I'm taking a break and listening to my body for a week.

Well, I've tried everything else.

I'm clinically obese, yet I eat less than I burn- all the time. Even on my 'off-days'- which are about once every 6wks or so, I eat around maintenence. The 'experts' are baffled. Everyone tells me to be patient. I have been, believe me. I have been the same weight since last July- give or take 1-2lbs. My dietician advised me to eat my BMR (1535) as "no-one could be obese eating what their body needs"- at my last visit I was up 2lbs. She told me to keep at it and she'd see me in 6mths. She couldn't criticise my food diaries, told me I was doing everything I should be, except lose weight. 

I exercise for 40mins daily (enough to sweat). I eat clean, fresh food. I rarely drink. I weigh everything. I eat 3 meals with 3 snacks at regular intervals. I'm at my wits end. If I play the numbers game- for the last two weeks I've averaged an 800cals deficit which totalled 11150cals 'extra', which should've resulted in a loss of 3lbs. But nothing. My fat/protein/carb ratio is averaging 20/20/60 (22/25/52 over a longer period).

If I stayed the same for a month, then dropped a few lbs I'd be happy. But I've been stable, completely, no matter what I try, for months & months.

This week I'm taking a break. I'm going to eat when I'm hungry, not to 'hit' my daily target, and not limit myself in case I go over. I'm going to keep a paper log of what I eat, then next Monday enter it to see how I average. I'm a bit wary of trying this as usually when I do this I tend to undereat, but that's usually at the weekends when I'm not in a routine- I'll have set meal-times during the week so I'll eat 'normally' then, and watch myself at the weekend.

I'm just so fed-up I'll try anything to 'jig' my system into releasing this excess weight! I have a feeling it won't make any difference though?...

It'll make a difference to how you feel....   If you're constantly monitoring & measuring food, weighing yourself and so forth it's pretty stressful.  I think 'relaxation' is a much underrated feature of health and wellbeing.  Insulin levels are raised by stress which makes fat-loss difficult all by itself.

If you can eat normally, feel happy, relaxed, stay off the scales for a few weeks and ultimately find that your weight still doesn't change then I think that would be an improvement on the current situation. 

Your situation sounds very frustrating, and I admire your commitment to doing what it takes to get it done! I like the idea of taking a break and trying to relax. You may also decide to use the time to reflect on the excellent positive lifestyle changes you have made...you are eating clean and working out. Even if you hadn't lost a single pound, it sounds like you are healthier than when you started. How are your non-weight indicators of health? Do you find that you have better energy or endurance?

Thanks for your replys. I do feel healthier- but then I treated my body like cr*p for year & years- so anything had to be an improvement! LOL! I don't especially feel I have more energy though- even after implementing exercise into my daily routine? I thought more exercise would improve my stamina, but I haven't noticed anything yet? If anything, I find it harder & harder to get out there & do it- but the lack of results may have something to do with that? I don't know?

I guess I feel that because I'm doing everything 'right' I should be losing, not like before when I dieted & cut way back, lost a bit, stalled, gave up, and started all over again. I've persevered through the plateau's (which eventually turned into one HUGE plateau that has yet to be broken!).

I have my annual medical in 3wks so I'll find out then if theres anything that could be medically hampering my efforts- but I have no symptoms of the usual suspects so I really don't expect any surprises there. I imagine increased insulin levels would be detected then?

Staying away from the scales would be a mission in itself- I've gotten used to seeing the daily ups & downs (by 1lb or so!)throughout my cycle & after eating certain foods etc.?

I find myself reading all the crackpot pop-ups & ad's on sites like this and thinking...maybe that'll work? Thats why I thought it was time to take a 'time-out'- I don't want to be THAT desperate?

Do you include strength training/weights in your exercise routine?

Take a break....you need it.  Maybe your eating too low?  Your body may be sensitive to that.  Mine is.  After a few days 4 tops.  Usually I try to do good everyday, then Saturday would be a high day for me.  You always want to keep the body guessing.  I was doing 3 days low one high, but it seems counter active.  Good Luck.  Hey are you losing inches at all?  Those count too.

