes! Fire pit, dancing, tons of food and drink, catching up with some I only see at this party every year. Friday I took off work and DH, DD, & DS worked all day inside and out to clean (this is kinda our “spring cleaning” time because we move all of the furniture around and move the area rugs, etc). Saturday, I spent 5 hours prepping and cooking the food and putting together the bar and chaffing dish tables. Then dressed up and continued to cook throughout the night. I ended up with only 5 drinks during the 5 hour party which is pretty good for me. I was just too busy. Sunday I was pure exhaustion! Every joint and my back were so achy. Feet were the worst. So I lounged most of the day. Did 3 loads of dishes and cleared most of the food and drink away. The floors (That I had JUST cleaned) were thrashed with leaves, feathers and sequins from costumes, etc. I really should have swept and mopped again but I couldn’t stand for that long. Maybe tonight.
Well, with all of that exhaustion you would have thought I’d sleep like a baby Sunday night-but NOOOOOO! Evil, thy name is insomnia. Tried off and on but finally was successful around 4:00 and up and at work at 8:00 Ugh! Coffee Coffee Coffee. I had my first morning coffee with no sweetener whatsoever and it was ok. Then a member came in and brought me a SF latte for helping him with his pension/cobra/ etc. mess. He was so nice. I drank about half but it was so sickening sweet I tossed the rest after he left. I’m really losing my sweet tooth! I tossed about 3 M&M’s in my mouth this weekend and almost spit them out. They were disgusting.
So with bad weekend, more exercise than usual, inflammation, and lack of sleep I only scowled at my scale as I breezed past. I’ll give it a few days.
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rejoicealways8
State
Posts: 712
Joined: December 2013
Location: UnderTheBigBlueTexasSky
Stats: 151/129/115
Plan: Carnivory
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Post by rejoicealways8 on Oct 27, 2014 15:02:37 GMT -6
Gretalyn--wear a corset each day (though doesn't have to be all day). It'll straighten that posture right up. Seriously.
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Post by clueless on Oct 27, 2014 17:38:45 GMT -6
gretalyn, those legs crash sound pretty awful. My husband has something like restless leg syndrome. His legs keep him up at night a lot. I can't imagine having leg cramps all day. How irritating. I hope you figure out something to help. Thank you for the sympathy! It is much appreciated. But I should clarify - and I'm sorry I misled. My cramps are not in my legs, but in my neck, shoulders, and upper back. I'm sure the reason that it always strikes there is in part due to my posture, which I am working to change. But I know it's also at least partly biochemical, because of the correlation with my IBS symptoms. I do get leg cramps from time to time, but it's the muscles where the shoulders meet the neck that give me constant problems. Oh man, those shoulder cramps are awful. I used to get them as a symptom of my thyroid problems. The cramps in my neck and shoulders felt like I had been by a base ball bat. Now have even more sympathy. I had to take muscle relaxers for those, they were awful.
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 27, 2014 19:11:56 GMT -6
Oh man, those shoulder cramps are awful. I used to get them as a symptom of my thyroid problems. The cramps in my neck and shoulders felt like I had been by a base ball bat. Now have even more sympathy. I had to take muscle relaxers for those, they were awful. Thyroid problems? Hmmmm.... My mom and grandma both have hypothyroidism, and I had it post partum. My last thyroid test was normal, but it might be time for another test, plus normal doesn't always mean optimal, though I'm not sure my doctor sees it that way.
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 27, 2014 19:14:59 GMT -6
On the cramps topic: I started getting bad foot, calf, fingers, and diaphragm cramps once I started going LC in 2012. I now take Potassium (which helps if I remember) and added Magnesium this summer because it wasn’t working on its own anymore. I’m 90% better. Sometimes excessive walking will trigger attacks immediately when I lay down to sleep. I tell you what; being woken up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep by a Charlie horse is NOT pleasant so I take my pills. I do see a correlation to excessive (almost clear) urine output and my cramps. I now try to drink 120-135 oz water, sparkling water, or diet tonic a day. I can defiantly add pickle brine. I like pickles. What about green olive brine? I saved some because I like dirty martinis. Yeah, I got those middle of the night charlie horse cramps a lot in my third trimester of pregnancy. It's quite an experience to be awakened suddenly from a deep sleep by a leg cramp! Those are no fun, but at least they were short lived. There's nothing short lived about my shoulder/neck cramps, sadly. I love dirty martinis! Wow, I haven't had one in ages. That sounds so good right now!
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 27, 2014 19:16:15 GMT -6
Gretalyn--wear a corset each day (though doesn't have to be all day). It'll straighten that posture right up. Seriously. I'll do it if it will help! My problem is in the upper back and neck, though. Would a corset really help with that?
