horizons
08-14-2008, 06:14 AM
I am a 5'6" female who weighs 201 pounds at 21 years of age. Like most of my family, I am overweight, my mother weighs close to 300 lbs and one of my uncles weighs over 500 lbs. I didn't have a problem with my wieght until a few years ago when I was admitted into emergency surgery to have a partial historectomy because of a tumor. Since then I have been on non-stop birth control to stop me from having any cycles from my remaining ovary. I have been diagnosed with a slight thyroid problem (hyperthyroid), but my doctor said this only presents itself when my chronic bronchitis flares up and is not present at other times. Shortly after I had my surgery and gained over 70 pounds a few years ago, I went on the South Beach Diet and amazingly got back down to my weight before the surgery. Then, we had a lot of deaths in the family and circumstances that made it a whole lot easier just to go pick up food than to make it at home....consequently, I gained all of my weight back.
I've gone back on the South Beach Diet, but irritatingly, I've lost virtually no weight. The first week I was on the diet I lost absolutely no weight at all, the second week I lost 9 pounds. Now in the third week (I'm still on "phase 1" since I didn't loose any weight in the first week), I haven't lost anymore weight again. I'm also using Fitday.com in order to track my calories. Its getting really irritating, yesterday for breakfast I had 1 boiled egg and a slice of fat-reduced cheese, for lunch I had a frozen South Beach meal and for dinner I had a 5 oz skinless chicken breast with 3 tablsepoons or so of squash. I meal was similar yesterday except I had soup for lunch and a chef's salad for dinner. I weighed myself this morning and I gained a pound.
I'm eating right, and I spent 20 minutes (in 10 minute incremets) riding my stationary bike yesterday and I still gain weight. What gives? I can't get under 200 lbs for the life of me.
I've gone back on the South Beach Diet, but irritatingly, I've lost virtually no weight. The first week I was on the diet I lost absolutely no weight at all, the second week I lost 9 pounds. Now in the third week (I'm still on "phase 1" since I didn't loose any weight in the first week), I haven't lost anymore weight again. I'm also using Fitday.com in order to track my calories. Its getting really irritating, yesterday for breakfast I had 1 boiled egg and a slice of fat-reduced cheese, for lunch I had a frozen South Beach meal and for dinner I had a 5 oz skinless chicken breast with 3 tablsepoons or so of squash. I meal was similar yesterday except I had soup for lunch and a chef's salad for dinner. I weighed myself this morning and I gained a pound.
I'm eating right, and I spent 20 minutes (in 10 minute incremets) riding my stationary bike yesterday and I still gain weight. What gives? I can't get under 200 lbs for the life of me.
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redsoxgirl2418
08-16-2008, 01:56 AM
adding more exercise would probably help. A stationary bike doesn't burn calories like a walk, elliptical, or treadmill, so you should probably try to extend the time you spend on the bike to a half hour (add a few minutes as time goes by to keep your workout growing). Maybe add in a 20-min. walk at some point in the day.
I went on a low carb diet in the past and while it worked great the first time, I had no luck trying to do it after that. Maybe try more of a low-cal diet with whole grains, lots of fiber, fruits and veggies, and lean meats like chicken, turkey, lean pork and beef cuts. Sometimes your body just needs a change. I firmly believe that low carb diets screw with your metabolism because I never had as much trouble losing weight before the atkins that I went on as I do now.
I went on a low carb diet in the past and while it worked great the first time, I had no luck trying to do it after that. Maybe try more of a low-cal diet with whole grains, lots of fiber, fruits and veggies, and lean meats like chicken, turkey, lean pork and beef cuts. Sometimes your body just needs a change. I firmly believe that low carb diets screw with your metabolism because I never had as much trouble losing weight before the atkins that I went on as I do now.
horizons
08-16-2008, 05:52 AM
Thanks, I'll try to increase my exercise time. Right now I'll have to do some increases on the bike and forget walking for a while. I broke my ankle a few months ago and have just started walking on it this month. Its a lot better than it used to be, but I do limp pretty bad and just walking across a parking lot right now leaves my ankle in fatigue.
