Dr. is not helpful, what to do next?
Replies
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Then, you must be a special snowflake.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.
Or... you're not eating below maintenance and don't know what that level is. If you're not losing on 1600kcal/day and you *know in your heart* that it's really 1600, then eat 1500.
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When you've tried everything else, try the thing that works. What do you have to lose, other than weight, by weighing all your food and logging it accurately?10
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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.
You need bloodwork. A thyroid panel, specifically, especially given your age.0 -
If you're doing what everyone is suggesting, then maybe you should go get your hormones and thyroid checked. My friend had a very similar problem. Went to a trainer every day, followed a plan made my a nutritionist and lost nothing. Turns out, she has P.C.O.S and thyroid issues. She got on meds and now her weight is melting off. Time to go to another doc?1
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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.
There is nothing new to say because they only reason you aren't losing weight is that you're not eating fewer calories than you burn. There is a reason you get the "usual answers", it's because they're correct. So you can keep looking for an unsustainable method that you'll give up on, or you can take people's good advice.
Good luck to you.15 -
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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.
If you're already made up your mind that the actual number of calories you're consuming is irrelevant to your weight loss, I'm not sure why you're asking for help in the forum of an app dedicated to calorie counting. Good luck.20 -
You didn't hear what you wanted to hear so now you're telling people not to reply. You can deny it as much as you like, but calories in vs calories out is not only an accurate way to lose weight, it is THE accurate way to lose weight. And doctors are not nutritionists, they can help you with health problems, but not with your diet. Nobody here is going to suffer through you not listening to them, they're offering advice purely out of kindness. If you don't want to listen to advice from others who are experienced in these matters, then don't. It's only you who'll suffer for it and I have no doubt you'll be back on here at a later date with the same complaints and same insistence that things that work for everyone don't work for you.13
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Tracking doesn't work for your body because you're not doing it correctly.
But whatever. I'm older than you and tracking has worked for me (lost 55 pounds). So good luck to you. Hope you find what works.1 -
All previous replies are great. But I also wanted to add that if you are not happy with your doctor, then switch to someone else. A doctor cannot help you if you don't feel like they take you seriously. Find one who will listen to your concerns and take you seriously.1
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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.
CICO isn't accurate? Well shoot, I guess we're all doing it wrong then.
A handful of chips is 0.5 servings? You must have tiny hands.
Anyways, sounds like you've got this all figured out so I have nothing to add. Carry on.11 -
Order some private labs, and learn to communicate with your doctor.
Most likely, there is a problem in tracking. Be it weighing or logging.0 -
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.
what i bolded. i take the MFP entries with a grain of salt, since i admit i don't weigh and/or measure most of what i consume.0 -
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.
With all due respect, you asked the question in a forum for a calorie-counting site. it stands to reason that the focus of the responses would be calorie counting.
I always used to be able to just keep a general handwritten food log with eyeballed servings and lose weight when I needed to. Then one day it stopped working. After a few years of struggling, I got a food scale and was shocked that I was easily eating anywhere from 200-500 cals a day more than I thought I was. For some reason, my perception of food had changed over time - my "handfuls" became bigger, my measuring cup was a bit fuller and I just hadn't noticed. If that's not what you wanted to hear, I don't know what else to tell you. You could just keep measuring the way you are and eat less - If you are currently logging 1600, start eating 1400. I have to stay under 1500 to lose @ 1 lb per month. Yeah, that's not a typo, 1 lb per month. Or find a new doctor who will do the bloodwork for you I guess. Best of luck.10 -
In spite of you asking for different advice, I am going to say that I agree with the above posters about weighing your food. You say you are weighing now like you have in the past, but from the few entries I looked at, it doesn't look like you weigh anything. Yes, you can math from the packaging information, but if that information is wrong, you are cheating yourself. If you are running a small deficit (250 calories/day for 0.5lb/week) then those inaccuracies do add up. You are right that the banana entry will not change by 500 calories, but it could be off by 40 or 50. Potatoes are terrible for this because they do vary significantly in size, even within the same type of potato. A couple more inaccuracies like that and suddenly your small deficit is gone.
