Dr. is not helpful, what to do next?
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cmbx2mom
Posts: 56 Member
I've been trying to lose weight for a while now but have been stuck around my current weight (177lb +/- 5lbs) for well over a year. I have tried just about everything to lose weight but nothing is working (paleo..I find unsustainable, 21day fix, IF, calorie counting etc). I tried to talkto my Dr. about this but she is young and inexperienced and told me to "eat more vegetables". I am 41 years old, exercise 3-5 times a week. I do a variety of workouts including weight lifting, interals, plyo, boot-camp etc). Last year I tried 1750 calories for a few months with no results. I am now down to 1600 calories a day. I try to limit processed foods and have been working on upping protein to at least100g a day. Yes, I weigh/measure my food. Typically I try to be a little under 1600 calories just in case my calculations are wrong. I have a feeling something in my body is not right (hormones???) but my Dr. is not interested in discussing it. I've thought about ordering an online blood test to check on things. Also just FYI about 1.5 years ago I was doing crossfit and upped my calories (1900 rest days, 2200 workout days) and gained almost 15 pounds in 2 months so I know it is not an "eat more" situation.
Any ideas?
I'm thinking of looking into supplements and trying to figure out who to talk to about this...a different primary Dr, a dietician???
Typical day for me:
Breakfast: SHakeology with natural PB, honey and green superfood powder, almond milk
Snack: 1 banana
Lunch: usually batch made food on Sundays, but sometimes turkey sandwich on marathon bread. And a salad with EVOO and vinegar
Snack: Apple, maybe 1 piece of dark chocolate, sometimes a protein bar
Dinner: some meat, some carb- usually rice or potato and some vegetable
Sometimes I may grab a handful of cashews before dinner is ready.
Occassionally I may grab a handful of potato chips/ cheese-its or whatever I have for my kids on hand. Yes I know this is processed crap and I am not weighing it, but I am human. ANd no it is NOT 3-4 servings of it.
ALso more just FYI, I haven't had weight problems my whole life. I gained some weight after kids were born but was able to maintain healthy weight with calorie counting and exercise, it's really only been the past few years I've been noticing it is harder to lose weight.
I've been reading a lot on weight loss resistance.
I try to get about 8 hrs sleep, but sometimes it's closer to 7.
Stress...well I work FT, have 2 kids and have a hectic schedule so it is what it is..
Oh, and I did lose a couple pounds a while back when I got sick and only ate about 1000 calories a day. But went right back on when I was eating normal again.
Any ideas?
I'm thinking of looking into supplements and trying to figure out who to talk to about this...a different primary Dr, a dietician???
Typical day for me:
Breakfast: SHakeology with natural PB, honey and green superfood powder, almond milk
Snack: 1 banana
Lunch: usually batch made food on Sundays, but sometimes turkey sandwich on marathon bread. And a salad with EVOO and vinegar
Snack: Apple, maybe 1 piece of dark chocolate, sometimes a protein bar
Dinner: some meat, some carb- usually rice or potato and some vegetable
Sometimes I may grab a handful of cashews before dinner is ready.
Occassionally I may grab a handful of potato chips/ cheese-its or whatever I have for my kids on hand. Yes I know this is processed crap and I am not weighing it, but I am human. ANd no it is NOT 3-4 servings of it.
ALso more just FYI, I haven't had weight problems my whole life. I gained some weight after kids were born but was able to maintain healthy weight with calorie counting and exercise, it's really only been the past few years I've been noticing it is harder to lose weight.
I've been reading a lot on weight loss resistance.
I try to get about 8 hrs sleep, but sometimes it's closer to 7.
Stress...well I work FT, have 2 kids and have a hectic schedule so it is what it is..
Oh, and I did lose a couple pounds a while back when I got sick and only ate about 1000 calories a day. But went right back on when I was eating normal again.
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Replies
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I work full time 40+ hours, go to school full time, and have two kids. I don't count calories and lost most of my weight not exercising. Life is full of excuses.7
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I know you say you weigh/measure your food, but on the first entry I looked at you had things like "1 slice" and "1 banana." I can also see things like ".5 potato," which is essentially a meaningless entry (potatoes come in a huge variety of sizes). Before you decide calorie counting isn't working, I suggest you use a food scale for all solid food and determine how much you're actually eating. What you eat is less important for weight loss than how much you're eating of it.20
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I looked at a few days of entries in your food diary, and it appears that you are not weighing EVERYTHING. For example, your slice of Marathon bread - you weighed every slice and all of them were 57g? Also, things like peanut butter need to weighed, not measured with a measuring spoon. I was completely shocked when I did so for the first time - my tablespoon of peanut butter equaled the weight of TWO servings, not one. With something like peanut butter, those extra calories add up quickly.
