I wasnt sure where to post. I definitely have an obstacle right now concerning losing weight, but I have no idea what it is.
I lost weight several yrs ago by posting regularly in 3FC, cutting back on calories and exercising everyday. I got slack and before I knew it, I had regained a good bit of the weight. I realized that I had to get it under control before I was back right back where I started.
Anyway, that's what I've tried to do. I try to make healthy choices, I rarely eat any type of Fast Food, I try to keep my calories under 1500/day (usually 1300-1400) and most days I exercise 30 min to an hour on my XL Glider. ("gazelle" type airwalker thing) or do the 3 mile WATP video. I also drink mostly water with an occasional diet drink a couple of times a week. I started back in September and to date have only lost 15 lbs. When I am slack with eating right and dont exercise, I know I'm to blame when the weight wont budge or goes up, but I am honestly trying hard to do all I know to do. When I lost 3 or 4 yrs ago, I had lost 45 lbs in this same amount of time doing this same routine. I want to be realistic. I dont even expect that much, but I do expect SOMETHING each week!
Back on Nov 30, I was 198.6. Since then, I've only seen that number one other time which was last Thursday. BUT...by Tuesday, I was back up to 205!! There is no way I"m eating enough to gain 7 lbs in less than a week! I can literally fluctuate between 2 and 10 lbs in just a few days and no matter what, the scale will NOT go under 198. This morning I was 206. I am able to get a couple of lbs off if I take a fluid pill but I dont believe I'm gaining 7-10 lbs of fluid. I've ranged between 198 and 208 ever since November, and literally sometimes I range from that low to that high in 3 days!
Everytime I mention this to anyone, they say "Maybe it's your thyroid." Well, I dont even know what symptoms point to a thyroid problem. I thought I'd ask here. Or if anyone has other suggestions to what the problem might be, I'd love to hear your ideas. (I know we arent doctors here, but I was hoping maybe someone had gone through this same problem and could give me some insight.)
I actually would think that the problem was my scale, but several of us weigh in at work, and none of them are having this problem. Also at home, my husband and son have both lost 30+ lbs and I started months before they did. The scale doesnt go crazy like that on them.
I am getting soooo frustrating and it's really hard not to just say forget it and eat what I want. I keep making myself just ignore it and keep on, but it's such a discouragement when it seems that nothing I do helps.
Sorry this is so long, but I've really needed to vent for a long time. I feel like anytime I talk to someone I know about it, they are thinking "yeah sure, if you are really eating right and exercising, you'd see results". That may just be me, but thats how I feel.
Anyway,thanks for listening. Looking forward to any replies.
i would definately be concerned about something. It could be a thyroid or another type of endocrine gland (such as cushing's dz). There are a multitude of thing. If you are truely eating the low amount and are exercising...i would first and foremost go see your doctor. Tell him/her everything you are doing and eating. Have him run blood work. There are a lot of things that thyroid issues do...including wt gain, lethargy, etc. First see your doctor. I would take a weekly food journal with you to the dr's to show him how few you are eating. Also make sure you are weighing everythign and are truely calculating everything you are eating. Then if you are truely eating less than 1500 cals a day...something's not right. You may not necessarily loss, but you shouldn't be gaining that much weight. Good luck
I would say you aren't eating enough for the amount of exercise you are doing. And all calories are not created equal. Cut sugar, flour, refined stuff and stick with the complex carbs and plenty of fiber for best results.
It is TOTALLY unrealistic to expect to lose weight every week. The human body doesn't work that way.
I highly recommend Dr. Oz's book "YOU on a Diet" for get insight into weight loss.
Boy can I relate. I have metabolic problems and losing weight is so difficult, and frustrating, I am amazed I have continued to stick to a diet this long. I don't eat white flour, sugar, refined stuff, and eat only whole grains and plenty of fiber, but losing is almost impossible. And like you, I can gain seven pounds in a week by letting up just a little on how much I eat, or how much I exercise. You are NOT alone or crazy!
I agree with the Gatorgal, get checked out thoroughly by your doctor. Difficulty losing weight is a symptom of thyroid problems. Being tired, dry skin, difficulty concentrating...are also symptoms. It may not be your thyroid, but it would be a good place to start looking. You may be developing insulin resistance, which will also make losing weight difficult.
I disagree with Susan that you are exercising too much for the amount you are eating. That is right in line with what my doctor recommends, and he specializes in metabolic problems.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing, and what the doctor says. I have not found what 'works' for me...and I struggle with it all the time. I am hoping someone will figure it out someday...and it will help all of us in this weight loss resistant boat....
