Help! This isn't working!
shoebox8402
Posts: 16
Hi. I have gained somehow 10 pounds this past year and am trying to get it off. No matter how I track or exercize I cannot lose a pound! I might lose one but then 3 come back. I am really strict and sticking to this but I am actually gaining weight on the 1200 calorie count. Every doctor has suspected thyroid problems since I have other symptoms but all say I'm in the normal range. I'm getting beyond frustrated as this should be working and I'm healthier than ever in my life! Anyone else having a problem like this? I'm desperate
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Replies
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How long have you tried?0
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how do you measure your calories? 1200 calories is very low unless you're somewhere under 5' tall - are you?0
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Unless you're using a food scale, chances are that your calorie estimates are off and you're eating more than you think you are.0
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Can't really offer insight since I can't see your diary.0
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How long have you been back to logging and exercising? Your ticker shows 4 lbs lost. Weight loss isn't linear. How often are you weighing yourself? I fluctuate as much as 5 lbs in a single day and 2-3 lbs in a day or so depending on activity (if I start a new exercise, start a new cycle in lifting where weights increase), maybe I haven't pooped lately, sodium from that chinese food is masking loss, etc.
Opening your diary could give us a better idea of where to go. Also, have you read this?
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
The 4 pound loss is wrong not sure why it's saying that. I've been doing this for 6 weeks. I am 5"4. Age 29. Female. The 1200 calories was set after I entered my info. I do weigh my food and when I eat out for work use the restaraunts nutrition guide to make sure I'm accurate. It's like I'm extremely bloated now0
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I weight myself twice a day and yes do fluctuate but even ignoring the scale numbers my clothes don't fit. That's my main concern.0
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Hi all,
I'm new on here so I hope to make some friends and get some support and help you guys out too.
I only weigh myself once a week and in the evening,don't weigh yourself every day as your body can
Alter by 2-3 pounds or more due to fluid retention.I find if I go to the gym and workout I put weight on,
Why is that?? Karl xx0 -
1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.0 -
It took me 9 months to lose 11 pounds on 1200 calories and 3 weeks to gain 6 back. That was a year ago and I have lost 3 pounds in the past year. I work out almost every day, watch what I eat even when I am not counting, weigh, measure and log when I am and still not losing. I am over 60 and wonder if that is contributing. Some meds do the same thing. Don't give up. You are worth it.0
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It has to do with your muscle mass. But you should weigh less two days after you work out. And be sure to rest a bit the day after you work out. Walking is good every day, but you need to give your muscles a rest between workouts. If you work out every day, use different muscle groups. Good luck.0
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I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner0
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1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.
Do you have thyroid advice on numbers? Since this started my TSH has gone from 1.2 last May, 2.63 in sept, 3.78 in feb and 4.25 this may. Every doc says that's fine.0 -
My TSH was good, too. I kept being told I didn't have a thyroid problem. They didn't do a full thyroid panel.1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.
Do you have thyroid advice on numbers? Since this started my TSH has gone from 1.2 last May, 2.63 in sept, 3.78 in feb and 4.25 this may. Every doc says that's fine.
By the time it was detected, it was so big it was strangling me, lol. I had a lot of trouble breathing. I gagged all the time when eating and especially when drinking. The thing was freaking huge and he actually told me to stop coming in about it.
Then I got a better doctor, who didn't have to be convinced, who sent me to a good endo, who sent me to a surgeon, who cut it out. Problem solved, I could now, after decades of struggling all the time, lose weight.
Go to an endocrinologist if you want to be sure. Doctors miss thyroid things sometimes.
Otherwise, keep trying new doctors, maybe it's something else! Eat healthy food and exercise more. Give it time. Scale fluctuations are normal and to be expected. It doesn't mean it isn't working. Stick with it for a couple months before you determine that you aren't losing even a pound. That's all I can say.
I hope it gets better for you.
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I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner
Skipping breakfast shouldn't hurt your weight loss as long as it's not causing you to overeat later in the day.
How long have you been at this? Are we talking about a stall of a few weeks or a few months?
Would you be willing to open your diary for us to take a look? It really can help to see what might be happening.0 -
I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner
I'm wondering how late you're eating that "big" dinner. If you eat then go to bed too soon afterwards your body is going to have a hard time processing it. I frequently find that if I eat too close to bed time it has a negative impact on my numbers. The more dinner calories, the bigger the impact.0 -
I'm wondering how late you're eating that "big" dinner. If you eat then go to bed too soon afterwards your body is going to have a hard time processing it. I frequently find that if I eat too close to bed time it has a negative impact on my numbers. The more dinner calories, the bigger the impact.
