... to tell you that diets don't work for everyone

[Wroxie]

Today is my 9 month anniversary of tracking every bite of food that's gone into my mouth, with the exception noted below:

My birthday (one day in which I had, as I remember, pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, no lunch, and fish and chips + a couple of donuts for dinner).

And that's it. I don't drink alcohol. No takeaways. No restaurants. Nothing that I didn't weigh, portion, and track faithfully. Even when I bake or make something from a recipe, every ingredient is weighed and the calories per serving calculated. I skip breakfast during the week and have normal, healthy food and smallish portions for lunch and dinner.

I eat, on average, 1,100 calories per day. I have a desk job but I walk for 30 minutes to an hour nearly every day.

Before this, my diet was pretty bad - takeaways 3-4 times per week, pastries for breakfast, sandwich with crisps and chocolate at lunch, biscuits whenever I felt like it- probably more than 2,500 calories most days (I'm 5'3" so that is A LOT).

And now, nine months later, I have gone from 13 stone to 12.3 stone. That's a grand total of ten pounds lost on an extremely restricted diet- and it was all within the first two months.

Please don't give me diet advice - no, I'm not in 'starvation mode' (because that's a complete myth). No, I don't need to 'cut carbs'. Seriously, I do not want your advice. What I want is to point out that, the next time you're tempted to say something asinine like 'it's just about calories in vs calories out' or to dismiss or vilify or judge someone based on their weight, to realise that the human body is not a two-stroke lawnmower engine and weight, food, activity, hormones, age, genes, and a million other factors are at play. Losing weight isn't simple and even with all the willpower in the world - which I have demonstrated - it isn't always possible.

I'm not giving up. I have gotten used to eating this way and I actually feel like my blood sugar is more regulated (no 'sinking feeling' a few hours after eating a big lunch, for example) and I know that as I get older, it will be better to, at the very least, not get any fatter. That, at least, I can probably do. But nothing short of eating less than 1000 calories per day or surgery or medication are going to get me to a 'normal' BMI.

@queenpaws my tsh is 1 but I am trying to get pregnant. GPs aren't great at managing thyroids. If you're really not feeling it's making a difference just keep asking for a referral. It shouldnt be over 5.6

All very well ladies. Wait till you hit menopause.

I've lost most of my excess weight several times in my lifetime with only cutting calories and dietary changes. Since menopause, it has all changed.

I remember being at Slimming World about 10 years ago and an older lady was having these problems, and I thought she was cheating. Now I realise.

@Joswis, as I said in my earlier post your body fat percentage (versus lean tissue) does seem to make a difference according to the TDEE calculator I linked to.

With my sustained weight loss of almost 4 stone (I'm menopausal too) I did have plateaus. Each time I looked at what I was eating and my exercise and I either cut some food, saw a miscalculation or increased some exercise.

I've never had a particular muscular frame. My fat percentage has never been particularly low. I'm a small framed 5 ft 7. Narrow wrists and shoulders. But I can tell you I feel much better at 26% body fat compared to 40%! 26% body fat takes me to a BMI of between 19 and 20! So I don't weigh in at a lot now. I am a small size 10. I still would like to lose more body fat. I have gained a little muscle and can see visible definition but could probably gain some more. However I find that harder. I think those with a naturally bigger muscle mass probably do find they can eat more without gaining too much fat.

All these people complaining about your 'hostile' tone are being ridiculous. I rather like your style op

Genetics plays a far greater role in weight than people realise, particularly as you get older. Losing weight isn't so simple for some people. I'm unfortunately one of those annoying people who can eat anything and slack off exercise and my weight never changes, unlike my very physically active dp whose weight fluctuates. Definitely genetic in both our cases!

the human body doesn't work like that. Most people who overeat every day but within a reasonable level will only get so fat and then they sort of hover there.

So OP CAN eat 2500 kcal/day, and her weight is unlikely to rise above 13 stone. That is brilliant! Why torture herself with a strict difficult 1100 kcal/day when she can't lose or gain weight on it, anyway? May as well scoff up to 2500/day and be more relaxed & never think about her size or weight. She will hover, and not possibly gain any weight on 2500/day.

@IDontMindMarmite

Reducing your calorie intake doesn't damage your metabolism. Weighing less means you need to eat less to maintain your weight.

Absolutely. That's why many people stall. If someone is doing calorie counting they need to readjust the numbers from time to time exactly fir this reason. Problem is when someone already starts low for quick loss. Not much space to adjust later. (Obviously talking about a reasonably healthy adult)

Sounds like your metabolism is really slow, this will improve with a good diet and exercise it will take time though. I wanted to lose a stone going from 10 stone to 9 stone. So I reduced my calories to 1200 a day and I lost 1/2 pounds a week. The key was to be in calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. I was a size 12 and now an 8, so wasn’t overweight just wanted to lose a bit / tone up etc. My PT stressed I must not eat under the 1200 calories as would affect my weight loss. So the fact you are much bigger and only on 1100 doesn’t sound right. I know you don’t believe in “starvation mode”. But something is going massively wrong here. I’m at my target weight now and eat around 1800 but don’t really count and i’ve not put even a pound back on as I’m just maintaining. You need to seek some professional advice.

It maybe that something you are eating is inflaming your system and you are unaware of it. A body in an inflammatory state cannot burn fat - they are polar opposites in the body. Most common inflamers are diary and gluten which means it might not be how much you are eating but something you are eating.

