I quite literally cannot lose weight
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You said your thyroid levels were high. A friend of mine gained some weight pretty quickly and had her thyroid tested. It was slighly elevated and was put on a very low dose of medication. Her weight dropped after this! Not having your period for 8 months means a hormonal imbalance. There is definitely something wrong.
How tall are you? How much do you weight?
How much water do you drink per day?
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goldfish29 wrote: »I've had blood pregnancy tests in a clinic. Twice! I am not pregnant! If by some miracle I've gotten false negatives on my blood work I should be getting a big surprise in the next month or two. And if that's the case? I'll be sure to link my episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant on here and we can all laugh (or maybe I'll cry) and you can all say you "knew" someone on that show!
Thank you for all the replies thus far. It's so disheartening and I really appreciate any perspective and advice.
I was just joking about the pregnancy thing. Lol. I know its tough but like I said if you are being honest it really sounds like there might be something medically wrong with you. Good luck.
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »goldfish29 wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »@goldfish29 Have you had a CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound of your ovaries (specifically trans-vaginal)?
I have not and all this talk of malignant and benign tumors has me a little freaked out!
Don't be freaked out. All I'm saying is it's a possibility based on what you have told us and from what I have seen in patients. You aren't going to get answers from here. There is something going on with your body. You need to see a doctor to get answers.
I would highly suggest making an appointment with your OBGYN. Tell them you have experienced sudden weight gain, a loss of periods for 8 months, and whatever other symptoms you are experiencing. They will likely send you for one (or all) or the tests I listed above.
Agreed. The lack of period for 8 months definitely means something is going on, but it's not necessarily something horrible.
Yep, it could be as simple as her overtraining. She said she works out for 2 hours a day 5 days a week. That is quite excessive.0 -
I too am struggling with weight loss, and I believe it's due to the stress of being a caregiver for my husband and parents.0
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NaomiLyn15 wrote: »Have you had your hormones tested for PCOS? The symptoms of it closely mimic thyroid disease.
This! Very similar symptoms to thyroid issues. Go to your gynecologist and ask them to do an internal ultrasound of your ovaries. If they find they are covered in cysts, you have PCOS. All you have to do is change your diet and continue with the exercise. I have it. Took them a year to diagnose, but gained 40 lbs in 2 months. So, I get what you are going through. PM me if you want to ask any questions.
Not true. I have PCOS and no cysts. I have a friend who has had ovarian cysts and does not have PCOS.
Ovarian cysts don't automatically mean a person has PCOS.0 -
I am a nurse practitioner, not a doctor but I work in primary care. I scanned all the replies and noted a TON of comments about PCOS. A pelvic US can determine that, also your endocrinologist or GYN could also figure this out. The reason for lack of weight loss with PCOS is insulin resistance. This is treated with metformin which lowers insulin levels. If PCOS is your problem, weight loss should occur with use of metformin TOGETHER with diet and exercize. Metformin alone will NOT result in weight loss.
Here's some other ideas: Cortisol levels to rule out Addison's disease. I'm assuming you already had a TSH done to rule out hypothyroidism. Ask for a referral to a registered dietician. Do a very strict dietary recall and have it reviewed. See if there is a university or weight loss center in your area and ask if you can have a thorough body composition performed. Once you have determined your actual percent body fat - you can go from there. Consider talking with someone in sport performance/personal trainer once you know your percent bodyfat. Building muscle slowly over time together with calorie burning and calorie restriction will result in weight loss but may be slow.
don't worry about cancer - cancer causes weight loss not weight gain. Eliminate all things from your diet that are not wholesome, examine the quality of your diet instead of simply number of calories. And finally - are you TRULY and really being honest about your calorie intake? Its so easy to have a few bites here, a candybar there and no one knows right? Except it all adds up.0 -
If I were in your shoes, I'd find a doctor who would want to help me get to the bottom of why I haven't had a period in 8 months.
I am very regular in that regard, so if my period stopped like that, I'd be shocked.
I have an IUD and I gained about 20 lbs after its insertion. It could very well be 20 lbs of water weight, for all I know. Do you have an IUD or anything similar that could be messing with your period / uterus / water retention?0 -
If your doctors don't know what's wrong with you, the internet doesn't, either.
