<sigh> bad metabolism?

Ellebeegirl

I hesitate to bring this up because I know how it is viewed when a heavy person blames it on a slow metabolism....but has anyone successfully turned that situation around?

I am a life long yo-yo dieter. Most recently I did 3 rounds of very low calorie plus sublingual hcg in 2010. After gaining it back 3 times, I gave up trying. In January of 2011 I gave up dieting for good. I eat healthy choices, all the stuff you're supposed to do. I gave up fried foods, the only processed food I might have is white bread on a restaurant sandwich occasionally, very low sugar and very low artificial sweeteners. I'm scared of chemical foods and preservatives so I limit them the best I can, etc. I recently started logging my food to verify I'm eating what I thought and I run between 1500 and 1700 calories a day.

In March I started strength training and cardio. I don't mess around at the gym, I have a trainer and I workout 4-5 times a week for over 2 months now.

I have gained 30 pounds since October of 2010. It is still going up. I'm frustrated beyond words. I am in the process of being checked out by my physician to make sure nothing is wrong physically, but I don't think she will find anything. In my mind 4 months seems like a long time to see no results when I'm doing everything I've been told to do. I'm heavier than I have ever been by 20 pounds and I am fighting the urge to fad diet-even though I already know what the result would be.

I am going to keep on keeping on, but geesh?!! Anyone else? I would love to hear someone say "it is getting ready to turn around for you, Lori. This is how it worked for me...."

bethvandenberg

Give it another couple of months. Are you measuring your food? that may be if you're eating too big a portion size. Drink a ton of water. Then drink some more. You're on the right path. Just hang in there. I know it's frustrating.

cessnaholly

Hi,
I've been there. I've been overweight since my gall bladder was removed and I was in a bad car accident. Anyway, its been 10 years and i've never been able to lose. What worked for me was NOT dieting. I just started tracking what I ate and walking. I lose about 1 pound every week and 1/2 or so but it has been steady. I'm seeing it as changing my eating habits and a new lifestyle rather than working extra hard to watch what I eat and exercise like crazy.

It took many years to put it on. It will take a long time to take it off. There will be bumps in the road. You'll gain a little and lose a lot more. Just take it one day at a time and you will mke progress. It gets better. Start slow and do what you are comfortable with. You'll do it!

thirteenblessings

Hi Lori!

Well I'm kind of in the same boat. Since January of this year I've gained 25 pound, for seemingly no reason. I thougth I was eating healthy, and I work out nearly every day , running and resistance training, so I thought for sure there was something wrong with me.

Two weeks ago I went to my Dr. and had a gamut of tests run and she found nothing wrong with me, I'm perfectly healthy. Thyroid is fine, etc.

So I found this website and since joining I've lost 6 pounds. That's 6 pounds in a little under 2 weeks. So I guess even with my "healthy" eating and exercising, I was simply eating too much. Now that I am tracking my food and becoming aware of everything I eat and drink, I'm able to lose weight.

Don't give up! And Welcome!!!

fcrisswell

Have your thyroid checked.

Then MAKE sure you are measuring not just guessing at you food amounts. Most people way underestimate serving sizes and THINK they are eating way less caloriewise than they actually are.

Get rid of any calorie drinks, soda, juice, etc. Somethings sneak in that you don't even think about.

Drink lots of water.

registers

There is 1 reasons, why people gain fat. Besides issues with things such as the thyroid. The issue is insulin, 2 things that increase insulin, high caloric intake per meal, and carbs. If you're meeting your caloric requirments for weightloss, and are exercising. The only thing I can foress the issue being is access carbs. If you are eating a lot of carbs. Cut back on them. I am not saying they're bad, they are good for us, but in moderation.

crissa413

Have you ever had your thyroid checked out?? I experienced a big weight gain last year along with some other things like fatigue and talked to my doctor about it and she recommended we check out my thyroid. After taking a blood test, she told me that I'm slightly hypothyroid which causes your metabolism to be really slow and results in weight gain. Maybe you should get yours checked out, if you haven't already.

