What am I doing wrong?

I have ALWAYS been fit. I am female 39 yrs old, 5' 11", and up til last year, through my adult life I averaged 155-175 lbs, with 165 being the average for most of that time. Then last year, due to a side effect from taking birth control pills that I was on for 6-8 years.. I went off of them. (Side effect was a bladder condition). ANYWAY...since then I have jumped up to 195. 30 POUNDS IN ONE YEAR. I kept telling my doctors something was wrong with my hormones or my metabolism cause this just wasn't normal. Especially Not for me . I used tio be able to lose weight so easily and not by trying very hard either. Before the health issue I was working out on average of 1 hour a day so I know with cutting back on my exericse I was bound to gain some weight...BUT 30 LBS? In a year? Wwell actually about 10 months. All my doctor would tell me was that I was eating too much and because of the exercise cutback it was bound to happen. I don't buy it.  I went on vacation this summer...7 days...tropics...did activities galore. I weighed 183 when I left...weighed 195 when I came back and all this time later have not been able to lose a single ounce yet alone a pound. So I tried the Weight Watchers for about 3 weeks recently...NOTHING. Went to my doctor and told him I wanted metabolism blood work done. Wanted the works! I did some research and I think I may have insulin resistant or PCOS. My doctor says even if I DO have those things...it's not going to make me gain weight...EATING TOO MUCH WILL. So I started counting calories 2 weeks ago...I told him I was eating 1500 a day. He said that was too much. I found this website...did all the calculators. Says at sedetary state I burn 2000 and should eat 1500. I also did the light activity level...said I burn 2200 and should eat 1700. I have been averaging 1400 a day. Exercises (treadmill, stairmaster, weight training, et..) I burn on average 350-500 a day. HAVE LOST NOTHING. Now I know some people may say I am eating too little but I think even with 1400 (and going over some days) I should have lost SOMETHING these past two weeks.

I eat yogurt, wheat bread with peanut butter or eggs for breakfast.

I have an apple or banana a day. Blueberries mixed with low fat milk as a shake.

I eat chicken or pork for dinner (never fried or breaded). I eat veggies with dinner (usally broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach...sometimes carrots). I eat a salad every day with fat free dressing.

I have avoided all chips, cookies, cakes, etcc...I allow myself some dark chocolate ( 5 squares is 180 calories with some peanut butter) and I have some popcorn some nights as well.

I avoid white rice and potatoes. Eat wheat bread, wheat pasta and brown rice. Avoid corn and peas.

So even if do have PCOS or insulun resistance..shouldn't the way I am eating...alot of protein (meat, eggs, nuts, etc...) and the RIGHT CARBS (wheat bread, brown rice, etc... low carb veggies) and avoiding most sugars (except the occassional chocolate), be helping somewhat? Is there a # of carb grams per day I should not go above?

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? ALL THIS EXERCISE AND EATING RIGHT (WELL WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT), IS NOT ACCOMPISHING A SINGLE THING!

If you have PCOS or insulin problems, the South Beach diet can help a lot. 

My doctors (primary, endo and gyno) don't think I have PCOS or insulin resistance and my endo just ran all the blood work to shut me up basically. I asked what diet should I follow (JUST IN CASE) and all they say is EAT LESS. I asked about low cal or low carb and they tell me it doesn't matter..it's all about portion control. I just dont' buy it. My eating habits have not changed for me to have gained so much weight so quickly.

I looked things up online and thought I was following a decent diet for calorie control AND low carb. So I am at a loss.

Maybe I need to count carb grams and not just calories?

Oh my gosh, I totally sympathize with you! It is SO frustrating. I am in a similar boat but only 5'2"! I gained about 30 pounds in a year and for me it was partly stress and partly my hormones. I started to go thru menopause at about 41 or 42. I have managed to lose about 20 pounds so far this year but it is REALLY slow! I exercise and try to eat well and it is just SLOW.

My suggestions. Lift weights 2-3 times a week. I got the book New Rules of Lifting for Women (there is a complete group on cc that has great info). Drink more water. LOG everything you eat (and drink!!) and your exercise. (Overall I was pretty accurate, but I found out that on one or two items, I had my portions off so I had to adjust them.) I suspect that you are not eating enough and now your body is holding on to every pound it can. For my age, height, activity I have to eat about 1600 a day. More on days I lift. Otherwise (at 1300-1400 cal/day) I went into starvation mode and LOST NOTHING! (GI Jane may see your post and give you even better information!) Once you have logged everything for a week, you will have a better idea of how much you really should be eating. Then recognize that you may be going into menopause and it will totally screw with you, so maybe start taking a yoga class and realize that life is too short to worry about a few extra pounds. Yoga will help with stress too. Another thought is maybe your body is used to the foods you eat...maybe try changing them up! Or even calorie zigzagging (if normal is 1800 do one or two days during the week of 1600 and a couple of days higher to keep your body in flux). Good luck. I really feel for you (but am a little jealous that you are so tall:p) 

what your eating doesnt sound that bad. Maybe you should get a fod scale though and measure your food to make sure your eating the right portions and if you are then that can shut your doctor up. I dont know what your doctor is talking about 1500 is too much. Thats just rediculous. You may want to up your activity though. It could help jump start your metabolism. Also try adding ginger to your food or cayenne pepper. (if you like spicy food) Those spices can help speed up your metabolism.

