I started the original TSP just under a month ago, and so far things are going extremely well. I read TSP and thought I had a good handle on the program and what was required. After reading the book, I was sure that being insulin resistant was the root of my problem.

When I started reading this site, I realized Dr. S had a new book out, so I went and purchased it. I haven't finished it yet, but I am already fairly confused. Now I am having trouble determining if I am insulin resistant or not (under the criteria listed in TSPII).

I haven't found anything indicating what Dr. S thinks is a "normal" blood sugar level, so I am assuming she means the accepted medical standard for a healthy non-diabetic person (70-110 fasting, under 160 an hour after eating, under 120 two hours after eating). By these measures, I do NOT have high fasting blood sugar, nor do I have "higher than normal" blood sugar between meals.

I do NOT have high triglyceride levels.

I do NOT have any of the diseases listed under "Full-Blown Insulin Resistance".

I DO carry excess fat weight around my midsection.

I DO have irregular menstrual cycles, fatigue and weight gain.

So, does that mean I am insulin resistant (as I thought after reading the first book), insulin sensitive, or "on my way to becoming insulin resistant"? If I'm "on my way" but not there yet, do I follow one of the insulin sensitive plans or one of the insulin resistant plans?

Any assistance or advice would be appreciated.

~Isolde

Isolde,

If you are having great results with the SP version that you have been doing for a month, my vote would be to stick with the original SP plan. It seems the only way to really tell about IR would be to get a blood test, and then it would be subject to interpretation. If you are feeling great, losing weight and are happy with the plan, then stick with it.

Lila

It sounds like you are insulin sensitive, which is what we all strive to become. If I understand the book, Insulin sensitive is a good thing. Be proud, be happy, but don't get carried away.

Thank you for the replies!

I'm really torn about this issue. After reading more of the book (and the reply posted by JudyAH), I believe I am probably "Insulin Sensitive with Burned Out Adrenal Glands". The plan Dr. S recommends for that combination has a higher level of carbs than I am currently consuming (Dr. S recommends 100 - 115 grams per day). At the moment, I am consuming 60 grams per day.

I want this plan to work (main goal = get healthy, secondary goal = lose weight). So I want to follow the version that is best for me in order to heal my damaged metabolism and avoid diabetes. So according to TSPII, I should be eating more carbs, and part of me thinks that is what I should do.

However, I really AM doing extremely well on the original TSP program. My blood sugars are consistently excellent, I feel heathier, have more energy, and I'm losing weight. So part of me feels I shouldn't mess up a good thing if it is working.

I'm hoping for more input and opinions from those familiar with TSP and TSPII.... should I stay on the old plan (60 grams of carb a day) OR should I swith to the new one (110 grams of carbs a day)???

Any assistance or advice would really be appreciated.

~Isolde

How fast are you losing the weight? If more than 1/2-2 pounds a week, add the extra carbs. If it is like the rest of us at a snails pace, follow what you are doing.

If want to try the the transition plan, do it for one month and document really well how you feel and don't check your weight loss for that time period. It might discourage you.

If you are feeling as good as you say with the original, your adrenals may only be injured or sluggish , but not burned out. That makes you fairly healthy and you can continue your transition right where you are.
My 2 cents (not worth any more than that)

How fast are you losing the weight? If more than 1/2-2 pounds a week, add the extra carbs. If it is like the rest of us at a snails pace, follow what you are doing.

If want to try the the transition plan, do it for one month and document really well how you feel and don't check your weight loss for that time period. It might discourage you.

If you are feeling as good as you say with the original, your adrenals may only be injured or sluggish , but not burned out. That makes you fairly healthy and you can continue your transition right where you are.
My 2 cents (not worth any more than that)

I lost 11 lbs the first week, and have lost 2 lbs a week for the past 3 weeks. I assumed the big loss at the beginning was water weight and/or stored glycogen.

The only real symptom I have on Dr. S's "how to tell if you have burned out adrenal glands" list [page 80] is the final one: I've been taking prescription drugs (which she seems to say is enough to burn out your adrenals). Even worse, one of the prescription drugs I've been taking for 25 years is one she lists by name in both books as being one of the worst - methylphenidate (Ritalin). I do NOT take it for ADD or ADHD (the reasons she lists), and I'm not sure whether or not that makes a difference. I take it for narcolepsy (diagnosed in my teens).

I've stopped taking all my other prescriptions except one, and I've almost tapered off that one. I'm trying to cut down on (and possibly eliminate) the Ritalin, but am having narcoleptic episodes. I find this fairly depressing, as Dr. S insists that if a person takes this medication, their adrenals are automatically "burned out" and they are unhealthy. So if I believe her reasearch and advice, the only way I will ever be healthy is to stop this medication. Even if I follow the Schwarzbein Principle to perfection, Dr. S seems to say I'll never heal my adrenals as long as I keep taking this medication. [At least that what SWPII seems to say, does anyone else read it differently??] Sigh...