I do a little free weights using my arms. I don't have gym access, so the 'kinds' of exercise I can do are pretty limited. It hasn't made any difference either way to my weight- and I don't think I do enough to cause 'muscle' weight iykwim? Just enough to try and tone my flabby bits? The exercise hasn't made any difference to my size- inches or weight. Thats probably why I'm so down about it all. Exercise really was my last resort- I have little enough time to get the 'essentials' done each day without fitting in 45-odd minutes of exercise, and it's difficult to get someone to mind the kids so I can get it done? So I asked/begged for help for a while to see how it went, and have neglected other things that need doing in the hope that I would now- after giving in- see a difference- but nothing!

I felt like crying when I read your post.  You wrote exactly what I've been feeling.  I've been trying hard to lose weight FOREVER.  In the last few weeks I've been especially "good" thinking maybe I've been fooling myself and haven't been as angelic as I thought.  So...I do 40-50 min. hard cardio 5 x/wk and weight training 3 x/wk, and I eat healthy ~ 1500 calories (NOT alot of food). Well Monday morning is my weigh-in day and, as usual, I'm the same - not even 1 pound less than a month ago OR a year ago!

I know all the blah blah blah about feeling good about myself, feeling healthier and all that but I want to lose weight.  I wouldn't mind doing all I'm doing if I had some progress. I feel like I'm constantly denying myself and wasting my time going to the gym.  It's so frustrating.

I wasn't going to write because I had nothing helpful to say - I'm just feeling very down right now. I don't mean to bring you down too but sometimes just knowing you're not alone helps.  Let's just ride it out. I'm not going to give up just yet, and I hope you don't either.  Good luck.

'Misery loves company' is not the answer/solution but I know what you are going through and send my sentiments. Have you per chance already lost 10% of original wt? If so, there is a slow down after that, I'm told.

Take a look at this thread where I learned that I am a "balanced oxidizer" and am  shooting for 30/30/40 percentages of fat/protein/carb.

Do take the break though and relax before tackling it again. Good luck.

Yes, taking breaks is good.  If you follow the same regime all the time, your body just adapts to it and nothing changes.  Maybe you should get another opinion from another dietician as well.  i agree with the above post in that not everyone metabolizes the same way.  (f I ate to your ratio, I would probably gain weight, in addition to being bad tempered and hungry).  Doing the same type of workout gives you diminishing returns.  Try intervals instead of steady state cardio and do some really challenging resistance training or Boot camp workouts. 

How do you sleep?  Do you keep your room in darkness or are there stray lights (especially blue ones) in the room?  Do you watch television or use a computer screen in the evening?  These are things that interfere with deep sleep and this will cause your serotonin levels to rise.  Elevated serotonin combined with a high carb diet is a good way to put on weight.

I am doing the same thing you are. I found that I wasn't getting results - well, maybe a tiny bit but nothing noticeable - and was just frustrating myself keeping a log and weighing in all the time. It took up too much of my life.

I decided to take what I'd learned and try just eating like that, without keeping track of it, eating the same way I had been, and watching if that works. It has. I'm staying around the same weight/losing a bit...and I'm so much calmer and happier for it.

You deserve a break, and maybe it'll be the best thing you've tried.

Original Post by miss_vito:

 Maybe you should get another opinion from another dietician as well. 

i agree with the above post in that not everyone metabolizes the same way.  (f I ate to your ratio, I would probably gain weight, in addition to being bad tempered and hungry). 

 The dietician I saw was one I was referred to by my Doc- here in Ireland there are no 'private' dieticians, and it's pot luck who you get to see. She did say she'd discussed it with her colleagues and they couldn't suggest anything else I could try? Useful as a chocolate teapot!

