Hello,

This is my first time here. Thanks for lettin me drop in.
I just learned of the SP approx 3 weeks ago. I went right out and bo't first book and then was encouraged to skip right on to the 3rd book called "The Program." I have had a very hard time getting thru the book as my concentration and retention is really really bad.
What I have read sounds quite logical, but I am left with some big questions that I tho't perhaps I could get some help with here.
Firstly, what tests should I go and have run by an Endocronologist before I begin this diet so that I will no what all of my "levels" are??
Secondly, does anyone know what Dr. Schwarzbein considers to be "normal" levels for each of these tests????
Also, I am confused about which Menu Plan to begin with....20gram or 25gram Gluten Free Plan. I'm not sure I understand how to know which suits me. AT the top of pg.197 she explains that if you have Type II Diabetes OR the "metabolic syndrome", you should follow the 20gram Plan. I guess what my question is (which may be a dumb one) "What is the 'metabolic syndrome'??...and how do I know if I have it??
Sorry to make this even longer, but here is a bit about my health issues.
Been off and on anti-depressants for approx 15 yrs. Was off of them for about 5 yrs and got back on approx 6 months ago. Was doing fairly well, but am quite struggling again which may be due to my thryoid, actually. Now about my thryroid. For first time ever, I was put on thyroid meds .025 of Levothyroxine several months ago. Seemed to help, however I began getting migraines for first time in my whole life and they are getting more frequent with time. They make me extremely ill. I decided I could not live like this so I, on my own cut my med in half approx. 3 weeks ago. I've not had a migraine since, but itmay be a bit early to make any judgements. Since cutting meds in half, I have been noticably much more tired and the last 2 days my blood sugar seems to be acting whacky. For eg., I will be feeling fine (as far as hunger goes) and then instantly, from out of nowhere I feel desperately famished. This has happened several times yesterday and 3 times so far today. I am also feeling a severe drop in mood. I guess I'd classify the way I am feeling as severely depressed. Very hard to cope with just daily tasks. Overwhelmed by every little thing.
Anyhow, there's me. Sorry if it sounds like a sob story. This is just legitimately the way things are right now and I am feeling QUITE desperate for help!!
I live in the Fresno, Ca area if anyone has any Dr. recommendations for me. I was only able to find 1 Doctor in this area that I found on the Schwarzbein website. I actually spoke with him but it just so happens that he never even got his practice up and going here because he has been asked to come and take over Dr. Schwarzbeins practice. IF he can even see me, it won't be until August and I'll have to drive to Santa Barbara (which right now, I'll drive just about anywhere if my insurance will cover it!!- I just CANNOT wait until August for help- much too desperate for help to wait)

Thanks so much in advance for ANY help that you can offer to me!!

Mindy

Oh...I forgot 1 question. It's embarassing to ask, but important.
I have heard that some people experience constipation in the beginning with this eating plan. Is this true???
I cannot deal with that as it is already a serious problem for me as it is.
Any tho'ts??
Sorry to even bring up such a subject.

Mindy

Anyone???

Hi, I meant to reply earlier. The only question I can answer right this minute (hubby is waiting to watch a movie downstairs) is that I haven't noticed any constipation, and I'm prone to that. I seem to be going a little more often even.

More later....OK?

Hi Mindy, this forum is not very busy and I have moved on for the most part to other health forums. Only check in once in a while. I followed SPII for almost 2 years and then went to a nutritionist that made other recommendations and I started to follow hers. Now I am kind of in limbo because I do not know what to do next. Anyway...

If you are hypothyroid it is not surprising that you are constipated. There is no reason the SPP should make you more constipated if you are eating the way she suggests. So I would not worry about that. I just started a prescription called Metalax that is really helping me in that department. Do not be embarrassed by this! It is probably the number one thing that if under control would make us feel better.

As far as the testing, my doctor Eugenie Anderson, MD (gyne) told me about the plan during my yearly visit. She did some routine bloodwork, which included a homocystine, High Sensitivity Cardiac Reactive Protein (HSCRP), 4 point saliva cortisol test, female hormone tests, cholesterol. she told me that according to the results I should follow the burned out adrenal plan.

