Not-so-success Story. In Need of Tips.

fossilmama

Sometimes you need to break a plateau. When I was thin....pre baby....I would often allow myself a binge meal each week. It made me gain initially, but then I lost more the next week. If I didn't have a splurge to mix things up and reset my metabolism, then I wouldn't lose as much. It's weird sounding I know. But I lost over 90lbs doing this and I lost it in a little over a year and a half. Granted...I need to start over now. I gained a lot during my last pregnancy...and I stress eat...after my mother died, I found too much comfort in food. But this worked for me before, so I'm hoping to get started again. Good luck.

PhoenixEve

You eat bread every day. Have you been tested for gluten intolerance? Have you tried switching to gluten-free bread for a couple months to see if it makes a difference? There can sometimes be a connection between increased cortisol and gluten intolerance... because inflammation stresses the body.

I sleep better and am more rested/refreshed after cutting out gluten. You don't have to be celiac to have gluten intolerance. It may or may not be the same for you, but worth a try maybe if it's something you haven't considered yet.

How do you feel after you eat a piece of bread? Does it make you want to take a nap? Food should energize you, not make you sleepy. If you're feeling tired all day, pay attention to how you feel after you eat. If you energy levels get worse after food, and you want to take a nap 1-2 hrs after eating it may be the wrong fuel for your body. If you feel great for 4-5 hours after you eat, your feeding yourself fuel that your body runs well on.

We are not all the same, some people's health food is other people's poison. Find what works for you.
Hope you feel better soon!

*edit* alcohol can also be a hidden source of gluten. (but there are gluten-free options for that too)

Also, what kind of protein are your shakes? Dairy is a common allergy/intolerance food for many people too.

parvina

You eat bread every day. Have you been tested for gluten intolerance? Have you tried switching to gluten-free bread for a couple months to see if it makes a difference? There can sometimes be a connection between increased cortisol and gluten intolerance... because inflammation stresses the body.

I sleep better and am more rested/refreshed after cutting out gluten. You don't have to be celiac to have gluten intolerance. It may or may not be the same for you, but worth a try maybe if it's something you haven't considered yet.

How do you feel after you eat a piece of bread? Does it make you want to take a nap? Food should energize you, not make you sleepy. If you're feeling tired all day, pay attention to how you feel after you eat. If you energy levels get worse after food, and you want to take a nap 1-2 hrs after eating it may be the wrong fuel for your body. If you feel great for 4-5 hours after you eat, your feeding yourself fuel that your body runs well on.

We are not all the same, some people's health food is other people's poison. Find what works for you.
Hope you feel better soon!

*edit* alcohol can also be a hidden source of gluten. (but there are gluten-free options for that too)

Also, what kind of protein are your shakes? Dairy is a common allergy/intolerance food for many people too.

That I haven't considered yet indeed. I could try that!

As for the shake, it's Whey Protein Isolate.

JDHINAZ

Exercise.
Track your food (just don't hit the green button)
Increase your cals to keep your energy up.
Try to eat more natural foods than processed.
Talk to your doctor about sleep apnea.

Arees23

This sounds just like me, I have been trying for months and months now, I even joined weightwatchers to try and see if that helps. I've only been losing 1 pound a week, where other people in the class are losing up to 6! It seems that everything I do, does not work, and I eat very healthy. I'm going to go to the doctors soon, I just dont know what to do!

trogalicious

This sounds just like me, I have been trying for months and months now, I even joined weightwatchers to try and see if that helps. I've only been losing 1 pound a week, where other people in the class are losing up to 6! It seems that everything I do, does not work, and I eat very healthy. I'm going to go to the doctors soon, I just dont know what to do!

I made the most important part of what you said bold.. for emphasis.

If you're losing 1lb a week, then you're doing it right. Going to the Doctor or freaking out about it isn't going to help any.

Changing your perspective on success might be helpful though.

parvina

The most important is to keep going. Slow is still progress, so do not lose faith, you'll get there eventually.

Checking your health, however, is always a good thing to do.

kelseyhere

if you've been eating the same thing for years that alone could be holding you back. you need to keep your body guessing. start tracking and start varying your diet.

TheCaren

You sound like you are undereating for the amount of exercise you are doing. How tall are you?

^^^ This is exactly what I was thinking. You need to start logging your food and figure out your BMR and TDEE. This is one site you can use to figure those out, plus suggested caloric intake.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But none of that information is useful if you aren't logging your food. Log everything. Weigh/measure everything. You'd be amazed at how our minds lie to us about exactly how much we're eating.

77tes

Eat more. Track all your food. Enjoy the motivational prompt (but realize that it is a computer program, so can only work the numbers you give it). Eat back your exercise calories.

Your dieting history sounds like me for most of my life. I would deprive myself for month/years, lose some weight, and gain it back. Change your lifestyle, but continue to live life.

Good luck:flowerforyou:

parvina

You sound like you are undereating for the amount of exercise you are doing. How tall are you?

