New poster

[TejanaCJ]

New (again!). I contracted pneumonia just after getting the carbs out of my diet and incorporating protein power principles. And I still feel wobbly with some shallow breathing and wheezing, but glad I stuck to the PP principles. Three weeks later I am feeling somewhat better. I have reached that point though where food does not really interest me that much and water even less, although when doing the carbs I was a big water drinker and obviously food eater. Here is what I am eating just to get some feedback.

Coconut milk, stevia-sweetened vanilla whey powder, and 2T raw cocoa powder for shake with about 35 gm protein

Hot dog or burger (I do Jack in the Box without the bun), mustard, Heinz One Carb Ketchup, and steamed broccoli

Rotisserie chicken or Italian sausage and side salad of chopped cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Sometimes I add romaine. Or I might boil some eggs and add about 3T of butter and have a chopped side salad or guacamole and sour cream. I hope to start using coconut oil for cooking. I have been using it for whey smoothie only.

I have been taking a high-potency B-complex, 50,000 IU D3 (through the D3 thread recommendations as I have been tested and have a severe deficiency), vitamin A from fish oil, calcium and extra magnesium.

In three weeks, my weight is down 31 pounds and I have reduced my lisinopril from 20 mg to 10 mg and my pressure on the 10 mg is running 110/60 (I think perhaps I can drop it down a bit more), but I still have very painful phlebitis and now a gouty big toe. I am hoping they will resolve soon.

What is missing is what others describe as increase in energy. Any input on when that bump up in energy occurred for you. Any sage advice? Glad you all are here.

[ruthla]

I think that the increase in energy is probably being dwarfed by your being sick right now. What you're probably experiencing is "not quite as wiped out by pnemonia as I'd otherwise be."

I'm impressed that you stuck with PP even though you were sick! I personally find it so hard to avoid the carbs when I'm feeling sick- when I'm feeling good it's much easier for me.

You might want to bump up the vitamin C while you're recovering- being sick really uses up a lot of that vitamin.

[montanasun]

Awesome job on the weight loss. As far as energy, give you body time to heal from being sick. IMHO your body is still trying to recover from being so sick. BTW great job on sticking with lc while sick. I have to agree with Ruth by upping your vitamin C.

[deirdra]

How much potassium are you getting? Unbalanced electrolytes can leave you feeling tired. 4 x 99 mg tablets per day or ~1/6 of a tsp of "No Salt" a day (I just use it on my food) is what the Eades recommend.

[TejanaCJ]

And thanks to Deirdra...I too thought about potassium but since I am on lisinopril, one of the potassium-sparing high blood pressure medications, I have not added potassium to my supplements. As of today, though, my pressure is 104/56 and I have not taken my lisinopril. I also craved fruit tonight and probably did about 60 gm of fresh pineapple which is also about 600 mg of potassium. I shall keep you posted. I did speak with my doctor about adding potassium while on the lisinopril, and it is contraindicated. I have wanted off medication anyway, one of the reasons for Protein Power, and if I can start adding potassium supplements I do believe that will help with this profound weakness. I shall keep posting.

I also googled about potassium and gout and there seems to be a connect between low potassium and onset of gout. I shall get to my health food store tomorrow as the lisinopril only stays in the system for 24 hours.

Thanks again.