I had tons of blood sugar problems during this period of time. I had suspected I was diabetic or having high blood sugar issues for years and went through another 3 hour GTT with insulin draws. The tech did the test right but the lab did not process the insulin draws. So the test was worthless because the doctor was looking at ratios of insulin to glucose. The lab offered to do the test again (GROAN). I called a bunch of places to find out if there was another test and found that I could have a Hemoglobin A1C to give me the average glucose reading over a 6 week period. I did that and it was a 6, anything 6 or over is considered high. She then said that I am borderline diabetic. But in my opinion the symptoms I was feeling was low blood sugar. I would get shaky, could not concentrate, could not make decisions or talk coherantly. When I would eat something it would go away. So I started being more conscious of when I was eating and for the most part they went away. Now if I eat every 4 hours or so I feel pretty good, blood sugar wise. This sounds to me like what you are going through.

I would suggest you get some routine blood work including blood glucose draw and go from there. My guess is that if you have hypothyroidism that you need the healing plan from SPP. This is a simplified plan although I have not mastered it by any means. This takes a while to master. Be patient with yourself. Just start to follow the plan and if you mess up start over. Do not try to make too many changes at once (which is a biggy).

Hope this helps.

Marianne

Elle and MSK,

Thank you sooo much for replying! MSK, I just figured that since I am, at least at this point, committed to trying the SP, this would be the forum that I'd find help from others who have done it also. Didn't know if I'd find any other SP's elsewhere. Could you suggest another forum or 2 that I might have more luck talking to more people about SP?? Again, thank you soo much for your help and info.
Are the tests that you had run, ones that Schwarzbein recommends?? Do you know?? Just curious if that's how you knew what to have run.
Since I cut my thyroid med in half, i am not doing at all well. Too many adverse reactions. The only reason I went off in the first place was because I was convinced that my meds are directly related to these horrible migraines. I have been quite sluggish since going off and for the last 3 days have been having the shakes like never before. Not hungry and then all of a sudden just panicky hungry. This has happened many times per day in the last 3 days which is NOT normal for me. I've had the shakes for years when I wait too long to eat, but never this many times in one day. I have reasoned that this must all be due to my having cut my meds in half, so just this morning I decided to back on the full dosage. I had one new theory occur to me just yesterday and that is that perhaps, just perhaps my migraines are due to me not having a high enough dose. My Dr. said that my tests from approx 1 mo ago came back just fine regarding my thyroid (which was when I was still on my first dose and before I cut it in half). What really throws me is that I don't know that I trust his judgement. I just read a couple of days ago that the standardized testing that most all labs run for thyroid are only 30% accurate. This is much to my dismay as I feel as tho I cannot trust this test at all. Perhaps my thyroid came back "normal" but really is messed up...ya know?? Oh, what to do. Apparently there is a much more accurate test, but it is expensive and more intensive as the lab has to draw blood at different intervals. Something like at 30, 45 and 60 minute intervals. Don't know if my insurance would cover it as they tend to be a real pain on anything that is considered "alternative."
Any other insight into this would be greatly appreciated as I am still on a search.

Another question.
How do I start this SP plan??
At what point do I cut certain things out and at what point do I add others??
For eg. When do I cut cafffeine and sugar? AND
When do add exercise??
Oops, I guess that was more than one question.
I don't exactly understand when to add each of the 5 steps and don't entirely understand how to know when one is "healed" and ready to move on.
HELP!

In her first book she seemed to indicate very gradual beginnings, but in "The Program" (tho I've only skipped around) she doesn't seem to talk as much about that.

Thanks so much once again for letting me pick y'alls brains!!

Mindy

Hmm. When I first started SPII a couple years ago, I had the shakes like crazy all day long. My adrenals were probably moderately fatiqued. This lasted for months. I had a stressful postpartum experience last year and my adrenals crashed. Now I get the shakes again if stressed or having to multi-task. I get very foggy if busy or rushed. Also, cortisol maintains blood sugar, so if I don't eat every few hours I get hypoglycemic symptoms which includes shakiness.

