Stuck at same weight for months...completely losing hope.

PlatypusPerry37

I've just completely lost hope...I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what.

I always get stuck around this point. I did before I got pregnant and I have now after losing weight this time...so, it's happened before.

MFP has set me at a calorie goal per day of 1430 and I usually eat between 1250 and 1300. I eat a lot of the same stuff in the morning and switch it up at night. I weight and measure everything I eat.

I was losing weight at first then it just stopped.

Do I need to eat more? I can't really eat less. More protein? Switch to low carb? I already eat very few carbs as it is...almost never eat potatoes or rice and such.

DeguelloTex

If you're stuck at the same weight for months, you're not burning more than you're eating. You're eating too much to lose weight. It's possible that a medical condition is confounding the situation, but that's the bottom line.

PlatypusPerry37

I have hypothyroidism and epilepsy. One of the meds I take for epilepsy causes weight gain so, that sucks but I'll have to get my thyroid levels checked to be sure.

So, if I exercise and burn 300 calories, and I've eaten 1200, then it winds up being 900. Is that OK or does that put your body in starvation mode?

DeguelloTex

It doesn't put your body in starvation mode, that's for sure. That's a very low net.

Your doctor or a dietician probably has better answers for someone with your set of circumstances. Even Agent P needs help sometimes.

PlatypusPerry37

Thank you Deg

PeachyCarol

What's the medication? It's possible that you do require fewer calories than expected while being on it to lose weight. Some medications have the effect of slowing metabolism.

You could ask your doctor if that's what this drug is doing, or you could just Google it.

If that's the case, you could cut your intake or really up your exercise to burn more. Also, just be really super tight with your logging.

PlatypusPerry37

Depakote

Edited: Did some reading - I knew it could make me gain weight - I didn't know it actually was slowing my metabolism which it sounds like from what I briefly read, it may be.

Spreyton22K

PeachyCarol wrote: »

What's the medication? It's possible that you do require fewer calories than expected while being on it to lose weight. Some medications have the effect of slowing metabolism.

You could ask your doctor if that's what this drug is doing, or you could just Google it.

If that's the case, you could cut your intake or really up your exercise to burn more. Also, just be really super tight with your logging.

Don't lose hope....taking regular medicines particularly ones in the category of which you speak do make weight loss a bit more difficult and slower.....but you WILL get there.

You may just have to engage the extra patience mode....there are many people on here who have been very successful at losing weight and maintaining all the while taking meds. which are 'believed' to cause weight gain/or make it impossible to lose.

I was wondering too with having to take medicines such as these whether it would be helpful to have a 'play' around with changing your Macro's.....I'm just speaking from personal experience here but I found it helpful in losing to slightly lower MFP's recommendations for Carbohydrates and increase the amount of Protein and Fat that I was eating.

Overall it didn't lower my CI part but I did find the Med's anti-depressants and anti-epileptics (used for pain control) made it very difficult to feel satiated with higher Carbs. Just a thought.

Maleficent0241

PlatypusPerry37 wrote: »

Depakote

Edited: Did some reading - I knew it could make me gain weight - I didn't know it actually was slowing my metabolism which it sounds like from what I briefly read, it may be.

I figured that's the medication you were going to say. Depakote sucks. Anyway, I was going to say what @PeachyCarol already did, but so much better than I could have. So a big +1 to her.

PeachyCarol

Spreyton22K wrote: »

PeachyCarol wrote: »

What's the medication? It's possible that you do require fewer calories than expected while being on it to lose weight. Some medications have the effect of slowing metabolism.

You could ask your doctor if that's what this drug is doing, or you could just Google it.

If that's the case, you could cut your intake or really up your exercise to burn more. Also, just be really super tight with your logging.

Don't lose hope....taking regular medicines particularly ones in the category of which you speak do make weight loss a bit more difficult and slower.....but you WILL get there.

You may just have to engage the extra patience mode....there are many people on here who have been very successful at losing weight and maintaining all the while taking meds. which are 'believed' to cause weight gain/or make it impossible to lose.

I was wondering too with having to take medicines such as these whether it would be helpful to have a 'play' around with changing your Macro's.....I'm just speaking from personal experience here but I found it helpful in losing to slightly lower MFP's recommendations for Carbohydrates and increase the amount of Protein and Fat that I was eating.

Overall it didn't lower my CI part but I did find the Med's anti-depressants and anti-epileptics (used for pain control) made it very difficult to feel satiated with higher Carbs. Just a thought.

Seconding this. You don't need to cut carbs drastically, but I'm in the same boat here with "lovely" medications and do the same. I just keep my carbs lower, not low, though.

You still, though, depending on how drastically the Depakote has affected your metabolism, need to make up the difference in your caloric need, by tinkering slightly with your intake and calorie burns. Even just eating a little bit less and burning just a tiny bit more might make a difference.

Even if the loss is slower for you, it will still happen.

Bruceapple

I think you should shake it up. Go off and eat for one week, then come back to your diet. I always have to gain, then I will lose, when I get stuck. That me and I am not on medications.

PlatypusPerry37

Spreyton22K wrote: »

PeachyCarol wrote: »

What's the medication? It's possible that you do require fewer calories than expected while being on it to lose weight. Some medications have the effect of slowing metabolism.

You could ask your doctor if that's what this drug is doing, or you could just Google it.

If that's the case, you could cut your intake or really up your exercise to burn more. Also, just be really super tight with your logging.

Don't lose hope....taking regular medicines particularly ones in the category of which you speak do make weight loss a bit more difficult and slower.....but you WILL get there.

You may just have to engage the extra patience mode....there are many people on here who have been very successful at losing weight and maintaining all the while taking meds. which are 'believed' to cause weight gain/or make it impossible to lose.

I was wondering too with having to take medicines such as these whether it would be helpful to have a 'play' around with changing your Macro's.....I'm just speaking from personal experience here but I found it helpful in losing to slightly lower MFP's recommendations for Carbohydrates and increase the amount of Protein and Fat that I was eating.

Overall it didn't lower my CI part but I did find the Med's anti-depressants and anti-epileptics (used for pain control) made it very difficult to feel satiated with higher Carbs. Just a thought.

Yeah, I eat a lot of nuts, cheese, etc for snacks but I do weigh them all - lean protein - pork and chicken especially. Years ago I did do a period of a ketogenic diet for my epilepsy and did lose weight - amazingly. I wouldn't have thought so eating what I was but...you do. Mine was through my neurologist and being monitored. I would consider doing low-carb again but I don't think I would want to do anything that drastic again.

For breakfast I almost always eat an egg or two.