Unfortunately, I'm arleady doing a low calorie diet on top of the South Beach Diet. I'm eating chicken and lean beef. I'm eating lots of fruits (those low in sugar) and lots of veggies. I'm also eating whole grains (South Beach diet does let you have bread, as long as it is whole wheat bread). Yesterday I had one scrambled egg, a 6 oz chicken breast and some whole wheat pizza for a total of 1,400 calories in my day in addition to riding my bike and I gained yet another pound. :confused:
Nothing is seeming to work, cutting certain foods out doesn't work and neither does cutting calories. :(
Unfortunately, I'm arleady doing a low calorie diet on top of the South Beach Diet. I'm eating chicken and lean beef. I'm eating lots of fruits (those low in sugar) and lots of veggies. I'm also eating whole grains (South Beach diet does let you have bread, as long as it is whole wheat bread). Yesterday I had one scrambled egg, a 6 oz chicken breast and some whole wheat pizza for a total of 1,400 calories in my day in addition to riding my bike and I gained yet another pound. :confused:
Nothing is seeming to work, cutting certain foods out doesn't work and neither does cutting calories. :(
janewhite1
08-16-2008, 11:18 AM
So you are building up the muscle in a leg you haven't used in months?
Get out a tape measure and measure your waist. It's possible you are losing fat and gaining muscle, the muscle in a healthy leg weights a LOT.
Also, do you have weight fluctuations associated with water retention? Are you measuring on the same, reliable, scale at the same time of day?
If you are looking for more exercise, you could always try weight training. Again, might cause you to gain muscle, so fat loss needs to be measured with a mirror, a tape measure, or a tight pair of pants rather than a scale.
Get out a tape measure and measure your waist. It's possible you are losing fat and gaining muscle, the muscle in a healthy leg weights a LOT.
Also, do you have weight fluctuations associated with water retention? Are you measuring on the same, reliable, scale at the same time of day?
If you are looking for more exercise, you could always try weight training. Again, might cause you to gain muscle, so fat loss needs to be measured with a mirror, a tape measure, or a tight pair of pants rather than a scale.
horizons
08-16-2008, 07:56 PM
I don't know if I have a tendency to retain water or not, but yes, I do weigh myself on the same scale every day, and always first thing when I get up in the morning, usually around 4-5 am.
I did "weight training" (ie physical therapy) for chronic subluxing patellas for many years and worked up to lifting 180-something lbs with my leg, but I've since stopped since I haven't had any dislocations in a while. While I can't go to the gym and do weight training now because of my financial situation, it might be something I look into once I can find another job.
I did "weight training" (ie physical therapy) for chronic subluxing patellas for many years and worked up to lifting 180-something lbs with my leg, but I've since stopped since I haven't had any dislocations in a while. While I can't go to the gym and do weight training now because of my financial situation, it might be something I look into once I can find another job.
redsoxgirl2418
08-19-2008, 11:28 PM
I don't know if I have a tendency to retain water or not, but yes, I do weigh myself on the same scale every day, and always first thing when I get up in the morning, usually around 4-5 am.
I did "weight training" (ie physical therapy) for chronic subluxing patellas for many years and worked up to lifting 180-something lbs with my leg, but I've since stopped since I haven't had any dislocations in a while. While I can't go to the gym and do weight training now because of my financial situation, it might be something I look into once I can find another job.
check with your doctor; if exercising to gain strength in your leg is something you need to do, he might be able to get you into a gym without paying for a membership.
I did "weight training" (ie physical therapy) for chronic subluxing patellas for many years and worked up to lifting 180-something lbs with my leg, but I've since stopped since I haven't had any dislocations in a while. While I can't go to the gym and do weight training now because of my financial situation, it might be something I look into once I can find another job.
check with your doctor; if exercising to gain strength in your leg is something you need to do, he might be able to get you into a gym without paying for a membership.
care_berry
08-20-2008, 01:30 AM
I see you mentioned you use some of those frozen South Beach meals. Many of those frozen meals are infamous for using the ingredient MSG, causing you to actually gain weight! Also, maybe you might consider going off of all breads for a while, and instead fill up on veggies for carbs. A friend of mine did just that part and lost 60 pounds easily. I figure it must've been the gluten contained in the bread that caused her to have gained so much weight in the first place. So those two things might be part of the problem as to why you aren't losing weight! Hope this helps!
famnd
08-20-2008, 01:11 PM
Are you on any meds that would prevent weight loss?
