need a moan....lost inches but not pounds....

[lucylala]

I've been on a diet/lifestyle change since last Oct, have had weeks of being really strict and weeks of being not so strict but have done loads and loads of exercise and feel LOADS fitter.

I've gone down a dress size (from 18/20) to (16/18) in most dress shops which I'm chuffed to bits about however, I am STILL 14.10lbs. I was 15.4lb when I started, so that's 8lbs in 4months!?! That's rubbish isn't it? People have started commenting that I look slimmer, hubby said I'm looking 'great' and I know I've lost 2inches off waist and 1inch off each thigh and I know that's all good and great and I am chuffed and proud of myself BUT....I am STILL nearly 15 stone!

Friends keep saying, well it doesn't matter what your weight is, its what you look like, but surely it does matter if your weight is 3.5 heavier than you should be!
I'm on the pill and anti depressants, I chatted to the nurse about it and she said maybe the pill is making it hard for me to lose weight so I'm thinking I might come off it.

I do eat loads of carbs, bread, pasta, rice - all with veg, low fat stuff and I don't eat meat (much) or very much chocs, biscuits, crisps at all. I eat loads of fruit so that's not a problem so am guessing my problem is too many carbs and not enough water (I'm rubbish at drinking water or any drinks to be honest).

Any tips? I just want to have a moan really...driving me nuts that I'm just stuck, stuck, stuck....

[YouKnowNothingOfTheCrunch]

If you're thinner but your weight hasn't changed much then that suggests to me that you've lost fat and put on muscle! This is all good. Keep it up!

[YouKnowNothingOfTheCrunch]

(Just to add, muscle weighs more than fat and the more you have the more calories you burn off. It sounds to me like you're doing exactly the right things and the weight will keep coming off)

[twelveyeargap]

It's far, FAR more important and healthy to lose inches than pounds. If you're exercising loads, then afaik, you'll be building fabulous muscle beneath any fat deposits you have, as well as burning fat. Muscle is heavier than fat.

I'm no expert, but I think I've been told by trainers not to exercise if you haven't eaten all day (or first thing before you have somthing to eat) as you can end up burning muscle tissue for fuel, rather than fat. Also, don't exercise at too high a level. You shouldn't be completely out of breath, because you will have gone past the "fat burning" level of exercise.

Mix up aerobic, non-aerobic and muscle building exercise (weights etc) to keep your body working hard.

Have a think about cutting down your carbs. They turn to sugars and fats in the body. Don't cut them out, just think about filling up on proteins instead. They don't get stored as fats so easily in the body and you might find you lose weight faster.

Well done on losing the inches.

FWIW, I know a girl who trained for hte marathon a couple of years ago and didn't lose a single pound, but went down 3 dress sizes!

[nesscall]

Lucylala I just found this post, and I am now in exactly the same place as you were in Feb. Same weight and weight loss (or lack of it). Going to gym and losing inches, but not losing weight. How has your progress been since feb? Any tips?

[zsos]

have you tried switching from rice and pasta to hearty grains ( brown rice, wild grains ) also when i have pasta i make a sauce with loads of veggies and just have a bit of pasta and loads of sauce then it is still filling and you are not giving anything up. There are some great wraps and pitas that you can fill instead of bread also lots of the low fat stuff has tons of sodium, so be careful. GOOD LUCK it sounds like you are doing a great job!!!!!!!!