Troubleshooting after 18 months

[kraney]

Hey everyone!  Long time lurker, first time poster here.  I could seriously use some advice from some long time W30ers.

I've done one official Whole30, in November 2015.  I've rocked my food freedom since (if I do say so myself, I think I will, thankyouverymuch), staying completely W30 save for an occasional beer or some takeout from the Whole Foods salad bar or a cookie that my kid baked. 

So in the last two months, I've gained about 8 lbs, going from 134 to 142 (5'6", 36 year old female).  Under normal circumstances, I'm not really hung up on weight.  I know it fluctuates, etc, whatever, I'm not a number.  BUT...this is really really weird, and has no real explanation, as far as I can see.  Furthermore, I am BLOATED.  I look/feel 4 months pregnant - I'm not.  My fingers are puffy, my toes are puffy, I'm getting these weird, deep creases on my ankles when my foot is bent for too long - I am absolutely uncomfortable.  The key here is that I have not changed a single thing regarding my nutrition.  Nothing, nada.  I eat 3 solid meals a day, a good dose of carbs (sweet potatoes) every morning, because I learned I get tired if I don't.  Protein, loads of veggies, and fat at every meal.  Occasional snack of pistachios, nothing out of the ordinary for a lifer here.  

Here's what has changed:  

In 2014, 2015, and 2016, I was a heavy runner.  In 2016, I ran two half marathons and two 80 mile relays - lots of running.  In October of 2016, my marriage came to a pretty abrupt end, which means I no longer had the time or the will to continue training for long runs like that.  So I basically quit running (and all other forms of exercise, for that matter) in October of 2016.  I took care of myself mentally - lots and lots of counseling;  I took care of my nutrition - W30 has kept me sane through all of this; but I most definitely did not stay active like I had been.

So from October 2016 (when all exercise ground to a halt) to February 2017, my weight continued to drop slowly, a pound or two a month.  Considering all that was going on in life, I felt pretty good.  I was sleeping when the stress allowed me to, I was eating well, I wasn't feeling bloated or anything - basically felt like a normal human with some emotional things to work on.  Ok, cool.  My weight stayed the same - around 134-135.  

And then in March...my weight started creeping up.  I didn't think too much of the first 3, 4, 5 lbs.  That happens all the time, weight fluctuates.  That's fine.  But when my jeans started ALWAYS being tight, when my watch was suddenly leaving dents in my wrist, when my boobs started spilling out of my bra - I started to think something is going on here.  And since I really started to be concerned about this, I've gained another 3-4 lbs.  And gained an even more intense bloated feeling.  Something is not right.

So I've been talking withe people as much as I can, and I've managed to put together the following list of maybe pertinent things:

-I am a bariatric patient, I have a gastric sleeve, which means about 80% of my stomach has been removed.  You'd never know it, though, I eat 3 regular full size meals that keep me satisfied all day long.  I eat nothing special and I take no drugs because of this.

-I have a Mirena IUD, so hormones are involved.  Otherwise, the only true drugs in my body are daily vitamins.  I do not have periods.

-I have eczema on my legs, I have my entire life.  I've managed it for about a decade or so with a prescription steroid.  These last few months have been quite itchy, despite not having changed my steroid regimen.

-I have developed a weird burning in my fingers and toes.  I used to occasionally get this prior to the last few months when I ate a VERY specific W30 chili recipe.  I always attributed it to the specific spice combo or something.  These days, though, it seems to happen 3-4 times a week, and I can't figure out a food pattern with it.  Just..in the evening, suddenly my hands and feet turn beet red, get puffy, and feel SUPER hot to me and anyone who touches them. 

-I am not constipated or anything, regular old W30 bathroom habits.  

-My TSH levels were checked by my doc in March of 2015 cause I was feeling tired all the time, my level was at 0.93.  No other thyroid tests were run at that time, and none have been done since.

Overall, my body just feels overwhelmed.  I feel like I need a cleanse or something.  My body feels like it's aching to get back to clean food or something like that.  I feel like I've been eating pizza and beer, and I just want to go back to all the healthy foods so badly, even though that's all I've been eating.  

I have an appointment with my regular doc next week.  I called them this week and explained my concerns, and I definitely felt like they were dismissive.  I feel like they're treating me like any ol' middle aged woman complaining about 10 lbs.  I want to say to them, "listen, I KNOW my body here.  I know that 10 lbs doesn't seem like a big deal, but something is seriously going on here, something is not right."  I will say this to them next week, and I plan to ask for a full thyroid panel (I'm reading up on what that all means, etc), but I guess I'm not very hopeful that they'll actually do anything for me.  It's my gyno, and it's a huge office, and I don't necessarily have a real relationship with any one there.  I'm not very hopeful.

I also have an appointment with a new doc who is a DO.  I feel like with my new, in tune knowledge of my own body, perhaps its time to start building a relationship with a doctor who's more likely to take a more whole body, holistic approach and not just focus on getting me out the door.  

