Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I don't know where else to turn at this point, and was hoping someone here might be able to help. I am 5'4" and 175 lbs. I currently eat 1000 calories a day (as instructed by my doctor after first trying 1200 cal a day for weight loss). The list of foods I can choose from include low calorie veggies and fruit, fish, skinless chicken breast, whole wheat toast, boiled eggs, and cheese (either 4 ounces of cottage cheese, or 2 ounces of cheddar cheese in a day) and five 8 oz glasses of water a day, at least (I drink about 8 glasses on average, and don't drink anything else..haven't drunk anything but water, coffee, and tea since a month before going into Marine Corps boot camp 14 years ago). I have been on this diet for 2 months now and have not deviated from it. I also walk/jog an hour a day, and keep adding on to that (currently working on lengthening how long I can sustain the jogging, trying to get to where I can jog continuously the full hour), and run up/down stairs for five minutes (working up to 15 minutes, at least, but not there yet). I have nothing wrong with me, my doctor did a full physical and everything came back clear, so no thyroid issues or anything of the like. I make sure I eat enough to feel full, so my body isn't in starvation mode, and the only medication I take is zantac for acid reflux..so no medications preventing weight loss...yet I'm not losing...weight or inches. I don't understand why I can't lose. I gained because of medication (I was 130 lbs before), but have been off it for over a year now..it is definately out of my system by now. I don't want to starve myself to try and lose the weight..I don't know what to do.
Ok...personally, I think you are eating WAY TOO FEW CALORIES!
When you were on 1200....what happened? Prior to starting that....what was your eating like? For example, did you go from eating a lot to suddenly 1200 calories? If you are medically checked out then I would say your issue is more metabolic. So...we need to get your body moving again.
When you were on 1200....what happened? Prior to starting that....what was your eating like? For example, did you go from eating a lot to suddenly 1200 calories? If you are medically checked out then I would say your issue is more metabolic. So...we need to get your body moving again.
how goes it? how's your training? Have you started to loose fat?
My boyfriend and I have recently discovered the fat burning, increasing metabolism benefits of MCT oil... some know it as coconut oil. Google it for weight training, you loose fat and maintain muscle. It's freakin' amazing how ripped my body's gotten.
But we have also given up all grains, no pasta no rice, no bread and all diary... NO Diary, no peanuts... we eat grass fed meat, free range chicken, LOTS of fresh veggies, low sugar fruit is very important and fish. Pasture Butter added to our morning coffee along with the MCT oil boosts metabolism to burn fat for hours. That's our breakfast, we don't count calories, it's almost impossible to over due broccoli.
if you try this let me know how it works out, I'd love to here about your success
Cheers,
Mudpie
PS... no or very little alcohol. I'd rather slim down than get buzzed
My boyfriend and I have recently discovered the fat burning, increasing metabolism benefits of MCT oil... some know it as coconut oil. Google it for weight training, you loose fat and maintain muscle. It's freakin' amazing how ripped my body's gotten.
But we have also given up all grains, no pasta no rice, no bread and all diary... NO Diary, no peanuts... we eat grass fed meat, free range chicken, LOTS of fresh veggies, low sugar fruit is very important and fish. Pasture Butter added to our morning coffee along with the MCT oil boosts metabolism to burn fat for hours. That's our breakfast, we don't count calories, it's almost impossible to over due broccoli.
if you try this let me know how it works out, I'd love to here about your success
Cheers,
Mudpie
PS... no or very little alcohol. I'd rather slim down than get buzzed
Get rid of the Bread and all grains... no pasta, no rice, no grains
get rid of the beans, no legumes including peanuts
get rid of all dairy (milk, yogurt, ice cream, cream )except pasture butter (butter from grass fed cows)
eat lots of fresh veggies, low sugar fruit, grass fed meat, free range chicken and fish
Add MCT oil to your morning coffee with tablespoon of pasture butter.
slowing increase oil over the course of a few weeks by adding it to all meals
It increases metabolism, you'll burn fat instead of carbs and maintain muscle mass
my BF and I have been eating like this for 6 weeks, he's lost 20+, me i'm down about 14 and down to a size 4 from a size 8.
Google the MCT oil it's amazing
get rid of the beans, no legumes including peanuts
get rid of all dairy (milk, yogurt, ice cream, cream )except pasture butter (butter from grass fed cows)
eat lots of fresh veggies, low sugar fruit, grass fed meat, free range chicken and fish
Add MCT oil to your morning coffee with tablespoon of pasture butter.
slowing increase oil over the course of a few weeks by adding it to all meals
It increases metabolism, you'll burn fat instead of carbs and maintain muscle mass
my BF and I have been eating like this for 6 weeks, he's lost 20+, me i'm down about 14 and down to a size 4 from a size 8.
