Not losing weight and very frustrated.

Most of the time when people dont lose ( over a longer period of time so not a couple days or one week) it indicates they are eating to much.
They think they eat a certain amount of calories but because they dont weigh their food ALL their solid on a food scale but also use generetic entrees, measure with cups & spoons and go by serving sizes, their count is way of and much higher than they think/know.

Maybe OP you can tell us if this is the case, do you weigh ALL your solid food on a food scale?

Definitely don't weigh yourself after a cheat day... You can also undo a lot of work if you have that day each week so make sure to not go way overboard.

Just be patient. Three weeks is not enough time to judge progress

I can tell you right now that you're not going to lose weight eating 2000 calories while taking Seroquel. You need to lower your calorie goal; probably to 1400 calories.

Just leave this small video link here for when you are interested in what the difference in calories can be when you weigh your food on a food scale or use cups

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY


Not losing weight is almost always when people their calorie intake is too high.
medication only can slow the weight loss down or makes you have more apetite etc.

But the medication itself never makes you gain weight.
the affects makes you eat that makes you gain weight.

your diary tells otherwise

cup entrees etc.

Salad - Iceberg Salad. Lettuce,, 2 cups
Strawberries - Raw, 0.25 cup, halves
Walnuts - Walnut Pieces, 0.1875 cup (28g)
Bellino - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1.5 Tbsp (15ml)
Turkey - Ground, cooked, 1 patty (4 oz, raw) (yield after cooking)

for example ( copied out of your diary)

cups and spoons.

But its your journey OP
if you dont believe in the fact that too much calories slows you down or makes you gain...so be it

I agree that menopause and medication can slow your process down, or make it harder because you have more apetite or fluctuations etc.
But as proven here on the site it makes it NOT impossible to lose weight as long you eat less than you burn
Knowing how much calories you eat as accurate as possible is only by weighing all your solid foods.


good luck on your journey i know you will achieve what you want.

don't weigh on mondays if you cheat on sundays.
weigh on saturdays.

With all of the "consumer reports" data coming in, some of those weight loss drugs are a sham. In the 70's before ASFDA pounced on the wagon, tape worm eggs were found in some of them. Others, as well as vitamin supplements consist of fine ground sawdust, and other fillers. Seriously, Google this and check it out. Most of the diet drugs are loaded with caffeine as well.

Most posters on here haven't actually looked at your profile before giving advice. You are 64, and have many more strikes against you in the metabolism-affecting areas.

You will not be able to lose weight on 2000 cals.

You CAN lose weight, but you have to be 100% strict on weighing/measuring/tracking calories, and one 'cheat day' can negate your entire weeks calorie deficit, for someone with such a small deficit window. And you may have to be happy with 1 pound per month, even if you do everything perfectly. It sucks. But it is the hand you are dealt at this point. If you truly must lose more weight, you will have to make some sacrifices.

Talk to your doctor about cutting back or getting off the seroquil, if that truly does cause cravings and weight gain. Surely there is another med you can use instead.

When cutting your calories so low, make sure you get enough protein and healthy fats in your diet, and then if you have leftover calories for carbs, use them on fruits and veggies. Processed sugar and processed grains can make you crave more sugars, and you also retain extra water when you eat more carbs, so it throws off your scale weight from day to day. Many people also have had much less pain, fatigue, and moodiness when they drastically cut their processed carbs. You might even be able to get off mood meds altogether by changing your diet and adding in as much exercise as possible. Fibro patients have a LOT of success with lower pain and other symptoms by following Paleo-type food plans.

One other thing you can try, if you still have trouble staying within the 1200 limit, is Intermittent Fasting. You choose one or two days to eat at a very low level to create a deficit, then spread the rest of your weekly calories over the rest of the days. This helps a lot of people because they can 'diet' a couple of days a week and relax more the rest of the week. Look into 5:2 Intermittent Fasting to find more about it.

And before anyone comes in bashing my suggestions- these are for THIS ONE person, with the limitations that she has. It is not intended to be suggested for anyone else.

marymickaela wrote: »

DebbieLyn63 wrote: »

Most posters on here haven't actually looked at your profile before giving advice. You are 64, and have many more strikes against you in the metabolism-affecting areas.

You will not be able to lose weight on 2000 cals.

