Beginning to consider drastic steps to weight loss....

mary5832 · June 2013

I am sooooo frustrated. What is wrong with my body??? It's not doing what it used to do. I have been going to the gym 6 days/week and eating around 1200 calories for the past 4 months. 4 months of regimented exercise (body pump, body step, attack, combat, pump, step) and limiting calories and I am still 133 lbs at 5'4" - I am small boned by the way. My goal is 115 lbs, which I was 8 yrs ago. I know that I shrunk a bit around the waist and hips since I can fit into size 5 pants now (from size 7) but my weight is still the same, sometimes even increasing as much as 137 lbs during the day! I feel so FAT when I see that number, I don't see my progress. I am so disgusted with myself. I was able to go down to 123 lbs from 135 lbs in 3 weeks last year around December, so I know it should not take 4 months of seeing no change on the scale.

Then 5 weeks ago, out of frustration I went to the doc for a check up and they discovered that I had hyperthyroidism! I couldn't believe it because, shouldn't that mean I would have lost weight due to a hyperactive metabolism??? My T3 and T4 levels were quite elevated, with TSH<0.01 (almost non-existent). They think I have Grave's. Anyway, I don't believe that I am hyper but rather hypo based on my difficulties losing weight. So they put me on meds, metoprolol (25 mg) and methimazole (30 mg), to lower my blood pressure and help regulate my thyroid levels.

Anyway, I have this tremendous fear of gaining weight on the drugs. After about 2 weeks on the dosage, I reduced the dose of methimazole to 10 mg per day (and ditched the metoprolol per my doc's recommendation because it was giving me chest pains at night). Anyway, I feel much better and didn't realize how tired I was before. I really don't want to go hypo, which I've read happens alot when you are on high dose medication for a while. It's been about 5 weeks now, and no matter what I do the damn scale doesn't budge; going up instead sometimes. I am terrified to eat normally now, afraid that if I am still this fat at 1200 calories per day, I will just get bigger and bigger if I were to ever eat normally.

I work so hard at the gym, and I am getting so frustrated with this whole thing. I am considering decreasing my caloric intake to 500 calories per day. Please no mean comments....just need some motivation, encouragement, understanding.

csmith822 · June 2013

Print out what you just wrote and take it to your doctor. I know that people sometimes sugar coat things when they talk to their physician, but this is an honest representation of how you feel. Let him/her know what is going on honestly, so they can check for other issues that might be in play. Good luck.

Saramelie · June 2013

I am wondering if you are eating enought. 1200 calories for the workouts that you do seems low.... Maybe try upping it for a week or so and see what happens?

MyJourney1960 · June 2013

First if all - you have obviously done *something* because you are down two sizes. And that is no small feat. And second , thyroid issues - hypo or hyper - can really mess everything up and I suggest you ficus on that for now, not saying you should drop your entire healthy lifestyle, but put your energies more toward dealing with the thyroid. I went thru this ...oh about 15 years ago, and I remember as lot if blood tests, dietary adjustments etc , and I did go from hypo to hyper ( or was it the other ways around) but eventually we go it it under control

Francl27 · June 2013

Your metabolism is probably shot already by eating so low. You should probably be eating closer to 1600 with all the exercise you've been doing. You're not only going to make it hard to lose weight, you're going to make it so that as soon as you eat 'normally' again (heck... even 1600 calories, which isn't normal), you'll gain the weight.

It's about losing weight a healthy way so you don't get it all back later...

Paleo_wolf · June 2013

I am sooooo frustrated. What is wrong with my body??? It's not doing what it used to do. I have been going to the gym 6 days/week and eating around 1200 calories for the past 4 months. 4 months of regimented exercise (body pump, body step, attack, combat, pump, step) and limiting calories and I am still 133 lbs at 5'4" - I am small boned by the way. My goal is 115 lbs, which I was 8 yrs ago. I know that I shrunk a bit around the waist and hips since I can fit into size 5 pants now (from size 7) but my weight is still the same, sometimes even increasing as much as 137 lbs during the day! I feel so FAT when I see that number, I don't see my progress. I am so disgusted with myself. I was able to go down to 123 lbs from 135 lbs in 3 weeks last year around December, so I know it should not take 4 months of seeing no change on the scale.

