Why is my body so stubborn?? No fat loss and need help
Replies
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Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
If you're gaining weight on what you're eating now, and a doctor can't prescribe anything that alters that, what options do you think there are other than fewer net calories?Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
And if it can't be compensated for by medicine, then the answer is that she just has to eat less. Which is exactly what I said.DeguelloTex wrote: »Barring a medical condition, it sounds like you need to eat fewer calories.
I'd say that having no ovaries counts as a medical condition.
Less than 1,300 calories a day?
She could drop the cardio and get on a solid lifting program like Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women and try to add muscle by eating at a slight surplus (which it seems like she's doing now since her weight is creeping up).
editing for missing a letter in Stronglifts
This was something I was thinking of as well - I have taken down my running miles from 20 a week to 10-12 a week because I am not training for a long distance race right now...and I have been focusing more on strength training - but it seems to have not really budged anything. Maybe give it more time?? I dunno
What strength training program are you on?
I go to a gym with a coach on Mon, Wed and Saturday and we do 1 hr sessions
No set program, but it includes deadlifts, squats, lunges, pull ups, pushups, sleds, weighted ball slams, etc. All sessions include weighted exercises, and some of them are crossfit type classes.0 -
Yes, she could try to add muscle. However, without also losing fat -- which is pretty unlikely in a surplus -- she's almost certainly not going to lose weight or inches. That doesn't mean she wouldn't still like her body better, but she's going to need to put on muscle at a faster rate than fat, for a long enough period of time, to drive her composition to a level she likes. Even then, she's not going to be fitting into those clothes she mentioned, but that may cease to be a concern if she likes the results.DeguelloTex wrote: »
If you're gaining weight on what you're eating now, and a doctor can't prescribe anything that alters that, what options do you think there are other than fewer net calories?Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
And if it can't be compensated for by medicine, then the answer is that she just has to eat less. Which is exactly what I said.DeguelloTex wrote: »Barring a medical condition, it sounds like you need to eat fewer calories.
I'd say that having no ovaries counts as a medical condition.
Less than 1,300 calories a day?
She could drop the cardio and get on a solid lifting program like Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women and try to add muscle by eating at a slight surplus (which it seems like she's doing now since her weight is creeping up).
editing for missing a letter in Stronglifts
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Please don't go the " eating less" route. It is the knee jerk reaction since that is how we are "taught" to think. Your energy balance can certainly be out of whack. From your description, you are very active. I'm betting your TDEE is over 2000 per day. Strength training with that running is tough to get the energy balance right. Having a higher weight on scale isn't meaningful in/of itself because of body composition changes that take place. As another poster inquired: what are yuur measurements telling you? Your clothes? Visual - do you have pics for comparison. Fat % is going to be a more meaningful gauge for you. Way more meaningful gauge. Eating less is not going to get you fat loss. You are already eating LESS if you are indeed eating 1300-1400 cals. You are ACTIVE. our bodies seek balance. I'm 51, menopausal, have lost 70+ lbs and many %s of fat. I maintain on 2200-2500 cals. Lose fat with dialing in training and eating at a slight deficit of 1900-2100 cals. I'm at stage that my scale weight is stable but I'm getting leaner and I'm doing it with a modest deficit and 3x week training schedule. I'm now a certified personal trainer & Precision Nutrition practioner so I write my own training programs. This was long (sorry) but I really wanted you to know that cutting cals isn't the route. You DO need to be sure of what you are truly Intaking. I say this because some folks who proclaim " clean eating" ( I hate that term ) believe it doesn't matter quantity as long as it is " clean".
good luck! I can lead you to some reading if interested. In fact - go read Staci's story @ NerdFitness .com. Thst story started me on my path.
Jen0 -
I used to run four miles daily during my lunch hour and held on to more fat than I do lifting. I've almost eliminated running/ cardio aside from warmup/ cool downs. You are on the right track looking into a nutritionist rather than just going off of what the gyno said. I can't encourage someone to eat less than 1300 calories. It doesn't seem like enough food.0
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Jess830409 wrote: »Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
If you're gaining weight on what you're eating now, and a doctor can't prescribe anything that alters that, what options do you think there are other than fewer net calories?Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
And if it can't be compensated for by medicine, then the answer is that she just has to eat less. Which is exactly what I said.DeguelloTex wrote: »Barring a medical condition, it sounds like you need to eat fewer calories.
