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How to lose weight with LD?

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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/4/2009 12:14 PM (GMT -7)
Hi, I have gained 18lbs in the last 1 1/2 years.  I can't take off the weight for anything.  I have been keeping a very detailed diary of the food I eat.  I am taking in about 1200 calories a day and still haven't lost anything!  I am not able to tolerate a lot of exercise, but try to walk everyday.  Any suggestions for what to try? Thanks, KO
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nefferdun
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2008
Posts : 900
Posted 10/4/2009 4:59 PM (GMT -7)
I know what you mean. I gained about ten pounds and it is very hard to lose it. Recently I have added Acetyl L Carnitine to my list of supplements and Alpha Lipoic Acid. ALC helps convert fat into muscle and helps you to use fat for energy. I have more energy when I take it and do not feel as hungry. The ALA helps regulate blood sugar I think. Try googling them. A few years ago Reader's Digest had an article about them calling them the fountain of youth supplements. I give the ALC to two of my horses with muscle stiffness and metabolic problems. One that was very fat is losing weight and he is 20. You are supposed to feed one gram per 100 pounds of body weight for a horse. I take one gram and it seems like plenty for me.
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stutterbug
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2007
Posts : 478
Posted 10/4/2009 5:23 PM (GMT -7)
I know the pain. I am finally losing this weight. I have tried everything also. What works for me is Slim Fast. The shakes give me more nutrients than I would get in any meal AND I love the chocolate taste. I just drink it for one meal now. ---Just keep on moving as much as you can.  amey

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hopingToFindCure
Veteran Member
Joined : Nov 2008
Posts : 759
Posted 10/4/2009 6:55 PM (GMT -7)
If you are on a diet of 1200 calories a day and are walking and you are still not losing weight, you should consider a thyroid test.

It's not expensive and can be done by any doc in a box.

Good luck and keep up the good work. Your on the right path either way.
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+Lyme
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 1304
Posted 10/4/2009 7:10 PM (GMT -7)
Ko-LD, I am with you here. Only I've put on at least 20 lbs which will not budge. Can't starve myself to death, cause I'm hypoglycemic -- still I have gained and lost more 20 lbs than anyone I know! So I definitely know how to lose weight. But this is so different

I experienced a definitely different weight gain not long after my tick bite. I do have hypothyroidism, but I understand that this is because Lyme has attacked my thryoid, as it so frequenly does.

I am wondering and hoping if some of these issues will resolve on their own, as the Lyme is combatted?

And I have gained the most in places that were not a problem in the past: girth of my entire torso, huge belly (NEVER have I had this, but it started not long after my last bite), and my boobs (sorry gentlemen) have gotten almost huge (for me) I realize our bust gets larger when we have put on weight, but the size of THIS one is completely different than EVER in my past.
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Willowrose
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2009
Posts : 699
Posted 10/4/2009 7:56 PM (GMT -7)
I'm not sure what it means in terms of general health when you gain weight if you don't have a thyroid problem and you're not eating a lot of bad foods. But to me, it looks like health. My body is working so poorly right now that I struggle to keep weight on. I would feel happy if I were healthy enough to have the problem most people do (and that I've had in the past) of needing to go on a diet from time to time to shed unwanted pounds. I do not have a thyroid problem; it was just tested. I think it's a function of being unwell. No appetite. Restricted diet. Poor absorption of nutrients. Not a good thing.

It's too bad we live in a society that values being skinny as an aesthetic paradigm for women. I'm getting weary of explaining to well-meaning people who comment how wonderful it must be to be so thin that I am thin because I am sick and I'd give anything to be more well no matter how much weight that means I might gain. I would trade places with them in a heartbeat. When I can go back to the gym without becoming totally exausted before I even start, and I can eat like a normal person, and I can sleep through the night, and I don't hurt everyday; when I don't feel like the life has been sucked out of me and I can once again be the wife, partner, mother, and friend I used to be - that is when I will rejoice that finally I have reached my goal of health. If when I get there I weigh 150 pounds, I can't imagiine that it will dim my joy at all. Lyme has reorganized my priorities.