Google the MCT oil it's amazing
Had you dieted or worked out before starting this program??
raze
New member
I think cali girl is spot on. Too little food is your problem. Your body thinks your starving so its holding onto what it has. I would be trying a good refeed for 4-5 days of high calories then bump it back down. Try using the harris benedict formula to work out your bmr (google) and reduce calories by 500. Or someone here may be able to suggest a starting point for you on calories. Keep an eye on the mirror and scales and make small changes. It takes time and starving yourself is not beneficial.
Sent from my GT-I9100T using EliteFitness
Sent from my GT-I9100T using EliteFitness
It's common for women to undereat and overtrain, so what I would suggest is upping your caloric intake to at least BMR-10%-15% and making sure you're not overtraining, try to lift some weights and do some sprint intervals.
Some tips:
*add omega 3 fats, flaxseed etc
*add monosaturated fats, olive oil etc
*add nuts , walnuts etc..
*add a lot of natural greens
*add fiber, psyllium husk at least 1x/day
*get more rest/sleep
*get a massage at least once/week
*add 1 cheat day /week
For starters dont use weight as a guide to fat loss. The only thing that is accurate is fat loss itself. Many people, especially women will start to work out and gain weight then get all freaked out. Muscle weighs more than fat so when a sedentary person starts to move they invariable gain muscle.
Next, a full physical doesnt mean there isnt anything wrong. There are some 1000 different intestinal pathogens that cause a whole slew of problems from poor food absorption to heavy metal retention. The fact you have acid reflux coupled with the fact you seem unable to lose weight tells me intestinal pathogens may be worth a look. The biggest problem is your regular doc is going to be of little help in this regard. Google intestinal pathogens to get a huge laundry list of symptoms they can cause. Also check into humaworm, it seems to be a pretty effect product and may be worth a shot to just try if you dont want to spend the $$$ on lab testing.
Next, having thyroid numbers in the normal lab range does not mean your thyroid is functioning normally it simply means its not functioning poorly enough to indicate a direct problem, there is a difference.
Iodine is a main component of thyroid hormones and is a huge factor in thyroid health. Many people who have problems losing weight when thyroid tests show no problems will miraculously start losing bodyfat when they start supplementing with iodine. Dont just run out and start taking iodine though, there are many co-factors and considerations that go along with iodine supplementation so make sure to do your homework if you decide on that route.
if it helps any I just got put on a diet that ..I honestly have no idea how many calories it is. Ive declined to even plug it in and see because the idea was straightening out some hormonal issues
I eat fruit like four times a day and actually threw up a couple of times from how MUCH food I was eating. Im actually dropping weight and stopped going wild for sugar. I suspect its because Im eating an assload of b-vitamins and fiber.
I eat fruit like four times a day and actually threw up a couple of times from how MUCH food I was eating. Im actually dropping weight and stopped going wild for sugar. I suspect its because Im eating an assload of b-vitamins and fiber.
you have to be careful with iodine and thyroid problems..the american diet usually has plenty of iodine but isn't so hot on selenium but zygla is 100% right...a "normal" lab range does not mean optimal and it is only a brief snapshot of what is going on when blood was drawn
when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer ..my doctor got profoundly curious and ran labs on me several days apart. It was eye opening. Some days I was euthyroid (normal) other days I was hyper, mainly I came back hypo but only slightly but because of all the crazy fluctuations I had a full range of thyroid symptoms that were really off the hook.
when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer ..my doctor got profoundly curious and ran labs on me several days apart. It was eye opening. Some days I was euthyroid (normal) other days I was hyper, mainly I came back hypo but only slightly but because of all the crazy fluctuations I had a full range of thyroid symptoms that were really off the hook.
the american diet is actually poorly inadequate in iodine. The average japanese consumes 5-13mg of iodine and they have fewer thyroid, prostate and breast cancer issues than we do.
The american FDA is telling us the upper recommended safe dose of iodine is 400mcg (thats micrograms folks).
The american medical community is by and large afraid of iodine because of the bad effects produced by some of its iodine based products such as Amiodarone which is medication for arrhythmias and is based on a toxic form of iodine. If you do some digging you will find that the majority of thyroid medications are actually based on iodine.