Do you think my ratio's are screwy? I don't know why my carb intake is so high- I eat a LOT of vegetables, and have 2-3 slices of granary/wholemeal bread a day? I eat pasta/rice/potatoes etc very rarely? My breakfast is usually 2 weetabix & semi-skimmed milk, lunch- homemade veg soup with a salad sandwich, dinner- fish/chicken with either stir-fried/steamed veg. Snacks are flavoured rice cakes or a fruit smoothie. Can you suggest any improvements?

mischiefdm- I'll have a look at that thread and see what it suggests. Thanks!

According to that test I'm a balanced & my ratio's should be 40% Carbs / 30% Protein / 30% Fat?! Thats a HUGE difference? I don't know if I could cope with that amount of fat in my diet? And how would I get those ratios considering my usual diet? And would it really make a difference?...

I did the test too and determined that I'm also "balanced" (me??? - that's funny, sorry).  Anyway, I've decided to try it since what I'm doing now isn't working.  If the overall calories are the same I shouldn't gain, right? We'll see.

Definitely worth a try, especially if nothing else is working. As previously stated, I'm a I am a "balanced oxidizer" and frequently have to take addition tsp of olive oil just to get the ratio up.

Simplifies the baking though as I don't have to substitute the oil for applesauce. Protein whey is added to hot cereal and soy slender drinks to get protein up. Some suggest eating full fat, rather than fat free, items to get fat content up.

irishmum: I would suggest replacing the rice cakes with something else. Check out Black Bean Fudge, which I modify by using Splenda or Blueberry Muffins which I modified by using protein whey, sugar free syrup, oatbran, flaxseed and a few others to give 40/30/30 ratio in a muffin.

Good luck to whatever you do!

PS, I rarely have more than 1 slice of WW bread.

In frustration I started doing massive amounts of research about weight loss and healthy eating, even though I thought I knew it all.  My conclusions were that I do much better on a higher fat/higher protein diet.   I have almost completely eliminated grains and sugar for a little over a month, cut down on cardio and finally lost the weight I had been trying to lose for almost 2 years.  There is a website that has a program I followed called the elimination diet.  It is a way to test your body to see if you may have some hidden food sensitivities.  If you do have food sensitivities your body could be storing toxins in fat around your midsection.  Once the offending food or foods are eliminated that fat will just melt away.  One thing you need to realize is that there are only 3 food categories-protein, fat and carbohydrates.  We actually need far less carbs than we eat, which makes us very suseptible to all kinds of diseases.  Try increasing fats and protein and getting your carbs from vegetables, and small amounts of fruits beans and legumes.  If you want to learn more about the elimination diet go to my profile.  It also sounds like you may have a little adrenal fatigue going on.  Google natural cures for adrenal fatigue to get some more info about this.  I found an excellent article this way that has helped me.  Good luck!

One other thing I discovered, ALL CALORIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!!!!!  Protein and fat are not metabolized in the same way as carbs are.  That is why Atkins/low carb diets work.  One important thing to consider is the quality of the protein and fat you consume.  I eat only grass fed beef/bison or elk and free range chicken.  I also eat plenty of ghee (clarified butter).  I never, ever eat food with added oil (sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, canola oil).  The oil added to processed food is rancid and not fit for human consumption.  It is stored in your body as cellulite.  I could go on all day about this, but I won't.  Do the research yourself and be your own judge!

im the same way momma3biker.  

i did weight watchers for a while, which is basically exactly like pure calorie counting.  eat what you want, just keep it in your daily points (or calorie) limit.  well, being the sneaky little thing that i am, i managed to fit bread and icecream (weight watchers brand, by the way) into my diet regularly.  i still stayed within my daily points limit, but i stopped losing weight.   finally i switched over to the weight watchers core plan, which is kind of low carb, and i instantly felt better and started losing weight.   im not actually a member of weight watchers anymore, but i still stick to the idea of lowish-carb eating because thats what MY BODY functions best with regardless of what the food pyramid says.  

Definately take some time to experiment with your body.   Calories definately always count, but i believe that food sensitivies can overpower the pure math of calorie counting.

