Help! I can't lose weight!

[AfterAll]

Hi all.

I have had Celiacs for almost 6 years now (shortly after having baby#2), and have been 100% Gluten free (save for the occasional accidental glutening) since being diagnosed.  I have not had an endoscopy since diagnosis, but my most recent bloodwork was good.  My bloodwork last year showed that the thyroid function was in the normal range as well.

I am having an impossible time losing weight.  I have tried just about everything, and am getting nowhere.   I had baby #3 almost 3 years ago.  I tend to gain a fair amount during the first trimester- probably about 10-12 lbs.  I gained around 35 lbs total.  I lost all but that last 10 lbs within a few months of having her.  The reason I am mentioning this is because the first trimester weight gain is not really "baby weight"... which is probably why it did not "fall off" the same way as the rest did.  I do exercise, and am a fairly active person in general.

I am 5'2'' and currently weigh 137 lbs; I am not really a petite person, I always tend to be more muscular.  I am typically in the 125 range- but since having baby #3, I have been unable to get below 130.   I gained 15 lbs between the end of August on New Years (I started a low dose of Zoloft during that time).  I just did 1 month of Isagenix (shakes and intermittent fasting) and lost 7lbs, most of which was in the first 9 days.  I also started the Sweat workout app January 1 which combines resistance training and low impact cardio like walking on the treadmill).  With every diet that I have tried, I plateau around 130, then bounce back up again.  I do not eat a lot of gluten-free processed foods (actually... I hardly eat any).  I do most of my own cooking, don't drink a lot of alcohol, and do not eat out a lot.

I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, seeing 2 different nutritionists, straight up calorie restriction, Isagenix... I am kind of at the end of my rope here.  I am going to call an Endocrinologist and make an appt later on.  Aside from that... is there anything that jumps out at you?

Thanks so much in advance!

[Ennis-TX]

I tend to swear by the keto diet for staying lean and muscular. Once you hit ketosis your body burns fat for energy...so if your not constantly eating it goes straight to your fat stores then your muscles for food. I had to take to the diet to manage my Ulcerative colitis but it has had many benefits in my energy levels (biking/walking average 16miles a day) and lean body with slight muscle gains. I live on eggs, leafy greens, high fat nuts and seed butters, whole seeds, avocados, vegan protein powders, and fish like salmon sometimes (I have pancreatic enzyme issues so I have to watch meat intake) . It is not for everyone....and there is a few week transition period of almost flu like symptoms when you start ketosis with crazy cravings...just replace your cravings for carbs, fruit, sugar with a handful of walnuts, macadamia nuts, or a heaping spoon of unsweetened sunbutter and it tends to smash them. Once in ketosis try pulse fasting for 12-16 hours while taking BCAAs to prevent muscle loss and with your low impact cardio and resistant training and you will burn off your unwanted fat. PS stay away from dairy also.

[plumbago]

1 hour ago, AfterAll said:

I do not eat a lot of gluten-free processed foods (actually... I hardly eat any).  I do most of my own cooking, don't drink a lot of alcohol, and do not eat out a lot.

So, no sugar then?

If you are 5'2" and 137 lbs, your BMI is 25.1 which as you probably know is just slightly into the overweight category. What occurs to me so far is to suggest fasting to experiment and see what happens (ideally a two day fast, with water of course), but with 3 children that is probably not advisable. When I want to drop 3 or so pounds, stopping sugar (no desserts, no sweetened drinks) is almost always the only thing I need to do.

Otherwise, getting enough sleep and relaxation?

Congratulations on your good choices, no small feat!

Plumbago

[AfterAll]

9 minutes ago, plumbago said:

So, no sugar then?

If you are 5'2" and 137 lbs, your BMI is 25.1 which as you probably know is just slightly into the overweight category. What occurs to me so far is to suggest fasting to experiment and see what happens (ideally a two day fast, with water of course), but with 3 children that is probably not advisable. When I want to drop 3 or so pounds, stopping sugar (no desserts, no sweetened drinks) is almost always the only thing I need to do.

Otherwise, getting enough sleep and relaxation?

Congratulations on your good choices, no small feat!

Plumbago

Thanks!

Sugar is my weakness, for sure.  I prefer sweet to salty.  I replaced most real sugar with fake sugar a long time ago (terrible, I know)  I drink diet soda (not excessively, like 1 can a few times per week), will have a few Hershey Kisses here and there, sugar free sucking candies, etc.

