To just accept I'll always be fat!

[BulkyBody]

So been working out 4/5 days a week for the last 3 months. 40+ minutes hard cardio, 45 minutes weight training and then 30/40 mins swimming. In the days I don't train, I try to incorporate at least 30 minutes brisk walking. I have overhauled my diet so fruit for breakfast and omelette for lunch instead of toast, cereal and sandwiches.

I deliberately did not weigh myself until 3 months was up today and I have lost a grand total of 4lb , BUT I am now fitting into a size 16 down from 20 although I don't think I look much different in the mirror so not sure how that has worked .

I am still over 17 stone with swollen ankles!

The exercise is taking up so much time, I can't keep it up for much longer as other stuff is getting neglected. I will continue but maybe only 2/3 times a week as my body does feel better but I just feel like 'fuck it', I want to eat toast with tonnes of butter'!

I have hypothyroidism too.

AIBU to just give up?

It sounds like you have been doing so so well.
Massive well done.
You've dropped 2 dress sizes which is improvement and people do say that muscle weighs so it may be that you are really toning up and changing shape.
I would really not give up and try and say "ok, another 3 months" and do the same and I bet you will see further improvement and down to a size 12 !
Losing weight is so so hard and you have achieved a lot.

Well done OP!! Your regime is definitely working if you have dropped 2 sizes. The number on the scale doesn’t reflect your body losing fat and building muscle so don’t let it derail you. Just focus on your progress based on how your clothes fit.

Don’t give up, you’ve done so well! Even if your weight hasn’t changed much you will have made massive metabolic improvements with your increased muscle mass and improved your health for the better. Maybe do a bit of maintenance now for a couple of months so you can attend to other things and give yourself a break then go back to it later in the year for another burst.

Thanks guys but I am so pissed off. I deliberately didn't weigh myself for so long so I could see a big drop. The change of diet has been really hard to keep up as I'm so starving after going to the gym. Obviously the dress size dropping is great but I want to be lighter to ease the pressure on my joints. Maybe I need to cut down on the weights?

three months isnt that long but seems like you've done fab! 2 dress sizes is great! Mine was like that, felt like nothing was coming off then all of a sudden I'd lost 3 stone.

Well done that’s great progress! Slow and steady is a lot better health-wise and easier to maintain than drastic weight loss.
Can I suggest taking your measurements instead of weighing yourself.
And maybe double check that your medicine for your hypothyroidism is at the correct level because that could be keeping you at a higher weight.

Measure as well as weigh. You might find your losing inches, whereas your weight will fluctuate naturally - curse of a woman! I understand you are frustrated but keep going! You are doing amazing, and those habits you are forming will be life changing in the long run. Keep up the great work 😊

Well done you!!😀💖🌻🌻🌻🌻
I know it's really demoralizing when the scales don't seen to match your hard work,but,as pm have said,you are toning up,changing shape and looking great.
Of course nobody can expect you to carry on indefinitely with the same diet and exercise routine.
If you can manage another three months,go for it,but if you have other commitments,accept it and continue doing what you can and try not to let it slide.one bad day won't ruin your diet,if you fancy hot buttered toast,have it!
Keeping up the mindful eating and exercising long term at a manageable rate will keep the weight off.
Good luck,and ignore the scales,you rightly deserve to be very proud of what you have achieved.

And please don’t cut down on the weights. Weight training will make you lose more weight in the long run.

Don't give up, it sounds like you are doing well! But diet has more impact on weight loss than exercise. If you are finding the exercise hard, why not ease off a bit but look harder at your diet? Is there something you are missing that is adding calories - like milky coffees?

Why are you focusing on the weight when you’ve lost 2 dress sizes! That’s amazing well done. And much better for you long term.

You’re right - all that exercise is making you starving. Whilst exercise has many benefits it is not particularly good for weight loss-diet is far more impactful
My advice would be to actually cut back on the exercise - 3x a week is enough - and focus on the diet. On days when you are sedentary you could try fasting.
Weights can be excellent and it would be very unusual for a female to put on that much muscle that it would affect their weight. I am actively trying to put on muscle but the effect is that I am smaller, not bulky. Happy to give any advice 😜

Well done! A lot of weight loss is diet rather than exercise. I’d see what changes you can make there - how many calories are you eating daily?

Are you just eating fruit and omlette - what about the rest of the day?

Don't be disheartened, that's amazing progress! When I was actively going to the gym I managed to drop a dress size in three months but my weight remained EXACTLY the same. Muscle does not weigh less than fat but, it occupies much less space. Hence the lowering dress sizes you've achieved, you're replacing fat with muscle. Well done!

If you're weight training, muscle takes up less space than fat but will weigh the same so you are obviously doing incredibly! 2 dress sizes in 3 months.
I would say that your workout regime seems very intense and a bit conservative to do hard cardio and weights in the same session. Ask a PT for a plan (If gym includes advice for free) or reddit/r/xxfitness

Losing weight for the majority of people is about 80% diet and 20% exercise - if you feel that the exercise is taking up too much time you could afford to drop one or two days a week - maybe go three days a week rather than 4 or 5.

Being strict with your diet will have a much greater impact than exercise, although of course both help and both are good for you!

Do NOT cut down on the weights. I would stop the cardio and really REALLY watch you calorie intake. You are probably eating far more calories than you realise.

Keep going, you didn't get to 17 stone in three months do it's going to take some time to drop the extra weight. I'm also hypothyroid and it takes very little to.put on weight and a lot more effort to get rid of it again.

You have to take the long view of this process, when was the last time you were a healthy weight? If it was some years ago it may take you the same amount of time to get back there again.

If you didn't know exactly how much you weighed, OP, how would you feel about your new dress size and improved fitness? Amazing, I bet. Slimmer, healthier, got bags more energy? Please stop focusing on the number on the scale and think about what you've achieved in just three months. I really subscribe to the theory that scales are one of man's worst inventions! They in no way project the overall picture.

It's not exercise that takes weight off, it's a calorie deficit.

It really isn’t all about weight! You’ve done brilliantly and changed your body shape. Your body is now smaller (I’d think it’s leaner). Absolutely amazing how you’ve trained over the last months.

I’m the opposite ! Haven’t put on any weight but my stomach has become a bit flabby. Bigger than have been for ages but no weight at all. Under stress and think it’s all related.

Really excellent op.

When I started reading I thought you were going to say you'd lost very little, but you've actually made really good progress!

I'm a bloke that's weight trained for years and can deadlift almost triple my bodyweight, yet I'm wincing looking at your schedule. It's far more than needed.

In fact, there is evidence to suggest that after about an hour you enter a catabolic state where you are actually losing muscle. I watch my diet and train 3x a week for about an hour (not including mobility warmup) and a fair bit of that hour is taken by resting between sets.

You could do an hour of intense exercise 3x a week and absolutely continue to lose weight with a food diet. Google 'overtraining' and you'll see that it can have a pretty debilitating effect - exhaustion etc.

Great results! A good exercise regime will help you lose 0.5lbs a week, but you'll get more results from your diet.

Could you share what you're eating each day?

And forget the scales. If you want to track your body fat, get it read with one of those devices which sends a current through your body.

Most people experience 'beginner gains' for the first few months and these always slow down in terms of muscle growth.