Just keeps adding never coming off :(

I've been strict about eating my 1200calories a day for the past three/four weeks and included exercise. I try to consume
The exercise calories to keep my net at required amount. I ensure I meet but don't exceed my goals for fat, protein and carbs yet I've put on 2kg in that time. (now 92.3)

Totally confused and really quite upset because I've been trying so hard and keep reading about people losing 1 & 2 lb a week.

Dr is giving me a hard time about my weight and doesn't believe I'm sticking to the diet. I am hypothyroid but my meds & stats are stable. I have no idea what's going on. Feeling really dispondent.

What do I do next?

Replies

  • ITS_MY_CHOICE
    ITS_MY_CHOICE Posts: 62 Member
    Open your diary.
  • Open your diary.

    this
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    What do I do next?
    Give us some numbers - height, weight, exercise calories, daily protein, goal weight

    and open you diary for detailed comments on what you eat.
  • gorbygirl
    gorbygirl Posts: 27 Member
    Just a thought. Is it possible that there is a lot of sodium in your diet? If that is the case and you are drinking lots of water throughout the day you may be carrying water weight.

    Good luck to you. I know the struggles make it difficult to continue but dont give up.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    What kind of numbers are you estimating and eating back for your exercise?
  • I had the SAME problem.

    i found out that my body was producing too much insulin!!! So I am now on the Paleo type diet...maximum Carbs 50g a day!

    And the weight is dropping!!! Finally Hallelujah!

    First 2 days for me were a nightmare though...headaches....and weakness.

    now I am NOT hungry (unbelievable)....no cravings....and no weakness or h eadaches...and I eat a lot of protein and fat!

    I dont care i cant have desserts now or french fries...but that isnt what I want to eat anyway...

    TRY LOW CARB.....you body is probably doing all what it can to hold on to that fat!!!
  • Would be handy if ou could open your diary so we can have a look at your numbers! Chin up!!
  • mrscpm
    mrscpm Posts: 7 Member
    If you are hypothyroid, your basic caloric needs are lower than what MFP estimates for a typical person. I know because I am hypothyroid too.

    Stop eating back your exercise calories. And set your diary to lose 2 pounds a week and expect to lose .5-1 pound a week on that. The joys of the underactive thyroid.

    You may need to alternate low calorie days with normal calorie days- low carb and no processed carbs- to get your metabolism past hanging on to every calorie it gets.

    You can do this, it just takes longer. I find that sometimes I have no losses for 2 weeks and then that third week, I have a 2-3 pound loss all at once.

    Read Eat to Live and see if you can incorporate some of that into your lifestyle- I am doing a modified version and it is working- 1-2 pounds off a week.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    Open the diary, that is for starters. Are you using a food scale? Most folks find that a food scale wakes them up to portion sizes. If you really are going to do 1200 calories, which is hard just about anyone, you are going to need to be meticulous about your portions. So, three meals and 2 snacks at 1250 would look like this.

    350 Breakfast like 1 poached egg with a whole grain mini bagel and a small piece of fruit
    100 S1 - med. banana
    350 Lunch - salad with tuna or chicken and low cal dressing
    100 S2 - raw celery with lemon
    350 Dinner - 2-4 oz piece of fish, chicken, pork or beef and 2 cups of green veggies (skip the rice, potatoes and bread)

    It's possible there is a medical condition, but I would get a food scale and a 1 cup measuring up first.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    If you don’t check portion sizes I definitely agree with above poster about getting some scales.

    I have weetabix mini’s with skimmed milk every single day and I was guessing and listing it as 40g. When I bought scales I was amazed at how wrong I was! I was eating at least twice as much. And that wasn’t a particularly huge portion.
  • First off don't stress. Stress over losing weight causes the exact opposite to happen. Stress will murder your attempts at trying to get healthy- especially if your blood sugars, while not in the diabetic range, are perhaps in the threat range. For example, you can be running around 110-120 or so but add certain types of stress reactions and your body can jump to over 200 and your doctor will never know unless your blood work is taken during the stress episode. your sugar gets up that high and your body will react using insulin defenses which will sabotage your weight loss. This is not uncommon in people who are in pre-diabetic ranges. Of course, talk to you doctor about your blood work but I can tell you this from first hand experience. Had I not been in the hospital as an inpatient and having my blood work checked every 4 hours, we'd have never discovered this. Keep in mind, my sugars jumped due to the stress of surgery and not as a result of anything I ate considering I had just come off a 2 week opti fast diet and had been on iv fluids only for 2 days as I was undergoing GERD surgery. Ultimately, high blood sugars, however they happen, will sabotage weight loss. Get those checked and certainly check them at times you feel you are under stress.

    Second. Aside from the hormone / thyroid issues as I'm sure your doctor can diagnose this pretty quickly, I'd make sure you are calculating your base metabolic rate as best you can. Don't take the averages unless you are of average health. If you have any conditions from sedentary job to underachieving thyroid you are going to have a much lower base metabolic rate than what is perceived as normal. If you have a sedentary job for 2 years your BMR is going to be much higher than someone with the exact same lifestyle who has had the same job for 5 or 10 years. The body has a great ability to adapt and the longer it has to adapt, the better it gets at doing it. Thus, the longer your body remains sedentary, the better it gets at doing it.. which translates into.... requires fewer calories to get the job done due to survival efficiency. With this said, calculate your BMR for worst case scenario and adjust as you get a better idea of what your true burn rate is.

