Amazon Woman Needs Help

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loudharpy
loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys. in short I am trying to lose 30-40lbs.
I gained some weight on a brief stint of Paxil which I am no longer taking.

I am currently 175 lbs, 32 F who is 5'11"

Last month I lost about 10lbs decreasing my caloric intake to 1200 cal a day with a cheat meal night on Fridays.

I guess what am I wondering is: am I consuming too little calories to lose weight?

I do cardio at the gym 5 days a week.
I also do weight training and have muscle mass in addition to the new layer of fat I'm trying rid myself of. I know I have extra fat, clothes not fitting as they should, etc.

I eat my workout cals back, in addition to my 1200 a day.

I have lost no weight in the last 2 weeks.

I have some aneorexic tendancies and am sincerely trying to be healthy.

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Replies

  • yayaba724
    yayaba724 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi. I need to lose 25-30 lbs. I'm currently 165 lbs, 51 F, 5' 4.5". Not tall, so my weight is a problem.

    I'm eating about 1200 - 1400 calories a day and trying to walk more than 10,000 steps a day, since I don't have time to exercise much.

    I do have a treadmill and weights and should start using them, but motivation seems to be a problem.

    I too, have some eating issues and would like to be more healthy.

    Happy to help with encouragement, if needed.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    OK, so you bulked, basically, right? Added muscle and some fat while building strength, and now you want to lose just the fat? Or you added mostly fat and now are trying to add muscle and lose fat at the same time?

    There is a thread somewhere called "Relatively lean people trying to get leaner", that has a lot of advice in it.

    While I don't think 1,200 is good for someone your height (I am maintaining 136 on around 2,000 kcal and am 5'9") I don't think it's going to keep you from losing weight, just not as healthy as eating more; and I think it could be too low if you have had anorexia because at some point the hunger starts feeling good, etc. You don't want to spiral down.

    So I would say two things

    1. Recognize that the scale weight may be higher than you are used to when skinny, if you add muscle. Don't freak out, muscle is good for you. So say you are thinking you should weigh 135, you may look much better now at 145, and be healthier (or 155 vs 145). Keep your goal flexible.

    2. Are you sure it's ok for you to count calories closely if you have unhealthy obsessive leanings?

  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    thank you!

    basically I was 145 and pretty lean.
    I gained 40 lbs of fat in a few months and I believe it was bc of meds at the time.
    I would be happier in the 140s.

    lol calorie counting may not be the best idea but I do not know of another way.

    basically, I want to lose the layer of fat I gained over my muscles, if that makes sense.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,656 Member
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    One thing to add: Two weeks is not a super long time for the scale to hold steady. This is especially true if you've amped up workouts, eaten extra salt or carbs, or it's time of month - which can be any time from ovulation through menstruation).

    If you're sure you're on target with the calorie estimates, I'd encourage you to stick with it for at least a month, to get past some of those potential water-weight fluctuation reasons. I know that such patience is hard when you want and need results!

    And some people simply seem to lose in a "plateau then whoosh" fashion - weight holds more-or-less steady for small number of weeks, then a bigger drop.

    You may also want to log your cheat night calories, if you're not already doing so, so you have all the raw data you need to evaluate your results.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    OK that makes sense, yes - but do you really have to do much, if the weight gain was from the meds? Perhaps better to just increase your activity and eat like you did to maintain 145 before, and let your body get back healthy and lean. Aggressive dieting makes your body eat it's muscle along with the fat - there is a limit on how much fat can be burned in a day, any more loss has to come from somewhere. Eating like you are at your destination might work - since we are similar in build, maybe try eating 2,000 -2,200 per day total? I do this (not some amount + exercise) and it works out to about the same number MFP gives me for a day with a one hour moderate not extreme workout.

    Don't worry about a 2 week lull, in any event. Water weighs almost 8lb/gallon, if you are eating less than you burn the fat is getting used. And NO WAY are you burning less than 1,200 plus exercise calories.

    You will get there, and yes 145 sounds really good for 5'11" if you are built lean. Tall and slender.

    (and truthfully, though I am logging here now, the one thing that has always worked for me to drop weight in a healthy way is simply increasing exercise. So more running days, or everyday aerobics, adding extra cardio without consciously dieting has had the best results for me, sometimes too good.)

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Medication it's self does not cause weight gain. It can cause an increase in appetite which can cause you to consume more calories. It is the excess calories that cause the weight gain.
  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    you guys are awesome, ty. I just want to make sure everything I'm doing is right.
  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Medication it's self does not cause weight gain. It can cause an increase in appetite which can cause you to consume more calories. It is the excess calories that cause the weight gain.

    that's true sometimes for some people but not in all cases. thanks anyway.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    loudharpy wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Medication it's self does not cause weight gain. It can cause an increase in appetite which can cause you to consume more calories. It is the excess calories that cause the weight gain.

    that's true sometimes for some people but not in all cases. thanks anyway.

    Medication does not change the laws of thermodynamics.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,986 Member
    edited May 2016
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    loudharpy wrote: »
    Hi guys. in short I am trying to lose 30-40lbs.
    I gained some weight on a brief stint of Paxil which I am no longer taking.

    I am currently 175 lbs, 32 F who is 5'11"

    Last month I lost about 10lbs decreasing my caloric intake to 1200 cal a day with a cheat meal night on Fridays.

    I guess what am I wondering is: am I consuming too little calories to lose weight?

    I do cardio at the gym 5 days a week.
    I also do weight training and have muscle mass in addition to the new layer of fat I'm trying rid myself of. I know I have extra fat, clothes not fitting as they should, etc.

