Oh Ellie, it sounds like you have a gluten problem. Anytime you have your weight jump that drastically you know it's a food intolerance. The body sets up inflammation and it's hard to get off and takes a while. I can eat a piece of bread, 100 calories, and I'll gain 4 pounds overnight and it will take days to go away.

It's really not hard to eat gluten free anymore. We have that yummy almond flour now and there are tons of great alternatives in the health food stores. One thing to try is the Ezekiel bread. It is not gluten free but it's made with sprouted grains and it seems to be okay for many of us. I think the sprouted grains help us digest it. There's also a bread at the health food store that is made with flaxseed and rice flour. It tastes just like regular white bread.

One thing to know is that gluten intolerance is often paired with dairy problems. But it sounds like maybe you dodged that bullet since you can have ice cream okay. When you have a gluten problem, your absorption is often impaired (pretty much always actually) so it's important to be taking digestive enzymes. Any brand will do. If you're older then mid 30s, you may be low on hydrochloric acid as well so you can try a digestive enzyme that contains that as well.

this is probably the ROOT of your weight problem, hon. Now that you get it off, avoid all gluten and you'll maintain that weight loss beautifully. And this isn't the horrible sentence that you might feel it is right now. Go looking around for gluten free stuff and you'll be amazed! Just make sure you read all labels and avoid any processed foods unless they actually say gluten free because many of the chemical preservatives use gluten. :-(
Colleen

You can have oatmeal and rice, honey. Potatoes too. They are usually fine for us! Some websites say to avoid oats but it's only because they can be cross contaminated. They are usually fine.

You're right--this all didn't make sense to me either. Then I ran across some articles about how having a severe weight problem is just as much as symptom of celiac's as extreme thinness. People think celiacs only results in failure to gain and it's not true. Also most celiacs can't eat msg so you're reaction is typical.

OMG... I think I must be gluten sensitive as well. I've thought that for a while now but, of course, doctor's just say "eat more fiber" you'll be fine. Ugh! I feel so much better when doing this diet and on Atkins during P3. I'll do a trial run when I'm in P4 (July) and that should tell me for sure. Or maybe, I'll just go gluten-free and stay feeling well!

Grammy - is this something that can start later in life? I never had weight issues as a child/teenager/20's... my weight went up almost 100 pounds from age 42 to 46.

This probably has nothing to do with any of what you just wrote, but I also get crazy on benedryl and cold medicine.
Makes me super depressed. MSG Irritable. I do think that I am a very sensitive type to certain things.
I just try to keep life simple now and don't take any weird things. I was worried at first that HCg would make me nervous, quite the opposite! Oh and green tea makes me VERY calm, just like taking a sedative.

Ellie

Do you know that I even discovered the benedryl thing while on protocol, being on protocol sure helps you SPOT the problem. I was taking benedryl for sleep, 3-4 pills a night for 5 months, couldn't sleep and was so depressed felt like everything was grey, really grey.
I never knew it was from that until I took it again in March while on protocol I was on vacation, and boom, it hit me, depression, felt like I couldn't leave the house, couldn't really speak. That grey feeling again. I finally put 2 and 2 together.
I will never take this stuff. I started using a neti pot and in two weeks the allergies I was having went away.
If it weren't for the protocol I wouldn't have discovered this for quite some time or possibly not at all.
I think I am wired backward.

Ellie