weight loss

[DDH]

I have a heart rate monitor, and I promise you I am working hard. I have to watch to make sure I don't get above max. I can tell that my fitness level has gotten better because it takes longer for me to get my heart rate up and more to keep it there. I where it bike riding too. My heart rate runs high even at relaxed times, around 100 or in the 90's. If I wear the hrm around I watch my heart rate go up, in the 119's and stuff just from getting up and walking around. Of course that is the initial getting up. It goes back down quickly.

I'm not on any medications other than anti-imflamitories for my planters fastiitis (sp?) and an antibiotic for acne problems.
We have arthritis, diabetes, some heart problems and high blood pressure that runs in the family and that is one of the reasons I am so desperate to get this weight off to hopefully prevent myself from getting some of this, and of course just the looking better thing that goes with it.
I was a little overweight before I had my son 12 years ago, but nothing major, just 10 or 15 lbs and it was always easy to take it off when I wanted too. Then I had my son and gained like 90 lbs and haven't been able to get it off since. I have fought it for too long. We bought our first bikes about 10 years ago and my DH and I rode pulling our son everywhere. We went on 10 to 15 miles rides 4 or 5 times a week and went on longer organized rides whenever we could. He works a lot of weekends. Then we quit when the boy got to big to pull and was still to young to ride along, but during that time I never lost any weight. I toned up some, but never lost and that was for over a year. I have gone back and forth with this for such a long time and cannot seem to get the doctor to listen. Maybe I am just not asking the right questions or for the right test.
I'm not sure the insurance covers any of the testing that some of you are talking about as far as body mass and such.
I could probably get a stress test done to check my heart and maybe that would get my metabilism checked too. I don't know, like I said I think maybe I just don't know enough to be able to go in and ask for certain test, or ask about certain types of problems I might have.

[teigyr]

Donna,

Check out the nutrition section, there are threads like this:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=16373
that might be really interesting to you.

There are all sorts of things that it could be and you have received some great advice. I've noticed that since I've become older, my body has changed. I think that happens....it also means we just have to work a bit harder

I know what it's like being unhappy about the way things are. I also know what it's like to work hard and not see the results you'd like. I also think, though, that sometimes we are our own worst critics.

Definitely get checked out though, it sounds like you are doing everything you can on your own!

Jane

[JLZimrmn]

I am not sure how many calories you eat in a day but I know that cycling burns a lot of calories. If you do not eat enough your body will go into starvation mode and not shed any fat. You may try adding 200 calories extra a day to your diet and see if the weight starts to come off.

I am 5'2" and I weigh 210. I know that in order for me to lose weight I need to eat roughly 1800 calories a day because of my cycling.

Also, you may try eating 5-6 small meals a day.

I am no expert, this is just my 2 cents.

[Zen]

...I have gone back and forth with this for such a long time and cannot seem to get the doctor to listen...

This is why I asked what kind of relationship you have with your doctor.
It may be time to change doctors. See if you can find a female, she should inherently have better listening abilities.

Have you ever tried Weight Watchers?

[deedolce]

Just a couple of thoughts - it really takes ALOT for me to keep off the weight. I do 3 days of cycling, 30-40 miles at 75%-96% of my heart rate for the majority of the ride, and 5 hours of high intensity competitive tennis a week - and that's to keep from gaining weight, not losing it. If my max heart rate is 172 with the simple formula of 220-48 (yrs) than I need to be in the 140's-150's and up to be in the right zone, so your rate of 100 or so may not be enough.

Also, it sounds like you're focusing on cardio with the treadmill and riding, and you may want to add some weight training. Even at resting state, muscle supposedly burns more calories at rest than fat.

Good luck!

[DDH]

my HR of 100 is my resting rate, not my exercise rate. My Max HR is suppose to be 177 and I exercise according to my HRM at on an average of 76 % of that. Sometimes I get above my max and have to slow it down, but most of the time I am around the 155 to 165 range while exercising.

My calorie intake is suppose to be 1550 according to the dietician in order to lose weight. I didn't like the way she did things at all. She didn't take into consideration my exercise and she was the type that said a carb is a carb and it doesn't matter what kind it is. I don't agree. Calorie wise this may be true, but nutrition wise it is far from the truth at least according to any healthy eating articles I have read.

I think your right, I need to change my doctor, I think I have put it off for fear of what I get in replacement. LOL

[AZSpinner]

Donna,

With a history of diabetes and heart disease in your family, I just wanted to recommend a specific blood test. The next time you see your physician, ask for an A1C test (also known as glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c). A single days blood test (typical blood glucose test) only gives you one snap shot, while the A1C gives you a picture of your average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months. My uncle had numerous blood glucose tests done - always came back negative, because he was always more conscious about what he was eating before going to see his doctor and to get lab work. As a result, it always looked like he was fine. Once he had the A1C test, it was evident that his blood glucose control was significantly imparired.

