Weight loss! AIbU to wonder why I can’t lose weight??

[TheSpottedDog]

I’ve dabbled with low carb, low calorie, clean eating ... everything! I used to be able to drop weight so quickly but now I can’t seem to shift it!! (40 this year). I’ve always been a believer in calories in vs calories out ... even my gp agrees with me on this yet I don’t lose weight anymore.
In desperation I started on SlimFast. 2shakes a day and one 600 calorie meal. Total calories were coming up to around 1200 a day. I started at 12st 4lbs ... lost 6lbs in the first two weeks which took me to 11st 12lbs ... I carried on and now I’m back upto 12st!! How??!!

Exercise wise I don’t do a lot but I try to get 8000 steps in a day. Doctor thinks exercise is the key.

AIBU to think I should be losing weight on 1200 a day??! Even on a bad day (maybe twice a week) I don’t go past 1500 calories!

It depends on lots of things OP. Work out your basal metabolic rate (mine is about 1300kcal). Also are you being completely ho eat and measuring every calorie? Weighing portions? Counting cups of tea/coffee, the odd biscuit etc?
If this is the case and you’re genuinely consuming less calories than your output the majority of the time you need to rule out a medical cause. Good luck x

Hey @TheSpottedDog better place is weightloss chat. Have a look there. Lots of great and supportive threads with good tips and lots of sensibility.
AIBU is never the best place to discuss weight🙈

My BMR is supposedly 1500! I don’t get it.

I drink coffee with semi skimmed milk maybe 6 times a day. I ditched sugar after near year and I account for every mug.

I don’t eat biscuits or sweets. If I occasionally have a couple of ginger biscuits on a night I account for them but sometimes my calorie intake for the day is around 900! So a couple of ginger biscuits doesn’t even push it above 1000 calories!

I’ve had my thyroid checked, they say it’s fine. I am anaemic but that’s it ...

We’re you accurately weighing your 600 calorie meal? We’re you counting teas/coffee & any other drinks in your calorie total? The only time I never lost was when I added any exercise I did onto MFP because it gives you extra calories earned to eat back. I’ve read on a few threads that other people have had the same issue as it wildly overestimates calories burned so just don’t ever eat back your calories.
Work out your tdee here and reduce that amount by 20% to get a calorie target to aim for.
tdeecalculator.net/

Weigh and record every morsel that passes your lips on MFP. If you aren’t weighing and are guesstimating calories it’s very easy to guess wrong. Some sandwiches can have more calories than a well portioned roast dinner!

I ended up not being able to exercise due to health issues but lost by eating 1400 cals a day so I can only assume your calories aren’t accurate so it really is worth double checking amounts/snacks/weights in case you are eating more than you realise.

I never eat back my exercise calories, I don’t even pay attention to it. Maybe the gp is right and I’m not doing enough exercise ... I do suffer with chronic constipation too which has been made worse by the Slimfast so I’m going to give that up and try and eat 2 200 calorie meals a day and a 600 calorie meal for tea.

Example of tomorrow’s plan ...

2 weetabix with semi skimmed milk and a coffee

Ham, tomato and lettuce sandwich in 47 calorie per slice bread

Vegetable pizza and beans

Are you sure you're counting your calories properly? In my experience, MFP vastly underestimates the amount of calories in things.

There was a lady on Secret Eaters once who couldn't lose weight because although her meals were healthy, she would pick at other people's plates or taste everything she cooked, and they figured out that if she stopped doing that (and made no other changes) she'd lose weight immediately.

Do you drink alcohol? No snacks or picking from the DC's plates or things like that?

Vegetable pizza and beans

How big is your pizza? Is it a frozen one or one you've made yourself? Most pizzas are fairly calorific imo.

Is that all you are going to eat tomorrow? I’d add some salad to help with your constipation and help you feel fuller.

Won’t you be absolutely miserable on that food?

So I’ve been on a weight loss plan too and for the last month or so was stuck at the same weight. Then I upped my calories. And it seems to be working. I’m sure I will have to readjust again and lower at some point. Also water. How much are you drinking. I can be really bad with it. The weeks I drink 2+ litres per day are the weeks I seem to shift more. I’m struggling with that at the moment though as it’s so cold. I feel your frustrations though. All I can say is keep at it. You will get there.

Sometimes you just aren’t eating enough, which causes the body to go into starvation mode so this could be why you aren’t losing weight. I’ve lost 6 stone over the past year and I’ve eaten what I liked, just intermittently fasted (which seems to be the key for me). I haven’t exercised during this due to a nerve issue which is preventing me at the moment. So exercise isn’t the key, it’s what you put in your mouth, when and how often. I find that the more often I eat, the hungrier I am so I just generally eat all my calories in one sitting and I don’t feel hungry that way. It works for me but I understand it doesn’t work for everyone. You need to find a way that works for you. Also, the more you have to lose the easier it is, I’ve still got 3 stone or so to go so I’m expecting it to start being harder to lose soon, than I’ve found it losing the 6 stone initially. My goal weight is around your current weight! 😄

I would say that menu sounds very carb heavy. Regardless of the calories, I find that if i eat too many carbs, I just don't shift the weight. Maybe try replacing one or 2 of the meals with a lower carb option (eg for breakfast, have yogurt with some fruit and maybe a few nuts instead, or have the ham, lettuce and tomato as a salad without the bread?).

