Beyond Frustration - What will doc say?

I find it very hard to lose weight. I lost 12 pounds on Flex, then followed Flex for 5 more weeks and lost nothing. I weigh my food, so that isn't the problem. (I have a great dietary scale that will even calculate calories and such.) I actually gained weight on Core.

I have since managed to find a plan that is working for me. I have a long thread a number of pages back about the various things I did to lose weight, but the executive summary is: 1) I went on Byetta (this is a drug for diabetics only, so it probably doesn't apply in your case); 2) I started taking 25 mg ephedrine a day, plus green tea; 3) I switched to a low-carb diet; 4) I started exercising an hour a day, using a heart rate monitor to make sure my exercise was intense enough (I go for a heart rate of 106 or above, and try to hit a heart rate of 150 several times a week.) I also take garcinia, calcium citrate, and arginine. Doing all this has allowed me to drop almost 40 pounds.

I see that some people here are saying that you must be eating too little, while others are saying that you must be eating too much. I ran into that a lot, too. I firmly believe that many people have metabolic problems that are keeping them fat; it isn't all just about diet and exercise. So, don't assume that you are doing something "wrong."

As for what your doctor will say -- he (or she) should be able to offer you an explanation for why the weight won't come off, but probably won't be able to!

I hope you find a plan that works for you!

:wish35
 
I find it very hard to lose weight. I lost 12 pounds on Flex, then followed Flex for 5 more weeks and lost nothing. I weigh my food, so that isn't the problem. (I have a great dietary scale that will even calculate calories and such.) I actually gained weight on Core.

I have since managed to find a plan that is working for me. I have a long thread a number of pages back about the various things I did to lose weight, but the executive summary is: 1) I went on Byetta (this is a drug for diabetics only, so it probably doesn't apply in your case); 2) I started taking 25 mg ephedrine a day, plus green tea; 3) I switched to a low-carb diet; 4) I started exercising an hour a day, using a heart rate monitor to make sure my exercise was intense enough (I go for a heart rate of 106 or above, and try to hit a heart rate of 150 several times a week.) I also take garcinia, calcium citrate, and arginine. Doing all this has allowed me to drop almost 40 pounds.

I see that some people here are saying that you must be eating too little, while others are saying that you must be eating too much. I ran into that a lot, too. I firmly believe that many people have metabolic problems that are keeping them fat; it isn't all just about diet and exercise. So, don't assume that you are doing something "wrong."

As for what your doctor will say -- he (or she) should be able to offer you an explanation for why the weight won't come off, but probably won't be able to!

I hope you find a plan that works for you!

:wish35


Did a doctor suggest the various supplements you are taking?


I went to the doctor today. For now my physical was good. I got a bunch of bloodwork including CBC w/DIFF, TSH, and Lipids. I think that is it. She said we would be able to tell a lot from the bloodwork. So within 2 weeks, I hope to know the results as well as have a plan for my weight loss. Until then, I am going to continue to eat well and exercise.
 
Did a doctor suggest the various supplements you are taking?....
The calcium is the only supplement that was suggested by a doctor. I have told my primary care physician about the other supplements, and she was worried that the ephedrine might not be safe, but she said she "understood why I would want to take it." The Byetta is prescription only, but it is something I had to ask my endocrinologist for; he didn't think it would really help me. (As it turns out, it has helped tremendously with keeping my blood sugar stable.)

Unfortunately, I have not found doctors to be helpful at all with my weight problem. All they do is say that I must be eating too much. (They can't really say I'm exercising too little, since I do an hour a day.) When I say that I can't bear how cold and hungry I get when I eat less without taking the ephedrine & other supplements, they have no suggestions for me. I would really prefer to have a doctor who is knowledgeable about the ephedrine and other supplements and willing to advise me on them, but I haven't found one.

:wish35
 

Make sure they check thyroid levels in blood work and that they are read by the new guidelines. I had a hypothyroidism for 2 years before I was actually put on meds. My drs weren't up on the new lower guidelines. It made me mad to know that I felt horrible and gained weight for 2 years b/c they weren't up on the current research.

If you are doing WW, make sure you eat enough. It is too easy to feel good about being below your points when all you are really doing to starving your body.
 