No it doesn't.
OP, if you make your diary public, people will be able to better help you.0 -
My TSH was good, too. I kept being told I didn't have a thyroid problem. They didn't do a full thyroid panel.1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.
Do you have thyroid advice on numbers? Since this started my TSH has gone from 1.2 last May, 2.63 in sept, 3.78 in feb and 4.25 this may. Every doc says that's fine.
By the time it was detected, it was so big it was strangling me, lol. I had a lot of trouble breathing. I gagged all the time when eating and especially when drinking. The thing was freaking huge and he actually told me to stop coming in about it.
Then I got a better doctor, who didn't have to be convinced, who sent me to a good endo, who sent me to a surgeon, who cut it out. Problem solved, I could now, after decades of struggling all the time, lose weight.
Go to an endocrinologist if you want to be sure. Doctors miss thyroid things sometimes.
Otherwise, keep trying new doctors, maybe it's something else! Eat healthy food and exercise more. Give it time. Scale fluctuations are normal and to be expected. It doesn't mean it isn't working. Stick with it for a couple months before you determine that you aren't losing even a pound. That's all I can say.
I hope it gets better for you.
An endo won't see me without a referal. I'm so frustrated. I'm soooo tired, I've been losing my hair, brittle nails, cold feet and hands, extra heavy period, dry skin that's so itchy, painful joints. I actually had an ultrasound done on my thyroid in march after an ent said my neck looked "funny". I had been noticing it in photos too. Luckily there were no nodules or cancer but the right lobe was bigger than the left. Maybe I'm just off balance but I'm so tired working out everyday for the past 3 months and sticking to healthy 1200 calories. Basically starving and getting no help because doctors assume it's just my anxiety disorder or ibs. Sorry for the rant. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.0 -
I know it is hard to be working so hard and not getting the payoff... but ask yourself how much you'd weigh today if you hadn't been putting in the work to lose it, In all likelihood, you'd have gained more... hang in there... its worth it... never quit.0
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I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner
I think your caloric intake may be too low. You should be able to eat three reasonable meals a day. Skipping meals is always a bad idea. When you skip meals, you are starving your body and it will hang on to every source of energy because it doesn't know when you are going to feed it again.0 -
That's the problem. I AM gaining (despite what my little ticker thing says). I had to buy bigger shorts today. Third time since may. I know at 5'4 a few pounds is very visible and I'm not overweight on the BMI scale but this is still horribleI know it is hard to be working so hard and not getting the payoff... but ask yourself how much you'd weigh today if you hadn't been putting in the work to lose it, In all likelihood, you'd have gained more... hang in there... its worth it... never quit.0 -
I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner
I'm wondering how late you're eating that "big" dinner. If you eat then go to bed too soon afterwards your body is going to have a hard time processing it. I frequently find that if I eat too close to bed time it has a negative impact on my numbers. The more dinner calories, the bigger the impact.
Eating a late dinner might affect the scale weight in the morning, but it shouldn't affect long term weight loss. It might cause some people discomfort, heartburn, or sleeping problems. If the OP isn't one of those people then this shouldn't be a factor.0 -
I think your doctor would better help you than anyone here. If you can't eat 3 meals and still gain weight, I'm sure this is a medical problem and not a diet/nutrition problem.0
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You need to find another doctor or get a second opinion. Especially if you TSH keeps going up. My regular MD (who I love) kept testing my TSH and kept telling me it was fine at 4.8. It wasn't until I gained 40 pounds in 3 months that I ended up at my gastrenterologist for a different reason and offhandedly asked "is that why I gained 40lbs in 3 months?" The first thing he asked me was have you had your thyroid checked. I told him my TSH was 4.8 and he told me the new upper limit that is recommened by the Association of Endocrinologists is 3.0. He did some reflex checks and confirmed that I had hypothyroidism. I wanted to cry because I had been trying to get my primary MD to diagnosis me for 2 years and got nowhere. He immediately put me on medication and referred me to an endocrinologist who adjusted my medication doses. She has since moved out of the area but my primary MD has been educated better now and he is managing my meds with no problem. So keep pushing for the diagnosis!0
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Don't apologize to me! I know. I spent DECADES fighting and not being believed and all of it. It's a nightmare. It really is. Nobody should have to go through that.
