[ARCHIVED THREAD] - weight loss problems (Page 1 of 9)
Posted: 7/17/2011 11:55:51 AM EDT
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Ok. 35 years old, 5'9, 240.
I have cut out all sweets, only drink water, am taking in 1700 calories per day or less. Almost all protein, very low cards and nearly no fat. Every day I walk/jog between 3 and 9 miles a day averaging 4.5 mph, and generally follow that up with 7 miles on a mountain bike averaging 15mph. I have been at this for nearly a month, I shit you not, and have lost a whopping 2lbs. I have the metabolism of sloth and always have. If I lead a normal lifestyle and eat 2000 calories a day, I gain weight. Blood tests keep coming back 'normal', although the old lady female doctor says stuff like free testosterone is on the low side. But within normal limits. She wont do anything to adjust it. . I KNOW I have something in me fighting me every step of the way and it is getting old... I need a change and fast. Is there some sort of men's health type doctor that specializes in this stuff? I don't even know what to ask for or who to search for. I am tired of killing myself for nothing... I did this for 6 months straight back in 09 and got similar depressing results. Anyone have anything? I even added cardio weight lifting last time to no avail. I hate this.! @ |
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Quoted: Ok. 35 years old, 5'9, 240. I have cut out all sweets, only drink water, am taking in 1700 calories per day or less. Almost all protein, very low cards and nearly no fat. Every day I walk/jog between 3 and 9 miles a day averaging 4.5 mph, and generally follow that up with 7 miles on a mountain bike averaging 15mph. I have been at this for nearly a month, I shit you not, and have lost a whopping 2lbs. I have the metabolism of sloth and always have. If I lead a normal lifestyle and eat 2000 calories a day, I gain weight. Blood tests keep coming back 'normal', although the old lady female doctor says stuff like free testosterone is on the low side. But within normal limits. She wont do anything to adjust it. . I KNOW I have something in me fighting me every step of the way and it is getting old... I need a change and fast. Is there some sort of men's health type doctor that specializes in this stuff? I don't even know what to ask for or who to search for. I am tired of killing myself for nothing... I did this for 6 months straight back in 09 and got similar depressing results. Anyone have anything? I even added cardio weight lifting last time to no avail. I hate this.! @ first of all, you need a balanced diet. greens, protein, healthy fats, some fish oil, dairy, some carbs. dont over-stuff yourself and eat too much because it's "healthy" either. secondly, one month is about enough time for your body to have re-calibrated itself and metabolism. your next month will be the most rewarding assuming your stay active daily. have you at least noticed your energy levels rising? if you smoke, quit fucking smoking. that shit cuts down your workouts severely, and your results will be weak with a crap cardiovascular system.
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If you've lost 2 lbs of body fat that's 7000 kcal over 30 days or approximately a 230 kcal/day deficit. 1930 kcal a day maintenance seems really low for someone your size so either you have a really, really low metabolism, you're eating more than you think you are, or you lost more than 2 lbs of fat and gained a bit of muscle. I suspect a combination of the last 2. Have you done a body fat analysis with calipers? |
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Go get a trainer at a local gym? That sounds like a lot of work and only 2lbs. But you may have replaced some fat with muscle. I'm in no way a health nut but I'm 37 and have to watch what I eat and drink a lot more. It all goes to my middle if I don't. Has anyone told you you look thinner?
Someone will be by to help out. Good luck and don't quit. |
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Quoted: If you've lost 2 lbs of body fat that's 7000 kcal over 30 days or approximately a 230 kcal/day deficit. 1930 kcal a day maintenance seems really low for someone your size so either you have a really, really low metabolism, you're eating more than you think you are, or you lost more than 2 lbs of fat and gained a bit of muscle. I suspect a combination of the last 2. Have you done a body fat analysis with calipers? That is my guess. |
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You might look at your sodium intake for starters. If you are over 2000 mg per day you will not lose weight even with your current diet. Between 1000 and 2000mg per day may help a little. Under 1000mg per day is the key to losing weight as far as I have been told. Of course, they sneak sodium into everything (club soda for example) so you really have to read the labels closely.