Have you had your TSH levels tested with your doctor?  This has been a HUGE wake up call for me.  Mind you, it takes awhile to get the thryoid to work again but once that level is regular, my body started metabolizing!  I'm losing weight like I should be for the level of activity and healthy balanced diet that I maintain.  If you haven't had these things analyzed with blood tests, maybe you should consider it.

I agree emilyfoval.  Adrenal glands, thyroid, blood sugar control and cortisol are all interconnected and when not functioning properly all contribute to weight gain and/or inability to lose weight.  One thing to keep in mind is you can have sub-clinical disregulation of the thyroid that would not show up with conventional thyroid tests.  A naturpathic doctor can give you a test that would show subtle abnormalities of the thyroid and adrenal system.  They can also recommend herbs and other supplements that can get your system working properly again. 

This is a very common cause of weight gain (according to research I have found).  Especially with women who typically try to do it all and don't take the time to rest, recover and eat right.  I always thought I was eating clean, but it turns out it wasn't right for me.  Because I had gone into adrenal fatigue my thyroid quit working properly, my blood sugar was harder to control so my cortisol levels were up.  Cortisol signals the body to store fat.  By stabilizing blood sugar you reduce cortisol and there is no fat storage.  Keeping this in mind think about your diet.  What are you eating that may contribute to poor blood sugar control?  Fruits, rice cakes, bread, etc.  By optimizing your protein and fat intake you gain control over your blood sugar avoiding spikes thereby reducing cortisol.  Grains really don't supply us anything that vegetables can't supply with lower carbs and calories.  Grains are great for keeping cattle and pigs fat and keeping the world's population fed, but not great for losing weight.  Think about the nutrition and fiber you get for 100 calories of bread or other grain product versus 100 calories of black beans.  Black beans have significantly more nutrition and fiber (something like 14 grams vs. maybe 4 grams for a slice of bread).  So chose your carbs wisely. 

Wow! A LOT of food for thought (pun intended!). It looks like I have a bit of research to do. I have my annual medical in 2wks so this advice couldn't have come at a better time! I will definately look into adrenal fatigue, and blood sugar issues.

I just realised I didn't mention that I do have hypothyroidism- but my levels are stable with the meds (staying around 3.15 or so)- I'm now wondering should I ask to get the dose increased a little to bring my numbers down to the lower end of 'normal'?

Jessicasbc- I was the same with weightwatchers a few years ago! LOL! I ate what I liked as long as it was within my points allowance- some weekends I had 20 points worth of alcohol (it wasn't pretty!) It taught me NOTHING about nutrition or what my body needed!

momma3biker- how much did you eventually lose when you cut out these things? I'll definately look into the elimination diet you mentioned. I carry all/most of my weight around my middle so you may be onto something there?

My diet has been very low fat for YEARS, and it obviously isn't working- even though it was always drummed into me that to lose weight you had to eat less and cut out fat! I'll look into the suggestions you have all made and see if theres anything that may help? I don't know how to lower my carbs really- I eat a LOT of vegetables as I mentioned earlier, and rarely have rice/pasta/potatoes. I only have bread if I have toast for breakfast or a sandwich (2 slices) for lunch and it's wholemeal/granary so supposedly better for me than white? I could change the breakfast I guess? Any suggestions as to how I can drop my carb intake would be appreciated?

Thank you so much everyone. I'm enjoying not thinking about food or what I'm eating today/next, every minute of every day at the minute. If I gain a few lbs over the next week or two (even though I shouldn't?) then so be it. I'll come back ready to tackle it again- with a fresh medical review under my belt too!

Original Post by mischiefdm:

 Protein whey is added to hot cereal and soy slender drinks to get protein up. Some suggest eating full fat, rather than fat free, items to get fat content up.

irishmum: I would suggest replacing the rice cakes with something else. Check out Black Bean Fudge, which I modify by using Splenda or Blueberry Muffins which I modified by using protein whey, sugar free syrup, oatbran, flaxseed and a few others to give 40/30/30 ratio in a muffin.

 Oh- and thanks so much for these ideas! Definately worth a try!