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There are four prominent endocrine and metabolic disorders that not only contribute to obesity, but also make weight loss difficult. These conditions – “bad metabolism,” hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, and “adrenal fatigue” – are frequently misdiagnosed by doctors, or incorrectly self-diagnosed by patients. As a result, healthy people may think that they have them, while truly affected – may miss them. Both groups suffer needlessly. Let’s review some of the long-held misconceptions about this paradox.
The first misconception is about “bad metabolism,” and it is the most common, approaching a near 100% popularity. Medically and nutritionally speaking, it is a complete opposite. What you may think is “bad” is, actually, “good,” and here is why.
Bad Metabolism
The truly “bad” metabolic disorders concern water balance and fluid volume; the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate); acid-base regulation; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as hypoglycemia, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis; and lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and hypolipidemia [1].
These conditions affect people of all ages, genders, and body weights. Some of them are outright deadly, while others – such as diabetes or dyslipidemia – are chronic. Within the same group of conditions, some are associated with obesity, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, result in profound and life-threatening weight loss.
Consequently, any time you mention “bad metabolism” in relationship to your weight, your doctor will know exactly what you mean, but may still chuckle at your misinterpretation. And if you continue insisting that you may have it, he or she may also tell you that when it comes to body weight, a true “bad metabolism” is a sign of impending death, and that a precipitous weight loss, not gain, is one of its primary symptoms.
The emaciated gentleman on the left is Steve Jobs of Apple fame, shortly before his premature and unfortunate death. Take a hard look at this heartbreaking picture. That is what an actual “bad metabolism” – meaning the body’s inability to properly metabolize nutrients essential for life – really looks like.
Not so long ago, the dominant thinking and attitudes toward metabolism was a complete opposite. When my mother met my dad, a tall and handsome man with manners to match, she was short and moderately overweight, with big hips and large breasts, an ideal body shape for the 1950s. Single men would look at her thinking: “Gosh, this lady is so attractive! I want her to become my wife and the mother of my children.”
Today’s young men, conditioned by the Victoria Secrets’ standards, are more likely to pass over someone like my mother in favor of a waifish girl like Calista Flockhart (32A-23-30), who just three generations ago would have had a hard time finding a marriage partner because of prejudices typical for that era:
- Her appearance would reflect probable malnutrition or chronic illness throughout early development. In that rough era of near-zero upward mobility, malnourished children came predominantly from impoverished households, and no man or woman wanted to marry into a poor family.
- Before the near universal availability of on-demand C-section, her narrow hips would be considered life-threatening during natural childbirth.
- Her small breasts would be assumed inadequate for motherhood because she might have difficulties breastfeeding her numerous offspring. This isn’t, really, entirely correct, but that’s, unfortunately, how it was and still is in undeveloped societies.
- Back then, her small body would be deemed too weak to chop wood, milk cows, carry buckets of water, and cook, clean, and wash from dawn to dusk for the entire family.
- Personality-wise, a person of her shape would be considered a “cold fish” because underweight women have lower levels of estrogen and are believed to be not as libidinous as normal weight or, even better, overweight women. I don’t know if that is true, but that’s how it was.
All of that primitive, misogynistic, and mostly unconscious thinking – to find a partner who will last you and your children through thick and thin – was, essentially, a basic “animal” instinct in action, honed over hundreds of thousands of years of pragmatic and merciless natural selection.
Naturally, that’s exactly what my father did without giving it a second thought – he married a woman with a good metabolism. He knew instinctively what my mom’s doctor told her after every check-up: “Polina, you have a fantastic metabolism!” For her generation it was an asset, not a curse. (The photographs of my parents on the right are from 1958, four years after my birth. They are, respectively, 43 and 37 years old).
True to form, my mother had an accidental pregnancy at the age of 45, while the usual rate of conception after age 40 is less than 5%. And that is after surviving the horrors of starvation and backbreaking labor during the four years of World War II as well as the devastation of postwar Russia.
Calista Flockhart, on the other hand, finally married actor Harrison Ford at the age of 46. In all probability, natural selection wasn’t on the mind of Mr. Ford, who at the time of their marriage in 2010 was already 68 years old. The couple is raising her adopted son Liam, who was born in 2001. Any way you look at it, the laws of evolution remain as tough today as they have ever been, even to someone as beautiful, talented, and famous as Ms. Flockhart.
