Conversation with Doctor Need suggestions
farmers_daughter
Posts: 1,632 Member
I still can't get into my doctor until August. But here's the scenario. Since November of 2014.
I've gained almost 20lbs.
I've remained active - Y 3 times a week or more, cheer coaching, etc...
I do believe I watch what I eat, I truly do. I weigh items, I count, I do low carb. Not only do I believe, my food log in my planner says so. This is not right. Something is not working correctly.
I just want to know what's wrong with me, but rather than going in and sounding like I'm whining, have you guys had this kind of talk with your doctor? How did you start it, what facts did you bring to the table? I don't want to google because that's like taking a shot in the dark.
Everytime I talk about weight I believe I sound like I'm whining, and I should just shut up and starve myself then I have the right to talk about weight (this is a mental thing that I do therapy for, trust me I don't want to starve myself, just giving you an idea of how much I really get down on myself, and broken my brain is when I talk about it)
I dunno what are your thoughts.
I've gained almost 20lbs.
I've remained active - Y 3 times a week or more, cheer coaching, etc...
I do believe I watch what I eat, I truly do. I weigh items, I count, I do low carb. Not only do I believe, my food log in my planner says so. This is not right. Something is not working correctly.
I just want to know what's wrong with me, but rather than going in and sounding like I'm whining, have you guys had this kind of talk with your doctor? How did you start it, what facts did you bring to the table? I don't want to google because that's like taking a shot in the dark.
Everytime I talk about weight I believe I sound like I'm whining, and I should just shut up and starve myself then I have the right to talk about weight (this is a mental thing that I do therapy for, trust me I don't want to starve myself, just giving you an idea of how much I really get down on myself, and broken my brain is when I talk about it)
I dunno what are your thoughts.
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How many calories do you eat daily? I don't know what Y 3x week means and cheer coaching, what do you do there? I also would love to see diary of foods you eat. Do you snack?0
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Make your diary public and you'll get better feedback. Your doc in unlikely to have any great insights. Maybe you'll get a cheerful "eat less, move more" if you're lucky.
If you like to read, The Art and Science of Low Carb is VERY GOOD. It was actually written to educate doctors, but it's understandable by just about anybody.0 -
y3x week = I go to the YMCA for classes 3 times per week (sorry
) Cheer coaching basically I do a lot of moving up and down chasing little girls, I break a sweat at practice! and I'm not the one performing! 
I don't use the computer MFP diary (I haven't been able to get the mobile app to work on my phone), I use pencil paper in my planner. I know I'm not of any help here but I intend to take my planner with me to her.
I do about 1500-1800 calories a day. Don't really snack. Most days I have a super light breakfast hot tea with cream (200 cals) and two packets stevia/truvia Lately I've been on a kick of blue diamond cinnamon sugar almonds, 4 net carbs, 160 cals 3g sugar. Then lunch is usually a salad of some sorts, or string cheese wrapped in deli chicken with a side of ranch. Suppers are meat and veggies.
I feel like I'm not helping. I dunno.
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I'm a fan of exercise, but for fitness -- not as much for weight loss. It makes you hungrier, so it tends to be relatively neutral in terms of weight loss.
So focus on your calorie deficit. If you can keep carbs under 50g for three at least 3 solid weeks, you should feel the effects of blunted hunger, and your calorie deficit should increase without effort. The larger your deficit, the quicker you'll lose the weight, but you don't want to push it to the point of feeling hungry -- that's what causes a weight rebound down the road.
Focus on hunger control. Carbs under 50g, protein at 100g or higher if you can easily do it, and fat until you're satisfied, but no more. If you're eating as you say, you're probably low on protein.0 -
Can we get more information?
Height / weight / age ?
Average daily macros in grams: carbs (total-not net) / fiber / protein / fat?
You've gained 20 pounds in 7 months eating 1500-1800 calories a day?
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Do you have other symptoms? If you feel like you are weighing and measuring accurately, then it could be something else. Make sure you mention any and all symptoms to your doctor. It could be a thyroid issue, and a lot of doctors are pretty clueless about it. It couldn't hurt to request the full panel of tests for hypothyroid, and not just the tsh.0
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I'd do some research into metabolic syndromes before I went, and ask if there's any sort of test that the doc would be willing to perform to rule those out.