I'd say that having no ovaries counts as a medical condition.
Less than 1,300 calories a day?
She could drop the cardio and get on a solid lifting program like Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women and try to add muscle by eating at a slight surplus (which it seems like she's doing now since her weight is creeping up).
editing for missing a letter in Stronglifts
This was something I was thinking of as well - I have taken down my running miles from 20 a week to 10-12 a week because I am not training for a long distance race right now...and I have been focusing more on strength training - but it seems to have not really budged anything. Maybe give it more time?? I dunno
What strength training program are you on?
I go to a gym with a coach on Mon, Wed and Saturday and we do 1 hr sessions
No set program, but it includes deadlifts, squats, lunges, pull ups, pushups, sleds, weighted ball slams, etc. All sessions include weighted exercises, and some of them are crossfit type classes.
That's why nothing is budging.0 -
Your answer is in your photos you posted. You're gaining lean muscle. Frankly, you look fantastic!0
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Ironmaiden4life wrote: »OP please don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to eat less that's the worst thing you can do.
As others have suggested go to your dr and it may be worth them retesting hormone levels. From there I would look to a sports nutritionist as you may need to rehab your metabolism with a period of reverse dieting and then restarting on your goals at an appropriate deficit.
Metabolic crashes regardless of cause take time and patience to correct but it's worth it in the long run.
Yes!!! Perfectly said0 -
Ironmaiden4life wrote: »OP please don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to eat less that's the worst thing you can do.
As others have suggested go to your dr and it may be worth them retesting hormone levels. From there I would look to a sports nutritionist as you may need to rehab your metabolism with a period of reverse dieting and then restarting on your goals at an appropriate deficit.
Metabolic crashes regardless of cause take time and patience to correct but it's worth it in the long run.
Im always worried about not eating enough versus eating too much. I am just very hazy as to where I need to be. As soon as I think I have it figured out it seems to change. I love being active - I enjoy my runs and I enough lifting.
I appreciate the advise. I am not by any means trying to blame a weight gain on hormones, I truly believe that it does play a part in what is going on with my metabolism and my body at this point.
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She wrote, "But do I want to fit back into some clothes I cant wear anymore - yes!" so it sounds like her clothes are telling her she's gained too much to fit into them.As another poster inquired: what are yuur measurements telling you? Your clothes? Visual - do you have pics for comparison. Fat % is going to be a more meaningful gauge for you. Way more meaningful gauge.
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Jess830409 wrote: »Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
If you're gaining weight on what you're eating now, and a doctor can't prescribe anything that alters that, what options do you think there are other than fewer net calories?Jess830409 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
And if it can't be compensated for by medicine, then the answer is that she just has to eat less. Which is exactly what I said.DeguelloTex wrote: »Barring a medical condition, it sounds like you need to eat fewer calories.
I'd say that having no ovaries counts as a medical condition.
Less than 1,300 calories a day?
She could drop the cardio and get on a solid lifting program like Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting for Women and try to add muscle by eating at a slight surplus (which it seems like she's doing now since her weight is creeping up).
editing for missing a letter in Stronglifts
This was something I was thinking of as well - I have taken down my running miles from 20 a week to 10-12 a week because I am not training for a long distance race right now...and I have been focusing more on strength training - but it seems to have not really budged anything. Maybe give it more time?? I dunno
What strength training program are you on?
I go to a gym with a coach on Mon, Wed and Saturday and we do 1 hr sessions
No set program, but it includes deadlifts, squats, lunges, pull ups, pushups, sleds, weighted ball slams, etc. All sessions include weighted exercises, and some of them are crossfit type classes.
That's why nothing is budging.