    Third. If you are working out you are training your body to build muscle which if course is heavier than the fat you are replacing so all else being equal, you will see weight increase as you build more muscle.

    My guess is you need to adjust your base metabolic rate to compensate for age and body efficiency. However, the stress effect is huge, especially with individuals with a higher than normal or pre diabetic sugar count. Your body may be reacting to a jump in blood sugars from stress related events or activities. If this is the case, then just work on your blood sugars first and get them in line before expecting to see huge decreases in weight.
  • jetsmaw
    jetsmaw Posts: 16 Member
    Ok - I don't open my diary because I don't like sharing *everything* with strangers on the net. There has to be some degree of personal privacy and if it offends you that I keep it that way, then I'm sorry. I can assure you the content of the diet is approved by a dietician and I have no cheat days.

    I am meticulous about ensuring it is healthy and that it doesnt go over the daily goals for fats, carbs, sugars, protein etc. I do weigh out portions to ensure that they are exactly as described and I'm not underestimating the number of calories - if I can't work it out, I don't eat it. Nothing is processed, everything made from scratch. I don't eat any dairy or much bread (maybe 2 slices of toast once or twice a week max). No red meat, no fizzy drinks, no chocolate, no crisps. Low GI.

    I have been wondering about insulin resistance and what wannabe176 says is interesting - shall look into it. Also was unaware of the thyroid problem requiring fewer calories - I thought 1200 net was the minimum any body required to ensure full nutrients and basic health.

    I thank you for taking the time to respond.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Ok - I don't open my diary because I don't like sharing *everything* with strangers on the net. There has to be some degree of personal privacy and if it offends you that I keep it that way, then I'm sorry. I can assure you the content of the diet is approved by a dietician and I have no cheat days.

    Then don't ask for help, because you seriously aren't looking for it.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    Ok - I don't open my diary because I don't like sharing *everything* with strangers on the net. There has to be some degree of personal privacy and if it offends you that I keep it that way, then I'm sorry. I can assure you the content of the diet is approved by a dietician and I have no cheat days.

    Then don't ask for help, because you seriously aren't looking for it.

    Ditto...sorry OP. If you can't at least show us what you're eating I can't be of help.
  • honey I was private about my diary too...but opening it was the BEST thing to happen to me.

    these people do not live around the corner and know your friends of anyone! your name is just a "tag"...and hopefully you dont have any pics that people can recognise you.

    so it is private. it is a PSYCHOLOGICAL thing in your own mind...

    a dietician is working with OLD PARADIGMS.... and there are people here with lots of real world experience. my knowledge alone here has change my lifestyle!

    i would suggest you think TWICE....people need to be able to see what you are logging...FACT.

    otherwise...no one can help.

    i hated it when people criticised what I ate...and now i am happy....

    what do you have to LOSE? not face...but FAT!!!!
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    No one can really help you unless you open the diary. Often it is specific things you are eating that inhibit your weight loss. But here is some general advice: reduce your sodium intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Eat lots of veggies and some fruit.

    Exercise calories: I only eat half of mine back. Maybe try that.
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
    I don't need to see your diary and I keep mine private for the same reason. like previous posters, I would also recommend you see a doctor and get checked for insulin resistance and thyroid function beyond that if you are using the default settings the protein default is too low. Try not eating your exercise calories back for a few weeks, though there are many here who insist on it, I found for me that it's a no go.
  • Something else to consider...I recently purchased a heart rate monitor. It monitors the calorie burn using heart rate/height and weight. I wouldn't depend on any machines telling you how many calories you burn. I'm not sure how you calculate your burn for the exercises. Also, interval training burns the most calories because you are constantly lowering and raising your heart rate. So if you're on the treadmill or elliptical, or even just walking...try bursts of faster and slower speeds. I hope this helps and good luck.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    The food you eat is rated as personal privacy - really - you come on here and tell people how much you weigh (and dont see that as a privacy issue) - and that you are not losing weight - and then start "privacy" about your food - mmmmm = sorry - just a bit weird...

    As others said if you ask for help you need to work with the people trying to help........
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    Ok - I don't open my diary because I don't like sharing *everything* with strangers on the net. There has to be some degree of personal privacy and if it offends you that I keep it that way, then I'm sorry.

    I completely understand this. Especially if you are someone who has felt judged about your weight and/or your eating habits. It's why I keep my diary closed even though I am confident I am doing well. Psychologically, I'm just not ready to open up that way.

    You decided to post to the "General Diet and Weight Loss Help" forum with your concerns; you want help and we all understand that. No one is offended, it's just that people can't help if they can't see what might be wrong.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    The food you eat is rated as personal privacy - really - you come on here and tell people how much you weigh (and dont see that as a privacy issue) - and that you are not losing weight - and then start "privacy" about your food - mmmmm = sorry - just a bit weird...

    As others said if you ask for help you need to work with the people trying to help........

    This, no one can help if you don't share the info.