My TSH was good, too. I kept being told I didn't have a thyroid problem. They didn't do a full thyroid panel.1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.
Do you have thyroid advice on numbers? Since this started my TSH has gone from 1.2 last May, 2.63 in sept, 3.78 in feb and 4.25 this may. Every doc says that's fine.
By the time it was detected, it was so big it was strangling me, lol. I had a lot of trouble breathing. I gagged all the time when eating and especially when drinking. The thing was freaking huge and he actually told me to stop coming in about it.
Then I got a better doctor, who didn't have to be convinced, who sent me to a good endo, who sent me to a surgeon, who cut it out. Problem solved, I could now, after decades of struggling all the time, lose weight.
Go to an endocrinologist if you want to be sure. Doctors miss thyroid things sometimes.
Otherwise, keep trying new doctors, maybe it's something else! Eat healthy food and exercise more. Give it time. Scale fluctuations are normal and to be expected. It doesn't mean it isn't working. Stick with it for a couple months before you determine that you aren't losing even a pound. That's all I can say.
I hope it gets better for you.
An endo won't see me without a referal. I'm so frustrated. I'm soooo tired, I've been losing my hair, brittle nails, cold feet and hands, extra heavy period, dry skin that's so itchy, painful joints. I actually had an ultrasound done on my thyroid in march after an ent said my neck looked "funny". I had been noticing it in photos too. Luckily there were no nodules or cancer but the right lobe was bigger than the left. Maybe I'm just off balance but I'm so tired working out everyday for the past 3 months and sticking to healthy 1200 calories. Basically starving and getting no help because doctors assume it's just my anxiety disorder or ibs. Sorry for the rant. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Eventually, I gave up.
Don't do that. Screw people who don't believe it's possible to not over-eat and gain weight, including your doctor, if you can tell he doesn't believe you. Don't keep trying to convince the same people. They've made up their minds and no amount of truth will change their minds. Don't waste your time. KEEP TRYING NEW DOCTORS. They should refer you to an endo if you ask them to. At least they can run a full thyroid panel instead of one TSH, one time.
I don't know that you do have a thyroid problem. But I know they can be missed by incompetent doctors.
Like a previous poster, the sense of relief I felt when a good doctor finally diagnosed me...I could've cried. Such huge relief and joy. Less than a month later, I'd been from doc to endo to surgeon to surgery, recovery and was on my way to normalizing Synthroid levels (which took a while.) When the help FINALLY arrived, it all happened pretty quickly.
And my whole life - every single thing about it - got BETTER. A LOT better.
Hang in there.
Good luck!0 -
My TSH was good, too. I kept being told I didn't have a thyroid problem. They didn't do a full thyroid panel.1200 is low, especially for only needing to lose 10 lb... and be thankful it's not your thyroid! Trust me, it's no fun!
Try eating a bit more.
Do you have thyroid advice on numbers? Since this started my TSH has gone from 1.2 last May, 2.63 in sept, 3.78 in feb and 4.25 this may. Every doc says that's fine.
By the time it was detected, it was so big it was strangling me, lol. I had a lot of trouble breathing. I gagged all the time when eating and especially when drinking. The thing was freaking huge and he actually told me to stop coming in about it.
Then I got a better doctor, who didn't have to be convinced, who sent me to a good endo, who sent me to a surgeon, who cut it out. Problem solved, I could now, after decades of struggling all the time, lose weight.
Go to an endocrinologist if you want to be sure. Doctors miss thyroid things sometimes.
Otherwise, keep trying new doctors, maybe it's something else! Eat healthy food and exercise more. Give it time. Scale fluctuations are normal and to be expected. It doesn't mean it isn't working. Stick with it for a couple months before you determine that you aren't losing even a pound. That's all I can say.
I hope it gets better for you.
An endo won't see me without a referal. I'm so frustrated. I'm soooo tired, I've been losing my hair, brittle nails, cold feet and hands, extra heavy period, dry skin that's so itchy, painful joints. I actually had an ultrasound done on my thyroid in march after an ent said my neck looked "funny". I had been noticing it in photos too. Luckily there were no nodules or cancer but the right lobe was bigger than the left. Maybe I'm just off balance but I'm so tired working out everyday for the past 3 months and sticking to healthy 1200 calories. Basically starving and getting no help because doctors assume it's just my anxiety disorder or ibs. Sorry for the rant. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Before I say anything else, I want to say that my heart goes out to you. It sounds like you are almost killing yourself in order to achieve those last ten pounds... and at this point, if all you have to lose is ten pounds maybe you should ask yourself if it is really worth it to you?