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 27, 2014 19:30:31 GMT -6
I am very curious about the thyroid thing, so I dug out my medical file and pulled out my most recent lab results. The most recent thyroid test I could find was Jan of 2012, and at that time I was not having these muscle cramps, and my TSH was 1.2 which is normal. I don't know if I haven't been tested since then or if I just misplaced the results, but I'm going to call my doctor's office tomorrow and find out.
While I had the file out, though, I thought I'd take a look at my electrolytes. I'm glad I did, because I had remembered that incorrectly. My potassium level was normal, but my magnesium and sodium were both at the very bottom of the normal range. So I'm definitely going to keep pushing the salt.
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Post by clueless on Oct 27, 2014 19:35:50 GMT -6
Oh man, those shoulder cramps are awful. I used to get them as a symptom of my thyroid problems. The cramps in my neck and shoulders felt like I had been by a base ball bat. Now have even more sympathy. I had to take muscle relaxers for those, they were awful. Thyroid problems? Hmmmm.... My mom and grandma both have hypothyroidism, and I had it post partum. My last thyroid test was normal, but it might be time for another test, plus normal doesn't always mean optimal, though I'm not sure my doctor sees it that way. It might not be necessarily a thyroid issue, I hope it's not. Maybe electrolytes out of whack or a symptom of something else. Stress seemed to make mine worse too. Did you have any symptoms of cramps when your thyroid was low before?
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 20:21:48 GMT -6
how helpful is Darin? 5!heh The weird thing is, for the first two years that I went ketogenic, I had no more digestive problems, and no cramps. Then the digestive problems and the cramps returned, and I do not know why. I really can't think of ANYTHING that I changed, and believe me I have really thought about it a lot. Hmmm. So before LC/NK you had IBS, it subsided for about two years and then returned? How long had you been suffering before keto? Was it, speaking in the moment, the same as now or worse back then or milder back then? When the cramps/IBS returned was it briskly or gradual? I'm curious as to how you address fiber intake? I know generally speaking it isn't something to worry too much about if you are eating your carbs as veggies but with your symptoms is it something you put emphasis on? Do you distinguish between soluble or insoluble in your woe? My cramps are not in my legs, but in my neck, shoulders, and upper back. I'm sure the reason that it always strikes there is in part due to my posture, which I am working to change. But I know it's also at least partly biochemical, because of the correlation with my IBS symptoms. I do get leg cramps from time to time, but it's the muscles where the shoulders meet the neck that give me constant problems. That is so strange Greta. I don't recall ever hearing anyone else having cramps primarily or even frequently in the neck, shoulders and upper back while LC. I like rejoicealways8's suggestion of wearing a corset for posture. Have you considered seeing a chiropractor? That is what I thought of when you described the location of the cramps - some spinal misalignment. It fits - spinal alignment already compromised and can't handle the extra stress of acute dehydration and acute electrolyte ebb. There is some sort of therapeutic massage for back problems too. It has a name but I can't for the life of me remember it. It has been around for 15(?) years or so at least. As I recall it is done on a gurney or real massage table because the arms and body are moved in tandem front/side/back. It is supposed to be amazingly effective and doesn't require a licensed chiro to perform. Or didn't back then anyway. What about subpar absorption of nutrients with IBS? Is that a factor? I am thinking in terms of higher, but still safe, doses of sodium, mag and potassium. I know sodium and magnesium are laughably understated by the RDA I'm not sure about potassium but I take 300mg a day myself. Do you do anything in particular for your gut flora? Fermented foods daily, pre/pro/whatever biotics? What does your doctor say about the location of the cramps? It seems like the first thing a doc would jump to is muscle spasms and Rx'ing a relaxer.
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 20:26:25 GMT -6
On the cramps topic: I started getting bad foot, calf, fingers, and diaphragm cramps once I started going LC in 2012. I now take Potassium (which helps if I remember) and added Magnesium this summer because it wasn’t working on its own anymore. I’m 90% better. Sometimes excessive walking will trigger attacks immediately when I lay down to sleep. I tell you what; being woken up in the middle of the night from a dead sleep by a Charlie horse is NOT pleasant so I take my pills. I do see a correlation to excessive (almost clear) urine output and my cramps. I now try to drink 120-135 oz water, sparkling water, or diet tonic a day. I can defiantly add pickle brine. I like pickles. What about green olive brine? I saved some because I like dirty martinis. Yeah, I got those middle of the night charlie horse cramps a lot in my third trimester of pregnancy. It's quite an experience to be awakened suddenly from a deep sleep by a leg cramp! Those are no fun, but at least they were short lived. There's nothing short lived about my shoulder/neck cramps, sadly. I love dirty martinis! Wow, I haven't had one in ages. That sounds so good right now! Man oh man! I had those for several years before going LC. At least a couple times a week I'd leap out of bed with the most agonizing calf or foot cramp. Then when I went LC and didn't know about supplementing with mag/potassium I'd get them every once in a while at the leap out of bed level. That is something to feel like your muscle is peeling itself away from the bone lol
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 20:29:15 GMT -6
Numbers for today. I scored some marked down pork ribs at the store so I cooked them up tonight. Man. The way I cook them they are so dang good I have a hard time not overeating. I kept my protein down to 126g but they are so fatastic I ate at least 500 calories too much of them.
