Leptin Reset Update #2
I feel like a new day is dawning for me but it is like this picture. Just barely visible. Hard to know how long till full light arrives. Of course I am a perpetual optimist so take that with a grain of salt. I always think that health is always over the next horizon.
This is a bit of a disjointed update. I apologize for that. I have been busy on other blog and family business and realized today that I hadn’t updated my Leptin reset situation lately so I have dashed this off and am hoping I don’t miss too many typos and sentence fragments.
It has been more than 2 months since I started the Leptin reset. Among other things I am hopeful that following this protocol will fix my reverse t3 thyroid problem. I also was hopeful that it might help me heal my adrenal fatigue. I wasn’t terribly confident when I started but gave it my best shot. Nothing else was working so I had to try this so that I could feel like I had tried everything. I had already tried increasing my carbs like several people say is necessary with a thyroid condition, esp a rt3 one and had minimal benefit if any.
About a month ago I switched from my T3 only thyroid medication that I had been taking for many months to a regular natural thyroid medication that contains both t3 and t4. Today I got a blood test done to see what has happened to my RT3 and FT3 levels with this change. This is a real trial to see if my RT3 problem is corrected like I think it may be. Testing adrenals is harder.
I keep trying to remember to take my temperature 3x a day to chart it and see what that tells me about my adrenals and my thyroid. For more information about how that works go here. Hopefully posting this here will give me the boost to actually get it done starting tomorrow. I just need to do it for 5 days to establish a pattern. If you are going to chart your temeperature it is important that you have a very accurate thermometer. Either this one with glass Geratherm Thermometer 
or this Basal Digital Thermometer
are good to use for this. The Geratherm is a bit better for accuracy but harder to use.
Back to the leptin reset. I have found that as long as I continue to eat 50+g of high fat protein for breakfast I feel better than if I don’t and not hungry till bedtime. I don’t know why I am always hungry at bedtime but I ignore it and it doesn’t bother my sleep. I also am quite, ahem, regular if I keep up the BAB (Big A$$ Breakfast) but backing off even by 5 grams of protein will stop me up. I can’t figure that one out at all but my body seems to really like it. I am still staying at nearly zero carb for breakfast and very low carb for other meals and generally not snacking either. I find that not snacking avoids many of the carb foods I would otherwise be eating. I do occasionally try to go with a lower protein breakfast or add some carbs to it but I don’t feel nearly as good those days and get hungry between meals so for now I’m sticking to the 50+g of protein daily.
I am continuing to detox at a high rate. I assume this is because my liver gets a break from digestion between meals and this means that I am wasting a lot of minerals (they get used up in detox processes). I have developed muscle pain and cramping because of this. It took me some time to figure out how to address this but yesterday I began taking Bioplasma
and already am noticing an improvement. I have now ordered all of the ingredients for Dr Ben’s MTHFRade from Amazon and expect them later this week. I’m skipping the vitamin C because the body converts it to oxalates but I’m getting everything else. I’m thinking the E-Lyte Balanced Electrolyte Concentrate 
should be particularly helpful for this muscle problem. You can go to this post to read about MTHFR mutations. MTHFRade is supposed to benefit people with these mutations. 40% or more of the population so not a small group.
In other news my 8 year old is now completely off her adrenal support. She was getting close before and the BAB seems to have pushed her over the edge. I may need to invest in pork bellies to keep us in bacon (the only food she will eat in huge quantities for breakfast.) She is also in a new round of die off/detox and I wonder how much the BAB and snacking less is playing into this for her. Today she didn’t eat her breakfast quickly and it showed in her attitude the rest of the day. She just wasn’t feeling right.
I have a local friend who has only implemented the BAB part of the leptin reset for herself and has found it to be very helpful for her hypoglycemia. She is no longer on the carb roller coaster all day long ,but instead is feeling good even energy, even without going paleo and low carb the rest of the time. So even if you can’t do the whole protocol just implementing the BAB may be beneficial and help you feel better day to day.
