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

[Halfadamnlb]

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?

MFP is a rough guide, but I’ve just had my 10th anniversary on it!

I don’t enter exercise calories, and I wouldn't eat them back.
I have it set to a quite low daily intake. But I never press the “ close diary” button. The info is all still there.
When entering foods have a critical look at the options it gives, lots in the database are entered by individuals and aren’t always accurate.

Every body is different. Try not compare yourself to others, maybe leave that Facebook group if that is what it is leading you to do.

Quality of food matters too. Biwi’s suggested swaps are all great- get more veggies ( not fruit) and water into your daily intake. Why not set yourself a challenge of finding 2 new vegetables this week that you like and could incorporate regularly?

You're right and it breaks down like this - this is a note I wrote to myself to cement it into my head that 1lb, or 0.5lb is a lot. I've lost more weight since but keeping the amounts and calculations the same so I don't have to do it again

Anyway

I was morbidly obese, At 296lbs and sedentary my TDEE (the amount of calories for maintenance) was 2422.

To lose 2lb a week you need to be 1000 cals per day under your TDEE

So to lose 2lb a week back then, it could be done on 1422 cals per day

Now I am 188lbs at my last weigh in, if sedentary my TDEE (to maintain) is 1834 cals per day

and to lose 2lb a week you still need to be 1000 cals per day under your TDEE

So that makes my calorie intake limit without exercise is just 834 cals per day if I want to lose 2lb per week

Exercising daily thankfully grants me roughly another 200 cals per day.

So at the moment I can lose 2lbs a week on 1000 cals per day

This is not sustainable long term. The minimum recommendedcals per day for an average height woman is 1200 per day -

at some point I will have to accept I need to aim for 1.5lb a week or 1lb a week loss to keep me at least close to that minimum

At the moment I could lose 1lb a week on 1334 cals per day. I hate seeing people complain about only having lost 1lb - 1lb is a lot!0.5lb is a lot too and it's not a race

Make your peace with that now, and get used to being extremely accurate, meticulous and honest with your calorie tracking

^^ reminder that was a note to myself, not anyone here!

Thanks Remeberself I’m not low carb just mindful I wouldn’t have carbs all 3 meals to lose weight. Breakfast usually eggs, skyr/Greek and berries or sometimes oats. Lunch homemade soup with pulses or chicken, omelette etc. Dinner I do eat carbs most days but lots of veg. I’ve found it very sustainable and not hungry. I focus on real food not processed. I’m mid 40s and found it suits me and my body type.

It's not how many calories you're eating, it is what you're eating. It's not rocket science, you need to eat better food, you need to eat real food.

Ditch the Ovaltine, ditch the skimmed milk and replace with full fat (although ditching dairy full stop is better for weight loss), ditch pasta and rice at your evening meal, eat more leafy green veggies, eat less fruit (and mostly berries at that), and eat more protein - you're hardly eating any. Eggs for breakfast is far better than your current choice, eggs will fill you up and keep your insulin levels stables.

Additionally, you have less weight to lose, so it will take more time. It's also worth remembering that weight loss is not linear anyway.

As other posters have already mentioned, I advise you to check out the low-carb bootcamp, that gets fantastic results.

Good luck!

people, don't go on diets, they don't work long term, they'll wreck your metabolism!

Healthy diet, exercise, intermittent fasting, you'll be fine!

although ditching dairy full stop is better for weight loss

Why is this, @StellaRockafella?

I've switched to soya milk and almond milk because too much dairy is not good for breast cancer (I believe).

Soya milk and almond milk are lower carb so they provoke a lower insulin response so, with all the cups of tea and coffee I have, just switching from dairy to non dairy milks has helped me lose a few pounds.

I was in a similar position to you last year. same weight and goal. Never had to look at what I ate or how much I exercised before in my life. The fist thing you need to change is its not a diet, its a life style change and its permanent. It is very slow, you will loose a pound or two at 1st however there can be a week or so where you loose nothing. I used my fitness pal to track my food, for me it was solely carbs( I love my spuds) I had to reduce my consumption of mash by two thirds. I only walked the dogs and then started swimming. But then lockdown happened. But I kept up the walking every day as not much else to do. It takes 4 weeks to get used to your new eating regime aswell. Look up Keto diet recipes. Do not loose Focus or give up. It will take some time but you will do it in a healthy way. and it will be far easier for you to matain it in the long term. It took me a good 6 months to loose a stone and now at my goal weight. I notice it big time especially over xmas, clothes that didn't fit before now fit perfect, I have more energy. Still keep doing my walking and will go back swimming once lockdown is lifted.

Looool is this a joke? It’s been 2 weeks. Why are you expecting significant results in such a short period of time? It doesn’t matter how hard you apparently work.

The law of diminishing returns definitely applies to weight loss OP.

Think of it in percentage terms - if you lose a pound, it's a higher percentage of your weight than if a 15-stone person loses a pound.

Age is also a factor, as your metabolism slows as you get older. A 40 year old will find it harder to lose weight than a 20 year old.

