How to Track Symptoms to Monitor Your Metabolic Progress

TL;DR

Tracking symptoms shows whether interventions are working. Track daily: temperature, pulse, energy level, sleep quality, mood, digestion, cravings. Use simple spreadsheet or notes app. Review weekly for patterns, monthly for trends. Expect gradual improvement over weeks/months, not overnight transformation. Objective data prevents guessing and shows real progress. Most people see significant improvements within 4-8 weeks of eliminating PUFAs and supporting metabolism.

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You're eliminating PUFAs.

Supporting thyroid. Eating better. Sleeping more.

You think you feel better.

But do you?

Or is it placebo? Or just good day? Or wishful thinking?

You need data.

Symptom tracking is like car maintenance log. Shows exactly what's improving, what's not, what needs attention. No guessing. Just facts.

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Why Track Symptoms

Prevents Guessing

Memory is unreliable.

"I feel better" is vague.

Tracking shows:

• Exactly when energy improved
• Which intervention helped
• What makes symptoms worse

Objective data beats subjective feeling.

Shows Progress

Metabolic healing takes weeks/months.

Day-to-day changes are subtle.

Weekly/monthly trends are clear.

Tracking shows:

• Temperature rising
• Energy improving
• Sleep quality better

Motivation to continue.

Identifies Problems

If symptoms worsen: Tracking shows when it started. What changed. What to adjust.

Example: Temperature dropped after starting low-carb. Data shows clear cause. Add carbs back, temperature recovers.

Without tracking, you'd just feel worse and not know why.

Validates What Works

So much health advice is conflicting.

Tracking shows what works for YOUR body.

Not theory. Not studies. Your data.

What to Track

Core Metrics (Daily)

1. Temperature

Waking (before getting out of bed): Best indicator of metabolic rate.

Afternoon (2-4pm): Shows peak metabolism.

Target: 97.8-98.6°F depending on time of day

2. Pulse

Resting heart rate: At rest, calm.

Target: 75-90 bpm

Too low (under 70): Hypothyroidism likely Too high (over 90): Stress or inflammation

3. Energy Level

Rate 1-10:

• 1-3: Exhausted, can barely function
• 4-6: Functional but tired
• 7-9: Good energy, productive
• 10: Peak energy, euphoric

Track:

• Morning energy
• Afternoon energy
• Evening energy

4. Sleep Quality

Track:

• Hours slept
• How long to fall asleep
• Night wakings
• How you felt upon waking

Rate 1-10: Quality of sleep, not just duration.

Secondary Metrics (Daily or Weekly)

5. Mood

Rate 1-10:

• 1-3: Depressed, anxious
• 4-6: Okay, neutral
• 7-9: Good mood, stable
• 10: Excellent mood, joyful

6. Mental Clarity

Rate 1-10:

• 1-3: Severe brain fog
• 4-6: Can function but foggy
• 7-9: Clear thinking
• 10: Exceptionally sharp

7. Cravings

Track intensity:

• None
• Mild
• Moderate
• Intense, difficult to resist

8. Digestion

Track:

• Bowel movements (frequency, quality)
• Bloating
• Gas
• Reflux or heartburn

9. Physical Symptoms

Note any:

• Joint pain
• Headaches
• Skin issues
• Muscle aches

10. Women: Cycle Tracking

Track:

• Cycle day
• Symptoms (cramps, PMS, flow)
• Ovulation signs

Diet Notes

Track:

• Unusual foods
• Restaurant meals
• Slip-ups (seed oils accidentally eaten)
• Supplements taken

Helps correlate diet with symptoms.

How to Track

Simple Spreadsheet (Recommended)

Google Sheets or Excel

Columns:

• Date
• Waking temp
• Afternoon temp
• Pulse
• Energy (1-10)
• Sleep hours
• Sleep quality (1-10)
• Mood (1-10)
• Cravings (0-10)
• Notes

Takes 2 minutes daily.

Easy to review trends.

Notes App

Daily entry:

Date: 10/28
Temp: 97.8°F (AM), 98.3°F (PM)
Pulse: 78
Energy: 7/10
Sleep: 8 hours, quality 8/10
Mood: 8/10
Notes: Feeling much better, no afternoon crash

Simpler but harder to analyze trends.

Tracking Apps

Options:

• MySymptoms
• Bearable
• Daylio (mood tracker)

Pros: Convenient, graphs built-in

Cons: May track too much, overwhelming

What NOT to Do

Don't track 30 different metrics.

