Is it hormones that's preventing weight loss?
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LaurenGetsFit2
Posts: 35 Member
I've cut back & cut out quite a bit of "bulk" from my everyday diet--I stopped eating peanut butter on a daily (or more...) basis, I've cut out the teaspoon of sugar & tablespoon of SF creamer in each of my 3-4 cups of coffee each day. I've switched any snacks I eat during the day to just a handful or so of veggies. I'm eating almost no simple carbs unless they're from fruit (which I usually only eat in the morning or for to quiet down an unyielding after-dinner sweet tooth).
I even weigh all my foods now with my food scale & keep my Calories to a 1,300-1,400 limit. I drink at least 100oz of water a day & aim for a full gallon most of them.
I workout 5-6 days a week; 2-3 days are 35-45 minute running sessions, 3-4 involve 20-30 minutes of strength training plus 30-60 minutes of circuit training and/or brisk-ish walking with my dog. I've been active the past several years, but never really this diligent or intentional about it. I mostly just do it because it's my "me time" & I enjoy it.
And after cutting back Calories & trying to exercise more & move more throughout the day, I'm not losing weight.
I do have a cheat meal or two during the week but it's not a serious cheat like you'd think--it may be a 250-Calorie ice cream cone from McDonalds or a measured out bowl of cereal (because the kid in me won't die).
Could it be a hormone imbalance? I've been getting the feeling (from other symptoms) mine are out of whack.
Could it be too little sleep? I'll admit I don't get enough most of the time.
If I just get my hormones in check or start sleeping more, will the weight finally start coming off?
I'm almost 24 & regained 20lbs (initially lost 15) in 2 years after I had first started exercising (for the 1st time ever) when I was 20. I kept basically the same exercise habits but ate more & worse as my final 1.5 years of school dragged by. Even when I tried losing weight for 6 months I just ended up gaining 5 more lbs.
Now I have a bit more activity than initially & am definitely eating less.
I even weigh all my foods now with my food scale & keep my Calories to a 1,300-1,400 limit. I drink at least 100oz of water a day & aim for a full gallon most of them.
I workout 5-6 days a week; 2-3 days are 35-45 minute running sessions, 3-4 involve 20-30 minutes of strength training plus 30-60 minutes of circuit training and/or brisk-ish walking with my dog. I've been active the past several years, but never really this diligent or intentional about it. I mostly just do it because it's my "me time" & I enjoy it.
And after cutting back Calories & trying to exercise more & move more throughout the day, I'm not losing weight.
I do have a cheat meal or two during the week but it's not a serious cheat like you'd think--it may be a 250-Calorie ice cream cone from McDonalds or a measured out bowl of cereal (because the kid in me won't die).
Could it be a hormone imbalance? I've been getting the feeling (from other symptoms) mine are out of whack.
Could it be too little sleep? I'll admit I don't get enough most of the time.
If I just get my hormones in check or start sleeping more, will the weight finally start coming off?
I'm almost 24 & regained 20lbs (initially lost 15) in 2 years after I had first started exercising (for the 1st time ever) when I was 20. I kept basically the same exercise habits but ate more & worse as my final 1.5 years of school dragged by. Even when I tried losing weight for 6 months I just ended up gaining 5 more lbs.
Now I have a bit more activity than initially & am definitely eating less.
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Replies
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If you suspect a hormone imbalance that's serious enough to affect your weight loss, you'll need to talk with a doctor and get some tests run. None of us could diagnose that over the internet. Make a list of symptoms to take with you to your next appointment.8
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Agreed with Dianne. That is something that should be discussed with your doctor. No one on here will be able to diagnose you, even if they are a doctor.1
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I'm perimenopausal so my female hormones should be all over the place, but when I eat the calories given to me by MFP, weigh and log my food, exercise, and eat back some (but not all) of my exercise calories, my average weight loss over time matches the weekly weight loss goal I set.5
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I'm not asking to be diagnosed over the Internet, I'm just asking if it's possible that once I get my (possibly) imbalanced hormones straightened out of my body will finally start losing weight if I keep the same Calorie deficit & activity level I have now.1
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FitFlier404 wrote: »I'm not asking to be diagnosed over the Internet, I'm just asking if it's possible that once I get my (possibly) imbalanced hormones straightened out of my body will finally start losing weight if I keep the same Calorie deficit & activity level I have now.
I have a girlfriend with PCOS who was able to lose weight with Metformin and a low carb diet, but I doubt her calorie deficit and activity level remained the same.2 -
You look relatively thin/fit. How much are you trying to lose per week?1
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Oops nm1
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So how long have you been eating 13-1400 cals without losing?0
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It very well could be that you "aren't" eating enough calories. What is your BMR & your TDEE?0
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Just 0.5-1.0 lb a week.
