I just don't understand it :(

Options
taramaureen
taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm new but I need some help. Well a lot of help because I'm having a super hard time understanding this. I've been on a different website doing calorie tracking and exercising. Both this site and the other site have said I'm doing everythign "right". I've been running... a lot. I'm training for a half marathon right now and completed several 5k's since May. My time has always improved, I'm pushing myself, I'm running and strength training 5 days a week (alternating 3 runs, 2 days of strength). I have gained 15 lbs since May. This has been in spite of the fact that my diet is very controlled (1,500 cals/ day). I'm getting all the proper amount of nutrients, lean meats, whole grains, lots of veggies and fruits, low fat. And, no this isn't "muscle". I can see it in my face and in my stomach... it's fat. I'm at my witt's end and almost ready to quit and eat myself into oblivion. If I ramp up my calories to compensate for the deficite my exercise gives I gain weight even more! I don't know what to do. I've been to my doctor, she says I'm fine. No thyroid issues... nothing. I do have Celiac's Disease and have been gluten free since March but my gastrointerologist has completely brushed off the weight gain. HELP! This should not be possible!

Replies

  • kimski08
    kimski08 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Hi taramaureen,

    Out of interest what is your BMR as it may be that you are eating enough calories to maintain your weight and not reduce.

    If you don't know, then click on tools above and then follow the link to BMR. I'm on a 1200 a day limit which to be honest with you I have only managed to stick to a couple of times in the past 9 days! I find that every day it gets slightly easier, possibly due to my stomach actually getting back to a normal size so I don't want to eat as much.

    Also, something you could try adjusting is the proportion of carbs/protien/fat. I'm trying a 40/40/20 split and it seems to be working for me. But bear in mind everyone is different.

    Don't give up - there are so many adjustments you can make!
  • duffydog1
    duffydog1 Posts: 76 Member
    Options
    Hi - have you been checked out for other hormone issues? Polycystic overies also gives you weight gain. Good luck!
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    Hi taramaureen,

    Out of interest what is your BMR as it may be that you are eating enough calories to maintain your weight and not reduce.

    If you don't know, then click on tools above and then follow the link to BMR. I'm on a 1200 a day limit which to be honest with you I have only managed to stick to a couple of times in the past 9 days! I find that every day it gets slightly easier, possibly due to my stomach actually getting back to a normal size so I don't want to eat as much.

    Also, something you could try adjusting is the proportion of carbs/protien/fat. I'm trying a 40/40/20 split and it seems to be working for me. But bear in mind everyone is different.

    Don't give up - there are so many adjustments you can make!

    It says my BMR is 1560.

    How do you go about adjusting the proportions?
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    Hi - have you been checked out for other hormone issues? Polycystic overies also gives you weight gain. Good luck!

    I had a hysterectomy a year and a half ago. If this is a sign of menopause it certainly sucks, I haven't had any other issues like hot flashes or mood swings. Maybe I should to see my gyno?
  • donpatterson
    donpatterson Posts: 1
    Options
    Check out a book My Dr. Ellis .... also check out www.byebyecarbs.com.... Good luck... Don Patterson Novi Michigan
  • YMTaylor
    YMTaylor Posts: 230 Member
    Options
    If you were just diagnosed with Celiac and went gluten-free, did you doctor explain that many people gain weight initially? The reason is that for however long you had symptoms before you were diagnosed you were eating but your body couldn't digest all the food you were eating and so alot of the nutrients were just passed from your body. Now that you're gluten-free (right??) your body is getting every single bit of nutrient that you eat. Without knowing your specific info maybe you could try cutting 100-200 calories a day for a little bit and see what happens. With all your training I wouldn't want you to go too low but it's just a thought. I had the same thing happen to me when I was diagnosed, although I was already overweight so it might not have been as obvious. Just some thoughts, hope it helps. :)
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    If you were just diagnosed with Celiac and went gluten-free, did you doctor explain that many people gain weight initially? The reason is that for however long you had symptoms before you were diagnosed you were eating but your body couldn't digest all the food you were eating and so alot of the nutrients were just passed from your body. Now that you're gluten-free (right??) your body is getting every single bit of nutrient that you eat. Without knowing your specific info maybe you could try cutting 100-200 calories a day for a little bit and see what happens. With all your training I wouldn't want you to go too low but it's just a thought. I had the same thing happen to me when I was diagnosed, although I was already overweight so it might not have been as obvious. Just some thoughts, hope it helps. :)