The Isagenix program that I have been doing IS intermittent fasting.  You do 2 shakes/ day, 1 healthy meal, and snacks of a few almonds, an apple, fresh veggies, half of one of their bars, and things like that.  Then for 2 days you fast; drinking only their drink and snacks, and having green tea or water in between (of the past 30 days, I did 6 fast days).   In the 30 days that I did it, the only weight that I lost was from the fasting, not from the days and days of shakes and minimal food.   

Surprisingly, even with 3 kids and a full time job, I am not overly stressed, and I DO sleep for about 7.5 hours per night on average.

[plumbago]

5 minutes ago, AfterAll said:

Thanks!

Sugar is my weakness, for sure.  I prefer sweet to salty.  I replaced most real sugar with fake sugar a long time ago (terrible, I know)  I drink diet soda (not excessively, like 1 can a few times per week), will have a few Hershey Kisses here and there, sugar free sucking candies, etc.

The Isagenix program that I have been doing IS intermittent fasting.  You do 2 shakes/ day, 1 healthy meal, and snacks of a few almonds, an apple, fresh veggies, half of one of their bars, and things like that.  Then for 2 days you fast; drinking only their drink and snacks, and having green tea or water in between (of the past 30 days, I did 6 fast days).   In the 30 days that I did it, the only weight that I lost was from the fasting, not from the days and days of shakes and minimal food.   

Surprisingly, even with 3 kids and a full time job, I am not overly stressed, and I DO sleep for about 7.5 hours per night on average.

Ok then, you are doing the right things. Me in your place, just to experiment I’d give up all sugar and sweet things even the artificial stuff for 2-3 weeks just to see if it makes a difference. I went all summer 2017 without sugar and lots of little nagging things cleared up, I indulged from Sept through October but November again was sugar free and now am going sugar free again having consumed the stuff from December through most of January. It was time for me. Sweets cause a lot of mayhem for me personally. Since you asked about books, The Case Against Sugar - well the title speaks for itself, and is very well-written. I listen for Dr Lustig for intellectual-emotional support too.

[Jmg]

8 minutes ago, AfterAll said:

  I replaced most real sugar with fake sugar a long time ago (terrible, I know)  I drink diet soda (not excessively, like 1 can a few times per week), will have a few Hershey Kisses here and there, sugar free sucking candies, etc.

Everything I've read says switching to the artificial sweeteners doesn't work. Definitely drop the diet soda, drink plenty of water so you're less likely to reach for it. 

How about trying to change your tastes somewhat. Get some dark chocolate and when you get the urge for the Hersheys try nibbling a tiny square of that instead. It's a much deeper taste, will be quite bitter at first, but you can make a little go a long way and you're less likely to gorge on it. 

Also how about looking at the GI diet - that involves eating foods that take longer to digest and leave you full for longer. Reducing the spikes in blood sugar helps to reduce your food cravings and you'll find yourself eating less.

[AfterAll]

3 minutes ago, Jmg said:

Everything I've read says switching to the artificial sweeteners doesn't work. Definitely drop the diet soda, drink plenty of water so you're less likely to reach for it. 

How about trying to change your tastes somewhat. Get some dark chocolate and when you get the urge for the Hersheys try nibbling a tiny square of that instead. It's a much deeper taste, will be quite bitter at first, but you can make a little go a long way and you're less likely to gorge on it. 

Also how about looking at the GI diet - that involves eating foods that take longer to digest and leave you full for longer. Reducing the spikes in blood sugar helps to reduce your food cravings and you'll find yourself eating less.

I actually do like dark chocolate!  There is some available to me on Isagenix, so I have been eating that infused with green tea.

I agree about the artificial sweetener.  Since my main focus has been losing weight, I had been using that to cure the cravings for sweet.  Is the GI diet anything like AIP?  I tried that a while back to see where my sensitivities were.

Part of the problem seems to be that no matter what I do... eating nothing, eating balanced meals, more protein, less protein, intermittent fasting, etc., I lose a few lbs and then stop and cannot get back down to my normal range.  

[Ennis-TX]

Cocoa nibs, and Crio Bru ground nibs with a pinch of pure stevia dusting.....OMG I eat a half cup a meal sometimes chew forever and great for cravings. Also WHOLE shell pumpkin seeds from MyGerbs....like chew a handfull for 5mins great for after meal or before meal to help with cravings. PS Lakanto Makes a Sugar free monk fruit sweetened bar, I normally have a square or so every few days for a treat. I have a list of gluten free foods, with many options for low carb and keto options like pizza, wraps, etc. That are lower carb versions.