Gatorgal, I have kept a food journal so I'm sure about the caloric intake. I track it with a program called Diet Power. I have also used Fitday in the past. I even measure things to make sure I'm not guessing at servings. (I know a normal bowl of cereal I used to eat a year ago was much more than the half cup they call a serving on the box. lol)
Quilter, the way I'm eating and exercising now is exactly the way I was eating when I lost around 3 yrs ago. A normal day for me is oatmeal or maybe a peanut butter/banana sandwich for breakfast, grilled chicken salad for lunch, then chicken breast (no fat,no skin, no oil) w/ peppers and onions, baked potato, and green beans for supper. I never eat white bread, only wheat. I use Equal if I sweeten anything, but I'm not really a sweets person. I have been drinking mainly water (which I'm not crazy about). I drink one or two diet cokes per week. If I eat a snack, it's one of the 100 calorie packs they've come out with now or string cheese or a slice of turkey, etc. On the rare occasion I eat fast food (which is not even weekly), I get Subway, or a kids meal or a grilled chicken sandwich. I do eat chicken almost every day, but mainly because I like it better than any other kind of meat. I'm not crazy about beef, unless it's a grilled steak,which I try to stay away from because anytime I eat it, I know there will be a huge jump on that stupid scale. It's really crazy. I've never had this type of problem before. Normally, if I am gaining or just not losing, it's because I know I'm cheating or just quit trying altogether. This time, though, I truly am doing all I know to do.
Monet, I was thrilled when I read your post! Finally someone who actually has this problem also and totally understands. I was beginning to think it was just me. Did you have bloodwork done? Is your problem just a slow metabolism or do you have thyroid probs as well? I honestly dont have the time or money right now to go to the doctor. I work at a bank and we have FDIC and State Bank examiners in for two weeks...YUCK. There's no way I can take off right now besides being broke. (Working at a bank, you just see everybody else's money instead of having your own. ha)
I have worked extra hard this week. I normally exercise in the evenings and this week, I've exercised before work also and drank even more water than usual. I really really hope to show a loss, even if a small one,this week! I'll let ya know!
Well, once again, I've typed a book. Sorry! Hope you all have a great day!
Hi again, Miki.... Save your pennies and once things settle down, go to a doctor and get thoroughly checked out. If beef makes your weight go up, you may be experiencing inflammation on a cellular level. I am reading a book called The Fat Resistance Diet that has some interesting research in it on inflammation. I have Lupus, so I understand inflammation...and it makes a lot of sense. When I avoid the foods he tells you to avoid, I feel better. I have had bloodwork, and I am not only diagnosed as hypothyroid, but also metabolic syndrome and most recently, diabetic. Your symptoms sound like insulin resistance to me, but I am NOT a doctor, so it is only a hunch. Try eating less carbs and stick with your chicken, and eat fish. The exercise is going to be really important for you if you are indeed insulin resistant.
It IS frustrating. I have tried and tried, and it seems NOTHING works. Even my old doctor was convinced I was cheating, but I wasn't! I might lose ten pounds, then the weight loss comes to a screeching halt. I take a diabetic drug called Byetta that has been very helpful for many folks to lose weight...I lost at first, then the weight loss just stopped. So I do understand your frustration. You don't want to give up though...the alternative is to be gaining, and you certainly don't want that! Keep me posted on how you are doing. If I find any thing that works, I will let you know!
Monet, you have no idea how much better I feel just reading your posts. I honestly until now had not found anyone who understood what I was saying. Like your old doctor, I could tell people thought I had to be eating more than I thought or not measuring or cheating here and there, but I honestly have been eating healthy and exercising and drinking lots of water, just like other people do who lose a ton of weight. I have NOT been cheating! (although there are times I almost say forget it and do that very thing) I just try not to think about it or I will get too discouraged to keep it up.
I am going to research all the things you mentioned and hopefully soon I can also get to the doctor. I'll have to check out that book also. I can see how you have such a struggle with all of the things going on with you! I will definitely let you know if I find something to jumpstart things again.
Thanks again for your replies. I really appreciate knowing that there are other people out there with this same type of struggle. I mean, it's one thing to get depressed because of gaining when I know I'm overeating and it's my own fault, but to still gain when I am doing all the right things I know to do, it is VERY discouraging.
Do you have a specific thread you normally post on? Or do you just surf around? There are times when it's hard for me to get a chance to get online for days at a time, but I would like to keep in touch if you dont mind.
Well, I better get off here. I havent cooked yet and also have ironing to do tonight...YUCK. I'll check back when I can.
