Please help, my weight loss has stopped and i am on the verge of buying the biggest chocolate cake i can find!!!!

[idobelieveinfairies]

Over a 6 week period i lost a little over a stone in weight. I needed to lose 4 stone and now need to lose the 3.

It started off with a stomach bug that lingered on for a week on and off. Couldn't eat and took a while for my appetite to come back. Got back to eating healthily and then started doing more excercise to carry weight loss on. For those 6 weeks i had huge amounts of energy, very happy and felt great!

6 weeks on i have been building my calories up (it was hard but i know they need to be there to do it the healthy way) the weight loss has stopped and my measurements on bust, waist and hips have stopped too.

I feel really grouchy, horrible, bloated and so unbelievably tired (ridiculously). It's been 3 weeks since weight loss and feeling horrible..and i think constipated ( i used to be a 2 times a day girl bit now its once every 3 days) sorry .

Anyone know what this might be about?

I have been 3 cups of green tea a day to try and help too.

My excercise is walking and hill climbing, for 2 hours 3 times a week, hannah waterman dvd the other day and weekends are park, beach visits with the kids which keeps me up and moving. I must add that i have 8 children too so i am active within the house too.

My diet is:

White coffee (no sugar) first thing.
9am 2 weetabix and skimmed milk
11am banana and green tea
12.30pm slice or 2 of chicken breast and 2 slices of wholewheat bread (no marg),weight watchers tomato soup, activia yoghurt, apple/nectarine/grapes.
3pm green tea, more fruit.
5pm tuna or chicken salad, small jacket potato, no dressings, ice lolly.
7pm ice lolly, diet pepsi, green teas.

Of course it changes daily bit thats the sort of routine i am in.

I drink water all day, this seems to really bloat me out though??

can't eat vegetables (though i would love to and keep trying)

It seems to be the less calories i have the better i feel and the more weight i lose, but thats not how it is supposed to be is it??

I am confused and would love some opinions

[peggotty]

Hi your diet sounds fine to me! Could your body have gone a bit into ' survival mode' after having had a stomach bug do you think? It does sound a bit like gay first stone you lost was almost like a crash diet type of weight loss (although I know it wad illness). That could stop you losing weight. Drinking lots of wAter shouldn't make you feel bloated, the opposite in fact, it should flush your system out and help prevent water retention. I'm sure someone else will come along and talk more sense than me soon but it sounds like if you carry on as you ate the weight loss shoul kick in again.

[peggotty]

Fgs have no idea where that 'gay' came from there, should have been 'that'. Stupid iPhone!!

[peggotty]

Also meant to add that I'm in your situation at the moment, my weight loss has stopped in the last week or so but I am eating a tiny bit more than I was, although still exercising lots. I do get bloated etc before I get my period as well. My metabolism had also slowed down considerably I would guess now that I'm 35. It's infuriating!!

[idobelieveinfairies]

Hi peggotty. I was wondering about the survival mode thing. I have been trying to find answers googling but it seems to confuse me more!! If it is 'survival mode' will it just stop and then weight loss continues do you know?

I forgot to add on a Saturday night i do have a cod and chips from the chippy naughty meal. It is my night off from cooking and my treat for being good all week, i do limit my calories on that day to allow for it (as much as possible).

I do honestly feel so much better when hardly eating any calories though...i don't have hunger pangs or anything :?

[idobelieveinfairies]

yep, i am coming up to my few days before period and i can put on up to half a stone at this time-though last month i didn't.

I am 36 so prob got same metabolism as you...soo annoying!!!

Thinking of buying a second hand cross trainer to give that a try too.

But am also starting to think give me the cake and chocolate but i know if i do that i will realise how much i have missed it and wil want more haha.

[peggotty]

I'm not an expert on the whole survival mode thing but it doesn't sound right that you aren't getting hunger pangs. Having fish and chips one day a week shouldnt sabotage a diet. Maybe you need to listen to your body more and eat when you're actually hungry (a la paul McKenna) rather than eating at prescribed meal times? You might end up eating smaller amounts more often but I'm sure that's more healthy. Like keeping an engine running rather than turning it on or off all the time. Or something

[idobelieveinfairies]

That is an idea, it's hard isn't it as everyones bodies react differently. I think the water stops the rumbling tummy though, but it does seen to bloat me out. Just below my boobs it sticks out and goes rock hard, uncomfortable.

Right, i'm off to do my DVD and blitz the bedrooms, will check in later.