Best of luck ! |
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Sorry but I'm not buying it. If you are doing all the cardio you claim on a 1,700 calorie diet then you will be losing weight no matter what your metabolism is. Are you snacking? Are you sure your portions are right? What type of foods are you eating and when are you eating? If you are eating 1,700 calories worth of bacon 10 minutes before you go to bed, it will affect your weight loss. I'm sure you aren't doing that but it's just an example. Drink more water than you want to. Don't eat for 4 to 6 hours before you go to bed. If you go to bed at 11pm, stop eating at 5pm. Reduce your carbs, especially any processed carbs like white bread, and replace it with more protien. Keep up the cardio. Drop to a 1,200 to 1,500 calorie diet. If you have a smart phone download the app from MyFitnessPal.com and enter everything you eat into it. You can even use the camera to scan barcodes to get the proper nutrition informaiton. You would be suprised at how many calories you are really eating. Doing all that you should lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. I'm 5'9" and when I do all the above I lose weight fast. When I sort of watch what I eat and sort of work out, I don't loose anything...but that is because I'm eating well over the calories I should because I don't keep close track. |
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If the OP is still out there, don't bother sifting through the broscience posted in this thread. Wander on over here and check out the stickies. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13 |
too many problems at work and out to stay focused on it....
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Quoted:
You're probably gaining muscle at near the rate you're losing fat. Give it more time, and take pictures of yourself every few weeks to compare. Judge your progress by how you look naked. /this. Also if you want to increase metabolism start lifting weights. Two years ago I started trying to lose weight just by half assign cardio 4-5 days a week. I lost some and was in better shape. Then last October I downloaded a calorie counter for my phone from fat secret. I was shocked how many calories I was eating. I also started weight training. It helps to mix up cardio. Also don't beat up yourself. Think how long it took to gain that weight. Its easier to keep off if you lose at a slow steady rate. |
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Completely unhealthy, untrained infantry advice.
Stick religiously to your meal plan. I usually don't eat breakfast, have a light lunch (mostly a nap), then the majority of the food for dinner. I doubt that's right, but it works. 4.5mph needs to change on the jogging. 9min miles should be the what you are shooting for. Find an inexpensive way to get some swimming in. It will take you a few weeks to get your breathing and your stroke down, but holy shit that will help build up your lungs so well for the running/riding. I did a lot of cycling in college.. 7 miles on a bike is hardly enough cardio to make a difference for you, even after a run. The thing that sucks about riding is for you to burn the calories you want, you need to go on the long ass rides. We would do 30-50miles on shorter rides, and on the weekends go for the 8 hour ball busters pushing 70-90 miles. Mountain biking is a little different, but you need the time and the intensity on the bike for it to count. Don't be as concerned about the miles as you are for time and a good pedaling cadence. Drinking will absolutely kill your progress. If you do drink, beer is the worst option. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
You're probably gaining muscle at near the rate you're losing fat. Give it more time, and take pictures of yourself every few weeks to compare. Judge your progress by how you look naked. /this. Also if you want to increase metabolism start lifting weights. Two years ago I started trying to lose weight just by half assign cardio 4-5 days a week. I lost some and was in better shape. Then last October I downloaded a calorie counter for my phone from fat secret. I was shocked how many calories I was eating. I also started weight training. It helps to mix up cardio. Also don't beat up yourself. Think how long it took to gain that weight. Its easier to keep off if you lose at a slow steady rate. No, he's not. You can put on around 10-15lbs of lean muscle a year and that's with a damn near perfect diet. |
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Thanks for all the responses.
Quick responses to a few questions: 1. My diet is mostly protein. I have little to no carbs after noon in the day. Mostly boneless, skinless chicken. 2. Already using a fitness tracker, the My Fitness Pal. Then to track my cardio, I'm using Endomondo. The activities plugged in to both show calorie burns within 5% of each other, so I assume much of it is accurate. 3. I am using a scale and weighing my portions, I am using measuring cups and metering portions. Such as the lowfat cottage cheese... A half cup is literally a half cup. 4. No toppings. No weird shit. If I do use a topping it is scanned and counted in the calorie tracker. 5. No smoking. Haven't even had a light light beer in over a month. No beverages aside from water, which I drink probably 4 liters a day (8 half liter bottles easy). Thyroid is 'low but in normal range'. Free T is 'low but in normal range'. Doc keeps saying everything is right on the low, but in normal range. I think I need a younger male doctor that understands what I'm trying to accomplish here... Not my 60 year old female doctor that literally caught me when I came outta my mom. I'll have a little more time to get into this tomorrow and address specific responses. Let's just say I am doing everything to say my numbers are as accurate as possible, and I will appreciate any input. Thanks for everything so far. |
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I don't know how you're functioning on 1,700 calories with no carbs and no fat. You can make life a lot easier on yourself by reading this thread. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1193322_Calling_out_all_the_Paleo_guys.html/light=paleo Then go here. |
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I didn't say 'no' carbs or fat, but very low. Ratio of protien to carbs to fat is generally 4:2:1. My bad, I wasn't calling your integrity into question, just saying that with very little of both, you've got to be feeling like shit. Seriously, read the Paleo thread- if you're pressed for time, just skim through and read Subnet's posts. Then you can take all the percentages, ratios, and numbers of every kind, throw all that shit out the window and just eat until you're full. Seriously. My blood pressure dropped twenty points and I stopped having to eat every three hours once I started eating real food. Real food is more expensive, but as some of the guys in that thread pointed out (and I've done myself since) once you start eating right you really only need one or two good meals a day, which helps offset the cost. |
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Eat more saturated animal fats, but still keep away from the carbs. Steak with all the fat, butter, bacon, chicken with the skin on, non-starchy vegetables, etc... Just don't eat it with bread, baked potato, pasta, rice and so on.