Overwhelming. Won't sustain.

Keep it simple.

Core metrics above are enough.

Reviewing Your Data

Weekly Review

Every Sunday (or your day off):

Look at past week:

• Average temperatures
• Energy trends
• Sleep quality
• Any patterns

Ask:

• What improved?
• What worsened?
• What might have caused changes?

Takes 5 minutes.

Monthly Review

Compare to previous month:

Calculate:

• Average waking temperature
• Average afternoon temperature
• Average energy rating
• Average sleep quality

Shows real progress.

Example:

• Month 1 average temp: 97.2°F → Month 2: 97.6°F → Month 3: 98.0°F

Clear metabolic improvement.

What to Look For

Good signs:

• Temperature rising
• Energy improving
• Sleep quality better
• Mood more stable
• Cravings reducing

Warning signs:

• Temperature dropping
• Energy worsening
• Sleep deteriorating
• New symptoms appearing

Warning signs mean adjust approach.

Expected Timeline

Week 1-2:

• May not see much change yet
• Cravings may persist
• Energy might dip initially
• Be patient

Week 2-4:

• Energy starting to improve
• Sleep quality better
• Cravings reducing
• Temperature may rise slightly (0.2-0.4°F)

Month 2-3:

• Significant improvements
• Temperature rising (0.5-1.0°F increase)
• Energy much better
• Mental clarity improving
• Physical symptoms reducing

Month 3-6:

• Continued improvement
• Temperature approaching optimal
• Symptoms mostly resolved
• New baseline established

Most people see dramatic improvement by month 3.

When Something's Not Working

If after 4-8 weeks, no improvement:

Check:

1. Are you actually eliminating PUFAs?

• Reading labels carefully?
• Avoiding restaurant seed oils?
• No hidden sources?

2. Are you eating enough calories?

• Under-eating suppresses metabolism
• Aim for 2,000-3,000 depending on activity

3. Are you eating enough carbs?

• Under 100g daily often too low
• Aim for 150-250g

4. Are you sleeping enough?

• Under 7 hours impairs recovery
• Aim for 7-9 hours

5. Is stress managed?

• High stress suppresses metabolism
• Reduce where possible

6. Do you need thyroid labs?

• If temperature stays low despite everything
• Get TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3

Common Tracking Mistakes

1. Tracking Too Much

30 different metrics = overwhelming.

Won't sustain. Causes stress.

Stick to core metrics.

2. Not Tracking Consistently

Skipping days = incomplete data.

Can't see patterns. Can't identify what helps.

Track daily for at least 2-4 weeks.

3. Expecting Overnight Results

Metabolic healing takes weeks/months.

One week isn't enough. Be patient.

4. Obsessing Over Daily Fluctuations

Temperature/energy varies day-to-day.

Look at weekly/monthly trends.

Not daily ups and downs.

5. Not Reviewing Data

Tracking without reviewing = pointless.

Weekly and monthly reviews show progress.

Take 5 minutes.

Real Examples

Example 1: Clear Improvement

Month 1:

• Average waking temp: 97.0°F
• Average energy: 4/10
• Sleep quality: 5/10

Month 3:

• Average waking temp: 98.1°F
• Average energy: 8/10
• Sleep quality: 8/10

Undeniable progress.

Example 2: Identified Problem

Week 1-4: Improving steadily

Week 5: Energy dropped, temp dropped

Review: Started keto week 4

Action: Added carbs back

Week 6-8: Recovery, continued improvement

Tracking showed exactly what went wrong.

Example 3: Subtle But Real Progress

Felt same day-to-day.

But monthly data showed:

• Temp: 97.3 → 97.6 → 97.9 → 98.2°F
• Energy: 5 → 6 → 7 → 8/10

Without tracking, would have thought nothing was happening.

Data proved real improvement.

FAQ

Q: How long should I track? A: Minimum 4-8 weeks to see trends. Ideally, make it ongoing habit. Takes 2 minutes daily.

Q: What if I forget to track some days? A: Resume next day. Don't stress about perfection. Just be consistent most days.

Q: Do I need to track forever? A: Once metabolically healthy and stable, can reduce tracking. But many people continue because it's valuable. Catches problems early.

Q: What's the single most important metric? A: Waking temperature. Best indicator of metabolic rate. Track this at minimum.

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This isn't medical advice. Symptom tracking is for informational purposes. Work with doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

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