Need doctor, dietician, what?

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JohnnyRedd
JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
I didn't see a complete catastrophe category so this will have to do.

48 year old male. Tired of being a fat *kitten*. I have love handles and a fat *kitten*. No other way to explain it. I have been 250 pounds for two plus years.

I follow my 1500 calorie a day diet.

3 days a week I have an hour plus cardio. Usually biking. 14 to 16 MPH road bike or 6 to 10 mph mountain biking.

3 days a week weight training.

Let's take a break here and get this straight. My problem is not muscle weight. It's FAT. It's the kind of FAT that stretches the hole in my belt. It's the kind of FAT that stretches the pockets of my pants. It's the kind of FAT that looks like I have a spare tire under my shirt. I could care less if I weighed 300 pounds as long as it was not FAT that keeps growing.

I walk a mile twice a night. Both times it is in 16 minutes or less.

I rarely, if EVER come in on the negative (red) on my Fitness Pal. This is for over two years.

I know my weight has gone up. I gave up looking at it in 11 pounds.

I have tried starving. No change.

I have tried eating like a pig. No change.

I have tried all fruits and steamed vegetables. No change.

I have tried the speed from the local weight loss clinic. No change.

I have had my doctor test my blood and he says everything is great. No change.

I just keep getting bigger. FATTER and FATTER.

Do I need a new doctor? A dietician? What? My mother and her sister are both built the same so I am fighting some kind of f*cked up genetics but I BELIEVE I can live without this disgusting later of fat on my body. I didn't have it until my mid 40s.

Open to any ideas.

Replies

  • MeganAnne89
    MeganAnne89 Posts: 271 Member
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    I think that for you, since there doesn't really appear to be anything physically wrong with you, a dietician would help. I think that you need someone to teach you what kinds of foods you should be taking in and how much a man built like you is meant to eat.

    You say that you're eating only 1500 calories. I am a 5'3'' female and the amount of calories I need to eat to maintain is 1760 and I only weigh 120 pounds. As a male I'm going to assume that you're much taller than I am and you are also 130 pounds heavier than me. I'm sorry but I feel like you should be eating a lot more than I should, even in order to lose weight.

    That's why I think talking to a trained dietician is a good idea for you.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    I am just not sure - dietician or doctor because outside of testosterone I don't know what the doctor has checked for. Dietician does make sense. The 1500 came from Fitness pal when I signed up so I don't know where that number came from but you would think that two years of too little food i would still lose weight.
    thanks
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    It is important to first rule out any medical conditions that could be masking your weight loss.

    Nonetheless, your calorie intake is low for a man.

    What is your TDEE? Enter your stats in the site below and see what happens:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    The 1500 came from Fitness pal when I signed up so I don't know where that number came from but you would think that two years of too little food i would still lose weight.

    It would help if you let us know your height, how much movement you do on a typical day, and also opened up your food diary. That shows us the big picture--have you been consistently logging, are you logging accurately, are you eating back exercise calories, how much are you over/under your target, are there any unusual food patterns, is your goal reasonable, etc. 1500 calories would be too low for most men.
    I know my weight has gone up. I gave up looking at it in 11 pounds.
    I would immediately correct this destructive behavior. You need to track one or more measurements consistently so you can have an accurate picture of what your body's actually doing.
    I have had my doctor test my blood and he says everything is great. No change.
    Great! Hopefully he tested your thyroid.
    I have tried starving. No change.
    I have tried eating like a pig. No change.
    I have tried all fruits and steamed vegetables. No change.
    Sounds unhealthy. Can you commit to a balanced diet, eating 500 to 1,000 calories per day less than you burn for at least 30 days, or do you need the excitement of trendy and over-aggressive diets?
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    What is your diary like? COUGH open COUGH
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    Quote: It would help if you let us know your height, how much movement you do on a typical day, and also opened up your food diary. That shows us the big picture--have you been consistently logging, are you logging accurately, are you eating back exercise calories, how much are you over/under your target, are there any unusual food patterns, is your goal reasonable, etc. 1500 calories would be too low for most men.

    Tell me how to open it. 5'10" I weighed a heavy 236 in 2010 at my June check in. Had a knee replacement later that month. Started riding bikes that October. My December check in I was 246. My next June I was 252 and have not been able to get back since... yes, June of 2011. My average Monday, Wednesday and Friday I walk a mile twice in 17 minutes or less and work out with 8 weight exercises. Tuesday, Thursday and one weekend day I mountain or road bike. Road average is 14 to 16 miles an hour for an hour. mountain is 6 to 10 miles per hour for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, all course dependent. When I cannot ride I stationary bike. I only did a piss poor 130 miles last month outdoors on a bike. I also log every day and yes, I log everything and when not sure of a portion I err on the side of more, not less. I have nothing to gain by cheating myself.

    Semi annual blood pressure check up yesterday. 258. I was 251 in January.

    Quote: I would immediately correct this destructive behavior. You need to track one or more measurements consistently so you can have an accurate picture of what your body's actually doing.

    my f*cking clothes keep getting tighter. There is a regular accurate measurement. I am sick of looking at 25X on the scale.

    Quote: Great! Hopefully he tested your thyroid.

    Yep. Blood and urine. Everything is normal. BP is 130/87 after they weighed me. Pulse is 64.

    Quote: Sounds unhealthy. Can you commit to a balanced diet, eating 500 to 1,000 calories per day less than you burn for at least 30 days, or do you need the excitement of trendy and over-aggressive diets?

