Am I Cheating?

mstanley · October 2009

I have been on MFP for awhile now with very little luck. I have a very slow metabolism, which causes me to get discouraged easily. After being on MFP for almost three months and following my calorie intake, and exercising on a regular basis at the gym (4-5 hours a week). I was able to lose 4 pounds. I became discouraged that I was working so hard and so little progress was made in 3 months time.
So, now I have gone to my doctor (had my blood work done and thyroid is fine), and now I am getting weekly B12 and Lipotropic injections to boost my energy levels and metabolism. So far in almost a month's time, I have lost 11 pounds. I could have never made it that far without a little help. I know that it is not practical to rely too heavily on the injections. I still eat right and stay at or under my recommended calories and I still exercise regularly, but now I am able to see some results. I will not be on the injections forever, but I'm hoping that with the help of them, I can get to a weight that I will be able to maintain on my own. Before, I felt like all the hard work I was doing was just maintaining the high weight I was already at, I couldn't reduce that weight. Has anyone else tried the injections? I kind of feel like I'm cheating using them, but I was fed up and discouraged by my slow slow metabolism.

mstanley · October 2009

Any comments, insight, or advice would be appreciated.

carrieberrie · October 2009

I dont think you are cheating. I am sure not all but a lot of people on here have something they ise or do that helps their weighloss along, i'm guilty of it!!!

Arienna · October 2009

I don't think you're cheating at all. We all do what we can do speed up our weight loss! The only thing I would really consider cheating is surgery. I say that because I don't even think it's healthy. There is nothing wrong with getting vitamin injections! There are natural ways to boost your metabolism as well! Good luck with your goals!

mstanley · October 2009

Thanks for your input. I hope that I will continue to have as much progress with the injections. So far, I am very happy with the results. I just hope that when I get to the maintenance part of it, that I don't mess up and start gaining again.

amymeenieminymo · October 2009

I'm not going to say you're cheating because you did give it a lot of time doing it the right way and you didn't see results. However, doing "artificial things" like this to lose weight concern me because I always wonder, what are the long term affects, and how can you continue to lose weight and/or maintaine once you stop relying on that outside source?

A year and a half ago I would have agreed 100% that you have a slow metabolism and that some people just cannot lose weight. I thought of myself as one of them, but then I came here and I learned more about health than I ever thought I could. I still wish I knew more, but I am getting there.

So before you settle in to a weight loss plan of something that might not be the best for you and will certainly cost you money, I wish you would post exactly what you did in those three months. What was your calorie goal each day, what is your height, weight, age, how active are you not counting exercise (ie do you sit at a desk all day or are you a bike messenger) what kind of exercise do you do and how often, do you eat your exercise calories, are you honest with yourself and log each and every thing you eat (it's so easy to nibble on something and not log it in hopes of your body not finding out), etc etc.

Even if I cannot offer that much help, there are others here that are so educated on the subject that could see what wasn't working for you. I just sort of refuse to believe that if your eating right and exercising, that you cannot lose weight, since I have proved myself wrong on my former believe. Good luck!

mstanley · October 2009

amy -
I'm 5'8", starting weight was 230. I am a teacher, which means I do sit at a desk a lot, but not as much as you would think, because I lecture and move around helping students and walk back and forth to the office, which is a long ways. I keep my calorie intake between 1200 and 1400 calories. I almost always eat my exercise calories. Sometimes I fall a little short on it. I go to a gym 3-4 times a week during the school year (at the time I was out for summer and I was going 5 days a week for an hour each time). I alternate between step class, and body flex (which is a weight and strength training class). Sometimes I work out on the elliptical instead. If I don't make it to the gym, I make sure I go for a bike ride at home. I do slip up on my calories sometimes. We all do to a point, but I make sure that I get back on track as soon as possible. I no longer keep bad snacks in my house. I snack on yogurt and fruit. I have almost totally cut out red meat also. I'm not sure what else to say. When I was wondering about how to kick up my weight loss, I did visit the doctor and she had me go through all of this for her, and she told me that my thyroid might be the problem. I went through the blood tests and everything was perfect, except that my cholestorol was 2 points higher than she would like, so I'm working on that now too. She said my metabolism just seems to be sluggish.

I'm not sure what else to tell you to see if you can help out. I don't intend to stay on the injections forever. I do feel that I can maintain my weight with what I do, when I get to the point I where I want to be. I'm also told that since the injections are vitamins and amino acids, that they are things my body produces anyway, so there should not be any side effects. They also offered me the HCG hormone in the injection, but I did refuse that part of it. I don't want any hormones added for sure.

stephcheers · October 2009

Have you tried strength training? A trainer at my gym told me that those "strength" classes are really just cardio. When it comes to working out, I try to always keep my body guessing and challenged.