I won't diagnose you - I am not a doctor. If you are sure there is something medical - then get another opinion.
I will say this... I have heard a LOT of those symptoms used for people who weren't getting enough proper nutrition... and maybe, just maybe, your body needs better food?
If you could, would you please tell us:
your height
your current weight
your goal weight
and what type of "working out" that you do?
ETA: by "worth it" I don't mean - if you want it you have to work harder... not that at all.
By worth it I mean... is the loss of those ten pounds worth the stress and sacrifice to quality of life that you are putting yourself under? Perhaps you need to look at letting go of that goal number and evaluate the impact it is playing on your life.
ten pounds is almost impossible for the average person even discern - so this is mostly for you.0 -
Hey there!
In the meantime, until you get a diagnosis, you might try natural Thyroid treatment. Many people don't respond to Synthroid anyway, so it's good to figure out other natural ways to combat Thyroid disease if you do, in fact, have it.
I also suspect I have hypothyroid, though my primary doc says my TSH levels are fine. I'm waiting to see an Endo who can do a more comprehensive test. Like you, I have brittle hair and nails, weight gain, feeling cold, tired, sluggish, etc.
Desiccated thyroid (Armour) isn't routinely prescribed in the U.S. anymore, but a lot of people say it works so much better than Synthroid. You can buy desiccated thyroid (not Armour) online. I use the ones by Nutri-Meds. They aren't really that effective, but I've noticed a serious difference in my hair which has never been able to grow past shoulder length.
I've also cut out all gluten and I've seriously minimized alcohol. Since doing these two things, my joint pain has basically gone, I feel much more energetic and my stomach isn't all bloated. I haven't really lost weight though
-- despite exercising every day like a fiend -- but it's still early, we'll see how that goes.
Good luck, I hope you see a doc who can help you soon!0 -
You need to find another doctor or get a second opinion. Especially if you TSH keeps going up. My regular MD (who I love) kept testing my TSH and kept telling me it was fine at 4.8. It wasn't until I gained 40 pounds in 3 months that I ended up at my gastrenterologist for a different reason and offhandedly asked "is that why I gained 40lbs in 3 months?" The first thing he asked me was have you had your thyroid checked. I told him my TSH was 4.8 and he told me the new upper limit that is recommened by the Association of Endocrinologists is 3.0. He did some reflex checks and confirmed that I had hypothyroidism. I wanted to cry because I had been trying to get my primary MD to diagnosis me for 2 years and got nowhere. He immediately put me on medication and referred me to an endocrinologist who adjusted my medication doses. She has since moved out of the area but my primary MD has been educated better now and he is managing my meds with no problem. So keep pushing for the diagnosis!
Thank you! I think that's what I need to do. I was at my gyn today and they pointed out my weight gain and didn't believe I was watching calories and working out. Then she felt my neck and referred me to an endo!!0 -
You need to find another doctor or get a second opinion. Especially if you TSH keeps going up. My regular MD (who I love) kept testing my TSH and kept telling me it was fine at 4.8. It wasn't until I gained 40 pounds in 3 months that I ended up at my gastrenterologist for a different reason and offhandedly asked "is that why I gained 40lbs in 3 months?" The first thing he asked me was have you had your thyroid checked. I told him my TSH was 4.8 and he told me the new upper limit that is recommened by the Association of Endocrinologists is 3.0. He did some reflex checks and confirmed that I had hypothyroidism. I wanted to cry because I had been trying to get my primary MD to diagnosis me for 2 years and got nowhere. He immediately put me on medication and referred me to an endocrinologist who adjusted my medication doses. She has since moved out of the area but my primary MD has been educated better now and he is managing my meds with no problem. So keep pushing for the diagnosis!
this is all true. go see a specialist for a second opinion.0 -
I don't eat breakfast and eat as little as possible at lunch so I can eat a meal at dinner. Could that be hurting me? I find if I eat breakfast or lunch i am just hungry all day. If I skip those meals I am not ravenous at dinner
I think your caloric intake may be too low. You should be able to eat three reasonable meals a day. Skipping meals is always a bad idea. When you skip meals, you are starving your body and it will hang on to every source of energy because it doesn't know when you are going to feed it again.
Sigh......no. You're not "starving your body" by skipping a meal.0
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