What kind of tests/doctors should I see?

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  • Sesame85
    Sesame85 Posts: 14 Member
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    First of all, I'd like to say thank you to the handful of people who sent me messages. You were very helpful with ideas and I am very excited to look into them. The same goes for the people with helpful suggestions. I am doing a lot of research on all of the helpful tips.

    To everyone who replied with the assumption that I'm hiding something/not doing it right, or who want access to my diary to find some proof that I'm doing it wrong, you have completely missed the point of my post. When you eat right and exercise and have almost nothing to show for it, something is wrong with the body. My question was not what I needed to do differently (in which case your responses would have been completely welcome and valid) but instead, "how do I figure out what is wrong with me?"

    I wasn't asking for people to question that. I know my body and I've tried everything I can think of at this point, I was hoping not to be doubted, here of all places. We're a community of people looking to lose weight. While I know a lot of people on here are fit and many people are only out to lose 10lbs, I'm willing to bet a lot of people here have been fat their whole lives. In a world of people doubting that I'm not a fat load and assuming I'm lying about my diet and exercise, I had hoped that this place of all places would understand the struggle.


    Again, thanks to the people who gave great suggestions to look into and ideas of what to ask for/doctors to visit. I already made a few calls today! If someone sees this with more ideas, I'm all ears. PM me please though.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    exercising daily and eating a balanced diet ought to have SOMETHING to show for it after this much time.
    No one is doubting you. We're just saying that daily exercise and a 'balanced diet' is not enough to make the scale move. You have to have a calorie deficit. If the scale isn't moving, you're eating at maintenance level calories OR you've negated all your fat loss with muscle gains, which can happen to a new exerciser but not like 20 lbs. worth. And you would probably feel like you'd made a difference in your measurements.

    MFP's BMR tool overestimates the calorie needs of obese people. 1800 isn't going to cause weight loss for many people with your stats.

    It'd be easier than seeing a doctor you can't afford to try a lower calorie target for a week.
  • Memowe
    Memowe Posts: 137 Member
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    Medical conditions can change the In out ratio, so a reasonable calorie deficit doesn't always work completely the way it should.But 1800 calories is a bit much for someone trying to lose weight, so maybe knock it down to 1500-1600! I hope you get your medical issues solved so the weight can finally come off!
  • leeann0517
    leeann0517 Posts: 74 Member
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    she's 260 pounds and 29 years old - 1800 calories is in no way too much.

    definitely see an endocrinologist and ask about PCOS. since you take birth control it's possible that some of the symptoms are less severe.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Can you open your diary please?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I have already had my thyroid tested (nothing unusual), and had a hormone screen (nothing unusual).

    Do you know exactly what tests they ran? I'm going through this crap right now and finding out my PCP is kind of an idiot about it. I demanded a referral to an endocrinologist (which you should do, anyway, since endo is about more than thyroid).

    If your doc only ran TSH, normal doesn't mean there isn't a problem. I had mine tested in August and it was more than double what it should have been (HIGH END). Two weeks later, it was normal. In doing some research, I've found out that Hashimoto's can cause extreme fluctuations in TSH -- as can other issues.

    Did he test free T3 and T4? Antibodies?

    Aside from that, are you actually weighing and measuring your food to make sure you're eating what you think you're eating? Are you being honest about exercise calories burned?
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    Can you open your diary please?

    I wonder the same question, asking for help my keeping diary close. :smile:
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    I have PCOS and my maintenance is actually 200-300 calories lower than what MFP said it should be. Since you have not been losing on 1800, you would assume this is your maintenance (I maintain at around that number and I weigh 215 lb at 5'6). Do get checked for PCOS, but even if you don't have any medical issues what MFP suggests is just that, a suggestion. It's based on a population average, so it has a standard deviation and you may fall on the lower end. Some people tend to have a more/less efficient body than usual.

    Take a look at this calculator

    http://www.thedietdiary.com/diet/nutrition/RestingEnergy.html

    and you will see how much formulas differ. In my case, for example, my basal metabolic rate according to these formulas ranges anywhere from 1300s to 1700s.

    So what you need to do if all your tests come back normal is to reduce your current intake by 500 calories (since it's your maintenance) and make up for it with more exercise. It sucks to be on the lower end, I know. It does make things harder but it's not impossible. have you tried the every other day diet or other kinds of intermittent fasting or a combination/modification? For people with lower goals it may help with adherence since you are not having to stick to 1300 calories every day.
  • osothefinn
    osothefinn Posts: 163 Member
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    MFP's BMR tool overestimates the calorie needs of obese people. 1800 isn't going to cause weight loss for many people with your stats.

    This. I eat 1800 calories as a 360 pound male and lose a pound a week.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    Can you open your diary please?

    I wonder the same question, asking for help my keeping diary close. :smile:
    She's already addressed why she's not. I don't blame her. She's not asking you to critique her eating habits.
  • osothefinn
    osothefinn Posts: 163 Member
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    She's already addressed why she's not. I don't blame her. She's not asking you to critique her eating habits.

