Need serious help/advice weight loss
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joannab44
Posts: 15 Member
My story is this...
I am 5'3 and 125lbs.
A little over a Year ago I went to see a nutritionist. I was weighing in at 125lbs in june 2014.
The guy put me on a low fat (30g), low carb(100g, only certain veggies and only one fruit a day being usually berries), high protein diet. It worked great.
I went down to 114 (which is the ideal weight for me considering my height and build), by then it was july/august. Around the same time I went on that diet I stopped taking birth control because I wanted to clean out my body and didn't feel like taking that was a good thing.
The diet had a few phases. The high protein low fat low carb phase lasted about 6 weeks. That's when I lost most of the weight. I was doing 5 hours of cardio a week and eating around 1400 kcals a day. I felt like crap all the time but didn't really realise it. I was tired and cranky all the time. Phase two was reintroducing fats, very, very slowly. phase 3 was carbs. By then I was fed up with this crap and had a total lack of faith in that nutritionist because I realised his diet messed up my hormonal balance and I lost my period because of it (which I still don't have back by the way...). I tried to eat normally again, meaning eating more healthy carbs. I went back to 125. Despite exercise boxing 6 to 7 hours a week. By then it was january and I was totally carb-traumatised. I had to stop boxing because of a knee problem but I kept running. I watched what I ate (with the occasional bingeing moments). In June of this year I had to stop running because of my knee so this summer I started swimming 4 hours a week (2 hours on saturdays and 2 hourson sundays). This summer my weight was around 117-118lbs with around 18-19% body fat. I was actually feeling good about it.
I went on a few trips sept/oct and in the past 3 months, I have gained 6lbs. It's not a lot of weight but it feels extra uncomfortable.
Right now I do cardio 3 to 4 times a week depending on my energy levels (which have been pretty *kitten* since I had food poisoning in sept), 60 minutes of swimming, either front crawl or back crawl.
I just started to (gently) weight train (2 weeks ago), I usually go to the gym (been going twice a week) for about an hour with 20min being cardio and the rest weights. I am starting to run again, on a treadmill to easy my knee.
I have also started taking the pill again about 3 weeks ago. I have been watching what I eat like a hawk. I have been working out a decent amount of hours YET the scale is NOT budging.
I only watch the scale for reference, I wouldn't care about the weight If my pants were fitting better, but they're not. I am at a complete loss.
My calorie intake at the moment never goes above 1500kcal a day and I have no energy at the gym... My macros right now are around 33/33/33. I am trying to up the protein but I just found out I am now intolerent to egg whites (I used to eat about 4 to 5 a day and was fine but I know feel nauseous if I do that), so I am supplementing with hemp protein and whey once in a while. My doc said it would take my body two months to get used to the pill again (the hormonal imbalance I have is causing a lack of energy and a mild depression). I am at a complete loss here. I have been told so many things I don't even know how to eat anymore. I am traumatized by macros and carbs. I never eat pasta or rice of potatoes because the last few times I did that is when I feel I put the weight on! and no it wasn't just water weight, I almost never weigh myself, I just see what I look like in the mirror and how my clothes fit. Right now, they dont.... I am starting on a 40% prot 35% fat 25% carb plan right now. I eat 4 times a day, breakfast, snack at 10:30am, lunch, snack at 4pm and then dinner. Between 1350 to 1450Kcals a day. I am never hungry when I eat, except in the morning after a good cardio session and around 6pm at night before dinner. Been watching what I eat carefully for two weeks and the scale of my body isnt moving. I do believe I am carrying a mild amount of water weight from the hormones and whatnot (at least I hope so,ha!)
Sorry this was long but If anyone has insight or ANYTHING, I'm really looking for support before I go completely nuts here...
I am 5'3 and 125lbs.
A little over a Year ago I went to see a nutritionist. I was weighing in at 125lbs in june 2014.
The guy put me on a low fat (30g), low carb(100g, only certain veggies and only one fruit a day being usually berries), high protein diet. It worked great.
I went down to 114 (which is the ideal weight for me considering my height and build), by then it was july/august. Around the same time I went on that diet I stopped taking birth control because I wanted to clean out my body and didn't feel like taking that was a good thing.
The diet had a few phases. The high protein low fat low carb phase lasted about 6 weeks. That's when I lost most of the weight. I was doing 5 hours of cardio a week and eating around 1400 kcals a day. I felt like crap all the time but didn't really realise it. I was tired and cranky all the time. Phase two was reintroducing fats, very, very slowly. phase 3 was carbs. By then I was fed up with this crap and had a total lack of faith in that nutritionist because I realised his diet messed up my hormonal balance and I lost my period because of it (which I still don't have back by the way...). I tried to eat normally again, meaning eating more healthy carbs. I went back to 125. Despite exercise boxing 6 to 7 hours a week. By then it was january and I was totally carb-traumatised. I had to stop boxing because of a knee problem but I kept running. I watched what I ate (with the occasional bingeing moments). In June of this year I had to stop running because of my knee so this summer I started swimming 4 hours a week (2 hours on saturdays and 2 hourson sundays). This summer my weight was around 117-118lbs with around 18-19% body fat. I was actually feeling good about it.
