My diet is amazing. I eat healthier than anyone I know and have done for the past year so why am I still overweight?

[crumbybear]

I say amazing but that is compared to before I went on a health kick. I cut out most red meats/all processed foods/booze and sugar swapping them instead for wholegrains,water pulses and vegetables.

I must have lost about 6 or 7 pounds changing my eating habits and I have three small children so I am rarely sitting still, walk briskly with the buggy (lots)

typical food consumed (yesterday and today for example)
Porridge made with Soya milk and cinnamon dried fruit
Avocado salad- low fat dressing
smocked fish with steamed beans/broccoli/spinach
roughly 10 large glasses of water.

Today
fruit for breakfast with yoghurt (unsweetened)
handful of almonds
brown rice salad with seeds
Tomato and basil soup with green salad to follow
about 10 cups of Tea (herbal) and 10 glasses of water

This is typical I have not eaten any white bread, cakes, sweets, chocolates or white pastries for a whole year.

I had to really twist my doctors arm to get a blood test done and all is fine. He asked me to write a food diary and I'm sure he thought I was lying, he mentioned that I should've been a size 10 rather than my size!

I am a small size 18 and apple shaped. I am really thinking I should just eat crap and be done with it lately as i am seeing no results with heaps of effort on my part.

Can anybody give me advice or tell me where they think I am going wrong?

[BlueBumedFly]

Is there a chance your body could be in starvation mode and therefore hangs on to every single calorie? I don't suggest you eat rubbish as your diet is amazing but maybe it needs some carbs for a kick every now and then? Perhaps your metabolism has come to a halt, are you in fact eating enough?

Another point is I was told not to eat fruit or dried fruit for breakfast as it is high in natural sugars which can still turn to fat. Perhaps try protein for breakfast? Ham omlette or ryvita with low fat cream cheese and ham or similar?

I need to loose weigh but I drink alcohol and eat bread so I have no will power at all so for that I salute you!

[haventsleptforayear]

at your diet.

I would keel over and die of starvation.

Are you sure that's all your eating?

Have you written every little thing down to see if sth else is not sneaking in?

Maybe with your metabolism that's enough to maintain your weight but not to lose it?

Can you go to a couple (think three is recommended for actual weight loss) of exercise classes a week?

[thisisyesterday]

too big portions perhaps?

more exercise? that's what helped me most.
i think if there is nothing wrong with you that's preventing you from losing weight, then it must come down to you eating more calories than you're burning off (or the smae amount-ish if your weight is static)

so, to lose more weight you need to either eat less calories, or burn more off.

[artichokes]

I find low cal diets make little difference to my shape. High protein diets are the only ones that work with my constitution. Have you experiemented with different diets (although your diet sounds v good).

Also do you do cardio exercise? The kind that makes you sweat and pant? I need to sweat for at least twenty minutes three times a week to even begin to shift the pounds.

[crumbybear]

I eat lots of vegetables but not much of carbs or proteins but I do eat carbohydrates. Brown rice,quinoa,sweet potatoes, chick peas and bananas for energy.

My stomach doesn't rumble and I am active every day.

[NorkyButNice]

It doesnt sound like you're eating a lot volume wise, but avocado, nuts and dried fruit have higher fat content than other options.

A grilled chicken salad for example would be healthier than an avocado salad (assuming you're not veggie?).

A chopped fruit salad probably better than the handful of nuts (how big is your handful?).

It does come down to your body not burning many calories throughout the day, so you probably need to do some dedicated exercise (not just buggy pushing) rather than eliminating entire food groups from your diet.

[Sidge]

Even if you eat the right foods, if you eat too much of them you won't lose weight. Have you checked your portion sizes?

Are you eating without realising it? Not meant to sound patronising but are you eating standing up, on the move, finishing food from the children's plates? All extra calories.

You may benefit from more protein, and beware of restricting your calorie intake too far as it is hard to sustain long term.

[RedLollyYellowLolly]

I can only think that you are eating too much. Porridge, avocado, pulses and even fruit can still really up your overall calorie content.

Is there any chance you can get hold of something like a weightwatchers points calculator and some (food) scales and tot up the points/calories that you consume over a couple of typical days?

I don't think you need to radically change what you eat but you might find ways of filling up on the lower calorie stuff.

Oh and second exercise which could really boost your fat loss.

Good luck

[crumbybear]

I eat massive amounts of vegetables and a handful of nuts means about 20 small ones.

I regularly eat grilled chicken/Sardine/tuna fish (all in water) salads.

I am going to start at the gym I think.

[Bibelots]

Have you had blood tests to rule out under active thyroid, PCOS etc?

