No results with insanity. Cortisol problem??

rdtaylor22
rdtaylor22 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently 225lbs (5ft 11in). Since november, I have been wearing a bodymedia fit armband. I burn between 3500-4000 calories a day. I eat between 2200-2500 (on a good sometimes it is less as I'm busy chasing my very active toddler). I am nursing my 20 month old toddler 3x/day. After almost a year of eating well and working out hard, and still suck at 225lbs, I decided to try insanity. I have two weeks left and I am still 225lbs. I have never had a lot of belly fat before. I was 198 pre pregnancy, but a fit and muscuar size 10. Now I am a flabby size 16. What am I doing wrong? Am I eating too little? My doctor finally agreed to a cortisol blood test (thyroid has been checked, everything is normal). Doc is a little clueless. He told me to try eating 1800 calories and see if that makes the weight come off...some days this is all I eat and I feel like crap). Help! We are going to ttc for#2 soon and I can't believe I'm suck at this weight. I feel like a fit girl stuck in a fat body.

Replies

  • kazsjourney
    kazsjourney Posts: 263 Member
    If your burning 3500 as a minimum I would think you should be eating 2500 as a minimum. That is still a 1000 calorie daily deficit.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    I personally think you are eating too little, especially if you are nursing and working out. Try eating a bit more, maybe 500 cals more at the least so you are eating about 3,000 a day if you burn that much according to BodyMedia. (I have one too...I love it!!). Insanity brings results...I just finished it about 2 weeks ago - went from 220.1 to 198.8, if you haven't lost anything, maybe your measurements changed? It could be what you are eating in addition to it not being enough. I didn't look at your diary but if you want more specific help let me know and I can try to make some suggestions.

    ...Coming from experience, I do have thyroid issues, and food intolerance troubles that can cause weight gain/bloating if I'm not careful.
  • SteviePaige
    SteviePaige Posts: 64
    I'm not sure I can offer the correct answer. I tried insanity and felt that it was just un-necessarily intense - I can burn the same calories working at a more reasonable pace for slightly longer. Any way, besides the point, if you like insanity, that's great.
    Are you lifting or incorporating any weights into your routines? I find that building muscle along with cardio will really help transform your body faster. Once your muscles start to work and become stronger, they will assist you to burn more fat.
    I also find that when I get stuck, sometimes I need to eat more calories - Not more than I burn, but I eat my daily allowance plus any calories I burn during my workouts. I know not everyone agrees with this, and there are times when I also don't eat my exercise calories. But your body needs fuel to keep going. Try not to focus on the scale so much - it's a big liar! You'll notice your clothing will fit better before you see a change on the scale most of the time.
  • DeathListFive
    DeathListFive Posts: 29 Member
    I'd be willing to bet that you're not eating nearly enough. You said you're nursing..... Are you calculating that into your calorie loss? The scale may not have moved, but have you checked your measurements from before Insanity to now?
  • hazelbliss6
    hazelbliss6 Posts: 253 Member
    Start with your BRM which is 1817 calories per day (based on the apps on this website). This is your "I do nothing and don't want to lose or gain" calorie goal. Add in exercise calories. You said you burn a minimum of 3500 per day. So now we are at a 5317 calorie goal (to maintain your weight). No add in nursing. If the baby eats and nurses a low estimate would be 200-250 calories per nursing session, with your 3 sessions per day. So on the low end, add 600 calories per day which lands us at 5917 calories per day. So just to maintain your weight and continue your activity level you would need to eat close to 6000 calories per day. Eating your 2200 calories per day puts you at a 3717 calorie deficit. Way undereating!

    Your options are to eat more (take in more calories) or decrease you exercise. Do not lower your calories! You are probably already making milk with sparse calories for the baby, and you body will suffer too. In general it's best to never let your Net calories (all IN minus all OUT) be less than 1200. So if your goal is to lose one pound per week for example, and you wanted to keep the same exercise and nursing going, you need to eat at least: (1817-500= 1317. +3500=4817, +600=5417)

    5417 calories per day with same exercise and nursing and 500 calorie deficit per day. (one pound per week)

    Obviously that's a lot of food! It would probably be best to decrease the amount of calories out, maybe switch to more weights vs cardio so you have slow steady long-lasting burns instead of high intensity and low return burns.

