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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Why aren’t I seeing any results

118 replies

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 01/07/2018 12:37

Hi all this is not an AIBU it’s more of a wth I got a bike a few weeks ago and I have been getting out on it as much as I can and I am walking a lot as well. I’m trying to lose weight to make having a baby easier and the weight is going nowhere at all and it’s getting frustrating now i’m trying really hard to lose it and it’s not coming off it’s going on instead. Feeling like it’s all just a waste of time.

OP posts:
FlyingElbows · 01/07/2018 13:14

Muscle is NOT heavier than fat. One pound of muscle weights exactly the same as one pound of fat! Muscle is more dense than fat which is why you can lose inches through exercising but still weigh the same.

Op you need to address your eating habits. It's very easy to think you're eating well when you're really consuming more than you need to. Exercise is great but what you're eating is where you really need to focus.

DaffoDeffo · 01/07/2018 13:14

I started getting fit and adjusting my diet to lose weight.

I lost nothing for the first 3-4 weeks, I mean absolutely nothing, but then it started falling off incredibly quickly (even though I did nothing different between week 1 and week 5).

I weighed myself on the boditrax machine at gym and I think what happened is in the first 3-4 weeks I lost fat but made a lot of muscle as I was very unfit and then that helped burn more calories once it was there.

But that's an unscientific analysis lol.

Vitalogy · 01/07/2018 13:15

The only thing you haven't mentioned OP, unless I've missed it is portion sizes.

TornFromTheInside · 01/07/2018 13:16

Don't forget, you'll also be creating muscle which can add weight, but you'll be getting trimmer. Don't use scales as the defacto measure of how you're doing. Your fitness and strength will increase, and eventually, you notice weight loss, but for now, stick with what you're doing.

Vitalogy · 01/07/2018 13:17

*I don't think the time you're eating is the issue, although that would give me heartburn going to bed so soon after eating.

EllJ · 01/07/2018 13:19

OP dont be disheartened with exercise... everything you do to increase calorie burn will help. The simple fact is you will lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit. That is, if you eat less in a day than you burn then you will lose weight.

Do you mind me asking how much you weigh and how tall you are?

You're going to have to start tracking your calories, at least in the short term. Work out how many calories you eat in a day on average and then reduce that by day 20% to get your target. Try that for a couple of weeks and if you don't see any progress then reduce it by another 10% and try that. You will see results if you're consistent and stick at it! Good luck Smile

Albadross · 01/07/2018 13:19

There are sites that calculate roughly how many calories you should eat for your body, using your activity levels and your height/weight to work out how much your body needs just to function if you were sitting down all day. Be super honest about activity levels though - as an example I spend around 10 hours every week lifting heavy weights in the gym but I'm not at the most active end of the spectrum.

www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

I wouldn't recommend trying to cut out carbs, instead maybe switch for wholewheat versions or Danish bread as a pp suggested. Cereal bars are full of sugar so swap those for oats with fruit for breakfast or similar. Oats are brilliant slow-release energy and staple of many people who are trying to lean out.

It's very unlikely you'll build any muscle just riding a bike, it's difficult even doing very intensive bodybuilding exercise!

I find when I eat too late I tend to have a less flat tummy in the morning but it doesn't actually contribute to real weight gain, mostly the volume of the food in your digestive system and sometimes water, but if you're going a long time before eating a main meal you're more likely to overeat.

VenkmanStoleMyToast · 01/07/2018 13:20

I've read somewhere that eating all of your daily meals within a 8-12 hour window from the moment you put the first thing in your mouth for breakfast helps to increase muscle mass and burn more calories and lose weight.

Cereal bars are just full of sugar, you'd probably be better off eating a bar of dark chocolate tbh.

Try to have a good filling meal for breakfast, I'm diabetic and have a grilled 'fry up' 5/7 days a week and it keeps me really satisfied which stops me snacking and by the time lunch comes around I'm hungry for a good sized salad and then a much smaller dinner.

I really would try to alter your eating times, eating at night is just so much harder for your body. How long after dinner do you go to sleep?

rockcakesrock · 01/07/2018 13:21

It is a strange thing about exercise. I never used to do any. but since having a dog, I walk every day and notice the weight creeping up.

I would adjust your eating to have a very healthy breakfast and late lunch. If you want to eat with your DH then a meal of salad, fruit or veg without carbohydrates or protein would be ideal. Also remember that some vegetables have more carbohydrates than others and if you use a sauce or gravy this will add to,the numbers. Maybe try raw foods for your very late meal.