As a side note - I started weighing my protein bars and was shocked (again) that they were all WAY over the weight on the label. My Cookies and Cream Combat Crunch bar is supposed (according to the label) to be 63g and 210 calories. After weighing every bar in the box, I found the lowest weight was 77g and the highest to be about 87-88g. All of these things add up.4 -
You list what you eat, but are you weighing it on a food scale to ensure the most accurate calorie count? You said you don't want to do this and you don't want to do that, well, what ARE you willing to do? This takes work. Flat out, hard, effort-requiring WORK. And it takes patience, and more patience, and after that, patience. And then effort, and more effort. And persistence, with a little patience thrown in. What are your stats? I also suggest opening your diary so folks can see your logging. Be open to what you read here, even if it's criticism. Ask yourself if you're really willing to put in the effort.2
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I looked at your diary. Admittedly I only looked at a few days, but you use cups and spoons to measure. You have got to use a food scale for better accuracy.
The simple answer is usually the correct one: you're not tracking calories accurately and because, by your own admission, you eat little things throughout the day like handfuls of Cheetos, you are eating more than you think you are. All those things add up to no weight loss.3 -
You are eating at maintenance. There's nothing a doctor can do about that. To lose 0.5 pounds per week, you need to reduce your intake by 250 calories from what you are eating now. (Not from what you think you are eating now.) Weigh and log everything, and doublecheck every entry.2
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Opinion- supplements do not work.
At most take a daily multivitamin
You are at 1,600? Lower it to 1,500? Try that?
* I do not think Shakeology is worth it. The vitamins are added. Not natural.
Might as well just take a regular protein powder with some skim milk and a multivitamin.
This could save you 1,000 a year.
- I count even two potato chips - open diary.5 -
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Sounds like you're all over the place and don't stick with anything long enough to actually get anywhere. Not trying to be mean, but if you can't stay consistent for the relatively short weight loss period, how are you going to consistently maintain for the years and years that follow?
Weight loss is pretty straightforward. Figure out your calorie goal (MFP does this for you), start accurately tracking your food, start accurately measuring portion sizes (food scale ), and most importantly, stay with it. You will see results, but you need to give it time.4 -
JanetYellen wrote: »Opinion- supplements do not work.
At most take a daily multivitamin
You are at 1,600? Lower it to 1,500? Try that?
* I do not think Shakeology is worth it. The vitamins are added. Not natural.
Might as well just take a regular protein powder with some skim milk and a multivitamin.
This could save you 1,000 a year.
- I count even two potato chips - open diary.
Recommending someone take a multi-vitamin and not use Shakelogy because it isn't "natural" makes no sense. There are many good reasons to avoid Shakelogy, but it's naturalness is irrelevant if you're going to turn around and recommend a multi-vitamin.1 -
Recommending someone take a multi-vitamin and not use Shakelogy because it isn't "natural" makes no sense. There are many good reasons to avoid Shakelogy, but it's naturalness is irrelevant if you're going to turn around and recommend a multi-vitamin.[/quote]
I think she's just trying to offer money-saving suggestions, saying that using a multi-vitamin is essentially the same as using Shakeology. Protein powder isn't natural either, but a much less expensive option for shakes.
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Recommending someone take a multi-vitamin and not use Shakelogy because it isn't "natural" makes no sense. There are many good reasons to avoid Shakelogy, but it's naturalness is irrelevant if you're going to turn around and recommend a multi-vitamin.
I think she's just trying to offer money-saving suggestions, saying that using a multi-vitamin is essentially the same as using Shakeology. Protein powder isn't natural either, but a much less expensive option for shakes.
[/quote]
I agree with that, I just don't agree that a product would be worth more if it was "natural," whatever that means.0 -
It's all calories... You have to weigh and track all your food, EVERYTHING! Condiments can add up to tons of calories. Don't quite specific foods, they don't matter. Get plenty of protein! If you really track your food and keep your calories in check you will lose!0
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You list what you eat, but are you weighing it on a food scale to ensure the most accurate calorie count? You said you don't want to do this and you don't want to do that, well, what ARE you willing to do? This takes work. Flat out, hard, effort-requiring WORK. And it takes patience, and more patience, and after that, patience. And then effort, and more effort. And persistence, with a little patience thrown in. What are your stats? I also suggest opening your diary so folks can see your logging. Be open to what you read here, even if it's criticism. Ask yourself if you're really willing to put in the effort.
Yes, this. Get a digital scale. Actually use it to weigh every stupid thing even though it sucks. The biggest shocks will likely be things that are high in fat like peanut butter, nuts, cheese, and, yes, those cheez its and chips. Weigh it all, log it all. Then see if you are REALLY only eating 1600 calories and not losing. A half serving of shredded cheese measured in grams (around 60 calories) equals a sprinkle on top of your salad...a garnish more than an ingredient.0 -
I also am a working-full-time mother of two and know it can be very hard to find any time to take care of ourselves. Good for you for keeping up the effort!
I spent a long time typing this and then many other people responded too, so some of this has already been said.
How much of a deficit is your 1600 calories supposed to be (250, 500, etc)? If it is 250, you are going to have to be extremely accurate in your logging because a few small errors per day can wipe it out. That is where I would start my search for my problem: possible extra calories that I'm consuming without accounting for them or without realizing it.