So, if you too are endowed with a good metabolism just like my mother was, the problem isn’t with you, your genes, or your body, but with the times we are living – the sum of abundant food, minimal physical exertion, and all conceivable creature comforts is behind obesity epidemics on one hand, while the incorrect believe into “bad metabolism” causes many people to drop their weight loss diets too soon, or discourages them from considering one in the first place.
THE TAKEAWAY: Since it’s too late to get another set of genes, or become a lumberjack, or give up comforts, concentrate on the two factors that are still under your total control – what you eat and how your “burn” it! In fact, your “good metabolism” will work in your favor – the better it is, the faster you are going to lose weight.
Hypothyroidism and underactive thyroid
The situation with thyroid-related disorders is a lot more complicated than with bad metabolism. A true “underactive thyroid” – a vernacular for subclinical hypothyroidism – affects up to 10% of women and 6% of men, many of them over 65 years of age. The rate of clinical hypothyroidism is under 1.2% of women and 0.4% of men [2] predominantly among older adults, 33.3% of adult Americans are overweight and 35.9% are clinically obese, or 69.2% .
As you can see, the number of overweight people is significantly greater than the number of people affected by subclinical or clinical hypothyroidism [3], even though many people who are affected by adiposity – a shorthand for “overweight or obese” – believe they may have this condition because of weight loss resistance or weight gain on a moderate diet.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who are misdiagnosed and untreated because both conditions are challenging to manage even to specialists. According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the early stages of this condition are associated with the following symptoms:
“…cold intolerance, constipation, forgetfulness, and personality changes. Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention and decreased metabolism. Paresthesias [tingling – KM] of the hands and feet are common, often due to carpal-tarsal tunnel syndrome…[4]”
Please also note one significant detail in the above quote: “Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention…” This explains why some people who are affected by this condition can’t lose weight even on a very low calorie diet – most of that extra weight comes at the expense of water, not body fat.
Women with hypothyroidism may also be affected by menorrhagia – an abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation, or amenorrhea – an abnormal absence of menstruation. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, get evaluated by a board certified endocrinologist.
Because clinical hypothyroidism isn’t as common as some other disease, non-specialists may not be able to properly diagnose and treat you, especially during the earlier stages while the symptoms are still subtle, and the tests aren’t as definitive. If your diagnosis or treatment outcomes are not satisfactory, you may also consider working with alternative providers.
Things get even more complicated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid. In addition to the transient symptoms of hypothyroidism during early stages, it is distinguished by painless enlargement of the thyroid gland, and, in some cases, a feeling of fullness in the throat. It may or may not be associated with adiposity.
The prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis ranges from 0.1 to 0.15% of the population (1 to 1.5 cases per 1,000 people), and it affects women 10 to 20 times more often than men. It is most common between the ages of 45 to 65, and it often runs in families (i.e. it has a genetic component).
The same immune mechanisms which cause Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may also cause Graves’ disease (thyroid enlargement, goiter), Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease (an autoimmune inflammation in the small intestine), vitiligo (skin depigmentation), premature graying of hair (same mechanism as in vitiligo), pernicious anemia, and connective tissue disorders.
If you suspect that you may have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, GET TESTED. The level of thyroid hormones T4 and TSH may remain normal during early stages, making its diagnosis difficult in non-specialized clinical settings. Seek out a specialist trained in diagnosing and treating this relatively rare condition. 1 case in 1,000 is, indeed, rare for an internist who treats on average 2,000-3,000 patients a year, and may not encounter a single patient with Hashimoto’s in years.
I do not recommend commencing any type of weight loss diet until you are properly diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism. A reduced calorie diet may deny your body from getting essential nutrients, and may exacerbate the progression of the disease. Besides, it isn’t likely to be effective anyway because of fluid retention.
As clinical hypothyroidism progresses, the symptoms become more severe and obvious, including precipitous weight loss. You can learn more about other manifestations of clinical hypothyroidism in countless online resources.
THE TAKEAWAY: Do not rely on outdated misconceptions about clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to either condition, seek out the best treatment money can buy. Continuous weight gain in healthy people isn’t always a symptom of hypothyroidism. As epidemiological statistic – however flawed it may be – demonstrates, the majority of people with adiposity are not affected by hypothyroidism. If you are in this fortunate majority, you earlier failures to lose weight weren’t related to bad health, but to bad diets.
Adrenal fatigue
What you may think is “adrenal fatigue” endocrinologists call primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. Both conditions are ascertained by a blood test, and treated, when necessary, with appropriate medication.