EllJ · 01/07/2018 13:21

Also, the time of day you eat will have no impact on weight gain/loss. All that matters if the intention is weight loss is that your total calorie expenditure exceeds your total calorie intake.

happypoobum · 01/07/2018 13:23

I don't understand why you are staying up into the early hours and then cooking for your DH? Confused

What time do you get up? How many hours sleep do you get? Do you work? what do you do? There is a direct correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain.

Can you try for a month having breakfast, lunch and dinner at a "normal" time? Go to bed by ten and let DH sort himself out. He had better get used to that anyway if you are planning on having a baby! Do you drink alcohol? Cut that out too.

If your eating choices and portion sizes are sensible and you stick to this for a month I am pretty sure you will see a loss.

Lostin3dspace · 01/07/2018 13:24

Ermm..no, muscle is more dense than fat. Obviously a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, because you've described the amounts in terms of weight.

Anyway, I came on to post that unless you are making your own cereal bars, most of them have as almost as much sugar as a mars bar. Have special k, or bran-flakes

If you go down the breakfast cereal aisle in the supermarket, it's actually arrAnged by sugar content, highest to lowest. That's why porridge oats and special k are at the far end..

MissConductUS · 01/07/2018 13:25

You have to track calories fanatically as well as exercise. Measure and weigh every bite you eat, or you'll always overshoot your target. Use an app like myfitnesspal or loseit.

You cannot outrun (or out bike) your fork.

BertieBotts · 01/07/2018 13:29

Don't wait for partner to eat. Some nights make two portions of something he can reheat (or have cold in the case of salad) later, and then some nights just make something for yourself and let him sort out his own dinner. If you meal plan this makes everything clear so he's free to plan what he'll eat on the nights you're making something just for yourself. If that's crap oven food, that's his choice and doesn't affect what you're eating :) You could also do things like making 3-4 portions rather than two and freeze the leftovers, so that you have spare meals, for either of you to have whenever.

Other random thoughts:

Piles of veg might be a bit much, try cutting down the amounts, even if you do still feel hungry - it might take a few weeks to adjust to this. It's also a good idea to make sure you have some fibre in your meals as this will keep you fuller for longer. I tend to find that I prefer the taste of vegetables and protein to carbs/fibre, but it's helpful in terms of evening everything out. Whole grains are going to be more fibrous and filling for you than white, refined things.

Cereal bars are a bit crap in terms of nutrition and tend to be quite sugary and not very filling. The best thing to have for breakfast is something containing protein, what about trying eggs or porridge? Or if you don't want to prepare anything in the morning you can batch-make overnight oats, hard boiled eggs, breakfast wraps/burritos, savoury muffins or even home made cereal or fruit breakfast bars are usually better than shop bought ones. If you'd prefer not to do any prep at all then museli or bircher type cereal mixed with yoghurt, milk, and/or fruit can be delicious, instant porridge sachets, or wholegrain toast especially with something like nut butter rather than very sugary toppings - these would all be convenient and better options than cereal bars.

You can also make yourself a smoothie in about 30 seconds if you have one of those machines to make it right in the bottle, which seems to be the centre of a huge divide on MN Grin - OK, it's not like it's a perfect health food, but it's still better than many commercial breakfast options, it's easy to make and take and if you add a source of protein it keeps you full for a while. It's also a useful method to wean yourself down from very sweet breakfasts - obviously if you keep making smoothies with ice cream, nutella and one token banana then it's not going to do you much good, but if you start off with things like sweet fruits and flavoured yoghurt you can switch ingredients out one at a time like plain yoghurt instead of flavoured, carrot instead of apple, etc, add protein sources like oats, nuts/seeds or protein powders, and combine strong flavours like berries to mask the taste of more bitter ingredients then you'll find you can change the make up over time.

Lonecatwithkitten · 01/07/2018 13:32

Cycling is great for getting fit and toning, but rubbish for weight loss. Only at about 50 miles several times a week the right work zone/cadence would you begin to see significant calories burnt.
I record my calories burnt cycling through a garmin I do about 20miles a time and burn about 280 calories.

Weight loss is all about food intake.
A lot of cereal bars are at least 130 calories so even more so you could be having 390-500 calories for breakfast where as 250 is more appropriate for weight loss.

TornFromTheInside · 01/07/2018 13:35

No matter what - if the energy you expend is greater than the energy you put in, you WILL lose weight. Doing it in a sensible manner isn't always easy though, and the body can fight back if you try to do it too quickly.

Food manufacturers are absolute b'stards. They will use every trick in the book to disguise what you're eating and 'low fat' means absolutely nothing - other than it's low compared to lard. It can still be sky high.

Fruit juices that seem healthy options are usually oversized and thus giving you more sugars than you're supposed to have, plus many sugars are hidden.