    Hey mechanic guy, my car makes this noise. What could it be?

    OK, lets take a look at it.

    Nah, you don't need to see it. Just tell me what's wrong.

    OP, start lowering your daily calorie to 1600 a day for like 2 weeks. If the scale still doesn't drop try 1400 for 2 weeks. If at that point if you're still not losing at all I'd see a doctor.

    Another option would be to stop eating back exercise calories if you're doing that currently.
  • nicolemtracy
    nicolemtracy Posts: 301 Member
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    It could be an underlying condition like PCOS or an inability for your body to metabolize sugars.
    For PCOS: Are your cycles irregular? Do you have excess body hair? Dark spots on your neck, chest, arms or thighs? If not skip it, if you do, it might be worth seeing a fertility specialist. I wouldn't recommend seeing a ob/gyn for it, mostly because I had had this problem apparently for a long time and my ob/gyn sent me to a specialist. He diagnosed me in literally 5 minutes. I may be a little biased.
    If your body is having trouble metabolizing sugar you may want to suggest trying out something like Metformin with your doctor.
    (I'm not a medical expert, just going off my own experiences.)
  • jayladeyman
    jayladeyman Posts: 24
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    why dont you open your diary
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Can you open your diary please?

    I wonder the same question, asking for help my keeping diary close. :smile:
    She's already addressed why she's not. I don't blame her. She's not asking you to critique her eating habits.

    I'm not asking to critique her eating habits. I'm asking to critique her logging habits. There is a gigantic difference between those two statements.
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
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    The two things I would recommend is 1) see an endocrinologist and get a proper panel done, once the endo determines what/if something's going on, then 2) see a registered dietician that has experience with medical issues (I met with one that is associated with a hosptial, never had to worry about her trying to sell me anything) to help you set up a meal plan that is right for you and whatever your issue may be.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    she's 260 pounds and 29 years old - 1800 calories is in no way too much.

    definitely see an endocrinologist and ask about PCOS. since you take birth control it's possible that some of the symptoms are less severe.
    She's 5'2". Fat adds little to one's BMR. MFP is giving her an extra 500 calories a day in BMR (not activity-related) for carrying 100 lbs. extra. Fat is really not that metabolically demanding.

    Katch-Mcardle taking BF% into account brings that 1800+ BMR down to 1100-1400.
    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    She's maintaining at 1800 so that is by definition her maintenance level calories. Of course, her "1800" is very likely at least 2000, because we all miss a lot of our intake. It's just part of the imperfect process. But it doesn't matter what she labels her intake because all she needs to know is it needs to be less than her current label in order to lose.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but even with a PCOS or thyroid diagnosis, the answer is still going to be "you burn less than you think and need to eat less?"
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but even with a PCOS or thyroid diagnosis, the answer is still going to be "you burn less than you think and need to eat less?"

    Yes. But that "less" is usually so low it's impossible (unless medicated).

    I average less than 1,000 calories a day and exercise and I gain. I have to keep my intake (regardless of exercise) between 500 and 700 calories a day -- gross, not net -- in order to lose right now.

    A lot of women who are 5'2" on this site lose eating 1,800. You also have to understand that the extra 100 pounds is some muscle. Carrying around so much extra weight will cause muscle build-up simply due to having to support it. It isn't all fat.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but even with a PCOS or thyroid diagnosis, the answer is still going to be "you burn less than you think and need to eat less?"

    Yes. But that "less" is usually so low it's impossible (unless medicated).

    I average less than 1,000 calories a day and exercise and I gain. I have to keep my intake (regardless of exercise) between 500 and 700 calories a day -- gross, not net -- in order to lose right now.

    A lot of women who are 5'2" on this site lose eating 1,800. You also have to understand that the extra 100 pounds is some muscle. Carrying around so much extra weight will cause muscle build-up simply due to having to support it. It isn't all fat.

    Although I do believe that milage mage vary when it comes to maintenance calories, even without a medical condition, something here is not right. What you are basically saying is that you gain weight when you eat 1000 calories and exercise, which puts your maintenance without exercise at around 500 calories(or less), and unless you're the height of a toddler, what you are saying is physically impossible. No matter how efficient or adaptable the body is, it cannot pull energy out of thin air.

    Is your doctor on board with you eating 500 calories?
  • persistentsoul
    persistentsoul Posts: 268 Member
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    I have PCOS. I eat under 1400 cal a day very low carb to lose weight. I am hoping that weight loss will eventually reduce pcos symptoms and reverse insulin resistance to the extent that I will one day be able to maintain at a higher calorie intake.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I can't lose weight, something is wrong with my body.

    As long as you believe that, you will continue to fail.

    Sorry - that's the truth - and yes I know it's hard to hear.

    When you're ready - really ready - for change, there are tons of people on MFP who can help. Until then, you're going to flail around chasing one piece of bad advice after another.

    With all sincerity - good luck! :drinker: :flowerforyou:

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