I am so lost. I seriously need some help here!

BT1988

would an endo dr be able to test me to see if i am gluten intolerant, have pcos along with the hormonal stuff?

i do sometimes get a painful "rigid" rash on my neck. I have painful HEAVY periods but my period is not irregular. comes every 28 days.

Also, I just recently started getting a lot of pains in my knees. One day they hurt so bad, I slept for 12 hour straight. the next day, my knee pain was gone. I was told joint pains was a sign for gluten intolerance.

servilia

well yeah - I don't like to demonize any one specific food but if I was really at my wit's end I'd probably substitute some blackberries for the banana but if you like it then just work around it

By the way, your doctor should hopefully know this, but the blood test for PCOS needs to be done on the 3rd day (2nd is ok too) of your period and should also be accompanied by an internal vaginal ultrasound to be sure..

izzydino

I got off lexapro in September. I had a been on it for 5 years and helped me gain and maintain80+ lbs. It took about a month for it leave my system, since then I have been losing about 5 lb. a month with surprisingly little effort. My cravings and my non stop munchies almost completely went away.

Hang in there. Take one day at a time. Good luck

BT1988

well yeah - I don't like to demonize any one specific food but if I was really at my wit's end I'd probably substitute some blackberries for the banana but if you like it then just work around it

By the way, your doctor should hopefully know this, but the blood test for PCOS needs to be done on the 3rd day (2nd is ok too) of your period and should also be accompanied by an internal vaginal ultrasound to be sure..

internal ultrasound DURING my period? =/

When I was 17 I had an issue where I had a long period for 2 weeks. I went to the doc and they did that to me saying I had some ovarian cysts but they never told me if i had PCOS. they just put me on BC. I was on that for awhile but two years ago I got rid of it. don't like putting stuff in my body unless its food lol. Maybe I should call my OBGYN for that.

BTW, I lost the most weight when I wasn't on any medication. that was last year. I was once on ortho trycyclen low but I hated remembering the pill. lol

kaetmarie

would an endo dr be able to test me to see if i am gluten intolerant, have pcos along with the hormonal stuff?

Also, I just recently started getting a lot of pains in my knees. One day they hurt so bad, I slept for 12 hour straight. the next day, my knee pain was gone. I was told joint pains was a sign for gluten intolerance.

I was just diagnosed with gluten intolerance. I went to a gastro doctor who did an endoscopy, bloodwork, and most recently a diet trial. If you think that this may be the problem ... I would suggest to try cutting out gluten for a few days. I felt a difference pretty quickly.

My knees were never a problem. I was very fatigued, had a lot of nausea/vomitting, and sharp stomach pains. Also -- read labels if you try this....there is gluten in EVERYTHING!

I haven't seen a drastic change in my weight due to cutting the gluten out...but I feel so much better and I'm not nearly as tired. Good luck!

servilia

Well for the ultrasound you can wait until after your period but the bloodwork has to be done on day 3 (or day 2). They'll look at the ratio of some hormones (FSH and LH) and also measure your testosterone among other things. If you have a choice, I would also add cortisol to the test panel and thyroid (TSH and Free T3, Free T4).

servilia

would an endo dr be able to test me to see if i am gluten intolerant, have pcos along with the hormonal stuff?

i do sometimes get a painful "rigid" rash on my neck. I have painful HEAVY periods but my period is not irregular. comes every 28 days.

Also, I just recently started getting a lot of pains in my knees. One day they hurt so bad, I slept for 12 hour straight. the next day, my knee pain was gone. I was told joint pains was a sign for gluten intolerance.

oh I missed this. I would ask your doctor about autoimmune issues too and if you have a chance look into gluten intolerance as you mentioned you might have it. Sorry I must sound like a hypochondriac but from what you write these things pop in my head.

Levedi

ive been doing this for 3 months. =( and nothing has been working. I havent logged in a few days cause im just not motivated to do so anymore.

This is a major signal that something might be wrong with your hormonal balance that's keeping you from losing. I had the same problem at about age 26 - broke down in the doctor's office crying about how I was doing an hour of intense workouts for an hour a day and eating 1300 calories a day without losing. She immediately ordered blood work and found out that I had elevated androgen levels which can be caused by prolonged stress (I was in grad school) and by PCOS (turns out I have that too.) Getting treated made a huge difference!

