The FastDay Forum

Ladies - thank you all so much
I never knew about oestrogen and fat....that definitely would explain the gain! It's around my middle & thighs - the areas where it shouldn't be while I'm training/running, but the natural areas for women to store fat.
I have a family history of cancers, so my lovely GP has put me on the lowest dose of HRT - a pill every day, with no breaks. I'm only on day 7, and already I'm down to about 3 hot flushes per night, which is a great improvement and means a little more sleep after months of just a few hours. That was soooooo tiring. My GP has also recommended a low carb diet, but as I've mentioned, that's really difficult on a veggie/vegan diet. I've decided to look at some vegan running sites for ideas.
I haven't fasted this week. My appetite has been very low. However, on Monday I'll try a 3:4 for 2 weeks to see if that kick-starts my body.
Ironically, after having painful periods all my life, I now want them back
I'm very grateful once again for all your support. It's good to know that you've all lost/maintained despite these darned hormones
Hope you're all well & happy & healthy xxx

My GP has also recommended a low carb diet, but as I've mentioned, that's really difficult on a veggie/vegan diet. I've decided to look at some vegan running sites for ideas.

@dancinhamster - a list of vegetarian/vegan sites recommended by @FatDog - some with low carb recipes: post153632.html?hilit=fat%20dog%20low%20carb%20recipes#p153632

FatDog's own journal, complete with low carb vegetarian/vegan recipes: post152860.html?hilit=fat%20dog%20low%20carb%20recipes#p152860

Your vegan diet might be exacerbating the hormone problem. That's because your body needs certain kinds of cholesterol to make those hormones. Years ago a doctor put me on a drug to lower my cholesterol which, for complicated reasons did not actually need to be lowered, though it measured high using the cheap tests. The drug dropped it dramatically, at which point I developed a whole host of symptoms, including very dry female tissues, which made my gynecologist ask me if I had stopped taking my hormone replacement.

When I stopped the cholesterol lowering drug, my cholesterol rose back to normal andy my hormone levels rose back to where they usually are.

I'm not sure how you can raise your cholesterol on a vegan diet. Eating carbs will raise your triglycerides and hence your total cholesterol, but that isn't the fraction of cholesterol that goes into making the sex hormones. The research I've seen suggests that the herbal preparations that are supposed to replace estrogen don't actually work, either.

Have you asked about whether other people are experiencing early menopause on vegan discussion boards? The vegan lifestyle is quite new and is mostly adopted by very young people, so it is important to determine if this is an unexpected outcome of eating this way.

Lacto ovo vegetarianism has a much longer history and might be a healthier approach.

I lowered my TDEE in the summer, did 4:3, and 6:18. I'm still in the overweight range for my height and age. My partner has a week off next week, so I think I'll be sensible but re-start 4:3 the week after.

23 seems a very normal BMI at any age to me. Is it your height /weight ratio that is still troublesome?

[carorees]

I think you meant height to waist ratio @lil don't you?

You are right @carorees - shouldn't post so late at night!

Yet another gain. Now I'm one pound under my original starting weight.
Nothing is working. Not 3:4, 5:2, or 8:16. Not reducing my TDEE, not sticking to 400 cals on fast days. I'm really disheartened.

Perhaps something else will work in the new year. Wishing you all the very best xxx

[carorees]

Hi @dancinhamster, so sorry to hear that nothing is working. How frustrating! There are some possibilities that occur to me that might be causing this problem.

First, you are already a healthy BMI, so it could just be that your body is resisting going lower. Fasting can help our bodies to function properly by lowering insulin levels allowing us to access our fat stores, but it cannot change our genetics. Some people will always be bigger than others no matter what they do.

Second, if you have a stressful job/life or stress your body by excessive exercise or even excessive fasting this can cause cortisol levels to rise such that they worsen insulin resistance and prevent your body from accessing it's fat stores. It could be that the stress of fasting (which is mild but if you fast a lot, such as 4:3 together with 16:8, might be significant) combined with other stresses in your life are preventing you from losing more weight.

Third, have you had your thyroid function checked? And not just TSH which is the standard test but T4 and T3? An underactive thyroid can lower your TDEE significantly.

What do you think?

Hi @dancinhamster, so sorry to hear that nothing is working. How frustrating! There are some possibilities that occur to me that might be causing this problem.

