Weight Loss Rant

[CremeDeSudo]

Since early August I’ve been doing my best to stick to between 1650 and 1700 calories each day ie, above my BMR which is apparently 1630. I admit there has been the odd day here and there where I’ve come in at between 1800 and 1900, but these have been rare. My average daily intake has been c1700 cals. I’m sticking to a balanced diet. It’s not 1700 calories of rubbish or anything like that.

My TDEE is 1950 calories each day as I’m in a desk job but walk to work/home most days. I’ve started trying to move more – walking up the stairs rather than taking the lift, parking my car up a hill so I have to walk up it. I also do pilates once a week plus 2x cardio-type classes and a half hour run if I get chance.

I’ve been doing this since beginning of August and have only lost 4lb. 4. Bloody. Pounds. How?!

My PT has asked that this week I try and stick to 1950 cals as an experiment and see what happens. He’s wondering if I might be undereating. Is this even remotely likely? I’ve only lost 4lbs, I don’t want to put 25%+ back on!

For background, I’ve only ever successfully lost weight by taking extreme measures – VLCD’s, eating bugger all etc etc. My most recent stint was 3 yrs ago though and haven’t under-eaten for a long time to I think my metabolism should be ok. I’m convinced I have a sluggish digestive system because I find tablets take ages to kick in. Also, my weight fluctuates depending on the time of the month – I’ve usually avoided weighing myself and stuck to measuring for this reason. I have 2 stone to lose.

I’m not sure what I’m hoping for really but just wanted to rant as I’m so frustrated! I hate calorie counting and using My Fitness Pal but consoled myself with knowing I had a plan and would lose 1lb a week and it's not happening!

[Ollivander84]

I stuck for ages to 1700 cals with no loss. Recently lost (and still losing) 30lbs but I've had to drop to 1200-1400 cals a day and add in some intermittent fasting

[JesusTapdancingChrist]

If you're not losing weight then you are eating too many calories.

I'd drop your cals to 1400-1500 (what height and weight are you?) for a week and I bet you see a better result. Definitely don't increase to 1950.

Also are you weighing portions and logging your intake accurately? It's quite common for people to guess at calories or not think to track drinks/cooking oils/condiments and this stuff can really add up.

[CremeDeSudo]

I've been catagorically told not to do that by my PT. The odd occasion I ate closer to 1800-1900 cals, the following day I would eat closer to 1500-1600 to compensate and I've been told off for doing that!

[Ohyesiam]

Are you eating carbs? Have a look at the blood sugar diet, it's very motivating because the weight loss I'd day ( he's hit SK the research to back up why that is ok, contrary to popular wisdom).
If you want to know how long food stays in your system, eat sweetcorn, and watch your poo. Anything over 24 hours is sluggish.
But well done on losing 4 lb

[CremeDeSudo]

I'm 5,7 and 186lb. 37% body fat according to Boots thingie.

I think I'm probably 90% accurate with food logging. I can't be dealing with weighing every portion of broccoli I have. I tend to weigh the carbs, and guesstimate the veg. I always overestimate if I haven't weighed something.

I'm thinking of binning the PT and eating less as mentioned above tbh...

[JaneEyre70]

I've lost just over 3 stone, and have to stay well under 1200 calories a day if I want to lose. Even 1400 seems to be a sticking point, and I walk around 5/6 miles a day with the dog. Drives me absolutely insane, but when I asked my GP, he gently reminded me that I'm 46, menopausal and that any weight loss is positive. My average loss seems to be 3 -4 lbs a month which doesn't really seem to reflect the effort I put in...... I'm also vegetarian and have to watch carbs closely.

[JesusTapdancingChrist]

I'm not a personal trainer or a dietician but it seems pretty clear to me that your calories are too high.

I'm 5'3 and started at 178 lbs in August. I'm 152lbs today and I've done it by eating 1100-1200 calories a day, never eating back exercise calories and doing loads of cardio. If I ate 1400-1500 I would maintain, anything over that I would gain.

[TitsalinaBumSqoosh]

My TDEE is 1600 so I have to stick to 1100 to even see the tiniest loss. It's soooo frustrating and I find it hard to feel satisfied on those numbers but I'm short and I don't move too much (apart from the day to day looking after 4 kids and walking round the corner to work and back 3 times a day) I try and go for a brisk 10-15 min walk every day and I always climb stairs rather than take lifts (I spend a LOT of time in a hospital with DS so that's significant) I have Heath issues that don't allow me to do any form of actual fitness class or running or gym etc.

It's so hard but it's necessary otherwise I'd just gain more and more weight. ☹️

[CremeDeSudo]

Is the BSD one where you need to eat minimal carbs and get into ketosis? I tried reducing carbs last week (and was told off for that too), and felt a bit ill to be honest..

Also, am planning on trying for a baby soon - can you do the BSD when pregnant?

[Not2bObvious]

I think your pt probably doesn't believe you're eating 1700 consistently and wants to see if you get more calories and stick to them where it gets you. You are losing weight, just slowly. To lose 1lb a week you need to burn 3500 calories a day less than you're taking in, so in this case it's probably bang on if you're eating 1700 and burning 1950. Your alternative might be to up your daily calorie burn, could you up your activity to increase your tdee? I aim to do 15,000 steps a day and I burn (proved by Fitbit charge - highly highly recommend) between 2300-2600 a day, I eat 1700-1800 and if I don't go mad at weekends I lose 1lb a week. I know it sounds like a lot of steps but it's surprisingly doable with a bit of effort (even marching on the spot watching TV)
The ideal would be to lose weight in a way you can live with, eating too little causes binges, not tracking doesn't mean it didn't happen. I used to try 1200 a day, I just couldn't hack it. Look up Richie Howey on Facebook, he's changed my mind a LOT about dieting and I've lost a lot of the misery

[CremeDeSudo]

Yes that's the plan - I need to be 500 cals less a day so it's 3500 over the week, hence 1lb a week. I'm eating 200 less, then moving more which should hopefully make up the 300. Then my fitness classes are a bonus.