Calories: 3,027
Fat: 261 Pro: 126 Car: 49 KR: 2.00
77/17/6
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Post by reddarin on Oct 27, 2014 20:46:13 GMT -6
Oh. Something else I've been trying to do for the last couple of weeks is get 15 to 20 minutes of pure sunlight exposure a day. Have you noticed any difference? I never believed in SAD until I lived in Northern CA for 2 years. Humboldt county CA is foggy 188+ days out of the year and I definitely found myself with deeper depression (than usual) and had to drive inland 30 minutes on the weekends to get my dose of sunshine. Military actually built an airport there to train their pilots how to land in heavy fog because it was so continuously foggy. Now I'm back to my original home town where it is 300 days a year of sunshine and will never go back. It is hard to say Kathy. Actually I started doing it purely for the holistic benefit of it - good for vitamin D and who knows what else. It is funny that you ask though because I did wonder how direct exposure might help with any lingering grief/depression over the loss of my dog. I can't say that I feel noticeably better from standing out in the sun for 10 or so minutes at a time. I do feel giggly about the way I seem to be able to tan these days - as a lifelong burn immediately redhead that is still a new experience for me. I noticed a nice almond color taking hold on my skin And man it feels good. I keep thinking of that movie Sunshine while I am standing there looking up with my eyes closed lol
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rejoicealways8
State
Posts: 712
Joined: December 2013
Location: UnderTheBigBlueTexasSky
Stats: 151/129/115
Plan: Carnivory
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Post by rejoicealways8 on Oct 27, 2014 20:59:23 GMT -6
Once all your middle/core is supported, I find that my neck and shoulders naturally relax. One is forced to sit up straight and it takes the tension out. It is kinda weird. Yes I wear one sometimes as there are some clothes that have the better shape I want so I have one. So the corset thing I do for vanity occasionally and the posture/neck/shoulders is a side effect I've noticed.
I have continued lots of salt once switching to LCHF. I added magnesium every night about six months ago. It wasn't cramps but bone health for me.
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rejoicealways8
State
Posts: 712
Joined: December 2013
Location: UnderTheBigBlueTexasSky
Stats: 151/129/115
Plan: Carnivory
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Post by rejoicealways8 on Oct 28, 2014 6:57:03 GMT -6
A successful eating day yesterday. Yea me! Here we come day two. I don't arrive at Mom's at the regularly scheduled 5 p.m. until Friday. That gives me plenty of opportunity to be sane about what I eat.
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 28, 2014 7:38:32 GMT -6
It might not be necessarily a thyroid issue, I hope it's not. Maybe electrolytes out of whack or a symptom of something else. Stress seemed to make mine worse too. Did you have any symptoms of cramps when your thyroid was low before? I hope it's not too, because my mom has had a really hard time getting proper treatment for her thyroid issues, and I worry that I'd have the same problem. The doctor wants to dose her medication according to the numbers, even though that's not sufficient for addressing her symptoms. I don't recall having these cramps when my thyroid was low before - certainly not to the extent that I have them now. But that was 13-15 years ago now, and I wasn't ketogenic at that time (so my body was retaining more salt than it does now.) I do have some of the other symptoms mentioned for hypothyroidism: loosing hair like crazy (that's been kind of freaking me out, in fact), my normally oily skin has gotten really dry. The main symptom that I had before was the unreal level of fatigue. I don't have that to the same extent this time, not by far. I'm not as energetic as I used to be, but that could easily be explained by simply being 40 years old rather than 25. And of course I do not have that classic symptom: weight gain. But maybe the ketogenic diet is keeping that at bay. I found out through the website of my healthcare provider that I did have another thyroid test in Jan of 2013, and it was normal. But I did not get it checked in Jan of 2014. So it wouldn't hurt to check it. But in the meantime, I'm going to keep upping the salt. I have to admit, I thought I liked salt quite a bit, but I'm getting sick of it!
