Where I'm At - February 2008

I actually feel like I might make it. The Hydrocortisone has been a real help...I'm up to 30 mg. now. Just last week I went back on the Armour (2 grains)...not quite right on the dosage yet..but I am tolerating it this time around and not becoming more Hypo. Yay! My doctor has okayed the Armour up to 4 grains which makes me confident that I can find my "sweet spot". I'm finding that 5mcg. Cytomel seems to help with the afternoon fatigue, so I've been taking that as well. Physically I feel more motivated and energetic, there is still a bit of itching since starting the Armour and some muscle aches...but I am feeling so much better that I won't complain.

I have spent the past 20 years going from one diet to the next. Lost weight (as much as 40 lbs) several times, only to end up gaining it all back. I have lots of willpower and can pretty much stay on any crazy plan that's out there...unfortunately none of them have worked at all the past few years. The best plans I've tried in the past were the Rotation Diet (way too low of calories though..so I added in more), the CAD (Carbohydrate Addict's Diet) - very slow weight loss, but pretty easy to follow and The Fat Flush Plan...strict, odd requirements but the weight came off fast with that one. Right after losing almost 40 lbs. on the Fat Flush Plan was when my problems really started - when I started gaining back the weight it wouldn't come off no matter what I tried. The Fat Flush Plan calls for lots of Flax and other goitrogenic foods like broccoli and cauliflower - which I ate almost on a daily basis. I'm not saying this diet caused my hypothyroidism...I'm pretty sure I was already hypothyroid by then. Some of the weight loss may have even been from the Hashi's swings, which is where you go from hypo to hyper while your thyroid tries to sputter back into action.

So.... I've sworn off diets for now. What I'm doing now is what I think I can do the rest of my life. I'm choosing lower calorie foods, skipping the sweets 6 days a week and giving myself a free day to eat anything that I want once a week. I'm guessing I am cutting out about 500 to 800 calories a day just by switching to yogurt instead of cereal/milk for breakfast, skipping the dessert and or chips that would often be my afternoon snack, substituting mustard for mayo, having 1 lite beer instead of 2 or 3, having fresh fruit for snacks. The idea of having a free day to eat whatever I want (within reason) I'm hoping will keep my body losing weight (the rotation idea - lower calories days mixed with higher calorie ones) . A good book for choosing lower calorie foods is "Picture Perfect Weight Loss" by Dr. Howard Shapiro. It calls for less meat, (I'm pretty sure he is a vegetarian), more veggies, fruit and breads. Breads people!!...you gotta love this diet! I'm down a couple lbs. already but have a long way to go.

In the coming months, I hope to do more posting and to do so in a smaller size of jeans!