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

michellechawner

I suffer from chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and a slew of other health issues. I'm on meds to help, and I do notice a difference. I would talk with your doctor and see is maybe there is something more to the tiredness and sluggishness.

Also - log EVERY bite. You need to NET upwards of 1200, maybe even more. 1200 is a minimum in most cases (notice i said MOST, everyone is different). I netted closer to 1400 a day to lose weight. I know people who net 1800 and lose weight. Drink 8+glasses of water a day, and sleep as needed. I saw you sleep upwards of 12+ hours, on average I sleep 8-9 hours a day - I know it's what I need to do for me to be able to function and get by.

Make sure it's not something more serious that requires medication.

Weird time of months can equate to something called PCOS - Polycystic ovary syndrome. If not, then you did said it got weird 2 months ago, you could be pregnant for the last 2 months, possibly 3.

parvina

With the drop in your normal blood pressure you may have something similar to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. In this disease, your blood pressure drops and your pulse increases to compensate. The net result is to be very tired as this is exhausting. When I was first diagnosed with POTS I was sleeping close to 23 hrs a day and was very deconditioned. Through blood pressure medicines to RAISE my blood pressure and a gentle exercise program I have reduced my sleep to around 14 hrs a day and am in much better shape. Your doctor may not know about this disease - mine didn't - but it is worth checking out. Also, as others have said, I would suggest more variety in what you eat and possibly taking a multivitamin until you are getting more nutrients from your diet.

Very interesting because increased heart rate I also have and actually it's been affecting my workouts pretty negatively lately.

parvina

First off, I would say to open your mind to the advice that others are giving you.

Secondly, I have to agree with everyone else who has said that you aren't eating enough. Even if you only eat 800 calories a day, your body will be trying desperately to hold onto whatever fat you have. It'll think you're starving to death...which you probably are. Eat at least 1200 calories a day PLUS whatever you've burned while exercising and you'll start to lose.

Try it for a month and then report back to us.

I'll do my best... but may I blame you all if I gain more?

Haha! Yes, blame me if you gain more. Seriously, though. Try it for a month. Don't jump on the scale in a week and give up. You can do this and you'll feel a lot better! Good luck!!!!

So no scales either? (People, I'm almost up for anything atm, Hello, despair!)

parvina

I suffer from chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and a slew of other health issues. I'm on meds to help, and I do notice a difference. I would talk with your doctor and see is maybe there is something more to the tiredness and sluggishness.

You know... I definitely need to change the doctor. I'm a foreigner in the country where I live, so my "oldest" doctor has only been watching me for few years.

The problem of mine with doctors is that I need to nearly torture them to make tests I think I need because if you let it up to them they would tell me to eat less. When I report what I eat they give me this "be realistic, you are lying" look and suggest I eat half.

This is why I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with me before I hit the doctor's door again with my demands.

candylilacs

Yeah, I was thinking PCOS, too. That's why I asked about the weight around the middle and periods. It will make losing weight really, really hard. If it is PCOS, it's a hormonal imbalance. Go see a gynecologist if possible . . .

herblackwings39

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!

Losing 1 lb a week is working. It's working in a very sustainable loss way.

ladyofbusterbear

I also have the same issue with eating mostly at or below my cal goal. I've been working out and I'm so tired all the time. Like All.the.time. I just want it sleep after working out and I can barely get out of bed since eating "healthier".
I haven't lost any weight since I started tracking July 1. I'm lactose intolerant, but I don't think I have any other allergies.
Anybody have this issue and if so any recommendations?

learnerdriver

Did the doctors check Vitamin D and B12? I have low levels of both.

nelinelineli

Hi. I am 162 cm and have virtually had the exact same track record as you with weight. I have gone from 72+kg to 56kg 10 years ago, and since then I have had two relapses (gained weight in 3-4 months each time), roughly every 5 years. Once to 70kg and now to 64kg, going back to 57 each time.

Despite initially looking for medical explanations, I have realized all my weight gains have had some things in common:

1. I was depressed - sleeping for long times, doing little work, avoiding socializing and moving less than usual. That may not seem much but those fewer trips to the store to get some household items or 10 minutes spent standing up talking to a colleague on the hallway actually add up to quite a deficit in your daily burnt calories.