    I eat my workout cals back, in addition to my 1200 a day.

    I have lost no weight in the last 2 weeks.

    I have some aneorexic tendancies and am sincerely trying to be healthy.

    If you're eating 100% of your workout calories back, that could be the problem. The ones given by MFP tend to be inflated and many here suggest eating about 50% back. Try dropping to 75%, and if that doesn't work, 50%.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Medication it's self does not cause weight gain. It can cause an increase in appetite which can cause you to consume more calories. It is the excess calories that cause the weight gain.

    It can also slow people down, so they aren't burning as much.

    Anecdotal but my sister gained 30 pounds very quickly after starting birth control pills. The doctor said he was sure it wasn't the pills, she was just eating too much. She stopped them and dropped the 30 pounds right off. So yeah, obviously there aren't calories in birth control pills, she had to be eating more or burning less, but changing someone's hormones can affect fat storage, yes? Guys who take steroids to grow muscles faster and bigger? Pregnancy hormones slowing down digestion, so you can pull more nutrition out of what you eat?

    It seems kind of simplistic to say the only possible thing any medication could do, regarding weight, is increase or decrease appetite.
  • kirstenb13
    kirstenb13 Posts: 181 Member
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    Your calories strike me as superlow, I'm also 5'11 and lost from 193 to now 150 eating at least 1900-2100 a day. We are tall, we can eat way more than short people! With your workouts in particular your body needs way more energy. So I would increase (if you are 100% sure you are counting correctly) a little and just be patient. The weight will come off for sure.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    kirstenb13 wrote: »
    Your calories strike me as superlow, I'm also 5'11 and lost from 193 to now 150 eating at least 1900-2100 a day. We are tall, we can eat way more than short people! With your workouts in particular your body needs way more energy. So I would increase (if you are 100% sure you are counting correctly) a little and just be patient. The weight will come off for sure.

    The answer is NEVER increase calories if you aren't losing weight. If you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a calorie deficit.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    kirstenb13 wrote: »
    Your calories strike me as superlow, I'm also 5'11 and lost from 193 to now 150 eating at least 1900-2100 a day. We are tall, we can eat way more than short people! With your workouts in particular your body needs way more energy. So I would increase (if you are 100% sure you are counting correctly) a little and just be patient. The weight will come off for sure.

    The answer is NEVER increase calories if you aren't losing weight. If you aren't losing weight, you aren't in a calorie deficit.

    OP said she lost 10lb last month and no movement on the scale for 2 weeks, I think she is losing weight about as fast as is healthy and that the 2 week lull is more likely water retention, or that last lowest # was dehydrated or something, not that she is stuck really.






  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    Question:
    Should I not use the steps tracker when adding back calories on MFP then?

    When I do cardio I burn about 230 cals a day. I add that back so that I am consuming around 1400 cals...

    (just for clarity I start at 1200 everyday, but add more back after I exercise. Before this I was eating anything I wanted. Probably consuming over 2000 daily if I could imagine, so even at 1400, that a large deficit)

    I thought it was important not drop below 1200 is that correct?

    Also, I take a long walk almost everyday and gain something like 50 cals back according to the ap. Should I not eat those?

    I just want to make sure the hard work I am putting in is getting me the best results.

    thank you all so much for your help.

    and ps, I would loveeee to consume 2000 a day and lose weight. I was like that pre Paxil. I didn't believe meds could destroy your bodies ability to metabolize either until happened to me. gaining 40lbs in 4 months or so out of no where scared me to death... read about Paxil. It is notorious for this, at least with some people.
  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    is this still in the correct forum?
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    loudharpy wrote: »
    is this still in the correct forum?

    Yes, loudharpy.

    Are you still on the Paxil? Get as much exercise as you can; exercise helps with depression beyond just making you feel better about your weight. Walk in the sunshine, 50 calories is immaterial, I think that just goes in as part of your regular daily allotment, you shouldn't have to eat it on top of the 1,400 if you don't want to.

    You are losing weight! A month of results trumps a couple of weeks of plateau. Just keep at it, go as slowly as you can stand, because you don't want to bounce back up when you get to the weight you want.

    So your 10lb month, I'm going to hope that some of that was water - remember that losing weight quickly does your body no good, drop too fast and it eats parts of you that you don't want to lose.

    10lb over 6 weeks, that's better.

    Since you know 1,400 plus 200 for exercise works, just keep doing that and if the weight drops too fast add some more calories to each day. I personally would be unhappy with that allowance and would rather work out more and eat more but if you feel good, keep doing what you are doing.


  • loudharpy
    loudharpy Posts: 8 Member
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    You are awesome Robin. Thank you so much for your support.
  • Cindude
    Cindude Posts: 5 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Medication it's self does not cause weight gain. It can cause an increase in appetite which can cause you to consume more calories. It is the excess calories that cause the weight gain.

    If only it were that simple......

    What is an excess of calories? It's different for everyone and we have to factor in metabolism. We have a complex endocrine system that is easily disrupted. I gained 100 pounds in 4 years while taking SSRI's. After I weaned myself off SSRI's, I dropped 40 pounds with no change in diet or exercise but it took 3 months for the medication to leave my system and the weight to come off.

    So, I guess I am saying, hang in there a little longer. If you have not talked to your doctor about stopping Paxil, you need to be very careful. The side effects of stopping abruptly range from annoying to life-threatening. Personally, a therapist for 6 months did more for me than any pill. Depression and anxiety affect you physically as well as mentally. You need to be kinder to yourself.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Amazon woman! haha, Amazon episode of Futurama was easily Top 5.

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