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Post by reddarin on Oct 28, 2014 8:03:26 GMT -6
Weigh-in this morning 179.7 and a return to the exact weight of day before yesterday. Secretly, I was sure that I'd see 177.x this morning but my guesses on individual WIs are rarely correct. On the other hand, my morning WIs have become something of a daily soap for me with me eager to see what happens next lol
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Post by reddarin on Oct 28, 2014 8:07:29 GMT -6
I have to admit, I thought I liked salt quite a bit, but I'm getting sick of it! Maybe google around for LC friendly high sodium content foods? It does get a bit tedious when added salt starts overpowering the actual flavor of the prepared meal. Or try hiding the extra sodium with other more powerful tasting spices? Or even get salt tablets to supplement with.
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 28, 2014 8:29:08 GMT -6
reddarin I'm on my Ipad right now, and it's not easy to quote and respond to your post in parts, so I'm just going to answer your questions en masse and hope that I've covered everything! Let me back up and give you a little more history. Before I was NK, I was sick all the time. My immune system was pretty weak, so an ordinary cold would turn into a sinus infection, and once even pneumonia. So I was taking lots of anti-biotics. And that's when the digestive problems began. So, no doubt there is a gut flora component to this equation. I take pro-biotics and eat creme fraiche every day, and it helps. But it doesn't seem to be a cure. (I read that these things can help you restore a healthy quantity of intestinal bacteria, but they do not restore the variety of intestinal bacteria that you had before taking antibiotics. Don't know if that's true, but it doesn't sound unreasonable.) So I had chronic diarrhea for a number of years, and then discovered that cutting out wheat improved my symptoms by about 85%. Then I went ketogenic, and things were 100% better. For about 2.5 years. Then I got slammed by my symptoms again so suddenly and severely that I thought at first I'd gotten a virus. But no one else in my family got sick. And I've had trouble off and on ever since then. I wondered if those years of digestive troubles added up to a reduced ability to absorb minerals, so I asked my doctor about that. He said if I was having any trouble absorbing nutrients, it would be very apparent, as I would be losing weight. And my weight has stayed steady. So he didn't think that was a concern at all. My doc has tried to convince me to increase my fiber intake, but I have found that fiber makes my symptoms worse, not better. Anything high in fiber makes me bloated and causes lots of cramping and pain. And it doesn't help the diarrhea at all. So my diet is pretty low in fiber, and that's fine by me. To be honest, and I hesitate to say this because I know a lot of people love it, but I've had some bad experiences with chiropracters that have caused me to question the practice as a whole. I have, however, had a wonderful experience with a physical therapist, so I would be willing to go that route. (I could see her again, if my doctor wrote an order, and my insurance would cover it, though my copay is still significant.) I've thought about massage therapy, but just didn't think I could afford the treatments as often and as long-term as I would need them for it to really help. I'm not familiar with the kind of therapy you mentioned, but I could certainly look into it. Did I cover everything?
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 28, 2014 8:32:23 GMT -6
Once all your middle/core is supported, I find that my neck and shoulders naturally relax. One is forced to sit up straight and it takes the tension out. It is kinda weird. Yes I wear one sometimes as there are some clothes that have the better shape I want so I have one. So the corset thing I do for vanity occasionally and the posture/neck/shoulders is a side effect I've noticed. I have continued lots of salt once switching to LCHF. I added magnesium every night about six months ago. It wasn't cramps but bone health for me. That makes sense. Thanks! Now I have to figure out where one goes to buy a corset. I see Spanx everywhere, but didn't know that anyone still made corsets!
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gretalyn
State
Posts: 610
Joined: May 2013
Stats: 148/132/132
Plan:
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Post by gretalyn on Oct 28, 2014 8:34:56 GMT -6
Or even get salt tablets to supplement with. I've thought about this. I was going to see if Walgreens or CVS carries them.
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storytha
State
289.6/____/150
Posts: 545
Joined: October 2013
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Post by storytha on Oct 28, 2014 9:53:39 GMT -6
Well, insomnia struck again last night. I finally took a double shot of Fireball Whiskey and drug myself to bed around 2:30. This morning is a little rough. 7 hours in two days is not enough for me.
I’m stressing a little because we have cub scouts tonight. Fall Festival party. I am supposed to come up with gross feeley meeley boxes to have them stick their hands in but haven’t prepped anything. I can scrounge paper boxes here at the office and pick up groceries after work but I’m so not in the mood. Maybe I’ll see if I can go home early.
Rainy and blah today. Fits my mood. But I am determined to not comfort eat. I am vulnerable when I’m tired. I brought a protein shake again today.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday in your corner of the world.
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storytha
State
289.6/____/150
Posts: 545
Joined: October 2013
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Post by storytha on Oct 28, 2014 14:30:15 GMT -6
Some chit chat about Halloween candy on another site. I was a little confused until I realized I no longer crave candy. My past favorites were Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or KitKat, both of which I have on my desk counter for our members to grab. It is literally less than an arm's length away. And actually sits there year around. M'eh. No thanks.
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