Okay everyone..the results are in....

I am insulin intolerant, and I have hypothyroidism… I am still taking it all in, it made me sad last night, but I am trying to be positive.. I have never had labs come back anywhere far from perfect, so I wasn’t ready to hear her say these things.

The good thing I think is that according to my Doctor, having these 2 problems is what has been hindering any weight loss.

The scary thing is that people who are insulin intolerant, will develop type 2 diabetes if they don’t make changes…. Scary….Another scary thing is that underactive thyroid plays a negative role in trying to get pregnant..

My cholesterol was awesome, and super healthy, so that was pretty much the only good news I got.

I had a prescription filled yesterday for thyroid medication, and I will start that this morning

There are also other life changes I need t make to help get my metabolism out of whack.

1 – I have to exercise every day…. At least 40 minutes

2 – for the next 3-4 months I can not eat any grains, whole grain or otherwise – it’s going to be phase 1 for at least 4 weeks, at which point we will recheck my        blood to see if things are improving

3 – I have to cut the soy out of my diet – People with histories of breast cancer should not consume soy..Soy feeds that cancer – that means no Tofu

4 – increase the veggie intake and back off on the fruit intake

5 – My morning smoothie has soy in it, and I have o change to a Whey protein smoothie

 

Soo…. While I was making a lot of good changes, I now know exactly what kind of changes I have to make

Here’s some info on what I have, if you guys are interested;

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What does insulin do?

After you eat, the food is broken down into glucose, the simple sugar that is the main source of energy for the body's cells. But your cells cannot use glucose without insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps the cells take in glucose and convert it to energy. When the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin that is present, the cells cannot use glucose. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes.

Being obese or overweight affects the way insulin works in your body. Extra fat tissue can make your body resistant to the action of insulin, but exercise helps insulin work well.

How are insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes linked?

If you have insulin resistance, your muscle, fat, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up with the body's need for insulin, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of blood glucose and high levels of insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.

People with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range have “pre-diabetes.” Doctors sometimes call this condition impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the test used to diagnose it. Pre-diabetes is becoming more common in the , according to new estimates provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74—or 41 million people—had pre-diabetes in 2000. New data suggest that at least 54 million adults had pre-diabetes in 2002.

If you have pre-diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. Studies have shown that most people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they lose 5 to 7 percent of their body weight—which is about 10 to 15 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds—by making modest changes in their diet and level of physical activity. People with pre-diabetes also have a higher risk of heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes is sometimes defined as the form of diabetes that develops when the body does not respond properly to insulin, as opposed to type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas makes no insulin at all. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

Insulin resistance can also occur in people who have type 1 diabetes, especially if they are overweight.

What causes insulin resistance?

Because insulin resistance tends to run in families, we know that genes are partly responsible. Excess weight also contributes to insulin resistance because too much fat interferes with muscles' ability to use insulin. Lack of exercise further reduces muscles' ability to use insulin.

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Risk factors for hypothyroidism

• Hypothyroidism is more common in older people.
• Women are more likely to be affected than men.
• Autoimmune hypothyroidism is more likely in those who have other conditions resulting from an autoimmune disorder such as type 1 diabetes mellitus, vitiligo and Addison's disease.
• Some medicines can affect the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. These include lithium carbonate (for bipolar disorder) and amiodarone (for heart rhythm abnormalities).

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

The symptoms of hypothyroidism can initially be very mild and develop slowly. It is possible to have some of these symptoms before the amount of thyroid hormone drops below normal.

This type of mild hypothyroidism is called subclinical hypothyroidism. People affected need to be monitored by their doctor, who will watch out for further symptoms.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism relate to a general "slowing down" of the body's functions. They include:

• feeling tired and sleeping excessively
• easily feeling the cold
• dry and thickened skin
• coarse, thinning hair and eyebrows and brittle nails
• sore muscles, slow movements and weakness
• depression and problems with memory and concentration
• weight gain
• constipation
• fertility problems and increased risk of miscarriage
• heavy, irregular or prolonged menstrual periods

There may also be swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck - a goitre.

Occasionally, a thyroid problem, such as thyroiditis, can resolve on its own without the need for treatment. However in general, if hypothyroidism is not treated, the symptoms slowly get worse and it becomes more and more difficult to function normally.

Diagnosis of hypothyroidism

Many of the above symptoms can be caused by conditions other than underactive thyroid. However, anyone who experiences these symptoms should consult their GP. A doctor will usually discuss symptoms, perform a physical examination and then request some blood tests if he or she suspects hypothyroidism.

