So discouraged.....

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kimberlythomeson
kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
in Introduce Yourself
I went back to the doctor today...I've gained 5 pounds since last monday. I have been logging my food and excercise since Wednesday when I learned about this site. My blood pressure last week was 140/110 so doc increased my blood pressure medicine and today it was 155/98. According to my food log, i am only comsuming 1/2 of what my recommended calories/sodium/protein suggest that i take in. I don't want to give up, but this is very discouraging. My doctor did blood test to check my thyroid. Won't know the results til next week (possibly sooner). Has anybody dealt with this type situation and any advice/friends would be welcome...I'm about in tears right now, because everything is going backwards....
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Replies

  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    I don't know because you don't have your food diary public but I think you are not eating enough to lose weight and your body is going into starvation mode. You need to increase your calories. I am tall and am following the MFP macros and suggested calories for losing 2lbs a week. This means I get to eat 1550 calories a day without exercise. I am also doing the recommended eat back exercise calories. This means if I take a 20 min walk I earn an extra (approx 110) calories that get added to my 1550 so now I get 1650 calories on that day. I have been on MFP for approximately 21-22 days and have lost 13 lbs. I originally my calories were set at around 1800 per day but MFP adjusted it after I lost the 1st 10lbs. There is something else I would like to add. My doctor told me that your weigh can fluctuate up 5lbs a day from morning to evening. You weigh your least in the morning so if you weighed at different times of the day this could be the added weight. Also that amount can also be attributed to water weight from salt. I love salt and it is the hardest thing for me to cut back on. I also have high blood pressure and take medication. If you would like you can open your diary to me and I will try and help you. My diary is public set so my friends can view it so if you want to go look at what I am eating please do.
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    Don't get discouraged this is what friends are here for. To help you tweek your diet for success. :happy:
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    You need to eat the recommended calories, not half. You need to make it good foods though! Not eure what type of food you eat ? Also exercise will help too. Weight can vary day to day and it has only been one week.
  • doriharvey
    doriharvey Posts: 89 Member
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    I agree with above...
    Plus I don't weight weekly anymore, I do every two weeks and measure inches the opposite weeks. It didn't take one week to get where you are. Think in terms of a healthy lifestyle, not a one week fling. I wish you the best in your efforts!
  • macielittle
    macielittle Posts: 46 Member
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    I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2010. It had a direct effect on everything from energy levels to cholesterol levels. Once I was properly medicated I lost a good amount of weight, but there is still weight that I am now working to take off. It is harder to lose weight now than it used to be but don't get discouraged. If the tests show that you do have a thyroid problem the medication will help. If the tests come back normal that doesn't fully rule out Hashimoto's thyroiditis, especially if they are only testing thyroid levels and not checking for thyroid antibodies. Someone with Hashimoto's may go undetected until their body has pretty much destroyed the thyroid. Do you happen to have anyone in the family with thyroid problems? Try taking a b12 supplement and see if that helps too. How is your energy?
  • chadraeder3
    chadraeder3 Posts: 279 Member
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    5 lbs is quite a bit, I am glad your doctor is looking in to this more. A couple questions, are you logging everything that you eat/snack/taste/crosses your lips? Are you weighing the food you are logging? Are you putting in each serving? Did your doctor review your food diary with you and if so did that doctor give you suggestions on how you might improve your diet?

    Remember you probably did not gain weight overnight or even in a month don't expect it to come off that quick I would plan on 1.5 times the time you put the weight on to take it off, but you can do it once you put your mind in to the right track. Keep on with making your diet a little more healthy each week and be willing to reach out to professionals for information and their recommendations.
  • ckone4me
    ckone4me Posts: 108 Member
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    I agree with everyones input. Quick weight gains can be anything from water to a health issue. Undereating is not good and eating our calories in cake,.. wont get you where you want to go. But all in all, you sound like you need a good friend and so far I see everyone is being just that! Listen to sound advice, eat lots of veggies, some fruits, plenty of beans, fiber and water! And stay away from fast food, pre packed foods and anything you do not prepare yourself! Above all cut out white sugar! I am not sure what you have been doing with your diet , what foods you eat, your goals ect.... but it takes time and if your gaining, discovering what that issue is. I hope all is well with your tests!
  • kimberlythomeson
    kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
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    You need to eat the recommended calories, not half. You need to make it good foods though! Not eure what type of food you eat ? Also exercise will help too. Weight can vary day to day and it has only been one week.

