over a year and no weight loss

BramageOMG

A true calorie deficit will result in weight loss up until you are skin and bones... It is impossible to maintain weight with a calories deficit over a 365 day period. Period.

So, the only answer: You are not eating a deficit. There may be other issues which contribute to the issue.

MPF has a great logging feature, a way to enter exercise, and even tells you what your deficit is. Its pretty awesome, check it out!!

Irvic

ya sorry. I knew it was going to be kind of long. thanks for trying though!

vismal

The weight gain is not all that shocking. You were bed ridden so your maintenance calories would be greatly reduced. You also had an infection for a long period of time. Infections cause inflammatory responses in the body and can lead to water retention. So for the period of time you thought you were maintaining your weight, it is entirely possible you were losing weight in the form of retained water at around the same speed you were putting on weight in the form of fat. We have an saying in the medical community, "If you hear hooves clicking, think horse, not zebra". Basically meaning that the obviously answer is usually the correct answer. As I said in my initial response, you could have a rare condition. It could be a zebra, but it's probably just a horse. The best way to tell is to do what I recommended in my first response. Track calories with as much consistency as humanly possible for a few months. If you do not lose weight, you have ruled out overeating. Then you need to go and see a specialist and start looking for zebras.

mranalli23

I'm a nurse and used to work in a doctor's office. We saw people all the time that wanted to lose weight. We always referred them to the typical heart association diet. Some people did fantastic. Others followed it to a T and couldn't lose a pound to save their life. I for one have seen many people do fantastic on Weight Watchers, however, I tried it for 5 weeks and followed it religiously, but couldn't lose a pound! I too was fatigued and overweight, lacked energy and enthusiasm. A friend of mine suggested to me to buy a diet book because she had many family members who tried it and above actually losing weight, more importantly, almost immediately got their energy back and felt like a new person. I did buy the book and have to admit that I am in total agreeance with this doctor's philosophy. I lost 17 pounds in 5 weeks. When I started the diet, I had to set my alarm to wake up to eat breakfast and then would go back to sleep after I ate. There's a time frame that should happen between meals. By the 3rd day I was awake before the alarm and realized after a couple days I wasn't tired anymore. This was huge for me! I'm a firm believer that there isn't one diet out there that works for everyone! Consider getting the book. You could get at library possibly. It's called Dr. Abravanel's Body Type Diet and Lifetime Nutrition Plan. And I know what you're thinking... it's not the typical Pear, Apple, etc. body type book. It's based on how you put on your weight, things you crave, to figure out which gland in your body should be most dominant. Then explains how to stimulate that gland by eating right. I can't speak highly enough about it. I had tried numerous things prior and this works! On another note, there are some things that jump out to me in your daily log. I'm betting you're a "Thyroid" body type... I am as well. If I'm right. There's some obvious changes that could be made that might help. Let me know if you get your hands on a book.... I'd be glad to help if interested. And I don't necessarily think you're overeating... it may be what you are eating. Just because you stay under the numbers in a days time... doesn't necessarily mean it was the right choice food for your body type. I hear your frustration and was there myself. There is a science to it.

penny0919

You say in your original post you were BEDRIDDEN for THREE MONTHS and you are shocked you gained a lot of weight?

You went from being an active college student to not getting out of bed.

Irvic

Interesting. I have long wondered if that kind of weight gain was within some sort of normal range, given the hindsight of the infection. the biggest concern was that there was generally not much info on the internet about that kind of gain (except in body building articles, but they all talk about muscle gain) and thyroid disorders. I have no problem being more meticulous about my food, I just want to see as many possibilities as possible. nothing saying I can't check for metabolism problems while counting calories. Thank you for the time and advice.

vismal

I'm a nurse and used to work in a doctor's office. We saw people all the time that wanted to lose weight. We always referred them to the typical heart association diet. Some people did fantastic. Others followed it to a T and couldn't lose a pound to save their life. I for one have seen many people do fantastic on Weight Watchers, however, I tried it for 5 weeks and followed it religiously, but couldn't lose a pound! I too was fatigued and overweight, lacked energy and enthusiasm. A friend of mine suggested to me to buy a diet book because she had many family members who tried it and above actually losing weight, more importantly, almost immediately got their energy back and felt like a new person. I did buy the book and have to admit that I am in total agreeance with this doctor's philosophy. I lost 17 pounds in 5 weeks. When I started the diet, I had to set my alarm to wake up to eat breakfast and then would go back to sleep after I ate. There's a time frame that should happen between meals. By the 3rd day I was awake before the alarm and realized after a couple days I wasn't tired anymore. This was huge for me! I'm a firm believer that there isn't one diet out there that works for everyone! Consider getting the book. You could get at library possibly. It's called Dr. Abravanel's Body Type Diet and Lifetime Nutrition Plan. And I know what you're thinking... it's not the typical Pear, Apple, etc. body type book. It's based on how you put on your weight, things you crave, to figure out which gland in your body should be most dominant. Then explains how to stimulate that gland by eating right. I can't speak highly enough about it. I had tried numerous things prior and this works! On another note, there are some things that jump out to me in your daily log. I'm betting you're a "Thyroid" body type... I am as well. If I'm right. There's some obvious changes that could be made that might help. Let me know if you get your hands on a book.... I'd be glad to help if interested. And I don't necessarily think you're overeating... it may be what you are eating. Just because you stay under the numbers in a days time... doesn't necessarily mean it was the right choice food for your body type. I hear your frustration and was there myself. There is a science to it.

