This might sound strange, but I don't know if this is unintentional weight loss. Scared

[AngelinaJowly]

Hi,

So I should start by saying I have acute anxiety, which with age is getting worse. Health anxiety is a big one currently. I'm always certain something awful is happening and work myself up to a frenzy and quite honestly, it's becoming rather crippling.

So....this could just be another episode of that, but I'm driving myself crazy with worry and I could really do with some advice.

Over the past couple of months, I've noticed my clothes are a bit looser. I have scales, but don't use them often. I've hovered between 10 stone and just under for the past year, but I'm now around 9.6. Tbh, I'm quite happy with that, as I always prefer to be around 9 and a half stone than 10, but I don't think I've really been trying and that's obviously where the worry comes from.

My DP disagrees and has actually been on a health kick with the Zoe app and does cook most of the evening meals now. They haven't lost much weight though, maybe a couple of pounds, but insists that the meals have been much healthier and that maybe my body is just responding differently. We're definitely having more variety of veg etc and perhaps slightly smaller portions.

I have been cutting back on/changing snacks I suppose and have swapped a bit of chocolate and a few crisps with lunch, to nuts and/or dates, but again, would that really make that much of a difference? Calorie wise it's possibly the same, but obviously they're better calories.

I guess I'm alarmed because my goal wasn't really to lose weight, but just to get healthier. I wouldn't be surprised if I lost a couple of pounds, but half a stone plus, seems a bit much for what I've been doing....or does it? I don't know.

Would be grateful to hear from anyone who may know more about this kind of thing. I.e if such small changes can have quite big effects on weight.

TIA

Small changes, smaller portions and a healthier diet overall, can have a huge effect on weight loss.
I think it’s your dietary changes that have resulted in weight loss.
I say this as someone who ate crisps and chocolate at lunch and now has dates and eats nuts with breakfast. I’ve lost weight by making small changes.

@ItMustBeNiceToBeQueen thank you. Can I ask how much you lost and how long it took?

The first few pounds you lose when making changes is often water as a result of snacks not being too salty so your body isn’t holding on to water, then there is having better bowel movements due to the extra fibre from the increased veg etc, so that’s body contents you aren’t weighing any longer.
When I was weighing myself I lost 4lbs the first week and then a couple the next. Over the next few weeks it was one or two pounds a week. I think if you actually weighed your portions and added it all up you would find you are eating quite a few calories less than you were. High volume low calorie veg will be massively slashing your calories.

You are eating fewer calories and are anxious, a combination that will mean you should have lost weight.

Weigh yourself in another 6 weeks.

Perhaps tracking your calorie intake on my fitness pal to see how many calories you are actually consuming.

IF your partner has been on a health kick and is making all the food, that could explain it.

DH always loses weight without trying when I am dieting as I make all the meals, and he doesn't snack.

If the meals your eating have been healthier, portions a bit smaller, healthier snacks and you've also been feeling anxious; then that amount of weight loss sounds totally normal.
If you'd literally changed nothing whatsoever and were dropping weight then it could be a concern. But you've made subtle dietary changes which are paying off. I'm sure you're perfectly healthy. I'm presuming you're within a healthy BMI? (Not that it's that accurate for athletes etc)
If you want to stop losing, just add a couple of calories dense snacks. Peanut butter toast, granola, yoghurt with fruit jam, cheese and crackers etc.

Thanks for your replies so far. They're helping me feel a little calmer.

@BobbyBiscuits I think I'm 20 now and was 22. Think that's just within normal range. I'm 5 ft 8".

@AngelinaJowly yeah, definitely healthy BMI. If you feel well in yourself then just have a couple of hundred more calories a day and you'll probably maintain.