cant lose weight no matter what

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  • lizzzylou
    lizzzylou Posts: 325
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    oh lordy....grabs popcorn....:drinker:
  • jules77az2004
    jules77az2004 Posts: 24 Member
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    OP I agree with everything everyone has mentioned. But one thing to ask yourself what kind of meds your on and what are the side effects of those meds. I have RA and I'm on prednisone which makes you retain water and bloat and all kinds of ugly. Works great for my pain... but not for losing weight. Most people on prednisone gain weight. I have been losing and gaining the same 5lbs for MONTHS!!! So basically everything I'm doing (exercise/food intake) is only working to keep me from gaining weight. So my point is... check into what your meds side effects are. And talk to your Dr because really their help will be key in getting you on the right track. In the mean time... figure out what your calories should be (which lots of posters have been awesome in spelling it out for you:) ), exercise and measure/weigh everything (yes it's a pain, but eyeballing doesn't work) you put into your mouth. Be accountable, find a routine you like and once you talk to your Dr and figure out if your meds are causing you to not lose weight you'll be right on track to start losing. :) Good luck!
  • tlpower
    tlpower Posts: 8
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    hi no i don't drink vodka neat i drink it with diet tonic or soda water so i don't put it in as its no calories, i was cycling and walking daily but i had a bad knee dislocation 2 years ago so it flares up and then i have to stop. i wasn't putting in calories regular as i was using a different app but went back to this last wenesday. roast beef dinner was the nearest o could find as on menu it said 850 cals. when i signed up for my fitness pal on my mobile it said i should have 1200 cals a day but most of you are saying that's not enough? i did wonder as i did rosemary conley a few years back and after the fat attack fortnight i had to go up to 1480 so am a bit confused
  • tlpower
    tlpower Posts: 8
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    sorry not on any meds anymore but had the merina coil fitted for the first time 9 weeks ago, don't know if this can cause weight gain or not
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    when i signed up for my fitness pal on my mobile it said i should have 1200 cals a day but most of you are saying that's not enough? i did wonder as i did rosemary conley a few years back and after the fat attack fortnight i had to go up to 1480 so am a bit confused

    It is confusing... At first glance, it would seem like it should be a straight relationship - fewer calories would mean more weight loss. Sounds like common sense, right? Well, common sense is a jerk and a liar :grumble:
  • croooz
    croooz Posts: 48 Member
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    i put myself on 1200, since that is the lowest reccomended cal intake for women.

    Who determined this? Are there any journal articles that say this? I've been looking for where this arbitrary number came from and find it no where. I find the number to be passed along as gospel when in my ongoing search it just seems to be some number. Without taking into account the height of the woman or person for that matter there is no way to say that calories can go this low and no further.
  • nic2006
    nic2006 Posts: 9
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    Hi. I had the mirena fitted and have put on a stone in 2 yrs. I also have endo and mite a to treat it. Am trying to cut back on binge attacks but they are so hard to resist lol. Here's hoping can stick to this for a while. My BMR is 1222 so am going to stick to 1200 and have Saturdays off for weekend meal and drinks
    Hope you start loosing soon
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    To the poster who said I'm confusing two methods I'm not. I was just saying that I've tried them all! I've spent weeks and weeks experimenting, firstly with MFPs method of eating low calories but I decided not to eat exercise calories back. I lost weight like this but got told off by many people here for eating too little so I then tried eating them back and found I was eating above maintenance for my body despite the fact I shouldn't have been as the website said I wasn't but my body didn't like it.

    Then I tried TDEE -15% which didn't work, TDEE -20% which also didn't work and that's when I started thinking about what my true TDEE really was and how much I need to eat to gain weight and realised that it's 1600-1700 including exercise calories. My TDEE based on several different calculators told me that maintenance was actually 2100-2200 including exercise calories which is just way too high.

    Therefore to lose weight I am now trying to burn more through my workouts (around 3000 per week) and eat 1350 gross across the week as any more than this and I won't see any loss.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    i put myself on 1200, since that is the lowest reccomended cal intake for women.

