Reducing calories, working out AND gaining weight???

Miss_Stefanie
Miss_Stefanie Posts: 14
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

Sorry to vent, but I am not sure what is going on lately. I have always been one to eat whatever I want. Always. I was a vegetarian from 2005 to October 2011. My weight fluctuated between 110 to 115. I am sitting at 122 now. I starting eating no more than 1500 calories a day, which includes meat (not everyday) and a protein shake for lunch with some fruit. I drink a lot of tea, ONE soda (my guilty pleasure), tons of water, one 16 ounce glass of chocolate milk and fruit for breakfast and a sandwich or soup or salad or simple home cooked dinner at night, which is usually around 500 calories. Everything totals around 1500. I have gained two inches in breast/waist/hips and cannot fit into my jeans that I purchased in September 2011 anymore. I also work three jobs, so I do not have a single day off and I go to graduate school. I started working out again this week, so I don't expect a miracle, but I am doing P90X (I try as hard as I can to do all the moves, but am realistic enough to know that it will take me time to get back in shape, so I can probably say I do about 3/4 of the workouts, but I finish the entire session). I walk about 3 miles a day at work (I am an ER nurse in a very busy ER). I was recently diagnosed with subclinical hyperthyroidism, but am not doing anything about it, the doctors are just watching it, because it has not developed into anything serious. My resting heart rate is in the 60's, so I am not symptomatic. I am 38 years old. I don't assume that my metabolism has just shut down overnight, at least I don't think that is possible. It seems as though as soon as I started eating meat, my weight has jumped up by 8 pounds.

Suggestions? Please!

Thanks for "listening",
Stefanie

Replies

  • seamonkey789
    seamonkey789 Posts: 233
    What type of meat did you start eating? I was vegetarian from 02 to November of 11, when a blood test came back with severely low iron and low vitamin D. I've added fish and shrimp, but that is the only meat I will eat.

    Did they also tell you what your thyroid levels are and what test did they run? Did you get an ultrasound to check for nodules? I also had a bout of hyperthyroidism last year. Did they give you a diet to follow for the hyperthyroidism? I did show symptoms as was losing weight, but I was told to avoid things like kelp or things with high iodine levels, etc. Also, when was the last time your thyroid was checked? Mine was not treated like yours is because I did not have graves disease, but I had to go in regularly to get my thyroid levels checked and once they leveled out and got normal, I gained all the weight I lost back and then some
  • privatetime
    privatetime Posts: 118
    I've been vegan for maybe 20 years now, and my bloodwork always comes back essentially perfect.

    But, I did have PCOS my whole life. It was never a problem for me, and I had just the main symptom (inovulatory dysfunction).

    Years went by where I was happy, helthy, active, and was always 97lbs no matter what I ate or did. I put on about 20lbs in my 30s, but it looked better on me, so I was fine with that, and didn't really worry about why.

    In my early 40s, I suddenly began gaining weight. I cut calories and began exercisng like mad, yet I gained weight.

    It was actually my failure that led to my success. I knew I was eating a strict diet and exercising enough to lose weight, so I knew something else must be up. When I searched online for terms like dieting and exercising like crazy but gaining weight, the most common results were PCOS wonen with the same problem. Additional research explained the link between PCOS and insulin resistance, plus a natural way to positively improve that. Literally, from the day I started taking a natural insulin sensitizer, I began losing weight. I went five years unable to lose even a pound, and two months only gaining weight with diet and exercise. It was undeniable that insulin was the issue, and the insulin sensitizer was the "solution". My weight loss graph is a steady, downward line from the day I started taking it.

    That is what happened to me. You are probably not insulin resistant. But I can totally relate to your story. I went 2 months eating hardly anything and exercising a lot, every day, and gained 6lbs.

    Now that my body's response to food (i.e, the amount of insulin I produce) is more normal, diet & exercise are doing their thing. I've been averaging 2.5lbs lost/week for two months or so, now. As complicated as the whole process was, with months of despair and accusations I was lying about my diet or exercise level, and weeks of research, I feel vindicated now, learning it was actually as simple as PCOS-related insulin resstance, which turned out to be pretty easy to deal with.

    The only advice I can give is to stick with it until you figure out exactly what works for you. Try different things. Try cutting-out more simple carb's. Try upping your protein. Try eating more calories, over more frequent meals. Try more cardio. Try, try, try... If I had given up after 2 months, I wouldn't know what I know now, and I wouldn't be where I am now.
  • Miss_Stefanie
    Miss_Stefanie Posts: 14
    I had my thyroid checked about two months ago. Normal T3/T4 but low TSH. Had an ultrasound done, found nodules, had a scan done and was told to just wait and see.

    I eat some beef, chicken, a little bacon on the weekend and salmon. My usual intake of meat is about three days a week.
  • Miss_Stefanie
    Miss_Stefanie Posts: 14
    Thanks for responding. I am a total loss. I gained four pounds in one day! Yesterday I was 122, today I am 125... that is after one week of 1300 cal/day and six workouts this past week. I am at a deficit and am still gaining? I am hungry all the time. My stomach hurts when I go to bed because I will not eat any more calories. I don't know what to do.

    Why, in six months, did everything change? SMH.
  • seamonkey789
    seamonkey789 Posts: 233
    I asked about the nodules because I have them. Mine caused me to by temporarily hyperthyroid, but they can also swing you into HYPO thyroid and make you gain weight. Have you have your levels rechecked?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    You can't do programs like p90x and eat 1500 calories. The minimum for those programs is 1800 as you burn a ton of calories. You gain weight due to water retention as your muscle are requiring more to repair but since it's not getting enough food, it's holding to the water and calories for protection.


    lesson: Eat more! Start around 1800 calories.
  • b1791
    b1791 Posts: 40 Member
    My mom recently had a TSH of 0 and she was confirmed hyperthyroid (Graves) but the weird thing is she was gaining weight like crazy. Her endocronologist said it can happen that you can gain weight with hyper.
  • Stazed
    Stazed Posts: 55 Member
    Try upping your calories, with work your bmr must be above 1500 cals? Also eat back you exercise calories and see how you go. Sounds counterintuitive but seems to work
  • giddyred
    giddyred Posts: 23
    Thanks for responding. I am a total loss. I gained four pounds in one day! Yesterday I was 122, today I am 125... that is after one week of 1300 cal/day and six workouts this past week. I am at a deficit and am still gaining? I am hungry all the time. My stomach hurts when I go to bed because I will not eat any more calories. I don't know what to do.

    Why, in six months, did everything change? SMH.

    I'm a nurse, too. The four pounds in a day makes me think of water retention. How's your blood pressure? Are you having any noticeable edema? When I went back on my lisinopril-hctz, I lost 5lbs in like 3 days! I knew my hands were a tiny bit puffy, but didn't really notice how much fluid I was retaining. Also, I'm really sensitive to what I eat. If it has a high sodium content, I'll be a pound or two (or more) up the next morning. Good luck with everything!
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