Elaborate please - interested in why0 -
Here is an article that might be of interest to you:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/death-of-steady-state-cardio
Also, this does sound like a hormonal issue as others have mentioned.A lot of ladies with PCOS, hysterectomies, peri menopausal, post menopausal, yadi yadi, yadi are loosing weight and if not, they use this as their excuse for why they are not.
I disagree with this. Many, many, many women with these issues become insulin resistant and cannot lose weight the same way they did before.0 -
Please don't go the " eating less" route. It is the knee jerk reaction since that is how we are "taught" to think. Your energy balance can certainly be out of whack. From your description, you are very active. I'm betting your TDEE is over 2000 per day. Strength training with that running is tough to get the energy balance right. Having a higher weight on scale isn't meaningful in/of itself because of body composition changes that take place. As another poster inquired: what are yuur measurements telling you? Your clothes? Visual - do you have pics for comparison. Fat % is going to be a more meaningful gauge for you. Way more meaningful gauge. Eating less is not going to get you fat loss. You are already eating LESS if you are indeed eating 1300-1400 cals. You are ACTIVE. our bodies seek balance. I'm 51, menopausal, have lost 70+ lbs and many %s of fat. I maintain on 2200-2500 cals. Lose fat with dialing in training and eating at a slight deficit of 1900-2100 cals. I'm at stage that my scale weight is stable but I'm getting leaner and I'm doing it with a modest deficit and 3x week training schedule. I'm now a certified personal trainer & Precision Nutrition practioner so I write my own training programs. This was long (sorry) but I really wanted you to know that cutting cals isn't the route. You DO need to be sure of what you are truly Intaking. I say this because some folks who proclaim " clean eating" ( I hate that term ) believe it doesn't matter quantity as long as it is " clean".
good luck! I can lead you to some reading if interested. In fact - go read Staci's story @ NerdFitness .com. Thst story started me on my path.
Jen
Really appreciate your response - thank you - seems like I would benefit on this reading!!
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I wonder if getting on something like New Rules of Lifting for Women and increasing your intake might help. I've been reading the Go Kaleo blog and eat more to weight less blogs and am really intrigued. I've tried to lose weight for a while now my exercising more and eating less and it doesn't work... I end up really moody and tired and don't lose weight.
I'm new at calculating TDEE's but from what I've read you should be eating your TDEE - about 20% if you want to lose more fat... And maybe even working on ignoring the scale... As the picture posted by another shows, you can be leaner and stronger (And look better) while having a higher weight...0 -
Jess830409 wrote: »I take a very low dose of estrogen and progesterone - because it was literally like someone took me from 100 to 0 when I had my surgery.Ironmaiden4life wrote: »OP please don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to eat less that's the worst thing you can do.
As others have suggested go to your dr and it may be worth them retesting hormone levels. From there I would look to a sports nutritionist as you may need to rehab your metabolism with a period of reverse dieting and then restarting on your goals at an appropriate deficit.
Metabolic crashes regardless of cause take time and patience to correct but it's worth it in the long run.
Also agree @ironmaiden4life ....Is it possible that the above dosage...followup bloodwork, and calorie intake need to be reevaluated...
I'm going through the same struggle right now, I just had blood work done and waiting for the results. I'm also trying to find my maintenance, have a feeling that the calculators are too high for me.0 -
Here is an article that might be of interest to you:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/death-of-steady-state-cardio
Also, this does sound like a hormonal issue as others have mentioned.A lot of ladies with PCOS, hysterectomies, peri menopausal, post menopausal, yadi yadi, yadi are loosing weight and if not, they use this as their excuse for why they are not.
I disagree with this. Many, many, many women with these issues become insulin resistant and cannot lose weight the same way they did before.
Thank you - I will read up on this
I did do some research in to steady state cardio not being the best exercise for weight loss and in particular post menopausal women - I started doing my runs on the galloway/interval method...because I love to run and didnt want to give it up completely. This way is more of a HIIT workout versus steady state0 -
would the fact that you are not running as much as you were have something to do with it?0
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I have my yearly physical coming up and I am absolutely going to have them run a full work up on my levels.
Its difficult because I am a young cancer survivor and they were weary of even giving me any hormones at first, but at 30 I couldnt function with zero estrogen - it was awful.