    I don't like to use the word can't, but i can't eat that much...i feel full all the time...almost to the point of feeling so stuffed that i don't want to eat supper. I am trying to be more active...walking, aerobics, etc...i get wore out so easily plus i have issues with my back/hips/knees that hold me back from doing high impact excercises. In the near future I'm being tested thru mri for ankylosis spondilytis (which my dad had).
  • kimberlythomeson
    kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
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    I don't know because you don't have your food diary public but I think you are not eating enough to lose weight and your body is going into starvation mode. You need to increase your calories. I am tall and am following the MFP macros and suggested calories for losing 2lbs a week. This means I get to eat 1550 calories a day without exercise. I am also doing the recommended eat back exercise calories. This means if I take a 20 min walk I earn an extra (approx 110) calories that get added to my 1550 so now I get 1650 calories on that day. I have been on MFP for approximately 21-22 days and have lost 13 lbs. I originally my calories were set at around 1800 per day but MFP adjusted it after I lost the 1st 10lbs. There is something else I would like to add. My doctor told me that your weigh can fluctuate up 5lbs a day from morning to evening. You weigh your least in the morning so if you weighed at different times of the day this could be the added weight. Also that amount can also be attributed to water weight from salt. I love salt and it is the hardest thing for me to cut back on. I also have high blood pressure and take medication. If you would like you can open your diary to me and I will try and help you. My diary is public set so my friends can view it so if you want to go look at what I am eating please do.


    I opened my diary to you...and i did forget to state that my doctor put me on a water pill to because i am retaining quite a bit of fluid in my legs/ankles
  • katygirl66
    katygirl66 Posts: 19 Member
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    If you don't eat enough, your body will hoard fat cells. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to eat enough to lose weight. try eating to your max calories, hopefully that will help.
  • kimberlythomeson
    kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
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    5 lbs is quite a bit, I am glad your doctor is looking in to this more. A couple questions, are you logging everything that you eat/snack/taste/crosses your lips? Are you weighing the food you are logging? Are you putting in each serving? Did your doctor review your food diary with you and if so did that doctor give you suggestions on how you might improve your diet?

    Remember you probably did not gain weight overnight or even in a month don't expect it to come off that quick I would plan on 1.5 times the time you put the weight on to take it off, but you can do it once you put your mind in to the right track. Keep on with making your diet a little more healthy each week and be willing to reach out to professionals for information and their recommendations.

    At this point i have been documenting everything. I'm not weighing any of my food, but i am measuring to the best of my ability. I am definately going to try my hardest to do the best I can....I didn't review my diary with my dr yet, i think right now it's getting my blood pressure under control and my back pain...(in near future being tested for anklyosing spondilytis (my dad had it and it's genetic))...
  • kimberlythomeson
    kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
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    I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2010. It had a direct effect on everything from energy levels to cholesterol levels. Once I was properly medicated I lost a good amount of weight, but there is still weight that I am now working to take off. It is harder to lose weight now than it used to be but don't get discouraged. If the tests show that you do have a thyroid problem the medication will help. If the tests come back normal that doesn't fully rule out Hashimoto's thyroiditis, especially if they are only testing thyroid levels and not checking for thyroid antibodies. Someone with Hashimoto's may go undetected until their body has pretty much destroyed the thyroid. Do you happen to have anyone in the family with thyroid problems? Try taking a b12 supplement and see if that helps too. How is your energy?


    I don't know of anyone in my family that has thyroid issues...but my daughter has some nodules on her thryoid....my energy is fair, but not the greatest...i get wore out really easily.
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
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    I don't know because you don't have your food diary public but I think you are not eating enough to lose weight and your body is going into starvation mode. You need to increase your calories. I am tall and am following the MFP macros and suggested calories for losing 2lbs a week. This means I get to eat 1550 calories a day without exercise. I am also doing the recommended eat back exercise calories. This means if I take a 20 min walk I earn an extra (approx 110) calories that get added to my 1550 so now I get 1650 calories on that day. I have been on MFP for approximately 21-22 days and have lost 13 lbs. I originally my calories were set at around 1800 per day but MFP adjusted it after I lost the 1st 10lbs. There is something else I would like to add. My doctor told me that your weigh can fluctuate up 5lbs a day from morning to evening. You weigh your least in the morning so if you weighed at different times of the day this could be the added weight. Also that amount can also be attributed to water weight from salt. I love salt and it is the hardest thing for me to cut back on. I also have high blood pressure and take medication. If you would like you can open your diary to me and I will try and help you. My diary is public set so my friends can view it so if you want to go look at what I am eating please do.