    Who determined this? Are there any journal articles that say this? I've been looking for where this arbitrary number came from and find it no where. I find the number to be passed along as gospel when in my ongoing search it just seems to be some number. Without taking into account the height of the woman or person for that matter there is no way to say that calories can go this low and no further.

    PER MY MD OF OVER 15 YEARS, WHOM I TRUST, as well as The National Institute of Heath.
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    To the poster who said I'm confusing two methods I'm not. I was just saying that I've tried them all! I've spent weeks and weeks experimenting, firstly with MFPs method of eating low calories...

    Comes down to my reading comprehension then :D

    I thought it sounded like you were confusing the two items, mostly when you mentioned not eating back exercise calories on the MFP plan. (1350*7) - 3000 comes out to a net of 921 per day, which really sounds scary low.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Yes I know it sounds low, but I truely believe after all I've discovered this last few months that my BMR and TDEE are way overestimated so netting 921 really isn't that low if my true BMR is 400 calories underestimated which it probably is. My BMR is supposed to be 1350 but is probably more like 900-950 in reality as I've already proven that my true TDEE is 1650 approx, not 2150 as an average of all online calculators would have me believe.

    In the past I've lost weight easily by eating 850-1000 per day with very little exercise but this time I am working out a lot more so am eating more. My body is very stubborn and holds onto fat, scale weight and the only way I can lose is by eating less but I want to keep it at a sensible level.

    I can't get a BMR test done at the moment due to finances but trial and error has given me a lot more answers than what people on MFP and online calculations have been able to do.
  • croooz
    croooz Posts: 48 Member
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    i put myself on 1200, since that is the lowest reccomended cal intake for women.

    Who determined this? Are there any journal articles that say this? I've been looking for where this arbitrary number came from and find it no where. I find the number to be passed along as gospel when in my ongoing search it just seems to be some number. Without taking into account the height of the woman or person for that matter there is no way to say that calories can go this low and no further.

    PER MY MD OF OVER 15 YEARS, WHOM I TRUST, as well as The National Institute of Heath.

    I'm glad you trust your MD and there's no need to shout. My intent is not to change your mind or anyone else's. I'm trying to find the source of this number. Would you have the studies from the NIH detailing this? I've searched and found nothing from the NIH, WHO, or anywhere else. I've found diets that use this number but no where that cites where or when this number was determined to be the lowest a woman regardless of height should go.

    If anyone has any studies or info on where the 1200 calorie number came from I would greatly appreciate it. For those wondering I opine that a physically mature person can go lower than 1200 if they are morbidly obese.
  • Jmchao
    Jmchao Posts: 27 Member
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    "besides the fact that your all going to tell the op that they need to eat more, the fact is, that if the op is honestly and accurately eating 1200 cals and even less, in the first 5 weeks, weight should have been lost. that is not even near the amount of time that would have an effect on their metabolic rate. "

    I agree...I hate to say it, but anorexia wouldn't be a problem if weight wasn't lost at a low caloric intake. In 5+ weeks, something should have been lost, not gained. Calorie intake alone isn't her issue.

    A trip to the doctor with your food log in hand may be in order. I, too, struggled for over a year trying to lose weight, but with no success. After a few months of logging my intake, working out 4+ times a week, etc., I lost nothing and even gained a few. (No, do NOT start the "you gained muscle ways more than fat" garbage). Then, after GAINING 30+ pounds in just under 6 months, I went to my doctor in tears. She ran lots of blood work and noticed my thyroid was all out of skew. My TSH was "within normal limits", but she ran the whole panel and my T4 was almost non-existent and while my TSH was technically "normal", it was still 2.5 times higher than it had been the previous year, meaning my body was trying to compensate for the low T4 and abnormal T3 count. I've started treatment, and while the weight hasn't come off as quickly/easily as it went on, I've STOPPED gaining now! Now I have an extra 30 pounds to take off that I didn't have before...sigh...

    So, take your food diary to your doctor and have a thorough heart to heart. If he/she runs labs, please make sure COMPLETE labs are run, not just a simple one like TSH only. Check for hormones, too...those little buggers can really wreak havoc on a system.

