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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think rapid weightloss in the morbidly obese isn't an accurate representation of weightloss for most people?

277 replies

Halfadamnlb · 12/01/2021 22:26

I'm currently 10st 7 and want to get down to 9.5st, I'm overweight but not obese.

I've been making changes to my diet and lifestyle for a little over two weeks and giving it my all.

Daily walks for at least an hour, sometimes two hours.

No sugar in my hot drinks and I've switched from whole milk to skimmed.

I have cut out all unhealthy snacks like chocolate and crisps which I was eating most days.

I'm eating smaller portions at dinner time.

Drinking alot more water.

Doing some light cardio at home in addition to the long walks.

I have lost a measly 0.5lb, if that.

Meanwhile on a weight loss group on Facebook there are women bragging about having lost 12lbs in a bloody week.

The people who are posting this type of loss are, in their own admission, morbidly obese.

Therefore, in my opinion, such losses aren't representative of the reality of dieting for most people.

It's demotivating to work so hard on something and see such a miniscule loss then to read somebody has lost 12lb and done so well by "just cutting out takeaways"

AIBU?

OP posts:
QuantumQuality · 12/01/2021 22:30

Well they’re not telling you it’s representative, are they? They’re telling you what happened to them this week. Tell them what happened to you. Your voices are the same.

Pipandmum · 12/01/2021 22:30

You are not being unreasonable but this is hardly a new idea.

BigBox · 12/01/2021 22:31

I'm so with you! I was the same weight as you at the start of December (which is overweight for my height) and I've got down to 10st but can't budge from there! But my friend consistently loses 1-2lbs a week (she's much bigger and probably more strict on her diet). I think it is more difficult to shift those last few pounds especially if you were relatively healthy and fit to start with.

PollyPorcupine · 12/01/2021 22:32

It is demotivating. In my office a few years ago six of us joined SW at the same time. In the first week I lost about 4lb and was very pleased, my morbidly obese boss lost SIXTEEN pounds by cutting out beer, crisps and bread.
Don't worry about how other people are getting on, this race is only with yourself.

BigBox · 12/01/2021 22:32

But I'm also mega impatient and expect to see change the second I eat healthily/do exercise which is not realistic 😂

moomin11 · 12/01/2021 22:32

No idea what your AIBU is but you're kind of stating the obvious!

WorraLiberty · 12/01/2021 22:33

Are they claiming it's an accurate representation or just talking about their personal weight loss?

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 12/01/2021 22:33

Agree.im 11st 6 (but taller) and top of the range of healthy bmi, would like to shed a stone and it's very hard.

Imiss2019 · 12/01/2021 22:33

Did you think you were going to lose 12lb I one week?

MountainDweller · 12/01/2021 22:34

No it's not representative... maybe look for a thread on here where people have similar goals to yours?

OwlinaTree · 12/01/2021 22:34

If you eat takeaway food every day and cut it out it's going to have a much bigger effect then if you eat takeaway food every day. You are not necessarily comparing like for like.

It is frustrating when you are trying hard and is not making a difference. Are you following a diet or are you cutting back?

BIWI · 12/01/2021 22:35

Yes, it's a fact that the more you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.

But if you've only lost half a pound in two weeks, then something is wrong with what you're doing. And given that weight loss is mainly about diet, it would suggest that you're not eating the right foods.

What would be a typical day's food (and drink) for you?

Imiss2019 · 12/01/2021 22:35

Having gone from your weight to a stone lighter you do have to cut your calories quite drastically if you want to lose more than you are in a week

Original poster
Halfadamnlb · 12/01/2021 22:36

@QuantumQuality

Well they’re not telling you it’s representative, are they? They’re telling you what happened to them this week. Tell them what happened to you. Your voices are the same.
To a degree, but they're under the illusion that it's doable for everybody else.

In the comments of one of the posts which inspired my OP, the woman is telling others that it's doable by doing X, Y, Z.

The vast majority of us would be hard pressed to shift almost a stone in a week.

I will admit to having the hump after working so hard for minimal payoff then scrolling through a weight loss group and being made to feel as though I haven't tried hard enough when the reality of the situation is that smaller/slightly overweight people just cannot drop weight like that.

OP posts:
OwlinaTree · 12/01/2021 22:36

That should say If you eat takeaway food every day and cut it out it's going to have a much bigger effect then if you eat takeaway food once a week.

Sorry.

Shinyletsbebadguys · 12/01/2021 22:38

I tend to agree but it's pointless comparing yourself to others. I lost 8 stone and the first 4 dropped off really quickly. On the flip side you could barely see it.

Then the rest came off much more slowly and now as I'm keen not to ever put it back on I keep my eye on my weight. If it starts to creep up it takes twice as long to drop a couple of extra pounds as it did initially.

Now though and towards the end of losing the big lot of weight half a stone became more noticeable in real life than it had when I had loads of weight to lose so its swings and roundabouts.