    Please, please, please let's end this myth of the starvation mode. If you are underweight, yes, you can go into starvation mode. and you can't safely eat less than about 800 calories a day, and it should be more than 1,000. Overly quick weight loss TOWARD THE END of weight loss, i.e. when the body is leaner and there's not as much fat to burn, will prompt the body to burn more lean muscle rather than fat, and that's a problem. but the most recent studies find that aggressive weight loss at the beginning of a diet is a good thing that is more successful.

    From a Los Angeles Times article on the research:
    "(Myth) Slow, gradual weight loss is easier to sustain than large, rapid weight loss. (Reality) In fact, clinical trials have found that people who jump-start their diets by dropping a lot of weight in the beginning (by consuming only 800 to 1,200 calories per day, for instance) had the best results in long-term studies."

    link to the article:
    http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/30/news/la-heb-weight-loss-myths-20130130

    Weight Watchers on starvation mode:

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Options
    You need to eat the recommended calories, not half. You need to make it good foods though! Not eure what type of food you eat ? Also exercise will help too. Weight can vary day to day and it has only been one week.

    I don't like to use the word can't, but i can't eat that much...i feel full all the time...almost to the point of feeling so stuffed that i don't want to eat supper. I am trying to be more active...walking, aerobics, etc...i get wore out so easily plus i have issues with my back/hips/knees that hold me back from doing high impact excercises. In the near future I'm being tested thru mri for ankylosis spondilytis (which my dad had).
    So you have always been eating 600 cal per day and gaining?
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    You definitely need to invest in a food scale. It will really help you get an accurate measure of how much you are eating.

    As far as your calories go, it's hard to give advice without being able to see your diary.
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Bottom line: 5 lbs of fat gain would be 17500 calories. You did not eat 17K+ calories above and beyond maintenance, therefore you did not gain 5 lbs of fat. Nothing else matters.

    Also, eat all the recommended cals, not half.
  • kimberlythomeson
    kimberlythomeson Posts: 23
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    You need to eat the recommended calories, not half. You need to make it good foods though! Not eure what type of food you eat ? Also exercise will help too. Weight can vary day to day and it has only been one week.

    I don't like to use the word can't, but i can't eat that much...i feel full all the time...almost to the point of feeling so stuffed that i don't want to eat supper. I am trying to be more active...walking, aerobics, etc...i get wore out so easily plus i have issues with my back/hips/knees that hold me back from doing high impact excercises. In the near future I'm being tested thru mri for ankylosis spondilytis (which my dad had).
    So you have always been eating 600 cal per day and gaining?


    about 800 and gaining....this last week i've drank more water than i have ever drank, a few days i may have had 1000 calories...and i'm going for walks, doing some aerobics, etc...I've been eating more vegetables...tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, salads....i've went from skipping breakfast/eating late lunch/then having supper to eating breakfast, lunch, snack, and supper...but i have a very heavy full feeling...i've never been one to eat alot. even my husband says that i don't eat enough to feed a cat.
  • macielittle
    macielittle Posts: 46 Member
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    Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chromosome 6 condition as is diabetes. Has the doctor checked you for diabetes?
  • jmoliveson
    jmoliveson Posts: 40 Member
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    Hi; don't get discouraged, because you signed up for this site for support and you are not alone. Many of us on here get frustrated because we think that the weight will just drop off, but it takes time. In my case I have not lost more than 2 pounds since starting this site but I have been working out aggressively so I know that my muscles are building up and I am getting visually in shape because I am sweating my butt off!. My family told me that I might gain weight first before I lose it and warned me not to get discouraged. The main thing you have to remember is that if you Need to exercise and sweat in order to burn the fat. Don't worry it gets easier the more you do it! I have lost weight so many times and know that the first month of hard work needs to be consistent. Then one day you will look back and see that "WoW" you lost a bunch of weight; so keep in mind that your goal is to work hard and eat healthy and as long as you are doing that consistently the weight will come off so stay focused no matter what because you are worth it!!
  • murdull
    murdull Posts: 1
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    I totally heary ya!
    Hi don't give up, it takes TIME to change your habits and takes time to shift around your metabolism. I lost 100+ lbs. since 2007 and got 25 lbs to go but now I have other issues, like excess FLAB so you are in a good place to begin working out at least 2 minutes every day and reduce calories every single day and it will happen - - just lose weight SLOW 25 lbs a year would be ideal but no one has patience for that, cut yourself more slack! .. time keeps on ticking..

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