Trying to put myself in your situation, what I would try if it was me:
1) Make sure you weigh (on a scale), measure (liquids), and log every single thing that goes in your mouth. One cracker, the last bite of fish that my daughter didn't finish at dinner, 3 grapes that she didn't eat at lunch, it all goes in my log. Guesstimating the calories for a "handful" of anything or a portion of a banana/potato, etc. can easily have more calories than you are logging. I found that out for myself with peanuts which I grabbed one day while waiting for dinner. Also, are you including anything that goes into the preparation of your food such as ketchup, mayonnaise (even if just a smear), if you cook with some olive oil, is that measured and accounted for?
2) Look at the entries in your diary for foods that aren't prepackaged and verify with another site (such as USDA for fruits, vegetables, and meats) that the calorie counts you are using are correct. There are a LOT of inaccurate entries in the MFP database and they can sabotage our efforts if we don't know they are wrong! For example, on April 8 you have 4 ounces of chicken breast. If that is 4 ounces cooked, the USDA tables show that as 43 calories per ounce, or 172 calories instead of the 124 you logged.
3) Are you as strict with your eating on the weekends as you are during the week? You didn't log anything on each of the last two Saturdays. Do you do so-called "cheat meals" or "cheat days"? Perhaps you are undoing your hard work during the week by eating more on the weekends which then eliminates your calorie deficit?
4) Are you getting enough fiber and water each day? If not, strive to increase these. The same with sleep. I know we can't always get to bed as early as we'd like and usually can't sleep as late as we'd like, but keep it on the priority list to get more sleep whenever possible, especially if you are feeling tired all of the time. This isn't directly about losing weight as about making sure your body can function as it is supposed to (which may affect weight loss, who knows?).
5) How much are you moving during the day when you aren't specifically exercising? I got a fitbit last year and was shocked at how sedentary I was, especially at work. Now I get at least 10,000 steps per day and get up and walk at least a couple of minutes each hour and on my lunch break, and that burns calories which helps create a calorie deficit for me every day. Obviously not as many calories as your workouts (but you said they aren't every day... are you quite sedentary on the other days of the week?), but every calorie counts especially if you are struggling to lose weight.
If I did all that, including being super strict on my weighing and logging and increasing my activity even on non-exercise days and still saw no progress after a couple of weeks, my next step would be checking my budget to see if I could afford a consultation with a registered dietitian and/or make an appointment with a new doctor since the one you saw isn't helpful.6 -
I'm your age and size. Mother of two.
I don't lose weight unless I eat under 1400kcal/day. I know this from tracking. You have to track.
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That chart up there ^^^
Also, your body has the best answer, more than any calculator, theory, guru, Doctor, chart, whatever.
-too much food and you gain fat.
-not enough and you binge
-just the right amount and you stay the same (maintenance).
-just the right deficit under your maintenance and you lose fat. Sometimes you have to give it more time and be more consistent and accurate with food intake.
If you do that it will work even if you never step on the body weight scale. The body weight scale doesn't make it happen, but the food intake does.
There is no other answer. It's right there in your own body.
It's so easy to let the mind go down the path of thinking something is wrong, but no, it is always about the food intake. It is not a fun thing to face, nor is it easy. If it was easy everyone would be successful. Many give up to soon and just don't have the patience or the fortitude to stick with it, or they try to force it too soon with eating too low.
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Ugh, so I wasn't sure I should post this question because as expected I got the usual answers. I went 10 years being able to control/lose weight by calorie counting and weighing as I am doing now. I am not eating 2100 calories and have 1600 in my diary. Yes I use teaspoons not weigh my pb. Yes I log 1 banana vs. grams of banana. That is not 500 calories difference and as u see I said I try to go under 1600 calories to account for slight differences.
I like Shakeology, it mixes better than protein powders and it's faster to dump 1 scoop vs adding in 10 different ingredients.
And I have been doing lots of reading about how calories in vs out is NOT an accurate way to lose weight. As far as trying methods, I try for a couple months because regular tracking does NOT work for my body anymore.
Unless u have something new to say (no more of the you r not weighing enough) please disregard this post. It is SO frustrating when people just assume u are eating a lot more than u say. Yes I take a handful of chips....after years of tracking I know that my handful is about 0.5 servings. I also know that the bread I buy says x # of servings per bag and I know how to do math.0 -
Agree about needing to weigh everything and use grams/ounces for your entries when possible. Also, you're not logging your weekends. How do you know you're not blowing your entire deficit for the week if you don't log those days?2
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i don't measure my food or drink. i just don't want to. i listen to my body and what it wants. as long as it doesn't want something outrageous, i just eat until i am satisfied. IMHO, i am one of the laziest people on this site regarding being accurate with my portions for food and drink.
as far as the doctor is concerned, have you thought about going to an endocrinologist to have your thyroid checked? i don't ask my primary care doctor about weight issues since i have a known under active thyroid. i ask my endocrinologist.0
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