Really before the gain I was too thin; I'd like to just lose 10 lbs.
I've been sticking to this deficit for maybe 3 weeks at most.0 -
queenbea77 wrote: »It very well could be that you "aren't" eating enough calories. What is your BMR & your TDEE?
No it couldn't be...
If OP wasn't eating enough calories - and there aren't any health issues - then OP would be losing.0 -
0.5-1 lbs a week is very normal! That's a perfect weight loss rate for 10 lbs.0
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tracymayo1 wrote: »queenbea77 wrote: »It very well could be that you "aren't" eating enough calories. What is your BMR & your TDEE?
No it couldn't be...
If OP wasn't eating enough calories - and there aren't any health issues - then OP would be losing.
Yes it could be - I was eating 1,200 calories a day plus working out 1 1/2 - 2 hours per day and didn't lose a pound. It wasn't until I upped my calorie intake that I started out losing and that was with working out less than I was before. It takes more than 1,300-1,400 calories just to lay in bed doing nothing all day.0 -
OP did comment on lack of sleep - which can play a part in the problem.
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queenbea77 wrote: »tracymayo1 wrote: »queenbea77 wrote: »It very well could be that you "aren't" eating enough calories. What is your BMR & your TDEE?
No it couldn't be...
If OP wasn't eating enough calories - and there aren't any health issues - then OP would be losing.
Yes it could be - I was eating 1,200 calories a day plus working out 1 1/2 - 2 hours per day and didn't lose a pound. It wasn't until I upped my calorie intake that I started out losing and that was with working out less than I was before. It takes more than 1,300-1,400 calories just to lay in bed doing nothing all day.
Which would mean you'd lose weight eating less than 1300-1400. Exercising causes water retention. I guess anorexics and people living in famine stricken areas should be obese?6 -
queenbea77 wrote: »OP did comment on lack of sleep - which can play a part in the problem.
She's losing .5-1 lb a week which is very normal.2 -
FitFlier404 wrote: »Just 0.5-1.0 lb a week.
Really before the gain I was too thin; I'd like to just lose 10 lbs.
I've been sticking to this deficit for maybe 3 weeks at most.
I didn't realize you only had 10 pounds to lose. It's not likely your hormones - the last 10 pounds are really tough. Be happy with losing a pound or two a month.1 -
I agree with talking to your doc if you feel there is concern with your rate of loss or you think your hormones are causing a problem. At your age, if hormones were an issue, you would possibly be having issues with your cycles as well.
Can hormones effect weight loss? Short answer is: yes. However, diagnosing a hormone imbalance takes testing and time. There are also other factors that need to be addressed if there is a hormone imbalance that only a doctor can advise you on.
Personally, I have PCOS so I understand how that effects my body, my weight loss, etc. and what I need to do to start correcting my individual issues. It also took me about 5 years to be diagnosed as such.
Like others have stated, if you have concerns, talk to your doc.1 -
The issue is that I'm *not* losing weight at ALL. Just stay in stagnant. And this was after I was eating my TDEE of about 1,700-2,00 Calories. Plus a long time of eating above that (hence the steady yet-unyielding 2 years of slow weight gain).
I try to stay upward of 1,400 because I know going too low can cause more issues than results.
My cycles are kinda irregular; they're also longer, so it's hard to accurately track. I use an app for that.
Overall I exercise 5-6 hours a week, depending on what all I do. I also work 30-40 hours a week, wake up at 5am (sometimes 4am--to get in my exercise for the day), & save time aside to spend with my dog & then also my boyfriend. So I feel tired a lot, but again...I don't get enough sleep.0 -
FitFlier404 wrote: »The issue is that I'm *not* losing weight at ALL. Just stay in stagnant. And this was after I was eating my TDEE of about 1,700-2,00 Calories. Plus a long time of eating above that (hence the steady yet-unyielding 2 years of slow weight gain).
I try to stay upward of 1,400 because I know going too low can cause more issues than results.
My cycles are kinda irregular; they're also longer, so it's hard to accurately track. I use an app for that.
Overall I exercise 5-6 hours a week, depending on what all I do. I also work 30-40 hours a week, wake up at 5am (sometimes 4am--to get in my exercise for the day), & save time aside to spend with my dog & then also my boyfriend. So I feel tired a lot, but again...I don't get enough sleep.
Under 3 weeks isn't long enough to say you're not losing weight.7
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