AIBU To wonder why I am so fat and unhealthy?

[PandaEyes25]

I am 25 years old, 5ft 3 and weight 11 stone 3lbs.cMy BMI is 28, so I am overweight.
I work in an office for 10 hours 5 dyas a week but I do have to walk up and down quite a bit so on average I usually cover about 4000 steps during the day.
My heart rate is always high- usually 80 bpm resting.
I go to the gym between 3 and 5 times a week for an hour where my heart rate often goes over 180 bpm. It has been known to reach more than 200.
I just feel constantly knackered, regardless of how much I've slept, and I'm fed up of being so chubby and unhealthy.
I don't feel like I eat massive amounts of food. I'm on weight watchers and always eat less than the allowed points, So I don't know where I'm going wrong!!
Here is this weeks list.
Monday
No Breakfast
One small white bread roll with 2 slices of ham
4 slices of left over roast beef in gravy. No sides/mash/veg or anything.
2 cups of tea with one sugar and 2 litres of water over the course of the day

Tuesday
Breakfast- One crumpet with a little bit of butter
Lunch- One chicken salad sandwich and melon
Dinner- half a nest of noodles, one slice stirfry beef with a splash of oyster sauce, half a pack of stirfry veg.
Snacks- One cuppasoup
One cup of tea with one sugar and 1.5 litres of water.

Today
Breakfast- One weetabix with skimmed milk
Lunch- Salad with beetroot and chicken
Dinner for tonight- Lentil soup
Snack- 1/4 of a melon
Two cups of tea with one sugar and so far 1.5litres of water.

I genuinely don't know where I'm going wrong. Please help!!!

Not sure if this will help but there's another thread on here where people are discussing what they eat to maintain a healthy weight: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2954360-To-ask-what-you-eat

Panda, I've only ever been on one type of contraceptive so I don't know - but don't discount that possibilty. Have a chat with GP about that too.

one problem with weight gain as a side effect is that patients often don't report it via the official system so when you look it up, the info isn't there. But talk to them about it.

did you have a sedentary job on your previous contraceptive?

Hi OP, your allergy to the sugar in fruit is all the more reason to join us on the Low Carb Bootcamp thread. You can have all the veg you could eat - morning noon and night - all covered in glorious butter. .
As other posters have suggested, have a good read of it and think about whether it might be for you. We're part way through but that's no reason not to join in. They're an exceptionally supportive bunch.
And definitely get your thyroid checked out. My DSis was bone-tired until she got her medication properly sorted.

Steady state cardio is the worst way to lose weight. In fact it can encourage fat storage around the middle.
Better to do weights, work big muscle groups with small ones. Some high intensity but really get the heart rate up, you should be dripping with sweat. Also, switch your workouts around so you don't get used to it and plateau.

4,000 a steps a day is not enough exercise. You need to triple that I would suggest.

Try high intensive exercise with the advice of an instructor - join a class or something.

I feel your pain at the steps due to job. If I get home and am under 5000 I go for a walk. Less than an hours walk will pick that up to nearer the 10,000 mark.

Food wise. Definitely try and eat more. More veg, cut out the sugar (maybe replace with sweetener if you need it)

Do you use MyFitnessPal? Sorry if you've already said. That helped me figure out what I can eat in a day in order to lose weight at a steady pace

PandaEyes
I'm allergic to a specific sugar found in most fruits. My lips, tongue and throat swell if I eat Cherries, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Apricots, even bloody Persimmons

I wonder if your allergy and your poor diet has affected your gut bacteria making it difficult for you to lose weight? Apples are apparently good for increasing diversity of gut bacteria.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08sqvpk/doctor-in-the-house-series-2-episode-3

I think you might find the above episode interesting.

I have quite a sedentary job and to get my steps I use the toilets on a different floor, never take the lift and walk at lunch times plus get up a few times for water breaks.

The contraceptive pill doesn't make you put on weight. That's a myth that was debunked a while back, and a lot of studies have been done on it since.

It used to be that the pill had such high quantities of hormones that your appetite would increase. However the hormone levels have been reduced over the years and there's no correlation to weight gain anymore.

The only contraception that could encourage weight gain is the injection, but even then that's because of an increased appetite through hormones - you'd still need to eat more.

I really do feel sorry for you OP as I've been in the same position before, but it's really important to look at lifestyle and diet in the first instance as many are quick to blame other circumstances that probably aren't the cause. It is possible that it's medical, but it is unlikely. Only 2% of women are diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

I used to run a weight group at work as part of my role. 80% of the participants were adamant that they had low calorie diets and gave me lists much like yours. I sent them away and asked them to log accurately, including every single drink - water too - for two weeks. And do you know what, every single one of them had actually eaten a lot more than they'd suggested originally. You need to have a diary of a longer period of time to really see patterns because it's very easy to miss things off.