Supplementing iodine (the proper form) is perfectly safe BUT does force toxins out of the body which can have unpleasant effects. Toxic halides get stored in the body (in the iodine receptor) when there is an iodine deficiency and taking iodine floods the systems with these other toxic halides such as fluoride and bromide which can cause unpleasant detoxification sympotoms.
Iodine supplementation also usually causes a temporary increase in TSH which causes doctors to panic but TSH values are a poor way (at best) of trying to determine proper thyroid function. In actuality TSH rises to increase thyroglobulin which binds to the increased Iodine in the blood stream to create thyroid hormones T4 and T3.
It is very important to supplement selenium when Iodine is used and higher doses of some B vitamins and boron and magnesium is recommended as well.
Ive been taking 50mg (thats 50,000mcg or 125 times what the US government says is safe) for some time now and feel more alert and awake than I have in some time. I was always told my thyroid function was fine as well but always had a little fat on my core I just couldnt lose no matter how I dieted or worked out. In 4 weeks (without any diet or exercise changes) my core caliper fat readings decreased between 5 and 15% and my total bodyweight increased by 5 lbs.
I do agree with much of what has been said and that the OP likely needs to eat a bit more but I also wanted to let her know that there may be also more going on.
These fitness forums are generally full of 2 types of people. The super healthy who drop fat no problem and those that no matter what they try just cant seem to lose the fat. Those that cant seem to lose fat are often simply told they arent really following good fat loss practices (and many arent) or steered towards various drugs and fat burners.
I simply wanted to point out that the OP may actually be doing things right and her inability to lose weight could all be due to other reasons (ie pathogens and/or deficiencies). Its estimated that 50% of the population over the age of 50 has intestinal pathogens and your risks increase if you have spent any time in poorer countries. Its estimated as much as 90% of the world population is deficient in iodine.
Here is a good link to some decent iodine data. http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/opt_Research_I.shtml
From my research, I disagree that kelp is a good source. Studies indicate an inorganic, non-radioactive iodine/iodide is most beneficial. The amounts of iodine found in most supplements is no where near ideal and due to a lifetime of deficiency one needs to undergo a "loading phase" to restore optimal levels of iodone to the human body.
most supplements offer 150mcg which is the RDA and is a far cry from the scientifically hypothesized daily need of 6-13mg.
While I do take a multi and I recommend them, one needs to be careful with them. For example, Manganese competes with magnesium in the heart. 20mg of manganese will almost certainly force out enough magnesium to cause irregular heart beats.
While I clearly advocate for very large doses of some nutrients others need to be clearly controlled.
Im not trying to be argumentative Steve so please dont take it that way. Also dont take my word on it, your a smart guy, read all the papers at the above and I bet you will change your mind about 150mcg iodine being adequate. I was once snowed like everyone else about many nutrients but hundreds of hours of research has shined the light on many aspects of nutrition we have all been taught/heard and learned.
actually, the average public usually tests out very poor for selenium which is vital for iodine utilization..its an overlooked micronutrient
and I dont disagree with you as far as the OP may have something else underlying going on ...any number of which may not be related to thyroid at all
look, I had thyroid cancer..I talked my team of dr's into a lobe-ectomy and watchful waiting avoiding radioactive idodine. I'm usually the first person to scream thyroid, and think almost all of the testing for it is flawed but without other clues and blood work its impossible to know.
and massively dosing iodine is a bad idea when the avg diet is loaded with iodized salt..iodine in excess can cause a lot of problems with thyroid nodes
she could very well be through the roof with cortisol, in the toilet with progesterone, simply yo-yo dieted for far too long..any number of things
its responsible to look at ALL micronutrients because otherwise its just as bad as saying here, take clen..it'll melt right off.
the easiest way to look at it is to log food into a calculator, look at where you're deficient and try to fix it with whole foods rather than a pill of any kind. Next thing I would do is have a meta-analysis done (breath into a tube for resting metabolic rate)..third would be find a bod pod and see what you're actually working with for fat/lean mass ratio and go from there.
and I dont disagree with you as far as the OP may have something else underlying going on ...any number of which may not be related to thyroid at all
look, I had thyroid cancer..I talked my team of dr's into a lobe-ectomy and watchful waiting avoiding radioactive idodine. I'm usually the first person to scream thyroid, and think almost all of the testing for it is flawed but without other clues and blood work its impossible to know.
and massively dosing iodine is a bad idea when the avg diet is loaded with iodized salt..iodine in excess can cause a lot of problems with thyroid nodes
she could very well be through the roof with cortisol, in the toilet with progesterone, simply yo-yo dieted for far too long..any number of things
its responsible to look at ALL micronutrients because otherwise its just as bad as saying here, take clen..it'll melt right off.
the easiest way to look at it is to log food into a calculator, look at where you're deficient and try to fix it with whole foods rather than a pill of any kind. Next thing I would do is have a meta-analysis done (breath into a tube for resting metabolic rate)..third would be find a bod pod and see what you're actually working with for fat/lean mass ratio and go from there.
