Every time I have ever started down a new eating path there has always been a week or two of results. The scale will drop and my motivation will soar. Then around week two, everything stops. At this point I either cease to lose another ounce or I start to gain weight. This results in me questioning why I’m doing this to myself and drowning my sorrows in something delicious.

Saturday we took the kids white water rafting. One of the joys of Hashimoto’s attacking my thyroid is that I’m always cold. I didn’t get in the water, wore a wet suit and covered up with a water proof jacket. We got splashed a few times but for the most part stayed fairly dry. It was a great time but I was frozen by the time we were done. Being cold wrecks me. My body just shuts down. When I was in college some friends and I went out on a boat. The weather was mid 80s and everyone was swimming. I was fully clothed and staying on the boat. One of my guy friends thought it would be funny to grab me and jump overboard. It was funny but my lips we instantly blue and I spent the rest of the day wrapped in a blanket sitting in the sun.

Back at the house I took a hot shower then wrapped up in a warm, cozy blanket. My husband made a chuck roast on his Big Green Egg. It was topped with golden butter and lightly salted. The meat was so tender that it melted on my tongue. If you’ve never had the chance to eat something my husband has made, you are missing out on one of the best experiences on this planet. I’ve been to 29 (30 if you could the airport we laid over at in Japan for 6 hours) countries and eaten at some really nice places. Only once have I ever found a meal that holds a candle to anything my husband can make. The man has a gift.

After dinner we watched Maze Runner then got the kids to bed. Usually this is when my husband and I put something mindless on while we play on our phones, chat about the day and plans for the following. My body wasn’t going to allow that to happen. After our bedtime routine of hugs, kisses, tickles and nose boops, I went straight to bed. Pretty sure I was asleep in 2 minutes.

Sunday morning we had church. I still felt cold but felt more lively than I went to bed. I had somehow gained a pound from the day before but figured it was just water weight. Service was great and the kids played at the park afterwards. We didn’t stay long as it wasn’t overly warm and not many kids were there. By the time we got home, my body was quickly shutting down again. I made my husband an omelette then went back to bed. I spent most of the day there with the exception of another shower, packing kids’ lunches and helping them getting ready for the week.

Our meal yesterday was smoked salmon, leftover chuck roast and beef marrow bones. My husband made both of them on the Big Green Egg. Salmon and I have an interesting relationship. For years I swore I must be allergic. I’ve come to realize that it has to be done just right or else I can’t stomach it. True to form, my husband made it perfect. The bone marrow was fantastic. I’ve only had it one other time at The Cozy Taberna in Salem. There they serve it with toast. Toast wasn’t an option so I covered my chuck roast with it. The flavor and texture awakened the roast even more. What little sense of taste I do have was like fireworks going off in my mouth.

This morning the scale didn’t show much difference. I’m still up from Saturday but down a little from Sunday. My measurements are about the same (might be slightly down but not enough to write about). My energy level is a little better than yesterday but I could still go back to bed and feel like another hot shower is in my near future.

So at this point I’m not sure if I have hit a plateau or if my body is in lockdown mode. Today is day 12 of carnivore which would be true to form for my usual plateau stage. I have no intention of stopping the eating plan that we are on. Until this weekend, I feel like something was working. It will be interested to see what this week brings.

Those of you with autoimmune issues, how do you feel you recover from body stresses? Do you plateau hard? What are some of the things you’re doing or have you thrown in the towel?