At 17 stone I could lose 3 stone and not an eyelid was battered at 9 stone if I drop 4 pounds my friend has mentioned it.

Original poster
Halfadamnlb · 12/01/2021 22:41

@Imiss2019

Did you think you were going to lose 12lb I one week?
Oh god no, I was aiming (and hoping) for around 2lbs a week. I would have been extremely pleased with that and any more would be a bonus.

In response to another PP, I think the reason for my lack of loss personally is down to just not eating enough during the first week. Naively, I thought by eating quite little the weight would slowly drop off but instead my body was storing fat to compensate.

The second week I've been much more realistic and had my three small meals per day plus exercise.

OP posts:
Imiss2019 · 12/01/2021 22:44

You need to track your calories it’s very easy to underestimate how much you’re actually eating. When I was your weight I had to drop to 1200 calories a day in order to lose between 1 and 2 pounds a week.

Izzydawg · 12/01/2021 22:47

Age has an effect on weight loss - I used to be able to cut down and loose weight with no problems. Not once you get over 50! the only way to shift that last stone then is by severe calorie restriction and you lose motivation as it’s so hard when you have been so strict and not lost anything. Same thing happens to my friends same age. Also if you are not much overweight your body wants to hang onto the fat

Original poster
Halfadamnlb · 12/01/2021 22:52

@BIWI

Yes, it's a fact that the more you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.

But if you've only lost half a pound in two weeks, then something is wrong with what you're doing. And given that weight loss is mainly about diet, it would suggest that you're not eating the right foods.

What would be a typical day's food (and drink) for you?

So I'm using my fitness pal to document my calorie intake, the limit is set to 1,200 calories per day with a goal of losing 2lbs per week.

An average day looks like this now:

3 wheat bixies (like weetabix) for breakfast in skimmed milk with a cup of ovaltine, no sugar.

For lunch either a slimfast milkshake (250 calories) or and a banana with a few crackers. Sometimes i have a fibre one bar (90cals)

Dinner is usually things like spaghetti Bolognese with a pinch of cheese, jerk chicken with rice, pasta bake, tomato soup and a ciabatta roll. It varies day to day. I don't have large portions of any of the above though. I've almost halved my portion size.

I have another ovaltine drink before bed then that's me done for the day.

I haven't gone above 1,200 calories daily once in two weeks, I have been logging everything on MYP. Some days (last week) I was ending the day on far less than 1,200 and got 'told off' in the form of a notification saying I wasn't eating enough.

I've made a point of eating more this past 7 days but still staying well below target.

I will attatch a screenshot of today's calorie/exercise reading. That's me done for the day now after breakfast lunch and dinner, with still almost 400cals to spare.

To think rapid weightloss in the morbidly obese isn't an accurate representation of weightloss for most people?
OP posts:
user1471528245 · 12/01/2021 22:52

What you find is those levels of weight loss are unsustainable based on a huge calorie deficit, and what tends to happen is they diet to the extreme for 8 weeks then go back to their old eating and pile the weight back on, were as what you have done is modify your intake slightly assessed it after a week and realised it’s not quite giving you the results you wanted so what you do now is look at further reductions in your calorie intake, you modify your diet to give yourself a steady loss which you can sustain over a longer period, this then becomes the norm and easier to control, losing .5 of a pound each week over a longer period is much more sensible than crash dieting, also if your in a group who shame those who don’t lose much, then you need to find a better group to join

elliejjtiny · 12/01/2021 22:52

Yanbu. However as a very fat person trying to lose 10+ stone, I find that although I can lose several pounds in a week it takes forever to look any thinner. I lost 2 stone last year and I look exactly the same and am wearing the same size clothes. I'm sure if you lost 2 stone there would be a huge difference. So other people's 12 pounds may sound impressive but it will have the same impact as your 0.5 pounds.

BogRollBOGOF · 12/01/2021 22:52

I manage my weight within the healthy zone, if I didn't it would sneak up by a pound here and there over the years and gradually end up being a more significant weight loss issue in the future. My body is very reluctant to give up spare pounds just to stay in the middle of a healthy BMI. Theoretically I could try to be more ambitious but that's just not a battle worth fighting.

For people with substantial losses to make, the first few stones are relatively straightforward, but again they hit the same issue with the last stones/ pounds towards the healthy end of BMI.

BarryWhiteIsMyBrother · 12/01/2021 22:53

You need to count calories and see how many you are eating. You may still be eating too many.

wibblewombat · 12/01/2021 22:54

It's all maths. To lose a pound, you need a 3600 calorie defecit over the 7 days. Your larger friends are probably up needing 3000+ calories a day just to run their body size, it's easier for them to run a calorie defecit. If you're on less than 2000 calories a day total requirement, then getting to a deficit needs total compliance. I'm short, older, dodgy thyroid so need far fewer calories than taller, well, younger people. Eat well, still obese, no takeaways or alcohol to drop, find it very hard