A sad word of advice though. Some people are just more efficient than others. My mom and I for example have to eat at a rather extreme deficit to lose weight, despite way the calculators say.0 -
If you can't get MFP to work on the phone, just use the computer.0
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I might get some backlash for this, but could it be a CICO issue? Are you truly eating what you say you're eating? Are you sticking to calorie/macro goals every day? Is your food set too high? You may be exercising 3X a week and are active with cheerleading practice, which is great for health, but are you over estimating how much energy you're using during those times? Do you have little muscle mass? Unless there is a metabolic syndrome at play, fit_goat and sweetteadrinker2 have made good points.
I feel your pain in that I've had trouble losing the weight I want to lose, and I am in the process of seeing a nutritionist about it. However, while I can say and feel that I've been on track enough that I should see the scale move, I obviously am not doing something right, and I'm doing my best to own up to it right now.0 -
My question would be rather with that activity whether the food is too low. If you've done really low cal for a long time, your metabolism needs time to repair before it can work well...0
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I don't have a computer at home, and I figure why log it twice, but I did just have a conversation with a friend about another issue with my anixety meds whilst they fiddled with my phone and actually got the app to load (yay!! - let's hope it works) and they pointed out a few things that I maybe ought to consider asking about while I'm in there. Some of them are a little TMI to talk about even with strangers on the internet.. But I guess the more I talk about it, it's not simply the weight gain I need to focus on. The weight gain is just the most frustrating of the symptoms I have.
Oh I truly hope I don't have to eat at a ridiculously large deficit
oh what a frustrating day that will be
As far as CICO - I try to simply focus on Calories In, I don't count exercise calories or eat them back. I guess I was trying to get that I'm definetly not sedentary, except for the 8 continuous hours/day M-F lol.
Hmm...I guess I have more to add to my list to take in there.
And Fat4Fuel2 - you are absolutely right, I have to make sure what I say I'm doing, I'm totally doing.0 -
I think you're right to suspect something is up with your body. I hope the convo with your doctor is productive.
RE: Classes at the Y - which classes are you taking? I exercise at the Y, too, and have tried a few classes. Some have a tendency toward what Mark Sisson calls "chronic cardio"-- really high intensity, extended cardio sessions, aimed at burning as many calories as possible. This might have a stressful effect on your body, but if it doesn't feel that way to you, you can probably rule that out.
I've been doing elliptical, bike, swimming, but mostly weight training on my own at the Y. I'm seriously considering paying for a few sessions with a personal trainer, to see if I can get more efficient and effective with my resistance training.
Best of luck!0 -
I did not see a mention of a food scale. Maybe I missed it. That is critical to knowing calories in.
You can buy a glucometer at Walgreens for $20 or so, and some strips to test your own blood sugar immediately.
I do low carb but I have to watch my calorie intake or it does not work well for me.
I would also measure my ankles, wrists, waist, bellybutton. You want to see if you are swelling.
Does your insurance cover blood tests or a wellness program? Often those evaluations can be done at the Lab Corps office, what we have here.
Just tossing out options
Best wishes on finding and resolving things quickly0 -
This seems like a reasonable perspective on cardio: http://paleoleap.com/cardio-paleo/0
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I do both cardio and weight lifting aka Les Mills Body Pump. I love it makes me feel like a mighty mouse lol. The cardio is a mix, body combat, running, lots of variation. I do it too keep in shape to run/walk races.mlinton_mesapark wrote: »I think you're right to suspect something is up with your body. I hope the convo with your doctor is productive.
RE: Classes at the Y - which classes are you taking? I exercise at the Y, too, and have tried a few classes. Some have a tendency toward what Mark Sisson calls "chronic cardio"-- really high intensity, extended cardio sessions, aimed at burning as many calories as possible. This might have a stressful effect on your body, but if it doesn't feel that way to you, you can probably rule that out.