I really think you need to get a qualified practitioner to help you with your thyroid problems. I know that is easier said then done, I've never gotten the help I need from MDs.

You can use her recommendations as a guideline and see what seems to work for you foodwise. Experiment a little. I think she says to taper off things like sugar and caffeine gradually as you can tolerate it, so that will be individual. Sugar is worse than caffeine. I don't remember what she says in the Program, but in SPII, she does give guidance as how to taper off stuff, such as replacing sugar with fruit.

Start exercise as soon as you can. She talks alot about overexercise, but underexercising is also bad. I have started having headaches and do alot of jaw clenching during the day, but exercise will have me feeling better within minutes. If you haven't been really active for awhile, just start off with walking and work your way up. Add resistance training as soon as you can, and yoga type things are good if you need to work on stress reduction. Unfortunately if you have a thyroid problem, I'm not sure if exercise will make you feel better. I have alot of those low thyroid symptoms, and I feel for you. You could try checking out the thyroid board here, but that still doesn't replace a practitioner.

Just incorporate the steps at your own pace, it gets easier as time goes on. If you're not feeling good, you are probably going to have to work on healing for some time. I'm doing a candida cleanse right now, but I still try to follow her basic eating principles (I'm just much more restricted right now, especially with carbs). Also reducing stress (which is easier said then done), is every bit as important as changing your eating habits.

I haven't found any SPP forums anywhere else and felt lucky to find this one!

Jende, have you GAINED 15 pounds since starting SPP? Just curious. I know DS says weight gain is a maybe if your metabolism is damaged, but I think that is something that will devastate me further.

I think mine is probably OK, caught the damage early, I think. I have no health problems at all, just the sugar-addiction thing she talks about--the first question on the assessment, which I'm sure I use for seratonin elevation b/c of the stress of having 3 children after age 35 who are under 4-1/2 years old. I began to feel better even before I started SPP by taking fish oil, GLA and B-50 complex. I have one or two of the symptoms of the adrenal burnout, but that's all.

Start the plan with the Step One and 2, Nutrition and Stress management, then go from there, according to the newest book, the Program.

I'm literally taking baby steps in this. I'm coming from a low-carb background which worked extremely well in maintaining my ideal weight for about 6 years, but gaining some extra weight in the last 4 years from numerous stresses and poor nutritional choices. Pregnancy, is unfortunately, not the culprit for my weight gains...it happened between babies with increasing stresses. I need to lose about 35 pounds, get control of my eating, and feel better on a daily basis. I've been doing SPP about a week--I'm actually doing a 'mix' of the 1st book and the newest book.

Step One: I'm focusing on making sure I get my protein requirement and carbohydrate requirement at each meal and snack, trying to eat some non-starchy veggies at lunch and dinner, taking my supplements (Omega 3, multi and B-complex so far) and increasing my water intake to start with. I'm following the carb recomendations of the first book for me--60g per day. I'm really just trying to get used to eating 60g carbs per day consistently (and not trying to do no carbs and bingeing to who knows how much!). My carbs are all from grains at this point (what I missed most on Low Carb), while I just get used to eating 60 g carbs per day. I know the Healing Program is supposed to be Gluten-free, but I'll address that later, if I feel I need to. In the next week or 2, I plan to branch out and explore some starchy veggies as my carbs instead of grains. I think it will be very hard for me to increase my carbs to 125-150g that the newest book SPP-Program recommends, and quite frankly, this is one "sticky-point" for me in fully embracing the plan. And that is how dramatic the increase in carb allowance is from the first book to the newest book. I have written the company about this very issue, and hope they will reply to me with some answers based in science.

Step Two: I'm making sure I get 8 or more hours of sleep each night. This was never really an issue, but now, I'm like "Dr's orders!" I'm trying to incorporate some of the quick relaxation things she recommends, and I also take a short nap every afternoon at about 2 pm while the 3 kids are in their naptimes. I've done this as long as I can remember...and I'm not about to give that up with 3 toddlers/baby in the house!!