Primary adrenal insufficiency – also known as Addison’s disease – is a hard to miss condition because it is accompanied by severe skin pigmentation. Its prevalence – a medical term for the number of affected people – is less than 1 person in 14,000 (<0.007%) in population [5]. Just like truly “bad metabolism,” it causes weight loss, not gain:
“The slowly progressive loss of cortisol and aldosterone secretion usually produces a chronic, steadily worsening fatigue, a loss of appetite, and some weight loss. Blood pressure is low and falls further when a person is standing, producing lightheadedness. Nausea, sometimes with vomiting, and diarrhea are common. The muscles are weak and often go into spasm. [6]”
If you have any of the above symptoms, get tested immediately. This debilitating condition can be well controlled with medication.
The prevalence of secondary adrenal insufficiency is less than 1 person in 3,600, or 0.027% of the population. The symptoms of this condition are similar to Addison’s disease, but without pigmentation. Again, a blood test is required to screen it out and receive an appropriate and effective treatment.
A popular opinion exists that this condition may be substantially underdiagnosed. It may very well be correct, so let’s assume that there are 100 times more people affected by secondary adrenal insufficiency than what epidemiologists are telling us. Alas, it still comes to only 2.7%, a drop in the bucket next to 69.2% of the population with adiposity.
THE TAKEAWAY: Just as with “bad metabolism” and hypothyroidism, don’t rely on outdated misconceptions about “adrenal fatigue” and its relations to weight loss or gain. Seek out expert help to screen out primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, and, if necessary, obtain adequate treatment.
References
[1] Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[2] Vanderpump, Mark P.J., “The epidemiology of thyroid disease.” (2011) : 39-51. [link]
[3] This calculation is based on the following numbers: percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010); percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010). Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Health, United States, 2011, by Kathleen Sebelius, et. al., 2011, [link to PDF]
[4] Hypothyroidism; Symptoms and Signs; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[5] Division of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Department of Medicine, Endocrine and Diabetes University of Wurzburg, “Adrenal Insufficiency,” Lancet, 361 (2003): 1881-93; [link to PDF]
[6] Margulies, Paul, MD; National Adrenal Diseases Foundation; Addison’s Disease – The Facts You Need To Know; “What are the symptoms of Addison’s Disease?” Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
Previous posts from the “Why Diets Fail?” series:
1. The Real Reason Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
2. How Long Will It Take Me to Lose the Weight?
3. Why One Calorie For Her Is Half a Calorie For Him
For your health and safety, please read these important Weight Loss Common Sense Warnings and Disclaimers before commencing a reduced calorie diet.
Interesting that the post I just wrote seems not to have survived “moderation.” In it I questioned why Sarah would post this article when she has so frequently written her own articles causing readers to be alert to not mess with their fragile adrenals and thyroid. I provided links to her articles. But, for some reason, it was not deemed post-worthy.
Very interesting.
Pacha,
I, not Sarah, am moderating comments under my posts, and I didn’t see your previous post. Also, I already addressed the questions of other articles appearing on this forum on the subject of adrenal insufficiency in early comments. And let me state again, and again, and again: THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY, BUT ABOUT PEOPLE WITHOUT ONE.
As I said before, I sign under every single word in Sarah’s post on what not to do if you would like to avoid ever dealing with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency.
The thing I find odd about this article appearing on this website is that Sarah Pope, herself, has written articles that cause people to wonder about their thyroids and adrenals.
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/6-little-known-signs-of-adrenal-fatigue/
and…
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/shallow-breathing-common-in-thyroidadrenal-dysfunction/
If actual adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism are so rare, why do people like Sarah Pope, and many other health bloggers, write articles to get people wondering? When I met Sarah in Dallas in 2011 I mentioned to her that I enjoyed a millet bread from a bakery in her state, and her immediate reply was to caution me that millet is a goitrogen and very dangerous in that if eaten frequently, will suppress my thyroid. Apparently there are a number of other foods that are goitrogenic.
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/beware-of-millet/
Perhaps I read through this too quickly, but it seems to me, given Sarah’s well-established position, it would have been more appropriate to find it on April 1st.
