I am starting to get too skinny again, but I've gained, count 'em: 5 lbs, and I am so very thankful for that. At the beginning of May I was down to 132, which for 5'9 is frightfully thin.
I noticed the gain yesterday morning: I bought a pair of short-pants last fall that were pleasantly form-fitting; but at the beginning of May they were literally falling off my hips without a belt, making me feel like a sloppy young Bag; wonderfully, when I tried them on yesterday, they were merely loose. I've bulked up a bit! Thank heavens.
I am still nursing regularly, so this is a factor in my weight loss - but the biggest reason for the skinnies is cutting out all dairy in April. I had been hovering in the 137 to 140 range before that. Why did I cut out my beloved and wonderfully-delicious dairy products, you ask? The answer is systemic yeast. My body is out of balance. It (the yeast) has been terrorizing my face, and now my vag, too, for 3 years. I believe my body was knocked out of balance with the use of oral contraceptives and then thrown for a loop through the hormonal changes of pregnancy and nursing. And I've finally had ENOUGH. I'm not taking it anymore. It is time to get radical.
For two years, though I've suspected yeast, I couldn't understand what it was eating: I don't eat refined flours or sugars except on occasion. I eat tons of vegetables, my grains are whole, and I do eat meat. What was this yeast eating? What could it be??? I was so sad to realize that it had to be dairy. Lactose! So much dairy, in fact, that I dropped 5-7 pounds in a week after cutting it out of my diet. Milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, butter, cottage cheese...I love it all...and I love LOTS of it. Like, with every meal.
And so, I cut it out. I plan to re-introduce it into my diet very slowly after several months. I am also taking an arsenal of supplements to battle the yeast: Vitamins B, D, E - Zinc - Cod Liver Oil - Probiotics - Calcium - Digestive Enzymes - a homeopathic to "dig it out" - and Capryl, an anti-fungal, to kill it. I am also eating coconut and olive oils with every meal, which are anti-fungals, very tasty, and an aid to digestion and nutrient absorption. [For the record: coconut oil is fabulously tasty spread on crackers and olive oil drizzled in soups right before eating is divine. Wow...! I would have never known.]
In addition to beefing up on good fats to gain weight, I have also been attempting to eat extra meals. Not just snacks, folks, but actual full-out extra meals. Tons of eggs and meat and vegetables, which has been hard on my philosophy of seasonal eating, as you can imagine. We are also running very low on meat, but a recently sourced supply of grass-fed/grass-finished beef just went to the meat locker yesterday, so we will be replenishing our supply with 1/4 of a cow within the next few weeks. (Thank goodness.) And once our garden is in full-swing, I will really be able to hone in on the foods that yeast cannot eat: meat and vegetables. I'm going to starve those little bastards to death!
Yeast is a single cell fungi that is usually kept in check by the natural flora in the body - but once it gains a foot hold in your system, it actually sends out mycelium just like any other fungus. Can you imagine that creeping through your tissues??? It is enough to give anyone the willies. That is the reason is it so hard to get rid of: it is growing in you. And from what I've read, once it gains a hold in your body, it is a nasty, nasty thing to try and get rid of. I'm in it for the long haul!
I shall keep you posted on my progress in both weight and yeast-eradication. Presently, I just am so thankful for the extra pounds I've been able to add back on. Squeeze has noticed too, saying my face looks better - not so bony. He wishes I would gain weight, the poor guy. I'm trying! My face is looking better too, which is such a relief. Being red and zitty at the age of 31, though not as mortifying as it might be for teenagers, is still painful and unpleasant.
So, ultimately, my goal is a fleshier body and clear skin. I - can - do - it!
1 comment:
i am so proud of you for giving up the beloved! sorry it came to that! i've sworn i would never give it up, but wow, to see it work is fantastic!
glad to hear you are gaining too - it is so difficult to feel like you are constantly eating but are still looking at a bony body. my hubby too would love to see a little more meat on me, but once you are already eating good whole foods it is hard to know where to go - another meal. hadn't thought of that :) tho i do feel like we snack all day. do you keep track of what you eat? i;ve thought i should start doing that to see what i actually DO eat.
okay, and A-mazing to see how our bodies really do tell us something and when we pay attention things change!
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