I appreciate all advice and info - it reallty seems my body is fighting against me.
I am all about hard work, dedication, putting in the effort and am by no means opposed to eating right and doing what needs to be done - but when you are hitting a wall doing all the above it becomes an issue of WHAT is standing in my way
Thanks to all responding0 -
would the fact that you are not running as much as you were have something to do with it?
That was another thought that crossed my mind - but my doctor said it is unrealistic for me to forever be in marathon training mode to try and maitain my body weight - which in a way, I get what she is saying0 -
Jess830409 wrote: »Here is an article that might be of interest to you:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/death-of-steady-state-cardio
Also, this does sound like a hormonal issue as others have mentioned.A lot of ladies with PCOS, hysterectomies, peri menopausal, post menopausal, yadi yadi, yadi are loosing weight and if not, they use this as their excuse for why they are not.
I disagree with this. Many, many, many women with these issues become insulin resistant and cannot lose weight the same way they did before.
Thank you - I will read up on this
I did do some research in to steady state cardio not being the best exercise for weight loss and in particular post menopausal women - I started doing my runs on the galloway/interval method...because I love to run and didnt want to give it up completely. This way is more of a HIIT workout versus steady state
You might benefit by going lower impact as is advised for older women, because your body is adjusting to those kinds of hormonal levels.
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The time it takes is takes to repair metabolic damage is dependent on the cause, the length of time involved that led to the damage, genetic response and the protocol used to correct it. I wish I could give you a better answer than that.
Metabolic damage has recently become a very hot topic in the bodybuilding community (and no it doesn;t just effect body builders) with people falling into 2 camps, 'yes it does exist' and 'no it doesn't it's just a myth invented by people who can't hack contest prep'. Does it happen to everyone... absoultely not but science has proven that it does happen to some people and to varying degrees.
I've seen competitors come off crappy dieting regimes with full blown adrenal failure and a host of other metabolic issues. Repair takes time but is achievable and yes in extreme cases may take a year or longer.
Answering your question BFDeal is it better to suck it up and starve on brutally low calories... Heck NO!!!! That is absoultely the WORST thing you could possibly do You will only compound the problem and initiate more, and subject yourself to massive rebound problems.
Our bodies give us very distinct and sometimes very loud cues. By not listening to them you will not only move further away from your goals you will set yourself on a potential road to disaster.0 -
I'm normally one to jump on the "CICO" bandwagon, but gah - your body has been through a lot. Considering what mine does to me during a simple and normal TOM, I can imagine having both ovaries removed would cause a pretty big hiccup.
I would second talking with a licensed and (preferrably) degreed dietician. Don't settle for a nutritionist though; they can be "certified" by taking a couple hours worth of classes and passing a test. A dietician has a full course of work under their belts and if they don't know what the solution is to your problem, they know how to find more info using trustworthy and peer-reviewed studies and other sources.0 -
You may benefit from seeing a naturopath...When my doctor didn't care/couldn't diagnose anything I went to a naturopath and it changed my life. They can be expensive but in my experience it was worth it...and since you said you were hoping to get something herbal it might be the type of path you would be interested in.0
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Ironmaiden4life wrote: »OP please don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to eat less that's the worst thing you can do.
As others have suggested go to your dr and it may be worth them retesting hormone levels. From there I would look to a sports nutritionist as you may need to rehab your metabolism with a period of reverse dieting and then restarting on your goals at an appropriate deficit.
Metabolic crashes regardless of cause take time and patience to correct but it's worth it in the long run.
How long to correct? Are we talking years or months? I'm in the same situation as the OP more or less, though much more overweight, but I share her frustration. Everyone around you seems to be able to lose weight at will and the overwhelming message is "just eat less." When you do get responses like yours, to "eat more, repair your broken (potentially) metabolism" a time table is never really attached. I guess I asked because logically speaking it does become a question of time. If it's going to take years to repair your metabolism wouldn't it be better to just suck it up, lose the weight through whatever brutally low calories are required, and then repair after? If the repair is a matter of a couple months maybe the answer is different.
