Long timers: I need help after six years (yes, TMI will be involved)
nxd10
Posts: 4,570 Member
I had successfully maintained for six years until January. At that point I put on 10 pounds and ran into two problems. I'm looking for help. The weight came on very suddenly but I haven't been able to lose it. That has happened to me several times after traveling over the years, but it's always gone away. It felt like water weight. THIS feels like water weight.
I am also having issues with my intestines. I am not constipated but I know they are not moving properly. I have constant reflux. Sometimes I try to eat and my stomach simply will not open because it's full and isn't emptying properly. I have never had this before. I attributed my January weight gain this, was checked out, and they found nothing. Thyroid fine. Colonoscopy normal. I take daily probiotics and kombuncha and high fiber and lately sometimes Miralax. Again, no constipation, just very very very slow movement.
What hasn't changed:
My logging and eating have not changed at all. I am set to NET 1230 calories - certainly not too much for a 5'10 59 year old woman. I typically eat a few hundred more calories because of exercise. I use an Apple Watch and have for 3 years. Before that I used a fitbit. I hit my goal every single week.
What has changed:
I was walking a lot less because the weather was miserable. That's bad because if I don't walk I definitely have trouble losing maintaining.
I've upped my sodium intake because my son needs to be on a higher salt diet. However, I don't add salt to food, I only use it on the water for my morning eggs. It's probably now a 'typical' American diet instead of the extremely low sodium I've been on for most of my adult life. I had low blood pressure. It is now over 100 for the top number!
What I've tried:
I am now walking an hour a day and hitting my stand and 30 minute/day aerobic fitness goals. This has helped me drop 3 pounds in the last month.
What I'm thinking about.
I have thought about going on a juice fast. I have never done that before but am wondering if that might help. OTOH, I had to do that in January for a day before the colonoscopy, worked really hard to establish healthy gut bacteria after that, and I'm back to ground zero.
Very low carb diet. My son needs to do this anyway for migraines and my husband has celiac disease, so I'm wondering if getting a really hard, fast kick start to weight loss for a few weeks then going back to maintainance would help.
Nothing. Seeing if I can fix my guts and just slowly wait for the fat to blub off. Walking has helped a lot. Summer is coming. I just absolutely hate these extra 10 pounds. I have loved being thin and I just want this weight gone.
Suggestions from long timers particularly welcome!
I am also having issues with my intestines. I am not constipated but I know they are not moving properly. I have constant reflux. Sometimes I try to eat and my stomach simply will not open because it's full and isn't emptying properly. I have never had this before. I attributed my January weight gain this, was checked out, and they found nothing. Thyroid fine. Colonoscopy normal. I take daily probiotics and kombuncha and high fiber and lately sometimes Miralax. Again, no constipation, just very very very slow movement.
What hasn't changed:
My logging and eating have not changed at all. I am set to NET 1230 calories - certainly not too much for a 5'10 59 year old woman. I typically eat a few hundred more calories because of exercise. I use an Apple Watch and have for 3 years. Before that I used a fitbit. I hit my goal every single week.
What has changed:
I was walking a lot less because the weather was miserable. That's bad because if I don't walk I definitely have trouble losing maintaining.
I've upped my sodium intake because my son needs to be on a higher salt diet. However, I don't add salt to food, I only use it on the water for my morning eggs. It's probably now a 'typical' American diet instead of the extremely low sodium I've been on for most of my adult life. I had low blood pressure. It is now over 100 for the top number!
What I've tried:
I am now walking an hour a day and hitting my stand and 30 minute/day aerobic fitness goals. This has helped me drop 3 pounds in the last month.
What I'm thinking about.
I have thought about going on a juice fast. I have never done that before but am wondering if that might help. OTOH, I had to do that in January for a day before the colonoscopy, worked really hard to establish healthy gut bacteria after that, and I'm back to ground zero.
Very low carb diet. My son needs to do this anyway for migraines and my husband has celiac disease, so I'm wondering if getting a really hard, fast kick start to weight loss for a few weeks then going back to maintainance would help.
Nothing. Seeing if I can fix my guts and just slowly wait for the fat to blub off. Walking has helped a lot. Summer is coming. I just absolutely hate these extra 10 pounds. I have loved being thin and I just want this weight gone.
Suggestions from long timers particularly welcome!
4
Replies
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Digestive issues are so tricky! I sympathize.
You said you have constant reflux and it feels like your stomach "won't open" when you eat. Good that you had a colonoscopy and that's clear, but have you considered an upper GI? Because what you describe sounds like the upper region may be where the problem is.9 -
Hiatal hernia maybe? That could keep food from entering your stomach. You could maybe try smaller bites, or chew your food really well before swallowing. That would require a scope from your doctor to confirm.1
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How is your water intake? With all that fiber you need to remember to drink fluids. I agree that you need an upper scope. Colonoscopy only looks at intestines not esophagus or stomach. I think you are on the right track with walking again and cutting down on salt.
