I have been Morbidly obese since I was 15 years old. Between ages 15 and 18 I gained 180lbs. I was diagnosed with PCOS and high blood pressure at 19. At 22, which was last year, they found out I had a hypothyroid. I have been following a low GI and low carb diet plan. I eat a 1600 calorie diet which is way below the 2200 calories my doctor suggested. I have been taking all of my medications on time and I drink at least a gallon of water a day. I exercise 7 days a week. I walk, use my wii fit, do dance dvds, I stopped driving I use the bus and get off a stop sooner then I should, I live on the 6th floor and always uses the stairs. I feel healthier, but the only problem is...my weight will not budge. It has for the last year, gone up or down by 5lbs. I am at my wits end! I want to be healthy, even more so because my husband and I would love to have a baby. I have been on fertility meds since Christmas time last year. Advice would be great. If there is any one out there who could suggest some questions I could ask my doctor or nutritionist...I'd be so grateful.
***EDIT***
I shop at Trader Joe's or my local farmers market. I eat only organic fruits and vegetables. I get all meat that I eat from a local butcher. I do not drink soda. I drink water and the occasional glass of home made lemonade or oj.
I keep a food Journal, so here is my meal log for the day:
Breakfast:
16 oz Water
1/2 cup plain oatmeal w/ 1TSP organic Honey
1 cup fresh sliced straw berries
1 Cup Organic Green Tea w/ 1 sugar cube
Mid Morning Snack:
16 oz Water
1/2 cup Sliced Cucumbers
small handful of cherry tomatoes
Lunch:
16 oz Water
Half of a whole wheat pita
1 TBSP low fat Cream Cheese
1 oz Sliced Turkey
2 slices of Tomato
1 Cup of Spinach with 1 TBSP equal parts olive oil and red Vinegar
Afternoon Snack:
1/4 cup diced Almonds
1 cup Organic Vanilla Yogurt
Dinner:
16 oz water
1 oz Salmon with lemon and dill
1/2 cup cooked Zucchini/carrot Mix
1/2 cup Brown Rice seasoned with lemon
Dessert:
1 small Apple sliced with a few dashes Cinnamon
of all things, my dermatologist suggested that I ask my primary dr for a script for metformin....which is used with diabetes.
His thoughts were that since I had PCOS - including hypothyroidism, high BP, & am considered pre-diabetic...my case warranted use of the drug. He also said that the weight would drop off then.
Something to think about??
If your doctor suggested 2200 calories, you should probably stick to that. 1600 calories/day may be putting your body into starvation mode. Especially if the foods that you're eating aren't nutrient-dense. Fill up on fruits & veggies!
Good luck to you!! :-)
I would talk to your Dr. about the Medifast program. It really works and provides the approriate amount of carbs, protein, and vitamins. I have been on it for 3 months and have lost 30lbs. The beauty of this program is it is safe and Dr. recommended. You are not hungry and you will feel great. It teaches you how to eat smaller portions, what kinds of foods to eat, and to eat more often. It also cuts out a lot of sugars, which is what makes us hungry and gain weight. Looking at what you are eating there is a lot of sugar -yogurt, strawberries, honey, and cream cheese are all high in sugar and carb content, which will make you hungry and not loose weight. Check it out online and talk to your Dr. about it. Good luck. T.
Just wanted to add that the rice and pasta is very high in carbs which also makes you gain weight. If you want to eat a healthy meal for dinner try a lean meat and veggies or a salad (no fat free- too much sugar, just find one with 8g or less fat and 6g or less carbs). with no potato, pasta, rice etc. You will feel less hungry.
I would be interested in knowing what you eat and drink. If you are eating packaged food, fast food, soda (diet especially), it won't matter how many calories you are consuming, your body will be in starvation mode simply because it desperately needs nutrition. Nutrient rich foods, healthy fats and non-processed foods can make a huge change in your weight, health and mental well-being. If you need some book recommendations or more advice, please feel free to contact me.
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Metformin? I have PCOS, and so does my sister. It helped both of us with weight loss, and for me to get pregnant.
