All the RIGHT choices and NO LOSS...just GAIN

gayje

Okay, my first thread to have my own tantrum about "my weightloss journey". I began 7 weeks ago and made some rather significant eating and exercise habit changes. Went from eating whatever, whenever and mostly sedentary to eating my 1200 calories a day, walking a lot, using my recumbant bike, making my stairs in the house my new home version of a stair stepper etc. I lost 2 pounds in the the first month and was sort of proud of myself.

(To give you a bit of background, I have a lung disease that will bring on massive asthma attacks during strenuous exercise so I have to be oh-so-careful and use a lot of corticosteroid inhalers and rescue inhalers when I exercise.)

I have had a few slips but they weren't too terrible IMO. I would eat 1300 or 1400 calories a day and not get any exercise in due to a special event. Not many until this weekend...I saw a movie with my family and had a low cal breakfast and knew we were grilling what I like to call "lean and green" for dinner that evening, so I ate a small popcorn all to myself and completely pigged out on mini nestles candies with my girls. By pigged out, I mean about 600 calories in all. To some that is huge and to others, not so huge. I was mad at myself afterwards but didn't let it overrun my day. I talked to my partner about it and he said, " I don't see that you're eating too many calories a day even on the days you tell me you slip up ". This is a quote.

So I initially lost 2 pounds. Woo-freakin-hoo. I got on the scale today and cried. Not only have I gained back that 2 pounds but I've gained 6 pounds more for a grand total of 8. Again, maybe not a huge deal to some of you but to me, a HUGE deal. Here's why...

In 2009 I lost 80 pounds and was a very comfortable 142 pounds. I made a total lifestyle change after a divorce and went from a stay-at-home-mom to a working mom. My activity level changed drastically and the weight just fell off. In 2010 I was diagnosed with lung disease and hypersensitivity pneumonitis which lead to bi-monthly trips to my family doctor and pulmonologist for treatment. I tried EVERYTHING before I finally and reluctantly agreed to start a low dose therapy of steroids in 2011. The low dose wasn't proving to be as effective as the doc's wanted to see it be for me so they changed the dosage (increased it) twice more for the same reason. Steroids, Prednisone specifically, will cause a multitude of health issues as "side effects". Weight gain, headaches, cystic acne, bloating (the painful bloat that pushes your skin to the max), erratic behavior, aggressiveness and the list goes on and on and on. I was able to control the weight gain until this past Octoberber 2011. I started gaining about 8 pounds a month and it didn't matter what I did to counter the gain - the weight just kept coming and coming. Now, I'm at an all time high since my divorce and an all time low for my mental health. What I mean is that the total of the weight gained, 50 pounds, has put such a stress on me that simply stepping on the damn scale (sorry for the language) and reading "192" made me cry. I cried as if I was a child and someone just lit all my birthday presents on fire in front of me. Man, I cried....

What am I to do? I'm done with the steroid therapies for good. I simply could not handle all the side effects and neither could my family. My doctors have my lung disease under much better control than in the beginning. I've been off the therapy now for a solid 9 months so my body has had plenty of time to readjust and I don't get it. Why won't this happen for me?

I eat lean and green, high protein, low sodium/sugar/fat, 80 ounces of water a day...What is wrong with my body? My doctors just shrugged it off when I tried to talk to them about it. They say it's not that bad of a gain for the drug therapies I had been on and if I'm patient, it will come off.

Advice? Suggestions?

AndiJoy812

I am so sorry - that has to be so frustrating for you!

I know this is hard, but be kind to yourself. Steroids wreck havoc on your body, so it may just be a matter of time. Plus, it sounds like your body is still under a lot of stress. It is very difficult to lose weight under those circumstances.

Have you been to a nutritionist? I was very lucky - our doctor's office provides a nutritionist for free. Your insurance may cover some visits...it would be worth taking a look at. It may be that you need to increase your calories a bit, or switch up your macros. Or they can give you some tips about how to speed up your metabolism naturally. The neat thing about MFP is that you can print off copies of your food journal and the reports, so they can really take a look at what you're doing.

I wish you the best of luck...don't give up! I would talk to your doctor again, too. Tell him/her what you've been doing, and tell them to do some blood work. Maybe there is another underlying medical issue going on (like your thyroid). But whatever you do, be proud of all of the changes you are making. It will pay off! :flowerforyou:

gayje

I've had the blood work done already and have no issues with my thyroid. I'm currently uninsured so seeing a nutritionist is out of the question. I spent some time last night reading up on the group EM2WL and I am thinking of joining. Today, I'll finish up the reading.

