Weight loss: Different causes, different solutions

1. September 2009 William Davis (8)
Heart Scan Blog reader, Kris, related this enlightening story of weight loss (slightly edited for clarity).

Kris learned that excess weight is gained through multiple causes. The solutions are therefore multiple, not just one change in diet or two.


I started studying about my thyroid issue much earlier and did lose some weight. But ever since I started following Dr. Davis’s blog, it has given me confidence that I was on the right track. I did have my thyroid and iodine figured out from other sources, but Dr. Davis helped me to understand the issues with not only the thyroid but vitamin D3, fructose, fish oil, niacin, wheat etc. I have lost 43lb in last 14 months.

It seems to me that there are certain percentages of weight connected with different issues. For example, after I gave up alcohol and sugar, I lost about 14lbs from total weight of 243lbs, weight came down to about 229lb. Then it stopped at 229lb, even though I was in the gym almost 5 to 6 days a week with full workouts.

After I changed my thyroid medication to natural thyroid hormones (took synthetic T4 for over 10 years), the weight dropped down further 13lbs or so in matter of few days, shape of the face changed from moon shape/double chin to ordinary long face. Then it kind of stopped at around 213-216 lbs.

After giving up wheat, reducing carbs, increasing protein intake (whey protein, chicken etc. no soya, no fructose) the weight came down another 14lbs. Now it is around 200-202lbs and I am over 6.2 tall with heavy set of bones.

I feel better than I have ever in my life. More stamina, more clarity/no fog, more confidence and 99% of the time relaxed and being able to see the situation from multiple angles.

I use to be able to drink a liter or more jack denial without a problem in one evening but now can’t stand half a can of beer (I miss JD). Drinking alcohol makes me sick. I sleep well and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have no problem going back to sleep. No more out of breath stair climbing at all.

One other thing: I used to be the most attractive meal to the mosquitoes, but not anymore. This year I haven’t been bitten once. I take my dog to the park everyday and I do not use any mosquito repellent, what a relief. I don’t know if it is because of thyroid, iodine, wheat or something else. Skin texture has changed dramatically. I do not use full soap or shampoo, 20% borax, 10 percent of my soap or shampoo for scent and rest water, mixed in a 500ml bottle. No more dandruff, dry skin, pimples for me.

Dr. Davis I am thankful to people like you who have the ability to see beyond what you have been taught and have the guts to say the way it is. Most of us work to make living on daily basis but some make their living while spreading their knowledge to save lives. Dr Davis you are one of those few people. Please keep it going.
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Comments (8) -

  • vin

    9/1/2009 2:04:41 PM |

    What a lovely story. Shows clearly the importance of listening to your body and taking control of your own health.

    Dr. Davis keep up the good work. I may not follow up on evertyhing you write but I do look forward to your blogs.

  • Anonymous

    9/1/2009 7:22:52 PM |

    I wonder what other people use for soap and shampoo.  I use a vegetable oil soap (yardley).  I find ordinary soap too harsh on my skin.

  • Anne

    9/2/2009 12:50:10 AM |

    Kris, thank you for sharing your story. I am glad to hear that the mosquitoes don't like you anymore. I do ok with the mosquitoes - its the chiggars that love me. I can get chiggars even if I walk on the dirt instead of the grass.

  • Nick

    9/2/2009 4:22:58 AM |

    This is a great story.  I'm really curious about the change in alcohol tolerance.  I removed processed foods, grains, legumes,  limit fructose consumption and eat about 50 carbs a day.  I find that I have a very hard time tolerating much alcohol now and that it interrupts my sleep.  Sometimes it seems to just make me feel ill.  I didn't intend to stop drinking wine, but it seems that my body is telling me something!

    Anyone have thoughts on why this might be, or is it as simple as being more sensitive to toxins?

  • Hans Schrauwen

    9/2/2009 6:43:55 AM |

    Do not use soap or shampoo, it's MUCH to aggressive. I recommend to not put anything on your skin/hair you would not put into your mouth.
    Just rinse and brush dry and afterwards apply a mixture of coconut oil, sea salt and organic apple cider to quickly restore your skin's protective oily/acidic/salty layer.
    Use less coconut oil for your hair.

    Also : do not use plain toothpaste. Brush with a mixture of baking powder, sea salt and coconut oil.

  • baldsue

    9/3/2009 9:02:26 AM |

    Congrats Kris!

    Mosquitos and other bugs don't like me anymore, either.  This is the second summer I've been ignored and the second summer I've been following the same diet.  Coincidence?  I also don't use big-box soaps.  Maybe it's the diet, maybe it's the soap that keeps the bugs away?  Maybe it's the combo.

  • Plamen Ivanov

    9/8/2009 12:39:58 PM |

    Thank you for sharing this.

  • alen mcmilan

    10/11/2010 3:59:10 AM |

    I really glad to read your awesome article on weight loose, I also suffering from this bad weight loose problem so I really enjoyed to read it and I got some nice information from your blog so thanks for sharing nice information.
    Phentermine

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What is "normal"?

What is "normal"?

1. May 2007 William Davis (2)
When it comes to laboratory values and medical testing, a common dilemma is knowing what is "normal." Let me explain.

First of all, when you receive a laboratory result for a test, a "reference range" or "normal range" is usually provided. Where did that range come from?

It varies from test to test. For instance, a low potassium is easy, because low potassium levels can lead to life threatening consequences, e.g., dangerous heart rhythms. High potassium likewise, because dangerous phenomena develop when potassium generally exceeds 5.5 mg/dl or so.

But what about something like HDL or LDL. Here's where confusion reigns. Often, "normal" is obtained by taking the average and saying that any value plus or minus two standard deviations (remember that painful class?) represents normal or reference range.

If that were true, what if we applied that principle to body weight. If we weighed several thousand adult women, the average would be in the neighborhood of 172 lbs (no kidding). Does that mean that 172 lbs plus or minus two standard deviations is normal? No, of course not.

There is therefore a distinction between "normal" and "desirable". For HDL cholesterol, your laboratory report might say that an HDL cholesterol of 40-60 mg/dl is normal. But is it desirable? I don't think so. The most frequent HDL level for a male with a heart attack is 42 mg/dl--hardly desirable.

Let's take triglycerides. The average triglyceride level in the U.S. is somewhere around 140 mg/dl. For those of us who do a lot of lipoprotein testing, we can tell you that triglycerides at this level, though generally regarded as being within the normal range, are associated with flagrant and obvious excesses of several abnormal lipoprotein particles that contribute to coronary plaque growth (VLDL and often IDL; small LDL; drop in HDL and shift towards small HDL).

So, always take the so-called "normal" or "reference" values on a lab report as crude guidelines that often have little or nothing to do with health or desirability. Unfortunately, many physicians are not aware of this and will declare any value within the normal or reference range as okay. An HDL of 40 mg is not okay. A triglyceride level of 140 mg is also not okay.

What is okay? What is desirable? That depends on the parameter being examined. From a basic lipid standpoint, of course, we regard desirable as 60-60-60. Desirability from a lipoprotein standpoint we will cover in a more thorough Track Your Plaque Special Report in future.
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Comments (2) -

  • Anonymous

    5/12/2007 10:15:00 PM |

    A brief aside, if I may. You speak about the dangers of serum potassium of over 5.5; I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic in December, and my serum potassium is 6.0. What can I do? I know you can't diagnose someone online, but any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.

  • Dr. Davis

    5/13/2007 3:30:00 AM |

    A potassium of 6.0 is potentially life-threatening within a relatively short time. Medical attention is needed ASAP. Unfortunately, this is entirely unrelated to the issues we discuss here.

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