You CAN lose weight, but you have to be 100% strict on weighing/measuring/tracking calories, and one 'cheat day' can negate your entire weeks calorie deficit, for someone with such a small deficit window. And you may have to be happy with 1 pound per month, even if you do everything perfectly. It sucks. But it is the hand you are dealt at this point. If you truly must lose more weight, you will have to make some sacrifices.

Talk to your doctor about cutting back or getting off the seroquil, if that truly does cause cravings and weight gain. Surely there is another med you can use instead.

When cutting your calories so low, make sure you get enough protein and healthy fats in your diet, and then if you have leftover calories for carbs, use them on fruits and veggies. Processed sugar and processed grains can make you crave more sugars, and you also retain extra water when you eat more carbs, so it throws off your scale weight from day to day. Many people also have had much less pain, fatigue, and moodiness when they drastically cut their processed carbs. You might even be able to get off mood meds altogether by changing your diet and adding in as much exercise as possible. Fibro patients have a LOT of success with lower pain and other symptoms by following Paleo-type food plans.

One other thing you can try, if you still have trouble staying within the 1200 limit, is Intermittent Fasting. You choose one or two days to eat at a very low level to create a deficit, then spread the rest of your weekly calories over the rest of the days. This helps a lot of people because they can 'diet' a couple of days a week and relax more the rest of the week. Look into 5:2 Intermittent Fasting to find more about it.

And before anyone comes in bashing my suggestions- these are for THIS ONE person, with the limitations that she has. It is not intended to be suggested for anyone else.

I like the idea of fasting one or two days a week. I think that's doable. I also watched the video and have to admit I'm guilty when it comes to measuring my oatmeal so will start leveling it off like I measure flour when baking. I'm also going to give up my cheat day and maybe just treat myself to something within reason so I don't go crazy.

As far as getting off the Seroquel. I've had a sleep disorder for over 20 years and 3 sleep studies (even went to Mayo). I don't get REM sleep. My doctor and I have gone thru pretty much every sleep drug on the market and this was our last ditch effort. One problem the Seroquel has caused me is RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) where I feel the need to constantly move my legs while in bed. Even if I got out of bed I couldn't sit down in a chair. So he put me on another drug, Requip, to counter the effects of the RLS. It helped, but is just another drug being thrown at me. I just started seeing a new therapist who uses EMDR therapy. We're going to try and see if it will help with the sleep issues.

I'm also dealing with some major health issues. Broke my front tooth off in March while on vacation and had to get an implant which will end up costing me $7,000. I won't have a front tooth for probably another 6 months. I wear a flipper retainer. I have a tear in the retina of my right eye, a macular pucker in my left along with serious scarring and cataracts. The eye dr. said I could no longer drive at night.

I called my doctor about getting off the Seroquel and he said I was dealing with serious anxiety so increased my anti-anxiety drug at night, which I was trying to decrease.

I'm not trying to make excuses, but want to say I'm proud of myself that I've been eating fairly healthy the last 3 weeks in spite of all the stress, which normally would make me crave carbs.

Thanks for all the advice and feedback. It's appreciated.

Mary

You say you don't go into REM sleep… Neither do I.

You also say you take anti-anxiety meds…Which one if you don't mind me asking. I ask because anxiety medications are the reason I don't go into REM. It is a side effect of some drugs.

From your log I suspect sugar isn't nearly the problem that hidden fat is.

Logging is, unfortunately, not as simple as it sounds. Doubly so if packaged/prepared foods are involved, and triply so if they're measured by volume (cups) instead of weight (scale).

But it is doable - good luck! :drinker:

i see you quoting a lot of excuses. stop using them and start weighing your food.

If it were me, would look for a doctor who could recommend lifestyle changes that would replace the pharmaceuticals. This doctor could be hard to find, as there is far more incentive to prescribe that to be knowledgeable about and recommend lifestyle changes.

Also, doctors know that patients are far more likely to be compliant with taking a pill than lifestyle changes, so sometimes don't bother making these recommendations. I was delighted when I went to a doctor for pain meds for my back and she told me to do yoga. Even though I didn't get the quick fix I was seeking, I got a sustainable solution.

That said, my brother is mentally ill and his medication needs to be tweaked a lot. He finally found something that works for him and is doing so much better now. So you could work with your current doctor to find a combination with less side effects.

Have you tried melatonin for sleep? Works great for me, and no side effects. I actually haven't needed it lately. I've amped up the exercise and am falling asleep more easily.

I understand the exercise and fibro concerns. Have you tried yoga?