Doctor, Dietitian, or MFPs?

yoginimary

Ok, I'm pleading for help. I've been stuck for 3 months. I've had other plateaus, but this is getting frustrating. I've been more strict with calories and exercising more. I'm usually within 100 calories - either side. How did I lose 18 lbs then stop - stop completely? I'm not sure.

Here's some info for those in the know:
I'm at 152 lbs. I'm 5'3" and 36 years old. I do strength 2x a week for 1 hour, just increased yoga to 3x a week for 1 hour (minimum), and do some sort of cardio every day (on my rest day, I walk). I do interval training on my cardio days that I'm not doing strength or the rest day - usually the elliptical or walking hills on the treadmill - sometimes kickboxing. I eat about 2000 calories a day (about 700 of that is exercise calories). According to my Dexa scan I'm 40% body fat, which may be an overestimate, but it's close according to the professionals. My food: I'm a vegetarian (that's not going to change). My average breakdown is 60% carbs, 23% fat, and 17% protein. I get around 90 grams of protein and 50 grams of fiber everyday. I eat very little processed food and quite a few veggies.

I wouldn't mind if I lost something - 1 pound a month is fine. Nothing in 3 months is unacceptable. Oh, not losing inches either.

I had a physical last December and everything was fine.

So my question is: Do I go to the doctor or dietitian for help? Or does anyone want to suggest something?

Thanks y'all.

yoginimary

Ok, I'm pleading for help. I've been stuck for 3 months. I've had other plateaus, but this is getting frustrating. I've been more strict with calories and exercising more. I'm usually within 100 calories - either side. How did I lose 18 lbs then stop - stop completely? I'm not sure.

Here's some info for those in the know:
I'm at 152 lbs. I'm 5'3" and 36 years old. I do strength 2x a week for 1 hour, just increased yoga to 3x a week for 1 hour (minimum), and do some sort of cardio every day (on my rest day, I walk). I do interval training on my cardio days that I'm not doing strength or the rest day - usually the elliptical or walking hills on the treadmill - sometimes kickboxing. I eat about 2000 calories a day (about 700 of that is exercise calories). According to my Dexa scan I'm 40% body fat, which may be an overestimate, but it's close according to the professionals. My food: I'm a vegetarian (that's not going to change). My average breakdown is 60% carbs, 23% fat, and 17% protein. I get around 90 grams of protein and 50 grams of fiber everyday. I eat very little processed food and quite a few veggies.

I wouldn't mind if I lost something - 1 pound a month is fine. Nothing in 3 months is unacceptable. Oh, not losing inches either.

I had a physical last December and everything was fine.

So my question is: Do I go to the doctor or dietitian for help? Or does anyone want to suggest something?

Thanks y'all.

calatibo

ok, super stupid question, but this caught me out once before...have you changde the goals, or still eating to the original calories you were given? the amount of calorie intake recommended will drop as you lose weight...as i said, you wil have probably done it, but it did catch me once (cos i is fick ya see)

yoginimary

ok, super stupid question, but this caught me out once before...have you changde the goals, or still eating to the original calories you were given? the amount of calorie intake recommended will drop as you lose weight...as i said, you wil have probably done it, but it did catch me once (cos i is fick ya see)

Yep. Keep them coming - I would love for it to be something like this!

kimber607

Hi

I might get bashed for this, but since EVERYONE is different and FOR ME eating all of my exc cals just didn't work..I would decrease your cals by maybe 100 per day and see after 1-2 weeks where you are
I lost 30 pounds on this site...NOT eating all my exc cals then continue to upped my cals trying to find a maintenance point...I was burning 300-400 cals per day through exc..so I adjust my cals to about 2000...that was too much and I put on 2 pounds...

So again, while I think we need to be careful to eat enough.....I don't know if eating all of our exc cals works for everyone...

Just my .02
Kim

yoginimary

Hi

I might get bashed for this, but since EVERYONE is different and FOR ME eating all of my exc cals just didn't work..I would decrease your cals by maybe 100 per day and see after 1-2 weeks where you are
I lost 30 pounds on this site...NOT eating all my exc cals then continue to upped my cals trying to find a maintenance point...I was burning 300-400 cals per day through exc..so I adjust my cals to about 2000...that was too much and I put on 2 pounds...

So again, while I think we need to be careful to eat enough.....I don't know if eating all of our exc cals works for everyone...

Just my .02
Kim

I might try cutting my calories, though I don't have a lot of leeway. Thanks.

