What the hell do I have to do to lose weight? Huh? HUH???

[LunaNorth]

I’ve stopped drinking - 38 days AF so far, with no plans to restart.

I’ve completed C25K, three weeks ago, and have kept up running, three times a week since.

I go open water swimming once or twice a week.

I do an hour-long yoga class every week.

I have three dogs that get walked every day.

I have a Fitbit, and always make sure I do my 10,000 steps and always do more active minutes than the target.

I’m also coeliac, which curtails my options when it comes to eating out and takeaways. Lockdown put a stop to meals out, too.

All this effort, and I haven’t lost an ounce! I don’t have scales, granted, but my waist has INCREASED by an inch and my clothes feel exactly the same tight.

Wtf? I’m so fed up. Yes, I do eat a lot, always have, but it’s mostly good stuff, and with the not drinking, no gluten, tons of exercise, I had hoped I’d be allowed the odd treat. Clearly not.

Is this it, then? Does middle age mean living on lettuce and a dream if I don’t want to resemble a pit pony?

And please don’t take away my carbs. I thrive on them. I’ve tried low-carb and it gives me a headache.

I want to avoid all diets if possible. I’ve done SW and WW in the past, as well as 16:8. I just can’t sustain it.

Is anyone else in a similar position? What do I have to do?!

Do you feel/look better even if the scales aren't showing a change?

I don't lose weight when I stop drinking but I do look slimmer and feel better.

Unfortunately though I have learnt that it doesn't matter how much exercise you do, you can't exercise your way out of eating too many calories in the first place.

I lost nearly two stone by just reducing my portions sizes and not snacking between meals. Using my fitness pal radically changed my eating habits by showing just how many extra calories I was eating just through snacking etc. It's had a permanent change on my portion sizes and I now feel full off half a portion of what I would have previously eaten and reached for pudding afterwards.

I don't eat any lettuce (unless I want to) I just eat the same as what I always used to do but just smaller portions of it.

If you've upped the exercise your muscles can retain water whilst they repair, meaning it can appear you've not lost anything. I would say it's worth counting calories, not to become obsessive but it is actually surprising how quickly they add up, it avoids doing anything faddy as well. If you like carbs then have them, but personally I would limit it to a portion or 2 a day, and bulk meals out with veg. I lost 8 stone after having DS, having always been overweight growing up. It was hard at first, but now it's just second nature, it's much more sustainable imo than diets. Also loads of water, or fluids.

I do feel better, yes. And I think I’ve toned up.

It’s the food then. Sigh.

I was hoping for a miracle.

You don't mention how old you are, but yeah, IME after 40 the only way to lose weight is to cut carbs. Sorry.

I guess MFP is just tracking, isn’t it?

So it’s like being informed, rather than dieting as such.

Its simple. You need to take in fewer calories. If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight. Food intake is more influential than exercise when it comes to weightloss. Download my fitness pal and track your calories per day.

Sorry OP cutting carbs is the only thing that works for me

No advice, but gluten free low calorie

MFP has some really odd permissions on it, you have to allow them to have access to basically your entire phone. I would either download it on a device you don't use much, or just manually keep a note.

One thought - when I reduced the amount of cardio I did, I did lose weight because I was less ravenous all the time. Worth a go?

Can't you do some calorie counting? It really can help. If you're eating, say, 3000 cals a day you would need to offset it with that much exercise. My Fitbit tells me exactly how many cals I burn every day (3-4000) and I aim to eat 1300 cals a day where possible

Over 40 it becomes so so much harder.

Eat less. That’s it in a nutshell.

You may not have lost weight from all the exercise, but I would imagine you’ve toned up and look / feel better. Have you measured yourself or noticed your clothes feeling looser?
I have lost weight over the last few years by calorie counting, and cutting out the rubbish. Consistency is key, so 5 days of healthy eating within your calorie limit can easily be undone by a weekend of overeating (very unfair IMO!! ).

I'm 42 and have gone through the menopause. I was on low carb and whilst I did loose weight, I felt rubbish a lot of the time.

Now I'm using MFP and following my calories and macros I've been set by someone and I've lost even more weight.

Plus I have energy to exercise properly which only helps the weight loss.

I'm a carb cutter. Sorry that's not the answer you want. I found 16:8 not too difficult. If you finishing eating at 7 you can eat again mid morning. Perfect time for brunch.

Gluten free substitutes can often have more calories than their glutinous equivalents. Read the labels. Find out which are lower calorie, full of nutrients, Lower sugar, lower salt, higher fibre etc.

Have you had your thyroid checked? Do you have problems with inflammation? You could have a comorbidity. Is your celiac disease well controlled? When were you last 'glutened' ? Do you drink enough water and do you supplement any vitamins or minerals? Also, bad sleep can effect weight loss too. And stress.

Basically there are A LOT of factors that can make it harder to lose weight. That doesn't mean it's impossible through calorie restriction, but i would have some blood tests done and look at other mitigating factors as well as reducing calories.

Good luck

Exercise does fuck all for me weight loss wise- I end up plateauing. It obviously has other health and confidence benefits but weight loss? Not for me.

Afraid it’s food intake that makes or breaks it for me. The science behind low carbing makes sense to me but I just can’t sustain it, I feel miserable.
Sooo... I am going for less carbs, less calories (1200ish, tracked in MFP) over less hours (ideally 1-7pm but depends what life allows). I haven’t cut out any food groups- yesterday I managed to shoehorn pizza and wine into my allowance- just not as much as I would have had before. I’m losing about 2lbs a week when I stick to that.

Are you quite slim already?
More portion control on carbs? Eg weigh the pasta/rice before cooking.

Off topic but where do you do your open water swimming? Have become obsessed with taking this up.

Low carb will give you a headache to start with but it soon goes. If you eat a lot of carbs, no amount of exercise will result in weight loss. Carbs turn to sugar.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

You don't mention how old you are, but yeah, IME after 40 the only way to lose weight is to cut carbs. Sorry.

Bollocks! I'm a vegan and carbs are life but I'm losing weight on calorie counting. Low carb is just a way to achieve a calorie deficit without being hungry all the time.

OP you need to be in a calorie deficit. How you achieve that is up to you. But you won't lose weight though exercise alone, sorry

Sorry but yes, low carb.

OMAD is your answer

The carb withdrawal headaches don't last forever and it's a good way to lose weight.. (she says, eating a donut)

@Looneytune253

Can't you do some calorie counting? It really can help. If you're eating, say, 3000 cals a day you would need to offset it with that much exercise. My Fitbit tells me exactly how many cals I burn every day (3-4000) and I aim to eat 1300 cals a day where possible

Why on Earth are you eating 1300 a day when you burn 3-4000??? What are you doing??

Lowe carb, lower sugar, higher protein and good fats will make you feel good