First, you are already a healthy BMI, so it could just be that your body is resisting going lower. Fasting can help our bodies to function properly by lowering insulin levels allowing us to access our fat stores, but it cannot change our genetics. Some people will always be bigger than others no matter what they do.

Second, if you have a stressful job/life or stress your body by excessive exercise or even excessive fasting this can cause cortisol levels to rise such that they worsen insulin resistance and prevent your body from accessing it's fat stores. It could be that the stress of fasting (which is mild but if you fast a lot, such as 4:3 together with 16:8, might be significant) combined with other stresses in your life are preventing you from losing more weight.

Third, have you had your thyroid function checked? And not just TSH which is the standard test but T4 and T3? An underactive thyroid can lower your TDEE significantly.

What do you think?

Hello again!
My BMI is just below the overweight range now, so it needs to come down. This weight-gain has just suddenly hit me. I went to a party last night, and my clothes felt uncomfortably tights, and the photos - ugh!

I had a lot of blood tests this year due to constantly being laid-low with skin infections, impetigo, cold sores, and viral illnesses. All tests, including thyroid, were clear.
I started HRT last month (quite young for this), and my GP warned I may gain a couple of pounds, but the fact that I run 3-4 times weekly, it shouldn't effect me. Well, it has...

I've been unemployed for over a year, and yes, keeping a roof over my head has been very stressful, but no more than an abusive relationship for 17 years and a hideous divorce.

I'm so ashamed. I know I'm not huge, but this weight is showing and it's so frustrating. Maybe I need to wait til Jan...perhaps the HRT will settle down by then. Ack - I'm so sorry to whinge. I was doing so well for the first 10 months...xxx

[carieoates]

Oh dear, I'm so sorry that things haven't gone the way you'd hoped.
Just being an average girl with an interesting, maybe colourful upbringing I'd like to say that we need to learn to love ourselves first.
Check out my "bean and oates" thread , and my tracker, life is full of ups and downs and it wasn't until my head was in the right place that I started to lose weight, current BMI 26 , weight 12.3 height 5.7. Exercise 4+ times a week. Had hysterectomy last December, two kids etc etc,
I'd love to be lighter but to be honest 11.11 is my goal. And that's what many people start at. It's not the Weight it's what we are made up of that counts, please dont be too hard on yourself.......after all, you are all you've got.
I'm 2lb lighter than this time last year but I've lived a whole year and had a great one too.
Good luck from me.

[carorees]

@dancinhamster
I've been moderating on this forum for nearly two years and in my experience one of, or maybe THE, biggest cause of weight loss plateaus or gains is STRESS. The skin infections are an indicator of a depressed immune system which is what the cortisol release due to cortisol will do to you as well as putting your body into sugar burning mode. And while you're burning sugar you're not burning the fat! You are likely to be adding to the stress by doing lots of fasting and exercise. Have you considered doing a mindfulness course or similar to try to reduce your stress levels? While you are so stressed you should take Carie's advice, and also consider aiming to maintain rather than lose. Stick to 5:2 or 16:8 and don't over exercise.

Hey guys, I just wanna share my journey. I have been training myself with a diet training plan for the last 5 years. I had a diet which is good for both diabetic and fat people. Maybe you should start with healthy vegetable and fruits. Those are rich in protein, of course vegie-protein. It boosts your energy.

A kind of vegetable which gives high levels of protein is green bean. You can easily look for it in the supermarket nearby. I'm in love with green bean. In reality, green beans may provide instant relief from discomforts of diabetes. This conclusion comes from the health article https://wikihomenutrition.com/green-bea ... -benefits/ .
Besides, the rich-fiber contents of green bean make it very beneficial for vegan.

The journey of being a vegan as for me is amazing. I stop eating meat for a while and I realize it brings me so many health benefits.
Nice to share with you!

I have no doubt that green beans, like most vegetables, are good for you, but high in protein? A quick glance at a nutritional chart for green beans show that 100g contains only 1.8 g of protein. I would think legumes and nuts would be a better source of protein for vegans.

Having said that, I totally love them, and miss having them fresh from my garden.

Losing weight is a uphill battle and a constant struggle. Being down instead of up at the end of the year is definitely an accomplishment. My results are similar! I did start doing 16:8 in the fall and cutting back on carbs, especially sugar and am finding that to be effective, but not too restrictive. So like you said, if you can enjoy good food and still lose weight, that's a bonus!!