Good luck, I hope you work things out!0 -
OP just want to say for your 2nd appointment, bring your food log and exercise log. I have a friend who has thyroid issues and she had to bring a detailed log and tell her endocrinologist how much of a deficit she was eating at to really prove her case. A lot of times they just assume people are lazy and want the quick fix, so you need to prove you are working hard. Also different doctors have different thresholds for what is allowable range. Not that I'm suggesting thyroid medication is your answer (from what I understand as soon as you start it you have to be on it the rest of your life). Just that you want your doctor to take you seriously. Like many of the posters asking how much you're really eating or how you're calculating burn, your doctor is going to ha e a preconceived notion and you need to show you are putting in a lot of hard work.
Also the not having a period is scary stuff even aside the weight and I hope you get someone who will take you seriously and figure that out. Keep trying if this next person doesn't help, get another opinion, doctors are only people and make mistakes. Good luck.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »goldfish29 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Has your doctor investigated why you haven't had a period in 8 months?
Yes, this was part of the numerous labs I had drawn. All of which came back normal. After that they told me I was fine.
So you lost it for no reason, end of?
I wondered about this also. I looked it up at the Mayo Clinic and some of the causes for Amenorrhea (loss of period) are over exercising and stress. I think all of the advice about easing off the intensity of your efforts could be a big help at least in getting your period back.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amenorrhea/basics/causes/con-200315610 -
ElizabethIrish wrote: »I am a nurse practitioner, not a doctor but I work in primary care. I scanned all the replies and noted a TON of comments about PCOS. A pelvic US can determine that, also your endocrinologist or GYN could also figure this out. The reason for lack of weight loss with PCOS is insulin resistance. This is treated with metformin which lowers insulin levels. If PCOS is your problem, weight loss should occur with use of metformin TOGETHER with diet and exercize. Metformin alone will NOT result in weight loss.
Here's some other ideas: Cortisol levels to rule out Addison's disease. I'm assuming you already had a TSH done to rule out hypothyroidism. Ask for a referral to a registered dietician. Do a very strict dietary recall and have it reviewed. See if there is a university or weight loss center in your area and ask if you can have a thorough body composition performed. Once you have determined your actual percent body fat - you can go from there. Consider talking with someone in sport performance/personal trainer once you know your percent bodyfat. Building muscle slowly over time together with calorie burning and calorie restriction will result in weight loss but may be slow.
don't worry about cancer - cancer causes weight loss not weight gain. Eliminate all things from your diet that are not wholesome, examine the quality of your diet instead of simply number of calories. And finally - are you TRULY and really being honest about your calorie intake? Its so easy to have a few bites here, a candybar there and no one knows right? Except it all adds up.
No one here has mentioned cancer. They've mentioned ovarian tumors. A tumor does not mean cancer. Ovarian tumors can be both benign and malignant. Like I said before, my patient gained about 50 lbs in less than 2 months and it turned out to be an ovarian tumor. It was biopsied and came back as benign.0 -
Yes. This sounds very familiar. What had to happen with me was not *just* checking TSH, but also T3 and T4 levels. My thyroid has been slowly dying for years but it seems the doctors never want to help until it's gotten drastic. I had to have a TSH level of 4 and T3 and T4 of total crap (forgot the numbers on those) before they would medicate me! Be very specific in discussing a complete thyroid panel with that second endocrinologist. Also, get them to check your insulin resistance. That can make things go haywire as well.0
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I can't say much more about your condition, but definitely see multiple doctors if one fails! I had a pretty terrible endocrinologist who was stuck in 1990's medicine which really messed with my head and body until I went to someone who kept up with their field.0
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Also, how about an OBGYN? If you have developed PCOS or other similar issue it would stop your monthlies and make you gain weight. Get your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and so forth looked at, and a pelvic ultrasound might be smart as well.0
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See, this is why turning to the internet for medical advice is usually a bad idea.
It's probably not a tumour. It's a good idea not to jump to the worst possible conclusion. All that does is cause undue stress.
OP, I know this must be unbelievably frustrating for you. But instead of asking an internet forum for advice, I'd suggest that you keep on working with the medical system to figure out what's wrong and to get some answers.
Meanwhile, folks replying to a thread like this: Unless you're a doctor, probably better to stick to messages of support rather than attempts at diagnosis or recommendations for therapies or cures.
In the early stages of diagnosis, I agree. As things drag on, it sometimes become clear that the medical system needs some help thinking out of the box and that's where doing your own digging can be useful.
OP, don't get twisted up thinking that any diagnosis on here is necessarily what is going on with you. There are still too many possibilities to hang your hat on any one. On the other hand, knowing the possibilities means you can ask intelligent questions when you go to your next appointment and can make sure your bases are covered moving forward and that you don't let yourself get pigeonholed*.
If your endo tests are come back normal, it's good to know that there are other directions to explore.