Finally, look at the timing of your meals. Try not to consume any calories for a 12 hour window - for me that is from 8 pm to 8 am.

You also want to ensure that any changes you make are sustainable for the long term, so I wouldn't get too hung up on weight loss from week to week.

Up your protein, up the fats, reduce the carbs, stick to full fat dairy. Take magnesium supplements. Try to have at least 12h between your last meal and breakfast. Weigh everything. Have rest days where you do very little exercise too those are the days the water weight comes off... We've been lied to for years about how to diet, I recommend reading the obesity code by Jason Fung or fast 800/blood sugar diet by Michael Mosely.

Lots of factors will influence how fast weight loss is. As a very tall overweight (was obese) person I can lose a huge amount in a week but it takes a lot more weight for it to be noticeable and it's a longer journey. Doesn't mean anyone is doing better than the other, we're just all on different journeys. Noone said it was an even playing field. As I approach the last few kilos I know it will be hard to shift but I'll be delighted to be that close.

Jason Fung is readily accessible on YouTube, and he's very personable and easy to watch. Highly recommended, and a doctor, so he knows a bit more than a lot of people on MN.

Fasting is the only way to get results fast, this is what alot of slim people do.

If you eat carbs fasting is very hard to do because it makes you very hungry shortly after eating them, so avoid.

When you do eat make sure it's full of good protein and fat like cheese, eggs, fish, coconut milk, nuts and seeds.

The rest should be any type of vegetable, including vegetable soup and any type of pickle, they are great for the gut biome.

If you must have something sweet then fresh or frozen berries, yogurt and a few pieces of chocolate if you can portion control.

Single glass of wine in the evening.

My friends and I follow this with regular long walks and runs and we are 5'4" - 5'10" and weigh from 8. 5 stone to 10.5 stone.

We have plenty of energy, fit and look and feel great , you don't need to weigh any more than this. Being slim and healthy is a choice you make to look after yourself.

If you cannot look after yourself then there are other issues in your life that you will need to work on first otherwise your slimming success will be temporary or unsuccessful which will make you demotivated.

If you feel faint or hungry have tinned fish or a carrot if you are fasting, miso soup or a broth of a spoonful of marmite and hot water.

Most people eat far too much and fixate on food all the time which is why calorie counting and following expensive diets are terrible.

Eat once a day if you can.

Following this will also get rid of a baby paunch. After 5 babies I thought I would never have a flat stomach again. Then I read a bloated stomach could be caused by a bad gut biome so I fasted for 3 days initially and had nothing but miso soup or hot marmite in that time.

I could not believe my stomach became flat again!

Now whenever I start getting paunchy again I fast, sometimes by one or two meals, so like missing breakfast and then only eating a small protein and veg rich meal around 2pm.

The secret is to have good protein and veg.

Eggs are great for breakfast, keeps you full until around 2pm.

If you think all this is extreme then it would be worth looking into what other slim humans around the world eat and what their lifestyles are.

Some make a bowl of rice the main meal of the day, with some added protein and veg.

Avoid all processed food including shakes like the plague. Get back to basics what our ancestors ate.

Sometimes the hunt wasn't successful so there were only nuts and berries to eat.

Fasting has been clinically proven to be excellent for your health. Many religions and cultures practice it.

It means having a healthy respect for food and not being obsessed by it. It means small portions and experiencing a flat stomach from not giving your body anything to digest for a while so that it gives the gut a chance to go into autophagy. Google it! It will be the best thing you could ever do for your health.

Avoid

You are already fit, the changes you are making are cutting calories and therefore the weight loss you see is likely fat loss.
The example you give that person most likely had a poor diet to start ....while some of the weightloss will be fat loss the majority of the 12lb loss will be loss of water retention as a result of a better diet (i.e. less Salty foods, less alcohol, more fluids such as water consumed)

Alot of very good advice here thank you.

I can see where I've been going wrong, paying too much attention to the exercise calories for one thing. I do find MFP useful so it's probably worth me paying for premium so I can have more control over the input data.

Carbs too, they make up a large part of my diet. I could definitely make changes there. The high carb intake is primarily down to convenience as it's what my DH often wants for dinner and it's easier to have the same as opposed to cooking different meals.

I'm going to swap the 3 weetabix for Greek yoghurt and fruit this morning and up my veg intake with dinner.

I'm already fasting to a degree as I don't eat after 7.30pm until around 11.00am the next day as I don't tend to be hungry first thing.

For lunch yesterday I had Greek yoghurt with granola and mixed berries which was quite high calories, I could swap the granola for oats.

A genuine well done to those of you who have managed to lose alot of weight, I do admire that.

I know I'm not significantly overweight but I have a couple of health conditions that could be improved by losing a stone and being healthier so I'm keen to do what I can to help myself in that sense.