FrenchMob

HCG - Nuff said. It probably destroyed your metabolism with that "diet".

You need to slowly build that back up and you're on the right track with some strength training and cardio. But you also have to meticulously measure your food and log properly, and for a awhile, don't restrict your calories too much...I would say no more than a lbs a week, but without knowing your stats (height & weight) it's just a guess.

wimom27

I was beginning to feel like you for awhile. I had lost a little then hit a plateau and lost nothing for several months no matter what I did. I have changed my diet drastically from what it used to be and have gone from sedentary to exercising daily. I finally went to the doctor and had things checked out and other than low vitamin D and iron, everything else looked good. Well, even though my thyroid function tests said ok.... I decided to add some herbal thyroid support drops to my daily intake as well as continued on my exercise regimen and just changed some of what I was doing for exercise as well as continued to eat right. FINALLY, my metabolism must have kicked in because I began losing... SLOWLY, but still losing. I have now lost 20 lbs.! It is still only coming off about 1-2 lbs. a week, but SOMETHING is better than nothing.

NancyCatherineWalker

For what it's worth this is exactly why I'm here. I dieted and upped my exercise for a year and came out heavier then I went in. I've only been here a few days but I'm starting to see results. I know that I have a hormone issue that contributes to my problems but I'm not going to let the weight win. Hang in there!

Sasha_Bear

I'm curious to know how many calories you are burning during these workouts, because 1500 to 1700 maybe to much are you creating a large enough deficit?

Fergo1948

I started dieting when I hit 17 stone using calorie counting which worked until I reached 16 stone where no matter what I did, even dropping calorie count as low as 1000 a day I could not get any lower.
So I sent for Audrey Eytons F2 Diet book which I followed religiously. I was eating more food, but different food, to what I was eating before and would you believe I lost 9.5 pounds in the first two weeks. This diet keeps you on low fat high fibre food and it works for me.By the way I am male, 63 years old and a bit sedentary but I started cycling to work and doing a few extra miles at weekends.

Ellebeegirl

Thanks everyone! Gosh, I should have written here weeks ago. Let's see if I can answer some questions...

I'm not comfortable yet saying what I weigh, mostly because it is still going up and it makes me cry. I'm between 200 and 220, 5'7" and 43 years old.

I do 30 minutes of strength and core training, followed by 15 minutes on the treadmill walk/jogging. I'm building up the amount of weights I use and building up to jogging more than walking. It's all to build my core and help burn some calories. I've not ever been to a gym before in my life-so I am a beginner. But I do take it seriously and work as hard as I can when I'm there.

I don't measure my food, it is my all or nothing mentality and that seems too much like a diet. The whole point of changing the way I eat and exercise was to not diet. That is also why my calories have ended up in a range between 1500-1700 most days. I don't want to "diet" at 1200 calories or something. I want to eat and think about food in a normal way, like people that have never dieted.

I'm not asking for a miracle. I'm not looking to lose a certain amount in a certain time limit. I don't care if it takes me a year to lose the excess I've gained. I just need to see a downward trend at some point.

I've gone through the gamut of tests. I've been on synthroid for 7 years. My TSH was low normal, so I'm pretty certain that is still regulated sufficiently. My doctor did adjust my doseage a little from 112 to 125. My chem 7 is a bit of a mess. Sodium-low, Potassium-high, Calcium-low, Albumin-low, Alk phos-low....I see an ob-gyn later this week for a hormone check. I have an appt with an endocrinologist, but not until July.

I have no illusions that I have not done this to myself. I've absolutely done this to myself, but surely others have done it and eventually fixed it, right?

Glucocorticoid

Try actually measuring your food for a few weeks. Too much error in "eyeballing it"

thirteenblessings

There is 1 reasons, why people gain fat. Besides issues with things such as the thyroid. The issue is insulin, 2 things that increase insulin, high caloric intake per meal, and carbs. If you're meeting your caloric requirments for weightloss, and are exercising. The only thing I can foress the issue being is access carbs. If you are eating a lot of carbs. Cut back on them. I am not saying they're bad, they are good for us, but in moderation.