I know how hard it is though, I think I've done every diet known to man!

I started a high protein diet in June. It's a plan where everything gets sent for the week. Still need to track calories, as some things are higher.
Not sure I am allowed to mention the plan. But I lost 22lbs from June to September. I turned 40 in August and since then haven't been as good, so it's stalled (I boredom eat in eves).

I'm trying to start again now, because I know it works.

The protein farts at the beginning though..... 😂

So you lost 4lb? So you did lose weight?
What's your TDEE? (BMR isn't relevant)

@igotdemons

Sometimes you just aren’t eating enough, which causes the body to go into starvation mode so this could be why you aren’t losing weight. I’ve lost 6 stone over the past year and I’ve eaten what I liked, just intermittently fasted (which seems to be the key for me). I haven’t exercised during this due to a nerve issue which is preventing me at the moment. So exercise isn’t the key, it’s what you put in your mouth, when and how often. I find that the more often I eat, the hungrier I am so I just generally eat all my calories in one sitting and I don’t feel hungry that way. It works for me but I understand it doesn’t work for everyone. You need to find a way that works for you. Also, the more you have to lose the easier it is, I’ve still got 3 stone or so to go so I’m expecting it to start being harder to lose soon, than I’ve found it losing the 6 stone initially. My goal weight is around your current weight! 😄

Starvation mode is a myth but you're right that weight loss happens in the kitchen not the gym

OP, based on the plan you provided you eat too much carb. It is not just about calories. You have carbs 3 times/day, which is excessive even if you are not on a diet.

Hang on, how long is it since you started OP?

You say you lost 6lbs in first two weeks (which is a lot and some I would expect water loss and expect to put back on) and then carried on and put 2lbs of that back on.

How long has that period of carrying on been?

If only another two weeks then you have lost 4lb in 4 weeks which is a healthy sustainable weight loss of 1lb a week, and you have lost weight! You just need to keep at it. You won’t magically lose a stone or two in a month on any healthy diet.

Starvation mode isn't a thing if you are overweight and trying to lose it. Starvation mode is when you body hits such a low weight that it starts metabolising your muscle as well as your fat in order to survive - most overweight people will not experience this as there is an abundance of resources of energy for the body to draw from.

Check every calorie - you say you drink 6 cups of coffee with semi skimmed milk a day - how much milk are you putting in? Measure it out. Losing weight is basic thermodynamics (obviously some people have illnesses and conditions that can oppose that!) - calories in and calories out. You wouldn't over fuel a car, so why do it to your body? Wishing you all the luck though, it is hard work!

I’d swap the carbs for high protein options. Swap weetabix for eggs. Sandwich- make a salad with eggs and ham. Tea- avoid bread/dough/pizza. Have something with protein to fill you up.

The most likely issue is that you’re not measuring calories accurately.

This thread is almost identical to this one from November: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/a4093265-Diet-pills?msgid=102208947#102208947
Have you posted about this before?

Vegetable pizza and beans

100g of branston baked beans is 85 calories (around two small spoons)
Vegetable pizza, as pp said, will be calorific. half this pizza is 350 cals so would be 435 for dinner

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/291196322

Bread for lunch 94 + 1 slice (?) ham around 20

Weetabix x 2 with milk 205 calories

6 cups of coffee 60 cals

That is a total of around 814 calories BUT if you have the whole pizza and don’t weigh your beans so eat double the amount then it’s 1,249 calories. Add in a couple of ginger nuts at 47 calories each then it’s 1343.

If you aren’t losing weight just eating that amount of calories then something isn’t adding up- you need to double check your calories in things.

I really recommend intermittent fasting. If you are eating all day, you insulin is constantly spoiling even if you aren't eating too many calories. I fast for 16-20 hours a day (depends how long I can last) and I've lost nearly 3 stone.

I wouldn't be having a sandwich at lunch and pizza for dinner, too many carbs and calories.

Why not have a ham salad for lunch and then only half the pizza for dinner (wrap
The other half and freeze for another day), with the beans and maybe some more salad or veg to bulk the meal out again. It is scary how many calories are in one pizza!

You really do need to be aware of the calories in everything and try and weigh as much as you can to calculate your intake correctly.

Also exercise is so important to help boost your Calorie deficit.

I've lost 2 stone, started running and dieting since last May, and now maintaining my goal weight and my entire attitude to food and portion sizes etc has completely changed, it really is a re-education.
It would be so easy to blow your entire calorie allowance in one meal without even realising it!

@TheSpottedDog your meal plan for tomorrow seems very carb heavy, which is basically sugar. Try more protein and fat, less carbs, so ham salad with some cheese, maybe fruit and full fat yoghurt with nuts for breakfast, dinner fish, salad, oil dressing etc.