Why low carb does not EXPLODES the thyroid, addendum / pt 2

Hi bloggers!

Let's rehash the whole "low carb killz thyroid dead!" thing: personal case report style.

The past few days I have been more cold, lethargic, tired. The reason I have been cold lethargic and tired is because my energy imbalance shifted to more extreme. I have been working a lot, not eating a lot. I have lost more body fat the past week as a result. While I am sleeping better, increased stress in life, still not sleeping ideally and am in sleep deficit.

Today, realizing I am shivering when it is 65 degrees, and did not feel energetic, I knew I need to eat foodZ stat. It's time to go to town on a chicken and some dairy and nuts and chocolate! Yes, I may gain wt, and I absolutely wont lose wt, but I'm cold as hell and I would rather not be, k? I'll worry about all that l8r. No one should be cold when it is 65 degrees mmmmkay.

Here's what fitday looks like right now, for today. Yes I know I ate a lot of protein, but I was craving protein, and my body is usually right; periodic indulges in protein usually end up being long term beneficial at least in my experience. The cut on my hand, it has not healed! Keeps bleeding! Not good! A chicken in my belly will fix this:





After eating all this, I feel substantially warmer, when I blink my eyes feel warm. My hands are super warm and are radiating heat, whereas before they were ice cold. I feel better in general. I did get a rebound increased hunger 1.5 hrs after eating the protein, which I responded to by eating a smaller sized meal. Historically I know that the smaller meal (after the huge one) will not produce excessive insulin and I won't eat anything else, or get hungry again. I know my hunger will decrease the longer I avoid food, because as insulin declines my brain can be like "whoa, hello food + leptin!"

Having done this many many times, I know tonight I will sleep probably about 10 plus hrs, as all the insulin from the protein / tons of food will help inhibit my stress response. I will wake up feeling super warm and super not hungry. I will naturally eat less the next day and feel more replenished the next few days.

LONG TERM PERSPECTIVES:

If I continue pigging out (PS, I won't!), I will start gaining fat.

As I start having fat tissue in positive energy balance, due to increased insulin, my sympathetic nervous system, leptin, and thyroid activity will increase, which will result in me feeling warm a lot and also being able to eat more without gaining weight as fast as originally.
However, in spite of this increased thyroid and warmness and higher metabolic rate, the weight gain will still continue, due to leptin deficiency from losing wt, which is a result of the weight reduced state itself (small fat cells in negative energy balance, not being acted upon by insulin any longer).

Effortless ad lib eating and maintenance of weight will only occur when I reach my true maintenance body fat, which is probably circa 200 pounds... OR if I get back on leptin... which will never happen because Stephan Guyenet and his mentors control things and they are idiots.

I have not had a menstrual cycle since I started losing weight again, which occurred when I went lower carb to combat winter mood crap (as well as tons of hunger and fat gain, of course). My last cycle was the end of january. That was also the beginning of losing weight, body fat wise. ENDOCRINOLOGY 101! The diet change resulted in negative energy balance in the fat tissue, which resulted in less insulin, thyroid, leptin and increased stress hormones, which resulted in a return of hypothalamic amenorrhea.

I managed to maintain menstrual cycles in spite of stopping leptin, when I was sloooowly gaining body fat, my fat tissue in positive energy balance (>6lbs over a course of 8 months). However, when I lost a bit of body fat, when I put an end to fat tissue growth, I have not since had one. This is over 2 months ago. Not surprised, to be honest, but a little disappointed, to be honest as well.

Oh well, thems' the breaks of not being a fat ass when you were previously a fat ass. It would be nice to have leptin again. I have again found myself craving, longing, missing leptin, because it is becoming obvious to me my body fails to work if I lose fat. Oh sure it does at first, but if I continue with the whole "not eating enough to keep up insulin/leptin" then shit stops working. It sucks. Injecting leptin to the belly makes this a total non issue. Always warm, always energetic, always working physically, normal fertility, progressive declining cortisol, high free t3, so on so fourth.

I want to make this clear; the problem is not food; the problem is hormones: insulin, leptin. The configuration of hormones, nervous system, determines how you feel and how your body works. Food merely affects these. The thing of concern when it comes to diet-related hypothyroid and infertility is negative fat tissue energy balance i.e. when more FAT is leaving your fat tissue than is coming in. When fat cells are shrinking, or you are trying to. This will always lead to low thyroid and decreased fertility unless the person in question is a million pounds and hasn't lost much if any weight. IN OTHER WORDS, losing weight causes these problems. Not lack of carbs.

Here is a complex scientific diagram I created to explain the process. Hopefully it is not too technical for the paleos, and even Stephan Guyenet can follow along perhaps:


Here's a competitive perspective:







PS, yes I really wanted to draw those cartoons.


So, to rehash: after putting a chicken in my gut, plus some prosciutto and mozzarella, plus 3 ounces of nuts with chocolate, plus berriez and yogurt and a lot of cream, my hands are now radiating heat like mad for serious.
I cured my thyroid disorder, yay! I just can't cure it every day or else... you know, being a weight maintenance failure, etc.