I agree 100% with this. Also since starting MFP, I've been trying to watch my carb intake. I'm not "low carbing" but Im not having carbs at every meal anymore either and when I do have them, I try hard to choose whole wheat and grain options. It really makes a difference in how I feel and my weight loss efforts! I have PCOS too though so definitely I'm more sensitive to carbs than other people might be.

Edited to add that I"m not having my nightly glass of wine anymore either, more like a weekly glass of wine. I don't miss it honestly. Instead of drinking that wine after dinner, I do my resistance training workout instead, which also really helps to curb late night cravings

SHBoss1673

your blood numbers tell me that you probably have some deficiencies in your diet, I realize you have thyroid issues to deal with, but the synthroid should correct that. It would be helpful to know your other thyroid numbers though (T3 T4 numbers, TSH isn't all that accurate usually, it's a precursor number, not an actual sign of an under-active thyroid).

It would also help to be able to see your food diary. Right now that's private, tough to see whether you're eating correctly without that. As I'm sure you've been told by your trainer, it's not as much about the exercise as it is about the diet. We lose weight by eating the right amount and right kind of food. Exercise is what we do to become healthy and support our metabolism, but you eat right (by right I mean the right amount of nutrients and the right kinds of nutrients) to drop fat.

Ellebeegirl

SHBoss,

I've only been tracking my food for 2 days. I was just looking at the nutrients section last night, and I am for sure off in places, hardly any potassium and calcium is low, so I have some things to work on. But calorie-wise I err on the side of over-estimating.

Do you think a deficiency could still be around from the extreme dieting I have done over the years? I know, for instance, that blood sodium or blood calcium isn't really an indication of sodium ( or calcium) in my diet but more how it is absorbed and processed in the blood. At least that is what I think, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't think my GP did the T3-4 tests, I hate the whole thyroid thing. It is so inaccurate. When my doctor saw me she listened to my story and said "you look like a thyroid patient-you have the look" We were so certain that was going to be the answer. But, no. That is why I'm moving on to see an endocrinologist because I know it is a difficult thing to pin down.

sizehealthy

Your best bet is to see what your doctor says. Maybe a thyroid problem?

wildon883r

A person can't measure there food for life and they shouldn't have to. The normal plate size 20-30 years ago was 9 inches and now adays its 13 inches in diameter. Look at all the amount of fat people now compared to that time frame. You can measure with your eyes when filling your plate. Eat a single serving of everything on your plate be it meat, fruit, veggie.. A 16 ounce T-bone steaks is 4 servings of meat not one. You'd have to eat a bushel of fresh veggies to even come close to a calorie goal . Fruits are about twice as caloric as veggies do to natural sugars which are not bad for you but do count. Water retention can affect what you see on a scale. Don't forget to have plenty of (HEALTHY) fat in your diet. Your physical conditiong/muscle mass plays a huge role in calorie burning. Good Luck.

drdove23

Lori,
I share your reluctance to "diet" - just thinking about it sets my teeth on edge and makes me think of all the times I've not lost weight. Also it makes me hungry. LOL! I also agree with the thyroid testing - TSH is, as has been mentioned, terribly inaccurate, and I've found very few endocrinologists who will work with you to truly assess your metabolism with a full panel. And most general practitioners don't know how to INTERPRET a full panel if they order it! Its also hard to find a doctor that will take time to listen to your "diet history" - this is a really important part of your medical history, but it often is not even addressed! I'll tell you a secret - I'm a family medicine physician, and MOST residencies in this country give -NO- official training in nutrition and exericise science. Example? ME! I'm overweight and have been for years, and I have very little idea of how to change that besides "decrease calories in, increase calories out". ASK your doctor what training they have had in nutrition, you will be suprised!

korgscrew

I've been told you can't create a calorie deficit with exercise alone.

Try tracking what your eating using this site and see what you intake is.

hroush

Why are you focusing on your core? What burns fat is essentially your legs (quads and glutes) as they are the biggest muscles in your body. I would also hope that you are doing arm exercises.