Step Three: I tend to eat sugar (usually handfuls of chocolate chips) when I feel stressed. I drink one cup of coffee every morning with artificial sweetner. My first change in this area will be to try Stevia in my coffee. I drink one decaf diet soda per day. I do use the condiments she says are a no-no. I really can't see myself giving up these condiments. We'll see--I'm trying to keep an open mind. Not gonna pressure myself in this area right now, since the plan recommends that you not address this until the first 2 steps are solid. That said, I have noticed a marked decrease in my sugar cravings in the last day or so. I had some yesteray and today, more out of habit than that "need" I had before. And I ate much less of it than I usually do. So that's real progress, as far as I'm concerned!

Step Four: I was extremely physically active my whole life and even after the birth of my first child 4-1/2 years ago. I'm not exercising now, and haven't for more than a few days at a time in the last 4 years. EVery time I tried to start back, I'd get so stressed and overwhelmed by it--or injured. I was so relieved to read in SPP-Program that I don't EVER have to do 'stimulating' exercise again, as it was no longer 'fun' like it was when I was younger (I'm 40.). It had become simply another stressor in my life. I'm looking forward to the day when I feel good enough to start some adaptive/calming exercise. Those I like. I recently injured by back (lowering my youngest into an Exersaucer) and am under chiropractic care, too.

Step Five: Don't really think this is an issue right now, but will keep the option open if the other 4 steps don't give results.

So that's how I'm doing the plan today! I'm glad to at least find a couple of people here to chat with.

My stats do look a little freaky don't they? Actually when I started a couple years ago, my metabolism was damaged and I had been doing low cal/low fat dieting and did gain. Then I got pregnant at a still fatter weight and that is the first number. I did have a really bizarre weight gain (15 to 20lbs) right after my baby was born. I had lots of other bad symptoms too. My hormones always tank after a baby and it gets worse with each successive one. I don't think it would have mattered what kind of program I was following, I would have gained weight. I have a bigger gain problem post partum than I do during pregnancy. Anyways, after I quit gaining, I didn't lose no matter what I did until I weaned the baby. Now the weight is slowly coming off (about 2 lbs a month). So I'm actually 10 lbs lighter than the stats show. Maybe I should figure out how to change those so I don't have to feel quite so humbled every time I see one of my own posts .

Are we sisters???? I gain all my weight AFTER a baby comes, too!! How many kids do you have?

I edited my post while you were posting, so you can read more about me there!

I also wanted to add that ther MUST be some problem that mimics the symptoms of hypoglycemia. I have told everyone who would listen for about 10 years that I'm HG. Well, I decided to buy a monitor and test my blood sugars, fully expecting to some 40's and 50's to back me up. I tested myself many many times a day....fasting, before meals, after meals, low carb meals (didn't test high carb meals, tho), feeling like crap (shakes, crabby, anxious, etc) right before a meal, feeling great, late at night, you name it, I tested it.

Well, I'm NOT hypoglycemic! My sugars were always right around 90, no matter what I did. It really humbled me, to realize that I don't have it...after bellyaching for so long that I did!

Yes Elle we could be related. I used to do the chocolate chip thing in the afternoon when I would get drowsy. Sugar had always been my stimulant of choice. I cut it out when it started to effect my weight. I think I didn't feel as bad (tired, foggy, etc) back then because I would just use some sugar to get me going whenever I would feel low. I'm pretty sure I have had some degree of adrenal fatigue since at least high school, but I'm really feeling it badly now since I don't have any major stimulating habits anymore.

I had the discussion with some other moms in the parenting section about weight gain after having the baby, and you and I are not the only ones with this problem.

The symptoms I have of hypoglycemia are due to low cortisol levels. Cortisol is responsible for maintaining blood sugar between meals. If your cortisol is low, it can't do that job very effectively for you. This is why I have to make sure I eat frequently, I need to take the burden of blood sugar regulation off of my adrenals.

