Eating healthy for weeks and only 1.5lb lost

[fatisnotafeeling]

I have a 9 month old DS he is my 4th baby and I'm 40 next week. I am 5,7 snd 13 stone size 16 so overweight, I need to get to 11stone to be under a BMi of 25.

I mention these because they could be relevant, I have been eating what I want within reason since he was born and I gained a stone so 4 weeks ago I decided to do some calorie counting.
I have had 1400 calories or less everyday, stopped drinking wine, have been doing HIIT 3 times a week plus going on walks.
First week I lost nothing, second lost .5 and third lost 2, this week I've gained 1lb.

I have spent all day in tears this may seem over the top but I've always had a problem with hating my body and have in the past suffered with bulimia and anorexia. I am struggling with knowing I could stop eating altogether which would be relatively easy for me to do and lose the weight but know that's not healthy. It's a content battle and exhausting.

I just don't know what to do I am not losing the weight despite doing everything I should be doing.

I'm just looking for a little support and also perhaps some advise if anyone has found anything particular that has helped them to lose weight.

Aw. That’s crap.

I’d also take measurements and see if those are changing at all. Do your clothes feel any different? Maybe you’ve lost fat and gained muscle.

Do you feel like you’re eating less?

Have you tried measuring round your tummy as sometimes it can show in that way other than the scales? Maybe with the exercise etc you are gaining more muscle?

Maybe taking the focus off weight might help you as well, thinking about being fitter / healthier instead perhaps?

Half a pound a week is good and slow and steady, to lose 2lbs a week you’d need to be in a 1000 deficit every day, which is a huge amount unless you are doing a lot of exercise would be a miserably small a lint of food for most people. Keep on trucking, it’s not linear.

1400 might be too much for your body. I maintain on around 1100

I'm certainly eating a lot less and healthier then before. I've cut out all chocolate and biscuits and wine have nothing that I shouldn't have. My clothes don't feel any different and I don't look any different.

I'm thinking maybe I do need to lower my calories to 1000 but my fitness pal tells me this is too little for my body to survive on. I could eat 500 calories a day easily I am great at restricting it comes naturally given my history but I know that's not healthy and will lead to starving l.

Before I fell pregnant I was very fit, could run 10k and did body pump and body combat plus HiIT every week. I was very poorly in pregnancy and couldn't exercise.

I feel so disheartened by it all and very worn down.

Are you breastfeeding? Sometimes that causes the body to behave in mysterious ways in regards to weight loss. Also, take measurements as sometimes weight isn't lost but inches are

Finally, are you sure its 1400 calories? So easy to have a latte or something and push it up (i gained quite a bit when having 3 lattes a day)

Are you drinking enough water? I find not drinking enough is what hampers my efforts when I am trying to lose weight.

You could be under-estimating your calories. Or gaining muscle and losing fat. Or if you’re breastfeeding it can prevent you losing weight.

If you’re breastfeeding or have just stopped breastfeeding it might be milk. I’m having a similar issue. But I know my diet and exercise plan is working because I’m fitting better into clothes.

What are you eating though?

If you're eating low fat that could be why, try low carb.

To those that ask I am not breastfeeding, I drink plenty of water all day.

I am basically eating the same things every day so weetabix for breakfast, I don't eat lunch and then I have chicken with salad and a small amount of rice for dinner. I don't eat any other carbs other then the rice and occasional biscuit but just one.

My body responds similarly, it is so disheartening. I've had to come off the weightliss threads as people are losing every week and mine fluctuates, despite staying within calorie deficit.
OP your weetabix and chicken dinner are not going to mount up to 1400, are you sure you aren't miscalculation?

I regularly gain 2-3lb when my period is due because I retain water, and lose it afterwards. I don’t rely on the number on the scales the week before my period. Could this be the problem?

fatisnotafeeling Its really helpful to only weigh (or more realistically only "officially/ formally" weigh) yourself once per month, on the day after your period. Women's weight fluctuates through the month even when the month on month trend is downwards.

If you're only eating a weetabix and a chicken salad you're not likely to be eating 1400 calories unless you're eating a whole small chicken...

Half a pound a week is ideal weight loss. It's not healthy or sustainable to lose any faster than that, so it sounds like you're doing great.

I’m the same height and slightly bigger size than you (13st9). I’ve been working on losing weight slowly but steadily since last May, and have lost at least 25lbs in that time - possibly slightly more as I don’t know my starting weight 😊. It’s been slow but that’s deliberate as I want to be able to maintain the loss when I’m done. It took about four months before I noticed a difference and maybe five before I realised my jeans were now falling off me. I eat about 1750 calories a day and look to burn ~2250 to have the 500 cal deficit needed for 1lb a week loss, but let this average out across the week.

I know it seems counter intuitive but you might need to be eating more and moving more. Have a look at TDEE and BMR calculators to get a better idea of what you need personally. But my view would always be its better to eat well and sensible amounts, and to move more, rather than to cut your calories down to restrictive or dangerous amounts.

I'm the same height as you and started off a similar weight when I started trying to lose weight after having DD. Low carb really worked initially for losing weight off my belly but for me it wasn't sustainable. The only thing that's really worked is calorie counting, my fitness Pal is set to 1300 a day. I don't find exercise makes much difference, the largest amounts of weight I have lost have been in the two lockdowns with the gyms closed.

What else are you eating? 1400 calories a day isn't Weetabix for breakfast then chicken, veg and rice for dinner, that would only be about 800!

Have you thought about trying intermittent fasting @fatisnotafeeling ?

That can be really great for your health as well as weight loss.

You can start off doing 12 hours fast and 12 hours eating window and then up the fasting periods to what suits you best - 16:8 is what a lot of people tend to do,

There is loads of stuff online about it and a podcast by Melanie Avalon and Gin Stephens - very American and a lot of ads but there are some useful tips on there. Gin Stephens has written a book called Delay don't deny - and there is a UK Facebook group by that name.

You sound a lot like me OP - traditional calorie counting is not a good way for me to lose weight, and when you read the science behind IF it makes a lot of sense.

Another good book is The Obesity Code by Jason Fung.

Good luck - you will get there

Thank you all, I can honestly say other then the odd biscuit or skinny whip bar I am eating nothing else. I put it into MFP and it's telling me it's def under 1400 everyday, I may have had 1400 one day hence 1400 or less.

It doesn't make sense to me at all, and the problem I have is that my brain automatically goes on restriction mode and because I feel so down about it I lose my appetite so today I have eaten nothing at all so far. I will try to eat dinner later but will have to force it.

I mean this kindly, but with a history of restrictive eating disorders, it would probably be better for you to speak to a qualified dietician or similar to help you lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way that doesn’t risk you returning to disordered eating. Rather than asking on a forum with a range of women in a range of shapes and sizes, with varying approaches to healthy weight loss! I personally think some of the numbers being bandied about on here are too low to be a healthy intake for an adult woman, and I don’t think it’s at all good for you to see such low numbers when you have a history of restrictive eating.

Lots of veg, some fruit, and some protein, fat and whole grain carb will fill you up properly and be nutritious. A variety of healthy meals, rather than eating the same thing every day, might also help your weight loss whilst still making sure you’re eating enough and getting enough nutrients.

It sounds like you are eating little to be honest, no lunch, a bit concerning with past history, take care and it sounds like you are doing well, maybe take your mind off weight being the be all and end all and have some lunch. Kind thoughts

I also agree with paddington above.

I also agree with paddington - please no apps, no social media, no nutritionists but a DIETICIAN to help you. But you are doing great, honest.