[foreverondiet]

A few things - firstly I agree a bit about starvation mode, weight loss does slow down as the body gets more efficient - but it shouldn't stop weight loss altogether.

But you are eating way too many carbs: carby breakfast, and stacks of fruit. And jacket potato is high GI so your insulin levels will be all over the place. And ice lollies which probably full of sugar too even if they are just frozen fruit juice.

You need to eat a lot more veggies - because you aren't getting enough fibre, hence the constipation.

Also - I do drink diet coke but some people find this slows down their weight loss.

TIPS -

1. breakfast first thing when you wake up. This kickstarts your metabolism. Include protein in your breakfast eg natural yoghurt and sugar free muesli or eggs.
   

1. Cut down fruit to two pieces per day. If you eat very carby fruit like banana make sure you eat with protein to keep insulin levels stable.
   

1. Ditch jacket potato for lower GI carbs, like brown rice (small portion)
   

1. Eat more veggies - if you can't face then make homemade veggie soup and have at each meal.
   

1. Cut out diet pepsi and ice lollies. Make each occasional treat.
   

1. Include good fats in your diet - 25g a day of either nuts or seeds or avocado.

[idobelieveinfairies]

hi forever,

Thanks for replying, carbs eh! My most favourite thing in the world!!! I see what your saying. I am going shopping at 3 and will buy some of what you have suggested and give it a try for a week and see if it makes a difference. Do you think that is what is bloating me??

I really haven't got the time to make soup, and i know that children won't touch it, would it be ok to have the weight watchers soup?? I could down it in 2 i think.

Half of my problem is getting the time as we are out every evening at sports clubs. I have never been able to eat eggs..even as a baby apparently. I will buy some extra and give it a go though.

Diet pepsi and ice lollies. I thought lollies were ok...oh my word!!!! I think i might have to have a couple of sips when i eat the egg haha.

:)

[foreverondiet]

Soup - I make a pot on Sunday evening and I keep in fridge & eat it all week. Only takes 20 mins - chuck in pot, leave to simmer and then just stick in hand blender into pot. DC will only touch if full of carby veggies like sweet potatoes, whereas mince contains cabbage and spinach so we don't share! Then I just microwave as I need it. Personally I think homemade soup is better than weightwatchers as the one I make is totally fat free, low carb etc.

Lollies - which ones? I do have occasionally (love the del monte fruit smoothie ones) as a treat (maybe once a week?) but they are full of sugar and its not something I'd have each day. I haven't had fruit juice for months now.

I love eggs, but if not good for you try natural yoghurt and muesli for breakfast. I also love the frozen summer fruits - take out the night before, yummy in natural yoghurt.

I find excess sugar and carbs make me bloaty. I am doing low carb (not no carb though) and I am almost never bloated now which is amazing as previously I thought I had IBS, now I find that it was just due to eating pasta for dinner! Fizzy drinks can also cause bloating.

Also get iron levels checked - maybe you are anaemic, hence the tiredness - don't see any good sources of iron in your diet.

[idobelieveinfairies]

Right, i am going to try this out, just been googling low carb foods to get an idea.

Is chicken ok? Turkey has been mentioned a couple of times.

I usually have lemonade sparkle lollies, just went with the low calories there. Diet pepsi does bloat sometimes but only very slightly and it doesn't last long. It's when i drink water it just seems to sit there. Maybe i am drinking too much at one time.

Iron-i suppose i could be anaemic, hadn't thought of that. I never have been, not even when preganant with the twins but i wasn't dieting then ;). I'm actually more tired now that i ever was pregnant or up in the night with babies. I find that really really annoying, i feel about 90! i will get some multi vitamins also.

Thanks :)

[idobelieveinfairies]

Oh and what sort of carb level should i be aiming for per day do you think?

[idobelieveinfairies]

Porridge, can i eat porridge??? Oats so simple, ready brek?? :/

[foreverondiet]

Depends whether you are doing very low carb (ie no fruit, milk) or moderate carb. I think start with moderate carb, can always reduce later. if you want to do really low carb then Nevis and India's idiot proof diet.

All protein is good esp lean protein - fish, seafood, eggs, breast meat of chicken and turkey, lean beef, etc

If you do have oats better to stick to the jumbo ones not ready brek.

But cut out all refined sugar & white flour. The lemonade ice lollies might be low calorie but they are basically just refined sugar. Make your own with fat free yoghurt and pureed berries.