Thanks for your kind words...all encouragement helps!

leslisa

1. When I'm having my period I'm always fat.
2. I have to exercise in the am before I start eating (even if it's 5 minutes of crunches or jumping jacks or something) or I don't lose diddly because I have an uber slow metabolism.
3. I eat 6 times a day. Jury's out on if this helps everyone, but it helps me. Usually snack is 6 - 8 almonds or walnuts, just something to boost my metabolism.
4. I put into play little metabolism boosters during the day. Pretty easy to do and not involved like a full workout. If you want details, I'll list them.

That being said, don't give up. Just find whatever works for you.

{{Hug}}

L

hellokitty41489

I would reccomend taking some measurements; I haven't lost weight in nearly a month (actually I gained 1 lb) but lost a pant size. You might be surprised with the results

mmarcy7

Do you eat grains, dairy? I wasn't able to lose much weight until I started following a paleo lifestyle. I had always been able to lose weight in the past with just excercise, but not anymore. I had to make the change and feel much better. I have asthma and have to take Advair (inhaled steroid) although I am hoping to eventually wean myself off.

gayje

1. When I'm having my period I'm always fat.
2. I have to exercise in the am before I start eating (even if it's 5 minutes of crunches or jumping jacks or something) or I don't lose diddly because I have an uber slow metabolism.
3. I eat 6 times a day. Jury's out on if this helps everyone, but it helps me. Usually snack is 6 - 8 almonds or walnuts, just something to boost my metabolism.
4. I put into play little metabolism boosters during the day. Pretty easy to do and not involved like a full workout. If you want details, I'll list them.

That being said, don't give up. Just find whatever works for you.

{{Hug}}

YES please! I would love to read the details if you'll list them for me. BTW, I don't have periods anymore so that isn't a part of it.

L

Emili03

I am so sorry to hear about your struggle. I have not had any similar medical problems that lead to my weight gain, just having kids and the regular stresses of life but I do understand losing and gaining for sure. :sad: I do think the Eat More to Weigh Less group would be good for you, especially if you are exercising everyday and only eating 1400 calories. If you track your exercise on MFP, it will deduct the calories burned from your total and tell you how many more calories you should eat to make up for those burned. Believe me, I have done the super low cal thing on several occassions and experienced the same prob you are having--a very small "cheat" meal would cause me to gain somewhere around 6-7 lbs. which people say is impossible. I now know that is due to "starvation mode" and it causes your metabolism to slow down dramatically...meaning you would have to continue to eat super low cal to maintain forever! If you eat at a healthy level, never under your BMR, you should keep your metabolism going and one day you will be able to eat a normal amt of calories, once you reach your goal weight. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou: ps- /i found this site to be very useful in calculating bmr etc. It also has a radio transmission explaining "starvation mode" in more detail. It IS a real thing! http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

gayje

Do you eat grains, dairy? I wasn't able to lose much weight until I started following a paleo lifestyle. I had always been able to lose weight in the past with just excercise, but not anymore. I had to make the change and feel much better. I have asthma and have to take Advair (inhaled steroid) although I am hoping to eventually wean myself off.

I do eat whole grains and dairy but in moderation. I would say I get most of my whole grains from my double fiber bread, pita pockets and low cal cereals. I eat very little dairy since having my gall bladder out 3-11 and when I do eat it I have to use a lactaid pill.

That being said, I love my breads and whole grains and would not be able to go without them. I'm truly addicted to them in the same way I'm addicted to my veggies.

gayje

I wanted to update this thread. I read the EM2WL group info and found my BMR/TDEE and cut value and started following along. Guess what? I lost - weight that is. I lost 6.5 pounds since posting this thread. I'm not saying anything specific about the EM2WL group or the way the group follows to eat to loose but it did seem to work for me so far and I had 2 days of couch surfing with NO exercise.

I suggest to anyone who has stalled or READ up on the group, do your own research and then decide if you have the motivation to do it. Don't skim the stickies, actually READ them.

mccarol1956

Jenna I am so happy you found the EM2LM folks, it really works and works so well! Congratulations on your weight loss!