It depends on how broken it is. And lowering calories to brutally low levels comes with other pitfalls. As a male, perhaps you should check into potential health issues that are preventing you from losing, if you are certain your logging is accurate.
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Best thing I did for a female client of mine who ran 7 miles a day: cut her running to 2-3 miles a day and increased her lifting regimen. She went from this:
to this:
It took a few months, but overall she amazed at how much weight training changed her look.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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As a side note....
Re: cardio based exercise - if you are trying to repair metabolic damage it is better to drop cardio initially to see how the body is responding to the diet. It can then be brought back gradually at a later date.
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Ironmaiden4life wrote: »The time it takes is takes to repair metabolic damage is dependent on the cause, the length of time involved that led to the damage, genetic response and the protocol used to correct it. I wish I could give you a better answer than that.
Metabolic damage has recently become a very hot topic in the bodybuilding community (and no it doesn;t just effect body builders) with people falling into 2 camps, 'yes it does exist' and 'no it doesn't it's just a myth invented by people who can't hack contest prep'. Does it happen to everyone... absoultely not but science has proven that it does happen to some people and to varying degrees.
I've seen competitors come off crappy dieting regimes with full blown adrenal failure and a host of other metabolic issues. Repair takes time but is achievable and yes in extreme cases may take a year or longer.
Answering your question BFDeal is it better to suck it up and starve on brutally low calories... Heck NO!!!! That is absoultely the WORST thing you could possibly do You will only compound the problem and initiate more, and subject yourself to massive rebound problems.
Our bodies give us very distinct and sometimes very loud cues. By not listening to them you will not only move further away from your goals you will set yourself on a potential road to disaster.
So what about if you were heavy and lost weight but can't lose more? Any idea? I'd like to be 200lbs. I was 365lbs. I'm 230lbs now. I've always gotten stuck at this number. I lost the initial weight barely counting calories. Got stuck at 225. Gained some back after going off the plan I was doing (basically meat and veggie low carb, occasional cheat days). I counted calories to lose weight. Again, stuck at 230lbs. Lowered them more. Got to 222lbs eating 1800 calories a day. Took one week off for vacation and boom. 230lbs again. It's like my body just won't go lower. It makes no sense and people have yet to logically explain why I can't lose weight but they can. If it's this metabolic damage thing how long will it take to actually fix? Common sense says someone who's over 30lbs overweight should easily be able to lose but I can't. So why?
The 8 pounds you gained on vacation was probably mostly water weight, unless you ate 28,000 calories over maintenance. Was your sodium up? Were you eating more carbs? Drinking alcohol? I would recommend you eat at maintenance for 8 weeks to give your body a chance to recover, then after that, take a reasonable calorie deficit, like TDEE - 15%.0 -
Hormones or lack there of them is not the reason you are not loosing weight.. You gained up to 137 because you are eating more calories than you burn.. A lot of ladies with PCOS, hysterectomies, peri menopausal, post menopausal, yadi yadi, yadi are loosing weight and if not, they use this as their excuse for why they are not.
Time to recheck the logging and measuring of your food intake and accurately putting them in your diary.. Also eating too many exercise calories is a huge culprit if you eat them back...
edited to add: in case you are deeply concerned this is a health issue, have blood work and a metabolic blood panel test done...
Not that clever.....You are eating more calories than what you burn, and you burn less that what you used to, DUE TO THE LACK OF/UPSET HORMONE BALANCE..... So your metabolism is slower, and obviously most of us will keep on eating the same amount of calories as we usually do, until we pick up on the fact that we are gaining on that....
So yes, menopause in whatever stage. no ovaries, PCOS are all contributing factors in weight gain, not "excuses".... It can be dealt with, usually by eating less and lifting heavy things, but please don't show your ignorance in such a very condescending way.....
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Here is a question - how do you figure out TDEE when you are unsure of your metabolic rate due to one reason or another. I mean, I can plug in my stats and get that I should be eating anywhere from 1,200-1,800 calories. There is a huge margin for error in information out there.
Other than trial and error I wonder what is the most accurate way to get information0
This discussion has been closed.
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