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Original poster

To think “healthy eating” isn’t the best way for lose weight?!

371 replies

dontchasewaterfalls · 13/10/2020 21:46

I did Slimming World for a number of years and I managed to lose 3 stone and keep it off.

Since having my baby at the start of the year, I’ve gained 2 stone.
Since Slimming World classes were shut, and I wanted to try something different, I decided to just try and eat healthily rather than actually following the Slimming World plan.

I’ve been doing this a few months now and I’ve only lost 5lb, which I could easily lose in a week following Slimming World!!

So what exactly am I doing wrong??

Here’s what I’ve eaten today -

Breakfast
Two weetabix, topped with a handful of raspberries and a small banana. (Semi skimmed milk)
Cup of tea.

Lunch
Tuna (1tin made with light mayo) 80g Wholemeal pasta(dried weight) lettuce, tomato, pickled beetroot. Light Mayo.

Dinner
Fajitas.
Chicken breast, peppers, onions, mushrooms (dry fried) 2 x small wholemeal wraps.
Handful grated cheese.

Snacks
Pomegranate seeds
Large orange
Chocolate fudge Alpen light cereal bar

That’s a typical day for me. I do occasionally have some chocolate or a pack of crisps.

Once a week, usually on a Saturday night, we will have a takeaway. Hubby and I will share a pizza and chips, or I will get chicken tikka pieces in a pitta with salad.

I don’t drink any alcohol. I have at most 3 cups of tea a day and the rest of the time I drink water.

I don’t do any organised exercise, but I do go for a walk every day which is usually 45-60 minutes.

I’m not counting any calories, just trying to eat sensibly. But it’s not working well.

What do you think I’m doing wrong?
Should I just go back to Slimming World?

OP posts:
SchrodingersImmigrant · 14/10/2020 13:36

That's great for you, but obviously not working for the OP

Except that it kind of is. Op IS losing, though very slowly. Considering she is breastfeeding I think people could start being bit more... Realistic about what her body needs. Including OP.

Seriously, people need to chill a bit. Some "advice" in here (as per usual on weight related threads) is quite concerning👀

Eckhart · 14/10/2020 13:37

@fierypepper

Terrible advice whoever is telling you to skip breakfast

Have you read any of the science on the effects of fasting? Or metabolism? Or hunger?

Winkywoowoo · 14/10/2020 13:37

Oh also you may be able to get a free slimming world referral through your doctor. Depending on your BMI that is

Beautiful3 · 14/10/2020 13:39

I have a stir fry mushrooms, red peppers and onions for my lunches in the week (sometimes with prawns). I save the sandwiches for the weekend. Sandwiches are high in calories.

CeibaTree · 14/10/2020 13:42

@SchrodingersImmigrant

That's great for you, but obviously not working for the OP

Except that it kind of is. Op IS losing, though very slowly. Considering she is breastfeeding I think people could start being bit more... Realistic about what her body needs. Including OP.

Seriously, people need to chill a bit. Some "advice" in here (as per usual on weight related threads) is quite concerning👀

But it isn't working for them or they wouldn't have started this thread surely. I think if you are actively trying to lose weight 5lb over several months would feel quite disheartening. But fair point about breastfeeding.
WaxOnFeckOff · 14/10/2020 13:43

A nice bowl of soup is a good filler for lunch as long as you go for something filling such as lentil and carrot etc rather than a thin clear soup.

wowfudge · 14/10/2020 13:58

@TwoBlueFish - me too and I've lost over a stone and a half.

Losingthechubrub · 14/10/2020 14:06

Don't cut out any food groups. Find what works for you. Contrary to what people are saying here, carbs, especially complex carbs such as whole grains, are not the enemy. As a few other people have said, tracking your portions on myfitnesspal and getting plenty of vegetables is helpful. I would add factoring in the odd treat or you will get bored and give up. I'm losing around 1kg a week at the moment without feeling in the least bit deprived, and it doesn't cost anything except my leisure centre membership and food costs, which I would be paying anyway.

Original poster
dontchasewaterfalls · 14/10/2020 14:18

@BertiesLanding

The weetabix and fruit really does keep me full until lunch.

Why do you need to feel "full"?

@BertiesLanding

I eat breakfast around 7 and much at around 1.

If I didn’t have something at breakfast to keep me “going” I would definitely snack inbetween and most likely have an even bigger lunch than I already do.

OP posts:
BertiesLanding · 14/10/2020 14:19

I think that's the problem - it might be better to get used to your stomach growling a little.

Eckhart · 14/10/2020 14:26

It's ok to be hungry, it's not bad for you. Perhaps the fact that you can't let yourself be hungry is the key to this?

Could you practice letting yourself get hungry each time before you eat?

lazylinguist · 14/10/2020 14:28

Being hungry for a little while before lunch is good. Spending half the morning with your stomach growling is a pathway to the biscuit tin.