I have had severe reflux and found that fruits and vegetables help esp. at night. I hardly ever have reflux now at night if I have a salad for dinner. I have a hiatal hernia and upper scope showed "severe" reflux. I am off all antacids and only take a pepcid at night if I had a big dinner and no salad.1 -
Did they check for H pylori?2
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Have you had a gastric emptying study or upper endoscopy? I have a disease called Gastroparesis which basically means delayed gastric (stomach) emptying where food sits in your stomach way too long. It doesn't really show up in scans (except sometimes undigested food shown in your stomach even after fasting) but can be seen in a gastric emptying study which is an easy but long test. You basically eat radioactive eggs and they scan you at 0,1,2 and 4 hrs to see how much is still in your atomach. Normal is <10% left at 4 hrs.
Fiber and fat slow down gastric emptying so if you have a motility issue it makes it way worse.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroparesis3 -
Are you on any new medications other than that probiotic? Sometimes medications can cause weight issues. What is your goal set to? 1230 even if you are eating a few hundred back seems a little low for a 5’10” woman. If you only have 10 pounds to lose, maybe set your goal to lose 0.5 pound/week and eat back only 100 calories. Try it for 2 weeks and see if it helps. Also, is there any other activities that you like to do besides walking? Perhaps switching up you work out each day and include some strength training will help push the scale in the other direction.
It’s hard to see the scale move up when you are doing everything right. Sometimes s change in our daily routine is all that it takes to get over the hump. Hang in there!
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Thank you for all your advice.
Singingflutelady: My son has had severe gastroparesis from chronic migraines, so I know it well. I'm pretty sure that is what I have. I am not sure why. I tried what worked for him (after a zillion tests and several years), but it has not worked for me.
I am on no meds at all.
I sent a note to my doctor and got a call back this evening. She is putting me on the Whole30 diet. I started tonight. Oddly enough, my husband has celiac, my son is on a strict low tyramine diet (which includes no cheese or soy), so the diet is not much more than a combo of the two. In fact, the whole family did something similar 5 years ago for my son on doctors orders to help his migraines.
So no scale (agh!), alcohol, dairy, sugar, or grains for a month. I can do it. Forget the weight, I am tired of feeling sick.
I will also be seeing her in the next few weeks to check out some of the other excellent suggestions you've all made. I was happy she got back to me so fast.
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Thank you for all your advice.
Singingflutelady: My son has had severe gastroparesis from chronic migraines, so I know it well. I'm pretty sure that is what I have. I am not sure why. I tried what worked for him (after a zillion tests and several years), but it has not worked for me.
I am on no meds at all.
I sent a note to my doctor and got a call back this evening. She is putting me on the Whole30 diet. I started tonight. Oddly enough, my husband has celiac, my son is on a strict low tyramine diet (which includes no cheese or soy), so the diet is not much more than a combo of the two. In fact, the whole family did something similar 5 years ago for my son on doctors orders to help his migraines.
So no scale (agh!), alcohol, dairy, sugar, or grains for a month. I can do it. Forget the weight, I am tired of feeling sick.
I will also be seeing her in the next few weeks to check out some of the other excellent suggestions you've all made. I was happy she got back to me so fast.
I have ideopathic gastroparesis so basically nobody knows why. It just appeared one day out of the blue. I do have Crohn's disease so there might be a connection but probably not0 -
My sister has Crohns. I’m sorry.
Finished Day 1 of whole 30 (I started at noon yesterday but first whole day). I must admit I feel stuffed, I’m way under calories for two days, I have almost no reflux, and my body is working as it should. I hope this continues. If it does, I wonder why. This is quite similar to my normal diet, but obviously different in key ways.1 -
My sister has Crohns. I’m sorry.
Finished Day 1 of whole 30 (I started at noon yesterday but first whole day). I must admit I feel stuffed, I’m way under calories for two days, I have almost no reflux, and my body is working as it should. I hope this continues. If it does, I wonder why. This is quite similar to my normal diet, but obviously different in key ways.
Its good to hear that already a different diet is helping, hope things keep improving and you lose those pounds that had slipped on - we can't take our eyes off the prize or weight creep happens in general and that's not even taking into consideration medical or dietary needs changing like you have found.1 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
Its good to hear that already a different diet is helping, hope things keep improving and you lose those pounds that had slipped on - we can't take our eyes off the prize or weight creep happens in general and that's not even taking into consideration medical or dietary needs changing like you have found.
What was so odd about this is that the weight didn't creep on. It came in two weeks on a normal diet. But woke today again with no reflux and when I started to eat I felt my stomach going - YES! That's what I want!0 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »
Its good to hear that already a different diet is helping, hope things keep improving and you lose those pounds that had slipped on - we can't take our eyes off the prize or weight creep happens in general and that's not even taking into consideration medical or dietary needs changing like you have found.
