Plateaus

I looked for an already existing thread to add my post too, but couldn't find one, so please forgive me for starting a new thread.

A good friend of mine (who does not need to lose weight but is a long time gym rat) posted this on a supernatural bboard and I got her permission to re-post it here. I thought it was among the best I've ever read and thought I'd share.


get your frustration - I worked out several hours a week and ate 1200 calories a day and gained and gained. It was maddening - because I would go to a doctor and say "there's something wrong here" and the doctor would tell me that I must not be exercising as much as I said - or that I must be lying about my food intake. Neither was true, because I've logged every bite of food I've taken in for over 20 years (a bodybuilding habit), and logged all of my exercise. I weigh food on a kitchen scale so I know my portions are right and not estimated. But the doctors would all assume that I was lying - because we all know that people who are overweight must be liars.

Now - as for the weight you've gained....there is a good possibility that at least some of that is muscle - and some could be water, as exercise often causes water to be sucked into your muscles. Did you read the "why the scale can lie" article I posted? This will help you to understand some other things about weight, as well. I do think 15 lbs is probably more than can be accounted for by muscle, however, so I would imagine that there are thyroid issues or something else going on.

If the doctor wants only to test TSH, you may have to insist on the T3/T4 tests, as well. Many doctors just won't perform them; however, if you are going to a good endocrinologist as opposed to just a family practitioner, it should be an easier road for you.

If it is not thyroid, there may be other issues at play. Candida can block weight loss. There is a simple spit test you can do to see if you have too much candida - google candida spit test and you'll find it. If you do have candida, you can go on a candida management diet and take something called Candex, followed by probiotics.

You could also have food sensitivities that are blocking your weight loss. Common sensitivities include dairy (including butter), gluten, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, corn, artificial sweeteners and one more that I can't think of now. You may want to try an elimination diet where you eliminate all of these items from your diet for two weeks and see how you do. If you are doing better, then you can add one of these things back in at a time - to see what triggers you to stop losing - or even gain weight. You'll usually be able to tell right away what it was that triggered it because you'll have some kind of a physical symptom, plus instantaneous water weight gain in a horrific amount.

Another possibility is that you are just in a stall. You've lost quite a bit of weight relatively quickly. Sometimes your body needs to recover.

Or, it could be insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for fat storage in your body. When insulin is present and dietary fat is present, the insulin will escort fat right into your cells. This is why a low carb diet could be helpful for some people who are insulin sensitive. By keeping carbs low and of good quality (fruits and veggies), you can decrease the amount of insulin that is released into your blood stream. In the absence of insulin, you will not store fat to your cells. This is why people with Type I diabetes lose weight rapidly if they are not taking insulin - because they have no natural insulin, so there is nothing to escort the fat into the cells or block it from coming out of the cells.

You might want to back off of the exercise for a while - bring it down to a point where you are just doing strength training - not all of the cardio. Strength training increases muscle mass and makes your muscles hungrier - so your burn rate is higher. A good strength training program will also strengthen your heart and your lungs - so there are no worries in not doing cardio.

Finally, of course, you may not be eating enough calories to support your activity level. This can cause the well-known starvation response. Google BMR calculator and find out what your body's basal metabolic rate is. This is a good rule of thumb for the lowest amount of calories to just sustain your existence. Then, calculate your Harris Benedict Equation (google it) to factor in your activity level. This is the maximum number of calories that you can eat. In order to find a place where you will be operating at a caloric deficit but not starving yourself, take your Harris Benedict number minus about 400-500 calories per day. This puts you in a health weight loss range. There is one caveat to all of this, of course. Even if you are eating at a caloric deficit, you will likely not lose weight if there are other physiological factors coming into play (sensitivities, yeast, etc.)

Oops - I said "finally" above - but I just thought of one other block to weight loss. It is cortisol. Cortisol is released by stress, worry, anger, etc. Also by excessive exercise. It circulates in the body for quite some time after a stressful incident. Cortisol can not only stop weight loss in its tracks, but reverse it. Something to think about. You can lower cortisol levels through meditation and relaxation techniques, yoga (you might want to replace cardio with yoga), deep breathing and probably a zillion other ways that I can't think of right now. Worrying about the fact that you aren't losing weight is sufficient to release cortisol into your system.

I think I've about covered it. If I think of any other things, I'll let you know. Hang in there - it is tough and very frustrating, I know. Get the thyroid test - it is a good first step.