IXL at not losing weight?

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BlueGirl1214
BlueGirl1214 Posts: 11
in Introduce Yourself
Hi! I've been tracking my food and exercise for almost 3 months now and have not really lost any weight. I have hypothyroidism so I know it is going to be more difficult for me to lose weight, but I thought I would have lost more than 2 pounds. I go to the gym 4 days a week (Mondays/Wednesdays strictly cardio, Tuesdays/Thursdays strength training and a little cardio). I feel like I'm burning a lot of calories, but the scale and my clothes aren't showing it.

I have a hard time staying within my calorie limits on my non-gym days and I'm wondering if this is really sabotaging my progress. Does anyone have any tips/tricks to help with this? I know the easiest way for me to stay within my calorie goals on the weekends is to add exercise, but I don't want to get all insane about exercise all the time...I'm the kind of person who is kind of tightly wound, so relaxation is really important to me.

Any advice/suggestions would be great! Oh, and friends too...I'm feeling a little lonely here...

Thanks!

Replies

  • tmtolbert
    tmtolbert Posts: 59 Member
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    after taking a look at your diary, your calorie burns seem really high. what kind of exercise are you doing? are you wearing a heart rate monitor or going by the calorie count that mfp gives you? the calorie burn that mfp gives you is notorious for being over-inflated which could be sabotaging you! if you think you are really burning 800 calories from exercise and are in the habit of eating them all back, then it will be hard to not eat that much on off days too. i would suggest only eating back half of those calories at most and see how you do for a week and then adjust again if you need to.
  • maden2629
    maden2629 Posts: 14 Member
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    Are you drinking plenty of water? I wasn't losing either, then found out I still wasn't drinking enough. So I now drink about a gallon or more of water and the weight started coming off.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    I think the important thing to remember is that exercise doesn't HAVE to be in the gym. Still do your 4x a week formal workouts, but on your *off* days maybe you could do something low key but still active--like playing with your kids in the yard, or taking a long walk, or playing in the pool. That way you can eat more :)
  • vodkoffee
    vodkoffee Posts: 160 Member
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    Personally, I don't lose unless my carbs are 150 or lower (and it doesn't matter how much I exercise). Not low carb, but moderate carb. Yours seem a bit high.

    I really would try changing up what you eat rather than adding more exercise. You seem like you're getting quite enough already.
  • heethar
    heethar Posts: 21
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    I will preface this with I'm not an expert:

    I had the worst time starting to lose weight and I played with my calorie levels to find where I needed to be to start losing weight. I found out my estimated BMR (how many calories you burn if you were in bed all day) and my AMR (the very slim estimate of what I burn throughout the day) and I just played with the calories.

    I ended up starting with a 1750 goal and stepped down slowly to 1550. It was during the step down that I started to lose weight. Just keep going at it - your food looks good - and stay patient. It will happen!!!
  • gbtesq
    gbtesq Posts: 84 Member
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    Hi there!

    I suffer from hypothyroidism too. First, I don't think you are eating enough based on your diary entry from yesterday. Only 700+ calories may not be enough especially when you are working out, too. I have found that cutting carbs helps alot. Perhaps on the days that you don't exercise, eat different/healthier foods/snacks. I have made a deal with myself in that if I don't exercise, then I cannot eat certain things and I try even harder to stay within my calorie count by drinking more water, eating fruits/veggies only, etc. If i work out, then I can at least eat with some normalcy within reason (i.e. regular low carb meal with meat and veggies). Finally, I would recommend investing in a HRM (heart rate monitor) too. By doing so, you will know exactly how many calories you are burning without guessing. Hope this helps. Also, feel free to add me as a friend! Good luck and hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • dalexander82
    dalexander82 Posts: 111 Member
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    Hi! I've been tracking my food and exercise for almost 3 months now and have not really lost any weight. I have hypothyroidism so I know it is going to be more difficult for me to lose weight, but I thought I would have lost more than 2 pounds. I go to the gym 4 days a week (Mondays/Wednesdays strictly cardio, Tuesdays/Thursdays strength training and a little cardio). I feel like I'm burning a lot of calories, but the scale and my clothes aren't showing it.

    I have a hard time staying within my calorie limits on my non-gym days and I'm wondering if this is really sabotaging my progress. Does anyone have any tips/tricks to help with this? I know the easiest way for me to stay within my calorie goals on the weekends is to add exercise, but I don't want to get all insane about exercise all the time...I'm the kind of person who is kind of tightly wound, so relaxation is really important to me.

    Any advice/suggestions would be great! Oh, and friends too...I'm feeling a little lonely here...

    Thanks!




    Hi girlie,


    I have hypothyroidism also, however I have lost about 12 pounds so far. I talk with my doctor about losing the added weight and he suggested I lower my in take of calories. I eat about 1100 calories and now I finally see the change in my clothes and the scale. It's coming off slowly, which doesn't matter as long as it comes off. Do you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day? Some of your weight could also be water weight. It is really important to stay within your calories even when you don't go to the gym, however I do have cheat days because I don't want to deprive myself. Are you seeing an Endo? Have you talked to him/her about this?


    Feel free to add me as a friend :flowerforyou:
  • runner_gurl76
    runner_gurl76 Posts: 37 Member
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    Hi,

    Man, do I ever feel your pain.
    I was diagnosed with hypo 2.5 years ago and have struggled to get the weight off ever since.
    I trained for a half marathon last fall and gained 10 lbs (not muscle - trust me).

    I've found some success after I read "Wheat Belly" and marksdailyapple.com.
    I've cut my carbs and upped my protein and it seems to be working.
    I try not to eat back my exercise calories during the week but on Sunday, long run day, I eat those back.
    Now, I still lose weight very slowly but it is coming off (15 lbs since I started with lower carb).