I'm not meaning to trivialize anyone's feelings; I'm just speaking for myself. As I read your posts, I felt envious. I look forward to the day when I am well enough to gain weight.  Just a different perspective.  Take care,

Rose

Post Edited (Willowrose) : 10/4/2009 10:12:14 PM (GMT-6)

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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/7/2009 8:09 AM (GMT -7)
Rose, I posted a reply but don't know what happened to it.  I'll try again.  Please don't envy me, I feel exactly the same way (except for the weight loss thing).  I too wish that I could work out like I used too.  I'm lucky if I can take a walk after dinner.  I can't fall asleep, or stay asleep, or go back to sleep once I wake up.  I have had pain everyday for so long I don't remember what it feel like not to have pain.  An now I am dealing with menopause which is just the icing on the cake, it's made symptoms so much worse.  I know exactly what you mean by feeling like the life has been sucked out of you.  I feel like I've died inside and my body just doesn't know yet.  I look forward to the day when I just feel normal again.  Take Care, KO
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Willowrose
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2009
Posts : 699
Posted 10/7/2009 9:09 AM (GMT -7)
KO-LD,

You are right, we are all in this together. I think I was responding to my frustration with how my health is. Never thought I'd say so, but I miss the days of commiserating with my friends about the extra pounds. We'd all make a resolve to do something about it; there was comfort in commonality. I am sorry I didn't think of that before I wrote my post, because afterwards I was sad that maybe I said something that would take away that comfort for others. Thanks for your post. I've been feeling guilty that no one wrote after that. I didn't mean to cast a shadow on anyone's experience.

Rose
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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/7/2009 9:34 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Rose, 

I really just wanted you to know that you are not alone.  The weight gain that won't come off is just the last straw for me.  None of my clothes fit anymore, and it has really messed with my body image.  I feel like I have aged 15 years since 2007 (when stuff really hit the fan), and now I feel like I look like it too.  Some days I just wonder how much more I can take.  The first doctor that I saw in 2007 said my metabolism had ground to a halt this was before menopause.  He wanted me to go on this no carb diet, but I just couldn't handle it, it was so restrictive.  I was just wondering what anyone's doctors have suggested to get their metabolism up again.

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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/7/2009 9:43 AM (GMT -7)
HopingToFindACure, I had my thyroid tested and it is in the "normal" range.  My TSH was on the low side of normal 0.685  normal is  0.450 - 4.500.   What do you think?

KO

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rcenters
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2007
Posts : 259
Posted 10/7/2009 9:57 AM (GMT -7)
I am no expert, but there are some things I have learned that might help. First, need some more info. How long have you been eating only 1200 calories, and were you eating only 1200 calories by design/intent that whole time? I know you said you have been counting calories but have you been counting grams of nutrients, and especially protein? Are you eating vegetarian? What's a sample day or two of what you eat?
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Willowrose
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2009
Posts : 699
Posted 10/7/2009 10:12 AM (GMT -7)
KO-LD

I am on a really low carb diet because I have an issue with yeast overgrowth. It's not appetizing to me to eat the stuff I can eat (I'm a former carboholic and oh what I'd give for a bowl of oatmeal). I'm sure that is one reason why I am having difficulty with my weight. Now it is starting to get cold and I'm shivering all the time. I remind myself of a scrawny shivering dog on an abused animal commercial. Except so far I still have all of my teeth. Nothing on me looks good anymore, my hair is thin and lifeless, my skin is dull, I'm often bent over in pain, everything sags. I think Lyme and menopause collaborated to take away my muscle tone. I hate to think of what may be happening on the inside if the outside is a reflection of my internal health.

Can you exercise? In the past the best way I found to up my metabolism was to work out. I've gone to the gym a few times since I've been this sick, but every time I do I'm in terrible pain for days afterwards even though I think I "took it easy." But I'm going back today, with an even more reduced plan. I also take a couple of short walks every day when I can. That depends a lot on the sciatica and knee & foot pain.

I hope you find the answer you seek soon.