I went on a few trips sept/oct and in the past 3 months, I have gained 6lbs. It's not a lot of weight but it feels extra uncomfortable.
Right now I do cardio 3 to 4 times a week depending on my energy levels (which have been pretty *kitten* since I had food poisoning in sept), 60 minutes of swimming, either front crawl or back crawl.
I just started to (gently) weight train (2 weeks ago), I usually go to the gym (been going twice a week) for about an hour with 20min being cardio and the rest weights. I am starting to run again, on a treadmill to easy my knee.
I have also started taking the pill again about 3 weeks ago. I have been watching what I eat like a hawk. I have been working out a decent amount of hours YET the scale is NOT budging.
I only watch the scale for reference, I wouldn't care about the weight If my pants were fitting better, but they're not. I am at a complete loss.
My calorie intake at the moment never goes above 1500kcal a day and I have no energy at the gym... My macros right now are around 33/33/33. I am trying to up the protein but I just found out I am now intolerent to egg whites (I used to eat about 4 to 5 a day and was fine but I know feel nauseous if I do that), so I am supplementing with hemp protein and whey once in a while. My doc said it would take my body two months to get used to the pill again (the hormonal imbalance I have is causing a lack of energy and a mild depression). I am at a complete loss here. I have been told so many things I don't even know how to eat anymore. I am traumatized by macros and carbs. I never eat pasta or rice of potatoes because the last few times I did that is when I feel I put the weight on! and no it wasn't just water weight, I almost never weigh myself, I just see what I look like in the mirror and how my clothes fit. Right now, they dont.... I am starting on a 40% prot 35% fat 25% carb plan right now. I eat 4 times a day, breakfast, snack at 10:30am, lunch, snack at 4pm and then dinner. Between 1350 to 1450Kcals a day. I am never hungry when I eat, except in the morning after a good cardio session and around 6pm at night before dinner. Been watching what I eat carefully for two weeks and the scale of my body isnt moving. I do believe I am carrying a mild amount of water weight from the hormones and whatnot (at least I hope so,ha!)
Sorry this was long but If anyone has insight or ANYTHING, I'm really looking for support before I go completely nuts here...
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Replies
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Are you sure you are not pregnant?0
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nope not pregnant Lucille!0
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Low fat and low carb don't go together. Try Low Carb, High fat, moderate Protein. All be Good!
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That actually sounds like very little food for your activity level. I'm the same height, probably a little less active and 15lbs heavier and I maintain at around 2700cal.
This might sound strange(and unscientific) but would you consider adding just 100calories/day for a few weeks and seeing if you put on weight?
If you can eat more and still maintain that might help your mood and training performances if you can eat more then you have more wiggle room to reduce calories later to drop weight again. So; a diet break, at maintenance, so you can be rested (physically, mentally and metabolically) and ready to handle a defecit again.
What I'm thinking of is metabolic damage, where your body adapts to severe dieting by decreasing its needs and making it harder to lose weight.
Here are a couple of links on reverse dieting:
Detailed article quoting studies from body transformation fitness
bodybuilding.com article
This one talks about metabolic damage/stress and its relation to water retention
Hope this is useful to you.
Just to be clear, is your goal to go from 125lb back down to 114/115lb? Or is it the 18-19% body fat?
Would 18-19% bodyfat be acceptable at 125lb?0 -
Hi Frankie,
thanks for the advice! yes I was actually also thinking my calorie intake might be too low, however, when on vacation (the time I put on weight), my calorie intake varied between 1700-2100 a day, I wasn't working out per se but I was still walking about 11miles a day. I think my maintenance calories are around 1550 so 1300-1450 didn't seem like anything extreme. I am also never ever hungry, If I listened to my body I would probably eat more like 1000kcal a day to be honest. But, I love food and I know I need to eat... I should also mention I don't have any food cravings (if I don't eat anything that contains refined sugar that is, if I do that for a few days in a row my brain goes nuts).
I have also noticed I can't really go above 150g total carbs per day otherwise I really feel like crap. I was at 200-210 for a week and it was horrible until I bumped it back down. Now I am around 100g (60-70net), mostly from veggies/fruits but trying to include more grains like lentils, chickpeas, quinoa...
My goal is to drop fat, I already have a fair amount of muscle on me, if I went back down to 114-115lbs I think my body fat would be around 16.8-17.5% which would be great. I would be fine staying at 125 if I got leaner but as I said, I already have muscle, it's just covered by a layer of fat, so 125 is def too much. 114 would be amazing but I would settle for a lean 117-118lbs0 -
At 18-19% BF how can your goal be to drop fat? Are you in competition and aiming for a date?