[AfterAll]

35 minutes ago, Ennis_TX said:

Cocoa nibs, and Crio Bru ground nibs with a pinch of pure stevia dusting.....OMG I eat a half cup a meal sometimes chew forever and great for cravings. Also WHOLE shell pumpkin seeds from MyGerbs....like chew a handfull for 5mins great for after meal or before meal to help with cravings. PS Lakanto Makes a Sugar free monk fruit sweetened bar, I normally have a square or so every few days for a treat. I have a list of gluten free foods, with many options for low carb and keto options like pizza, wraps, etc. That are lower carb versions.

Thanks, I'll check that out.  My problem isn't overeatting or giving into cravings... even when I stick to diets 100%, nothing happens.

[Jmg]

6 hours ago, AfterAll said:

I actually do like dark chocolate!  There is some available to me on Isagenix, so I have been eating that infused with green tea.

I agree about the artificial sweetener.  Since my main focus has been losing weight, I had been using that to cure the cravings for sweet.  Is the GI diet anything like AIP?  I tried that a while back to see where my sensitivities were.

Part of the problem seems to be that no matter what I do... eating nothing, eating balanced meals, more protein, less protein, intermittent fasting, etc., I lose a few lbs and then stop and cannot get back down to my normal range.  

GI diet is just about trying to control your blood sugar and stop the cycle of it spiking and crashing. When the sugar levels rise insulin is deployed which then results in the formation of fat. http://www.gidiet.com/ You try and switch from foods in the index to lower ones. That stops the spiking and should be both healthier and help you lose weight as well.

5 hours ago, AfterAll said:

Thanks, I'll check that out.  My problem isn't overeatting or giving into cravings... even when I stick to diets 100%, nothing happens.

Have you considered that many of these diets are based on bad info? For example removing fats from the diet - this has resulted in people putting on more weight! 

[kimkelb89]

I don't trust BMI charts. I'm 5'2" also and it says I should be as low as 102. I would look like skin and bone if I weighed that little. You said you are more muscular. Muscular people will always seem heavy on the BMI charts. Your BMI is .1 into overweight. For a muscular person, that means you are a normal weight. Ditch the chart and the scale. If you eat well and you take care of yourself regarding being gluten-free, the number on the scale isn't an issue. I agree with the other poster that said that the only thing it seems you may want to change is using fake sugar. Not because of your weight but because it's just bad for you. Other than that, you are doing fine. 

[plumbago]

4 hours ago, kimkelb89 said:

I don't trust BMI charts. I'm 5'2" also and it says I should be as low as 102.

Find another BMI chart because I'm not sure that is correct! I see the lowest normal being (maybe) 105-110, but it's kind of hard to tell. Anyway, isn't it possible that some people could easily be 5'2" and in the low normal range and be perfectly healthy, perhaps just not you?

Agree with your other points, especially about muscularity.

[kimkelb89]

5 hours ago, plumbago said:

 I see the lowest normal being (maybe) 105-110, but it's kind of hard to tell. Anyway, isn't it possible that some people could easily be 5'2" and in the low normal range and be perfectly healthy, perhaps just not you?
 

 

 

102, 105, 137... the number doesn't matter. No one should want to purposely get to the lowest possible. The keyword is PURPOSEFULLY.  If your body isn't meant to be there, you are torturing yourself for nothing. There is nothing wrong with being 137 and 5'2". And if you are 105 at 5'2" because that's where your body wants to be, there's nothing wrong with that either. Why is our culture so obsessed with the scale?

This topic frustrates me because I spent my whole life unhappy with the number on the scale. After I lost 90 pounds, I went to a doctor for an unrelated problem. He needed to give me a steroid injection and needed to know my weight. Instead of just asking my weight or weighing me, he said: "Not to be ugly, but how much do you weigh?" It wasn't ugly until he said that.

I lost 90 pounds. That's cause for celebration, not insult because I'm not "thin enough" yet.  I'm happy I lost it. I feel a million times better. But I don't need to weight just over 100 pounds to be happy. I'd be miserable at that weight just like I was miserable at my highest. The number doesn't matter.

Take care of yourself. Eat healthy. Stay away from gluten and processed crap. Exercise. That's all that matters. The number will land wherever it was meant to land if you do those things. 

