Very frustrated, diet with little weight loss and more afib

After all that has been written lately about weight loss being able to reduce afib I decided to get serious about losing weight, but it seems to no avail. For the last 18 days I have been following. a ketogenic diet. High fat low carb. I've been carefully tracking my intake using the Cromometer app. Keeping net carbs below 20, made a couple mistakes and had them up to 25. Also keeping protein around 80 grams. Result...only slightly in ketosis and have only lost 5 lbs.

In November and December I tried the 10 day detox diet by Dr. Mark Hyman. It uses more nuts and is not as low carb. I gained weight on that.

In the past two years I have gained 25 lbs. and have more afib, my bmi is currently 28.5. I noticed that about 9mos. after being put on metoprolol and four mos. after being put on eliquis I could no longer drop 5 pounds almost at will. Is this a typical problem with these meds?

My goal is to lose 50 lbs. which is beginning to seem more impossible .

A few years ago, before daily meds, my Dr. Had me on a candida diet. Only veggies and meats.. No root vegetables allowed. I dropped 35 lbs in 9 mos. the only difference between now and then is that I have included dairy and root veggies in my diet.

Any input would be welcome, I feel so dejected because all I have to show for my efforts is more afib.

Lynn - I can appreciate your frustration. I'll share my own frustrating story in case something there is useful for you.


When I began my afib saga 20 years ago, I wasn't overweight. The first drug prescribed - beta blocker - metoprolol - added weight quickly. After a couple years struggling with that and being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome AKA insulin resistance which is a known result of beta blockers, I stopped those and attempted to reverse the weight gain... somewhat successfully... with the ketogenic type eating plan and detoxing protocols. I have always exercised at the fitness center and in good weather, walking. Reversing the insulin resistance trend was slow and difficult but eventually, I had success... lost more weight, was feeling better; had ablation #1 and life was pretty much 'normal' except for the battle with hypothyroidism that always tested well by the standard numbers, but my "hypo" symptoms remain even now and are indicative of hypothyroid function. That definitely interferes with weight management.

Early in the process, I tested positive for Intestinal Permeability (Leaky Gut Syndrome) and spent time correcting that. Also, having tested positive for gluten sensitivity, I've been gluten free for at least 9 years if not longer. My diet is very low carb, protein, nuts and healthy fat such as coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil and low carb veggies. I eat mostly organic and cook from scratch to avoid the chemicals in processed foods.

Eleven years later, I began having breakthrough arrhythmia only this time, a-flutter-- so long story short - was back on drugs and also the anticoagulant, Eliquis, and once again, with no change in diet and exercise habits, I had weight gain again as a complication.... and of course, my thyroid tests well by the classic range, but the classic hypo symptoms remain. My FM MD had me stop the Armour thyroid meds because of the caveat that for those over age 70, there is a tendency for it to cause arrhythmia even though I was only using a very minor dose of 15 mg three times a week.

I am convinced that the stubbornness of weight loss is complicated by both thyroid function (regardless of what the test numbers say) and something about the anticoag drug properties. Now that I'm on half-dose of Eliquis and gaining more energy after the last two ablation procedures and can resume exercising more, the weight is slowly coming off again. It's been a frustrating experience so I can relate to your dilemma.

You mention a Candida diet... and it's important to be tested for Candida overgrowth as that can contribute to stubborn weight loss. You must get rid of it, if present. The physical presence of Candida can be an initiator of Afib when "you feed the Candida."

And since Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder, being gluten-free is an important step as is knowing if you have sensitivities to other foods you consume regularly. It's also important that you be tested to rule out the intestinal permeability since that continues to aggravate everything and certainly can contribute to afib.

I certainly wish you success is both the weight loss and gaining control over your afib, Lynn.

Jackie

Jackie,

Thanks for sharing. You have indeed confirmed my suspicions regarding the meds. I have been gluten free for approx. ten years. Even the slightest bit of cross contamination will trigger an episode.

I'm quite sure I have leaky gut and some candida. The stool test I did with the FM doc a year ago showed a bacterial overgrowth. They wanted to put me on Cipro (yikes), instead I opted for an herbal remedy. Never retested cause those tests are so darn $$$$$ and if it came back positive there was no way I would do Cipro for something that isn't life threatening. Instead I've loaded up on probiotics and digestive enzymes. My IBS actually started when I started the candida diet so originally I thought it may be a detox reaction. I think I really need to find a better FM doc.

A different doc found the candida thru a urine test which showed high levels of a toxic candida by product. The stool test showed an acceptable range, but I didn't believe it.

Oh, and I too am hypothyroid. I'm really convinced there is something wrong with those blood tests. In Dec. one lab showed my TSH around 2.5 with T3 over the top end of the range (I take cytomel with synthroid) another lab test within a week showed a similar TSH with T3 midrange. Both tests as taken at the same time of day, approx 7 hrs. After meds were taken.