That's a lean BF even if you're only a teenager
I think you've been eating too low for too long and should reverse diet up to a decent maintenance level for your activity level0 -
Just going to drop this here
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hey rabbitjb, right now I'm at 21%. I dont look thin when at 18, I look normal and fit. I'm not in competition, If I were I would probably be aiming at 15%0
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Hey Joanne for your age, if you're not in competition, I think you're aiming at being underfat tbh but also body fat estimates are notoriously out
Your amenorrhea is concerning as is your lack of energy for workouts...both point to inappropriate nutrition
Do you think you'll follow the reverse dieting advice
And possibly check in with a doctor and get some blood work done0 -
Hm Im definitely not aiming at being underfat, for my height and my build, 117lbs is a perfect weight, when I'm above that (like now), I show a layer of fat, not saying I am fat but I look like I have a few pounds too many.
Will def check into the reverse diet advice. I have had a bunch of blood tests done actually, my doc isnt concerned about my amenorrhea as there are no issues with ovaries etc. My lack of energy is very recent, last couple of weeks but doc says it was due to hormones. I eat as healthy as I can but as I mentioned, I'm very carb traumatized...everytime I try to add them back in I gain weight! and I don't eat truckloads.0 -
Underfat was related to your body fat percentage not your weight ...it speaks to make up of your body. But as I said it is difficult to measure bf without a proper dexa scan or bod pod so I wouldn't take your bf readings as absolute
I would suggest that if you have not been having periods for longer 3 months then you should be referred. Your doctor being unconcerned would make me want a second opinion
How is he putting down your lack of energy to hormones? Why?
I assume you're definitely not anaemic cos you've had the bloods
And this carb trauma you're talking about is not really real...when you cut carbs your body depletes it's natural glycogen stores and you lose the bonded and natural water weight ..generally 5-15lbs worth ...when you reintroduce carbs it returns ...it's not body fat it's just scale weight ...I think the "carb trauma" term, like your nutritionists crackpot diet, is doing you no favours
You sound stuck and scared and I hope you find a way to rid your head of all you think you know and just focus in on eating the right macro and micro nutrients to support your body in functioning the way it's supposed to0 -
My doctor is not concerned because I had tests done and everything is functioning correctly apart from this (meaning ovaries are fine and no thyroid issues). He is linking my lack of energy to hormones because my hormone levels are low and imbalanced. Not so low that they are cause for concern but low enough that apparently it's causing fatigue and a mild depression. My amenorrhea was caused (from what I can tell) by stopping the pill at the same time as doing this low fat low carb diet and starting to workout again after a year of pretty much being a bum. My body got all crazy, probably didn't know what the hell was happening.
When I talk about carb trauma, I don't mean I don't ever eat carbs, I'm definitely over thinking the whole thing, I have it in my head now that white pasta and white bread are evil foods unlike whole wheat and what not (things I never thought about pre nutritionist). Also I'm aware of the water weight and glycogen stores. I do have carbier meals every once in a while but I haven't felt like I needed them this much. And I know I am definitely carrying some water weight now, but it's not normal to have water retention as often as I do (doc also said that was related to hormonal imbalance).
I'm not even talking about water weight, as I said, I noticed when I was in the 200g range I felt terrible and zombie like, my energy levels plummeted even more...equivalent to being drugged almost, seriously. The nutritionist was definitely a crackpot. I told him I thought his diet was the cause of my amenorrhea and he said "no it's not, talk to your doctor about that". Complete bull though as I read a small percentage of women who go low carb experience this issue. Terrible guy.
I am stuck indeed, I am trying to figure a way out of the rabbit hole without gaining 20lbs that is
The trial and error thing is exhausting. After that dumb diet I was craving fat so bad I could have literally taken a huge bite out of a stick of butter. To fix that I did keto for about a month, it felt great until I didnt have enough energy for higher intensity workouts. So I reintroduced carbs super slowly and was actually fine for a bit. But I'm also a compulsive eater so you see my problem...Ah the overthinking...it's a real B****!
I should probably try the reverse dieting but you know, I'm not going to lie, I am indeed a little messed up in the food department, so its a tough train to hop on. I was actually doing very great this summer between june to august, energy levels were high, was eating between 1400-1500 a day with the occasional higher kcal days. My workouts felt amazing and I was super energized. It actually felt like my hormones were rebalancing out. My carb intake was around 40% I think with the rest being fat 30-35 and protein 25-30. It all went to crap after I vacationed in Bali end of august though. LOTS of food, I probably ate less carbs too, not on purpose, I just like veggies more than rice and pasta...and then I got food poisoning on the plane on my way back. Got tested for food intolerances after that because I was feeling nauseous a lot for a week after certain foods. Also apparently have a mild problem with intestinal flora, which is causing me to bloat a lot and that's really uncomfortable.
I wouldnt be so crazy but its all of the little things put together thats just driving me nuts in the end.
also... "I hope you find a way to rid your head of all you think you know and just focus in on eating the right macro and micro nutrients to support your body in functioning the way it's supposed to"
figuring out the right macros is oh so freaking hard
it's my christmas wish for this year lol 0
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