I made a fun BAB breakfast this morning that switched up our eggs and sausage a bit. I took a muffin pan. I put a dollop of lard in each cup and put the whole thing into the oven to melt it. I pulled it back out and put some cooked sausage crumbles in the bottom of each cup and then cracked an egg into the cup. A sprinkle of salt on top and pop it back into the oven for 10 min or so at 350. Done perfectly and fun to eat. I made this in part because I had to do a fasting blood draw this morning and I didn’t want to be smelling the breakfast cooking if I couldn’t eat it. (Mom never gets a day off does she). I got the idea on Pintrest.
I ate my bab when I got back from the blood draw, about 2 hours after getting up, and actually had one of the better days I have had lately. It is hard to know if it was the waiting 2 hours for breakfast, the bioplasma, or what. I’ll go back to breakfast at the normal time tomorrow and keep up the bioplasma and see what happens.
The girls and I have a confounding issue here which is my chronic Lyme disease. My immune system, upon last check, was severely suppressed so my body is working quite hard all the time to try to keep me well and a little bit of stress sends me over the edge. One interesting thing is that, despite all the warnings that low carb diets are stressful, simply going very low carb hasn’t caused me to get ill. The stress of Christmas and another more recent stressful situation each have caused me to get get ill but starting the Leptin Reset didn’t. Plus I am now on just 2 Isocort
a day for adrenal support most days. That tells me that my adrenals are healing. I don’t have any hypoglycemia issues ever now. I have struggled with hypoglycemia since I was a child. Having that gone is wonderful. This past spring, when I finally went on hydrocortisone for my adrenals, my hypoglycemia symptoms were out of control (and yet my blood sugar readings were always normal, yes I even bought my own FreeStyle Lite
blood glucose meter to check my own blood sugar). I am so glad to no longer have that problem. I accept that although my adrenals are now producing adequate cortisol for daily tasks they don’t seem to have any reserves for when life gets stressful and I fully intend to stress dose when those days come with my hydrocortisone to prevent a relapse. I didn’t end up in this place overnight. It is going to take time to heal it.
I am hopeful that as the days lengthen and get warmer I will be able to eat less protein and more carbs, esp with my breakfast. Dr Jack Kruse says that in the winter he goes to zero carb but in the spring eats quite a few more carbs. If you go with the paleo theory of eating what ancient hunter gatherer man would have been eating, then the winter would have been a time to eat mostly animals since nothing else would be living. Obviously the further away from the equator you travel the more true this is.
22 Comments
Leave a Comment
Follow Me
Advertisements
E-Mail updates of New Blog Posts
Archives
Books I Recommend
My DH has carb cravings a lot, but he has lost a lot of weight on gaps already. Does LR always make you lose weight? I am at a good weight and do not want to lose. DH should definitely not lose.
Also, do you have to go low carb (obviously we do GAPS). I don't know if I want to go there. I could do the BAB and *maybe* the no snacking, but I don't know if I want to do low carb.
One more thing, how do you work GAPS juicing into all of this - as that is supposed to be done first thing in the morning. The GAPS milkshake takes me a while to make.
Thanks again for the post, Pattie. i love your blog.
If you don't have to lose weight then no you don't need to go low carb. I haven't actually lost much of anything on it despite going vlc. I assume that is at least in part because I can't exercise. I will have days when I feel good enough to do my t-tapp but then weeks when I don't.
I have been wondering about support for Katie's adrenals with the food allergies and now her thyroid being enlarged. I'd love to hear more about your experiences with the little ones - how you figured it out, what you used for diagnosis, what you have done to heal them, etc.
I had to laugh about you feeling better after the blood draw. I'm finding that's the case each time I have one done lately, so I directly attribute it to removal of some of the 'sick' blood. I now see where the practice of leeching came from. lol
Leeching LOL.
I am planning a post about adrenals and thyroid. In short, we have used a combination of the rind temp method and lab tests to access thyroid and adrenal function. I even did the temp taking on W for a while. I should probably do that again while I'm doing mine but since we are all running fevers today I won't start today.
The saliva test really is the gold standard for adrenal testing and needs to be done before any treating of the adrenals is undertaken (other than nutritional support with extra salt and fat and b-vitamins).
Thyroid has to be done with a blood test but knowing which one to request can get complicated. http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com has a lot of good info and I have based much of my treatment on what they suggest and it has gone well for us.
Great post, Patty. Thanks for the reminder about bioplasma, I keep forgetting to give it to Simon. Let us know if you decide to get pork bellies. Bacon is the only way I can be sure my kids get a high protein and fat breakfast, too.