    No, my doctor never explained that to me. Yes, I've been gluten free since I was diagnosed in March. I seemed to have had a flare up in September where my intestines were extremely inflamed. My doctor wanted to do an endoscopy but the center where he does them refused to do so because I don't have insurance (even though we were going to pay cash up front). He's now refusing to treat me until I have the endoscopy done so I can't even ask him these kinds of questions.

    Sorry I digress, I could try cutting 100-200 cals. I don't want to go too low, otherwise I'll have 0 energy to train, ya know? It's hard trying to find a balance.
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    Options
    read some stuff by Dr. Mark Hyman. He has a website and has a search function to find a functional medicine doctor in your area. Your "gut" probably needs to be repaired from the damage done by the gluten you ate prior to your Celiac diagnosis.
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
    Options
    Hi - have you been checked out for other hormone issues? Polycystic overies also gives you weight gain. Good luck!


    I can attest to this first hand. I have insulin resistance as a result of PCOS (which contributes greatly to weight gain), and I am really struggling lately. I have managed to lose 40lbs since the end of May, but the last fifteen lbs or so has come off VERY slowly. I just broke through a six week plateau recently, and now I seem to have hit another one. I keep bouncing back and forth between 255 and 260lbs. It's very frustrating, but I refuse to give up. I've been crying long enough because of my fat. It's gotta go!!!!
  • selfishshellfish
    selfishshellfish Posts: 97
    Options
    When I run seriously I also gain fat. I've noticed this for years, repeatedly. For me it's as though a lot of intense exercise gives my body the 'lean times - fatten up' cue. I know I'm not alone - I've met a lot of fat (eve obese) runners who watch their diets hawkishly.

    I'm a biologist (not a human biologist, admittedly) and I'm aware that there's a lot we don't know about weight regulation. What's clear is that different people seem to have differing constitutions in this regard. We therefore need to tweak the theory to suit ourselves.

    I'm resigned to it now and I've come to the conclusion that I need to prioritise either weight loss or athletic performance. Now, during the weight loss phase, my exercise consists of fairly gentle walking, between 10 and 30 miles a week. And I keep my carbohydrate intake under 100 a day. After I've lost the fat I need to lose I'll approach things differently.

    Just a few thoughts and experiences - hope they're of some help.
  • thpeek
    thpeek Posts: 76
    Options
    Have you tried eating 5 small meals a day? Every 2.5 to 3 hours eat something nutritious instead of the standard 3 meals per day with 2 snacks? I know this has helped me a ton. How many calories are you burning per day with excercize? You may actually need to eat more. I know that when I run I have to eat more or my body goes into starvation mode and I will hang on to and yes sometimes even gain weight. I hope you figure it out soon!
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    Options
    Thank you guys so much for the tips. They are the most constructive I have seen. I'll try cutting a little more back. When I increase my intake I increase my weight, so I don't think that's the issue. I'll check out Dr. Hyman as well :D
  • kimski08
    kimski08 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Go to My Home > Goals > Change Goals > Custom.