* This is coming from personal experience both working in the health care system and as a user of the health care system. Doctors aren't deliberately obtuse, but they are human and tend to follow certain patterns of diagnosis. If you don't fit that pattern, you sometimes have to insist they investigate alternate possibilities.0 -
I'll circle back to my gyno where this all started to check on PCOS. In the meantime I'm still waiting for my 2nd opinion at a new endo.
No worries about me looking for a medical diagnosis on the internet! I started with the professionals before I ever came here. It is however helpful to read about certain labs to check for, conditions, & anecdotes so that I can use that information to do more research myself and bring up with my doctors.
As for over training - I could be guilty of that.0 -
Get 4th, 5th, and 6th opinions! Something is clearly going on. Don't stop until you get an answer and/or solution.0
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I could have written this post, the only difference in mine is 20lbs in 6-7 months, hair loss and periods lasting up to 23 days (sorry TMI). I went to a Dr a couple weeks ago and he told me it isn't hormones, it's my age? Didn't know at 36 that everything goes down hill.
Went to another Dr and found out I have cysts on my ovaries that they are monitoring. I'll be looking into PCOS.
Thanks for this thread. It helps to know that it's not all in my head and that others are dealing with the same thing. And we maybe able to find answers and fix the problem.
And I can totally relate to how defeating it is to be doing everything you're "supposed" to do to lose weight and inches and instead steadily be gaining weight.
Hope you can find what the problem is and get back to feeling good again.
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See, this is why turning to the internet for medical advice is usually a bad idea.
It's probably not a tumour. It's a good idea not to jump to the worst possible conclusion. All that does is cause undue stress.
OP, I know this must be unbelievably frustrating for you. But instead of asking an internet forum for advice, I'd suggest that you keep on working with the medical system to figure out what's wrong and to get some answers.
Meanwhile, folks replying to a thread like this: Unless you're a doctor, probably better to stick to messages of support rather than attempts at diagnosis or recommendations for therapies or cures.
In the early stages of diagnosis, I agree. As things drag on, it sometimes become clear that the medical system needs some help thinking out of the box and that's where doing your own digging can be useful.
OP, don't get twisted up thinking that any diagnosis on here is necessarily what is going on with you. There are still too many possibilities to hang your hat on any one. On the other hand, knowing the possibilities means you can ask intelligent questions when you go to your next appointment and can make sure your bases are covered moving forward and that you don't let yourself get pigeonholed*.
If your endo tests are come back normal, it's good to know that there are other directions to explore.
* This is coming from personal experience both working in the health care system and as a user of the health care system. Doctors aren't deliberately obtuse, but they are human and tend to follow certain patterns of diagnosis. If you don't fit that pattern, you sometimes have to insist they investigate alternate possibilities.
Great response
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Also, you say 1200 cals was torture. I thought 1400-1600 was torture when I went from Atkins to controlling calories. I mean even that felt like too little. Then one day I said "enough" and got on MFP and did my calculations. I got roughly 1400 at that time (weight: 220). For the first two weeks I was very hungry. But then all of a sudden, I realized: it wasn't too little, really. I was just used to eating so much more.
I started eating more slowly and truly savoring every bite. Not with moans and eyes rolling back in my head or anything...just actually NOTICING what I ate. Really tasting it. And I suddenly realized that the calories I had on my plate were a lot of bites.
Now my meals don't feel too little at all, and due to weight loss, my cals are about 1360/day at my current weight.
It may just take some getting used to.
Re: PCOS - aren't there usually symptoms? I realize everyone is different and I'm sure not every woman will have every symptom, but don't symptoms include excess body hair, dark skin patches, skin tags, menstrual issues...? ETA: Oh, sorry...I see the OP's period stopped at one point.
Nice job!0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »goldfish29 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se - I've never been tested to see if it's actual fat. I'm guessing at least part of it is but some could be water retention.
I would discuss this with your doctor. Rapid weight gain is often water, which is why is it so concerning to medical professionals. And a calorie deficit will not help with losing water. You need to find and treat the cause.
+1
Plus, if you are cutting calories for no good reason, you are putting more stress on your body you don't need. It's possible that is why your period stopped, and it's not directly related to whatever is causing the weight gain at all.
Another thought - sudden weight gain has also been observed with fast growing tumors/cysts (malignant and non-malignant). So, it may not be water weight and STILL not be fat. Some of these would not be detectable with blood work, only with a scan of the area.
Agreed. I had a patient who gained about 50 pounds in less than 2 months due to an ovarian tumor.