2. Had an emotional crotch food - First it was cheese pastry, the second time it was some tiny biscuits that packed 50 cals each. Now it was a canned milk tea from the vending machine at work: 86 calories a can, but I didn't realize until recently that I drank 10 a day! I had formed a habit to go get a drink every time I'm stuck with my work (which happened more often than usual due to the depression).

Once my depression subsided I've instantly noticed these things I had been oblivious to for months and although I'm sure my story does not apply to everyone, for most people this is indeed only a problem with calories in - calories burned.

Also I'd like to note that despite the general fear of low calories diets, which are often founded, for us - the shorter people - 1200 cal is the BMR to begin with, so that 1200 net cal lower limit is still a bit up to discussion from my point of view. When I first lost weight my nutritionist put me on a 800 calorie diet, not eating back my exercise calories (when I got to 62kgs she increased my daily calories to 1000). I did fine, was very energetic, happy, always full (eating 1000 calories from veggies and fruits is quite filling) and kept the weight off for almost 5 years. I have always found that being tired related much more to my mental state, regardless of diet, than the calories I ate.

parvina

Yeah, I was thinking PCOS, too. That's why I asked about the weight around the middle and periods. It will make losing weight really, really hard. If it is PCOS, it's a hormonal imbalance. Go see a gynecologist if possible . . .

I probably should as soon as I can.

For now I figured I would cut out any gluten containing food as someone suggested here. At least it's worth a try.

parvina

Did the doctors check Vitamin D and B12? I have low levels of both.

Nope. Looks like I really need to prepare myself and demand tests I think I need, which is why I wrote about my problem here.

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.

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.

Try the greek yogarts they are good; no added sugars, & high in protein and you can get plain kind and add your own fruit.
You could eat the lite cheese; low in fat/calorie. A string cheese is only 80 calories and good protein.
Yes fruit has sugar in it; but fruit it good for you and your body function.
Eat (grill) chicken and fish .. both high in protein which is what your body needs.

You argue with everyone's suggestions, so I am not sure you want suggestions.

gracielynn1011

I would suggest setting your MFP goal to lose 1 lb per week. Accurately log your food and exercise according to your HRM. Then eat back your appropriate exercise calories. If you follow the system the way it is set up, it will work. If you don't follow it, it won't work.

wamydia

Typically if a person is gaining weight while losing muscle it means they are eating too much and not exercising enough. Some people will plateau themselves by eating too few calories to support their body, however there is no physiological way for a person to gain a significant amount of weight from fat storage while eating at a large calorie deficit unless they have a medical problem resulting in a severely depressed metabolism. The only other way I can think of for a person to gain significant weight in a calorie deficit is if they are retaining water due to a medical condition. I agree that you need to resume tracking (honestly) all of your food and exercise so that you can get an accurate picture of what is going on or you will never be able to figure out if this is a diet/ exercise issue or a medical issue.

The numbers you have for your BMR (1500 and 1700) seemed very low to me at first, but then I did the conversion and realized that you had gotten down to around 125lbs and are back up to 145. How tall are you and what is your ultimate goal weight? I'm just thinking that these weights are in the healthy range for women of average height, so I'm wondering if your body is just happy where it is now. Or it is possible that you are eating a bit more than you think you are and your body is storing up as much as it can. If your cortisol levels are high, it could be having a pretty major impact on weight gain. Women (I'm assuming your are female due to your weight stat) are especially sensitive to cortisol and it can play merry hell with all of the hormones involved in weight regulation, energy levels, and on and on. If it is high, I think you should make it a priority in your life to reduce your stress levels. Do yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, whatever you need to do to try to help your body stop being in stressed out panic mode all of the time This may have more of an impact on your weight loss than anything.

If you would like to read up on cortisol: http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/stresscortisol.html

Is your weight gain showing up in any particular part of your body (like bloating in the abdomen or in your legs)? Sometimes that can be a clue of a medical condition and you should make a point of telling your doctor. If you really think something could be wrong, don't be afraid to push your doctors to do more tests or find a new doctor if yours won't listen. I this day and age, we often have to be our own advocates.