As I skim through a lot of this, it reminds me of a book I am reading called “The False Fat Diet” It really explains how allergies and a sick gut are at the root of all of these problems. Most interestingly, it points to compulsive eating. It is not done because people cannot control themselves, people are literally become autointoxicated from a leaky gut. They get “high” off the food they eat and then when they are not eating it, they crash and are compulsed to eat more. The doctor who wrote the book states that when you eat allergenic foods, the body holds on to fat and water as a way to buffer the system from a perceived attack. I found this to be the most compelling evidence for sudden weight gain. No one can gain 10 pounds of fat in a matter of weeks, but certainly can gain 10 pounds of water in a matter of days. I believe that this is why people appear to be “fat” When they take out the allergens, the weight comes peeling off. I can say from personal experience when I eliminated the foods that were causing “reactions” my cravings went away, weight peeled off with NO exercise and I slept better. In addition, my hormones automatically regulated. Everyone’s allergies will be different, but the most ubiquitous are dairy, soy, nuts, and wheat (all things that people need to take time to properly prepare, but are too lazy to)
Have you read the book Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD? I would love to hear your comments???
Elaine, no I didn’t. I am sure it is a meritorious book, but this subject is completely outside of my “sphere of influence.” My work is addressed to relatively healthy people with moderate adiposity. I do not pretend that it will help all people or intended for all people. This particular post was address to healthy people who may think that they are overweight because of self-diagnosed or incorrectly diagnosed conditions.
(ADDED ON 04/07: I ordered this book, and will be reading it as time allows)
I have read this book recently and the tests in it that he says for us to do, put me at a moderate adrenal fatigue level (even before the saliva stress indicator test results were back) so I sort of figured out what I would be dealing with, thanks to this book. 🙂 I think he is the leading go to person on adrenal fatigue… 🙂
I am not overweight, but I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid when I was 51 years old-female. In my neighborhood of six homes, five of us women were diagnosed with underactive thyroid. I being the oldest. My one neighbor was only 30 when she was diagnosed. She is not heavy at all. Two of the neighbors are in their early 40’s and they are overweight. I don’t see where age made a difference. I probably had the best thyroid, with my 30 year old neighbor, basically without a functioning thyroid at all.
Roxann,
The United States is notorious for endemic iodine deficiency. It is exacerbated by intense anti-salt propaganda, so people don’t get enough or any of iodized salt. The deficiency of iodine may cause thyroid issues, and not just iodine. And, yes, this condition is location specific because people living in the same locales drink water from the same municipal supply, and eat foods from the same supermarket.
I’d be interested in hearing what you think about underconversion and pregnenalone steal. This is my recent diagnosis, along with anemia and PMS. My bloodwork (TSH & T4) has indicated hypothyroidism for 15 years, but it was not until recently that I found a naturopath who ordered T3 and Reverse T3, along with Ferritin and several others. I’ve been taking Synthroid for years and have still felt weak among several other symptoms. What I learned was that TSH measured the message my brain sends to my thyroid regarding how much hormone my thyroid should generate. T4 measures how much my thyroid actually makes. It’s the T3 and Reverse T3 that give you information on whether your cells actually metabolize the hormone. My results and my symptoms indicated that while the medicine was doing it’s job to boost my T4, my cells haven’t been optimally using it. This is called underconversion. So, why is that happening? Because my adrenals are basically idling too low (my words, based on the explanation from my naturopath). Because of this, my adrenals are stealing from my pregnenalone which is compromising other hormone function. While thyroid/adrenal problems my be “rare” according to your research, I certainly hope that people reading your post don’t decide to NOT get tested if they are really feeling like crap, gaining weight, etc.
Rachel,
I am not familiar with this subject at that level. You need to find a specialist (endocrinologist) who can assist you. Sorry…
The reason that I posted my comment was because I *HAVE* been seeing an endocrinologist for years! He has never tested my reverse T3. Most doctors (whatever kind), when you raise concerns about your thyroid, only test T4 and TSH. You may get bloodwork and be told that you are FINE, but you aren’t. If you cells don’t accept the T4 that your thyroid is sending out (converting it to T3), then you still have functional hypothyroidism. The good news is that just like you can take synthetic T4, you can also take synthetic T3 or a blend of T4/T3. Many medical doctors will not even test for the right things and therefore won’t prescribe the T3 or T4/T3 either.
Konstantin, I would suggest that this is an area that you should look into, if you are going to make such strong statements about the lies that people are believing. For those interested, this is a very easy thing to learn the basics about by googling “underconversion” and “pregnenolone steal”. You just need to be forewarned that your doctors (even specialists) likely aren’t doing postgraduate research/reading to know about this. Thankfully, my naturopath is connected with a doctor who will treat this. For those of you who are suffering, don’t give up. Keep searching for someone who will help you, and don’t just believe the lies that this is all in your head.
