I am rather certain that I have had thyroid problems all my life.
However, it was only after starting low carb that my thyroid has been behaving "really badly". I came to the conclusion a few months ago that "perfect" low carb cannot be the WoL for me.

PHD may provide the answers I am looking for and so I have ordered the book.
It is due to arrive in a week or 3. I am curious to read it.

I think I will order the book, too. This thread has me curious about what is in the book that they haven't covered on their blog. Also, if their dietary recommendations are something I could live with long term, then having the book would be helpful.

I'm not sure, though, if cutting protein as much as they say we should would work in losing weight. I wonder if eating an optimal diet would eventually cause the body to regulate itself and shed excess weight, especially if the theory of calories in calories out is incorrect.

I have both the book and the blog. The book goes into more detail than the blog. The protein/carb consumption varies depending on whether you have weight to lose.

I have the book and have been monitoring their blog and comments. (In fact, I am the amazon reviewer that noted PHD was not a weight-loss diet per se.) Having said that, I find their research and recommendations very compelling.
How have things been going for you WaterLily?
I have also been reading about the protein cycling and alternate day fasting. The combination of the two: PHD ratios with alternate day protein restriction may be a healthy weight loss regime.

I have not noticed any big changes, except that my dry eyes and dry skin are getting better. I commented on his post about the positives/negatives of those who have tried the diet. (I'm Suzan over there.) I haven't lost any weight, in fact, I gained a couple of pounds.

However,

I haven't been that consistent with the diet due to traveling over the holidays.

I am also having some trouble with a couple of the supplements he recommends. I think is due to some hidden gluten in one or two of them.

But overall, I am much happier eating a more varied diet, and I think that I can stay with it. We'll see.

Lily, have you been tested for Sjogren's? I have T2 diabetes and Sjogren's, an often overlooked autoimmune disease that can slip through the door unawares. One of the reasons why I'm going gluten- and dairy-free is to relieve the symptoms of Sjogren's: dry eyes, dry throat and mouth, dental carries, dry and thinned out skin ... and constipation.

Of course, not all of those symptoms could be from Sjogren's but I'm trying to get to the bottom of it by going gluten- and dairy-free for a while.

Can you be a little more specific about how Paul Jaminet resolved constipation? I'm a T2 diabetic w/Sjogren's whose low-carb diet thus far has been marred by constipation. I also have dry eys and mouth courtesy of Sjogren's, probably not the reason Paul may have these symptoms. As far as I can tell, my constipation is also due to insufficient colon moisture. I'll be ordering the book but I'd be interested in hearing how Paul resolved the issue a bit sooner!

I don't have Sjogren's.

BTW, the blog archives have a lot of good info.

I bought the book and thoroughly enjoy reading it. It has a LOT of science in it but you can get the specifics of the PHD by skipping the science. But the science helped me to determine to follow the diet. I've been following it for the past two weeks and am loving how I am eating. I feel better. I awake in morning feeling good and not tired.

The book helped me to understand why I loved my potatoes so much. They are not a binge food for me. Eating 4-6 ounces at lunch and dinner really make the meal for me. They have become the carrier for the butter and coconut oil that I add to my meals.

Before I did PHD, I was doing no carb - only eating meat. I felt good for a while but started to feel run down and out of sorts at times. The book helped me to realize that I didn't need all the protein it was eating. I cut back on my protein to about 4 ounces/meal.

I'm not sure if I am following the plan exactly but here is what I eat:
B: 4 eggs fried in 3 slices of bacon.
L and Dinner: 4 ounces of a fatty meat (If it's not fatty I add butter or coconut oil, 4 -6 ounces of potato (white or sweet) with lots of butter and coconut oil, 1/2 pound of frozen vegetables
Snack: cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and/or a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa powder and bit of stevia liquid.

I'm not a fan of fruit - he suggests limiting your fruit, so I just leave it out of my diet. I may occasionally have a banana.

My consumption of fat has increased drastically and for the first time in my life, I actually feel full after eating my meals.

Christy

Paul argues that constipation and dry eyes are symptoms of glucose deficiency, a phenomenon that most of us in the low-carb community believe does not exist. He claims that we overlook the fact that glucose is used not only for energy but also for the production of mucin, a glycoprotein used in the production of mucus. When we consume little or no glucose (not fructose), we have to get the glucose via gluconeogenesis. We produce glucose for energy in the same way, for the cells that require it. But gluconeogenesis is limited in the amount of glucose that can be produced, so one of the body's responses to very low glucose intake is to conserve by making less mucin. The result is dry eyes and dry colon, which causes constipation. This, at least, is Paul's theory, as I understand it. This is why he recommends up to 100 g/day of "safe starch", to allow the body to have enough glucose for the cells that need to burn it and for the production of mucin. His protein prescription is much lower, since all the protein consumed should be used for tissue building, and none for fuel. He claims that the most protein that most of us can use for tissue building in a day is about 50 g, so that's all we need to eat.

How much carbohydrate do we need to make mucin? Speaking of constipation, if you've ever left a bit of metamucil sitting in water too long, it's awfully absorbent. A little soluble fiber goes a long way. If you look at gelatin, four grams of protein gels two cups of water.

Spinach keeps me from being constipated. But I don't usually need the extra help.

I definitely have that problem, and the lower in carbs I go, the worse it gets. It makes a huge difference, though, what kind of carbs you eat. I think Paul is absolutely correct that the only safe starches are potatoes and rice.

I've not read the book yet (but it's in order) but I'm curious why Paul feels that white rice and potatoes should be consumed? Any particular reason why he favors these items that are avoided by most low carbers? If rice is a safe starch, then why not brown rice? Rather than potatoes, why not yams or sweet potatoes, which have lower glycemic loads?

Yeah, rice and potatoes are the worst for blood glucose. I saw my BG go above 200 from one potato.

Sweet potatoes work much better for me.

I don't think he says to avoid sweet potatoes, but not to use them exclusively.

He says that rice bran can be problematic, that white rice is usually tolerated/digested well. Remember, this isn't primarily a weight loss diet, but geared toward folks who have infections, GI issues etc.

If anyone is interested, the blog has info in the archives, and if you pose a question in the comments, he will answer.