I don't feel like I can increase my level of activity anymore than I have an stick to it so it seems to me I need to eat less.

Love the idea of low carbing and not calorie counting but the carb flu scares me and the idea of eating so much high fat makes me very nervous! I think I would find it difficult! I'll have to spend some time on the Low Carb Bootcamp threads I think..

[RosieMumsie]

I joined a mindful eating programme 2 months ago and it has made such a big difference. No food is forbidden. You learn to listen to your body, learn about different types of hunger, managing your emotional eating and much more. I am so relaxed about food now. I had got into such a state after years of dieting and just basically always ended up binging on the stuff I kept trying to avoid. I have lost weight, I am the most relaxed about food I have ever been. I now eat what I want, but I naturally go for all good stuff and I eat a fraction of what I used to. Honestly, this is the way to go. Learn to listen to your bodies and you'll get smaller and healthier as a result.

[NotThereEileen]

Creme low carb is excellent, and stops you from being hungry! Carb flu doesn't happen to everyone and if out does, doesn't last that long for most.
Bootcamp sign up thread is over in chat......

[Loubilou09]

Good god I would get rid of the PT straight away. You are not undereating at 1700 cals a day....

[Loubilou09]

I would totally ignore exercise calories as they are HUGELY inaccurate and can't be relied on. If you go by calories alone you are only down about 200 cals a day and 4 lbs equates to approximately 14,000 calories so at 200 a day it will take you 70 odd days to lose 4 lbs which is about what you have done.

Cut down to 1250 and you will lose weight

[Loubilou09]

I would also put in 100 calories a day into my fitness pal for "underestimation" or "mistakes"

[Loubilou09]

Also work out what your TDEE is when you are sedentary. I am 5'7" and my TDEE at 12 stone is just over 1700 cals per day. Yours seems quite high at 1950 so you have probably said you do some exercise when you worked it out?? If you have already added in some exercise and then are trying to double count it when you actually exercise, you are probably not burning as many cals as you think....

[Ollivander84]

That's what I do, I track at 1200 which allows for a splash of milk etc
My food today
Protein shake
Sushi pack
Jamie Oliver eggs and flatbread (with salad)

[PatriciaHolm]

An extra 300 calories in exercise a day is actually quite a significant amount, and I can't imagine you are doing that every day. It's a good couple of hours of walking, for example. Essentially most of us need to ignore the calories we burn from exercise unless we doing serious workouts on a regular basis (and not eating a morsel more in "compensation"!). So most days you only have a deficit of 200 calories, if that - 1700 sounds like a lot.

I lost 2.5 stone slowly but steadily basically by really cutting down the carbs in the evening (far more salad and veg) and sensible snacking. I maintain on about 1300-1400 calories a day though I am small - 5ft 4, 115 pounds.

[CremeDeSudo]

OK new plan. Bin the PT and aim for 1500 cals.

I'm seriously considering the keto diet but need to plan what I'd have first...

Thank you all. I feel better for having ranted a bit and having a new plan!

[thenewaveragebear1983]

If your calculations are right then you're only undercutting your tdee by 250 cals a day. At that rate it would take 14 days to lose a pound, if you trust the traditional 3500 cals = 1lb loss, and that's not taking into account any water retention, totm, over estimating exercise or underestimating cals, or any just body weirdness that means you don't lose as you should. I'd cut the calories if you can, but change your food to be highly nutritious, high fat, low carb, so you don't feel so hungry on fewer calories. A pp mentioned the blood sugar diet- we have a long running thread on here with lots of long termers and new starters who can help and advise you if you are interested in it.

Blood sugar diet thread 8
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/3020109-blood-sugar-diet-thread-8

[Loubilou09]

I will add some statistics from my weight loss if you are interested

5'7" and was 14 stone 5 lbs and pretty sedentary apart from a 3-4 mile dog walk a day so about 8,000 ish steps I guess, no other exercise and an average of 1360 calories a day for 14 weeks - lost 14 lbs.

Then upped the exercise to same dog walk a day plus 2 hard PT sessions a week and 5-7 hours of other Cardio so up to 9 hours hard cardio a week plus a good 7 hours at least of purposeful dogwalking. Calories at about 1350 and lost 15 lbs over a 10 week period so all that extra exercise only gave me and additional 0.5lb a week loss.

Then upped the calories to about 1600 ish a day and kept the exercise up and only lost 9lbs in a 14 week period.

The moral of the tale, calories HAVE to be lower and exercise doesn't count for as much as you think.

If you low carb you will naturally lower calories as you won't be hungry.

[YourFace]

I bought an Apple watch and that tells me what I burn during exercise - I assume it is reasonably accurate, if it is doing it via my personal stats plus heart rate. Maybe something like that would help you get a clearer idea. I think walking the dog would not burn loads, if it was just an hour.

I would guess that I'd burn 200 for a Pilates class but body pump and spin comes in @ 370 - 420. I'm 5ft 10 and 150lb and according to my watch i burn between 2200-2500 most days. Steps are @ 14000isjh and spin or pump most days. So I basically am doing loads to burn that much, plus I am tall.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Be careful when calculating your exercise calories burned- you burn calories all the time, so say you burn 50 calories in an hour doing nothing, but go for a run and it says you've burned 300- it's actually only 250 more calories burned. If you eat your exercise calories, or factor them in to y

[YourFace]

Meant to say it took me ages of cutting down to lose a stone. Perhaps 4 months, but I am 45 though.