    It can be done, just don't give up and don't burn yourself out.
    We can be MFP friends if you'd like to check out my diaries.
    I don't have all the answers but the key is to keep looking. :)
    Stressing about it is the worst thing you can do to hamper weight loss efforts.
  • dalexander82
    dalexander82 Posts: 111 Member
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    Hi there!

    I suffer from hypothyroidism too. First, I don't think you are eating enough based on your diary entry from yesterday. Only 700+ calories may not be enough especially when you are working out, too. I have found that cutting carbs helps alot. Perhaps on the days that you don't exercise, eat different/healthier foods/snacks. I have made a deal with myself in that if I don't exercise, then I cannot eat certain things and I try even harder to stay within my calorie count by drinking more water, eating fruits/veggies only, etc. If i work out, then I can at least eat with some normalcy within reason (i.e. regular low carb meal with meat and veggies). Finally, I would recommend investing in a HRM (heart rate monitor) too. By doing so, you will know exactly how many calories you are burning without guessing. Hope this helps. Also, feel free to add me as a friend! Good luck and hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Great advice, it's really hard for women who suffer from hypothyroidism to see the weight come off however it' possible!
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
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    It sounds like you're really dedicated to improving your health, so I think you deserve a high five for that! But I can understand why you're frustrated; I would be too if my efforts hadn't led to the changes I was expecting. I don't have thyroid problems, so I can't offer any advice gleaned from personal experience there, but I do know that improving your diet is one of the most important steps you can take when working with a hormone imbalance. Let food be thy medicine, right? I read a blog called Nourished Kitchen, which focuses on research, preparation, and enjoyment of "traditional" foods (those foods that have been a part of human history for a long, long time, and are often regarded as essential to good health), and I know the author struggles with Grave's disease, so she has researched how modern and traditional foods affect the thyroid. This is one of the first posts I remember reading from her, and I appreciated her balanced, realistic tone: Foods to Promote Thyroid Health http://nourishedkitchen.com/foods-thyroid-health/

    If you have health insurance, it may be worth consulting with a nutritionist who has experience with hypothyroid patients - your situation is unique, and professional advice might be more helpful than that of amateur nutritionists like this blogger. Then again, it would be great if someone else is in your boat and can share what's helped them. Good luck, and I hope you find a strategy that works for you!
  • gbtesq
    gbtesq Posts: 84 Member
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    Are you drinking plenty of water? I wasn't losing either, then found out I still wasn't drinking enough. So I now drink about a gallon or more of water and the weight started coming off.

    Oh yeah!! GREAT ADVICE!!! Water! Water! Water! Drinks LOADS of it!!!!
  • BlueGirl1214
    BlueGirl1214 Posts: 11
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    Thanks for all the great advice, guys! To answer some questions:

    Exercise: On cardio days, I'm doing a combination of AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer), Elliptical and Stationary bike (to cool down) for a total of around 90-100 minutes. On strength training days, I'm doing strength training on machines for about 25 minutes and AMT for about 50 minutes. My settings (resistance, incline) on the AMT are low right now because it's a new machine to me. I do interval training (with varying resistances) on the Elliptical and a lower resistance on the bike. I've been trying to steadily increase the resistances on all the machines as I get stronger and can go longer.

    I track my calories burned based on the machines at the gym AFTER I have put in my stats (weight and age). I know the machines aren't always accurate, so I may look into buying a heart monitor.

    I don’t drink soda and if I’m not drinking water, I’m drinking unsweetened iced tea. I do enjoy a cocktail or two in the evenings, but I try to figure those calories into my calorie allotment for the day. And I know what people will say, "cut out the alcohol" but it's one of those things that I enjoy and don't want to cut out completely. On gym days, I can drink the recommended 8 glasses per day no problem, but find it hard to do that on my off days.

    I'm not the kind of person who wants to cut out complete food groups like carbs, but I think cutting those back may help. I'm a recovering sugar addict (I don't use that term lightly; sugar to me is like crack is to a crackhead) and I enjoy baking on occasion. I don't want to completely deprive myself because I feel like it won't be sustainable for me. 1500 calories a day is REALLY hard for me to do...I'm having a really hard time at 1600-1700.

    I'm on a pretty low dose of Synthroid (25 mcg) and my bloodwork is showing normal at this point. I assume my doctor hasn't recommended an endocrinologist because my case isn't that serious? I'll also be looking into a nutritionist...I'll have to see if my health insurance covers it.

    Thanks again for all the advice! You guys are the best!
  • gbtesq
    gbtesq Posts: 84 Member
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    I, too, am a recovering sugar addict. In the past, I felt dessert was the natural conclusion to every meal. I know how hard it is to change those habits. I have fallen in love with Atkins Caramel Nut Chew Bars!! They taste like a snickers - Seriously!! Try one and you too will see. Also, experiment with things like puddings with sugarfree cool whip, fruit, and jello in order to lower your sugar threshold. Google low carb dessert recipes, too.

    Occassionally, I still want something rich and sugary. But, most of the times, I am able to satisfy my sugar monster with a lower carb/sugar substitute.

    I know what you mean about developing habits that are sustainable, too.

    I have one last suggestion about getting enough water in each day. When I come into my office each day, I sit 3-4 bottles of water on my desk first thing. By the end of the day, I must finish them all. Then, I usually have another bottle or 2 with dinner. And, there's my water intake for the day!! Sometimes if you have it right in your face all day, it will serve as a reminder to drink, drink, drink!!!
  • BlueGirl1214
    BlueGirl1214 Posts: 11
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    I'm currently taking an ayurvedic herb called gymnena sylvestre that has been an enormous help to my sugar cravings....maybe that could help you too?

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