On Tuesday, I had my annual physical with my doctor.
I had a few things I wanted to discuss with her. Namely, my constant exhaustion (which could be caused by all my training) and my inability to lose weight. I also wanted a recommendation for a dermatologist, not for any particular reason, just because I think it’s good to be checked yearly, especially as a pale, pale girl.
When I weighed in at the doctor, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, given that I did a bit of splurging post-race, plus I could tell that I was still retaining some fluids due to upping my electrolytes pre-race (my fingers were feeling a bit swollen). But either way, the number wasn’t great.
She wasn’t too worried though. She said I was clearly doing everything right. She suggested using a food calculator app on my phone to make sure my calories are balanced, and to also make sure I’m not undereating. That is most decidedly not a problem for me.
She’s also running some blood tests to check my thyroid, and if those come back normal, I’m going to ask about seeing a specialist, just to be sure. While I can deal with the weight, I’m tired of being tired.
So now, we wait and see. I’m hoping my cholesterol numbers are better, but I don’t have a lot of hope on that one. My good cholesterol is too low, and her tips were “lose weight and exercise more.” Well, I failed on 1, and have been doing 2, but I doubt it’s enough.
For thyroid numbers, make sure they check not only TSH and T4 but FREE T3. This is the big one that was left out of my blood tests (and most “normal” thyroid panels), leaving me mis-medicated for about ten years.
Chrissy recently posted…From Scraped Knees to Sweet Potatoes: I Had a Bad Day
I got the “exercise more” recommendation when my cholesterol was too high (since my BMI is normal). I decided to also start eating oatmeal with ground flaxseed every weekday morning. After six months, it went down about 50 points.
Yeah – Chrissy is right. Also, endurance sports cause increased cortisol levels, which I understand can stress the adrenal glands. That may be contributing to your inability to lose weight and the exhaustion. Maybe mention that to your doctor. I think it can be tested using a saliva test.
To second what MRW said, I also did the flax thing for a bit and my cholestorol went down 30 pts. Three months later, my body adapted to the flax and the numbers went back up. Now, I’m on crestor. Big boo.
And to follow up on what Diana said, by the time I ran my half, I was sooo bloated from all the stress of running. One month later, I had majorly deflated about 10 pounds.
Chrissy recently posted…From Scraped Knees to Sweet Potatoes: I Had a Bad Day
Undereating was actually a problem for me at one point. I kept a food journal and reviewed it with Louise, and I started losing weight once she said my total calories should be about 1800 and then tracked it with Sparkpeople.
I’ve been using myfitnesspal.com for a while. It helps me keep track of food eaten (with a nifty barcode scanner) as well as approximate calories burned.
It’s pretty self explanatory and a breeze to use.
Check it out!
Going to see a specialist is a good idea re the thyroid. My GP always thought my numbers were okay, a specialist thought differently. And turns out, I am not just naturally slothful. (You can send me an email if you want more specifics or to chat about that sort of stuff)