Mynyel Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Jeez! I began working a month ago (actually it have been exactly 30 days!). I am on my feet the whole blasted shift! Not just stationary either. I am going back and forth, forth and back. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I drink water (not soda, tea, or juice). We eat whole foods. I am afriad to eat less, I don't want to starve my body, not to mention I can get terrible heartburn if I skip meals. I have lost only 3.5 pounds in a month. Even though I am am moving 4 to 5 times more than I was when I was at home. The last time I had a job similar in physical exertion was about 8 years ago and I dropped 20 pounds in 2.5 months. Unless I start dropping poundage it won't be that much. Why? I have taken my basil temp and it was normal. Hormones? I have been getting hot flashes for the better part of a year. Can PCOS *really* make it this hard to lose weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 1. Yes, PCOS can make it hard to lose weight. 2. If you have PCOS then you might find it helpful to go on a diet tailored for those who are insulin-resistant (i.e., one of the 'no flour/no white sugar' types of eating patterns). 3. You *have* lost weight which is wonderful! 4. It will take longer as you are 8 years older and metabolism slows down. 5. What are you eating for breakfast in particular? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 1. Yes, PCOS can make it hard to lose weight. 2. If you have PCOS then you might find it helpful to go on a diet tailored for those who are insulin-resistant (i.e., one of the 'no flour/no white sugar' types of eating patterns). 3. You *have* lost weight which is wonderful! 4. It will take longer as you are 8 years older and metabolism slows down. :iagree: I wish I could lose almost 4 pounds in a month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durriyyah Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Also, if you aren't getting in enough calories, you could be making your body think it is starving and it won't drop the weight right away either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 :iagree: I wish I could lose almost 4 pounds in a month! Thank you for posting this -- you have encouraged me on a day when I am discouraged (but not indulging in emotional eating -- just discouraged). I will start Week 4 of medifast tomorrow -- which means I have completed three weeks -- i have lost 12 or 13 pounds and I am thrilled, but just not today. So - thank you!!!!! I mean it!!!!!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 1. Yes, PCOS can make it hard to lose weight. 2. If you have PCOS then you might find it helpful to go on a diet tailored for those who are insulin-resistant (i.e., one of the 'no flour/no white sugar' types of eating patterns). 3. You *have* lost weight which is wonderful! 4. It will take longer as you are 8 years older and metabolism slows down. 5. What are you eating for breakfast in particular? :iagree::iagree::iagree: What's your carb intake like? Do you eat carbs in isolation, or do you pair carbs with protein and fat to smooth out blood sugar spikes? What are you eating for breakfast? FWIW, for a long-term weight loss plan, I think 1 to 2 pounds per week is ideal. 3.5 pounds is just slightly less than 1 pound per week - I think that's pretty good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 1. Yes, PCOS can make it hard to lose weight. 2. If you have PCOS then you might find it helpful to go on a diet tailored for those who are insulin-resistant (i.e., one of the 'no flour/no white sugar' types of eating patterns). 3. You *have* lost weight which is wonderful! 4. It will take longer as you are 8 years older and metabolism slows down. 5. What are you eating for breakfast in particular? Breakfast is either a smoothie (and a cup of coffee with creamer and xylitol for sugar) or an apple a dozen or so almonds and coffee. I try to avoid carbs in the morning if at all possible. I have often wondered about the no flour (meaning low carb) for me. I seem to do better with less cabs. I *can't* eat cereal in the morning (well at all really) it slows me down and makes me sluggish. The apple and almonds gives be lots of energy and I feel lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 What I've noticed is that the older I get the harder it becomes to lose weight. I could just cut back a little when I was younger and I'd drop 10 pounds without hardly trying. Now? Forget it. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 What I've noticed is that the older I get the harder it becomes to lose weight. I could just cut back a little when I was younger and I'd drop 10 pounds without hardly trying. Now? Forget it. Waahhhh :willy_nilly::crying:. Bah. Guess I am not doing as bad as I thought. I will still try to avoid certain carbs though, mostly grain carbs. I do fine with taters and rice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Breakfast is either a smoothie (and a cup of coffee with creamer and xylitol for sugar) or an apple a dozen or so almonds and coffee. I try to avoid carbs in the morning if at all possible. I have often wondered about the no flour (meaning low carb) for me. I seem to do better with less cabs. I *can't* eat cereal in the morning (well at all really) it slows me down and makes me sluggish. The apple and almonds gives be lots of energy and I feel lighter. I am not allowed fruit on medifast...i am losing weight. No bread, no pasta, the only carbs are in the mf product -- no heartburn (had it constantly prior to starting); someone here wrote recently that one has to be careful with calories in nuts/almonds -- i don't remember who said it but it made sense. What I've noticed is that the older I get the harder it becomes to lose weight. I could just cut back a little when I was younger and I'd drop 10 pounds without hardly trying. Now? Forget it. :iagree: (there should be a frowny face I AGREE as well) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwg Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Have you entered your food in Livestrong or a similar site? I am always surprised to find just how many carbs I am eating :tongue_smilie: Fruit and nuts are pretty high I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 What I've noticed is that the older I get the harder it becomes to lose weight. I could just cut back a little when I was younger and I'd drop 10 pounds without hardly trying. Now? Forget it. :iagree: some time in the past year, it has suddenly gotten particularly difficult to lose weight (I recently turned 44). Literally, I notice a difference between this summer and last. Guess I am not doing as bad as I thought. I will still try to avoid certain carbs though, mostly grain carbs. I do fine with taters and rice. No, I don't think you're doing as bad as you thought! It sounds like you're doing pretty well, actually. However, with regard to the apples and taters and rice, carbs are carbs. Maybe try counting them, to get a better picture of what you're actually eating. I recently started taking ceylon cinnamon capsules during meals in the hope of improving insulin sensitivity (I am a wuss and put sugar in my coffee :blushing: after giving up on xylitol. I am very very bad.). It feels like it helps, though I haven't been using the glucometer to actually verify :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Breakfast is either a smoothie (and a cup of coffee with creamer and xylitol for sugar) or an apple a dozen or so almonds and coffee. I try to avoid carbs in the morning if at all possible. Those are still carb-y breakfasts (nowhere near as bad as a bowl of cereal or toast...but a smoothie and an apple are both carb instead of protein/fat unless you're adding a lot of extra stuff to them. FWIW, I eat grain-free and when I need to up my carbs into 'weight gain territory' (b/c I'm pregnant and would like to gain some weight) I make a smoothie b/c I can easily get 50g+ of carbs that way. Nuts are fine as a snack but not a good meal. What about some meat/eggs with your breakfast? A hard boiled egg, some leftover salad with eggs chopped in it (or chopped chicken or other meat), making 'breakfast sausage patties' with ground turkey and spices mixed in - it's like turkey burgers but tastes like sausage (without any of the nasty add-ins the super market uses). I have often wondered about the no flour (meaning low carb) for me. I seem to do better with less cabs. I *can't* eat cereal in the morning (well at all really) it slows me down and makes me sluggish. The apple and almonds gives be lots of energy and I feel lighter. FWIW, if you want to lose weight a carb limit would look like this: Very Low Carb (not sustainable long-term, you can't have fruit on it, it tends to jumpstart weightloss REALLY fast aka Atkins): 50g/day or less (remember that all fruits and vegetables have carbs in them) Low Carb for Weight Loss: 50-100g/carb a day (you will lose a good amount of weight at a healthy rate and will have a lot more room for a large variety of foods including fruits) Carbs for Weight-maintenance: 100-150g/carb (you won't gain weight, but weight loss will be slow to non-existent at this level depending on your specific metabolism and what foods you eat): Carbs for weight gain: 150g+ carbs. Once you go above 150g of carbs per day then you're in 'weight gain territory' which is good for some people who want to gain weight (me!) but not so good for others who are trying to lose weight. FWIW, the best foods for healthy, long-term weight loss (i.e., a lifestyle change and not a temporary diet) are just whole, unprocessed foods: Vegetables (lots!), proteins, some fruit, healthy fats (which trigger your body to say 'I'm full - no hunger pangs here, stop eating!'), and plenty of good spices/herbs to keep your food