Make sure they check thyroid levels in blood work and that they are read by the new guidelines. I had a hypothyroidism for 2 years before I was actually put on meds. My drs weren't up on the new lower guidelines. It made me mad to know that I felt horrible and gained weight for 2 years b/c they weren't up on the current research. ...
Good point! In terms of what the doctors should look for in your blood work, Lilsweetpea, thyroid stimulating hormone (or a full thyorid panel if you can afford it) is often the first thing doctors check if you can't lose weight. Low thyroid levels can be treated by taking thyroid pills. In some cases, high thyroid leevls can also cause weight gain.

Abnormally high cortisol levels (which are often tested by a 24-hour urine catch, rather than blood work) are another thing that should be checked, although probably only if the thyroid levels are normal -- cortisol abnormalities are much rarer than thyroid abnormalities. The treatment for high cortisol levels depends on the cause.

Also, another thing the doctors should probably check for is insulin resistance, which causes blood sugar & insulin levels to be high. Pretty much all overweight people should have a fasting blood sugar test done for diabetes / pre-diabetes. If that is normal, a basal insulin test might also be a good idea, especially if you are carrying a lot of weight in your abdomen or if you have darkened or thickened/velvety skin at the back of your neck or in areas where you skin makes folds (such in your underarms or behind the knees.) These symptoms indicate high insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is often accompanied by high androgen (male hormone) levels. In women, this constellation indicates PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome.) Women with PCOS typically have irregular periods; they often also have acne and/or excess hair. If you have any of these symptoms, you should have your androgen levels checked.

A lot of people with insulin resistance find that they need low carb diets, so that is something to consider if you turn out to have insulin resistance. (Both WW Flex and WW Core tend to be quite high in carbs; I go to WW meetings, but neither of their diets works for me.) Other treatments for insulin resistance include Metformin, Byetta, and lots of exercise.

If you are on any medications, you should discuss them with your doctor. Many medications cause weight gain.

I've spoken to either five or six dieticians (I can't recall which), and have never found them to be of any help. Every dietician I have spoken too really pushed a low-fat/high-carb diet, even though the endocrinologists I've seen in the past five years all have told me to limit my carbs because of my diabetes. But, I've already tried all sorts of diets in the past 25 years, from very low fat to low carb, and I am very careful about weighing/measuring food and looking up nutrition content, so maybe I'm not typical and other people get more out of seeing dieticians.
 
Good point! In terms of what the doctors should look for in your blood work, Lilsweetpea, thyroid stimulating hormone (or a full thyorid panel if you can afford it) is often the first thing doctors check if you can't lose weight. Low thyroid levels can be treated by taking thyroid pills. In some cases, high thyroid leevls can also cause weight gain.

Abnormally high cortisol levels (which are often tested by a 24-hour urine catch, rather than blood work) are another thing that should be checked, although probably only if the thyroid levels are normal -- cortisol abnormalities are much rarer than thyroid abnormalities. The treatment for high cortisol levels depends on the cause.

Also, another thing the doctors should probably check for is insulin resistance, which causes blood sugar & insulin levels to be high. Pretty much all overweight people should have a fasting blood sugar test done for diabetes / pre-diabetes. If that is normal, a basal insulin test might also be a good idea, especially if you are carrying a lot of weight in your abdomen or if you have darkened or thickened/velvety skin at the back of your neck or in areas where you skin makes folds (such in your underarms or behind the knees.) These symptoms indicate high insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is often accompanied by high androgen (male hormone) levels. In women, this constellation indicates PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome.) Women with PCOS typically have irregular periods; they often also have acne and/or excess hair. If you have any of these symptoms, you should have your androgen levels checked.

A lot of people with insulin resistance find that they need low carb diets, so that is something to consider if you turn out to have insulin resistance. (Both WW Flex and WW Core tend to be quite high in carbs; I go to WW meetings, but neither of their diets works for me.) Other treatments for insulin resistance include Metformin, Byetta, and lots of exercise.

If you are on any medications, you should discuss them with your doctor. Many medications cause weight gain.

I've spoken to either five or six dieticians (I can't recall which), and have never found them to be of any help. Every dietician I have spoken too really pushed a low-fat/high-carb diet, even though the endocrinologists I've seen in the past five years all have told me to limit my carbs because of my diabetes. But, I've already tried all sorts of diets in the past 25 years, from very low fat to low carb, and I am very careful about weighing/measuring food and looking up nutrition content, so maybe I'm not typical and other people get more out of seeing dieticians.


I think I got a full blood workup. How can I be sure the doc knows the new thyroid guidelines? Does anyone know what they are? I am going to research on the internet too.

I was worried that a dietician may not help, so I think I am going to wait for the bloodwork and then make up my own diet. :rotfl:
 
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