    "Sounds unhealthy" because... I keep gaining weight and trying different things? I didn't reference a trendy diet anywhere and mentioned things I HAD TRIED since nothing else was working. I don't give a **** at this point if it's trendy or not. I am ready to be smaller.
  • JohnnyRedd
    JohnnyRedd Posts: 19
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    It is important to first rule out any medical conditions that could be masking your weight loss.

    Nonetheless, your calorie intake is low for a man.

    What is your TDEE? Enter your stats in the site below and see what happens:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    2049 and 3086. Ain't happening. Within a week I would have to buy all new pants.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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    Open diary - settings>diary settings>scroll down and set to public.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    New doctor.

    You need a more aggressive approach to screening:

    Re-assess current medications
    also
    Vitamin D Status
    Cortisol
    Insulin Resistance
    Testosterone
    Liver Function
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I agree---open your diary, that's usually where the problem lies when you're not losing.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    New doctor.

    You need a more aggressive approach to screening:

    Re-assess current medications
    also
    Vitamin D Status
    Cortisol
    Insulin Resistance
    Testosterone
    Liver Function

    Plus a food scale, it can make all the difference in the world. How long have you been lifting, if your portion calculations are off (most likely) and you have actually been eating above maintenance (to gain weight you had to be) you may have increase your Lean Body Mass. Normally when someone can not lose it is a combination of not weighing solid foods, measuring liquids, not logging everything (cooking oil, condiments ect.) and over estimating calorie burns

    If you ate at about 2200 calories per day but weighed all food and logged everything you should lose and have the energy for the activities you enjoy. On extreme riding days you could probably bump it up a little to about 2500. If you have a lot of sodium in your diet, your weight may fluctuate more than others and you may seem bloated more often. My daily weight fluctuates by 4lbs and I am half of your size, yours fluctuating 8-10 lbs (especially if sodium is high) would be reasonable. These fluctuates mean that fat loss within this range can be hidden from you. Bloating will make your clothes tight too. You may not like it, but weigh often and look at the number like data, not an insult. When you learn your range, and see the range move...you will see progress. It will encourage you and having the knowledge of how your body reacts can help make you feel more secure and able to handle when the scale gets moody.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Are you using a food scale and do you use it regularly and consistently?
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    All your specifics are so specific, it makes me wonder if (like me) you often feel like you've been doing a particular regimen for 2 years but really it's been off and on (more off) for X months? You tried all those other things over the past 2 years, too, right? How long does your diary show logging for every day, every meal? I'm not suggesting you're exaggerating, I think we just sometimes think we're more consistent than we are. A 'cheat day' or 'week off' can blow it. Good luck!
  • andeey
    andeey Posts: 709 Member
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    New doctor.

    You need a more aggressive approach to screening:

    Re-assess current medications
    also
    Vitamin D Status
    Cortisol
    Insulin Resistance
    Testosterone
    Liver Function


    I don't necessarily agree with a new doctor, but keep in mind that just because the doctor ordered "blood work" doesn't mean he/she included all of the tests that might help identify the issue(s). I did my research, went into my doctor's office, and gave him a list of tests I wanted done, which he did.

    Voila! Two years of me d*cking around with trying to figure out the issue (not losing, similar story to you with starving, trying everything, etc.) and it was all in the results of the tests *I* requested.

    I asked for: full thyroid panel (T3, T4, TSH, Antibodies), plus full hormonal (estrogen, testosterone, SHBG), Cortisol), and while he was at it, he checked my adrenal glands. I had previously been tested (and found low) for Vitamin D, so I was already taking a supplement for that.

    After the results came in, I found I had several of these outside the standard ranges, which led me to an Endocrinologist and I've been in consultation ever since and have finally been able to lose weight (albeit slowly) while being under their care. Had I never asked for those, I would have been in the same place as you because all of the "standard" testing results were always great - low cholesterol, perfect blood sugar, etc.

    Not to discount this point, though, because I am consistent with counting calories and use a food scale for everything I can (you know, minus restaurants).

    Good luck!! I know this is frustrating and believe me, the "you're eating more than you think" comments might be the answer, but I recommend you really eliminate ALL possible medical issues, too.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Options
    New doctor.

    You need a more aggressive approach to screening:

    Re-assess current medications
    also
    Vitamin D Status
    Cortisol
    Insulin Resistance
    Testosterone
    Liver Function


    I don't necessarily agree with a new doctor, but keep in mind that just because the doctor ordered "blood work" doesn't mean he/she included all of the tests that might help identify the issue(s). I did my research, went into my doctor's office, and gave him a list of tests I wanted done, which he did.

    Voila! Two years of me d*cking around with trying to figure out the issue (not losing, similar story to you with starving, trying everything, etc.) and it was all in the results of the tests *I* requested.

    I asked for: full thyroid panel (T3, T4, TSH, Antibodies), plus full hormonal (estrogen, testosterone, SHBG), Cortisol), and while he was at it, he checked my adrenal glands. I had previously been tested (and found low) for Vitamin D, so I was already taking a supplement for that.

    After the results came in, I found I had several of these outside the standard ranges, which led me to an Endocrinologist and I've been in consultation ever since and have finally been able to lose weight (albeit slowly) while being under their care. Had I never asked for those, I would have been in the same place as you because all of the "standard" testing results were always great - low cholesterol, perfect blood sugar, etc.

    Not to discount this point, though, because I am consistent with counting calories and use a food scale for everything I can (you know, minus restaurants).

    Good luck!! I know this is frustrating and believe me, the "you're eating more than you think" comments might be the answer, but I recommend you really eliminate ALL possible medical issues, too.
    All this and especially the food scale!!!! If all is well with your health then you are not eating at a consistent deficit. It is of the utmost importance that you accurately weigh your solids and measure your liquids and log every bite that you swallow!

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