As the fat is broken down, there is water produced which doesn't get excreted out of the body right away. Water does weigh something so you may see a weight gain even though you have stuck to your food program. Eventually the water will leave the body & you will have a weight loss.
Congratulations on trying to lose weight. I know how hard that is. It doesn't get any easier as we get older, but it is certainly worth the time & trouble. Having good health is worth anything we have to do. Fam
As the fat is broken down, there is water produced which doesn't get excreted out of the body right away. Water does weigh something so you may see a weight gain even though you have stuck to your food program. Eventually the water will leave the body & you will have a weight loss.
Congratulations on trying to lose weight. I know how hard that is. It doesn't get any easier as we get older, but it is certainly worth the time & trouble. Having good health is worth anything we have to do. Fam
horizons
08-21-2008, 06:22 AM
Actually, according to the South Beach Diet book that I got when I started the diet, like you said, it says in the book that MSG is a diet killer and makes you gain weight. So, because of it, the South Beach Diet bans eating MSG on the diet and lists it as one of the "forbidden foods". Since the book condemns it so badly, I can't imagine them using it in any of their frozen meals. I have three of them in the fridge now and none of them have any MSG in them. :confused:
As far as any medications I'm on, the only thing I take regulararly is a birth control pill for endometriosis and retro-grade menustration. I actually think "the pill" is a large part of my weight gain issues, because before I went under for emergency surgery to remove a tumor on my ovary (in which I was subsquently put on bith control) I only weighed 140. After being put on "the pill" my weight skyrocketed, even though I didn't change my eating habbits.
As far as any medications I'm on, the only thing I take regulararly is a birth control pill for endometriosis and retro-grade menustration. I actually think "the pill" is a large part of my weight gain issues, because before I went under for emergency surgery to remove a tumor on my ovary (in which I was subsquently put on bith control) I only weighed 140. After being put on "the pill" my weight skyrocketed, even though I didn't change my eating habbits.
sunnyd12
08-22-2008, 06:35 PM
Actually, according to the South Beach Diet book that I got when I started the diet, like you said, it says in the book that MSG is a diet killer and makes you gain weight. So, because of it, the South Beach Diet bans eating MSG on the diet and lists it as one of the "forbidden foods". Since the book condemns it so badly, I can't imagine them using it in any of their frozen meals. I have three of them in the fridge now and none of them have any MSG in them. :confused:
As far as any medications I'm on, the only thing I take regulararly is a birth control pill for endometriosis and retro-grade menustration. I actually think "the pill" is a large part of my weight gain issues, because before I went under for emergency surgery to remove a tumor on my ovary (in which I was subsquently put on bith control) I only weighed 140. After being put on "the pill" my weight skyrocketed, even though I didn't change my eating habbits.
As everybody says - it is NOT easy - but you can and will lose weight. You need to have patience because the excess weight did not come on in a week - so it will also take some time to lose it. Try to measure your portions, figure out from the many charts available - just how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Then -just eat some fewer calories and also exercise to burn off some more. You can do it.
As far as any medications I'm on, the only thing I take regulararly is a birth control pill for endometriosis and retro-grade menustration. I actually think "the pill" is a large part of my weight gain issues, because before I went under for emergency surgery to remove a tumor on my ovary (in which I was subsquently put on bith control) I only weighed 140. After being put on "the pill" my weight skyrocketed, even though I didn't change my eating habbits.
As everybody says - it is NOT easy - but you can and will lose weight. You need to have patience because the excess weight did not come on in a week - so it will also take some time to lose it. Try to measure your portions, figure out from the many charts available - just how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Then -just eat some fewer calories and also exercise to burn off some more. You can do it.