    x
  • YMTaylor
    YMTaylor Posts: 230 Member
    Options
    If you were just diagnosed with Celiac and went gluten-free, did you doctor explain that many people gain weight initially? The reason is that for however long you had symptoms before you were diagnosed you were eating but your body couldn't digest all the food you were eating and so alot of the nutrients were just passed from your body. Now that you're gluten-free (right??) your body is getting every single bit of nutrient that you eat. Without knowing your specific info maybe you could try cutting 100-200 calories a day for a little bit and see what happens. With all your training I wouldn't want you to go too low but it's just a thought. I had the same thing happen to me when I was diagnosed, although I was already overweight so it might not have been as obvious. Just some thoughts, hope it helps. :)

    No, my doctor never explained that to me. Yes, I've been gluten free since I was diagnosed in March. I seemed to have had a flare up in September where my intestines were extremely inflamed. My doctor wanted to do an endoscopy but the center where he does them refused to do so because I don't have insurance (even though we were going to pay cash up front). He's now refusing to treat me until I have the endoscopy done so I can't even ask him these kinds of questions.

    Sorry I digress, I could try cutting 100-200 cals. I don't want to go too low, otherwise I'll have 0 energy to train, ya know? It's hard trying to find a balance.

    I'm sorry about that with the doctor and the endoscopy. The good news is that there really isn't any other treatment besides going gluten-free. I would have been surprised to have an endoscopy so soon actually just because it takes time for your intestines to heal. Did you have blood work as part of your original diagnosis? Do you go to a GI or just a regular PCP? I was diagnosed over 5 years ago and my doctor didn't even talk about a second endoscopy until it had been a year of me being gluten-free, although I do believe he re-did the blood work after about 6 months. How have you been feeling since Sept? It does take time to get adjusted and it's definitely a learning curve. I don't know if any of that help but I just wanted to encourage you to keep with it. I had a really tough time coming to grips with needing to be GF and it took me over 2 years to stop 'cheating'. I've been super GF for over 2 years now and I can't believe how good I feel. In fact, it's time for me to have a 5 year follow up endoscopy....good reminder I need to call about that in the new year. lol Happy Thanksgiving!
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    Options

    I'm sorry about that with the doctor and the endoscopy. The good news is that there really isn't any other treatment besides going gluten-free. I would have been surprised to have an endoscopy so soon actually just because it takes time for your intestines to heal. Did you have blood work as part of your original diagnosis? Do you go to a GI or just a regular PCP? I was diagnosed over 5 years ago and my doctor didn't even talk about a second endoscopy until it had been a year of me being gluten-free, although I do believe he re-did the blood work after about 6 months. How have you been feeling since Sept? It does take time to get adjusted and it's definitely a learning curve. I don't know if any of that help but I just wanted to encourage you to keep with it. I had a really tough time coming to grips with needing to be GF and it took me over 2 years to stop 'cheating'. I've been super GF for over 2 years now and I can't believe how good I feel. In fact, it's time for me to have a 5 year follow up endoscopy....good reminder I need to call about that in the new year. lol Happy Thanksgiving!

    I think he wanted to do a second one because the flare up in September was super bad. I was in the hospital for intense pain and cramping, had an MRI that showed extensive intestinal swelling. I've been feeling kind of blah and sluggish since then but luckily the pain has gone away. I go to a GI, the only one in the area. I originally had a colonoscopy, endoscopy and blood work. The blood work noted the imune reaction to gluten and the endoscopy in March confirmed intestinal damage. It's super frustrating because he basically said if I don't have another endoscopy he's going to assume I'm just a pill popper who wanted pain meds... jerk. I live in a super isolated area and have a limited doctor base to chose from.

    Somehow I have found the willpower not to cheat yet. I think the flare up was due to cross contamination... it's the only explaination. I think I may go to a nutrtionist once my insurance kicks in again next month.

    Sometimes I feel so defeated. I've been so sick for so long between the whole Celiac's thing, hysterectomy, and whatever else seems to be going on with my body. Now that I feel better I just want my old body back, the one I literally worked my butt off for.
  • YMTaylor
    YMTaylor Posts: 230 Member
    Options
    Oh that stinks, I'm so sorry. I'll say a prayer for you that you figure it all out and feel better quickly.

Categories