Weight loss has stalled

Annoyingly cannot enjoy rooibos or even green tea.

Decaffeinated coffee is bearable with a tiny bit of stevia in.

Try rooibos, it's lovely. I drink with milk and don't miss standard tea at all.

Pcos is not helping you here I’m afraid. Start doing weightlifting/crossfit. Weights give a massive calorie burn

I’m about your weight, probably not as active as you apple watch says my maintenance is between 1900 -2100 a day. The problem with a small deficit is that it’s easy to obliterate with an extra bite here of there. I’ve been in a bit if a funk recently but I do better at weight loss if I’m pretty strict for at least 4 days a week. I try to stick to 1500 calories or less for 4 days, that gives me 2200 a day for 3 days over the weekend, I try to still stick to 1500 but if I have an extra glass of wine or a frozen yoghurt I have a little more space in the bank. I literally cannot bring myself to consistently eat less than 1400 calories. I will lose less than a Lb a week but it’s bearable. I don’t know of something like that would work for you?

The thing about protein shakes is I just don’t think they are as filling as actual protein, plus you get the thermic effect of eating meat based protein (which isn’t loads but if you are trying to maintain a tiny deficit to lose weight an extra 100 calories will make a difference).

HRT for the future health benefits alone.

Cheap protein can tins be tins of tuna, various beans & bags dried red lentils and Oats. The latter three can all be used to bulk out mince dishes too.

If the gap between lunch and tea is leading to snack/wanting to snack, can you push lunch back by say 90mins? I’m often not massively hungry at traditional lunch time (particularly if breakfast has been good quality) so don’t feel you have to eat at a specific time if it doesn’t work for you

I am really fat, over the years I have tried slimming world, weight watchers, calorie tracking and lost weight then gained more. I read the book ultra processed people and it has changed the way I see food and my relationship with food. I have lost a stone and a half in the 6 weeks since I read it without it feeling like a diet. I would totally recommend the book!

I notice a lot of responses saying give up or drastically reduce carbs. I have lost 73 pounds over the last 18 months, and given up no food groups. I eat carbs every day. You are not extremely overweight for your height, so it may take some time for you to lose more weight. I would go for a balanced diet, prioritising protein, but not giving up other food groups, and increase your exercise if possible.

Try not to focus exclusively on weight- as others have mentioned, SO many things affect it like muscle! And water retention Andrew so much more. Fat loss is king imo.

Congratulations on your losses so far! I love calorie counting and consistently lose by being in one. It works, it’s transparent and reliable. I don’t agree at all that it’s a sure fire way to misery, that’s an individual take.

Go to a TDEE calculator to see what you need to lose vs maintain. If you lift weights, you’ll be better off in the long term as your body will need more calories to maintain, so you’ll get to eat more. But in the short term, weight loss will be slower (as you gain muscle which weighs more), this is when you need to use other metrics such as measurements. If you decide to do that, you can use a body recomposition calculator.

i only drink my calories (especially in protein shakes) when I am trying to build muscle as they’re not a great volume food and don’t fill me up especially.

Am cutting down on caffeine which raises cortisol. Hope it helps as I love my tea! Not keen on decaffeinated tea.

Most exercise can cause water retention but it's only temporary and not a reason to avoid exercise

Flying can also lead to water retention.

If I remember correctly, I think exercise can lead to water weight while the muscle repairs itself after strenuous use. It goes quickly but if you weigh yourself the morning after you get back from trekking up mountains (if you're not used to it), you'll probably weigh more than you would if you waited a couple of days for things to settle and stop aching.

Yes, it's absolutely correct. It's very possible to gain and lose several pounds through water alone, and lots of things influence it, including certain foods, salt intake, heat, and certain types of exercise.

I’m 5 foot 4 and 1800 is my maintenance calories if Im exercising (a bit!)
I’ve recently lost 6 stone on Mounjaro as I needed to eat 1200 to lose weight at any sort of speed (averaged 1.4lbs a week) and WLI were the only possible way I could do this.
I’m now 9 stone, slowly reducing my dose but maintaining well. I’ve built good habits with food and exercise and am hopeful for the first time in a long time that I’ll manage to keep my weight off.

I don't believe that it's healthy to try to remove carbs completely. I'm also taking metformin and have limited carbs, but for me that means avoiding things like potatoes, most bread, white rice, crisps, and of course processed, sugary snacks. I still eat fruit (in moderation), the occasional small portion of high-fibre 100% wheat bread, barley, legumes, etc combined with healthy protein, healthy fats (in moderation), and vegetables. The occasional 'splurge day' is also okay, but I'm strict about getting back to the usual diet again and not backsliding into old, unhealthy eating habits.

I want a way of eating that I can stick to for years to come, and giving up nearly all carbs would make me miserable. I haven't been calorie counting as such, yet I've managed to lose 1 stone 7 pounds and counting since late last year (when I started metformin and changed my diet). I'm down to about 135 now, at 5'5" in my late 40s. I try to take a brisk 30-minute 'exercise-level' walk every day. (Walking for at least 10 minutes just after meals is good for controlling blood glucose spikes, too. Even a moderate pace is enough to help.) Eventually, I want to add in resistance training and maybe a bit more aerobic exercise, but I'm already in much better condition than I was when I started.

It does seem to vary significantly from person to person what works and how long it takes to lose weight, but I just want to encourage you that you're doing it 'the right way' (in my opinion) and don't necessarily have to do anything too drastic (like never eating carbs again) to see results. Good luck getting where you want to be!

Try cutting out bread completely, less brutal than going completely off carbs all at once. I’ve had success with that.

It's really mad how many women post things like this. Bodies are different. Age, activity levels, height and muscle mass all impact TDEE. So the fact that you may be on 1800 to maintain means absolutely nothing about what OP needs to eat to maintain.

Weight loss can stall during hot weather as your body retains more water to prevent dehydration.

Also, the scales don't tell the full picture.

You're also probably not too far from your goal weight and that last stone can be harder to lose.

your total daily expenditure get lower when you loose substantial amount of weight. Try to do 20 min of cardio each day..

I eat vegetables daily but cannot afford any more than I already buy.

Any recommendations for a snack to keep me going in the afternoon ?

I’ve started to keep a bowl of hard boiled eggs in the fridge and I often have one as a snack. Much better than a protein shake

Nuts as a pp suggested are also a brilliant filling snack and easy to take with you.