21 replies to this topic

[adab8ca]

Ugh. I work out with a trainer and we are stumped. I have totally plateaued. I eat tons of protein, exercise lifting the heaviest weights I can, do interval training, take all kinds of supplements designed to boost your metabolism (CLA, green tea) get lost of sleep, pretty low carb yadda yadda yadda and I cannot get past this weight and body fat% point. Now, I am not "fat" but I am irritated that I am working so hard with no new results. Has anyone found this? Is my body hoarding calories from years of undiagnosed Celiac? I was only diagnosed 18 months ago at the age of 42 after thinking that I was going to die. I should be way more fit and muscular than I am.
My other thought is that I am taking an anti depressant (that I am weaning myself off of, which is a fresh hell unto itself). It didn't cause me to gain weight, but can they screw up your metabolism? I am so frustrated.

[tarnalberry]

Besides changing your workout patterns and your eating patterns, you may just be at a place that your body is happiest with. If you haven't changed how you're using your body in the past two or three months, though, I'd certainly try that. Also checking on your stress level, as cortisol can keep you hanging on to fat. (This is physical AND mental stress, so working *too* hard may be counterproductive.)

[Kjas]

Hmmm things to consider:

1) have you actually checked all your vitamin, minerals, trace, amino acids etc? Most of these have a bigger effect than what we think. Lots of these things end up regulating our hormones, so if they're not optimal, then that could be affecting your fat loss / muscle gain. Vitamin D is a great example. It's actually a hormone, not a vitamin and regulates various things throughout the body, including weight gain / loss. Get everything checked out and try to bring everything up to scratch. For some vitamins, the low end of the "normal" range will be too low for you, and particularly if you're active.

2) You say you're going "low carb". Good overall strategy and it works great to start with but it can plateau quite quickly. Have you considered "cycling" them (i.e carbs)? Often, when we start running low on our carb storage (an empty tank), we stop losing weight or fat. Sometimes you might have to have a cheat day once a week or so. Also, you could stick to very low carb on the days you do cardio, and on the days you do weight training or resistance training, you could have more carbs on that day, particularly at breakfast, pre workout and post workout. This should keep your (carb) tank at a nice even level between empty and full, which is ideal for burning fat.

3) Hormones. If your hormones are working against you, it can cause you to stop stop losing fat. Our body likes being stable and our hormones are the ideal for keeping it that (they don't like change). So essentially, get enough sleep, enough water, de stress less and re check your magnesium levels. This is something you should read up on and check into if the above two don't work.

Tarnalberry may have a point, what body fat percentage are you at? You may have reached the point that is right for you.

[BarryC]

I feel your pain. I have spent lots of money on supplements and trained like an olympic athelete-to no avail. It wasnt until recently I started seeing a little progress, after being mostly gluten free for a couple months. I changed my workout a bit too-I am doing more weights and less cardio.

[ShymmyBeta]

I have been gluten free for 2 weeks and I noticed that I am losing fate but not weight. I have been walking every 2-3 days but then I need 2 days to recover. Aside from gluten, I also have an issue with eggs, soy, casein, corn products, potatoes, all canned and processed foods and the only meat I can tolerate is steak. How can I lose weight and build muscle on this strict diet?

[JonnyD]

I'd suggest counting calories and/or reducing what you are eating. I've been pretty active for a long time and only recently started dropping weight but it's correlated with fewer calories. Be real careful of portion size and how much you are eating in the process. Even if you are eating the 'right stuff', you won't start dropping if you're consuming too much of it. Try a food journal to keep track, it helps. Good luck.

JonnyD

[dilettantesteph]

I suggest cutting sugar. Since I did that, I have lost all my fat.

[Susanna]

Such a tough question--how can one lose weight? It's affected by so many things. You are doing lots that should help. Beyond that, here are my thoughts:

1. Now that you've been gluten-free for 18 mos, it's possible that your gut is finally healed (it can take 2 years, they say) and you're absorbing your nutrients through your gut adequately for the first time in your life. This is good, because you're finally absorbing the vitamins, etc. that you need. But it also means you're a set up for weight gain.

2. Work to reduce stress--Stress makes you secrete cortisol, which triggers your body to hold onto fat--especially belly fat. All the literature says do meditation daily--it's great for decreasing cortisol production.

3. Accept that it's going to be a battle for you--in middle age, our metabolisms slow down and it's harder to lose weight.

4. Cardio, cardio, cardio! This is where the fat is burned. Mix it up--try Crossfit, or spinning, or anything that is high intensity

5. Think about a time when you were losing weight successfully. What are you doing differently now? Were you keeping a food or calorie journal then and you've quit that? There may be something you changed that accounts for your current plateau. Go back to your methods when you were successful--they mayhelp you again.

You sound very motivated--hang onto that! Good luck!

[1974girl]

I also wanted to add to make sure your thyroid levels are normal. They go hand in hand with celiac. My dd has low thyroid and celiac.

[donnajen]

I think that it's also important to take noted of your diet and you may need to change your workout plan. I also need to make certain adjustments especially when I feel like my regular plan is no longer effective.

[nomoregluten]

the advice to change up your workout and maybe up cardio could be good. what is your exact training schedule?

also sleep a lot.

[mbrookes]

I'm not sure of your gender, but if you are female you might consider that you are possibly entering a pre-menopausal period. At that time, our metabolisms go heywire. Weight loss becomes very difficult. This could also contribute to your need for the anti depressants. You might want to discuss this with your gynecologist as well as your GI doctor.

[kittty]

Now, I am not "fat"...

That could be your answer. Maybe your body has found a comfortable and healthy point, and doesn't want to lose any more. Is your BMI in a healthy range?

[NightOwl]

I realize this post is now 8 mo. old and the OP may not need help but I noticed NO ONE answered her question regarding the anti-depressant he/she was taking and that bothered me because from what I've learned the answer could be "yes", but that would depend on which a/d it was, some can actually help weight loss. But since several SSRI a/d contain fluoride, which has a suppressive effect on the thyroid by virtue of blocking iodine absorption, perhaps taking supplemental iodine could (or could've been of) help in this situation.

[M-Rods]

Some good advice here, early 40's, can't gain muscle or lose fat, ask about your testosterone levels.