Please help

Have you seen a doctor for the constipation and stomach issues?

zfitgal wrote: »

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

We’re going to have to ask a few questions, I think, if we’re to help.

How many calories are you eating?

How do you measure those calories…to the gram on a kitchen scale or by measuring cups or guesstimating?

How tall are you? Current weight? (I’m assuming that you’re female from your user name).

That’ll do to start with…but be aware that unless you have a lot to lose your progress so far is good! You’ve been losing at around half a pound a week. That’s not a bad thing!

As far as your stomach issues and constipation goes - are you getting a decent amount of fibre in your diet?

BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »

We’re going to have to ask a few questions, I think, if we’re to help.

How many calories are you eating?

How do you measure those calories…to the gram on a kitchen scale or by measuring cups or guesstimating?

How tall are you? Current weight? (I’m assuming that you’re female from your user name).

That’ll do to start with…but be aware that unless you have a lot to lose your progress so far is good! You’ve been losing at around half a pound a week. That’s not a bad thing!

As far as your stomach issues and constipation goes - are you getting a decent amount of fibre in your diet?

I’m 35 years old…I’m 5”5 and I’m eating 1640 a day. I measured food by the gram with a good scale. I have lost weight before eating this number but not this slow. I am getting a decent amount of fiber in my diet. I had something called sibo and it screwed my entire body up and I haven’t been able to get it back. I started at 159 and I’m 152.

I work out 6 days a week for an hour each session. 3 weight trading and the other 3 cardio. I’m so sad right now.

With your sibo history: Have you been treated? If so, does your medical team consider the sibo to be resolved? Have you consulted them about your current situation?

Most specifically, have you been referred to a registered dietitian to help you with an eating plan, since sibo can go hand in hand with nutritional deficiencies (as either causes or consequences, I gather, though I know very little specific about it)?

In someone with a normal GI system, the usual contributors to constipation are:

* Too little dietary fiber
* Too little water/fluids
* Too little dietary fat
* Possible nutritional deficiency (magnesium is a common one)
* Sub-ideal movement (i.e., exercise helps some people, especially exercise the moves the midsection)
* >Maybe< insufficiently diverse gut microbiota (i.e., probiotics help some people, but given your medical history certain probiotics could be contraindicated for you, maybe)

I can understand that half a pound a week would seem frustratingly slow, but it's really not a terrible rate for someone who's not significantly overweight. 1640 doesn't seem unreasonable (I'm your height, have been your current weight as that's around where I was when I started on MFP part way through weight loss, but am older).

If you're not consulting a registered dietitian, in your case, I'd suggest asking for a referral if possible. The normal interventions may not work, given your health history.

Hang in there - please try not to be discouraged. I believe you can succeed, but it may take more than the average amount of patience and persistance, unfortunately. The end result will be worthwhile, though, I'm sure.

Best wishes!

How active are you in life outside of your workouts? One extreme is the desk jockey/couch potato where you hardly move at all vs someone who is on their feet constantly moving all day. That will factor in to your total daily energy needs.

If you're fairly inactive when NOT exercising, 1640 could be maintenance or pretty close. For comparison I'm 46, 5'5", 145ish and when I walk enough to get in 5-6k total steps per day I burn 1750 approximately. Desk job... Not terribly active beyond making the effort to walk more. No structured exercise but my regular day and 25-30 minutes brisk walk on the treadmill gets me to the 5k-6k mark. For me eating 1640 daily AND walking 25-30 minutes each day would mean a VERY slow rate of loss. A little under 1 pound per month.

I only mention my #s because we are similar in height, weight. If your job, hobbies, daily life (not counting your exercise) are somewhat active the 1640 could be a good # for you. But if not, that may be too high.

Soluble fiber foods help things to " move along" I also had trouble with the constipation when my diet changed and lifestyle. Make sure you have lettece in your everyday meals at least once. Also vitamin supplements can mess you up too. I started taking them every other day. Good luck with it all! Don't give up! Find out what works with you!👌💕

PAV8888 wrote: »

Bloat and constipation and associated illnesses can certainly affect your APPARENT (i.e. your scale) weight even if there are changes to your underlying fat levels.

Therefore, and in your case, some of the resolutions (inches for example) may have less to do with calories and amount of fat reserves lost, and more to do with other ongoing health challenges.

A registered dietician or equivalent may be better able to advise you as to the amounts of fats and fibers you should be aiming for to help things along.

Your weight loss in spite of the challenges you face is proceeding along at a respectable 10kg / 22lb a year clip.

Good observation.

To that, I'd add that if the underlying GI condition is not 100% resolved, along with any other health conditions being managed well enough to recede to deep background as issues, fast loss is a Really Bad Idea.

Stress is destructive to health.

Pre-existing or chronic health conditions are a physical stressor. Subjective felt stress related to the health condition(s) is a psychological stressor. Sometimes symptoms of health conditions (like poor sleep, as an example), or side effects of drugs used in treatment, are physical stressors. A big deficit (fast weight loss) is a physical stressor. The potential sub-ideal nutrition that comes with a big deficit (or with eating limitations due to health conditions or medications) is a physical stressor.

Stress is cumulative, stacks up, whether it's physical or psychological. It's not a good idea to add extra optional stress into the picture, if health is a priority as it is for most of us. Repeating myself: In such a scenario, pushing for fast loss is a really bad idea . . . especially if not so severely overweight that that in itself is a major health risk.