Why can't I lose weight anymore?? Just don't understand it! Is my diet crap?

[NoraDrenaline]

I'm 33 and weigh 10st 12lbs. I'm 5ft 10in so although I know I'm not "overweight" as such, it is really heavy for me as all my life I've fluttered between 10st and 10st 7lbs. I've not started suddenly eating loads or suddenly cut out a load of exercise so I just don't understand why I can't shift that 5-6lbs that have appeared from nowhere.

Typical example of my diet was yesterday - 2 weetabix for breakfast with a low fat shape yogurt, weight watchers ready meal for lunch ( less than 300 calories) and home-made curry and rice for tea (made with all low fat ingredients). Later I had a weight watchers pudding and a bag on nik naks. Surely this isn't excessive?? I'm so desperate I've even started using diet pills (ketone and green coffee beans). They're not working.

I'm tempted to buy some water retention pills to get rude of a few pounds that way but water is not fat! My clothes are too tight and I'm going in holiday in June, the thought of being this fat on holiday actually depresses me.

After note - I started taking anti-depressants (sertraline) around November last year, I suppose that's when I noticed the weight creeping on. Been off them for a month but could it be that?

[1919]

Stop with the low fat, 'fake' diet foods. Eat good quality meat, fish and lots of vegetables and drink more water.

[totallyaimless]

Check the sugar levels on the WW food, there will lie the problem, fake diet food is sky high with sugar, especial the yogurts and desserts. If you take out the fat and calories something has to be put in to make it taste nice and that something is sugar.

[Betrayedbutsurvived]

What 1919 said. Low fat foods are almost always stuffed with sugar. Google low fat food is making you fat. It's a revelation.

[isitsnowingyet]

At 5 ft 10inches that weight sounds underweight to me. Your previous weight of 10 stones seems definitely underweight.

[MaryWestmacott]

My fitness pal, log everything, including drinks. It's amazing how high I'm calories "low fat" versions of foods are. I've switched to drinking only water or black coffee in the day, cuts a lot of calories out without making you notice them.

Try as well having protein based breakfast, I find when I do I'm less hungry at lunchtime, on the same number of calories.

[MaryWestmacott]

Oh and drop the diet pills! Aim to put real, healthy foods in your body, as close to natural state as you can, think about cutting out ready meals too.

Can you increase your exercise? If all else isn't possible, stick on some music and make yourself dance like a loon in your kitchen for 20 minutes each night for a week (I tend to find dancing like a loon is rather good fun too!).

[NoraDrenaline]

Thanks guys, I'll take it on board. So say if I changed yesterday to:

Morning - 2 weetabix with a banana
Lunch - turkey wrap with lettuce, cucumber and spring onions
Dinner - White fish in parsley sauce with linguine and vegies ?

Is that any better?

[specialsubject]

yes, much.

never eat diet food, low-fat food, bags of fat and air.

and diet pills don't work. If they did, no-one would be fat.

good luck!

[Chopstheduck]

that sounds a lot better.


Also, if you still feel fat at that height and weight, I would say that you probably lack muscle tone. What dress size are you?

I'm 5'11, only an inch taller than you but I weight 14 stone! I'm not fat neither.

[MaryWestmacott]

Lots better! Would definitely recommend MFP, really helped me keep track.

If you can build in some exercise to your day, that would really help, esp if you are lacking muscle.

[NoraDrenaline]

I'm a size 10-12 ... Mostly 12 but can fit into some size 10 clothes in tops, dresses and skirts. Jeans and trousers tend to be a size 12 though.

I start work at 7am and we don't tend to get our breakfast break until 11am so by then, you're starving and just eat anything!

So today I had a banana on the way to work, weetabix at 11.15, Turkey, salad and pesto wrap for lunch and for tea it's fish with parsley sauce and linguine. I've also eaten a homemade muffin with tons of fancy icing on (made by someone at work) and a packet of crisps >:-(

Any tips on staying off the snacks on an evening? Last night I ate 6 ginger biscuits whilst I watched tv I'm on mfp and every single day I go over my allowance by the night time usually through evening snacks. I hate healthy food so no point in me promising to sit there I eat carrot sticks all night instead because it just won't happen in reality. I'm so frustrated with myself.

[Chopstheduck]

I'm on MFP, same username, add me if you like!

You really don't sound overweight though.


Can you eat your evening meal a bit later? Or fit in some exercise somewhere to earn some cals for evening snacks?

[Sleepwhenidie]

You've had some good advice here, ditch the diet pills and ready meals and low fat crap, eat real food....but, yes the AD's could certainly be making a difference, many do.

[MauraFedora]

Hi - I'm an ITU nurse and today we had to take a patient off her sertraline as she had low sodium which the pharmacist was convinced was causing it and this was leading to water retention. I'd do some research into side effects.

[MaryWestmacott]

Allow yourself some calories for an evening snack if you know that you'll want to eat something. I buy a pack of the cadbury mini chocolate bars, they are 110 calories each, but unlike opening a packet of biscuits where you can have another, then another, it's a set amount of one bar.

Otherwise, can you have fruit in the evenings? And also in the day? You seem to be a snacker, so have things you can pick at that are a bit better but filling, grapes are a good alternative to biscuit picking. Sweet, and 'picky' food without being as bad.

And stop buying biscuits.

[NoraDrenaline]

Thanks for the support everyone.

Well since I took your advice and came off the "diet foods" I have unbloated - look much thinner in the mirror and have lost 2lbs I also feel great! And I don't feel as hungry either - not wanting to snack as much.

Yesterday I had 2 weetabix and a glass or orange juice for brekkie. Tuna, spring onion, lettuce and pesto in a granary bap for lunch and homemade cottage pie for tea. DP bought me a bar of chocolate for the evening and it's still sat on the kitchen side ... go me!

It's 6.30 on a sunday morning, I slept like a baby last night and woke up early and full of energy so I'm off for a jog in a minute. A good day to test out my new jogging app.

[MaryWestmacott]

Wow, sounds great! Real food, savoured, and healthy is the best long term way to eat.

[tess73]

You need to eat some protein earlier in the day. Have a handful of plain almonds with your banana. Or slice the banana onto ryvita with some cashew nut spread. Ideally have an egg first thing but it doesn't sound like you have time for that .
If you feel fat at that low weight you must be very low in muscle, start building that. Don't worry about the scales concentrate on how you feel/clothes fit.

[pussycatdoll]

Tell your dp to stop buying you chocolate !
Clean your teeth straight after your evening meal to stop snacking temptation