I did the Dukan which is gross (but time limited) but all inflammation left my body and the fat dropped off.

@DorisDaisyMay slow running (at a MAF Level of intensity) also decreases inflammation. As do cold baths and showers.

I believe you OP and In your shoes OP I would be inclined to eat what I like and weigh 13 rather than survive on 1100cals daily and weigh 12 3!

Its nice to have a healthy BMI if it can be achieved and maintained relatively easily but I couldnt be arsed weighing all my food and tracking every mouthful to achieve it

I say that as someone who's BMI settles at about 22 without a huge amount of effort (I exercise a lot but I enjoy so don't see it as effort IYSWIM). I eat a reasonably balanced diet but probably average at at least 2000 cals/day although have never tracked my intake closely.

I get you OP. I’m 5ft3, have PCOS and eat (weigh and record everything that passes my lips) 650-800 calories 6 days a week, takeaway or splurge meal (e.g macaroni cheese) once a week and have lost 1.2 stone since August, so 1lb approx a week. I’m awaiting knee surgery so can’t exercise much. Sure I could drop the take out but what a bloody boring way to live! NHS calculator suggests I should loose weight eating 1250 a day but I gained 2lb across 6 weeks doing that! I don’t know what the answer is, eating so few cal a day isn’t sustainable long term simply because it’s boring and I want to eat the cheese/alcohol/bread etc.

@Wroxie an amateur athlete here in weight-dependant sport.
Diets work.

No food and exercise = weight loss. Maybe not permanent and healthy but weight loss it is.

You are eating too little and not exercising at all (walking is not exercise, it's just life as normal for humans).

Having said that why do you write this, why do you care? If you eat healthy and are happy it matters not one jot what the scale is showing? Healthy person is a happy person no matter what the scale says!

PS: I love carbs and they are Ok to eat if you exercise!

@namochangoro Oooo do tell more on how to reduce inflammation in the body. I’ve cut sugar and don’t have gluten (celiac) but still suffer inflammatory flare ups. I’m off to google cold showers .....

Your actually under eating to the extent your body won’t be burning calories as normal. Your eating is quite irregular and I would suggest doing more excerise..try HIIT x2 weekly and weight training x2 weekly.
If your 5,3 don’t go under 1500 cals

@TheRealHousewife

All carbs except fibre spike inflammation, not just sugar and gluten.

Wellhalf an hour to an hours walk a day is nothing in the grand scheme. That's only 3 1/2 - 7 hours exercise out of 168 hours (a week). Not enough really is it.

Ah well there we go, I have an inflammatory arthritis. So not only can I not exercise cause of it, it's pointless even trying to diet as my body is fighting me losing weight.

Glad I'm only at 36 BMI (I'm 5'10" btw) given all the shit I have going against me 😂

@Frenchtoastie

Your actually under eating to the extent your body won’t be burning calories as normal. Your eating is quite irregular and I would suggest doing more excerise..try HIIT x2 weekly and weight training x2 weekly. If your 5,3 don’t go under 1500 cals

Oh please. 😂

@TheRealHousewife, there are supplements like CBD, turmeric and ginger. Vitamin C also reduces inflammation. Skin creams and oils that contain CBD and hemp.you have to read up about them all as there are counter indications. There usually are with things that have the potential to have a marked affect. Different breathing methods too can affect inflammation but again read up about it some can be very dangerous. The body is an amazing thing!

Wroxie Are you actually doing any resistance exercise like calisthenics and weights? 30 walking is the bare minimum. It doesn't matter how much or how little weight you can lift/ bare but it is important to do some resistance and flexibility work to maintain fitness.

*It maybe that something you are eating is inflaming your system and you are unaware of it. A body in an inflammatory state cannot burn fat - they are polar opposites in the body. Most common inflamers are diary and gluten which means it might not be how much you are eating but something you are eating.

I did the Dukan which is gross (but time limited) but all inflammation left my body and the fat dropped off*

This sounds like utter bollocks. Define “inflammation”? If I have an infected finger or a sprained ankle how on earth would that stop me losing weight?

You absolutely can lose weight in an “inflammatory state”. Why do you think one of the first symptoms of coeliac disease is weight loss? How do you think cancer patients lose weight when their guts are one big inflammatory mess?

[quote namochangoro]**@DorisDaisyMay slow running (at a MAF Level of intensity) also decreases inflammation. As do cold baths and showers. [/quote]
Bone broth is very good. A proper bone broth. And fermented food like kefir (unless you have issues with dairy) or kombucha (non pasteurised). It massively helped me when I had issues and reactions (very painful) to certain food. Now I can actually eat it without a problem!

@Frenchtoastie

Your actually under eating to the extent your body won’t be burning calories as normal

What are you basing this on?

General thought rather than aimed at anyone here - there really should be more weight-loss/fitness resources aimed at those with long term health conditions that are fighting against "calories in-calories out/ELMM"

So far we have physical disability, hypothyroid-meds at too low a level, menopause, PCOS, inflammation. Were there more?

I'm with you OP. I have tried all sorts of diets, most of which work initially but quickly grind to a halt well above my ideal weight.

I am also heartily sick of the sanctimonious, ignorant folk who think their dietary advice can magically solve to problem for us poor fatties who don't have their clear-sighted solutions