For exercise you may want to concentrate on mixing some hard interval training in a couple - three times a week. Get some intensity, look up tabata training. Some weight training is definitely a plus there. Not a big fan of extended high impact aerobic stuff at higher body weights. You have to live with your joints for the rest of your life. |
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Give it time, maybe your metabolism just takes a while to get going. keep walking or jogging it will come around That's what I've heard the last couple go arounds... From the same doc. Regardless of how long I do it, my losses are drips, not the accelerated loss that the math works out to. |
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Tell us a little bit more as to your workout routine, and we will go from there. What do you do? How long? When? What time of day? etc, etc, etc, etc. As for your nutrition...Calories alone tell us little. I suggest you read some of the books by John Berardi. He really is king when it comes to proper eating and dieting. Diet easily makes up the majority of the picture, far more than training or anything else. Really, check out Berardi. I would closely examine your diet, training, and supplementation before you start worrying about going on HRT. -poink (ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning certified) |
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http://yournewbeeginnings.com/about.html
I started Dec 1st at 185lbs by Dec 30 I was down to 165 and had tons of energy. My wife bought me a pair of 36 jeans for christmas had to exchange them for size 30's try it out it will amaze you. Also my wife after 2 kids is back to what she weighed at 16 and looking sexy as ever. |
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Quoted: http://yournewbeeginnings.com/about.html I started Dec 1st at 185lbs by Dec 30 I was down to 165 and had tons of energy. My wife bought me a pair of 36 jeans for christmas had to exchange them for size 30's try it out it will amaze you. Also my wife after 2 kids is back to what she weighed at 16 and looking sexy as ever.  |
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i see you're extremely active...
out of curiosity are you still hungry? When you are extremely active sometimes you need to eat a little more just to make sure your body doesn't go into starvation mode also consider having snacks between meals - fruits & veggies etc. I would also recommend having more fats. seriously. I'm not talking eating lard but rather having more than "fat free everything" at least. Remember, the recommended percentages of fat, protein, & carbs is: fat - 30%, protein 10-35%, carbs, 55%. And it's not often discussed - I've only seen it mentioned in a nutrition class - but going protein-heavy can dehydrate you and IIRC can turn unhealthy. Also - another key point. Weight is NOT the only marker of being healthy. Muscle weighs more than fat. When I was at my best I weighed more than my sibling, but wore a smaller pant size because I was in pretty good shape. |
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My wife and I are currently working with a personal trainer, who is also an expert in metabolism. I started working with him and following his plan, weighing in at 247. In the first five days I lost 11 pounds.
He told us that the human body is not designed to metabolize flour or dairy. We have (at great personal stress) cut out both completely. My plan has me eatting 230 grams of protein per day, 120 grams of complex carbs. No under ground veggies, no fruit. They have to much sugar. We eat things like sweet potatoes (i eat them raw, taste like carrots), egg white, home cooked chicken, and such. Sugar is the enemy! Not complex carbs, but simple sugars. Also, stay away from corn products and anything the has fructose. It metabolizes into triglycerides and helps promote keeping you fat. Read lables carefully! Almost everything has that shit in it now! |
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Multi response:
My 'workouts' consist one one 3 to 9 mile jaunt on foot at, as mentioned, average 4.5mph, mixed elevation, mixed terrain, followed by 3 to 9 miles on my mountain bike, same path and area, average 14-16mph. Sometimes the time on foot happens early AM before work, sometimes both happen in the evening one right after the other. Speaking to other posts, I've got little to no fructose consumption as far as I can tell. Quite honestly my intake consists of primarily boneless, skinless chicken breast, green beans, brown rice, 1% cottage cheese, and high-protein cereal bars for breakfast and the mid-morning snack. My largest single calorie intake in the day is dinner at about 600 calories. I do 'Feel' better and more energetic, but I think that might just be due to giving up beer. And there's no way in hell I'm dehydrated, I can't keep enough bottled water in the house. I have 2 liters in me before lunch every day. |
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Oh, and thyroid and all levels have been checked and rechecked and the same 'right on the low, but still normal so I won't give you shit' is the response.