I'm not commenting on your exercise at the moment as that makes up a very small part of overall weight loss. If you are eating correctly you will lose weight regardless of the exercise you do (that's not to discount the benefits of exercise).

OP. Ok, it sounds like you are allergic to most fruit, so apologies for assuming that you just meant you didn't get along too well with them. I'm crap at eating fruit unless they are the sort that are usually thought of a veg - peppers, courgettes, avocado etc.

I thought perhaps your slices of beef might have been huge slices or the butter might have been as much as what I put on toast (lots and lots but I hardly ever have it).

I've recently lost a stone and a half by replacing breakfast with a half hour aerobic workout. (won't skip breakfast long term but helped kick start me). Cut out bread/pasta/white rice. For lunch I'll have a huge salad with avocado, nuts and minimal dressing. Supper is fish, quinoa & veg. Snack on fruit. I find neither diet nor excercise work alone, need them both. What worked more than anything for me is no snacking after supper.

I would be trying high intensity work outs and eat as much healthy food as you like, don't exercise on your own, just do classes. I didn't lose any weight until I did spinning or 360 core.

Your diet is poor which is why you're tired and you're not doing enough high intensity exercise to lose weight, you are doing enough not to put weight on ! But if you want to lose it you need better quality food and lots of protein, (not protein shakes) and a serious gym class regime, you are going the right amount of times a week to make a difference, you just need to tweek your exercise

Sorry op haven't read whole thread- replace the fruit then with a feeble Brazil's nuts & veg sticks

Not feeble!- Few!

Sorry, but you are eating a lot of rubbish. You need to be eating as much UNPROCESSED food as you can; fruit, veg, lean protein, good fats, complex carbs. If it's in a packet, tin, tub, wrapping, it's processed, at least to a certain extent. Check out Jason Vale, juicemaster.com

You lose weight mainly through diet; exercise tones and builds muscle so you look better and burn more calories naturally. Do something enjoyable in a group where you can make friends like dancing- salsa, zumba, aqua zumba, etc. Dancing is also good for your mental health which will improve your mood so you feel more positive. Don't stand at the back, half-heartedly joining in, wearing far too many clothes, avoiding looking in the mirror. Really go for it and enjoy yourself! Watch the shapes you make, congratulate yourself when you get it right, laugh when you don't but aim to conquer. Treat yourself to some beautiful, good quality gym kit that makes you feel good, holds in all the lumps and bumps and doesn't show your knickers through. A good sports bra that FITS is essential- check out eBay if your budget is tight. Big knickers, not skimpy ones. Look for a properly-sized high-impact sports bra (I'm 32 FF) and check out beautiful sale or second-hand items from Sweaty Betty or Fabletics. Good luck- you can do it if you take control {flowers]

, I meant!

Well yes you're overweight but your op talks of being 'so fat' and at just over 11 stone you're not 'so fat' are you? You're a bit overweight

Up the protein and watch your portion sizes

I'm on WW also- 30 points a day, 36 weeklies.

I've put your Monday into my app and I get 9 points.

I can't help much with anything ever but one thing I do know is the WW app! if you need a hand with it or meal ideas or anything give me a shout!

Bodies are different. Is your weight and shape similar to others in your family? Has it been less in the past? Have you dieted a lot in the past?

That Secret Eaters programme has convinced me that many people lie to themselves about their regular eating habits (sorry). They just don't recognise calorific things that pass their lips.

Ok I know this is a weird one, but I was also tired all the time and I found out I have coeliac disease.

See about iron deficiency too. Your diet doesn't sound iron rich. Get the doc to test for all deficiencies and thyroid (I know someone above said it unlikely and it is, but worth getting that test. Iron deficiency is very common though.)

Sort that out, then sort out your diet - it isn't mega balanced. You definitely need to address that.

Once you've got that right, you'll start to feel better and reach a natural weight that's right for your body.

Hey Honey, think you could really do with a fitbit. They help you count the calories so you can sort of turn it into a game, way easier than having to actually learn self control .

You could also aim for whole and natural foods than dont include any trans fats. Too many of these can completely ruin your weight loss due to the difficulty that it takes to get rid of them.

Overall its just about paying more attention to other stuff instead of just looking at and blaming yourself. Its honestly not your fault! perhaps try putting mental labels on certain foods that have bad qualities and just outright avoid them

I didn’t read the full thread just the first page so apologies if this has already been suggested.

If you are spending that much time in the gym and it’s having little effect consider a few sessions with a personal trainer to get an effective programme. No trainer I know would have you purely using cardio machines, lifting reasonable weights and squats/burpees/lunges etc will be more effective as part of a combined programme. Good luck!