The first step in diagnosing hypothyroidism is to measure TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).

When the thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone, the TSH level is raised. When this abnormality is found, T4 (thyroxine) is also measured, and in autoimmune hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism due to treatment of hyperthyroidism, T4 is low.

When levels of TSH and thyroid hormones are difficult to interpret, other causes of hypothyroidism may be suspected.

The diagnosis of autoimmune hypothyroidism is usually confirmed by the presence of particular antibodies in the blood.

Other blood tests or further investigations may also be needed. These could include an ECG (heart tracing) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to examine the nature and extent of a goitre.

Treatment

Thyroxine (T4) can be given in tablet form. The body is able to convert this to T3 just as it would if the thyroid gland were producing the thyroxine normally. It can take some time to get the dose right. It is usual to start with a low dose, building up gradually every six weeks and adjusting the dose according to TSH levels.

People usually feel much better once they are taking thyroxine. Side-effects are unusual because a missing hormone is simply being replaced. However, if too much replacement thyroxine is given, symptoms of an overactive thyroid may be experienced.

People with subclinical hypothyroidism may not have any treatment, though doctors vary in their approach. Some prefer to offer treatment. Others recommend frequent monitoring to see whether overt hypothyroidism (with symptoms) does develop.

Once the correct dose of thyroxine replacement has been established, it is usual to have annual checks of TSH.

Pregnancy and hypothyroidism

The functioning of the thyroid gland can change during pregnancy. In the first half of pregnancy it is normal for the total amount of thyroid hormone to be slightly increased.

Women with hypothyroidism need more frequent checks during pregnancy, as their thyroxine requirements tend to increase.

Five percent of women have a mild problem with the thyroid three to six months after delivery. This has an autoimmune cause and can cause hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Although it rarely needs treatment it does mean that thyroid problems are more likely in later life.

I know LOTS of women who had Thyroid problems were prescribed medication and BAM they were skinny as hell.  I'm sorry to hear about all of this, but you know what you're already in control and have started the weight loss. You'll do great and be great and you will get yourself preggie and have beautiful babies. :) So keep that head up and keep on kickin'

Thanks Christa.. I am feeling better about all of this after I got it out on the computer...and I will pick myself up and move forward... November is 3 months away, and I want to follow her orders to the letter, so I can have the best results, and be bale to start trying to get pregnant. It can really be overwhelming to hear all this stuff, but my Doctor is awesome, and very supportive, and I know the road ahead of me is going to be difficult, but I have to move forward... Moving forward is the only option.... Thanks for your support....

Hmm.....oh yea....how's the veggie thing going?

Veggie thing is going well..Aside form a work luncheon yesterday, I  have been flesh free all week. The dinners I have made are superb, and I am not missing meat to be honest. I have made fetuccini and stuffed canelloni, and I have been eating allot of fruit. However, that being said, I am 99.9% sure that I will be having some sort of flesh in my diet, especially given that fact that all grains, and tofu are out of the picture now. And one more note.. I am stopping the Alli, effective today.. I didn't tell my doctor about it, but I dont want to take a chance of an interaction with the thyroid meds, and really .. I just want to give her plan a solid, honest chance.. It's so hard not to take Alii, cause once you havee been taking it for almost 2 months like I have, you have separation anxiety... Maybe that means I should habve never taken it.. anyone interested in a half used bottle of Alli......HAH I will keep updates on the new routine..

On the positive side, Its god they found a specific thing to address.  I used to work for a reproductive endocrinologist.  When he found something specific, like hypothyroidism,the patient's odds of conception  immediately increased!  I hope this is the case for you!  Same with the insulin issue and weight loss.  You still have to work hard, but at least it removes an obstacle.  

Sorry for your bad news, but where there's a will there is a way.  You keep striving and I believe someday you will get your wish.  Hope today is a better day.  Brenda

try to see it not as bad news but as an action plan.  You have knowledge now that will help you achive your goals.  and that is a good thing.

Sorry to hear the "bad" news, but at least its fairly well treated.  You're doing South Beach?  I'm going to go to the store today and get the stuff I need for it myself.  I can't wait to see the results!  Definitely keep us updated on how you're doing

Ohh my, I am soo sorry!  I don't know what else to say! I can't imagine having such a restricted diet. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help! I always thought grains were a good thing.. how weird.