Fink · 14/10/2020 14:28

If I didn’t have something at breakfast to keep me “going” I would definitely snack inbetween and most likely have an even bigger lunch than I already do.

Ok, so that jumped out at me. I'm not one of the ones who think you should skip breakfast, but you do need to have a serious think about discipline and feeling hungry.

As said upthread, it's ok and normal to feel hungry between meals. If you want to lose weight you just need to put up with that as a natural consequence of eating less. You absolutely can't snack in between meals/eat more at the next meal. You need to decide in advance what your meal is going to be and stick to that. If you're aiming for a calorie deficit in the day you need to be strict with it, not having a little extra here and there. For people who aren't bothered about weight gain, it's different. But if you need to lose weight, then that means being self-disciplined about what you eat.

Hardbackwriter · 14/10/2020 14:28

Again, I really hope that you're qualified and know what you're doing before you tell a breastfeeding woman who says she may have a disordered sense of healthy eating due to a long history of problems with her weight to 'practice getting hungry'

inthethickofit19 · 14/10/2020 14:30

@Fredshred

You also need to know your own metabolic rate (I.e. how many calories your body uses a day). Forget what the “average woman” uses. I’ve been on a diet since June, as a woman who plays football weekly with enough (but not a massive amount) to lose. I stopped losing much despite eating what I thought would put me in a deficit. I had a proper body scan with a trainer and was shocked at how low my metabolic rate was. We’ve worked hardest on increasing that and now still eating the same (enough to keep me satisfied but what I thought then was a deficit) the weight loss is happening. So my advice, don’t make assumptions about your basic metabolic rate (and water and just a 5 min body moving session when you get up can make a huge difference to it.)
Please tell me more
gobbynorthernbird · 14/10/2020 14:31

@ZombieFan

Switch out that pasta for something like couscous, quinoa or spiralised courgette.
Why would anyone swap pasta for a different shape of pasta?
SchrodingersImmigrant · 14/10/2020 14:35

Again, I really hope that you're qualified and know what you're doing before you tell a breastfeeding woman who says she may have a disordered sense of healthy eating due to a long history of problems with her weight to 'practice getting hungry'

Just wanted to highlight what @Hardbackwriter wrote...

inthethickofit19 · 14/10/2020 14:36

@ZombieFan

I know a lot of people who have had success with shakes, I just don’t think I would be one of them. Fair enough. But I didn't think I would either. Just replacing one meal a day with a shake made a big difference. They fill you up, taste good and are low calories. Just saying maybe give them a try.
Which shakes do you have?
inthethickofit19 · 14/10/2020 14:38

@kattyboomboom

To answer your question though, healthy eating isn't the best way. Exercise is. I'd go mad waiting for the weight to come off without exercise. Do some deadlifts.
Where to start with weights??
Goosefoot · 14/10/2020 14:39

But it isn't working for them or they wouldn't have started this thread surely. I think if you are actively trying to lose weight 5lb over several months would feel quite disheartening. But fair point about breastfeeding.

The problem is the OP has a distorted idea of how quickly she should lose weight, and a distorted view of eating, and seems to not care all that much about long term effective weight loss or the risks to her health or losing more quickly. It's about fast results.

Yeah, if someone reduces calories enough they'll lose weight but that doesn't mean we should help them do it. Reading here sometimes is like reading webchats for anorexics where they advise each other of the fastest way to lose, how to maintain iron self control, get used to being hungry, etc. It's all disordered eating. Some people do struggle to maintain a healthy weight for various reasons, but the OP is losing, just not as fast as she thinks she should.

GreyishDays · 14/10/2020 14:45

I’m amazed that people are considering the OPs daily intake to be a lot of food. OP it doesn’t look much to me at all. But if you’re happy enough (not feeling too deprived and slowly losing), then I would stick with it.

Out of interest, how tall are you? I’m feeling really conscious about how much I eat compared to you, although my weigh is fine and stable so I guess I shouldn’t worry too much.

Eckhart · 14/10/2020 14:47

Not coping with being hungry sometimes is like not coping with the feeling of needing to use the loo. They're biological responses that we all need to learn to understand and regulate for ourselves.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 14/10/2020 14:52

Considering that op has 6 hours between breakfast and lunch, I think it's safe to assume there will be the healthy level of hunger before lunch...
I have 7 hours between lunch and dinner so I have small snack in the middle. I am still hungry for dinner, but not HUNGRY.

lioncitygirl · 14/10/2020 14:54

Carbs. Your meals are also really large. Can you have 1 weetabix instead? You need to cut the calories.

Heidi1976 · 14/10/2020 14:56

The way to lose weight is a calorie deficit.

I personally follow low carb because I am 'fat/protein' efficient (due to being a natural endomorph) and I find that once the initial carb crash is over your appetite is surpressed - therefore you eat less overall.

I personally find it's the best way for me to lose weight as hunger is always the downfall for me generally.