over a year and no weight loss

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.

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.

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

makemyfriendsfat

I didn't bother reading everyone else's responses but I read your whole original post. Have you had your thyroid checked and hormone levels? Since you had an infection, it could have thrown off other things in your body. Both of those things can really mess up your ability to loose weight even if you are doing everything right where you should be. There are natural meds you can take for those things if that ends up being whats wrong.

_Terrapin_

OP you have said you didn't know it wasn't normal to gain 65 pounds in 3 months? How about if you start there?