I've been doing elliptical, bike, swimming, but mostly weight training on my own at the Y. I'm seriously considering paying for a few sessions with a personal trainer, to see if I can get more efficient and effective with my resistance training.
Best of luck!
For me exercise is for fit. Not weightloss.
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farmers_daughter wrote: »about another issue with my anixety meds .
There you go! How long have you been on these? So many of them contribute to weight gain. (ESpecially Seroquel and Geodon)0 -
Currently I'm on Sertraline. For quite sometime, that's another topic I have to bring up with her is that I'm apparently too groggy in the mornings. Nobody in their right mind should hit the snooze or sleep past thier alarm (which I never hear) for an hour and a half. Oy. but again for another day.greenautumn17 wrote: »farmers_daughter wrote: »about another issue with my anixety meds .
There you go! How long have you been on these? So many of them contribute to weight gain. (ESpecially Seroquel and Geodon)
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greenautumn17 wrote: »farmers_daughter wrote: »about another issue with my anixety meds .
There you go! How long have you been on these? So many of them contribute to weight gain. (ESpecially Seroquel and Geodon)
Seroquel is EVIL. 40 pounds in 6 months evil. NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN.0 -
dr. google shows:
Common sertraline side effects may include:
drowsiness, dizziness, tired feeling;
mild nausea, stomach pain, upset stomach, constipation;
dry mouth;
changes in appetite or weight;
sleep problems (insomnia); or.
decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
Hope you can get your dosage adjusted, so you feel better!0 -
Have you ever had a resting metabolism test? This is done at fitness center / university setting / nutritionist? You basically breathe in a mask for about 20 minutes and that can tell you what your true resting metabolism is. The number can vary greatly between people and can be the reason many can lose weight and others can't as easily. If you add muscle this number can increase which is good.0
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danidanibobani wrote: »Do you have other symptoms? If you feel like you are weighing and measuring accurately, then it could be something else. Make sure you mention any and all symptoms to your doctor. It could be a thyroid issue, and a lot of doctors are pretty clueless about it. It couldn't hurt to request the full panel of tests for hypothyroid, and not just the tsh.
Yes, ask to get your thyroid checked. I had this issue at one point - gainined weight unexplainably, and not able to lose it. Turns out I needed medication for my thyroid. It can really mess up how your body functions. Its an easy blood test.0 -
If your regular doc does not give you things that seem reasonable and work for you, are you in an area with a good Naturopathic doctor? There are certainly quacks out there, but a qualified naturopath has satisfied patients who give referrals. I'd suspect a hormone imbalance of some kind like thyroid, changing sex hormones = perimenopause which can strike much earlier than suspected. When the regular doc's put me on an older generation statin for cholesterol, all my health markers went from not great to horrible since the statin messed up my liver, glucose control as well as sent me into depression. Hope this is something to consider.0
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greenautumn17 wrote: »farmers_daughter wrote: »about another issue with my anixety meds .
There you go! How long have you been on these? So many of them contribute to weight gain. (ESpecially Seroquel and Geodon)
This is what i was thinking
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farmers_daughter wrote: »
Currently I'm on Sertraline. For quite sometime, that's another topic I have to bring up with her is that I'm apparently too groggy in the mornings. Nobody in their right mind should hit the snooze or sleep past thier alarm (which I never hear) for an hour and a half. Oy. but again for another day.greenautumn17 wrote: »farmers_daughter wrote: »about another issue with my anixety meds .
There you go! How long have you been on these? So many of them contribute to weight gain. (ESpecially Seroquel and Geodon)
I gained a ton of weight on Sertraline. Im now on Fluoxetine and this seems less inclined to cause weight gain, but i suspect it slows down my weight-loss significantly (im working out 5-7 days a week - it was 5, now ive upped it to a split program of weight-training 6 days/week, each body part trained 2x per week, plus 90 mins cardio 1x week..and im eating at BMR, or below, so a good deficit - 1000-1300 cals a day). For the effort im putting in the weight should be falling off me, but im making slow progress on the scales, although my body shape is changing nicely. I credit my slower losses partly to the anti-depressant medication, as theyre known to pile weight on.
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