    p.s. congrats on nursing so long! I am a nursing advocate too!
  • rdtaylor22
    rdtaylor22 Posts: 6
    Thank you for the quick replies. My measurements haven't changed. My calves and arms look slightly more toned, but between my knees and my neck, it's all the same. Should I mention I went from a 36DD before pregnancy to a 36H currently...*sigh*. I do think I need to eat more. I honestly do try. But when eating clean, the calories just sometimes don't add up to enough. I think my body is just in a chronic deficit and won't release any body fat until I stop nursing...which won't happen anytime soon...and then I will hopefully be pregnant, ...soooo. Oh and I do have lots if muscle (under all this fat!). I haven't been doing any extra weight training while doing insanity (other than carrying around a 22lb toddler and all his stuff!), but I was before insanity.
  • hazelbliss6
    hazelbliss6 Posts: 253 Member
    An easy way to add calories is to add fat, the good kind :smile: Olive oil, real butter, whole milk, all nuts- peanuts are the highest i think. Would be great at making your milk more nutritious for the baby too :flowerforyou:
  • rdtaylor22
    rdtaylor22 Posts: 6
    Thanks hazelbliss. Although my armband includes my bmr, so with breastfeeding my total calorie expenditure is approx 3800-4300. Still high! I will try to eat more. I am proud of breastfeeding this long :)
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    Same weight for little over 7 months, and people are suggesting you eat more? :noway:
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    Thanks hazelbliss. Although my armband includes my bmr, so with breastfeeding my total calorie expenditure is approx 3800-4300. Still high! I will try to eat more. I am proud of breastfeeding this long :)

    You breastfeeding that toddler? Ditch the numbers on the armband for a month and eat 1800. Plenty of calories for a woman. I eat that doing Insanity month 2 and active job.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    Same weight for little over 7 months, and people are suggesting you eat more? :noway:

    ^^^^ my thoughts exactly...

    perhaps your BMR, TDEE, etc is being calculated improperly... your HRM may not be accurate... maybe TRY eating less.... at 200 pounds you are in no threat of going into starvation mode so I dont see how eating MORE is going to help you....
  • kevinjb1
    kevinjb1 Posts: 233 Member
    Are you wearing the arm band all day? I don't have one is that something you're supposed to do? I would think that wearing it all day would add in your BMR too then to your "calories burned?" The way I do it is by only counting the calories burned from actual exercise and not everyday activities. I just can't imagine you are burning that many calories just from doing insanity.

    I'd trust what your doctor says and try eating at 1800 for a couple of weeks and see if that works.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Same weight for little over 7 months, and people are suggesting you eat more? :noway:

    obese too :-0
  • Ayne6246
    Ayne6246 Posts: 37 Member
    I see seveal people have given my answer but I will restate it because I know my mentors have to keep reinforcing this idea with me. You are eating too little. Your body may be in starvation mode and doing the insanity may be over exercisng for you if you are also chasg a toddler around & doing the usual mom things. Try cutting back on the number of daysyou do insanity and on the off ays, wak or lift weights or some other exercise. I was doing ichard Simmons twice a day 6 days a week and my weight refused to budge. I dropped back to once a day 6 days a week then didn't do any structured exercise other than a lot of walking while I was on vacation, didn't eve watch what I was eating, and came home 3 lbs lighter than when I left home.

    Important to remember "It's not the number onthe scale that counts it's the number in the waist band." I know they tell you that you lose yur "baby weight" faster when you nurse but that was never the case with me. My weight refused to budge as long as I was nursing. It dropped lie crazy when I stopped.

    editred to ad, I've lost 21 lbs since the middle of January. Not a lot but average around 4lbs a month. Slow but sure. My goal is to be at <25% bodyfat by December.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    Same weight for little over 7 months, and people are suggesting you eat more? :noway:

    Wondering the same thing! I'm guessing TDEE is being overestimated and calories in are beign underestimated. OP, are you accurately measuring (weighing, using measuring cups/spoons) everything you eat? Not leaving anything out when you track?

    Edit: Eating too few calories does not cause people to maintain weight for months at a time. If it did, anorexics and the Save the Children kids would be looking a lot healthier.
  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
    Maybe it's the lack of tuna juice.
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    You could be either eating too little or too much.

    Are you eating at a healthy calorie range while burning enough calories? I personally wouldn't recommend Insanity as your program. It is hard on the knees and cannot really be modified to fit your fitness level.