Then 5 weeks ago, out of frustration I went to the doc for a check up and they discovered that I had hyperthyroidism! I couldn't believe it because, shouldn't that mean I would have lost weight due to a hyperactive metabolism??? My T3 and T4 levels were quite elevated, with TSH<0.01 (almost non-existent). They think I have Grave's. Anyway, I don't believe that I am hyper but rather hypo based on my difficulties losing weight. So they put me on meds, metoprolol (25 mg) and methimazole (30 mg), to lower my blood pressure and help regulate my thyroid levels.

Anyway, I have this tremendous fear of gaining weight on the drugs. After about 2 weeks on the dosage, I reduced the dose of methimazole to 10 mg per day (and ditched the metoprolol per my doc's recommendation because it was giving me chest pains at night). Anyway, I feel much better and didn't realize how tired I was before. I really don't want to go hypo, which I've read happens alot when you are on high dose medication for a while. It's been about 5 weeks now, and no matter what I do the damn scale doesn't budge; going up instead sometimes. I am terrified to eat normally now, afraid that if I am still this fat at 1200 calories per day, I will just get bigger and bigger if I were to ever eat normally.

I work so hard at the gym, and I am getting so frustrated with this whole thing. I am considering decreasing my caloric intake to 500 calories per day. Please no mean comments....just need some motivation, encouragement, understanding.

I have hypothyroidism and although it took several blood tests to prove it, I have all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism... Meaning Its hard for me to gain weight and at one point i was under weight. After I had my son my hormones evened out but Don't get frustrated it happens, and every body is different. You should try seeing a nutritionist maybe it's diet? You may be under eating or overheating and not even realize.

Joehenny · June 2013

I am sooooo frustrated. What is wrong with my body??? It's not doing what it used to do. I have been going to the gym 6 days/week and eating around 1200 calories for the past 4 months. 4 months of regimented exercise (body pump, body step, attack, combat, pump, step) and limiting calories and I am still 133 lbs at 5'4" - I am small boned by the way. My goal is 115 lbs, which I was 8 yrs ago. I know that I shrunk a bit around the waist and hips since I can fit into size 5 pants now (from size 7) but my weight is still the same, sometimes even increasing as much as 137 lbs during the day! I feel so FAT when I see that number, I don't see my progress. I am so disgusted with myself. I was able to go down to 123 lbs from 135 lbs in 3 weeks last year around December, so I know it should not take 4 months of seeing no change on the scale.

Then 5 weeks ago, out of frustration I went to the doc for a check up and they discovered that I had hyperthyroidism! I couldn't believe it because, shouldn't that mean I would have lost weight due to a hyperactive metabolism??? My T3 and T4 levels were quite elevated, with TSH<0.01 (almost non-existent). They think I have Grave's. Anyway, I don't believe that I am hyper but rather hypo based on my difficulties losing weight. So they put me on meds, metoprolol (25 mg) and methimazole (30 mg), to lower my blood pressure and help regulate my thyroid levels.

Anyway, I have this tremendous fear of gaining weight on the drugs. After about 2 weeks on the dosage, I reduced the dose of methimazole to 10 mg per day (and ditched the metoprolol per my doc's recommendation because it was giving me chest pains at night). Anyway, I feel much better and didn't realize how tired I was before. I really don't want to go hypo, which I've read happens alot when you are on high dose medication for a while. It's been about 5 weeks now, and no matter what I do the damn scale doesn't budge; going up instead sometimes. I am terrified to eat normally now, afraid that if I am still this fat at 1200 calories per day, I will just get bigger and bigger if I were to ever eat normally.

I work so hard at the gym, and I am getting so frustrated with this whole thing. I am considering decreasing my caloric intake to 500 calories per day. Please no mean comments....just need some motivation, encouragement, understanding.

Just skimmed through this but saw 1200 cals, 6 days a week, plateua of weeks. You're showing signs of metabolic damage. You should check out Layne Norton's Vlog on it "metabolic damage",

I was in your boat before for about a month before. I had a really stupid idea of exercising 30 days straight on 1800 cals. I lifted 3 days on one day off. I did 400 calories after every lifting session, on my off days I did pure cardio and did 800-1200 cals depending on how I felt. Literally the dumbest thing I ever did so far diet wise. I lost like only 3lbs that month and when I went back to a normal schedule I could not lose an ounce! I had to take like 3 weeks off dieting to get my body functioning somewhat normally.

Never again.