Rose
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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/7/2009 10:51 AM (GMT -7)
Rose, about the only exercise I can handle is my walk after dinner with my husband. I bought a really nice eliptical but it was too much for me. I plan on trying again when the weather gets colder and try and build up to a decent time and level. It's funny you should mention sciatica, I haven't had it since I was pregnant with my son 1994, and it's recently come back for a visit. Hope it's just a fluke!
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KO-LD
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 887
Posted 10/7/2009 10:58 AM (GMT -7)
rcenters, It's been months now, I made a point on writing down what I eat. I do go out to eat with my family once a week, but other than that I'm eating at home. I try and get my protein and fiber as well.
Sample menu:
breakfast Oatmeal and coffee 320
lunch fiber bar 130, cottage cheese 150, or cheese stix 90 I spread lunch out more like snacks
dinner chicken, fish sometimes pork 500 or more depending on sides.
Any thoughts, KO
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JELAINEP
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 2017
Posted 10/7/2009 11:08 AM (GMT -7)
I am 5' 7" and originally weighed an average of !35lbs and wore a size 6 or 8.  During the first 1 to 2 years, I went the other way and lost weight.... I really loooked bad.  I think the least I weighed was 123. Then, because of being told "it's all in your head" and being put on every anti-depressant and anti-psychotic.... those medicines really shut down my metabolism and the weight came on .   I returned to work for 10 mos. in betweeen these 2 periods of beng skinny skinny... to putting weight back on... I was sooo overmedicated, I was told to "Be quiet" AT WORK!!!! I have slowly, but continuously put on weight since, although I eat very little and what I do eat I consider pretty healthy.  Now, 8-9 years after the severe weight loss. I really need to loss 40 lbs.  It's not even the weight so much, it's the complete loss of muscle tone and endurance.  I don't even really feel flabby, I feel bloated and tired.

 

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rcenters
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2007
Posts : 259
Posted 10/7/2009 11:18 AM (GMT -7)
Well, one thing you can do is check your basal metabolic rate against a formula(which I presume is based on an average health person). Here is one you can use:
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Without knowing your height/weight/age, I'll have to make a generalized statement... but since you've gotten normal test results on your thyroid hormones, another possibility is that you're eating so little that you're in starvation mode(which is why I wanted to know how long and whether you were intentionally only eating 1200 calories). As I said, I'm no expert, but from what I read, if you eat below your basal metabolic rate too long, it puts your body in starvation defense mode(where it adapts to burn less calories and keep body fat stores constant).

There is something else you might try looking into, there is a test you can do, perhaps call the nearest large university that has an exercise science program, called Resting Energy Expenditure test or Resting Metabolic rate test. I don't know where you live, but University of Tennessee does this test for the general public for $75(http://web.utk.edu/~cpah/Testing09.html , details at very bottom of page), and here a link from Tufts that explains a lot more about the test , (http://www.tufts.edu/med/nutrition-infection/tnc-cdaar/protocols/REE-protocol-edited.pdf). No idea what Tufts charges or even if they do it for the general public or not.

Anyway, this test apparently can provide a very scientific measurement of your resting metabolic rate, and you can compare that to an average person of your height/weight/age. Since your thyroid tests are coming back inconclusive, the data from an RMR test may confirm what you need to know.

Now, with all that said, I myself have lost 25 pounds over the last 4 months. I basically plugged in the formula, found that my BMR/RMR is around 2200 calories, and eat around 2500 a day(to keep above that magical RMR number so my body doesn't think I'm starving) and I do enough exercise to surpass it and maintain a negative calorie balance. I've hit a plateau and haven't lost any weight in the last 10 days, so I too am going to have to re-evaluate my diet...it may be a good thing you asked about this, because my problem might be that recently I've been eating only 2000 calories and I should still probably be eating 2300 to stay above BMR.
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nefferdun
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2008
Posts : 900
Posted 10/7/2009 5:44 PM (GMT -7)
There are several tests you need to rule out a thyroid problem Most doctors just give you the TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, which comes from the pituitary gland telling the thyroid to produce more hormone when it is low in the blood. The thyroid produces two hormones T3 and T4. T4 is converted to the usable form, T3. If you body is not converting the T4 to T3 you will also have hypothyroid symptoms. You should check the symptoms of being hypothyroid which are pretty obvious. There are doctors that will treat you with Armour thyroid based upon symptoms alone. Here are a few symptoms I can remember, weight gain, dry skin and hair, brittle hair and nails, feeling cold, low body temperature, thinning hair ( when serious one third of the eyebrow is missing), poor memory, fatigue, depression, heavy irregular periods, miscarriage, swollen tongue in morning showing dents of teeth, puffy face, some say no moons in fingernails. . . .
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