Calorie counting is a bit grim (sometimes) but it's probably as good as it's going to get for most people, and a surprising eye opener once you start checking - e.g. Many people think a sandwich is a pretty healthy option, or a salad... then you check the calories, and it's 600+ due to dressing etc.

Getting an app my MyFitnessPal is good. They are pretty smart and often have most of the foods from Asda / Tesco / M&S etc available too, so you don't have to put in all the details by hand. Depends on what motivates you, but actually counting the calories can motivate some folks into choosing lower calorie options - not a bad things :-)

Thingsthatgo · 01/07/2018 13:35

The problem with exercising without watching what you eat, is that the exercise will make you more hungry, and it’s really easy to eat back the calories you burn off without even noticing.
I’m halfway to my weigh goal, so far I have lost 15 pounds without any extra exercise. I track everything I eat with my fitness pal app, and it is really easy. It doesn’t matter what, or when you eat, it’s just how many calories you eat. I have lowered my carbs and upped my proteins though, because it helps me feel fuller for longer.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 01/07/2018 13:37

Thank you noblegiraff I might look at trying something else that might help me more.

Thank you Flyingelbows I think it’s tkme for a drastic diet overhaul for me and my partner.

Maybe that’s what’s going on with me Daffodeffo

Vitology my portion sizes are big so like I’ll do a piece of chicken and then the rest of the plate is just veg mountain.

Thank you TomFromThelnside I do use my mums scales to weigh myself which just depresses me even more. Thank you I will do.

Vitolgy could explain why I suffer from heartburn.

EIIJ thank you think am just feeling a bit down because nothing is changing. Think it’s true what they say eat less and move more. I’m 5’6 and going off my mums scales i’m 21 stone 7 which is the biggest I have ever been. Thank you I will do that it will help me to better understand what I need to do to lose this weight.

Thank you Albatos I will use that site because I really have no idea how many calories I’m suppose to eat. I use to like those overnight oats that SW said about doing so I can easily swap my ceral bars for those with some fruit I love my fruit and veg and I will try and find that Danish bread I’m willing to try anything to lose the weight.

Thank you Venkmanstolemytoast I will try doing something really filling for breakfast it would be a lot better for me than the bars I dread to think how much sugar is in one of those.

OP posts:
EllJ · 01/07/2018 13:46

Aw op you sound really down. You've made a massive step already in upping your exercise and you clearly want to get this sorted once and for all, so the next step is sorting out your eating.

Filling up on veg is always a good idea considering they are generally very low calorie and have a high nutritional value, but remember they are not calorie free.
I found it to be a real eye opener when I started properly tracking my calories on my fitness pal. It is a bit of a faff weighing and entering everything you eat into the app but it really does help.
Also, it may not burn a massive amount of calories in one go but please keep up the cycling and walking. Just noticing yourself getting a little bit fitter will make a big difference to your motivation

Clinicallysilly · 01/07/2018 13:46

Try the Dr. Michael Mosley blood sugar diet which was designed for diabetics to control blood sugar levels but is an effective way to lose weight and maintain your blood sugar level. It's mainly a Mediterranean style diet with loads of veg, fruit and protein.

thebloodsugardiet.com

SofieMonde · 01/07/2018 13:46

The key is to have a big breakfast to get your metabolism working for the day. Then not to eat anything after 6pm.

PLus a healthy diet and exercise of course

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 01/07/2018 13:47

Thank you so much everyone you have all really helped and given me some great ideas for what I can try this has been a real eye opener and now I have a better idea of what I’ve been doing wrong. I’m going to sit down and plan out all my meals and do some batch cooking and I will get the my fitness pal app that seems like the best thing to use. I will lose this weight and I wi get healthy even if it takes forever.

OP posts:
Vitalogy · 01/07/2018 13:48

my portion sizes are big so like I’ll do a piece of chicken and then the rest of the plate is just veg mountain. A breast of chicken? I think we need a pic of this veg mountain. Any sauces? What do you drink in an average day?

could explain why I suffer from heartburn. I didn't mean that you did, I would though Smile

I do use my mums scales to weigh myself which just depresses me even more. Chuck the scales OP, no good comes of it. I go by clothes tightness.

Tomatoesrock · 01/07/2018 13:49

It is hard. When you see how tough it is to burn a few 100 calories, it makes you rethink your diet.

You will get there, Your update is a good idea start your meal plans for the weeks ahead, keep at it. I wish you the best of luck x

jade9390 · 01/07/2018 13:49

When I ate 3 healthy meals a day, I piled on weight and became anorexic to loose it. I had polycystic ovaries so difficulty conceiving. Worth getting checked out?