6550mom · June 2013

First. Take a deep breath. At 5'4" and 133, you are within a normal weight range. You may not be where you want to be, but you aren't far off. I question the desire to be 115 (seems ultra-skinny, no?) at that height and wonder if putting that much stress on yourself is hindering your progress, also. Could you try to do this in a few to 5 pound increments to see how you look/feel on the way?

Second, I agree that you aren't fueling your body enough at 1200 calories and exercising. The thyroid medicine may actually bring your metabolism better in line with what you are putting in/out of yourself. It could HELP you lose weight to get your thyroid straightened out. You may find you lose at 1200 up to 1500 (guessing based on personal experience and not calculations, so just an example).

Third, remember that the scale is NOT the only or even the best measure of success. A size FIVE is not fat, as you keep calling yourself. Take measurements and photos and see how your clothes fit. These are indicator of your success.

Fourth, you use a lot of extreme language. You call yourself fat, say you are disgusted with yourself and say you have a 'tremendous' fear of gaining weight. This makes me wonder if you don't have more than normal concern and border on body image issues that need to be dealt with, as well. You say you lost 13 pounds in 3 weeks last year when starting at an already reasonable body weight and consider that 'success', when you likely lost lean body mass along with fat and likely didn't do this in a healthy way. It seems you are more concerned with being extremely skinny than healthy. That is concerning.

I wish you all the best. Please don't decrease your calories. If anything, you might need to increase them. Your body will take time to adjust to the normalizing thyroid so you will have to be patient BUT it will make things better in the end. But ruining your metabolism altogether will make everything worse.

Good luck, and finally, take another deep breath and reassess your goals (success on scale vs clothes/measurements), take care of your medical issues and don't base all your self-worth on your weight. :flowerforyou:

pinkraynedropjacki · June 2013

Nobody is small boned just like nobody is big boned. 133 is only 3 above me...perfectly normal.

missdibs1 · June 2013

I am sooooo frustrated. What is wrong with my body??? It's not doing what it used to do. I have been going to the gym 6 days/week and eating around 1200 calories for the past 4 months. 4 months of regimented exercise (body pump, body step, attack, combat, pump, step) and limiting calories and I am still 133 lbs at 5'4" - I am small boned by the way. My goal is 115 lbs, which I was 8 yrs ago. I know that I shrunk a bit around the waist and hips since I can fit into size 5 pants now (from size 7) but my weight is still the same, sometimes even increasing as much as 137 lbs during the day! I feel so FAT when I see that number, I don't see my progress. I am so disgusted with myself. I was able to go down to 123 lbs from 135 lbs in 3 weeks last year around December, so I know it should not take 4 months of seeing no change on the scale.

Then 5 weeks ago, out of frustration I went to the doc for a check up and they discovered that I had hyperthyroidism! I couldn't believe it because, shouldn't that mean I would have lost weight due to a hyperactive metabolism??? My T3 and T4 levels were quite elevated, with TSH<0.01 (almost non-existent). They think I have Grave's. Anyway, I don't believe that I am hyper but rather hypo based on my difficulties losing weight. So they put me on meds, metoprolol (25 mg) and methimazole (30 mg), to lower my blood pressure and help regulate my thyroid levels.

Anyway, I have this tremendous fear of gaining weight on the drugs. After about 2 weeks on the dosage, I reduced the dose of methimazole to 10 mg per day (and ditched the metoprolol per my doc's recommendation because it was giving me chest pains at night). Anyway, I feel much better and didn't realize how tired I was before. I really don't want to go hypo, which I've read happens alot when you are on high dose medication for a while. It's been about 5 weeks now, and no matter what I do the damn scale doesn't budge; going up instead sometimes. I am terrified to eat normally now, afraid that if I am still this fat at 1200 calories per day, I will just get bigger and bigger if I were to ever eat normally.

I work so hard at the gym, and I am getting so frustrated with this whole thing. I am considering decreasing my caloric intake to 500 calories per day. Please no mean comments....just need some motivation, encouragement, understanding.

Look --> my advice to ANYONE who disagrees with a diagnosis is this:

You are not trusting your doctor...get a second (and third) opinion.

I have hypo thyroidism....let us not get into that.

You were diagnosed, based on tests, as hyper. YOU cannot change a diagnosis, because you want it to be something else. Your complete post (to me) makes no sense.

DO not self medicate, and know this...thyroid problems need to be corrected before you can move forward. Find your balance.