Ok, so, that is my deal.  I could seriously use some help here.  What is going on with my body?  Did I finally run out of muscle after I quite running SEVEN months ago, and suddenly I'm packing on the pounds rapidly?  Is there such a thing as too much healthy fat?  I know I need to get back to being active again, I'm getting there, but if that's it, why did it just now catch up with me? What gives?

Please help!

 

[ShannonM816]

I wonder if you're eating something that just isn't agreeing with you? Nightshade vegetables would be my first guess, based on swelling joints and a reaction to chili -- read more about them here:  https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-are-nightshades/

If you don't feel like you're eating very much of those, fodmaps are another possibility: https://www.thepaleomom.com/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance/

Definitely talk to your doctor though, because it is possible it's not related to food. Tell them not just about the weight gain, but also the swelling and pain and any other symptoms you have. 

[kraney]

Oh man!! So many veggies to love! That makes me sad. :-(

[kraney]

I definitely eat a lot I nightshades. 

[ShannonM816]

I would definitely try to cut out nightshades for a while and see if that helps. Try it for at least a couple of weeks and see if it seems to be making any difference. 

If you need new recipe ideas, look for AIP recipes -- they'll automatically not include nightshades. There's also a nightshade-free shopping list, if you want to concentrate on the vegetables, herbs, and spices you can have: https://whole30.com/downloads/book-shopping-list-egg-nightshade.pdf  -- it leaves off eggs as well, that's really up to you, they're not a nightshade, but they're left out for the AIP protocol.

 

 

[J9er]

My first thought was night shades too for the same reasons as Shannon. As a fellow eczema sufferer, quitting night shades was a life saver. For me it wasn't JUST the nightshades but they were a big factor. I also had a big stomach too, and this has decreased dramatically. I cut them out for a few months and now my gut has healed enough that I can eat them in small amounts. I missed them at first, but now I really don't. 

Definitely give it s try! 

[slc_melissa]

I'd get your thyroid re-tested.

[kraney]

Thanks for the input everyone. A couple of follow-up things :

I plan to have my thyroid retested. I'm going to ask for the whole deal.. T3 and T4 and such. 

Do nightshade sensitivities arise out of the blue like this? Would that contribute to my weight gain or my general feeling of just being bloated and gross? 

I feel like a newbie asking this... But can I over eat fat? I definitely use a solid amount of clarified butter, avacado and olive oils... Could I be over doing it? 

I eat a pile of sweet potatoes at every breakfast. I have done that both when I was running and now that I'm not. Could that be too many carbs /starches? For the most part, I don't eat starchy veggies outside of breakfast, cause if I have too much, I feel pretty weighted down. 

[jmcbn]

10 minutes ago, kraney said:

Do nightshade sensitivities arise out of the blue like this?

Not usually, but they can (& often do) develop over time...

Fat is hard to over-eat due to the satiety that it provides. How long are you going between meals?

One other thing to consider, although at 36 it's unlikely - menopause.

And if you don't *need* the Mirena I'd be tempted to have it removed as it could be playing havoc with your hormones.

[kraney]

I go anywhere from 4-6 hours between meals. Breakfast is usually my fattiest meal, and that lasts me the longest. From what I know, I'm pretty on Pont with my fat. I'm just shaken up about all of this. 

 

I'm tempted to have the Mirena removed too. I've had it forever, but through whole30, I've become so much more in tune with my body, now I'm not so thrilled about unnecessary hormones. 

[kraney]

So, I've been reading up on nightshades and what that all entails.  The chili recipe I used called for cayenne.  In the last few months, I've started making my own breakfast sausage, including cayenne.  I eat that for breakfast nearly every single day.  I wonder if this is a source of my issues?  Could this type of sensitivity cause my bloated, heavy feeling?  I'm gassy, my stomach is gurgly...am I getting back to a leaky gut I had before I did W30?  Is all of that causing my body to just utterly fail at processing the food I'm giving it, and thus...putting on weight?

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, kraney said:

So, I've been reading up on nightshades and what that all entails.  The chili recipe I used called for cayenne.  In the last few months, I've started making my own breakfast sausage, including cayenne.  I eat that for breakfast nearly every single day.  I wonder if this is a source of my issues?  Could this type of sensitivity cause my bloated, heavy feeling?  I'm gassy, my stomach is gurgly...am I getting back to a leaky gut I had before I did W30?  Is all of that causing my body to just utterly fail at processing the food I'm giving it, and thus...putting on weight?

The only way to know if the cayenne is bothering you is to stop eating it and see if the gas and gurgle gets better.  It's impossible for us to say yes it is the factor or no it isn't... each person and body is unique and a Whol30 is just the beginning of determining your own path to success.

I don't think it's a reasonable assumption that cayenne is causing so much gut distress that your body is rejecting nutrients and retaining weight...