up/down/up/down what gives?

Options
kailyamie
kailyamie Posts: 130
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been MFP'ing since May and I initially lost 18 pounds very quickly and then for over 2 months I slowly started gaining again despite my best efforts, so I took a break for a few weeks (mostly for my sanity) and gained like 8 pounds (funny how easily you put it on but how difficult it is to take off lol) but when I decided to get back into it, I lost that 8 pounds plus 2 more in about 2 weeks! BUT that was about 2 weeks ago and I'm starting to gain again...? What gives? About 20 days ago (when I decided to really get back into it) I started taking Metformin for my PCOS and I thought that might be contributing to the rapid rate in which I was losing, but that halted fast and now I'm gaining again. I was up almost 3 pounds this week, I don't get it. I started a low-carb diet when I started my Metformin b/c I was advised that a low-carb diet helps hugely in combination with the Metformin. So I keep my carbs under 100 per day and my protein is almost always over 100. I started doing pilates a few times a week, but I know I have not doing it enough to be gaining muscle like that. I'm just sick of being against a brick wall all of the time, I am down only 15 pounds today since where I was in May - that's 5 months. I see people here who have lost 100 pounds in nearly the same amount of time and I want to beat my head against a wall repeatedly. My Mom recently lost about 70 pounds and all she did was alter her diet, she admittedly doesn't exercise at all b/c her job has her so busy she doesn't have time... I'm doing cardio several times a week, started Pilates and nothing. My sentiment at this point is, if I'm going to just keep gaining weight anyway, why bother stressing myself out with all of this rigmarole!??! I hate egg whites, by the way. Hate them. Hate. Do you understand? Hate. But I eat them b/c they are high in protein and low in calories. :sick: :tongue: Anyone else been in this boat? Any advice?

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Options
    My only initial advice is that you stop eating foods you don't enjoy.
  • dianaskin
    dianaskin Posts: 66
    Options
    I'd also suggest that you consider revaluating why it is the scale that is determining your success. There are a lot of forum discussions about why the scale is not the best measure of success (just do a search on "scale" and see what comes up!). You might be better served to think about other positive changes - how do you feel? how do your clothes fit? etc etc. And think about wether the end goal is to be healthy - or just lose weight. If the goal is to be healthy, then it won't matter what the scale says. GOOD LUCK!
  • jagar07
    jagar07 Posts: 330 Member
    Options
    I too have PCOS. It really effects our metabolism, which is why we can't lose weight as fast. I have been on Metformin for about 8 weeks now and have only lost 6 lbs. It is frustrating, but the best you can do is keep going. The way I have to look at it is, I am certainly not losing weight by doing nothing, and I am happy to not be gaining. You can also try tricking your body. It gets so used to our routines that we can easily run into a plateau. switch up your diet frequently and your level of exercise and your body work extra hard just trying to keep up with you

    :flowerforyou:
  • dianaskin
    dianaskin Posts: 66
    Options
    My only initial advice is that you stop eating foods you don't enjoy.

    ^^^ This too. Eat what you like, just in moderation and try to make healthy choices where you can. I.E.e Nothing wrong with a full egg!
  • brookst4
    brookst4 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Maybe the low carb isn't for you and taking the pills are only temporarily helpful because you'll eventually stop taking them anyway. I would suggest you talk with a nutritionist about setting up a blanced meal plan. One that allows you to eat a balance amount of carbs per meal. I'm diabetic and setting my meals to a certain amount of carbs has helped my cravings and energy level without having to take additional pills. With the exercise frequency then duration. Make sure you are sticking to an exercise regiment.
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
    Options
    I'd also suggest that you consider revaluating why it is the scale that is determining your success. There are a lot of forum discussions about why the scale is not the best measure of success (just do a search on "scale" and see what comes up!). You might be better served to think about other positive changes - how do you feel? how do your clothes fit? etc etc. And think about wether the end goal is to be healthy - or just lose weight. If the goal is to be healthy, then it won't matter what the scale says. GOOD LUCK!

    Okay here's the problem with that - my husband and I have had this conversation 500 times, we eat healthy in our house, we always have. We don't eat out hardly at all, and the only time we do fast food is if we're on a roadtrip, which is probably once a year if that. My husband has Crohn's so we are careful about not eating greasy, fatty foods. I don't even buy junk food really because I honestly don't want my kids eating it. When I really evaluated my eating habits, my only real problem was that my carbohydrates were high from pasta, bread, and rice so I have been working to change that. I saw my Dr 2 months back and had a full hormonal and metabolic screening done and also a risk assessment for health problems, and even I was astonished at my results. My BP was low, cholesterol low, my blood sugar level was 80. Despite having very mild PCOS, I don't have insulin resistance and my Dr said my diabetes risk was 0 - so by that standard, I AM healthy - but I'm 319 pounds. That doesn't make any sense - so yes, what the scale says is important because I'm tired of being a fatass. I'm not looking at myself and thinking holy crap! I FEEL just fine, I'm not inhibited in any way, I am active with 3 kids, my husband and I coach soccer, I can run and play and I don't have the "I just want to be able to play with my kids" thing, I DO play with my kids, we run around the front yard, and swim, and go to the park almost every day. I'm not on the couch with a bag of chips crying about how miserable I am - that's just not ME. I just feel like it's time for the way I LOOK to reflect who I am and the lifestyle that we already DO have. I get so mad when I watch Biggest Loser (which I why I stopped watching) because there are people on there who weigh LESS than me who can't even walk up a flight of stairs b/c they are so lazy and just eat crap all of the time. It seems really unfair, but my doctor swears that I don't have any indications of health problems, no thyroid issues, nothing. So, I don't get it. Actually, when I was pregnant with my youngest son, my OB made me do the gestational diabetes test FOUR times b/c my results were coming back in the 80's and he kept saying that the test was faulty or tainted b/c there was no way that someone at my weight could NOT have GD. Go figure! So I realize that I'm not perfect, I am fitting more work outs into my schedule, but it's frustrating to feel like I'm going nowhere, and definitely not in a hurry. Sorry this was long, just super frustrated :)
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Options
    How many calories per day have you averaged over the past 2 weeks?
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
    Options
    How many calories per day have you averaged over the past 2 weeks?

    My net is between 1200 and 1600, I always make sure to stay over 1200. Usually I hover around 1400. Lately I have been keeping carbs under 100 and protein at or above 100.
  • dianaskin
    dianaskin Posts: 66
    Options
    It's ok to be frustrated. If you are 315, then I think having your calories at 1400 is not enough! You might have to eat more. Again, lots of forum posts on why eating MORE might actually help you to lose more weight. Have a look at some of the other forum posts about eating more. What does MFP set for you as your goal calories?

Categories