It took my three years to do so.

bulbadoof · June 2013

Forget about the number, muscle weighs more than fat. If you went down two sizes, you're smaller than you were when you started - it's working. Seriously, get a measuring tape and go by that instead of the scale. It's working - you're doing great - don't worry about it or start starving yourself.

I think you may need psychological help for your body image issues before they turn into a full-fledged eating disorder - a size 5 is not fat in the slightest and being in the toned 130s at 5'4" is a very healthy place to be.

Tiffa0909 · June 2013

If you have hyperthyroidism , have a low calorie diet and are working out and not loosing any weight , maybe your body is trying to to tell you something.

Increase your calories by 200 or 400 and check if you see any difference .

Don't go to 500 calories a day , you will damage your body more than is already. I did something similar , I was super healthy and after that diet my iron , hemoglobin and sugar level were horrible low. There were moments were I though I was going to die because of how clouded my vision was and the shakes and cold sweat I got. After I stopped doing that , I gained all the weight back and then some.

I also have recently develop hypothyroidism and the warning in the bottle clearly says , don't ever use this medicine as a diet pill .

juliegrey1 · June 2013

Sorry I just cant see whats wrong with 133 lbs at 5 ft 4!Im 5ft 2 and 150 and Im not that bad Im very toned sorry I think 115 is just way too light!

CrimsonHolly · June 2013

In addition to seeing a nutritionist, perhaps you should consider seeing a therapist. Losing weight is a mental/emotional issue as well as a health one.

ChristinaR720 · June 2013

Taking drastic measures is not the answer! This isn't a race, and losing the weight slowly and healthfully is the way to go. Weight loss isn't linear, so there will be some weeks where you'll lose weight and others where you won't.

There could be a number of factors at play here, but the main possible reasons may be:

1) You're not measuring accurately and you're actually eating more than you think.
2) You're not eating enough. If you are only eating 1200 calories, even on exercise days, you are definitely not eating enough.
3) Changes in your exercise routine can cause you to hold onto water, as your muscles use it to repair themselves.
4) If you are consuming a lot of sodium, you could be retaining water, as sodium can cause water retention.
5) TOM - It happens and we deal. It usually causes temporary weight gain.
6) You're overestimating your calories burned. If you are eating back your exercise calories, there is a possibility that you could be eating more than you've actually burned. A heart rate monitor will help you get a more accurate sense of how many calories you are actually burning.

As others have recommended, try increasing your calorie intake (gradually, giving your body a few weeks to adjust with each increase).

toutmonpossible · June 2013

I would see an endocrinologist and a Registered Dietitian. Good luck.

Eating more is usually not the road to weight loss and 1200 is not a Very Low Calorie Diet. If you feel you can sustain that and have energy, I would keep eating at that level, making sure to measure and weigh everything. I would also use a scale that estimates your weight, body fat and water composition.

xiamjackie · June 2013

In addition to seeing a nutritionist, perhaps you should consider seeing a therapist. Losing weight is a mental/emotional issue as well as a health one.

I completely agree. It is not normal (or healthy) to say you're disgusted with yourself and to talk about how disgustingly fat you are when you look in the mirror. 133 at 5'4 is perfect to some people. We all have imperfections that we want to change, or else we wouldn't be tracking calories on this site, but it is healthy to go about it positively and encouraging yourself along the way, not putting yourself down. I would suggest seeing a therapist and talking about your feelings (that to me sound like self hate) so that when you do start to lose the weight, you are in the right mind-set and are thinking positively.

5ftnFun · June 2013

You posted this same frustration in April and then again in May. Have you tried ANY of the suggestions or advice you received from those other posts and, if so, for how long did you stick with it? If you feel you have given it your all and nothing is working, then I recommend you seek another medical opinion.

DrMAvDPhD · June 2013

It sounds like you are overtraining and undereating. Undereating for a long amount of time has been proven many times over to slow your metabolism. You might benefit from a metabolism reset. Try calculating out your TDEE (including all your exercise) and eating at that level for a month. Then slowly decrease your calories by 100 cal or so a week until you see loss again.

Also bear in mind that you are older than you were when you were 115 pounds. Your body has changed and you might no longer be able to achieve that weight safely.

Adding strength training to your routine might help you achieve the look that you want without drastic calorie cuts.

Beginning to consider drastic steps to weight loss....

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