Some issues - I think I need encouragement

[dlgallian]

I'm on day 17 and am struggling a bit.  Just a few of my issues:

 

Falling asleep better but dead in the mornings.  I just CANNOT get out of bed.

Loose poops (I know, gross, but we're all friends here), with oil slicks in the toilet

Skin is still bad

NO appetite - eating is difficult

 

I'm sure this will pass, but maybe a few words would be helpful... thanks!

[Physibeth]

It sounds like you might be having issues digesting fats or one of your fat choices is not good for you personally. Out of curiosity do you still have your gall bladder?

 

How much sleep are you getting each night?

 

I know eating when you have no appetite is hard but it is also important to get at least 3 minimum template meals a day even if they are spread out over more than 3 meals for the time being.

 

Can you post a few days of what you have been eating. Has it been like this all 17 days or is this recent change? How much water are you drinking? Activity? Stress?

 

No need to suffer if there are things that can be tweeked to make it better for you. Possible that you just need to plow through but give us some more context and lets see if there is other things going on.  

[dlgallian]

Thanks for the response!  I suspected that I'm having trouble with fats.  I think I was relying on nuts a little too much for my fats, so I'm going to cut those down and see how it goes.  Aside from nuts I am relying on avocado and coconut oil.  I sort of suspect the coconut oil may be a problem too.

 

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast:  3 eggs with kale cooked in coconut oil, with a banana

Black tea with coconut milk

Lunch:  salad with chicken and eggs, lots of veggies, sliced almonds, oil and vinegar, and some strawberries/blueberries on the side

Iced tea

Dinner:  smoked chicken and collard greens (could only eat a few bites)

 

Today:  zucchini with three eggs, cooked in coconut oil

Black tea with coconut milk

 

I've been trying to add in some more carbs (mostly sweet potatoes) and bananas for potassium because I was getting heart palpitations with too low carb eating.  I drink about 64 oz of water daily, plus 2-3 cups of tea (mostly black, sometimes herbal or green).  Before this, I was eating gluten free (I'm intolerant) for the past 4 years, and limited dairy, sugar, and grains, but ate some.  I'm definitely eating more protein and fat than I'm used to.  In terms of sleep, last night I fell asleep around 11, woke up naturally around 5:30 but was still tired, went back to sleep, and struggled to get out of bed at 8.  It's been like this all week.  I do interval exercises on the elliptical 3 days a week (I have a sprained ankle so activity is somewhat limited).  This week is a particularly stressful week, but I try to manage it with exercise, epsom salt baths, stuff like that.  

 

The digestion hasn't been great since I started, but lately it's gotten a bit worse.  Today I have a pain in my abdomen that feels like constipation or some sort of blockage, and I'm a bit bloated.  

 

Thanks so much for any advice you have!

[Physibeth]

I would advice laying off the nuts for a while and perhaps switching from coconut oil to ghee or lard and see if that helps. Remember we are not doctors so this is all based off of what I've read. You might benefit from a digestive enzyme for a while. You might also try refraining from raw vegetables as cooked ones tend to be easier to digest. Definitely work on increasing starchy vegetables. I would move more towards sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, carrots, beets, etc than towards fruits. This might help with digestion and with energy. Last thing to investigate is adding some probiotic foods like raw fermented sauerkraut (in the refrigerated section), kimchi, or kombucha.

[dlgallian]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies.  I think you're right on all fronts, so I'll be implementing those changes this weekend.  Hopefully next week I can report back positive changes!