As a fellow nurse I can assure you that the reason previous diets failed to cause weight loss for you and why your current diet did is because the previous diets failed to put you into a caloric deficit. The current diet did. It's the law of thermodynamics. While I agree there is no 1 approach that "works" for everyone this is because of compliance. Calorie deficits work for 100% of humans, different diets just provide people with different methods of achieving the deficit. If calorie counting "doesn't work" for someone, they are doing it wrong. If they cannot stay compliant with calorie counting then I agree it "doesn't work for them", but this is simply because they cannot stick to/do it correctly. It will however work for 100% of people when executed correctly.

Irvic

I was shocked by the amount of weight and inability to take it off again over years, not that I gained weight in the first place. before then I had never been above 180 and that was when I was lifting regularly in high school.

Kalikel

A true calorie deficit will result in weight loss up until you are skin and bones... It is impossible to maintain weight with a calories deficit over a 365 day period. Period.

So, the only answer: You are not eating a deficit. There may be other issues which contribute to the issue.

MPF has a great logging feature, a way to enter exercise, and even tells you what your deficit is. Its pretty awesome, check it out!!

When creating a deficit means eating so little that you cannot function and get dizzy, eating at a deficit starts seeming less desirable that eating. Toss in the fact that your body constantly craves food because it has no energy and the desire to eat gets a lot stronger.

Not everyone is healthy and has a body that just burns fat if they eat an amount (say, 1000 cals a day) that most would consider a deficit. Bodies don't always work the way they're supposed to work.

This is a lot like if someone complains that they're really tired and can't pee, and you say, "You sound dehydrated! You should drink more!" If they say they have and still can't pee, you might say, "Well, if you drink, there will be urine! That's what happens when you drink enough!" But, obviously, that doesn't always happen. If the kidney fail to do their job, no peeing.

When things go wrong, the processes that should work don't always work.

It's not always a matter of needing more willpower. Sometimes it's a matter of needing medication and/or surgery. THEN the eating at a deficit drops the weight.

NoMoreBlameGame

The weight gain is not all that shocking. You were bed ridden so your maintenance calories would be greatly reduced. You also had an infection for a long period of time. Infections cause inflammatory responses in the body and can lead to water retention. So for the period of time you thought you were maintaining your weight, it is entirely possible you were losing weight in the form of retained water at around the same speed you were putting on weight in the form of fat. We have an saying in the medical community, "If you hear hooves clicking, think horse, not zebra". Basically meaning that the obviously answer is usually the correct answer. As I said in my initial response, you could have a rare condition. It could be a zebra, but it's probably just a horse. The best way to tell is to do what I recommended in my first response. Track calories with as much consistency as humanly possible for a few months. If you do not lose weight, you have ruled out overeating. Then you need to go and see a specialist and start looking for zebras.

I hope you find the answers you are seeking, OP...but the quote above from vismal makes perfect sense (to me).

Maybe it's *NOT* you consuming too many calories...but if you have dealt with not knowing for this long...surely a couple of months with consistent tracking and logging every single thing you put in your mouth (MFP is awesome for that) will at least rule out what it *isn't* (if it isn't overconsumption).

Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt what it *isn't*, is one step closer to finding out what it *is*....that's all I'm saying.


I'm not saying you're overeating...I'm not saying that and I'm not even assuming that at all. I just think you'd feel a lot better if you were able to say NO that's not it (and know for a fact you're right).

tdh1991

I have a problem with people jumping to that conclusion because I spent 3 years having doctors do the same thing and low and behold, I was that 1% of the time problem that the doctor wouldn't even humor. So yes, maybe it is a problem, but again. Lets assume for the moment its not. and figure out what that 1% problem could be. I'm not dumb and I know how to count calories if I have to, but I was hoping that posting on to a fitness blog might reveal something I haven't thought of yet.