    Good luck, and hang in there! I hope you figure out what's going on soon. And always remember this...even if the scale doesn't move, it doesn't mean your efforts are useless...think of all the good eating right and moving more does for our heart, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, etc.
  • tlpower
    tlpower Posts: 8
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    Hi guys thanks for all your replies. The only diet I have ever successfully lost weight on is the rosemary Conley, start with 2 weeks at 1200 calories to kickstart then my allowance after that was 1480 and it worked. I am going to carry on using this app as its great but do the RC diet, I can only hazard a guess that may e my body holds on to fat. When just doing mfp I stick to calories but don't worry about fats, but the aim of RC is not to eat foods with more than 5g saturated fat per 100g. If this fails I will see my doctor, it maybe its taking my body a while to readjust after major surgery 9 weeks ago and packing up smoking, I am very impatient and want everything yesterday!!!!!!! The annoying thing is that I only really want to lose 10lbs:(
  • amdarosa619
    amdarosa619 Posts: 98 Member
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    hi guys thanks so much for replies. I am 100% anal about tracking what i have eaten, i weigh & measure everything and am so strict on myself. i have never not lost weight like this before. i forgot to mention when i had my operation i was 10 stone, i put on 10lbs in 4 weeks due to being housebound and giving up smoking which made me eat everything in site. i am very active i am a chef (and no before you ask i don't pick, i keep sugar free gum in my mouth all day so i don't) but i do stand up 8 hours a day for work. i havent weighed in this week but if i don't lose weight on weigh in day as this week i did the 5:2 diet i think i may go and see the doctor.

    Im sorry for your frustrations, but I just wanted to congratulate you on quitting smoking. That is a wonderful accomplishment, and worth the 10 pound gain. You CAN lose weight, but you cant undo the long term effects of smoking. Kudos to you, and good luck on your jounrey!!
  • kkclif
    kkclif Posts: 155 Member
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    You should be eating closer to 1500 calories a day. When you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and starts holding on to the fat you want to lose. It also slows your metabolism when your body knows you are dieting. Check out this link: http://www.biotrust.com/Shop.asp?p=LeptiBurn&sid=reorder
    You don't necessarily have to buy the product, but if you read the article it explains how having low levels of leptin (a hormone that contributes greatly to weight loss) can prevent you from losing weight even when you are doing everything right. I have had the same problem as you, worked and worked and saw no results and I just didn't understand. This article was very insightful! Hope it helps you as well.
  • lauramur
    lauramur Posts: 4 Member
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    I think you should ask your doctor to refer you to a dietician that specialises with endometriosis and other womb/hormonal issues. Weight gain and struggle to lose is a side effect. Also, it's only been 5 weeks- give your body time to adjust. I would also up to 1500 cals a day. Your body could be in starvation mode.

    What I found best (for me) was to reduce my starchy carb intake and when I do eat it I only eat a small portion and it's whole. Also, fill up on fruit and raw veg. Sometimes it's not only about calories but also about what you are eating.

    For example, if you are constantly eating too many carbs and sugar all day (even the healthy ones) you are constantly producing insulin. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. I have found Patrick Holford's Low GL diet book the healthiest, most balanced, way to reduce your insulin production.

    Be patient- you'll get there.
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
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    Quality of calories matter--a lot!
    Eat more lean protein than suggested by the MFP and a lot less carbs [I cut mine in half]. I eat tons of organic, lean meat, organic vegies and blueberries or strawberries every day.
    Avoid wheat, corn, potatoes [that might help with the endo too].
    Try to get some exercise---the pool can be great if you need something easy on the joints, a gentle walk, easy cycling on stationary bike.
    Try affirmations to get out of the "I Can't do it!" And get tons of support--I think you can find the support here.
    Finally, 5 weeks is not that long....

    Keep trying!
  • zeke1964
    zeke1964 Posts: 18 Member
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    Keep track of sodium and sugar intake! insulin spikes will hamper any chance of serious weight loss.
  • RunForChai
    RunForChai Posts: 238 Member
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    I strongly suggest reading: The Endometriosis Sourcebook by Mary Lou Ballweg. She started the Endometriosis Association many years ago. Their website should have a ton of great information about food and endo.
    Good luck!

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