[RedLollyYellowLolly]

Crumby, I've also realised that you don't say how long you've been doing your healthy eating plan. 7lb weight loss is pretty good you know if you are doing it "properly" (ie no faddy diets)

[crumbybear]

Yes my bloodwork all came back fine.

All my friends are slim and they are amazed at how little I eat, in their words.

I am going to get one of those DVD exercise classes before I join a gym and see if that helps.

[crumbybear]

It has been almost one year.

[littlelamb]

Lots of fruit actually means a lot of sugar. Can you replace the fruit with vegetables? And make sure you are eatign enough. The best way of eating I've ever tried is going low card (whioch does mean no fruit unfortunately) and high protein. I looked and felt fantastic, but I stopped when I got pg with ds. As soon as I stop bfing I'm going to start again, dairy and eggs seem to disagree with him so I can't eat them atm

[crumbybear]

I don't eat very much fruit. I am not sure I could cut out carbohydrates.

I will start with the exercise and see if it helps me.

[babyball]

I completely sympathise. Currently pregnant, in the third trimester and massive, but I have a similar problem to you. I walked to work every day (40 mins there, 40 mins back) until 6 months pregnant. I did at least 2 exercise videos every week, went walking in the Peak District whenever I could etc. whilst not pregnant as well. Exercise definitely helps but isn't always the main answer. My diet is very good. I eat a lot of spinach, bulgar wheat, wholegrains etc. Bread is a problem for me however and I can eat a lot. I think my main problem is portion control however and have done some research into losing weight when the baby has been born. The plate sizes recommended are very small. Also, avocado is extremely fattening and you should probably only eat half of one a day despite the fact it is full of good fats and better for you. Things like "lean" chicken breast are full of fat as well. There was a study done recently about the increased amount of fat in meat because of the animal's lifestyle. Therefore, if you can afford it, organic meat would be better, or cut down on meat altogether perhaps.
It is irritating and I feel for you as I am considered obese (was before pg) and yet I am fitter than my thinner friends who eat large portions, and junk-food crap a lot of the time. I have several friends of around the 8-9 stone mark who eat takeaway at least 4 nights a week for example. I have found working in an office has made my weight problem worse as well. Suffered from severe IBS until I got pregnant as well. I think unfortunately some people will struggle with this all of their lives. Your diet does sound brilliant however and you are probably a great deal healthier on the inside than many who are visibily slimmer than you. I will watch this post closely in case of any good advice from any MNers as well. Good luck and keep up the good work!

[crumbybear]

Congratulations babyball.

My portion sizes are small compared to most. I normally use a dessert plate as a guide.

I have found it very frustrating but as you say I did see something on TV about slim people being "fat on the inside". It sounds like we have similar friends, mine can eat for England, pizzas, burgers,chocolate,cakes and puddings. My BMI also classes me as obese!

Well I can't keep moaning about it, I am going to have to up my game and see how effective the exercise will be.

[OhBling]

Crumby - when i snack on nuts, I have 5, not 20. Ditto, avocado.

You sound a lot like me actually - I have always eaten healthily, but was overweight. I joined Weight watchers and what has shocked me is how many sneaky extras I had without realising it - olive oil, nuts and avocado all being good examples but also things like butter. I still eat all of those things, but in smaller proportions (very little butter). I also had to take a good long look at my portion sizes.

I am not sure how many calories 20 nuts would be, but I know that would be 2 WW points, which is 10% of my daily points allowance. That's a lot.

Perhaps you just need to tweak your current diet rather than change things completely.

And stick with carbs - the right carbs, in the right proportion, are necessary if you're active.

[OhBling]

Oh - and yes to the exercise thing. I no longer even attempt to go to gym to "achieve" any personal targets or whatever. I go so that I can do 30 minutes of heart pumping exercise that sits alongside my eating plan. On the weeks I exercise, even just 2 x 30 minutes, I lose weight.

[crumbybear]

I will report back in 4 weeks.
Thanks that sounds like sound advice all round.

[yappybluedog]

I have nothing to add, but I would love to know how you managed to cut out all the processed & sugar, sugar particularly is my addiction.

[crumbybear]

It was very hard at first, I followed the Carole Vorderman detox diet (I got the book from my library) after you get through the 2 weeks/first month of doing it, you lose the addiction to sugar. I used to eat so much sugar and sweets/chocolate.

[yappybluedog]

thanks, I may have a look at that book

[morethanyoubargainfor]

hi crumbybear,

Just a question really, Do you know if you have any women 'problems' llike polycystic ovaries/endomertis etc?

it might be worth getting those checked out, if you are an apple shape and find it hard to lose weight it could be a sign of hormone problems.

HTH.

[midnightexpress]

My first thought was PCOS too. I have a friend who has this and is also one of the healthiest eaters I know. Might be worth getting it checked out.