Add a lot more vegetable in your diet. Aim for a 1/2 to 1 lb fresh vegetables and 1/2 to 1 lb of raw vegetables. And loose the processed foods.

See if that helps.

cebreisch

There are many things in your post that I can relate to. I had lost 115 pounds, and went to have skin removal surgery for the belly. I got sick not from the surgery but from changes that resulted from it. Since it removed 26 pounds of fat, and fat has hormones, I went into a tailspin - depression, didn't want to eat at all, and went into menopause. Once I was finally on the upswing, I made lots of excuses to avoid "getting back in the game." It's July - holiday - it's coming upon school time - it's halloween....it's raining, it's snowing, the sun is shining, whatever. 2 years on, 1 year off (and gained about 70 pounds) - I'm finally back in the game (or so it seems).

I think it's awesome that you've discovered some of the foods that set you off to not feeling so well, and thought to be tested for celiac disease/syndrome. So you are doing smart things that are giving you some answers.

One thing I'd suggest is becoming a food journal nazi. Really try to be adamant about measuring, weighing and logging food. Make sure you're being real with it.

Next, get a Fitbit one. It will measure your calories burned, and there's a chart on the website and in the iphone app that shows calories in vs calories out. Make absolutely certain that you are burning more than you're taking in. AND DON'T eat back the calories burned from exercising, unless you're REALLY killing it like doing Insanity or P90X. Those calories are bonus calories.

Then, drink water like a fish, and get in a lot of fiber.

If the problems persist, try going to see a dietician. They can help you really change up your game with your food intake.

Really share your frustration with it all. These four things are what I've found are the biggest helps with what I'm doing. I've lost 7.2 pounds in the last 4 weeks doing this.

For what it's worth - and good luck to you!

Irvic

we try, my wife has been diligently blanching and freezing tomatoes from our garden for the past week, unfortunately anything we can't grow we have to buy which gets expensive.

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jkal1979

we try, my wife has been diligently blanching and freezing tomatoes from our garden for the past week, unfortunately anything we can't grow we have to buy which gets expensive.

Frozen veggies are a good and cheap option.

_Zardoz_

I have already explained over and over again that I have not excluded overeating from being possible, I don't know how I can be more open minded than that other than just blindly agreeing and going on my merry way. it seems that the people that refuse to believe it could be anything but overeating are the ones who need to be more open minded and try to consider for a moment what else could be wrong. for instance, the people that suggested the blood panel, that was a step in the right direction.

the thing is you are excluding over eating by not being willing to try the easiest and obvious thing. Accurately track your calories and eat at a calorie defecit. Just saying it could be over eating but wanting other answers is not being open minded. Yes it could be something else but that is more unlikely. Count calorie accurately for a while then come back and tell us we were wrong. Until you've done that all your doing is trying to fool yourself. If it looks like a duck and settings like a duck is likely to be a duck

I'm out. I'll only hit my head against a brick wall so many times

_Zardoz_

So what's going on here?

The OP is assuming he's not overeating but he's not weighing his food, not using measuring cups, writing everything down, so basically estimating how much he's eating?

But to some the most absolutely logical, super logical answer is he has a medical condition?

Yea, that makes sense. It has to be a medical condition. What else could it be.

yep that's it

Irvic

ya know, just because someone makes a suggestion, doesn't mean it gets done instantly. you want me to count calories, I can do that. I'm looking at scales on amazon right now. but guess what, it takes time, and in the mean time, I have other questions I was hoping to get opinions on as well. Sooooo, maybe bring something besides badly thought out sarcasm to the conversation, possibly?

FatFreeFrolicking

Thank you for the reply everyone. But its sad to see everyone jumping to the conclusion that I'm over eating. I really don't think I am but will not exclude the possibility if nothing else comes up. Whether you agree or not, let's, for the moment assume, that I'm not overeating. I'm looking for a wide range of paths to be able to explore, and I can't do that if we're getting hung up one possible cause.

I'm also concerned that no one has addressed the weight gain in the first place, does this mean it's normal to gain that much weight in that much time?

I also have had many blood panels done, I went through 5 doctors in 3 years and every time that was the first thing they did. everything always came back normal, which is one of the reasons they always said it must be a mental illness. thyroid was my first thought as well, but again, tests came back normal.

Thank you so far for the comments and the time spent on them!

No, gaining 58 lbs in 3 months is not normal. But it's very easy to do if you are laying in bed a lot (you were sick), not exercising (because you are sick), and aren't tracking calories.