LesaDave

I am SOOOO glad you found something! I didn't have any suggestions...I could just feel your pain. I hope the loss continues!

JanieJack

I have a friend who gets exercise induced asthma attacks. It's SOOOO hard for her to maintain a workout program, and she often has to take meds when we're done. That's why I am impressed that with your lung condition you haven't given up on improving your weight and health. Kudos for that!!

Here's a blog post I wrote to someone else who was working hard but not seeing the expected results... hope it helps: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JanieJack/view/for-my-new-friend-dschille-the-short-version-201933

Edit: Oops... I guess you figured it out. Again, kudos for not giving up!

Robin_Bin

Congratulations! With all the challenges you have, it is harder, but I hope that will make your success that much sweeter!

Glad you found the EM2WL, and that it's working for you.

As someone else said, be kind to yourself... just as you would with someone else, realize there will be times when you're not perfect. It's no excuse to fall completely off the wagon, but it is something you have to deal with occasionally and not beat yourself up. Also, that first day when you posted... between the salt that was probably on the popcorn and the steroids, it's probably no wonder you weighed more (or weren't losing), but the nice thing about bloating is it goes faster than fat -- when it goes. I don't have personal experience with your challenges, so I won't offer any specific eating advice, and it sounds like you may have figured at least part of it out. Continue to play around with your food and exercise (within healthy limits) to see what works best for you and is sustainable.

Good luck!

tyranelson

Jenna I am so happy you found the EM2LM folks, it really works and works so well! Congratulations on your weight loss!

Please fill me in: What is EM2LM? I'm familiar with BMR and BMI, but that EM2LM one has me confused! Thanks in advance!

jackieatx

I'm glad you've found something that works for you. Steroids can really throw a monkeywrench in weight loss and all other sorts of things. I can imagine it takes quite a while to fully leave your body, I'm not sure how its metabolized specifically but I know other longterm drugs like that definitely take a while to leave your system.

jackieatx

Jenna I am so happy you found the EM2LM folks, it really works and works so well! Congratulations on your weight loss!

Please fill me in: What is EM2LM? I'm familiar with BMR and BMI, but that EM2LM one has me confused! Thanks in advance!

Eat more to weigh less

Robin_Bin

Jenna I am so happy you found the EM2LM folks, it really works and works so well! Congratulations on your weight loss!

Please fill me in: What is EM2LM? I'm familiar with BMR and BMI, but that EM2LM one has me confused! Thanks in advance!

EM2WL = Eat More to Weigh Less

(I assume the EM2LM is a variant on that.)

Basically the idea is that if you eat too far below what your body needs, your body goes into "starvation mode" or lower metabolism. In other words, you force your body to try to lower your BMR. By eating enough to keep your metabolism up, even after taking into account the calories you use in exercise, but still eating less than the total amount of calories you are using, your metabolism stays up and that higher metabolism helps you lose weight. Check out some of the Eat More to Lose Weight groups or posts, including some of the posting that are "permanently" stuck as informational on the general diet or nutrition threads for additional information.

SwimKitty

Jenna I am so happy you found the EM2LM folks, it really works and works so well! Congratulations on your weight loss!

Please fill me in: What is EM2LM? I'm familiar with BMR and BMI, but that EM2LM one has me confused! Thanks in advance!

It's a group , 'Eat More to Weigh Less'

Read the stickies - lots of good info

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

MissMaryMac33

Eat more to lose more.... once you get to a certain point, its worth looking into.

If you have a lot of weight to lose, following the mfp guide originally and hanging out at 1200 calories works. But it doens't work forever and its far to little for most people unless you're about 4' tall. I stopped losing at 1200 and I was eating my exercise back --- so I upped it to 1720 (which is 20% below my TDEE) and at first gained, and then started losing again. AND I'm much happier being able to plan healthy meals and not eating baby portions

majones_orl

Jenna,
I had some similar issues to you. Before joining MFP I attend the Y on a reg basis, joining there fitness group, which lasted about 2 months. When we did the final weigh in, lost zero. Total bummer. But my clothes were loose. I now know I was building muscles. I have similiar issues and although folks make recommendations, I do what I feel is best for me. I think the best thing to do, is what you are doing research, take advices, then make a decision which is good for you.

Take care. know how the asthma can be, fellow asthma sufferer here.

maj