flavorful without having to use sugar/sweeteners. You might find http://www.marksdailyapple.com helpful for food ideas too - he's got a food pyramid that I like a lot. He's also no grain/no refined sugar in the recipes on his site and cookbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 All right, I have a handle on this weight loss thing...lost 100 pounds my freshman year in college (if you ask, my parents had a tumultuous period in my high school years and I gained 90 pounds in one year!) As soon as I left, it just melted off! Kept it off until my first pregnancy 10 years later...unfortunately, my pregnancies had me nauseous for 9 months, food was all that helped, gained 65 with first, 35 with second and 25 with third, but never lost in between...and had 3 children in 4 years...lost 70 pounds of that in one year. Got two mortgages for 31 months and put on 90 pounds!! Dear goodness, but at this point (age 44) the weight has taken much longer to come off, in one year I am down 60 pounds!! I am on a path of losing 2-3 pounds a week FINALLY after having many months of only getting 5 pounds off. The difference is I have had to work MUCH harder and adjust my eating...for what it's worth, here is what is working for me... Exercise: Walk 30 miles a week...first mile I up my speeds, but still walk, no running (bad knees from having seizures in college...which I honestly believe were triggered by phenylalanine in Slim Fast!, another story) second mile I alternate inclines going higher each week, third mile I use weights for upper arm workouts, in other words, utilize ALL major muscle groups. Food: Almost Never: white flour, sugar, fried foods, sodas (diet) Not often: potatoes, rice (brown is okay), corn, bananas, apples Often: green veggies (spinach, brussel sprouts, lettuce, peppers, beans)..berries for fruits (raspberry, strawberry, blueberries)...whole grains and I eat these just once a day and usually at breakfast...serving size is key, I bought special bowls that only hold one cup once the 1/2 cup of skim milk is added...lean proteins with no added sodium...sodium is the KILLER!! If you have a fitness app that can track your sodium intake, you will be surprised that you're probably hitting 3x the recommended amount..I have found with age, this is the ultimate weight blocker! I never add salt anymore, if I get weak from my exercise routine I will add 1/4 cup of gatorade or coconut milk to my water and it perks me right up. I also get roast beef sliced at the deli for my low iron counts..works like a charm... I never eat more than 500 calories in one sitting...I eat about 100 for breakfast, snack on almonds (no salt about 10) for snack, eat around 300 calories for lunch, turkey wrapped around provolone and a small salad with vinegar and oil, then another 100 calorie snack and a dinner with 2 veggies and a protein...this eating AND the big workouts have really slimmed my body down, I only lost 7 pounds last month but lost 12 inches (measuring 5 body regions)!!! I love the energy I have, I do not crave the bad stuff as much, and if I want 10 M&Ms...I'll eat them, just not a king size bag! :) HTH!! I'm on my way to goal and it's been harder than ever to lose it, but worth the effort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 (edited) Try switching a bit of what you eat from carbs like bread, rice, pasta, to more veggies. If you have white bread, rice, pasta - try using whole grain and brown rice. Cut one whole serving of non-veg carbs altogether and add a lean protein. A handful of plain almonds (12 of them) instead of a serving of bread is good. Protein is your friend. And don't worry. A few pounds a month IS losing - and more apt to stay off since you are loosing weight nice and slowly. Dropping too much too fast can just make it creep back faster. Better to slightly and slowly adjust your diet and slowly lose weight. I am down almost 50 lbs in 10 months....yes, exercising but also just adjusting what I eat. I do NOT let myself feel hungry. I have four meals a day - but each is about 300 - 350 calories (I am 5'1" - a taller person may need more calories). I snack on a handful of almonds, a handful of sliced bell peppers. If you have time to add in some strength training, that can boost the metabolism (and help you look trimmer even if the scale is obstinate.) Edited July 4, 2012 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 My sister has (maybe had) PCOS, and she lost a great deal of weight following the Atkins plan. I live an Atkins lifestyle as well & I lost 35 lbs. and have kept it off for almost two years. It is a lifestyle commitment, though, and you have to stick with it. I find that it's worth it, though, and so does my sister. Here are a few links you might want to check out: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/ http://www.atkins.com/Home.aspx http://holdthetoast.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.