Hi Patty,
I'm so glad the LR is working for you. You've really inspired me to stick with it. Keep us updated!
Natalia
Wow, so glad I stumbled across your blog! I have many of the same issues. Chronic Lyme‘s (and other co-infections and viruses) which are continually wearing down my endocrine system. I also have RT3 and am currently on T3 only and HC, but am not improving to the clear part and have a whole new host of symptoms from the protocol. Trying to stick with it just to the clear part, but am getting a bit discouraged. The insomnia (waking with adrenaline rush for hours, hypoglycemia) and fatigue are two of my worst symptoms.
Did the leptin reset help your hypoglycemia or did you do other things to help? Maybe I’ll have to read more of your blog (brain fog :p in case you answered this already.
Oh, and I’m also on GAPS and the LOD. I’m thinking of trying to add back in some carbs, as my symptoms did worsen around the time I went grain free, but not really convinced it will help. I have also read that RT3 is all about the liver…so looking at more liver support/cleanses/etc.
Wow we do have a lot in common. I love Liver Life for liver support. Have you tested your serum iron, sodium and potassium and sex hormones? Those being off can impair your adrenals healing. I did feel worse at first on HC. That lasted a month or so if I recall correctly. Are you taking hc at bedtime? That can really help with the low cortisol symptoms overnight. Are you taking enough hc? I had to go to 35 and take it every 3 hours to feel halfway normal at first then I was able to drop it back a bit and go to every 4 hours after I was over that initial adjustment period.
Thanks for responding
I am actually on Liver Life too (I seem to start taking more and more of my son’s supplements, lol.) I increased to 40 mg HC and am taking quite a large dose at night as well as when I wake. It’s weird, because my saliva test didn’t look all that low, but perhaps the T3 is really wearing on my adrenals.
My iron has been good, I’m taking extra sea salt and potassium and estrogen. My aldosterone seems to be fine, but yet there is something not working, as my temps are decreasing. I’m going in for labs next week…hope that provides some clarity. So looking forward to being off of the HC and most of the prescription meds…I just don’t feel good on all of this and I think my liver is really taxed.
I’m thinking of trying iodine again, looking into a liver cleanse (I have read it could be liver causing RT3), trying leptin reset and increasing my carbs. Something has to work
I was really surprised at how much better I felt when I started the BAB for the leptin reset. Eating that much protein first thing in the morning gives your adrenals a break at the time of day when they typically work the hardest.
My most recent adrenal function test didn’t look very bad either but I felt terrible. Thankfully I was able to only take the hc for about 9 months. I do still take it when I get sick but otherwise I am off of it.
Hi Patty,
I went over to Dr. Ben’s site and bought a bunch of supplements to help me with MTHFR and my adrenals. I got the Multi, Tumeric, Active B12, Nicacin, and some of their digestive enzymes. I already have Vit E and D and probiotics at home. Did you follow this protocol?
I’d love to hear what specifically you eat on BAB. I run out of ideas all the time. I’m nursing my 10 week old who has reflux issues and many times am just trying to keep my head above water. I don’t have a whole lot of time or mental energy to think too much about what to eat or time to prepare it. I’m also homeschooling 4 other children. And my husband travels 3-4 days a week.
I do have Isocort and wanted to start taking it again. I have been on several different adrenal supports and thyroid supports but am going to wait to do my hormone labwork tomorrow before I start any of those, except maybe the Isocort. I feel like I need something. Baby only sleeps 3-4 hours at night and I’m crashing. I’ve had a real stubborn case of mastitis this week.
As far as diet, I have started adding rice back in. I’m Cuban and grew up on it and when people are kind enough to provide us dinner, there’s always rice! I do fine with it. I do also take a spot of cream in my decaf. I LOVE my SCD Yogurt. It’s the one food that soothes my tummy when I don’t feel well. There are a few store bought items that are not totally GAPS legal that I eat because I do ok with it and it’s all there is to eat some days.
Is there anything that has helped you while you nurse? Anything I should definitely not take or do while I’m nursing?
Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Betty
Hi Betty,
For MTHFR I am working on adding the methylfolate right now. It caused some detox symptoms at first so I have been slowly building it up. Now I am taking the HomocysteX plus that he offers. It has a bunch of things. Since I am on GAPS I don’t think a multi is necessary.