Bottom line - if you aren't losing anything after 3 months, it's time to see a doctor. A good one will help you figure out what needs to change in terms of meds, diet, and exercise. Push for blood work if she gives you cliches about diet and exercise, or get a second opinion. Also, ask your doctor to help you set a reasonable goal for weight loss and your ideal weight. Those BMI charts are not accurate, so get a recommendation based on your personal body type and doctor's calculations.

Good luck, honey! Let us know how it turns out.

heybales

I do the couch to 5k 3x a week which is only 30 minutes long. The other two days, I like to do a 45 minute cardio of either one of the group classes or a machine.

As for strength, for 6 weeks I was doing a circuit training 6week program. I decided to change my workout routine and have been doing the strength classes in my gym that are also 45 minutes long. I only do those 4 days a week. Maybe i should bring it down to 3 days a week. Not sure.

My diet plan has changed every 6 weeks to keep my body going. I am scared to eat more than 2000 because some calculators say I should. I know everyone's body is different. One girl I know started at 280lbs and is now 199.00 after a year. She worked out 3 hours a day and only ate 1600calories. She told me to try this but I did and of course nothing. I am so fed up with this crap. Can people actually just be MEANT to be this big? =(

If you can really do strength training that many days a week, along with that much cardio, then frankly you are not getting the full effect of either.

Your body must repair itself from efforts that truly strain it. Food and rest help to do that.

Food should be high level of protein for that level of activity, compared to what you are at now anyway.

And make your workout time actually count. Meaning, 60 min of strength training on Monday should make it about impossible to do it exactly again on Tue. If you can, then you didn't really do much of a workout on Monday.
You could do some cardio on Tue, but it should be a strain too, and you should feel it in the muscles under use.

Likewise, if you did a strong hard cardio on Wed, and have no problem doing your strength workout on Thu, then the cardio wasn't intense enough.

So basically, work out smarter and harder, and rest. Yes, rest.

Eat your exercise calories on of course the days you exercise, and maintenance on the other days.

Shoot, you've been at it so long for so hard (or I'm theorizing semi hard), your body probably needs a rest week. You actually may feel like you are pressing yourself, but because the body is weak, it's not as much as you were able to 6 wks ago I'd bet. Wouldn't be surprised if your HR during activities of similar pace are higher now.

Take a solid week off, just slow walks around. Eat smart.
Chance to experiment on the comment given about eating so many carbs having a negative effect on you.
If you wait 4 hrs after your last meal, and eat an almost fat free bagel, do you get a rush and then get tired, and hungry again, within 1.5 hrs?
Now next day, after 4hrs, grab a Zone or Balance bar (Chocolate Almond Raisin or Cookie Dough almost too good) and see if better or worse effect.

gazz777

Eliminate doubt - visit a doctor rather than self- (and usually mis-)diagnosing.

In my non-expert opinion (other than experienced at losing 66lb since March), set your daily intake lower. Try a 1200 base calorie count for a few days. It's about Calorific deficit, not busting your butt lol.

Feel free to FR me.

Lozze

1200 for someone who is 260 is too low.

Well for the ultrasound you can wait until after your period but the bloodwork has to be done on day 3 (or day 2). They'll look at the ratio of some hormones (FSH and LH) and also measure your testosterone among other things. If you have a choice, I would also add cortisol to the test panel and thyroid (TSH and Free T3, Free T4).

Really? I had none of that. I had blood work and an internal ultrasound.

ShapeUpSidney

What is so hard?
Set your goals here for a 1lb per week weight loss, log in your food as well as exercises and just eat lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, low fat dairy and drink 8 glasses of water.

Losing weight is actually very simple.

*rolls eyes*

Being polite is actually very simple, too

dayylight

It may have to do with your prior eating habits. Some people see a gain at first and then a loss. Your body might be stuck in starvation mode, even with all those calories you are eating because you're still at a deficit. Keep up the good eating and exercise less but push yourself harder. Hopefully that will help.

ShapeUpSidney

I recommend a DELOAD week. You sound ultra stressed. Take one full 7 day week where you substitute your workout with a daily 20 min walk, and just stay within your calorie goal.

