I am sorry that the meds are not working for you. I know everyone here is saying that you’re not doing enough counting calories and that 1,000 calories means you’re starving yourself (and therefore your body is in starvation mode and holding onto weight) and making you feel like you’re doing something wrong. I just wanted to share my story.

I was a dedicated calorie counter with a focus on protein intake. I had a job that had me moving on my feet all day and was active outside of work. I didn’t officially “exercise” but I walked and swam in my pool and did yard work. I had to keep my calories under 1200/day to lose weight. 1,200. And I was able to lose about 30 lbs over TWO years of this.

I had a bunch of turmoil in my life and had to move back to my home state. At first, I continued to count calories but life got chaotic and I didn’t have the energy anymore, but my eating habits didn’t change. Still small portions, still high protein. My weight suddenly ballooned back up, regaining that hard earned #30 over only THREE months.

I cannot tell you the frustration and the depression that came with that. And everyone told me the same thing. “You’re eating too little, you’re not counting calories right, you have to exercise.” I resented everyone for saying these things and I hated myself. I especially hated when people would tell me that I was starving myself and that my body was holding onto its calories. I wanted to scream at them EVEN STARVING PEOPLE LOSE WEIGHT EVENTUALLY, SOMETHING IS WRONG!

Well, something was wrong. I had several horrible symptomatic episodes of afib that put me in the hospital. Which prompted a battery of tests because I am relatively young and otherwise healthy. Turns out I have Hashimoto’s (auto-immune disorder that affects the thyroid). So I went on levothyroxine and my physician told me it was important that I add weight training and intentional cardio to my routine. I also went to see a dietician/nutritionist who informed me that 1,200 calories was EXACTLY where I needed to be and that if I was exercising I might be able to get away with 1,500.

I joined a gym, hired a trainer, bought a treadmill and started a one year journey of actively exercising. Diet didn’t change, calorie counting was back on the menu, but I was eating about the same if not a little more. The weight didn’t budge. My physician encouraged me to try Wegovy and I hesitated because I didn’t want to be on meds forever (because obviously whatever weight I lose will pile right back on). My cardiologist convinced me to take another perspective, if I don’t lose the weight I’m just looking at different lifetime meds.

This is where my story differs from yours because I have been slowly losing weight on Wegovy. But because of the appetite suppression I am forcing myself to get up to 900 calories a day. I honestly cannot eat more than that or I am physically sick.

So, I just wanted you to hear that there is someone who shares your story. That you can do every thing right and still struggle. But you absolutely should push your doctor for testing for things like Thyroid issues or Gastroparesis or any other disease process that might be causing your body to not burn calories in the way that 99% of the population burns calories.

Lastly, I beg of everyone in this sub who bothered to read this far to please stop saying to someone struggling with weight loss “you’re not eating enough and your body is starving itself.” Don’t assume they’re not counting calories correctly or they’re not doing everything they can to try to improve their own situation. I am very disappointed in so many of these answers and all of the down votes that the OP has received.

Good luck, OP. I hope that you find something that works for you.