I feel like I'm being forced to have to work 3x as hard as a normal person than for no other reason than this bitch doesn't want to address it. |
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Quoted:
Oh, and thyroid and all levels have been checked and rechecked and the same 'right on the low, but still normal so I won't give you shit' is the response. I feel like I'm being forced to have to work 3x as hard as a normal person than for no other reason than this bitch doesn't want to address it. Seriously, add more fat to your diet. Yours is a common problem with people doing high protien, low carb diets. Fat is fuel for low carb diets. It jacks your metabolism and keeps your engines firing on all cylinders. |
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Those calorie burn calculators are at best 10-50% off. Unless you're using something to measure your energy output, it'll be hard to pinpoint exactly how many calories you're burning.
This is where I think your weight loss is failing - inaccurate calorie burn calculations throwing off your numbers. |
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I think you're NOT eating enough calories based on the amount of activity you've described.
You're probably not going to like this but I vote join Weight Watchers (prob cheaper thana nutrionist) which teaches you how to eat healthy/portion control and how to eat additional calories based on exercise. My wife joined WW 2yrs ago and has lost 80+lbs and I have lost about 50lbs. ETA you don't have to attend the weekly meetings. |
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Quoted:
Multi response: My 'workouts' consist one one 3 to 9 mile jaunt on foot at, as mentioned, average 4.5mph, mixed elevation, mixed terrain, followed by 3 to 9 miles on my mountain bike, same path and area, average 14-16mph. Sometimes the time on foot happens early AM before work, sometimes both happen in the evening one right after the other. Speaking to other posts, I've got little to no fructose consumption as far as I can tell. Quite honestly my intake consists of primarily boneless, skinless chicken breast, green beans, brown rice, 1% cottage cheese, and high-protein cereal bars for breakfast and the mid-morning snack. My largest single calorie intake in the day is dinner at about 600 calories. I do 'Feel' better and more energetic, but I think that might just be due to giving up beer. And there's no way in hell I'm dehydrated, I can't keep enough bottled water in the house. I have 2 liters in me before lunch every day. If there's sugar in it, it has fructose. Sucrose = glucose + fructose. Fructose converts directly to fat. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for all the responses. Quick responses to a few questions: 1. My diet is mostly protein. I have little to no carbs after noon in the day. Mostly boneless, skinless chicken. 2. Already using a fitness tracker, the My Fitness Pal. Then to track my cardio, I'm using Endomondo. The activities plugged in to both show calorie burns within 5% of each other, so I assume much of it is accurate. 3. I am using a scale and weighing my portions, I am using measuring cups and metering portions. Such as the lowfat cottage cheese... A half cup is literally a half cup. 4. No toppings. No weird shit. If I do use a topping it is scanned and counted in the calorie tracker. 5. No smoking. Haven't even had a light light beer in over a month. No beverages aside from water, which I drink probably 4 liters a day (8 half liter bottles easy). Thyroid is 'low but in normal range'. Free T is 'low but in normal range'. Doc keeps saying everything is right on the low, but in normal range. I think I need a younger male doctor that understands what I'm trying to accomplish here... Not my 60 year old female doctor that literally caught me when I came outta my mom. I'll have a little more time to get into this tomorrow and address specific responses. Let's just say I am doing everything to say my numbers are as accurate as possible, and I will appreciate any input. Thanks for everything so far. Sounds like you are doing everything right. Just stick with it and strictly follow everything you mentioned. I have noticed that after I have been eating whatever whenever I want for awhile and then try to eat right it takes my body awhile to realize that it's not just a temporary loss of calories and that it should start burning fat. It sounds like you have enough energy. If your testosterone is on the low end getting that bumped up will give you even more energy. There is an ongoing thread about it here http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/827650_index.html. |