    If you are still nursing your 20 month old, that could be another reason why you are having trouble losing weight. Don't get me wrong, but don't you have to eat extra calories in order to do this? I have a 21 month old and I didn't nurse her, so if I am wrong about this, don't bash me.

    If you want further advice, FR me =) I'd be happy to guide you in the right direction.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    Same weight for little over 7 months, and people are suggesting you eat more? :noway:

    Wondering the same thing! I'm guessing TDEE is being overestimated and calories in are beign underestimated. OP, are you accurately measuring (weighing, using measuring cups/spoons) everything you eat? Not leaving anything out when you track?

    Edit: Eating too few calories does not cause people to maintain weight for months at a time. If it did, anorexics and the Save the Children kids would be looking a lot healthier.


    ^^^^^^^ THIS!! so many times THIS!
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    I just picture all the 1000's of people in Africa in starvation mode with fat all over their bodies.:laugh:
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    You weighed 198 and wore a size 10? If that's true I should be in a size 8 and I'm 175 in a size 12. So if that is an exageration what else in your post is? I'm not trying to get on your case, but if you are not beiing true to yourself you will never get the right answer. Sorry don't mean to be mean . :flowerforyou:
  • rdtaylor22
    rdtaylor22 Posts: 6
    I am accurately measuring everything. I am definitely not underestimating my caloric intake. (I have a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology and a background in Nutrition). I have had my resting metabolic rate measured in the lab (pre-pregnancy) and was burning 2200kcal/day at rest. I am 5'11" and very muscular. Burning ~3500 kcal/per day is not unreasonable for my weight/height/activity level (plus breastfeeding!) Before pregnancy, I competed in triathlons and cycled 50+ miles per week. I know the math does not make sense. That is why I posted. Nobody has any advice on cortisol levels?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Nobody has any advice on cortisol levels?

    You didn't say what they were :-)

    But seriously, I've yet to see any actual science around cases of apparent calorie deficit but no weight loss - it would be nice to see a clinical analysis of such subjects, or even a hypothesis. Elevated levels of insulin inhibiting lipolysis is the nearest thing I've seen so far.
  • MrsWells1983
    MrsWells1983 Posts: 160
    Do you think it would be a good idea to get your BMR tested for post pregnancy? Pregnancy does funny things to us women, it would not surprise me in the least if this has changed thus putting the calculation for TDEE off. I don't really know though, just a suggestion. Hope you find the answer soon. :smile:
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    I am accurately measuring everything. I am definitely not underestimating my caloric intake. (I have a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology and a background in Nutrition). I have had my resting metabolic rate measured in the lab (pre-pregnancy) and was burning 2200kcal/day at rest. I am 5'11" and very muscular. Burning ~3500 kcal/per day is not unreasonable for my weight/height/activity level (plus breastfeeding!) Before pregnancy, I competed in triathlons and cycled 50+ miles per week. I know the math does not make sense. That is why I posted. Nobody has any advice on cortisol levels?

    Having a Master's degree in anything doesn't guarantee that you don't underestimate you calorie intake or overestimate calories burned. Now if those numbers are giving you a proper deficit, my next suggestion would be to see a doctor which you're already doing.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    I am accurately measuring everything. I am definitely not underestimating my caloric intake. (I have a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology and a background in Nutrition). I have had my resting metabolic rate measured in the lab (pre-pregnancy) and was burning 2200kcal/day at rest. I am 5'11" and very muscular. Burning ~3500 kcal/per day is not unreasonable for my weight/height/activity level (plus breastfeeding!) Before pregnancy, I competed in triathlons and cycled 50+ miles per week. I know the math does not make sense. That is why I posted. Nobody has any advice on cortisol levels?

    Well I'm not a doctor and I don't have a Master's Degree in anything, but life because I've lived a long time. I do however have the ability to reason, so if all this is true and your doctor is clueless I think you should go to a different doctor or your math is wrong.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    Are you wearing the arm band all day? I don't have one is that something you're supposed to do? I would think that wearing it all day would add in your BMR too then to your "calories burned?" The way I do it is by only counting the calories burned from actual exercise and not everyday activities. I just can't imagine you are burning that many calories just from doing insanity.

    The BMF is worn all day, or at least you try to so when she says I burn about 3500 a day that is including the exercise during Insanity, not what is burned just during Insanity.

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