You need to start logging your food on MFP. You also need to weigh EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. Your problem is that you aren't weighing your food. If all your blood work is normal, you are overeating. It's very easy to do, especially when you aren't weighing or plugging your food into the database on MFP.

mranalli23

Not necessarily true! And for me definately not true! I did count and measure and stay under what I was supposed to and had a calorie deficit. By following Dr. Abravanel's plan... it showed me what foods I should avoid for my body type and what foods were good for my body type; how much time should go by between meals; it also showed me the importance of having three even meals of nutrition (mainly protein); which is the complete opposite for my husband's body type. Once I changed my style of eating, I was even able to consume more calories than what was suggested to lose weight. I know what we're taught in nutrition class. But I have also been able to see what works for me and other people and I believe Dr. Abravanel has figured it out! His theory is based on labwork, etc. on patients he has used it on. It's very successful. Give it a try... nothing else has worked and it can't hurt! You may be pleasantly surprised.

FatFreeFrolicking

Thank you for the reply everyone. But its sad to see everyone jumping to the conclusion that I'm over eating. I really don't think I am but will not exclude the possibility if nothing else comes up. Whether you agree or not, let's, for the moment assume, that I'm not overeating. I'm looking for a wide range of paths to be able to explore, and I can't do that if we're getting hung up one possible cause.

I'm also concerned that no one has addressed the weight gain in the first place, does this mean it's normal to gain that much weight in that much time?

I also have had many blood panels done, I went through 5 doctors in 3 years and every time that was the first thing they did. everything always came back normal, which is one of the reasons they always said it must be a mental illness. thyroid was my first thought as well, but again, tests came back normal.

Thank you so far for the comments and the time spent on them!

People are jumping to overeating first for a reason. You have had what seems like plenty of diagnostic testing done. If it was something simple like thyroid or other endocrine system dysfunction, it should have been found by now. This leaves 2 possibilities. You either A, have a rare metabolic condition not found by the many test and many doctors you have seen, or B you are eating more calories/burning less calories then you think. While A is possible, albeit unlikely, B happens all the time to people everywhere. You need to get a food scale and weigh 100% of what goes into your mouth. No cheat days/meals, no food you do not prepare yourself. Do this for 1 month and stay EXTREMELY consistent with both your exercise and calories consumed. See what your weight does. If you do not lose weight, reduce calories and give it another month. If 2 months go by with no loss, you could try and see an endocrinologist that specializes in complex metabolic conditions related to weight gain. Again it is entirely possible you do have a rare health problem, its just exponentially more likely you are simply eating more/burning less then you think.

considering that the OP is talking about gaining 70lbs in 3 months, i'm far more inclined to think that there's something medical going on, rather than assuming he's eating an extra one of these every single day...

He didn't gain 70 lbs in 3 months. It was 58 lbs to be exact. And since he was sick and probably laying around in bed most of the day since he was not working, it is certainly not hard to believe that he gained that much weight in such a short amount of time.

vismal

Not necessarily true! And for me definately not true! I did count and measure and stay under what I was supposed to and had a calorie deficit. By following Dr. Abravanel's plan... it showed me what foods I should avoid for my body type and what foods were good for my body type; how much time should go by between meals; it also showed me the importance of having three even meals of nutrition (mainly protein); which is the complete opposite for my husband's body type. Once I changed my style of eating, I was even able to consume more calories than what was suggested to lose weight. I know what we're taught in nutrition class. But I have also been able to see what works for me and other people and I believe Dr. Abravanel has figured it out! His theory is based on labwork, etc. on patients he has used it on. It's very successful. Give it a try... nothing else has worked and it can't hurt! You may be pleasantly surprised.

Your personal experience is anecdote. Unless your body does not subscribe to the LAW (not theory) of thermodynamics, the same law that governs the entire known universe, you will ALWAYS lose weight if you eat less then you burn. You were most likely miscounting calories. Most humans are TERRIBLE at estimating calories. Recent studies found people overestimate calories consumed by up to 40%. While eating certain foods vs. others can be beneficial for health and wellness reasons, weight loss is determined via calories in vs. calories out plain and simple. If eating certain foods gives you more energy and allows greater calories to be burned per day, then sure, eating that "diet" allowed better weight loss but it is only because you increased calories burned. In the end you cannot escape the energy balance equation, unless of course your body is exempt from the physical laws of the universe.

vismal

He didn't gain 70 lbs in 3 months. It was 58 lbs to be exact. And since he was sick and probably laying around in bed most of the day since he was not working, it is certainly not hard to believe that he gained that much weight in such a short amount of time.