I totally agree, dont believe I said otherwise.
Actually some recent tests have shown that a vast majority of salt processors are no longer adding iodine and even if they were and you were consuming large amounts of salt you still wouldnt get close to enough.
While there isnt any long term studies on what the FDA would consider "large doses" of iodine there are many docs who treat many ailments with iodine and have accumulated thousands of case studies. Once again, go back and read all the papers on the link I provided and you will see when the proper form of iodine is used WITH supporting supplements there are very few sides.
Whole foods are always a given starting point but even so many elements you simply arent going to get enough from diet alone. Especially if you are on some named diet that restricts whole food choices (ie paleo, adtkins etc).
Our food sources are so shitty that they dont contain the same nutrients they did a hundred years ago. We are also inundated with more toxins and in turn require a significantly larger amount of antioxidant nutrients. I would go so far as to say optimal health, especially as we get older, depends on supplementation.
At the end of the day I just wanted RebeLee to know that she isnt going crazy. That many people get stuck and cant lose excess fat and that there is likely a very good explanation for it, it can just be time consuming and tricky to find.
I can agree with all of that to a degree.
I hesitated to comment on whole food choices because of the very things you mentioned too...
It can be time consuming and difficult
I went through something similar..and still fight with it to a degree
I spent three months trying to convince a coach I wasn't lying about my food intake or workout logs. She just couldnt wrap her head around the fact that my thyroid and accompanying hormonal challenges are what really give me problems..
its NOT as simple as calories in and calories out in the simplest context as some would suggest.
I hesitated to comment on whole food choices because of the very things you mentioned too...
It can be time consuming and difficult
I went through something similar..and still fight with it to a degree
I spent three months trying to convince a coach I wasn't lying about my food intake or workout logs. She just couldnt wrap her head around the fact that my thyroid and accompanying hormonal challenges are what really give me problems..
its NOT as simple as calories in and calories out in the simplest context as some would suggest.
I think those that havent had to battle hormone issues dont understand the frustration. There are a lot of people out there that DO measure, count cals, eat clean etc yet just cant lose the weight and its disheartening when you encounter a coach or worse yet a loved one who questions your resolve.
Thats really why I chimed in, just wanted to let the OP know that if she truly thinks she is doing all the right things then there is likely another reason why she isnt losing and perhaps give her some ideas on where to start.
P.S. Judging by your avatar, youve got things dialed in, your looking great!
O/P never logged back on after creating this thread (I checked her profile) so most of what anybody has to say is sort of academic.
That being said there's one point she mentioned I'd like to address that basically echos Zyglamail's points ... whenever I see that someone is on a medication like Zantac and suffers weight loss issues a bell goes off in my head. When I developed gluten intolerance I first had the classic symptoms -- e.g., weight started falling off despite no change in activity or diet, gut pains and chronic diarrhea. After a month or two of this everything changed: Now I was gaining weight and had what seemed like constant heartburn. Took me a long, long, long time to figure out the reflux came on whenever I ate anything that contained gluten -- and since I was a vegetarian at the time I consumed whole grains with most meals (I actually was a healthy eating vegetarian).
My point is that doctors are so damned quick to prescribe proton pump inhibitors instead of recommending the patient try allergy elimination diets. IMHO, if you keep consuming a food that your body cannot tolerate (you don't have to be fully allergic just intolerant) even if you suppress the obvious symptoms you can still create a situation of inflammation and set yourself up for leaky gut and a host of other autoimmune problems which can potentially make weight loss virtually impossible.
Also the OP never mentioned her age but if she's over 30 I'd be curious to see what her full hormone panel looks like.