Good luck in your hunt for a new doc!

Take care,
Lisa

[DarcyInOregon]

Donna, I just want to add one thing. A resting heart rate of 100 "might" be high normal, but sometimes it is indicative of a heart problem. Earlier this year in this forum someone posted a thread and commented that their resting heart rate was that high. Some TEers suggested she see her doctor. She did and it was determined that she had a mitral valve defect, and that was the reason for the high resting heart rate.

The heart valve problems can be difficult for doctors to detect and a doctor won't suspect there is a problem unless the patient says a family member got diagnosed with it or requests an ultrasound test of the heart. The reason I remember this story is because a brother ended up in the hospital with heart problems (and ironically he is a doctor) and it turns out that all of his life he had this heart valve problem and didn't know it. It is a genetic type of thing, so everyone in the family had to go see their doctor and request the ultrasound test. The result is an older sister found out she has the mitral valve defect also.

I don't know if any of this is related to your weight, but if you plan on seeing your doctor, you should ask specifically about your high resting heart rate with respect to any possible heart problems.

Darcy

[nafula]

I just wanted to put out an observation that I have made in general.

It takes a huge change in diet to lose weight. I've been in the Weight Watcher program for 2 years. I know that in order for me to lose weight at 160lbs I have to have a 1600 calorie a day diet. It is amazing how quickly those 1600 calories go.

And my mom tells me all the time how she can't lose weight even though she is eating healthy. There is a big difference between eating healthy and eating to lose weight. A container of "healthy" yogurt has 200 calories. A container of "losing weight" yogurt has 60-90 calories. Those calories can make a big difference.

Last summer I was making my own granola because it was healthy. I eventually realized I was consuming 500-700 calories in granola. Needless to say I was putting on weight.

[RoadRaven]

Just a couple of thoughts - it really takes ALOT for me to keep off the weight. I do 3 days of cycling, 30-40 miles at 75%-96% of my heart rate for the majority of the ride, and 5 hours of high intensity competitive tennis a week

My understanding is that the fat burning zone is in zones 1-2... not up in Zone 4 or more.

My understanding is that in order to lose, or to prevent yourself from gaining weight, you should do 3-4 workouts (minimum 30-40 minutes) per week at an aerobic level which is an elevated heart rate, but you are still able to talk/have a conversation.

If you workout too much in the anearobic zones, your body may actually begin to work against you...

Thats just my understanding...

[echidna]

First and most important: Congrats on keeping riding your bike and quitting smoking!!! These two improvements are going to pay you back for the rest of your life no matter what else.
A resting heartrate of 100 is surprisingly high, especially for someone who is a regular exerciser. I'd look into that.
I'm also surprised by your dietician's recommendation of 1550 kcal/day for weight loss. At 230# that is almost certainly below your basal metabolic rate (guesstimate 1750 kcal/day, a little more or less depending on your height and age). Even if you have a totally sedentary job, you should be using 2200 or more kcal/day without any exercise, and a slightly higher intake (say, 1800) SHOULD still allow for slow, steady weight loss for you.
There are a variety of metabolic syndromes that could be at play here. Polycystic ovaries is one that springs to mind right away.
Suggestion: dedicate yourself to making a totally accurate food log for a week. Don't lift the fork until you've lifted the pen to write it down. Measure quantities - so that you are sure of what you're getting. Then calculate out your calories.
Don't look at this as a suggestion that you're overeating - it's not. You just need accurate data so that you know (a) how many calories you're really eating, and (b) whether that translates to weight loss.
Now that you've got a good figure for calorie intake, see if it's a reasonable proposition to dedicate the time and energy to burn off 25% of the calories you're eating through exercise. Example: if you're eating 2000 kcal/day, make sure you burn 500 kcal/day through exercise. This could be something like 15 miles of biking, or 4 miles of walking/jogging.
If you're eating normally (consistently less than 2500 kcal/day) and burning off 25% of it through exercise, and you're not losing weight, suspect a medical reason why you're having trouble losing weight.
If you can't imagine burning 25% of the calories you eat through exercise then you may be eating too many calories to sustain weight loss.
Good luck and stay connected!

[ladyicon]

I have the same problem Donna, my doctor tells me that is mostly a matter of DNA and menopause She said I will look as my mother did. Also I have gained a lot of belly fat since my perimenopause .

[Cindyloo]

How about going to an specialist? Maybe an endocrinologist?