Disappointing weight loss.. help with ideas please!

[lydiajones]

For the last 4 weeks I have been trying to lose some weight by doing the following on weekdays:

Eating porridge or muesli for breakfast with fruit.

Having a wholemeal tuna/salmon or chicken breast bread sandwich for lunch with salad.

Having normal tea but a smaller portion (I make most things from scratch and have lots of veg etc as well).

For snacks I have just had fruit.

I have not drunk anything but water or tea. I have not had any cakes, biscuits, puddings or crisps.

At the weekend I have mainly stuck to the above plus a couple of glasses of wine!

For exercise I have been jogging once a week and doing the 30 day shred on 3 days.

I don't seem to be losing anything even though I previously ate tons more including biscuits by the half packet, bigger portions, wine in the week and puddings. I also only used to jog once a week.

Any ideas where I am going wrong as I don't seem to have lost anything in 4 weeks!!!!???

I know I am not cutting out wheat or anything but I am trying to change my eating habits to something I can stick to and have upped the exercise I do!

[carabos]

Everyone is different - the hardest thing is to find a way of eating that you can live with. I don't have a weight problem, but I'm staring down the barrel of 50 and fully intend to stay slim and fit into my sixth decade.

Over the last year I have cut out the porridge, the bread and the fruit. Replaced bread, potatoes, pasta, rice etc with high protein grains such as quinoa.

I have protein with every meal - yes that means eggs for breakfast, but they really do fill you up and keep you going all day. Depending on your commitments, can you shift the timing of your meals? I work from home so have a two egg omelette with goats or sheep's cheese and a grilled tomato for breakfast at about 9 -9-30am. You can eat omelette cold if you cook it firm - wrap it in a bit of greaseproof and take it with you.

I try to have my main meal for lunch at about 3pm - e.g. cold roast chicken or salmon fillet with quinoa, cottage cheese, black olives, couple of toms, sliced pickled cucumber, maybe a spoonful of hummus, chopped half a red or green pepper, maybe an avocado.

Dinner might be nothing more than a chicken leg and bit of salad at 7ish.

No alcohol, no milk, handful of jelly babies for a treat now and then after exercise.

Exercise - 5-7 mile walk carrying a stone of lead in my backpack or a gym class (spin or metabolics) or circuits. One or other of those every weekday unless work gets in the way, ride and walk at weekends.

[lydiajones]

Thanks for the ideas Carabos. I work at home too so could shift some of my meals about a bit and drop the bread at least.

Well done on doing all that exercise, I should also think about increasing the exercise to everyday!!

[eslteacher]

I think you should consider going on measurements rather than weight. I know quite a few people who don't lose weight for whatever reason, but the way they look and their waist/thigh/arm measurements etc can change a lot despite this.

What about your clothes - do they feel a bit looser?

Also if you're a healthy weight to start with and not overweight as such it can be harder /longer to lose.

I've just started a regime not too dissimilar to yours. I've lost a pound in the first week, but I don't expect to lose many more if I'm honest. I've never been able to go much below 10 stone (am 5'7), on the strictest of regimes, and even with a lot of sustained overeating I tend to only go up by pounds rather than stones. But eating that way makes me FEEL fat and it shows on my belly and thighs if not the scales. After a week of cutting back I already feel lighter and less belly-ish, even if I haven't lost much actual weight.

[lydiajones]

Thanks riverboat. I am not officially overweight, but right at the top end of the BMI when I would like to be more towards the bottom end so maybe this has something to do with it!! I am 5ft7 too but weigh 11 stone 4 pounds (I was lighter than this a month after having my babies!!!), I would like to weigh between 9 and 9 and a half stone.

I did my measurements the other day so will wait a week to see if they have gone down! My trousers feel slightly looser but not tons!!

[mermaidbutmytailfelloff]

Have you thought of writing down everything you eat for a week or so - myfitnesspal is good. That means weighing everything. You might find you have portion size probems! You are also eating a fair amount of carbs, can you ditch some of the fruit and replace it with veg sticks?

I am exactly the same size as you....but am aiming for just over 10 stones which suits me

[awaywego1]

Another vote for mfp-I was the same-cut out rubbish but didn't lose anything-but have now lost 5 pounds since starting mfp six weeks ago.

Also like you I was just at the top of my healthy weight so not desperately overweight-I think this tends to mean it will come off slowly but logging has definitely helped me a lot and I am now half way to my goal.

[lydiajones]

Thanks mermaid and Awaywego for recommending my fitness pal I think it might help motivate me. Also, is good for seeing how many calories I am actually eating.

Good luck to you all!!