Having said that, if you really feel strongly that your issue is hormonal, then demand your doctor do blood work. It doesn't matter that she is new, you have to advocate for your own health and you have a right to that information. You can even have it done as part of a yearly physical. If she still refuses, find a different doctor.2 -
Ok, don't weigh your food. Keep doing what you're doing, but eat less. Skip a "handful" of chips or gold fish here or there.
Change doctors if you're not happy with your current PCP. Working in health care, I will say that people think they can come and tell their doc "I want labs!" or "I want an MRI!" and they get it. Not how it works. We have to be able to justify it. Not just for provider licenses if things go to court, but to get your insurance to pay for it as well. And trust me, you don't want to pay out of pocket for labwork. Odds are, your doc isn't doing lab work because she knows something is amiss with what you are doing, and not your blood. But you can find someone who will at least run preliminary labs.
But, OP, what happens if your thyroid is perfect and you don't have PCOS and it turns out that you're just older than you were when you were losing, and now your tdee is lower and you're eating too much? What will you blame it on then, if not yourself?8 -
ashliefisch wrote: »Ok, don't weigh your food. Keep doing what you're doing, but eat less. Skip a "handful" of chips or gold fish here or there.
Change doctors if you're not happy with your current PCP. Working in health care, I will say that people think they can come and tell their doc "I want labs!" or "I want an MRI!" and they get it. Not how it works. We have to be able to justify it. Not just for provider licenses if things go to court, but to get your insurance to pay for it as well. And trust me, you don't want to pay out of pocket for labwork. Odds are, your doc isn't doing lab work because she knows something is amiss with what you are doing, and not your blood. But you can find someone who will at least run preliminary labs.
But, OP, what happens if your thyroid is perfect and you don't have PCOS and it turns out that you're just older than you were when you were losing, and now your tdee is lower and you're eating too much? What will you blame it on then, if not yourself?[/quote]
+1
Hormonal issues doesn't change the way you lose weight.
I have half my thyroid and went through early menopause. My hormones are about as screwed up as you can get. Still lost 65lbs using CICO
sorry, quoting issues3 -
Don't ask for advice if you are not willing to listen. No one knows what you already "know" so they are responding to your question based on their experiences. Most everyone who responded has hundreds/thousands of posts, you have 39...you think they might know something?!!
Here is the answer to your not weighing your PB. It DOES make a difference. Since we don't know anything, maybe the fitness guys in the videos below do know. Up to you if you really want to learn so here are two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGcdyfDM3oQ and 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhusX6R-rkU 5 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »
cmbx2mom, you're complaining that the posts are unhelpful, but quiksylver's flowchart looks like what you need to me because basically, none of us here knows. We're not medical practitioners, and even if we were we'd need a consultation and probably test results to determine the issue. All we can say is that 95% of people who say they are logging accurately and still not losing are not logging accurately. What else did you expect people to say?
I do agree some of the posts are condescending and unhelpful at best, and disturbing at worst. Telling you to weigh everything, including stuff that has the weight on the packet and bananas, is probably not the best way to assure you of the poster's genuine concern, since people's idea of a medium banana probably varies very little from person to person, and a 57g chocolate bar probably weighs 57g. LeanButNotMean44 (who doesn't live up to his name or his t-shirt) telling you that products are systematically heavier than the packet states just tells you he has a problem: either his scales are bust or he's not using them right. The food industry is not in the habit of giving food away!0 -
rightoncommander wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »
cmbx2mom, you're complaining that the posts are unhelpful, but quiksylver's flowchart looks like what you need to me because basically, none of us here knows. We're not medical practitioners, and even if we were we'd need a consultation and probably test results to determine the issue. All we can say is that 95% of people who say they are logging accurately and still not losing are not logging accurately. What else did you expect people to say?
I do agree some of the posts are condescending and unhelpful at best, and disturbing at worst. Telling you to weigh everything, including stuff that has the weight on the packet and bananas, is probably not the best way to assure you of the poster's genuine concern, since people's idea of a medium banana probably varies very little from person to person, and a 57g chocolate bar probably weighs 57g. LeanButNotMean44 (who doesn't live up to his name or his t-shirt) telling you that products are systematically heavier than the packet states just tells you he has a problem: either his scales are bust or he's not using them right. The food industry is not in the habit of giving food away!
It's actually very common for the weight on prepackaged food to be different than what it states. Unless all the people where who weigh their food have broken scales or are doing it wrong.
(hint: they aren't)3
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