My best friend's sister had this as well. Doctors couldn't figure out why she looked more and more pregnant - why it took them so long to find a 10 lb (luckily benign) tumor I have no idea.
Lots of other more common explanations to run down first, most likely, each one with it's own time-consuming tests to run. Part of the problem of trying to treat someone cost effectively is having to run the common and cheap tests first before looking at more expensive things that can eliminate multiple causes in one go - like an MRI.
It's funny how such large tumors can hide in the body. I know someone who had a cantaloupe-sized fibroma grow in front of their spine and kind of between their lungs. They didn't know until they tripped one day and the tumor shifted, pressing on nerves and completely incapacitating them. An emergency surgery completely healed them, fortunately. The docs think the tumor had been slowly growing there for at least a decade, and no one ever suspected a thing.
That's scary! I know for the lady I was talking about though, it was very obviously visible from the outside and they knew she wasn't pregnant. She has the worst luck though. A few years ago, she got mono and she went blind! It took forever to heal and they didn't think it was mono since that was her only symptom and that only usually occurs in people over 80 years old. She was 29 or 30. Hopefully she's all done with the weird stuff and can just keep being healthy.0 -
Ok really, thank you to everyone.
I am however still laughing at the suggestion of colon hydrotherapy. How amusing it would be to find out my problem is that I'm just actually full of shiz. Hahahahaha. I know a few people who would have a field day with that!0 -
goldfish29 wrote: »I've had blood pregnancy tests in a clinic. Twice! I am not pregnant! If by some miracle I've gotten false negatives on my blood work I should be getting a big surprise in the next month or two. And if that's the case? I'll be sure to link my episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant on here and we can all laugh (or maybe I'll cry) and you can all say you "knew" someone on that show!
Thank you for all the replies thus far. It's so disheartening and I really appreciate any perspective and advice.
I'd rather be 45 than pregnant!!!
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If you are not at a healthy weight, try South Beach Diet. It will really work for you if you can stick with it. In the mean time, you should see your ob/gyn and a different endocrinologist. Your hormones seem out of sync. Good luck!-4
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1. Continue working with MD.
2. How much stress is in your life? You could be working out too strenuously, you already have increased cortisol and then spiking it with exercise.
3. Research intermittent fasting.
4. Personal story... I gained 10 lbs from January to August last year... It wasn't muscle. I reevaluated what I was doing. I quit my exercise classes and rested for 1 month. I started intermittent fasting. When I reintroduced exercise I did weights and minimal cardio. I lost 20 lbs from August to December. Which might not seem like a lot. But I felt much better. I'm now adding more cardio and no longer doing intermittent fasting, but it definitely got me "reset".0 -
Please keep in touch. I'd be interested to see what you find out on this!0
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newenglander2 wrote: »If you are not at a healthy weight, try South Beach Diet. It will really work for you if you can stick with it. In the mean time, you should see your ob/gyn and a different endocrinologist. Your hormones seem out of sync. Good luck!
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goldfish29 wrote: »Ok really, thank you to everyone.
I am however still laughing at the suggestion of colon hydrotherapy. How amusing it would be to find out my problem is that I'm just actually full of shiz. Hahahahaha. I know a few people who would have a field day with that!
LOL Yeah I dont think I'd be breaking down any doors to do this either...sheesh
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goldfish29 wrote: »Ok really, thank you to everyone.
I am however still laughing at the suggestion of colon hydrotherapy. How amusing it would be to find out my problem is that I'm just actually full of shiz. Hahahahaha. I know a few people who would have a field day with that!
don't worry I was laughing with you on this one... it is like branded into my head and can't be unseen lol0 -
I gained weight for years for two reasons...
1. I was lazy and didnt move much (i own it)
2. And this one was the big one.....i was living to eat, not eating to live. When I stopped eating just for the enjoyment of it, and started eating to supply my body with the nutrients it needs, it changed everything for me. The weight started coming off, i felt lighter and more energetic, my skin improved, my cravings subsided (and i have always been a die hard sugar-a-holic), and when i do go out to eat or splurge on something really amazing, i find myself savoring every bite...eating slowly and experiencing the flavors like i never have. I used to nay say anyone that suggested such a thing because I LOVED FOOD! Now I realize I was just mindlessly eating, i wasnt really enjoying it. This is my experience, i know it doesnt apply or appeal to everyone but it works for me! Everyone has to find their own magic recipe for success. What works for one wont neccessarily work for another. Try different things and find what works for you. When you find that sweet spot that makes you feel better than you ever had...itll be easy to stay the course0
This discussion has been closed.
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