I would guess as to your gaining weight, you told your body last year that there wasn't any food around and now this year you are saying that there is food around, but you have to work hard to get it. You've trained your body to conserve everything it can. It will take time for it to overcome the fear of starvation.

Ellebeegirl

Hroush,

I totally agree with your post. I'm certain that I am paying the price now, and I'm willing to do that. I really am. I just expected it to happen a little faster. I mean, I could lose 5 pounds a week for the first two weeks then I would start gaining on 500 calories a day. You can imagine what happens when I'm eating 1500 calories a day.

I guess I just need reassurance that this will eventually work.

oh, and I guess I need to say something different than "core" it is a large muscle workout to build the muscles that are large enough to burn calories. My trainers words were, "you're never going to build your biceps enough to require a lot of calories" So yes, it is a lot of squats, lunges, rows, curls, retractions, and planks.

krazygloo

If you're not into measuring your food, one step you can change without measuring is substitution. Switch out all your normal snack food for fruit or veggies, at least for a few weeks, look at your portions, make sure it's half veg, quarter carbs and quarter protein, and change any dressing to lemon and a little light olive oil. Once you get more comfortable with what you eat, then you can tackle the tougher bit of counting the calories. Good luck, and keep with it!

SHBoss1673

I've been told you can't create a calorie deficit with exercise alone.

Try tracking what your eating using this site and see what you intake is.

untrue, you sure can. Strictly speaking exercise is just an extension of your TDEE, and thus you are able to expand it at desire and/or need.

Tiggerrick

I did not weigh my food for 42 years, I started this year... a few weeks ago. I will not do it for the rest of my life, but I have learned a few things:
1. A serving of steak that I consider normal is actually 5 to 6 servings
2. I pour more coffee creamer than one or two servings.
3. Peanut butter and jelly tastes the same at 2 servings of each or 5 servings of each, but difference in calories taken in is huge.
4. A serving of chips is much smaller than I was eyeballing.
5. I am just as full with a serving of rice that is 150gm as I am with 200gm, but save the extra calories.

I don't like the idea of dieting, and I am not. My food intake is the same as it was before I started measuring, the only difference is that I am keeping better track of calories taken in. I am also getting better at eyeballing one or two servings of an item. You can't just 'eye ball' something if you have nothing to compare it to.

I am sure you are frustrated with no weight loss, but don't let that stop you. Even if you are not loosing weight, you are building muscle, and that will make a difference no matter what.

SHBoss1673

Hroush,

I totally agree with your post. I'm certain that I am paying the price now, and I'm willing to do that. I really am. I just expected it to happen a little faster. I mean, I could lose 5 pounds a week for the first two weeks then I would start gaining on 500 calories a day. You can imagine what happens when I'm eating 1500 calories a day.

I guess I just need reassurance that this will eventually work.

oh, and I guess I need to say something different than "core" it is a large muscle workout to build the muscles that are large enough to burn calories. My trainers words were, "you're never going to build your biceps enough to require a lot of calories" So yes, it is a lot of squats, lunges, rows, curls, retractions, and planks.

not sure what a retraction is, but you described both core (planks) and a lot of lower body work. Which is fine. But I disagree with Hroush on one point. Muscle size does not elicit more fat burn. You burn fat by creating a deficit.

now, labeam, you asked before if I thought that the extreme dieting could have been the cause for your lack of progress. My answer is Yes and no. It's hard to make that assessment without knowing a lot more about you, but the possibility does exist. Believe it or not, with that kind of long term issue, it's more about your micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) than your macronutrients. it's difficult to cause a healthy liver, kidneys and digestive system to be permanently damaged from low calories alone, but you can do all sorts of damage to the more fragile organs such as the gall bladder, bladder, duodenum, small intestines this way. What I would suggest is this:

And understand, this will take a good month to six weeks to do, so don't expect magic results right off the bat, and you may gain a couple of pounds at the start, that's ok, those will come off rather quickly once you get going.