Thanks, Rachel. This is what great about the Internet — you are empowered to making sure that doctors treat patients responsibly, and it improves care for all involved. This is subject is hotly discussed in medical community, and a lot doctors are adjusting to dealing with patients as with equals. Very glad that you found someone who can finally help you!
Oh and I almost forgot to say when I asked if there was anything I could do for my own condition they said NO … a big fat NO and just take the medication.
First off I want to say I have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Endocrinologist’s I have gone to have said I tested positive for the antibodies and my TSH was a 5 instead of within the 0. whatever to 3.0 range it should have been in. I am not overweight nor have I ever been. They tested this while I was pregnant with my second child and said I had to go on synthetic thyroid medication due to problems it could have caused my son had I not gone on the medication. After the delivery I asked for me to be tested again and asked if there was anything I could on my own to help my supposed condition. Always told and still told do not stop taking the medication for the damage that it can cause. I feel in western medicine we aren’t given many options nor any information ourselves as patients to understand about these supposed “conditions” that you say are rare. Seems to me they are becoming quite common amongst the population. My mother seems to think they always seem to come up with a disease du jour. I am inclined to believe her. If in fact this is so how do we find good medical professionals that can help us help ourselves instead of just taking medication every single day?
I find all of this so interesting and I am always trying to learn more so that I can take responsibility for my body and health. Up until 3 years ago(I was 47) I had never struggled with my weight. I grew up on a farm eating a good whole foods diet. We ate well and worked hard and no one in my family was over weight. I continued on with that diet into adulthood. I also remained very active between raising my own 5 children and running a full daycare out of my home. All of us were very healthy also. So fast forward through a divorce, getting physically attacked by a client in a group home I worked at and thus having a neck & skull injury and PTSD and normal life stressors and the bad habit of smoking to cope with it all. Then I met and married my husband. 3 weeks after we got married his daughter gave birth and right from the beginning we became parents of her and her brother who is 14 months older. So yes, we had some stress in dealing with all of this but I can say happily they are doing very well with us now.
Three years ago this month I quit smoking for good 🙂 and when I did that, I stepped up my exercise intensity and length. I detoxed and juiced. I worked out 40 minutes in the morning. An hour working out in a pool with a client I cared for. During this I started to become so very tired and my sleep became worse. I started to feel and look puffy, felt depressed for no reason, urinating a lot, dry skin and worst of all I gained 30 lbs in less than a month and then gained another 10. I literally went from a size 5/6 to a 12/14. As I gained I tried to exercise more and I ate even less. I did this until I crashed. I finally seen a doctor and he said it was aging and raising grandchildren and to eat less and to get back to exercising and sent me on my way. My husband convinced me to see another doctor. She took one look at me and said I was hypothyroid. Tests confirmed it. She put me on synthroid and told me to take some supplements to help heal what she thought was also adrenal fatigue. So I did and it still got worse. More tests revealed I have Hashimoto’s.
I tried armor thyroid and that didn’t seem to help much either. I tried to diet again and gained more weight. I eventually found my way to a naturpathic doctor and she did salvia tests for my hormones and adrenals. When those came back they said my adrenals are exhausted. For most of the day my cortisol levels were so low they did register and at night came up higher. So she put me on a lot of supplements. She took me off my thyroid meds. Told me to sleep as much as I could, to try to stay away from stress and to not exercise. That was 6 months ago. I have been taking the supplements religiously, juicing, trying to get sleep…ect. Had them retested recently and they haven’t improved very much and this time in addition by sex hormones are completely crazy which explains why my entire body will go instantly on fire(yet my hands and feet will be ice cold). Blood tests for my thyroid all came back super high or low. The bottom line is I feel sick all of the time. Achy, flu like, exhausted, sad, puffy, dry, hot, cold(my body temps when I take them before rising are around 96, foggy brain and I don’t look the same. It’s hard to explain, I look like a different person. I hate being fat. I cry about it every day. I watch every single thing that goes into my mouth and my husband says I don’t eat enough.
I am going to a new doctor with all of this next week even though we really can’t financially afford it. I have had to quit my job because of not only increased pain and raising the grandchildren but because of all of this. I cannot keep feeling like this as I have a lot of life to live and little’s to raise and bigs and grandchildren to enjoy. I tell you all of this because I am desperate for answers. I am crying out for help. I am researching as much as I can. I would really appreciate any wisdom you might have for me. I look forward to reading further posts of yours. Thank you!
