Is this possible?

I have a friend (no it's actually not me) who claims to be legitimately unable to lose weight. For the past three months she used the "My Fit Foods" program. http://www.myfitfoods.com/.

She says that she did not sway from the course AT ALL and ate exactly 1280 calories every day. She is heavier (over 200 lbs) and is aboutg 5 foot 3.

She does have a thyroid disorder and the medications she tried in the past made her feel even worse. In addition to this since she has the preexisting condition of obesity it is very expensive for her to get healthcare.

Over the course of these 3 months she gained 7 pounds. Initially I thought the program must just be a sham and that she was consuming much more calories than she thought. Now I'm not so sure- the program looks decently legitimate.

Is this even possible? Are there instances like this where people legitimately cannot lose weight? She had a doctor tell her that he assumes she "destroyed" her metabolism by fasting in the past.

Just curious and am wondering if anyone here has insight.

Thanks!

Find more posts tagged with

Replies

People who have thyroid issues Have a hard time losing weight. From my understanding medicine is needed to correct the issue.

I'm not sure about that situation. I did have a friend who claimed she was doing fitness pal exactly, logging everything and all. Come to find out she was reading labels wrong. Like instead of two servings of soup like label said, she thought it was one and only logged one.

Yep, she needs to find a good doctor (endocrinologist) to help figure out the right type and right dose of medication for her...it is a long trial and error process to treat a thyroid condition. Until her thyroid condition is under control she can expect to keep gaining weight.

She could be eating more than she thinks. Most people have no idea what a serving size is. And thyroid issues are another matter entirely, really.

I have thyroid and the best way to get rid of it is to do HIIT. High Intensity Interval training and has to keep eating small meals in during the day. If your friend is on MFP, please get her to reach out to me. I'd love to help her. xox Tina

We do not have "pre-existing" conditions anymore. The law changed that hassle.
Tell her to go to a doctor for her thyroid.

If she had 'destroyed' her metabolism, she'd be dead.

Thyroid issues are associated with weight gain/loss so it may be more difficult for her to lose, but it should still be possible.

The thyroid issues jump out at me. She really needs to get to a good endocrinologist who will be willing to try different dosages and/or different types of synthetic thyroid (there are a few) to find what will work for her. If she sorts out the thyroid issues, she should find losing weight a lot more manageable! It's possible she also has metabolic issues, but the thyroid issues take precedence.

no, I do not believe it is possible that she cannot lose weight but it is very likely that she will have a hard time with the challenges you outlined. 1280 calories for someone who is her height and weight is crazy low...but maybe just limiting her calories isn't enough.

I imagine that her situation will need more help than an app if she is serious about making a change.

Yes, it could definitely happen. With an untreated underactive thyroid, it can be almost impossible to lose weight. I have a huge issue because I have to stay 100% true to taking my medicine otherwise I will gain weight very easily, it's extremely difficult to regulate.

I hate to say that something is impossible to believe, but I also know that it is extremely easy to not count every calorie you consume. It's way harder to be accurate than not. I also have a diagnosed thyroid condition and I'm old.
I keep myself slightly under my calorie goal, swim everyday, don't eat back my exercise calories (I think MFP is way generous with the amount). I count EVERY bite that goes in my mouth!! I've lost 30 lbs in the last 4 months. And again, I'M OLD!!!

I do believe she is not giving you all the information.

vschwgrt1 wrote: »

I hate to say that something is impossible to believe, but I also know that it is extremely easy to not count every calorie you consume. It's way harder to be accurate than not. I also have a diagnosed thyroid condition and I'm old.
I keep myself slightly under my calorie goal, swim everyday, don't eat back my exercise calories (I think MFP is way generous with the amount). I count EVERY bite that goes in my mouth!! I've lost 30 lbs in the last 4 months. And again, I'M OLD!!!

+10000000000

Like I included she was using a program which prepackages her meals. I would assume otherwise that she was indeed just eating a lot more than she thought she was. Of course I don't have every single piece of information because this is not me- I am just curious as it seems her struggles with this are incredibly extreme. Really appreciate the insight guys!

She could try walking every day. Even a moderate walk will raise her metabolism. 40 minutes per day for six days per week should have her on track to losing at least 3/4 of FAT per week. This way, she could raise her caloric intake with proteins, not feel hungry, and still lose FAT. She should slam 16 ounces of water + one tablespoon of lemon as well every single morning. It will help her digestion and elimination. :-)

It is really not likely unless she's 4'5".

As regards the hypoythroidism - even then. If she were undermedicated/improperly medicated enough that 1200-1300 calories/day were halting her weight loss, she'd most likely be feeling it in other ways too. Is she? I know when I was bad enough that I couldn't lose weight on 1300 calories or so per day (at age 40+, sedentary and very short, 5'1"), I was literally laid out on the couch. I was bursting into tears each morning wondering how I was physically going to stand up and get out of bed. During that time (not yet DXd or medicated) my lightbulb moment was driving home from dropping my son off at preschool. I had a two-mile drive and had so little energy that I knew I wasn't going to make it the whole two miles. I was actually having trouble getting the energy to push the car pedals and was so scared that I pulled into a parking lot. There's more to this story but I won't bore you.

Obviously that's just me but even at that point I didn't gain on 1200 calories, that much I do remember.

That's not discounting finding, and keeping, a good endo. She should definitely do that.

Tweakfish wrote: »

Like I included she was using a program which prepackages her meals. I would assume otherwise that she was indeed just eating a lot more than she thought she was. Of course I don't have every single piece of information because this is not me- I am just curious as it seems her struggles with this are incredibly extreme. Really appreciate the insight guys!

My point was more that she could be doing the exact opposite of what she's telling you. People lie all the time.

_dracarys_ wrote: »

Tweakfish wrote: »

Like I included she was using a program which prepackages her meals. I would assume otherwise that she was indeed just eating a lot more than she thought she was. Of course I don't have every single piece of information because this is not me- I am just curious as it seems her struggles with this are incredibly extreme. Really appreciate the insight guys!

My point was more that she could be doing the exact opposite of what she's telling you. People lie all the time.

Yep that's true. I'm saying I don't think she is and I am just wondering if all this is even possible.

_dracarys_ wrote: »

Tweakfish wrote: »

Like I included she was using a program which prepackages her meals. I would assume otherwise that she was indeed just eating a lot more than she thought she was. Of course I don't have every single piece of information because this is not me- I am just curious as it seems her struggles with this are incredibly extreme. Really appreciate the insight guys!

My point was more that she could be doing the exact opposite of what she's telling you. People lie all the time.

Even to themselves - not to indict this person whom I don't even know. Some people decide they're "being good most of the time" all the time and completely discount their overeating as if it never happened. My husband does this all the time. He buys lunch out every single day and then comes home and eats all night because he "didn't eat all day." He literally stares at me with two heads if I say, "Didn't you have lunch?"

I won't repeat what I said before, but add, I've been on thyroid meds for decades. It took more one Dr. and changes in the prescriptions to get the levels into a somewhat normal range. And the weight you are affects how much meds you need.

Quick Links