~Isolde

Isolde,
I would ask and see if there is anyother med that you could take for this problem. Take the supplements that she suggests and see how things go. I don't know enough about narcolepsy, to comment further.
I have been on BCP for a number of years, I have never had normal cycles. I know I need to get off them, but I get endometrial hyperplasia when I'm not on them, so I have to find out when is the safest time to go off them in this WOE.
Hard to decide what to do when you have to take meds.
Tanya

There are degrees of health. How do you feel now? It sounds like you can add a few carbs and still maintain a steady but slower weight loss.

I would hate for you to be healthy and have a narcoleptic episode while driving or operating dangerous machinery. There has to be comprimise for individual circumstances or this will never work in the long run for any of us. Take your Riddilin and follow a healthy lifestyle and even follow the new transition plan. Where you may never get back to square one, maybe the new process will take less of a toll, and maybe there are some supplements you can take that will help your adrenal glands normalize a little.
Don't give up. This is a healthy way to live and any progress made is positive. Not every one can be 100%. If you are at 50%now, in a few months you could be at 75%. Take it one day at a time and don't hurt yourself.

Tigersue - - - I agree, it is harder to follow this plan when you have a pressing medical need to take a prescription drug. The only other drugs for narcolepsy (apart from Ritalin) are other stimulants with worse side effects. All traditional medical treatments for narcolepsy involve stimulants (which Dr. S says wreck your adrenals). I'm going to do some reasearch and see if there are any "alternative medicine" approachs that do not involve stimulants (maybe biofeedback? acupuncture? other?).

JudyAH - - - Actually, I feel better and healthier now than I have in many, many years. The transformation is amazing (and I'm thrilled at how quickly I noticed an improvement!).

I am fortunate in that I have an unusual type of narcolepsy-syndrome where I actually get a "warning" before I have an episode, so there is no chance that I will have an attack while driving. If I feel one coming on, I have at least 10 minutes warning, and I can find a place to pull over until the narcoleptic episode is complete. However, having narcoleptic episodes that steal little chunks out of your life does make it hard to keep appointments, have a job, and lead a normal life.

You are right, we do have to make compromises for our individual situations, and for me that might mean continuing to take Ritalin at my current dose or a lesser one. I just wish I could do it all perfectly right now, following Dr. S's guidelines to the letter. And I imagine the fact that the drug I take is one of the few she mentions by name as being extra bad makes it that much harder for me to deal with.

I am going to look into the supplements Dr. S recommends for burned out adrenals. Also, I'm going to check and see if my insurance will cover testing for adrenaline & cortisol levels, so that I can find out for sure what my status is.

However, there is NO chance I will quit or give up. I feel fantastic, the health problem I started this eating plan to prevent is totally under control after being on TSP only a short period of time, AND I'm losing weight. While it could be a little better (no drug conflict), for the most part it's going extremely well, and I am thrilled and grateful to have found this WOE. I am definitely on this plan for life.

Thanks very much, Tanya and Judy, for your valuable input.

~Isolde

What about theraputic caffeine? For newborns we would give caffeine for apnea. (it is when they would stop breathing. In babies they stop breathing before the heart is effected, in adults heart problems usually occur first.) Would that be a possibility, caffeine may not be as harsh as other meds, and it does work on the nervous system. I don't know if it is used for your problem, but it occured to me maybe it would.
Tanya

Well, I solved my problem regarding my need to take the presciption drug Ritalin... I decided to just stop taking it, cold turkey.

Since Dr. S says it's bad, and I want to follow the program correctly, I decided I would just cut to the chase and see what happened if I just flat out stopped taking it . I also did some research using the books Dr. S suggests in TSPII as guidelines for nutritional supplements . I have added the suggested vitamins, herbs and other nutritional supplements in place of the Ritalin, and everything seems to be working quite well.

I had a frighteningly large number of narcoleptic episodes for the first several days after eliminating the Ritalin , but they have been diminishing and are now down to a level that I can live with. I feel FANTASTIC! I thought I would be taking high doses of this very potent medication for the rest of my life. If it hadn't been for TSP, it would never have occured to me to try to stop taking this medication. THANK YOU DR. S!!!!

~Isolde

Have you ever been checked for PCOS? The fact that you carry weight in your midsection and have irregular periods are major clues IMO. Worth asking your doctor about it I think.

Isolde
When I bought SPII I skimmed through it. At this stage of my diet plan I won't start that book. I'm concentrating on the healing program--it's easy for me (but I did go off it a bit last week), and I like the food. The Transition is too confusing for me to figure out at this time. Don't worry about transition now since it seems you're doing somehing right.
angela