Lori,
Sorry to learn about your sufferings. Consider getting help from a board certified endocrinologist. You shouldn’t consider weight loss until your thyroid and adrenal functions are stabilized. These are mostly autoimmune conditions, and once they happened, hormone replacement therapy is your only viable option. People who specialize in this kind of therapy know what they are doing, and this isn’t terribly expensive. Please give them a chance. Ignore the Internet fixes until you aren’t stabilized. Sorry for not being able to assist you more.
Please consider reading “The False Fat Diet” by Elson Haas. (can get it through Amazon) This is NOT your fault. There is a section in there about hormones and women and how eating allergenic foods completely messes up your hormones AND neurotransmitters. The depression thing I believe is caused by low serotonin which is addressed in this book. Good luck… I highly also recommend doing affirmations by Amy Koppelman, also available on Amazon. My favorites are: Gratitude, Forgiveness and Weight Loss… Do not assume this is your fault. Forgive yourself for bad habits and move on! I will pray for you!
Great recommendations, Jeanette! Thank you!
Lori- You should read this article on Matt Stone’s site written by a woman who suffers from fried adrenals. I’ve been house-bound from adrenal fatigue for 4 years now and have read and read and read about it until I’m blue in the face. Hers is one of the best articles I’ve read on the subject. (they throw cuss words around quite a bit over there, if that bothers you please don’t let it take away from the importance of the text!)
Once I started following advice from Matt’s site, I was finally able to leave the house again. You just need to eat! Like you, I got so concerned with my weight that I simply wasn’t eating enough to give my body energy to function, let alone heal as well. So I started eating, resting, eating and resting. Yes, I gained a few more pounds at first, but now that I’m feeling better (not 100% -but definitely better) I am able to go to the store, run errands and cook lots of meals from scratch and the weight is starting to come back off. This is huge for me because at one point I couldn’t get out of bed and I had to crawl to the toilet.
Here’s the link to the article. You’ll be in my prayers for a speedy recovery. Now go eat!! Remember: stressing out over your weight and what you are eating is still putting stress on your body!!
My name is Adrian, and I am overweight. Well, obese actually. But, it’s not because of hypothyroidism, nor is it because of an underactive thyroid, nor is it because of bad metabolism, nor is it because of adrenal fatigue.
It’s not exactly because I’m weak either. It is a contributing factor, but it’s not the most important factor. I’m obese because of poor nutiriton, pure and simple. Since the brain constantly monitors blood nutrient levels, we’ve evolved to become hungry when blood nutrients dip below a certain threshhold. Clearly, this self-correction mechanism evolved to prevent starvation, and is a good thing! BUT, we now live in an abundance of cheap, junky fattening food, and buckets of refined sugar. When you don’t know any better, what do you do? You stave off starvation by stuffing yourself full of things that aren’t good for you, and will undoubtedly make you gain weight. If on the other hand, one trains themselves to reach for things that ARE good for you and nutrient dense, weight loss, or at least, weight stabilization is the expected result.
This is exactly what happened to me. I’m still obese, BUT I managed to lose 50 pounds of fat, and have since put on 10 pounds of muscle through replacing garbage, packaged, store bought food, with nutrient dense home-made broth, raw-milk, eggs, and meat. And the best part is, that after a week or two, all of my temptation for junk-food melted away and disappeared. I used to be unable to walk through the snack-food ailse without picking up a family-sized bag of chips, which I could finish in one afternoon! I’m no longer tempted to do this at all, simply because I’ve replaced garbage-food, with nutrient dense food.
I’m not much different from anybody else who’s overweight or obese. I have no illusions about the true causes of my weight issues. The only difference between me, and millions of westerners is that I was willing to make the hard changes, and give up the culture of convinience. This is something I’ve found that most people simply aren’t willing to do.
Mr. Monastyrsky, you have now met someone, if only online, who isn’t or is at least trying not to lie to themselves. I’m overweight and obese because I WAS hungry, and didn’t understand how to deal with that effectively. Now that I’ve learned, thanks to the work of the Weston A. Price foundation, I have been able to do deal with my issues because I learned how to feed myself, and NOT BE hungry. It’s that simple, and I sincerely hope that you’ll have greater success in treating the obesity issues of others, than I have in persuading them to try and make the hard changes necessary.
Please keep up the good work!
Adrian,
I am honored to meeting you! Your story is quite poignant — it all boils down to realistic acknowledgement of one’s own responsibly for his or her weight. By “realistic” I mean — if in doubt, get tested. If not, pay attention to what you eat just like you did!
And that was a point of this article. Of course, it is intentionally provocative. I mean, if you want to wake people up, you have to be loud, right?
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!