Agree, especially if maybe 15 or so of this weight gain was water. Then they really only gained 43 lbs in 3 months. This is still a lot but considering the extremely reduced physical activity, its not impossible or improbable by any means.

cleback

You're making this overly complicated, OP. Start with the most likely explanation--that you are overestimating your intake-- and go from there. I get that you've been through a lot and that will influence your decision-making process. But honestly,to not do this will only prolong your suffering. The best medical specialist will not be able to help you if you dont. You are cheating yourself.

Yes, that is not normal to gain that much weight. However, we do not know your whole medical history. Some medication prescribed for depression can cause rapid weight gain and metabolic disturbances. We can only conjecture.

But please, try calorie counting first before you assume anything else. Best luck to you.

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RockWarrior84

I am hung up on the fact you are assuming 225 lbs or so to about a 300lb person.


But you can gain weight quick when you are a "fit" active person eating badly and young. But when you keep eating like that and you routine changes you can gain weight very quickly. Example in high school I played high school soccer basketball and tennis. I could eat the same amount as a small family. Bottomless pit. After I stopped playing sports after graduation I ate the same and stopped the sports. My weight went up quite a bit over the summer before I realized I had gained weight.

You have maintained the same weight over a period of time. The calorie thing is probably the simple easy answer.

This is coming from a guy who is 5'11 220lbs currently. I was 270lbs. My thing was thinking i was eating well but my portions were too big.

sodakat

I don't know why you are not losing weight, but I'll guess the same as most everyone above^^.

However, if you want to do a little "test" and you can't afford a scale, you can try Scooby's 30 day metabolism calculator (http://www.sweat4health.com/losing-fat-with-slow-metabolism/).

What this entails is buying a month's worth of "healthy" frozen dinners (you can buy them weekly if you wish instead of 30 days ahead). Then for the next month, that is ALL YOU EAT. Only drink water. The exact calories are on each dinner. No guesswork involved. Not saying I'd want to eat those things 3 meals a day for a month, but hey, you wanted something outside the box. This "test" will let you know for sure if you are the .01 percent (according to Scooby) who really does have a medical reason for not losing weight. He has some other ideas on this page (http://scoobysworkshop.com/fat-loss-plateau-calculator/). Here are Scooby's reasons why people don't lose weight:

1.You are eating more calories than you realize (75% of you)
2.You are over-reporting your exercise (15% of you)
3.You are not weighing your self accurately (9.9% of you)
4.You have a rare disease (0.1% of you

MyOwnSunshine

Not necessarily true! And for me definately not true! I did count and measure and stay under what I was supposed to and had a calorie deficit. By following Dr. Abravanel's plan... it showed me what foods I should avoid for my body type and what foods were good for my body type; how much time should go by between meals; it also showed me the importance of having three even meals of nutrition (mainly protein); which is the complete opposite for my husband's body type. Once I changed my style of eating, I was even able to consume more calories than what was suggested to lose weight. I know what we're taught in nutrition class. But I have also been able to see what works for me and other people and I believe Dr. Abravanel has figured it out! His theory is based on labwork, etc. on patients he has used it on. It's very successful. Give it a try... nothing else has worked and it can't hurt! You may be pleasantly surprised.

Your personal experience is anecdote. Unless your body does not subscribe to the LAW (not theory) of thermodynamics, the same law that governs the entire known universe, you will ALWAYS lose weight if you eat less then you burn. You were most likely miscounting calories. Most humans are TERRIBLE at estimating calories. Recent studies found people overestimate calories consumed by up to 40%. While eating certain foods vs. others can be beneficial for health and wellness reasons, weight loss is determined via calories in vs. calories out plain and simple. If eating certain foods gives you more energy and allows greater calories to be burned per day, then sure, eating that "diet" allowed better weight loss but it is only because you increased calories burned. In the end you cannot escape the energy balance equation, unless of course your body is exempt from the physical laws of the universe.

I read a recent study that was conducted with Registered Dietitians as the subjects. Even they, of all people, were guilty of severely underestimating their food consumption in their daily journals.

OP, no one here is trying to attack you. Most of us have been there. I have been there more times than you can count. What I have learned from logging on MFP is that unless I weigh, measure and log my food, I seriously underestimate my consumption.

Exercise is great for fitness and general health, and also helps with weight loss maintenance, but eating too much food is generally responsible for weight gain, and eating less food than your daily energy requirements is generally responsible for weight loss. This isn't an attack -- it's really just the truth for most of the people I've met on this site in the past 3 years.

PS: Start saving money for a food scale, or go to Goodwill and try to find a used one. It will be invaluable in your weight loss process.

Edited for clarity.

Irvic

that's definitely a different way of doing it lol. not a bad idea either. thank you for your help!

Irvic

are used ones still accurate, I would imagine they would lose calibration after awhile