Edited February 1, 2018 by kimkelb89

[cyclinglady]

First, let me congratulate you on having and raising three children!  Like most mothers, pregnancy caused some permanent changes in my body.  Is my tummy completely flat?  No.  Are my beasts in the same place?  No.  But each time I catch myself complaining about my body (usually in those depressing, dimly-lit  dressing rooms), I think about my beautiful daughter.  

I have always been in the  normal BMI range.  I did retain 10 pounds after I stopped breastfeeding.  At first I blamed my age.  I was an older mom ( over 40).    Maybe it was just aging.  I was still active.  Rode century rides, but I never lost that 10 pounds.  It was not until my doctor told me that I was diabetic that things changed.  I went on a low fat, high carb diet based on meter results (I spent a month or so testing every gluten free food I consumed).  I ate normal portions and I lost 10 pounds fast.  So, being middle aged was not the reason for the extra 10 pounds I carried.  It was the reduction of carbs (sugar).  @plumbago, I really like Dr. Lustig too!  

I agree about advice given about the diet candies and drinks.    Besides giving me a headache, I found that they made my sugar cravings worse.  

All the advice given was good.  

So, consider reducing your carbs, but NOT DIETING!  For me, my LCHF gluten-free diet is a way for me to maintain my blood sugar as well as keeping my small intestine healthy.  It is not to maintain or lose weight.  Relish the way you feel about your life, children and your good health.  

 

 

[kimkelb89]

I agree wholeheartedly with you, cyclinglady. I edited my post because I realized my frustration with the topic, in general, was coming off as me being rude and that was not my intention.

Weight has always been a sore spot for me, like a lot of women. I lost 90 pounds. Even after such a big loss, people act like it's never enough. I went to a doctor for a steroid shot. He needed to know my weight for the dosage and instead of just asking or weighing me, he said, "Not to be ugly, but how much do you weigh?" A friggen doctor said this and there was a friggen scale outside that room.

I'm ecstatic that I lost 90 pounds. I feel so much better. But I HATE the emphasis on the number as if to say it's still not enough. I'm still losing and when my body doesn't want to lose anymore, it will stop at whatever number it wants. As long as I eat healthily, exercise, stay away from crappy processed food and listen to hunger over my head, I'll get there. I think that applies to everyone.

[cyclinglady]

3 hours ago, kimkelb89 said:

I agree wholeheartedly with you, cyclinglady. I edited my post because I realized my frustration with the topic, in general, was coming off as me being rude and that was not my intention.

Weight has always been a sore spot for me, like a lot of women. I lost 90 pounds. Even after such a big loss, people act like it's never enough. I went to a doctor for a steroid shot. He needed to know my weight for the dosage and instead of just asking or weighing me, he said, "Not to be ugly, but how much do you weigh?" A friggen doctor said this and there was a friggen scale outside that room.

I'm ecstatic that I lost 90 pounds. I feel so much better. But I HATE the emphasis on the number as if to say it's still not enough. I'm still losing and when my body doesn't want to lose anymore, it will stop at whatever number it wants. As long as I eat healthily, exercise, stay away from crappy processed food and listen to hunger over my head, I'll get there. I think that applies to everyone.

I did not think you were rude at all!  Congratulations on your weight loss.  I am glad you feel better!   

[BarryC]

Hi Keto. I certainly share you frustration. Even with low calories and exercise my weight continues to creep up. I have tried low carb, but I am not a big meat eater. And I cant eat dairy because of the casein. Most of my weight is on my belly-the rest is normal. Wish I could find the answer too! Good luck!

[julie5914]

I have the same issue and also have 3 kids and work. I got my thyroid checked, and the TSH was a little out of range. Thyroid issues are tied to celiac. Mine is under-active/hypo, which makes it hard to lose weight. I have not gone to the doc yet but will in a few weeks and hope to get some medicine. Take the labs first thing in the morning while fasting. 

[cyclinglady]

24 minutes ago, julie5914 said:

I have the same issue and also have 3 kids and work. I got my thyroid checked, and the TSH was a little out of range. Thyroid issues are tied to celiac. Mine is under-active/hypo, which makes it hard to lose weight. I have not gone to the doc yet but will in a few weeks and hope to get some medicine. Take the labs first thing in the morning while fasting. 

Please get your thyroid rechecked!  Ask to test for thyroid antibodies as well.  Make sure your thyroid hormone replacement is gluten free.  If your doctor is not willing to work with you, fire him or her.  You do not need to fast for a thyroid test but you do if you are checking your fasting  blood sugar or cholesterol.