Lost sight of what a decent weight loss is in 4 weeks - am I on track?

[ClaudiaCattipuss]

I have 3 stone to lose so I'm by no means slim to start with.

Started a healthy eating plan and have been on it for 4 weeks tomorrow. I've exercised 5 out of 7 days, alternating spin with swimming

And I've lost a total of 13 lbs.

Can't help feeling a bit disappointed as I'm really trying very hard and doing all the right things

That sounds very good to me . I usually aim for 1-2 lbs a week when on a diet .

1st in a month = v. good weight loss. Well done OP 2lb a week plus 6lb water weight fast weightloss to start.

That is a lot. 2 lbs a week is considered good going.

@MBappse yes that's what I'm thinking - the water type weight initially from glycogen stores (or whatever they are!) must account for a few lbs of it

That’s good weight loss. It might slow down a bit. 0.5-1 lb a week is considered sustainable, I think.

I clearly want to stand on the scales and see 2 stone gone

The sheer effort of daily exercising is a struggle for my inner couch potato

Eh? You're doing really well.
I'd say you're probably close to the upper limit of what is considered sustainable and safe weightloss per week (ideally no more than 1500g).
Take it easy and focus on habit-forming, sustainable changes to lifestyle and diet. Make it something you'll feel happy about adopting as your 'new normal'.

What is the healthy eating plan? Fruit, vegetables, reduced calories overall? Well done for exercising, that’s the part I used to avoid.

@RosaRoja well, I'm vegan so it probably won't appeal to most!

A typical day would be ..

Overnight oats with a homemade berry compote, chia seeds, couple of walnuts OR these nutrient bomb cookies I make with soya yogurt

Salad - today was sweet potato, roasted chickpeas, shredded raw red cabbage, marinated tofu

And then noodles / veg tray bakes/ tofu/ tempeh/ veg gyoza

I try not to snack but if I do it'll be fruit or something protein-y.

I come in at about 1600 calories which is right for my tdee etc etc - non point doing the old '1200 calories a day' thing as it just leaves nowhere to go when the weight loss plateaus!

@RosaRoja and yes - I detest exercise. Mainly because I don't like getting my heart rate up! But I can just about cope with 30 mins of spin 3 times a week and swimming 2/3 times a week. I try and walk for half an hour most days too

@EveSix that's good advice thank you

I’m vegan too so I liked your meal ideas. I hate cardio but I’m ok with weights and resistance bands. I found someone on YouTube with 10-15-20-30 minutes programmes, usually just one lot of type of exercises, no endless repetitions. I find that bearable and I can do a 15+20 minutes where I’d baulk at 30!

Keep going, it sounds like you’ve cracked it!

That is an excellent result. You have to eat approx 3500kc less than you burn to lose 1lb.
I'm pleased with my weight loss. I needed to lose 5 stone. In 9 months I have lost 2.5 stone. 0.1 lb per day or approx 1/2 lb per week.

@NannyGythaOgg that's so good - you're doing brilliantly. (Can't apply
To myself for some reason!)

@RosaRoja ooh who did you find on YouTube? I bought some weights but not sure how to start. (I actually bought bala beam because I thought it looked cool. Can hardly lift the bloody thing)

fitbymik . She’s cheerful but not overwhelming. I tried Caroline Girvan but find if too hard, still. I have 4kg dumbbells and change to some 2kg for some of the exercises (my shoulders aren’t v strong yet).

I used to like the free FitOn app as well, I don’t know why I stopped that.