I've been doing dairy with the Keto diet so I'll try eliminating that, but this is so maddening. Even my husband is miffed by how I could gain weight eating like I do. If I were to eat the SAD I'd be morbidly obese. Just adding sugar to my coffee and eating rice pudding and creme brûlée over the holidays added 20 lbs. Never again.

Lynn - The Candida connection is certainly one to pursue aggressively. Be aware, also, that when the yeast dies off, you can have afib as a result of the Herxheimer die-off reaction. Typically, that means you have to slow down the 'killing' process. It's tricky. I used Oreganol p73 (strong oregano) from North American Herb and Spice after hearing a webinar on the efficacy of that method... along with a product called Candex for several months...with success.

You were very wise not to take Cipro... as that's a fluorinated drug that will make thyroid issues even worse as well as cause other damage in the body...such as tendon rupture and also can cause arrhythmia due to the thyroid dysfunction.

The most significant factor is what the 'foreign' molecules to which you are sensitive do to your body...and typically, that's silent inflammation. One of the manifestations of that is weight gain. I would definitely eliminate dairy and obviously, any sugar sources.

I know a man in his late 40's who is very tall... 6'5".. and at least 400 pounds. He's probably gained at least 100 pounds since I first met him 10 years ago. Just recently, he changed to a Integrative Medicine MD who did the appropriate tests and among several revelations, learned he is sensitive to gluten and dairy. He immediately went on the restrictive diet and the first week lost 6 pounds ... water loss. In the past month, he's lost 35 pounds and feels so much better with much less brain fog that he didn't even realize he had. I didn't get to ask about his CRP levels or other testing as it was a chance meeting and no time to really get into it but silent inflammation raging in one's body from chemicals and food sensitivity is typically at the core of stubborn weight loss.

One health tip... sugar is the enemy. Don't add it regularly to coffee and food or eat sugary food or starchy carbs that metabolize to simple sugars. With time, you won't crave the sweet taste, but until the Candida and other pathogenic intestinal bacteria are eliminated and the good bacteria take over, sugar causes cravings. Sugar and other white carbs contribute to the inflammatory response which leads to weight gain and metabolic disruptions.

If you crave something 'verboten' like a creamy dessert, a healthy non-dairy option is coconut milk, chia seeds and stevia for sweetness. Combine; chill until it thickens. Tastes sinful but is a safe treat once in a while. Just make sure the coconut milk is pure with nothing added like carrageenan which is another additive common in dairy and dairy substitutes like almond milk and is known to contribute to stomach and intestinal disturbances. You just have to read the fine print on labels before buying. This is what is meant by 'eating clean'... avoiding chemicals added when buying a canned/packaged product... difficult to do so that's why eating whole, fresh organic foods is the best choice.

I'm glad you are staying on top of the intestinal issues because this is an extremely influential area for also managing afib.... as many afibbers have reported over the years in their success stories.

Jackie

You are so right about sugar. The coffee and the surger are out the window now. Can't stand the coffee without the cream. The sugar was a temporary lapse, got a taste of it during the holidays and things got out of hand from there.

Thanks for the tip on the coconut milk and chia, sounds delightful.

One of the things that is so confusing about my situation is that all my numbers look great, even CRP is as low as can be. Prior blood work has indicated a sensitivity to casein, and I thought it was only a temporary compromise so I could use some Atkins recipes, but since I'm having more afib and my weight isn't moving much, that has to go too. It's a shame cause some of the recipes are great and I'm not sure what I could use as a replacement for heavy cream. When I did Dr. Hymans diet that was restrictive, no cream, no wheat, but I gained weight on that so we'll see.

Lynn,

Have you considered the 5-2 diet, that is you eat normally for 5 days and fast for 2, eat just 600 calories. It's best to have the 2 fast days apart.
Eg. My fast days are Monday and Thursday.
I have been using the diet for about 18 months and have lost 13kg (29lbs), mind you I am not on the diet when I go on holiday, and some of the weight goes back on.
I have just recently cut back on carbs and eat more protein, especially the day after a fast day.
I hope that helps.

Colin

PS. I should add I still get afib but not was frequent. Also my wife is on metoprolol and she is having trouble losing weight, about half what I have.

Colin,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I will probably give something like that a try if I don't get better progress after dropping the dairy. I have read that those diets are supposed to be very effective. It would be really nice to see if losing weight really does reduce afib., but at this rate it will be a long time before I know.

The off days on the 5-2 diet would be great for doing a green juice fast. It would be a great liver detox.

Fast Metabolism diet (Haylie Pomroy) is gaining in popularity, sounds most sensible and sounds similar to what you are doing (no dairy no caffeine no sugar) Also caters for gluten free.

Thanks, I'll take a look at that.