Hi Miki,
I agree with the earlier poster that the problem could be that you're not getting enough calories and have basically stalled out your metabolism. You're not getting many calories for the amount of exercise that you're doing.
I looked at your profile and see that you're 43. It is possible that you are now perimenopausal, defined as the 2-8 years prior to menopause. I found it MUCH harder to lose weight once I hit that stage.
Good luck in your quest to get to the bottom of this and get the scale moving.
Hi Ashley. 3 yrs ago, I ate 1300-1400 calories a day while walking 4-6 miles a day and felt great and lost 60 lbs. in about 6 months. I still feel like I'm eating enough but I am going to try to change the type of calories I'm getting. I will still eat lots of chicken, but I think I'll stick to green beans and other vegetables to replace baked potatoes. I am also going to try to cut out breads for awhile to see if that makes a difference. If my weight just stayed the same day after day, I would could see where maybe it was just a stall in my metabolism, but the fact that I can honestly see a 6 lb or more change up or down in a 24 hr period is crazy. I weigh at the same time every morning. This has been going on since December. My low since Dec 1 is 198.6 and my high since Dec 1 is 208 I think. But it can be 198.6 on one day and the very next I can be 208. Anyway it is very frustrating but it helps that there are people here willing to let me vent. At least I'm not gaining...just staying in a 10 lb window. My alltime highest weight ever was 256, and I NEVER want to see that again!
You mentioned that you don't really like drinking water, so I'm assuming you're not drinking enough (minimum 64 ounces per day). If I were you, I'd aim to drink 100 ounces every day. Water is very important in helping flush fat from your body in a process called fat hydrolysis.
If you're not used to drinking much water it may take some time to get up to 100 ounces per day (and a lot of trips to the loo), but it is worth a try before you search for a medical problem. I find that when I plateau or gain weight while carefully following my diet & exercise plan it's usually because I didn't drink enough water.
Good Luck. I hope your back on track very quickly!
I agree that you should see a doctor. This way, you'll know if it's something that you'll need to take extra consideration for when making your food choices. Generally speaking, from reading various topics on this website, here are some suggestions I can make (that other people have given as advice here) to possibly help you get going:
- Try and zig-zag your calories. This helps to keep your metabolism from getting used to a certain number of calories a day and helps prevent plateaus. Our bodies are trying to create homeostasis, and once they figure out what you're doing (whether it be getting used to an exercise routine or number of calories), they'll adjust accordingly, sometimes against our desired results. There are several calorie calculators available on many websites that can give you a good idea of how many calories the average person who is your weight, height, age, etc. can consume and maintain/lose safely.
-Vary your exercise routine. A personal trainer I spoke with said that our bodies get used to cardio workouts fairly quickly, so we need to switch them up a bit every 3 weeks or so. This could mean many things, such as if you usually run a mile in 15 minutes, try doing it in 10 or using an elliptical instead of a treadmill, etc.
-Eat more whole foods. You may not have to give up bread to lose weight, just maybe the processed flour variety. Wheat bread is NOT the same as whole wheat bread, just like whole wheat bread is not the same as 100% whole wheat bread (100% is the kind most people typically aim for). You can check the ingredients list to make sure all of the flours say "whole" something. I also saw that you mentioned the 100 calorie packs for snacks. In my observation, 100 calorie packs are not all that healthy... just scaled down versions of the real thing. To give you an idea of what I mean, they have everything from chex mix to fudge shoppe cookies to Hostess snack cakes (??? That one blew my mind when I saw it). They're filled with sugar and HFCS and other naughty things that are pretty empty on the nutritional level. I try and make most of my snacks consist of fruit, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, etc. You may also find it useful to try and calculate the ratios of fat, carbs, and protein you eat in your diet. It could be that it's not as balanced as it could be. There are many debates on what those ratios should be, but you can do a search and find many threads telling you what other people use.
Those things will all help the average dieter get unstuck. However, I truly believe from the way you described things that it has some medical aspect. Weight fluctuations that great have to mean something is not all well in the body. It could also be something easy to take care of such as eating MORE calories because you aren't taking in enough calories for your body to keep itself from starvation mode with the exercise. A doctor can tell you what's going on with your body much better than anyone on the internet can, considering he can run tests and such. I hope that you figure it out, whatever it is, so that you can take care of it and move on. Good luck!
Ideas anyone?
Did you have bloodwork done? Is your problem just a slow metabolism or do you have thyroid probs as well? I honestly dont have the time or money right now to go to the doctor. I work at a bank and we have FDIC and State Bank examiners in for two weeks...YUCK. There's no way I can take off right now besides being broke. (Working at a bank, you just see everybody else's money instead of having your own. ha)