No matter what I'm doing, be it soccer, weight loss, calculus, or chalk drawing...I never see good results when I'm stressed out to the near breaking point.

tragicom17

To be honest I did not read all the posts on this topic, but I know that Lexapro will definitely make you gain weight & be unable to lose it. I have gained and lost the same 20 lbs. 3 times now because of SSRIs, and I can certainly understand your frustration. You said that you got off of it. I hope you that tapered off of it with a Dr.'s supervision as stopping cold turkey can have drastic consequences. Remember also that these drugs take 4-6 weeks to completely leave your system. As for Kcal requirements, the general formula I learned in nutrition class is 10 calories=1 lb. of body weight. So for instance if you weigh 200 lbs. you would need to consume 2000 calories/day to maintain that weight--just talking about BMR here, not including exercise. So what you would do is take your current weight and figure out how many calories you need, then reduce it by 10% per week. If you weighed 200 lbs., you would try to lower your calorie intake by 200 calories. You can adjust this formula as you weigh yourself weekly, but it should give you a starting point. And yes, you do need to eat back what you exercise off. Also, my friend who is a personal trainer says to eat more protein than carbs. However, what you eat is just as important as how many calories you are eating. You need to eat nutrient-dense foods, otherwise your body will continue to feel hungry because it is not getting the nutrients it needs. You had mentioned a wheat allergy--while this could account for some of the problem, I believe that too much of anything is a bad thing. Unfortunately, wheat is the most readily available grain-- try interspersing it with other whole grains--rice, oats, corn, quinoa, barley, spelt, kamut, amaranth, etc. Variety is really important too. You mentioned you are sick of carrots. There are so many vegetables on this planet you will find a medley you will like. The USDA pyramid says you need 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day--in reality you need about 10. Start adding different fresh or steamed fruits & veggies into your diet, instead of thinking about what you shouldn't eat. I also must plug a vegetarian or vegan diet--or raw if you can do it. Oh, and milk actually leeches calcium from your bones and makes weight loss harder. Try to get your omega 3's from plant sources like walnuts, flax seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, chia seeds. Hope this helps. Here's a great website www.sunfood.com. Also, drink at least 3 liters of water a day.

servilia

1200 for someone who is 260 is too low.

Well for the ultrasound you can wait until after your period but the bloodwork has to be done on day 3 (or day 2). They'll look at the ratio of some hormones (FSH and LH) and also measure your testosterone among other things. If you have a choice, I would also add cortisol to the test panel and thyroid (TSH and Free T3, Free T4).

Really? I had none of that. I had blood work and an internal ultrasound.

What didn't you have? Maybe I should have been clearer - I didn't mean that thyroid and cortisol should be tested for PCOS, no. But these can also affect weight loss, that's why I mentioned them. For PCOS it's the FSH/LH/testosterone bloodwork (maybe estrogen too, I'm not sure about that) and ultrasound.

chickybuns

Maybe you are overestimating your calories burnt? I have a bodybugg and when I did Turbo Fire, people with HRMs would show almost double the amount of calories I showed, and I lost weight, so maybe take 70% of what the HRM says?

alleyrat

PCOS is a definate suspect. I take metformin as I have high levels of insulin (not high blood sugar) and when I stop taking metformin I just do not lose weight.

BobbyClerici

No way should you eat that many calories. No wonder you are having a hard time. I could not loose weight with the program the way it is set up so I eat 800 calories most days if I don't exercise and 1200 to 1500 on the days I exercise. NO MORE THAN THAT. I feel great, I am loosing about 1 to 2 pounds a week and many days I don't have time to exercise so I don't worry about it. I promise you, if you do this, you will loose weight. It doesn't matter what you eat or what time you eat or any of that garbage. Just eat no more than 1500 calories a day and you will loose pounds, guaranteed!!!

Please stop talking. She's 260 right now. 1500 calories is painfully low for her. Potentially dangerously so. Make your own bad decisions if you want, but don't encourage other people just getting started to make the same mistakes.

Right on - the above absurdity is the very self-sabotage any results oriented person should avoid.
Starvation "diets" work great for a season but always fail in the end.

pyrowill

Sounds to me like you should reduce your calories, try by 500

Helloitsdan

Sounds to me like you should reduce your calories, try by 500

huh?

She needs professional advice IMO.
Dropping 500 puts her below BMR or close to it and thats just silliness!

Say hello to hunger!