That being said there's one point she mentioned I'd like to address that basically echos Zyglamail's points ... whenever I see that someone is on a medication like Zantac and suffers weight loss issues a bell goes off in my head. When I developed gluten intolerance I first had the classic symptoms -- e.g., weight started falling off despite no change in activity or diet, gut pains and chronic diarrhea. After a month or two of this everything changed: Now I was gaining weight and had what seemed like constant heartburn. Took me a long, long, long time to figure out the reflux came on whenever I ate anything that contained gluten -- and since I was a vegetarian at the time I consumed whole grains with most meals (I actually was a healthy eating vegetarian).
My point is that doctors are so damned quick to prescribe proton pump inhibitors instead of recommending the patient try allergy elimination diets. IMHO, if you keep consuming a food that your body cannot tolerate (you don't have to be fully allergic just intolerant) even if you suppress the obvious symptoms you can still create a situation of inflammation and set yourself up for leaky gut and a host of other autoimmune problems which can potentially make weight loss virtually impossible.
Also the OP never mentioned her age but if she's over 30 I'd be curious to see what her full hormone panel looks like.
Thanks, Im a shockingly big girl though..if I used the scale for anything other then watching weight fluctuations Id lose my mind..lol
swamimamitea
New member
1. Stop eating all simple carbs, such as flour, sugar, starchy vegetables like potatoes, and most grains. These foods cause blood sugar to spike and the pancreas to release insulin to turn all that excess sugar into fat. Cutting out these foods is one of the most important things you can do to lose weight fast.
2. Eat lots of fiber and green salad vegetables. Fiber will keep your stomach fuller longer, keeping the hunger pangs at bay. A diet that keeps you hungry all the time is not one that you will stick with for very long, no matter how fast the pounds come off at first. Eating lots of fiber and vegetables will also help stabilize your blood sugar, which eliminates the highs and lows following eating.
3. Drink lots of water and only water. Unsweetened tea and decaf black coffee are also permissible, but you will not lose weight fast if you are drinking hidden calories such as the sugar in soda pop or the cream in fancy coffee.
4. Eat plenty of fish, free range eggs and grass fed meat. Fat is not necessarily bad for you, but, like anything else, can be trouble when taken in excess. Aim for as many omega 3 fatty acids as possible, which are plentiful in things like wild salmon and grass fed bison, as opposed to the saturated fats and omega 6s, which make up most of the fat in regular ground beef.
5. Use artificial sweeteners very sparingly, and only to curb the cravings for high-sugar alternatives. Stevia is a natural sweetener that does not affect blood sugar levels, and frequently comes packed with fiber. You can't lose weight fast and eat a diet packed with sweets, but just a little now and then can be permissible.
6. Exercise, exercise, exercise. The only way to make your body healthier is to give it a lot of attention, and that means frequent workouts. The importance of exercise absolutely cannot be understated. Not only will it help you naturally lose weight fast, but it will give you strength and stamina you never had before and improve overall health. Cardio will get your heart rate up and burn lots of calories while you are exercising, and weight training will improve overall strength and endurance, as well as burn more calories while you are at rest.
2. Eat lots of fiber and green salad vegetables. Fiber will keep your stomach fuller longer, keeping the hunger pangs at bay. A diet that keeps you hungry all the time is not one that you will stick with for very long, no matter how fast the pounds come off at first. Eating lots of fiber and vegetables will also help stabilize your blood sugar, which eliminates the highs and lows following eating.
3. Drink lots of water and only water. Unsweetened tea and decaf black coffee are also permissible, but you will not lose weight fast if you are drinking hidden calories such as the sugar in soda pop or the cream in fancy coffee.
4. Eat plenty of fish, free range eggs and grass fed meat. Fat is not necessarily bad for you, but, like anything else, can be trouble when taken in excess. Aim for as many omega 3 fatty acids as possible, which are plentiful in things like wild salmon and grass fed bison, as opposed to the saturated fats and omega 6s, which make up most of the fat in regular ground beef.
5. Use artificial sweeteners very sparingly, and only to curb the cravings for high-sugar alternatives. Stevia is a natural sweetener that does not affect blood sugar levels, and frequently comes packed with fiber. You can't lose weight fast and eat a diet packed with sweets, but just a little now and then can be permissible.
6. Exercise, exercise, exercise. The only way to make your body healthier is to give it a lot of attention, and that means frequent workouts. The importance of exercise absolutely cannot be understated. Not only will it help you naturally lose weight fast, but it will give you strength and stamina you never had before and improve overall health. Cardio will get your heart rate up and burn lots of calories while you are exercising, and weight training will improve overall strength and endurance, as well as burn more calories while you are at rest.
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