Nicole Allen10 said:When the thyroid slows down, you gain weight. Wow, what a medical genius we have here!
If there is some pathological process occurring within the body that significantly contributes to weight gain, it doesn't necessarily have to be the thyroid—that is my point. People dealing with adrenal gland issues can also put on weight quite rapidly; in those cases, even minor stress can trigger it. Now, while that is far less common than thyroid dysfunction, certain tumors can also cause weight gain... the thyroid hormones aren't the sole culprits, even if they are perhaps more frequent drivers than adrenal hormones when we are searching for a cause. For instance, my own cortisol levels spike—something I mentioned in my previous post—and I find it much easier to gain weight when I am under stress. Cortisol is, by the way, vividly nicknamed the "stress hormone," and yes, it certainly makes things difficult. However, through discipline and truly getting to know one's own body, one can achieve a great deal. I am not suggesting you shouldn't have your thyroid checked, of course, but you cannot be
certain because one simply cannot know enough based solely on the data presented in this thread. And please, forgive me in advance if I come across as arrogant or if I mistakenly assumed you knew less than you claim to.
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As for autosuggestion, or whatever one might call it, I am not entirely sure. We all frequently stumble upon some pop-psychology article claiming that obsessing over what we eat is actually worse than the mere fact of consuming the food itself. And honestly, it makes perfect sense. It remains fascinating—and somewhat inexplicable—but it is undeniable that the mind and body are inextricably linked. Thus, for example, simply being anxious about a meal can cause more harm than if we had just eaten the food calmly.
I personally struggled with hives for years. I reacted to very specific nutrients, and by tracking my diet and observing my reactions, I eventually identified exactly which nutrients were the triggers. This led me to become quite orthorexic—completely dependent on "healthy" eating. There was a period where I would read ingredient labels like a madwoman whenever I went grocery shopping at places like Whole Foods. I managed to remain disciplined in avoiding certain foods, yes; I ate as well as I possibly could, purified my system, gave my body the absolute best, and so on. But strictly speaking regarding food... the hives didn't actually improve that much. Why? Because I was so preoccupied with my nutrition that my constant agitation made me even more susceptible to the hives—it was purely hysterical urticaria. After a while, I realized that I would only react to those specific foods when I was in a state of stress, whereas normally I tolerated them quite well. Reading labels sometimes did more harm than good. I am glad that I know better now and don't have to obsess over studying ingredients to the degree I once did, but that initial fixation was incredibly detrimental to me. Once you understand your body better and learn more about healthy nutrition, there is a high probability you will approach it with more ease. And, as someone else pointed out, the worst diet is the one you cannot maintain for your entire life. A diet—or rather, fitness—should be a lifestyle, a way of eating, something that brings you satisfaction rather than serving as a frustrating tool for weight loss.
As for your claim that you eat properly and so forth... I cannot say for certain, but I truly doubt it, given that you are asking about such basic and widely known bodily processes. Perhaps it would be better to consult the experts at the Mayo Clinic or a specialized health and fitness group. I have only skimmed the material, so I am not sure if you mentioned exercise. Furthermore, you haven't specified your dietary habits (which would likely be more appropriate for a different subforum, but still...), so we simply cannot know if you are truly eating correctly or if you are consuming certain foods at the most opportune times of day or not (regardless of how much...
Greetings! To get a better sense of things—assuming they were even helpful—how long are you typically spacing out your meals, and what does that schedule look like?
