So frustrated

merrymakerfl
merrymakerfl Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
In the past 6 months I've gained 20 lbs. I eat so well, get a decent amount of exercise, complex carbs, minimal white flour/sugar, haven't had a donut/cake in the office in forever, good breakfast... ALL the stuff I know I need to do. I'm 41 years old, female, very active.

This past week I was super conscientious about tracking and was within calories 5 of 7 days and was only over by a few hundred the other two days (and on fruit and stuff, not crap), and yet I'm up 3.8 lbs. at the end of the week. I was in the gym twice, on the elliptical at home three times, at the driving range twice, and did a 16 mile bike ride yesterday. And I gained 3.8 lbs?!?

I don't know what else to do. I've never felt so hopeless about a situation as long as I can remember!

I am going to the doctor tomorrow and I'm going to insist on a full blood workup and hormone check. I just don't know what else to do... but I'm not going to sit here and blow up like a balloon! Anything anyone can suggest I share/say to my doctor. I don't want this to get brushed under the rug where he thinks I'm really eating bad food.

Replies

  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Have you measured yourself?
    Are your clothes fitting differently?
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    Seeing the doctor for a blood workup is a great idea. My doctor reviewed my food logs and asked me about exercise. Then we talked about when I'm hungry and how often I get hungry. We discussed my weight history at length.

    Once the bloodwork came back, he put me on medication to get a few things under control, and I've been losing steadily ever since. I have a couple days here and there where I gain a couple pounds, but it's usually due to sodium/bloat and goes away a couple days later after increasing my water intake.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,276 Member
    Have you measured yourself?
    Are your clothes fitting differently?

    ^^^^THIS
  • guineverantha
    guineverantha Posts: 26 Member
    Eeek, so frustrating! I"m sorry! Hopefully the doctor can give some advice and the blood work can give you some answers. Hang in there! :)
  • msudaisy28
    msudaisy28 Posts: 267 Member
    That must be frustrating.... Why don't you print off your food diary for a few representative days so that you can show your doctor what your diet has been like? That may help you have a more productive conversation rather than the Dr. assuming that you're gaining due to bad food choices.
  • emmamiso5
    emmamiso5 Posts: 44
    If we could see you're diary we can offer better suggestions. Never a bad idea to go to doctors. Are you tracking every bite, lick and taste???
  • Guines9
    Guines9 Posts: 137
    See A professional Dietician. You would be wasting your time and money by going to a general Practitioner.
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
    What is your daily calorie goal?

    This does sound very frustrating :grumble:
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member

    I was in the gym twice, on the elliptical at home three times, at the driving range twice, and did a 16 mile bike ride yesterday. And I gained 3.8 lbs?!?

    I would say that the 16-mile bike ride might be part of the issue, especially if you don't typically ride that long. If you're feeling any muscle soreness, those muscles are retaining water. If you've eaten too much sodium and/or didn't drink enough water, you'll be retaining water. At least most of that 3.8 lbs. is almost definitely going to be water weight, not fat, and water weight can happen for lots of reasons.

    Also, did you weigh at the same time of day as you did the last time? Wearing the same or very similar clothing? Have you had a bowel movement today?

    Having a blood workup isn't a bad idea. But unless you're drastically underestimating your caloric intake and/or overestimating your exercise burns, the gain you had this week isn't fat.

    ETA: I missed the part about you gaining 20 lbs in 6 months. That could be cause for concern. Still, I'd look at your measurements and the way your clothes are fitting. Make sure you're measuring your food, drinking plenty of water, and invest in a heart rate monitor so you're not overestimating your calorie burns. What is your calorie goal, by the way? If it's too low and you're eating less than your goal on a regular basis, that could contribute to this issue somewhat.
  • StaycJulia
    StaycJulia Posts: 32
    A 3.8 gain while eating right and exercising is not usually due to actual fat gain. it could be fluid retention due to sodium or pre-menstrual weight gain. I have had this happen too but then it drops off, plus some in a few days. Drinking a lot of water helps to balance the fluids back to normal.
  • valskis
    valskis Posts: 5
    Hello, I am 42 and have been having the same problem. The only added thing is I am diabetic. My doctor told me that I have 3 things going against me when it comes to weight loss.

    1. I am a woman
    2. I am over 40
    3. I am diabetic.

    Now how is that supposed to make me feel better! Agh!!
  • dbarchus
    dbarchus Posts: 42
    I had a similar weight gain as I went into menopause. I'm 48. Went into full menopause at 46. I've always been thin and it used to be easy to stay both in shape and keep the weight off with little more effort than eating well. Then BAM, I started gaining a 1lb every 3 months.

    Mine was hormonal imbalance. Since I am a breast cancer survior that was estrogen/progestern positive, Hormone replacement therapy wasn't an option for me....and that was probably a blessing.

    But it did mean I had to find another way to blance out my hormones. Dr.s weren't very helpful with that, OR the other symptoms of menopause, like achy joints.

    I found my solution by balancing my adrenal glands. It was my fix, not necessarily yours. The weight didn't come off magically. I still have to apply myself to intake/output like never before to lose AND I drastically reduced my sugar and wheat.

    Finally, I'm feeling whole again. I can't tell you how sweet it is....pun intended. :)
  • LMP18
    LMP18 Posts: 81 Member
    Your thyroid could be out of whack as well. Make sure you ask for a TSH test as well - they can easily do it with the blood work. Sometimes that can hinder weight loss
  • jiddu17
    jiddu17 Posts: 187 Member
    A good friend of mine was diagnosed with insulin resistance. She had been kicking @$$ at exercising and staying well within her calories for each day. But the scale was not budging. Further, she didn't really notice any change in measurements or clothing. You have it in your profile that you have been diagnosed as well. From her research and what her doc told her, the key to her calories is less about "deficit = weight loss", but that she has to make sure her carbs/proteins were in specific percentage, eating at specific times per day. Just a suggestion that perhaps the IR is creating more issues with what you're eating, than someone who can simply calculate cals in/cals out. I know nothing myself about IR, but she appears to be having more success than she was.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    I didn't see your profile earlier, so I missed the bit about IR and sluggish thyroid. Have those been diagnosed? If so, talk to your doctor about thyroid medicine and how to eat for IR. If not, then get the blood work done to confirm it.

    I have IR, and I have to eat like a diabetic; otherwise, the weight stays (or goes up) no matter what I do. Once I started eating like a diabetic, my weight started coming off, and the constant cravings and hunger went away. I can't remember the last time I ate sugar, and I keep my carbs low (100 or fewer per day). I eat a LOT of protein and veggies, and I use whole grain English muffins if I want a sandwich. I miss some things, but not so much that I want to eat them and risk gaining again.

    My doctor sees me every few weeks to check my progress and examine my food diary. He makes some really good suggestions. I highly recommend finding a doctor who is completely invested in your weight loss.

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