She could cut simple carbs for a while! Trade that banana and apple for celery and carrots!

love22step

Could I have a gluten intolernace? I have been kind of flirting with this idea because I started to have weird reactions to consuming a lot of wheat. Such as canker sores, extremely tired a lot even if I get a lot of rest. I try to relax but my boss and work environment stresses me out a lot. I suffer from depression but have substituted my medicine for amino acids which work BETTER than that damn lexapro. I feel better and healthy and stronger but not slimmer =(

Ask your doctor. I hear about that problem from more and more people I know. Whatever you do, don't give up! Keep working and experimenting until you find what works. If you plateau again, go through the same process. You're not meant to be heavy! Good luck and God bless!

og8997889

It was last year on New Year’s Eve when I decided to lose weight. I still remember the day when I started. I came across http://boyels.com/ and read his review. After that I was hooked and now, a year later, I'm 79 pounds lighter and have a visible 4 pack of abs lol. You just got to remember to say focused and never to give up no matter what program you’re going through. I wish you all the willpower in the world and remember the most important thing, while others sleep, we are running.

BT1988

thanks everyone for all your ideas and help. Right now, i am just going to watch what I eat and take some time from working out. I have a dr appointment dece 19th with my female doc and then jan 5th with an endo dr. Going to give my body a rest and just try to figure this out. I don't want to give up because my weight loss is very important to me. I want to be a preschool teacher so i need all my strength and I want to be a mother. its important that i am fit for motherhood

BT1988

does anyone follow the zone diet? 40-30-30..

I am trying to figure out how to get my carbs in that forumla. I want to lay off the bread. How can I get enough carbs with an 1800calorie diet?

Btw, I do not eat red meat. it makes me sick. I love chicken, ham and turkey.

i am having trouble basically trying to figure out a good lunch. Protein isn't a huge issue.

servilia

I wouldn't worry about getting "enough carbs", you're already getting more than enough, unless you mean how to cut it down.

Ok since you asked about lunch - can you replace those two slices (or at least one) of bread at lunch with salad? And have chicken or tuna on the side.. or at least cut one slice out.
Also, for half a cup, that apple sauce seems to have a lot of carbs - I'm guessing it has a lot of sugar added or if not, it's a lot of "sauce" without the fiber of the actual fruit. Can you just eat an actual apple? At least it has fibre in it.

By the way I sent you two messages the other night but I think you only read one. I made some suggestions there too...

BT1988

thanks for your help pretty lady! I appreciate it.
I haven't really been on and able to respond to many things. I work at starbucks (i open, 445 am to 1030am) and then I work at my local zoo in the evenings. I am pretty beat which is why I am taking a rest.

Johnny_Castle

If you're not losing weight your calorie calculations are wrong...you need to re-evaluate...if you're eating 2300, try eating 2000 now...and adjust again according to your results...

tragicom17

P.S. You may already know this, but your schedule is not helping you in this quest for weight loss. You cannot lose weight if you don't get enough sleep, I mean a solid 8 hours--and the less Kcals you consume, the more sleep you need. I aim for about 700Kcal/day (not counting raw fruits, vegetables, & nuts) and I def. need at least 10 hours. Sleep depro + increased cortisol levels from stress is not a good formula for weight loss.

heybales

does anyone follow the zone diet? 40-30-30..

I am trying to figure out how to get my carbs in that formula. I want to lay off the bread. How can I get enough carbs with an 1800calorie diet?

I did first time when triathlon/marathon training and needed to drop 5 lbs to get to race weight. For some odd reason my super low fat, high carb, never looked at protein diet wasn't helping. Besides making me tired and eat all the time.
Along with change to training method melted 5 lbs in 2 weeks and gained muscle.

Then followed it years later to drop 42 in 4 months. 1600-1800 calories each time.

Confirm that 1800 calorie estimate is from the zone ideas, not this site. Surprisingly don't need to eat as much or feel hungry when you follow it closely.

Anyway, one lunch I enjoyed was 4% milk fat cottage cheese, 1 cup, with the dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing mixed in, few shakes.
And then one of the Yoplait whipped yogurts light, but with fat.
Couple almonds.

That gave a C-P-F of 36-28-12 g almost on the dot, almost 400 cal. And easily made it the 4 hrs until the next snack.

Other lunch was pre-cooked chicken breast, with a bunch of the munchy vegetables ready for finger food, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, dipped in ranch sauce for the fat.
Once I calculated how many vegetable got me that 36g, I just knew how stuffed the bag had to be.

Final lunch was a whole earthy grain bread (don't recall) that was low carb compared to others, mayo, 3 slices turkey or ham meat and 2 slices of cheese. Again nailed it on the head.

I just calculated things out ahead of time, wrote it down, and used it again. I figured if I used to run through Taco Bell all the time and get the same stuff, what's so difficult with limited variety of meal that will help me.

Oh, with the food, always eat the protein first. Eating the carbs first just defeats the whole reason for following it.