I was once where you are now with 3 kids under the age of 5. Seems like a life time ago. They keep you busy because they are all still pretty needy. I have 5 now between the ages of 1 to 9.5. I'm busier with 5 obviously, but in many ways your fifth baby is alot easier then the third. My oldest is a girl and she is like another little mother.

Hi all, I have read all the Schwarbein books and check in here sometimes. I am not faithfully following her plan, but I know that I have burned out adrenals. 15 years ago, I had 5 kids in about 7 1/2 years. I was never the same after the 5th one. I love them, but it has been a struggle. I also have thyroid problems. I wanted to say that if I don't take my synthroid, I get really fatigued and depressed, so I can't go without it. But I suspect my adrenals were poor before the thyroid problems occurred after the birth of my last child. There are many things that can cause thyroids to malfunction, gluten, mercury poisoning(do any of you have metal fillings?) I was heavy into
the gluten, and I have since had old fillings removed.
I also wanted to say in one of Dr. Schwarzbeins books, maybe the first one, she says that adrenaline can cause all the symptoms of hypoglycemia, without one's blood sugar dropping.
Too much adrenaline from stress, caffeine, etc. Also elevated
cortisol causes similar problems. It's complicated, but I believe
her plans really do address most of these problems....just wanted to add my perspective. I don't check in here all the time
but I think the SP is one of the best out there!

Jende, I just read your last post above, mine are now 15 thru 22. Four boys, and a girl in the middle. I started to retain weight after the last one, and never have been down to my
high school/college low of about 115lbs. I would love to be
130 at this point, I'm 48. Still weighing in around 145. I did e-diets blood type diet for a few months and was starting to get
closer to 140, but I didn't want to keep spending the money on the diet plans if I wasn't following them too close.
I do think that caffeine and sugar are my main problems, I can avoid sugar if I try, but I am addicted to the caffeine. The best I have done is try to drink black tea in place of coffee, but I tend to go back to the coffee, usually 1 latte a day. You know,
after my 5th child was born, I started to frequent Starbucks, and I really think it was the time when my metabolism really soured.....You are all a bit younger than me, I am "praying" that
you can do this program and make progress because I know Dr.
Schwarzbein is excellent in her explaining how all the hormones
are sort of related. Balance is the key!

It is soo good to read all of your replies. Nice to have others to "talk" to about all of this.
Today has been quite a bad day. I got a migraine this morning. Had to take Imitrex which has taken away most of migraine but has left me feeling "drugged." It is the only thing that has ever worked for these migraines.
I so wish I knew if this migraine is in direct relation to the fact that I started back on a full dose of my thyroid meds just yesterday or if it is just a coincidence. It's been 3 or 4 weeks since my last migraine and they do tend to cycle approx. every 4 wks or so. Who knows? I must say that I am quite frustrated with it all as these migraines make me very ill. I will call the Dr. in the morning and pray that he will be willing to refer me to an Endocronologist where I can get a full work up. We just moved to a new town, so this Dr. is new. Don't care much for him as he seems extremely old fashioned and "by-the-book", however he is who we have at the moment and I've got to do something.
I have a huge birthday party that I am throwing for my hubby this friday, so I am desperate to be well so that I can accomplish this big task. Because of all of the craziness coming up, I probably will not attempt to begin the SP until after it is all over. We do quite a bit of camping in the summer, also, so I was wondering if you guys/girls thought that this "diet" is something that would be easy to follow when camping or would you recommend just waiting til camping season is over and then begin.
While I am quite anxious to begin "healing", I also don't want to bite off more than I can chew and set myself up for failure. My husband is much more overweight than I am and is considering joining me on this journey, though he really shows no interest in reading the book. I think he pretty much just wants me to show him the plan and he'll try and follow it with me.
Sorry to sound so much like a bummer today, but feelin pretty lousy (whole family had to go without me to our 4th of July festivities tonite ). Woe to me. ha.
I am hopin and praying that I will not get another migraine tomorrow as sometimes happens.
I look forward to feeling "normal" again so I can do life!
Thanks for lettin me whine.
Tomorrow should be much better...

Thanks again so much for sharin' !
I look forward to chatting more with you guys/girls.
Mindy