First step is to reset your body's RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), you do this by eating what you should be eating, I.E. by eating your maintenance. Do this for a month or so, get your body used to eating this many calories, make the calories SUPER clean (this part sucks), take some time, a few hours at least, and sit down and plan out a perfectly healthy diet. I.E. exactly right on macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein) and make sure the carbs and fats and proteins are all healthy versions. Then do the same with micronutrients, taking care to add at least 6 veggie servings a day, 2 green leafy, 2 yellow or red, and 2 dark or hard green. Don't forget your healthy fats (omega 3 and omega 6 rich foods).

Doing this is NOT easy, it gets boring so make sure you design 3 to 4 different meals for each meal of the day, and also remember to add snacks.

Things to avoid like the plague,
restaurant foods (in general, I know this is impossible sometimes, but do the best you can)
fast foods, never ever, sorry, it's a no no during this period.
candy
pastries (yep that includes everything, donuts, cake, pies, muffins...etc.)
White flour foods
white sugar (limited fruit sugar is fine, but stay away from juice)
lots of saturated fats (lean red meats like filet minion are ok on rare occasion but not things like prime rib)
...etc. you get the picture.

keep in mind this is only for a month, four weeks. That's all.

Is this tough? Yep, but it's doable. I did it. My wife did it, I know tons of people that hold to this every day of their lives.

NOW,
once that's done you can be slightly more lenient on stuff, but here's the thing, now you can start your deficit, but don't make it huge, make it just large enough to do what you need to do. This is a long term thing, you don't get fast results this way, but you get permanent results this way.
I'm proof. 4 years later, same weight I was when I stopped losing (actually I'm 10 lbs heavier, but that's by design, I've actually lost 4% body fat since then and gained 12 lbs of lean tissue).
And trust me, I don't eat super super clean, I have the occasional brownie or ice cream here and there. But you know what, I can because the rest of my life is healthy eating.

As to whoever it was who said you can't measure for the rest of your life, I disagree, I do, every day I weigh or measure food. there are days when I can't, but in general, I do, I don't see why that's so difficult to do.

ksv123

Tiggerrick -

Excellent point on being able to estimate servings. She must know what a serving actually looks like first. I understand why she wouldn't want to constantly weigh each meal yet feel it is necessary to do so initially in order to get a good feel for what one serving should look like.

Ellebeegirl

SHBoss, Thank you so much for taking the time to write that all out for me. If there is one thing I can do, it is follow a strict plan for a limited amount of time! ; )

I will have to put some time into research, I have never once worried about vitamins and minerals. Carbs, protein, fat...all of that I have counted-controlled-limited-eliminated, but never have I worried about vitamins and minerals. I don't even know how much I need. (Omega 3 and 6 is the only supplement I take) A lot of your "don't" I already "don't" so really I think your plan is pretty doable.

I have a problem with the possibility of gaining but since that is happening anyway, what do I have to lose? teehee

Thanks to everyone for their support. I'll stick around and let you all know how it works out for me. I just know I can beat this, I know I can!

Glucocorticoid

I mostly agree with SHBoss's suggestion. I will add that during this maintenance period, it is still important to be eating adequate protein (1g/lb is a good rule of thumb), and also be sure to get plenty of carbs (this will help upregulate some of the hormones that have been depleted due to prolonged dieting). Get plenty of high fiber veggies and water as well. Obviously it should go without saying that you should be eating at your maintenance caloric level (hopefully you know what that is).

SHBoss1673

I mostly agree with SHBoss's suggestion. I will add that during this maintenance period, it is still important to be eating adequate protein (1g/lb is a good rule of thumb), and also be sure to get plenty of carbs (this will help upregulate some of the hormones that have been depleted due to prolonged dieting). Get plenty of high fiber veggies and water as well. Obviously it should go without saying that you should be eating at your maintenance caloric level (hopefully you know what that is).

Yes, except, 1 gram of protein per pound is excessive, 1.2 gram per kilogram is about the average that both the American Dietetic Association and the ACSM recommend, as well as the US Olympic Weight Lifting association, maybe slightly more for someone actively trying to build muscle mass, but slightly means maybe 1.5 or 1.6 grams per kilo.