In your hour of working out I would suggest 40 minutes cardio and 20 minutes weight lifting. See if that works for you. All I can think is there might be something wrong with your thyroid, but I'm sure that would have shown up in the blood work. I would suggest seeing a nutritionist to talk about these matters instead of your doctor. He doesn't sound too knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition. I think you would be better off this way.

Maybe it's a current medication you're on? I would check all the side effects of any you may be taking as well.

Try upping your protein for awhile maybe and cut back a little on the starches for about a week and see if that does anything different for you. Drink plenty of water and try some green tea into your diet if you have not already.

I'm also suspecting that maybe you have certain food allergies you are not aware of. This could also cause the problems you are mentioning you could get tested for those as well.

Good luck with everything. I agree, GIJane seems to come out with the most informative answers so maybe she can give you a better answer. :)

It sounds like you should get a second opinion from a different doctor.  You sound like you know your body and something isn't right. Your doctor isn't listening, and some of what he's saying isn't making sense (the recommended calories).  Go to someone who will investigate various potential medical causes.

Thank you for all your replies so far.

My current exercise routine is 5-6 days a week. Each day I do 30 minutes of cardio; treadmill (always alternating incline and speed), the stairmaster, or aerobic stepper (6 inches high). I will either do one of those a day or a mix. Then every other day, on top of the cardio, I will do about 15-20 minutes of wieghts and/or resistance. I do lunges, squates, leg crunches, leg lifts, sit ups, arm presses, etc....

I do have a thyroid conditon. Hypothyroid, that I've had for over 10 years. in fact, i was gaining weight way back then which made me go to the doctor and that's how I was diagnosed. All these years later...since being on the medicine for it...I've been fine. At first my doctors figured that that was the culprit for the recent weight gain so my dosage and levels were checked and have been checked every 3 months since...right on target. 

I have a sweet tooth, as I stated in my original post, I do have dark chocolate as a snack and I will pop a hard piece of candy or small handfull of m&m's and things like that. But nothing big at all and even when I count them into my daily calories it doesn't add to much. So I don't think I am eating the WRONG things cause my main meals of the day are pretty good healthy eating wise. Before this year I could down 3 slices of pizza and a cinnabon and not gain an ounce. I just don't know what happened between then and now.

And all the weight is in my hips and thighs. But I carry it well because I am so tall so no one thinks I am overweight cause I really don't look it. But tehcnically...anything over 185 for my height is overweight so I just want to lose some weight. Not even for vanity...but because I want to be healthy...and I just don't feel healthy anymore with all this extra weight.

My doctors ran blood work for the insulin resistance and diabetes and anything that can possibly cause wight problems. So I am waiting on those results...still watching what I eat and exercising every day...but to no evail.

Today so far...

Breakfast: a low fat yogurt (100 calories) and a small apple (55 calories)

Snack: ( it IS Christmas time...) a sliver (not even 2 inches thick) of chocolate cake (the closest thing in the food log I could find had it at about 220 calories...if I remember correctly) 

Lunch: Soup; homemade, with chicken broth and brown rice (170 calories)

Dinner (will be) a hamburger (with 90% lean meat/..i think 210 calories), on a wheat bun (100 calories),  with salad and veggies.

Snack tonight probably popcorn...5 cups. (110 calories)

That total brings me up to a little over 1,000 calories so I will throw in some other things maybe like a sweet potato, more veggies, or things like that to bring up the calorie count.

With my bladder condition I can't tolerate certain foods, especially acidy foods, and and certain meats (smoked, cured) and things high in potassium) so alot of things, especially fruits are things I can only eat in moderation. Even chocolate...love it, but have to have small amounts or my bladder will pay for it. I can tolerate apples, blueberries, pears and sometimes banana's and mango. So until I learned what I could and could not eat that wouldn't bother me...my diet over the past year has been hard to maintain steadily. But I KNOW I still ate healthy enough. It's just hard to figure out what's going on with me. According to my doctor(s) when I ask if not eating enough fruits or what I could and couldn't eat could have contributed to this weight gain ...they all pretty much said that even if I ate junk all day...as long as calorie count wasn't too high...I should still be able to lose weight. YEAH....RIGHT!!!!!  

I think you need a second opinion, 1500 calories too much?!!!  How many calories have they recommended that you eat a day?  Or have they not said?  This is all crazy to me, I don't like doctors who don't listen to their patients.  We pay them enough to do their jobs so they need to do it.  Do you take any vitamins?  Maybe try adding vitamin B-12 into your plan if you don't already, it helps with metabolism and is good for your heart.  I was going to ask about thyroid but you already answered that question.  Good Luck and get a second opinion. 

low carb is the best thing you can do for insulin resistance.  i am insulin resistant and low carb is the only thing that even remotely works for me--and the weight still comes off sooooo slow.  ive had metabolism problems my whole life and I reached my highest at 16 years old (252lbs) and low carb has helped me lose 28lbs this year.  try doing low carb to see if that helps you just in case you are insulin resistant and be happy that you've spent the first 39 years of your life being healthy.  GOOD LUCK!!!  I hope you succeed!

Thanks for all the replies. it's been very appreciated. For low carb...which i think is what i may start doing...how many grams should i keep it under? 

i would try vitamins but believe it or not...that is one of the things that bothers my bladder condition...the additives in vitamins and food. it's a crazy thing to have to deal with.

All I want to do is lose 20lbs by October 25, 2009. My wedding date! Right now...that seems impossible!!!