For the BAB I eat eggs and bacon. Pretty much every single morning. Not very exciting at all. I add cheese to my eggs sometimes and cook them in a few different ways (hard boiled, soft boiled, fried, scrambled). Sometimes I eat a sausage scramble that I made up. Basically just browned ground pork with spices added but getting local pastured ground pork is hard right now so I’m just doing bacon and eggs. I’ve got some breakfast steaks ordered with a half beef that I’m getting in about a month. I can’t wait.
It sounds like you are doing really well with your diet right now with all that you have going on. Later there is time to tweak it and make it right. Have you tried taking out diary for your baby? It is a very common cause of reflux. It was for mine. Both of them.
I’m not sure what you are asking about with nursing. Foods to eat? Supplements? Any change should be made slowly while nursing and watch the baby for the effect as well as yourself.
Hi Patty! I was asking about the supplements. I ordered Dr Ben’ss MTHFR protocol minus the liver nutrients and I ordered ingredients to make the “ADE” drink. I wasn’t sure if there was anything I should not use while nursing? You use isocort while nursing? I think it would be helpful if I did. I think I may need some thyroid support as well tho I’ve never tested abnormal.
I’m pretty sure all of those that you listed are fine for nursing and ones I took myself but do your own research to be sure. Adrenal support is very important while pregnant and nursing. I would absolutely take isocort if I knew I needed it while nursing. Have you tested your adrenals? You really need to do that before doing any supplements. Symptoms can be identical for high cortisol or low cortisol and knowing which one you have is imperative. If you are high isocort will just make you worse.
I’m not sure how you have tested your thyroid but depending on your Dr’s perspective what he or she says is perfectly normal another Dr may say shows an underactive thyroid. In range is not what you want. Optimal is what you want. If you have symptoms of underactive thyroid and yet test ok then you need to look deeper. You are showing me that I really need to get a post done about thyroid soon.
Hi Patty,
Still interested in the LR - academic interest. I’ve always been a skinny person, and I wanted to comment on this:
“I am continuing to detox at a high rate. I assume this is because my liver gets a break from digestion between meals and this means that I am wasting a lot of minerals (they get used up in detox processes). I have developed muscle pain and cramping because of this.”
I’m having a similar experience by skipping breakfast. I eat at 12 pm and 7:30 pm and that’s it, no snacking, still high fat (12 - 16 added Tbl), still low sweet & starch. I’d been thinking the same thing, that “breaking my fast” at 12 pm has been giving my liver tmie to detox - and I’ve been eating a lot of Celtic Sea Salt, light grey. I see liver stones and chaffe every morning during my enema routine. Still doing coffee enemas every day.
This page is the same as Leptin Reset #1. Am I missing something?
They are two different posts. Not sure what your question is.
I like your BAB (breakfast) I need that much protein too or I lose sleep! Here’s a little more info on leptin reset…Fat cells are very metabolically active. They release and receive a variety of different hormonal signals from things like leptin. The more body fat you carry, the more leptin you’ll have and vice-versa. The leaner you are, the less leptin you’ll have. It’s easy for an obese person to peel off the pounds fast and why leaner individuals have a hard time burning off that last few pounds. A study done by Guerra, et.al. 2011 pointed out that to “reset” leptin levels one must exercise in a “fasted” state. Researchers found that a SINGLE session of sprint training had powerful effects on leptin “signaling” in the fasted group.
Patty, have you posted your final conclusions about Leptin Reset? I am recently considering trying it, and I value your opinion about these science-related health trends. From this post above, it doesn’t really sound like you are raving about it, nor does it sound like you dislike it. Was that your ultimate conclusion? Thanks so much!
Hi Tamara,
I took some really good things away from the Leptin info that Dr Kruse shares but in the end it was just too hard to maintain for me and other health challenges made it impossible to really continue. The cold thermogenesis has real potential in my opinion but not for someone as depleted as I am/was when I tried it.
I think that it does work better for men than women as a general rule and depending on your other health challenges may be too much for some people. How is that for a non-answer?
Actually that is more informative for me than you might think. I too am depleted, so it’s important info if you want LR for strengthening. Thanks so much!