What was so odd about this is that the weight didn't creep on. It came in two weeks on a normal diet. But woke today again with no reflux and when I started to eat I felt my stomach going - YES! That's what I want!
That was odd... its strange how food intolerances can just start out of nowhere.0 -
The new diet the Dr. put you on can help identify what's going on. If you notice that cutting out certain foods makes you feel better, then you'll know what your triggers are. I had gastric issues and found out the cause of them after visiting my naturopathic doctor. It's amazing how many problems can be caused by gut bacteria. Hope you get better soon!0
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My sister has Crohns. I’m sorry.
Finished Day 1 of whole 30 (I started at noon yesterday but first whole day). I must admit I feel stuffed, I’m way under calories for two days, I have almost no reflux, and my body is working as it should. I hope this continues. If it does, I wonder why. This is quite similar to my normal diet, but obviously different in key ways.
My wife suffered from GERD several years ago. She would have similar digestive issues to what you're describing. She ended up (after suffering a while) utilizing more of a timing eating set of rules, which offered her great relief. Ironically, she's now gluten/dairy free (similar to the Whole 30 plan but we eat rice/potatoes and quinoa, so just limited grains).
What one book said (and don't ask me for the science on this but it seemed to work) was that you don't want to eat simple starches with animal products (whether fat or protein, even dairy). Yes, this eliminates all the "good stuff" - hamburgers, pizza, etc. But something about the way your stomach digests it. You can eat animal products with vegetables, just not starchy vegetables. You can also eat starchy grains and vegetables together. Fruit it recommended by itself. I'm just saying, for her, it worked like a champ. Much less bloating and better digestion without the huge stomach swelling for a long time until it started back years later with gluten and dairy.0 -
Several years ago I had these exact symptoms and I thought it was gastroparesis, but an ultrasound showed I had a kidney stone. I never had back pain or any of the other typical symptoms, but I could feel that I was not digesting anything. It went undetected for a long time because I'm not in the risk category--very active, drink lots of water--but I've had more since then.2
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Just a check-in for all those who gave advice. And maybe help for others. My doctor had recommended the Whole30 Challenge. My husband and I are two weeks in. I dropped six pounds in two weeks while eating like a horse and feeling very full. All my symptoms are gone. My clothes fit well.
Looking at my log, my calories are slightly down, but not abnormally so for the summer. The big change is more protein, with slightly lower fat and and carbs: it's the macros. I am also walking more - no ice storms! But the weight that came on suddenly in January is falling away just as fast.
Two weeks left of what is essentially an elimination diet. Now I will need to figure out what caused this sudden issue. One thing I noticed is this diet is very very similar to what I was eating when I tried to lose weight years ago. Then, the easiest way to drop calories was to drop cheese and milk and bread. That's half of what is eliminated now. My greens are way up.
And I feel SO MUCH BETTER.
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6lbs in two weeks!! wow!! that's terrific.
Its good when any gain goes almost as quickly as it came, quite often that's not the case, not for me anyway.
Thanks for the update 1 -
Finished the Whole30 yesterday. Calories and exercise did not change. However, my macros changed and I dropped the five things Whole30 makes you change: no alcohol, dairy, sweeteners, legumes, or grain. It's essentially an elimination diet like you'd do to check for sensitivities.
I lost 10 pounds in a month and wasn't hungry at all. In fact, I felt stuffed. My calories and exercise were identical. My husband did it with me. He has lost 14 pounds.
We are both planning on continuing the general diet while loosening up when we feel like it (eating out, etc.) I had a martini last night. The next phase is adding things back in slowly to see how you feel.
During the 30 days I found some foods made me feel lousy - bananas, raw coconut. It also changed my tastes. Although I would have sworn that I wasn't eating much sugar, it turns down it is added to almost everything we bought that wasn't a raw meat or vegetable. It was pretty appalling. (Sugar is in sausage? So is soy, btw, but we weren't eating soy or other legumes because of my son's diet.) EVERYTHING now takes super sweet. Even my martini tasted sweet.
I think what was making me ill and giving me reflux (which is why the doctor put me on this) is sugar and dairy. I will be experimenting with that in the next few weeks.
In any case, if you have maintained a long time and start gaining, I would recommend trying changing up your macros to more of a paleo level for a few weeks and see if that helps. It seems to have done what I need, I didn't feel deprived in any way, and ate well.5 -
I've had similar issues recently as well. I pinpointed mine to an ingredient in the fruit and nut bars I was eating every day. The ingredient is chicory root fiber, also known as inulin. It is added to a lot of "high fiber" foods and for some people (like me) it causes digestive upset, bloating and gas. Check your foods and supplements for that ingredient and try eliminating it from your diet to see if you notice a change.0
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