Be kind to yourself. You're working hard!
do you still drink diet soda?? if you replace that with water your body might function the way you want it to.
My mom has recently lost a bunch of weight with metformin. She says it keeps her from feeling hungry, and she actually has to remind herself to eat or she gets shaky.
The other thing I might suggest is adding weights to your exercise plan. Walking and cardio is great, but lean muscle burns calories, and if you can increase your lean muscle mass, your body will burn more calories without you having to work for it.
I would run a few things past your doctor. 1). Is the medication your on making weight loss impossible? 2). Can you be on Weight Watchers?
I have a 25 y/o friend who has been overweight ALL of her life. At 25 she is 5 ft. 11 and 295 lbs. She started Weight Watchers online and it has been a life saver for her. She's down 50.4 lbs.!!! The diet is very user friendly and has worked for her. She works out at a local gym 3 days a week as well.
It sounds like your doing everything possible to lose weight, but maybe this can work for you? I'd ask your doctor, it really has changed my friend's life!
You are so going to like this answer. Muscle weighs more than fat. As you turn fat into muscle you will weight the same for a while and then you shall see yourself becoming thinner.
It takes time for muscle to develop. Keep up what you are doing. I would add one form of exercise that really burns calories and that is water aerobics. Classes exist at most public pools early in the morning.
I went to one around 7 am that let out after 45 minutes.
You must have missunderstood your doctor. 2200 calories would cause me to gain weight and I'm a man.
My wife is dieting and she gains weight on a 1600 calorie diet. I think she is doing 1200 calories to loose weight.
I have been on a 900 calorie diet (not currently) because I wanted to loose weight real bad and put up with the "starvation" of a 900 calorie diet.
I used to work the night shift and when I got home, I'd sit and watch TV for an hour to calm down before I went to bed. I saw an infomercial for 6 Week Body Makeover. They have a guarentee that if you don't loose two pants sizes or two dress sizes in 6 weeks, they will refund your money. I thought, How can I loose. If I lost the weight it was worth it. If I didn't I could get my money back. I lost 16 lbs in the first week. 4 lbs the second week and 5 lbs the third week. AND three pants sizes.
Just a thought. I wish you luck. If you have questions, e-mail me. Good luck to you and yours
My weight history is something like this. At age 33 in 1979 I weighed 225 and worked nights as a nurse. My weight crept up to 270-280 and then saw a doctor and took those Phen-fen meds that were recalled and banned but got my weight down to 200 by age 40. Since then I gained weight and was up to 334 by Oct of 2007 and joined Curves. I was able to get 20 lbs off but in Feb of 2010 I started on Medifast. My son and daughter-in law were using it and getting healthy. I went on line and read everything I could about it and the testimonials of women and decided this probably could work for me. My weight a year and a half later is 195 this morning and I'm working to get the last 30 lbs off as my goal. The food costs $16.50/box and you need 5 boxes/week or 20/4 weeks. If you join the "Take Shape for Life" club called TSFL you get free shipping. My coach is Stephanie Gallian. Her phone number is ###-###-####. She could answer any questions you have. Some people think the diet is too restrictive/limiting but I'm able to eat out. Yesterday my husband and I needed to eat out at lunch and we stopped at Dairy Queen. I had the grilled chicken salad and that was my lean & green meal for the day. When you read about it you'll understand what the lean & green meal is all about. If we eat at Applebees we get the 2 for $20 meals and I have the 7 oz steak and instead of the potato they give me an extra portion of broccoli. I skip the appetizer. Anyway hope this might be something that would work for you. If you want to email me my address is ____@____.com C. P.
You may be restricting yourself too much, which even though you have a lot of weight your body maybe resisting losing it. It looks like you may want to up your protein. 1oz of protein is really not enough, you should be eating at least 3 oz. Protein will make you feel fuller an is less calorie intense than carbs like bread. Acupuncture is really great for PCOS, there are a lot of acupuncturist that specialize in fertility specifically.