Fit2btied

I have an odd question...How are your eyebrows? Have they shortened from the outside of your face? If so, you could have sub-clinical hypothyroidism. This happened to me...losing hair and eyebrows and low metabolism, yet my bloodwork came back fine from the physical. I am on a natural thyroid stimulant that has helped quite a bit. I also use low doses of natural hormones b/c I had virtually none b/c of pre-men. It would explain the low metabolism and great frustration you are having! I feel for you!

yoginimary

I have an odd question...How are your eyebrows? Have they shortened from the outside of your face? If so, you could have sub-clinical hypothyroidism. This happened to me...losing hair and eyebrows and low metabolism, yet my bloodwork came back fine from the physical. I am on a natural thyroid stimulant that has helped quite a bit. I also use low doses of natural hormones b/c I had virtually none b/c of pre-men. It would explain the low metabolism and great frustration you are having! I feel for you!

Alas, no, but that's one I've never heard of before. I'm usually fairly peppy as well and show no other symptoms of hypothyroidism (except maybe dry hair). However, I do only have 60% of my thyroid, but my TSH came back normal. Did you have the full panel of thyroid test?

mjfer123

You could either increase the intensity of your work outs (ie up your weights, run faster, work harder)
or work out for a longer period of time, sometimes its that extra push that puts you over.
Maybe tack on an extra 15 minutes or an extra half mile, do one more rep.
If you aren't mildly sore after a work out, you arent up to potential, but the key word here is MILDLY, you shouldnt be aching for days, at most a couple hours.
If you go to a gym try asking a trainer, its a lot cheaper than a doctor or dietician.
And its their job to work out with you and push you that extra step.

Fit2btied

I have an odd question...How are your eyebrows? Have they shortened from the outside of your face? If so, you could have sub-clinical hypothyroidism. This happened to me...losing hair and eyebrows and low metabolism, yet my bloodwork came back fine from the physical. I am on a natural thyroid stimulant that has helped quite a bit. I also use low doses of natural hormones b/c I had virtually none b/c of pre-men. It would explain the low metabolism and great frustration you are having! I feel for you!

Alas, no, but that's one I've never heard of before. I'm usually fairly peppy as well and show no other symptoms of hypothyroidism (except maybe dry hair). However, I do only have 60% of my thyroid, but my TSH came back normal. Did you have the full panel of thyroid test?

Since my thyroid test came back normal with the physical, a full panel test was not run. However, I sought out a women's specialist who put me on low dose natural stimulant which helped. I am due next month for another complete physical. I have energy now, can eat more normal calorie intake, etc. A year ago my resting metabolism was 950 or so...hoe do you eat a balanced nutritious diet on that calorie intake? You don't and I was gaining weight like crazy or starving myself. It's better, but still frustrated with not being able to lose what I gained!

Mely

A year ago my resting metabolism was 950 or so...hoe do you eat a balanced nutritious diet on that calorie intake? You don't and I was gaining weight like crazy or starving myself. It's better, but still frustrated with not being able to lose what I gained!

How do you know what your resting metabolism is for sure??

Regarding thyroid, I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disease that causes Hypothyroidism. I think they do a different test for this but I never quite understood it. I think what they check is your T4 levels.

Mely

A year ago my resting metabolism was 950 or so...hoe do you eat a balanced nutritious diet on that calorie intake? You don't and I was gaining weight like crazy or starving myself. It's better, but still frustrated with not being able to lose what I gained!

How do you know what your resting metabolism is for sure??

Regarding thyroid, I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disease that causes Hypothyroidism. I think they do a different test for this but I never quite understood it. I think what they check is your T4 levels.

Looked up Hashimoto's and here's what I found:

It is important to note that persons with Hashimoto's can have subclinical symptoms (standard tests may come back normal but symptoms still exist). For this reason, it is important to have your doctor test specifically for Hashimoto's antibodies along with testing the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). For those who suffer weight gain and concentration problems, it is also important to have both T4 and T3 levels checked.
Your doctor should run a specific test for Hashimoto's antibodies and not just a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test since a person can have Hashimoto's (evidenced in an antibody test) years before thyroid levels fall.

yoginimary

Looked up Hashimoto's and here's what I found:

It is important to note that persons with Hashimoto's can have subclinical symptoms (standard tests may come back normal but symptoms still exist). For this reason, it is important to have your doctor test specifically for Hashimoto's antibodies along with testing the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). For those who suffer weight gain and concentration problems, it is also important to have both T4 and T3 levels checked.
Your doctor should run a specific test for Hashimoto's antibodies and not just a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test since a person can have Hashimoto's (evidenced in an antibody test) years before thyroid levels fall.

Thanks. I'm currently begging my doctor's office to include the T4 & T3 levels test for my next physical.