Carbs too, they make up a large part of my diet. I could definitely make changes there. The high carb intake is primarily down to convenience as it's what my DH often wants for dinner and it's easier to have the same as opposed to cooking different meals

Just change the proportions. Give him most of the carbs, and top up your plate by cooking more of the proteins and fats. You don't have to eat different meals.

@Newstaronhorizon

Fasting is the only way to get results fast, this is what alot of slim people do.

If you eat carbs fasting is very hard to do because it makes you very hungry shortly after eating them, so avoid.

When you do eat make sure it's full of good protein and fat like cheese, eggs, fish, coconut milk, nuts and seeds.

The rest should be any type of vegetable, including vegetable soup and any type of pickle, they are great for the gut biome.

If you must have something sweet then fresh or frozen berries, yogurt and a few pieces of chocolate if you can portion control.

Single glass of wine in the evening.

My friends and I follow this with regular long walks and runs and we are 5'4" - 5'10" and weigh from 8. 5 stone to 10.5 stone.

We have plenty of energy, fit and look and feel great , you don't need to weigh any more than this. Being slim and healthy is a choice you make to look after yourself.

If you cannot look after yourself then there are other issues in your life that you will need to work on first otherwise your slimming success will be temporary or unsuccessful which will make you demotivated.

If you feel faint or hungry have tinned fish or a carrot if you are fasting, miso soup or a broth of a spoonful of marmite and hot water.

Most people eat far too much and fixate on food all the time which is why calorie counting and following expensive diets are terrible.

Eat once a day if you can.

Following this will also get rid of a baby paunch. After 5 babies I thought I would never have a flat stomach again. Then I read a bloated stomach could be caused by a bad gut biome so I fasted for 3 days initially and had nothing but miso soup or hot marmite in that time.

I could not believe my stomach became flat again!

Now whenever I start getting paunchy again I fast, sometimes by one or two meals, so like missing breakfast and then only eating a small protein and veg rich meal around 2pm.

The secret is to have good protein and veg.

Eggs are great for breakfast, keeps you full until around 2pm.

If you think all this is extreme then it would be worth looking into what other slim humans around the world eat and what their lifestyles are.

Some make a bowl of rice the main meal of the day, with some added protein and veg.

Avoid all processed food including shakes like the plague. Get back to basics what our ancestors ate.

Sometimes the hunt wasn't successful so there were only nuts and berries to eat.

Fasting has been clinically proven to be excellent for your health. Many religions and cultures practice it.

It means having a healthy respect for food and not being obsessed by it. It means small portions and experiencing a flat stomach from not giving your body anything to digest for a while so that it gives the gut a chance to go into autophagy. Google it! It will be the best thing you could ever do for your health.

Avoid

This is what I do, one meal a day and that meal follows keto diet (focus on good fats, medium protein, low carb). Now and a again I do a complete 1 or 2 day wayer fast.

Coupled with kettlebells and cycling I went from 20stone to 12 stone within 6 months and kept it off.

I have seen how carbs is the one thing that makes me put on weight very quickly.

@Halfadamnlb

I'm 27, I drink 3-4 cups of ovaltine per day which is quite filling but not high in calories. Other than that, I haven't indulged in chocolate or crisps for two weeks now and I used to eat both fairly often.

I also suspect I have some hormonal issues going on which may be contributing to the struggle to lose weight.

Definitely, definitely check this out with your GP once COVID is a bit better.

The 3 - 4 cups of Ovaltine per day is enough to trigger insulin release, which enormously hinders fat loss. So, yes, there is a hormone imbalance, but it's Ovaltine related. The GP won't check Ovaltine levels in OP's blood.

Yes don’t change your family dinner OP they sound fine just up your veg. Try new things and new ways of cooking veg eg roast veg, courgetti (have instead of pasta or half and half) I find Bupa guide to healthy portions sensible for carbs I do weigh pasta etc it’s easy to overeat. I know SlimmingWorld gets slated on Mumsnet but basic premise of minimum 1/3 plate veg every meal is a good habit to stick to. I find mushrooms or tenderstem broccoli go with most things or spinach eg chilli on a bed of spinach and just a little or no rice.
I lost 5 stone in 8 months averaged 2lb a week. But of course I lost more at first when I was obese. At end with bmi 22/23 it was hard going. Lucky to get 1lb a week.
Question I’m always asked is what exercise I did. People vastly overestimate cals burned from exercise.
Good luck.

Just weighed myself and I'm now 151.3

I was 150.8 a couple of days ago.

Considering I spent most of last week really hungry I'm disappointed to say the least.

I think weights are a great idea but unfortunately I can't do dumbbells, one of my health conditions is pelvic organ prolapse so that massively limits the amount of exercise I can so.

I also can't run

I also have quite severe PMS which is another reason I want to overhaul my health, but is also why I suspect I'm struggling to lose anything. My hormones are all out of whack.

Hungry is not the enemy, OP, so fasting sometimes is good. But if you're eating x kcals of protein and fats, you'll be a lot less hungry than if you're eating x kcals of carbs.

How do you make sure you're getting protein and fat, if you don't mind me asking?