:flowerforyou:

mstanley · October 2009

The strength training class I take is definitely strength training. She make sure that she works every muscle group.

tiffanygil · October 2009

I really think your doing to right thing. It is not natural to not loose wt after all you were doing. You prob had low levels of vit b 12 and amino acid in your system anyway. If you get tired of the injections you can always take it po every day. Good luck and dont give up hope!

mstanley · October 2009

thanks!!

BrendaLee · October 2009

Edit: I just read that Ephedra is a lipotropic...I assume that what your doctor is giving you is safer than that?

Azdak · October 2009

I would be curious to know the basis for the diagnosis of "slow metabolism". Have you done a VO2 test to actually measure metabolism?

twilight1542 · October 2009

I would be curious to know the basis for the diagnosis of "slow metabolism". Have you done a VO2 test to actually measure metabolism?

What is VO2 test?? I've heard that many times & have no clue what it is

)

stephcheers · October 2009

I would be curious to know the basis for the diagnosis of "slow metabolism". Have you done a VO2 test to actually measure metabolism?

I had some test like this done at the YMCA and that is when the trainer told me that the strength classes were considered cardio. Now that I think about it I think she was making reference to the results of the tests done on me. So maybe it's not like that for everyone. But she even recommended that I talk to her before signing up for any "cost" classes because she said some instructors are too easy. Again, I think she was referring to my individual results and needs.

amymeenieminymo · October 2009

My ONLY guess is that you're not eating enough calories. I am 5 inches shorter than you and I was about 12 pounds lighter when I started here at MFP and my beginning daily goal was around 1600 calories. So if you're eating 1400 at most, that may not be enough and maybe try kicking it up to 1600 and see how that works.

Also, I don't doubt that teaching isn't quite as sedentary as you feel it is, but to be sure I would list your daily activity as sedentary. I doubt your pacing around the room during lectures gets your heart rate up, nor does walking to the office and back. I don't sit at my desk ALL day either, I make trips to the bathroom, the printer, up and down the stairs to go to lunch or break a couple of times a day. But since the majority of my day is spent sitting at my desk or walking at a regular pace that doesn't increase my heart rate too much, I go for sedentary. Try it and see how it works, good luck.

Azdak · October 2009

I would be curious to know the basis for the diagnosis of "slow metabolism". Have you done a VO2 test to actually measure metabolism?

I had some test like this done at the YMCA and that is when the trainer told me that the strength classes were considered cardio. Now that I think about it I think she was making reference to the results of the tests done on me. So maybe it's not like that for everyone. But she even recommended that I talk to her before signing up for any "cost" classes because she said some instructors are too easy. Again, I think she was referring to my individual results and needs.

Thanks. I have no real comment on your treatment plan--that is between you and your doctor and is not my place to judge. I just curious where you had gotten the impression that you had "slow metabolism".

(This for Twilight as well): A VO2 test would involve comparing inspired to expired air to determine your oxygen consumption; it can be done at rest or during exercise. You wear a mask with a one-way valve that allows you to breathe in ambient air but directs expired air through a flowmeter and sensors that analyze oxygen and carbon dioxide content. By measuring volume of air and comparing the O2/CO2 content of inspired air to expired air, oxygen consumption can be determined. This is most direct of the "indirect" methods of measuring metabolism. If the test is conducted during exercise, the ratio of O2/CO2 can also be used to determine substrate utilization--i.e. how much energy is coming from fat and how much from carbohydrate.

Even if one did show a "slow metabolism" based on this test, it would not tell you *why*--that still requires blood tests or other diagnostics.

Phoenixflame · October 2009

I think you need to figure out why your metabolism is slow. Your metabolism is your whole body chemistry, not just how fast you process food.

First, I'd find out what your BMR is, with a VO2 or one of those electrical nodes tests.

You might have slowed it down by consuming too few calories.

And there is a huge difference between those classes and real muscle-building strength training. To build muscle, you have to lift heavy and perform fewer reps. Every class I've ever been in was much more of a cardio class--intensified by the weights. Yeah, you might get a bit more definition, but the true metabolism-boosting muscle building comes from solid weightlifting. The weight exercises you are doing might not be in perfect form (and form is super important), and the higher-rep-lower-weight formula is better for endurance. I'm not knocking these classes--in my opinion, they are a helluva lot better for burning calories than an elliptical.

A book I would check out is Leigh Peele's Fat Loss Troubleshoot. Maybe even her Metabolism Repair manual. She cuts through the BS and gives solid advice.

Am I Cheating?

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