Help! Im not losing weight.

[outlawtdh]

Hi group.  I'm new to this so hopefully Ive set this up right.   

Im super active, average 15,000-20,000 steps on a slow day.   I run (on treadmill right now) 4 miles in 33 minutes and do the eliptical about 30 minutes.   Days I don't work out at home I riding 3 or 4 horses.  Riding actually makes more steps and burns more calories than my regular routine.   My work out/activity is 6 days a week.   

I'm 5'9" and in my mid 40's.   The weight seems to be creeping on, but will not come off.   The Dr's ran test for Thyroid etc and its all fine.    Since October Ive managed to keep myself to about 1800 calories a day.   Tried to stay low carb, low sugar.    Of course, I have cheat days.    I have not lost a single pound - not one!!!!   In fact, Ive gained about 5.   What the heck??    I've never worked out so much and i never had to monitor my diet before.   I even started eating breakfast (which until a few months ago i didnt do)    Nothings working.   Any helpful ideas or information would be greatly appreciated.   This is beyond frustrating.       

[SunsetRunner]

If you continuously eat above your maintenance calories even just for one day a week, it’s possible it could be adding up causing you to gain weight. It’s very easy to gain weight and very hard to work it off. Me for example, I could easily gain a couple pounds on a cheat day if I’m not mindful about what and how much I’m eating but it can take me the whole week to work it off. I would try eating more mindfully on your cheat day. At least if it’s not the cheat day you can eliminate that possibility.

[littlebrownbird]

Hello @outlawtdh

I'm 49 and going through perimenopause (I'm UK based).

I found the best thing was to focus on my diet and hormones. I found exercising alone was not helping me to shift the pounds because the primary cause of the issue is my hormones and not my diet or execise (neither of which changed as I hit perimenopause). 

I can recomend the following books/websites:

Menopause: The One-Stop Guide: The best practical guide to understanding and living with the menopau...

The Good Menopause Guide by Liz Earle

marilynglenville.com

Natural Solutions to Menopause - Marilyn Glenville

And I'm just about to read The Hormone Reset Diet - Sara Gottfried M.D.

I found a low carb (less than 10g%per 100g of food), no sugar regime worked for me together with supplementation with Promesil 80g per day, Lamberts Chromium Complex and Lamberts Pure Fish Oil. 

Also adding flaxseed to my food raised the level of phytoestrogens in my diet as did eating some soya youghurt (unsweetened) or drinking soya milk through out the day. 

This was effective withing a week or two, and the weight is coming off slowly. I do reformer pilates three times a week and am gradually upping my walking with a view to getting back into running and up to running a 5k gain in a reasonable time. 

Naturally, this relates to my situaton but with a bit of research, I hope you are able to find a solution that helps you. 

[littlebrownbird]

Hello @outlawtdh 🙂

I'm 49 and going through perimenopause (I'm UK based).

I found the best thing was to focus on my diet and hormones. I found exercising alone was not helping me to shift the pounds because the primary cause of the issue is my hormones and not my diet or execise (neither of which changed as I hit perimenopause). 

I can recomend the following books/websites:

Menopause: The One-Stop Guide: The best practical guide to understanding and living with the menopau...

The Good Menopause Guide by Liz Earle

marilynglenville.com

Natural Solutions to Menopause - Marilyn Glenville

And I'm just about to read The Hormone Reset Diet - Sara Gottfried M.D.

I found a low carb (less than 10g%per 100g of food), no sugar regime worked for me together with supplementation with Promesil 80g per day, Lamberts Chromium Complex and Lamberts Pure Fish Oil. 

Also adding flaxseed to my food raised the level of phytoestrogens in my diet as did eating some soya youghurt (unsweetened) or drinking soya milk through out the day. 

This was effective withing a week or two, and the weight is coming off slowly. I do reformer pilates three times a week and am gradually upping my walking with a view to getting back into running and up to running a 5k gain in a reasonable time. 

Naturally, this relates to my situaton but with a bit of research, I hope you are able to find a solution that helps you. 

[DuckandElf]

Great information!  Eating You Alive is a great follow-up documentary to Forks Over Knives. 🙂

[mchellet]

Hi I am glad I am not alone and looking into your replies for help/hope. My issue - I actually had a heart attack a year ago I had just turned 51. I am on 7 rx pills a day now and my doctor will only adjust that down if I can lose 10 pounds. I am down 5 - using fitbit 10k steps daily and gym/elliptical 3/week and counting calories NOOM religiously since November. My clothes fit great and normally I would not care about scale but I want to get off some of these meds. According to my apps I have a 500 calorie deficit daily but scale not budging (even accounting for errors shouldn't I see something?). They did check me for everything as I am under doctors care. I think that something I am taking is making me retain water weight my weight in the am is almost my target but within a few hours it is back up - 5 pound shift as the day goes on.  (Unfortunately my doc appointment is not at 7 am!).  So frustrated. I look and feel better than I  have in years (wore a dress from 25 years and 4 kids ago) until I step on the scale then I am defeated.

[DuckandElf]

Hello @littlebrownbird 

I follow Plant Based News and have seen many references to a new book by Dr. Neal Barnard>  He is a great resource for medical and dietary information.  He just recently released a new book called "Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health".  Our local library has ordered it so I'm waiting on it to come in.  The reviews are very positive.  It appears to be a great resource and I trust Dr. Barnard as a reliable doctor.  It might be worth looking at.

[danielkarlon]

Hey its great you are trying to lose weight, I have been trying too for very very long time.

Its important to always apply these 3 rules no matter what you are doing : 1. Eat less sugar and starch

2: Eat more protein, healthy fat and vegetables, 3: Do sports three times a week

Moderator edit: word choice

[SunsetRunner]

What great advice