What the hell am I doing wrong?!

[jasminemaya]

Please does anyone have advice for me.

I have 9kgs to lose for a big holiday in January. Plenty of time to do it slowly and healthily.

Started 3 weeks ago, starting weight 69kg

I've been doing simple calorie counting, trying to have protein for breakfast to keep me full for the day. Aiming for 1,350 cals. Been jogging twice a week

Breakfast: 1 piece toast w scrambled egg or peanut butter / nut butter smoothie (approx 350 cals)

Lunch: chicken, salmon or prawn salad with quinoa (approx 450 cals)

Dinner: Stir Fry, soup with rice noodles and coconut milk, jacket potato & salad, beef stew (550 cals)

Starting weight: 69 kg
Week 1: 67.5kg
Week 2: 68 kg
Week 3: 69.1 kg :(

I haven't cheated at all and had no snacks! Any advice for where I'm going wrong?

[Not2bObvious]

Are you doing any other activity apart from 2 jogs? If you could get a cheap pedometer and aim to get a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. And increase as you go, I aim for 15,000 steps a day.
Are you confident you’ve got the cals right for your meals, peanut butter is very caloric and 15grs is close to 100 cals, barely covers a slice of toast. Are you using my fitness pal to track your food as well.
Are you eating that kind of food day in day out or letting it go on weekends. You need to accurately track to be sure
I also weigh daily and take the average weight on a Sunday (Fitbit app does this, you don’t need a Fitbit to use the app) That smooths out fluid retention fake gains.
Hope that helps

[jasminemaya]

Thanks Not2bObvious I've recently started driving to work rather than getting the train and noticed my steps have gone down a lot. Maybe that's it.
I haven't cheated at all which is why so disheartened but will keep going and hope it's water retention.

[FuckingHateRain]

There is no "or" in your dinner
Are you having all that?
Coconut milk by itself should have 300cals

[Haworthia]

Weight loss is much, much more about diet than exercise.

I agree that if you’re calorie counting, you have to be stringent about weighing and measuring every morsel, else you risk going way over your limit.

Personally, I’ve had the most success with low carbing. You could dip your toes in by ditching starchy carbs (bread, potatoes, rice, noodles, pasta, etc) for a couple of weeks to see if that makes a difference on the scales.

[jasminemaya]

Lol no they were examples of typical dinners - I'm not having them all every night!
I really would be going wrong then.

[Whatsthispain]

You need a 500 calorie deficit each day to lose 1lb a week. So you need to be burning 1900 calories per day. A fitbit type thing will show you how many. If i want to lose weight successfully these days I have to stick to 1200 calories. I think its my age. Also if i do 1500 cals a day the loss is too slow and i become disheartened.

[jasminemaya]

I think it must be age too - if is been this strict in my 20s I'd have lost about 1/2 stone by now. I'm nearly 40 and it's much harder.

I guess I'll cut each meal down a bit more. Can't remember what's it's like not to be hungry!

[Whatsthispain]

I think I need hard and fast rules; I need black and white. Against every fibre of my being I've just signed up to try a month of weight watchers. I'm desperate. I'm handing myself over to the higher pokery of points and "free" foods. I've got 2 stone to lose at 40. I've lost 4lbs this week. It's worth twelve quid to me to try it!!!

[Whatsthispain]

That should say jiggery pokery of points.

[SingingGoldfinch]

I would recommend the My Fitness Pal app - it's really good for logging calorie intake vs activity/exercise. You can put in your current weight and target weight and it'll work out you calorie intake per day and you can check in daily to track progress.

Having said that, the single most effective thing I did to lose weight was the 5:2 diet. I lost 2 stone in 4 months and have kept it off for a year now.

Good luck

[EdithDickie]

I always weigh at least 2lbs more the week before period is due. Could it be something like that for you?

[onetimeposter]

Age is the reason. Im also struggling but have to do something.
Focus on what your clothes feel like not what you weigh.

[MIdgebabe]

Muscle mass low? Low activity levels in general?

Togethervthan can equivalent to 400 calories a day

How accurate is your calaries counting?weighing everything and Including any oil in the fry pan etc? Large mouthfuls during tasting?

[jasminemaya]

I do have my fitness pal and it's synced with my Apple Watch (stealth boast there! ;)) so I've got a pretty good idea of my calorie intake.

Felt so crap today after weighing myself went out for a Sunday roast with a large glass of red - it was divine but well and truly off the wagon.

Weirdly my lightest weight was just before my period.

Will start afresh tomorrow. Thanks for the tips and good luck to those on the journey.

[Allycumpooster]

Drinking in moderation can help with weight loss! I can’t remember the exact quote from research but it cheered me up no end to read it .
My app allows me 1200 calories a day but gives me more if I exercise so the drop in step count may not be helping you. Try to drink more water between meals to help you feel less hungry. Be kind to yourself, weight loss is a marathon not a sprint and it’s hard! Just keep doing what your doing and try measuring something other than weight for a few days- waistline, energy etc.

[onetimeposter]

So after a certain age, say 40, do you literally have to be hungry all the time to stay slim?!

[flumpybear]

69kg isn't very heavy - are you sure you need to lose weight?

[jasminemaya]

Allycumpooster that has cheered me up no end! And maybe there is something in it as 68.5kg this morning with wet hair after my shower... so weird.

flumpybear am 5 ft 5 so not obese at 69 kg but my ideal healthy weight is 60kg

onetimeposter sadly I think so unless you are extremely active.

Got an appointment to look around a posh gym this afternoon.