^^^ This is exactly what I was thinking. You need to start logging your food and figure out your BMR and TDEE. This is one site you can use to figure those out, plus suggested caloric intake.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But none of that information is useful if you aren't logging your food. Log everything. Weigh/measure everything. You'd be amazed at how our minds lie to us about exactly how much we're eating.

Oh I remember that site from when I was losing weight.

I just logged in my diary for today, let's hope I'll find the courage to to it tomorrow as well. (And try to not keep my hopes high that I'll be 64.8 in 5 weeks)

diannethegeek

You sound like you are undereating for the amount of exercise you are doing. How tall are you?

^^^ This is exactly what I was thinking. You need to start logging your food and figure out your BMR and TDEE. This is one site you can use to figure those out, plus suggested caloric intake.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

But none of that information is useful if you aren't logging your food. Log everything. Weigh/measure everything. You'd be amazed at how our minds lie to us about exactly how much we're eating.

Oh I remember that site from when I was losing weight.

I just logged in my diary for today, let's hope I'll find the courage to to it tomorrow as well. (And try to not keep my hopes high that I'll be 64.8 in 5 weeks)

If the "you will weigh _ in 5 weeks" message bothers you so much, you don't have to hit the green "Complete this Entry" button.

parvina

Is it being saved regardless?

orange_you_glad

Parvina, I saw you mentioned your doc said you had high cortisol levels. That might be the culprit, actually. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands above the kidney, and is a critical hormone for regulating your body when you're under stress.

If you're under a lot of stress, or if your adrenal glands are not working correctly, you can flood your body with excess cortisol. When the adrenals start to malfunction, you can get adrenal fatigue, or if they stop working completely, Addison's disease. The symptoms include high blood pressure and, classically, a "Buddha belly" -- putting on weight around your middle, as well as excessive fatigue (sleeping upwards of 12 hours a day, grogginess, plus mental fog).

Given that the symptoms came on suddenly last summer, I think this is what is going on. GO BACK TO YOUR DOC. Ask about adrenal fatigue, and ask about Addison's, and ask him to take a hard, hard look at your cortisone levels.

Edited to say: Addison's disease is possibly life-threatening, especially if you are hurt or injured. I have a family member with this disease, so I'm very familiar with it.

parvina

Parvina, I saw you mentioned your doc said you had high cortisol levels. That might be the culprit, actually. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands above the kidney, and is a critical hormone for regulating your body when you're under stress.

If you're under a lot of stress, or if your adrenal glands are not working correctly, you can flood your body with excess cortisol, the symptoms of which include high blood pressure and, classically, a "Buddha belly" -- putting on weight around your middle. Are you having other symptoms of hormone imbalance (irregular periods, super emotional, etc.)? There is a disorder called adrenal fatigue that can have some of the symptoms you're talking about.

Go back to your doc, and take a second look at your cortisone levels.

The belly... don't think so as I noticed that I gained weight all over my body equally (6cm on chest, waist, hips, arms, thighs). As for high blood pressure, my blood pressure has always been ideal (120-80) till now, but now it's pretty low 90/95-60/65. Also the doctor ran a steroid test on my cortisol levels and said that everything is ok and I must be just stressed.

Oh, btw, not sure it's relevant, but some time ago I was having an itchy back and spent months seeing a dermatologist. He couldn't figure out what was wrong (because skin symptoms were changing from allergies to god knows what every couple of days), so he assumed that was stress as well.

The problem is that I don't feel stressed out or anything. These days I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, well, except for my weight related fears of course.

lambchristie

Eating the same thing every day at the same time is not good for your body.
Neither is doing the same exercise day in and day out.
Mix it up.

Eat more protein.
Yogart, eggs, cheese, beef, chicken, fish.

parvina

Another problem of mine is that I can't force myself to go to doctors anymore. I've spent insane money on those just to hear it from them that I'm stressed and/or I must be underestimating how much I eat even in my reports.

I realize it that a lot of people do that and doctors prefer to see everyone like that, I often feel I'm doing the same, but my boyfriend is striving to prove the opposite. He thinks I eat too little and have a pretty anorexic mind-set, but hello... I'm too fat to be anorexic!

So in the end my visits to the doctors end the same... I strive to cut down more.

Sometimes I think I do not know what a normal portion of food is anymore...

parvina

Eating the same thing every day at the same time is not good for your body.
Neither is doing the same exercise day in and day out.
Mix it up.

Eat more protein.
Yogart, eggs, cheese, beef, chicken, fish.

Yogurt and cheese are fatty, fruit yogurt contains too much sugars. Cottage cheese I ate for too long and now I can't even look at it anymore.

jetlag

Is it being saved regardless?

Yes

jetlag

Eating the same thing every day at the same time is not good for your body.
Neither is doing the same exercise day in and day out.
Mix it up.

Eat more protein.
Yogart, eggs, cheese, beef, chicken, fish.

Yogurt and cheese are fatty, fruit yogurt contains too much sugars. Cottage cheese I ate for too long and now I can't even look at it anymore.

Yoghurt and cheese are good for you.