To think it’s impossible for me to lose weight

[Isitjustme0]

Feeling annoyed as I am trying to lose 1.5 stone ahead of my wedding next yr, and having tried for 2 weeks to eat significantly healthier / consciously and joined a gym with quite intense classes, and attended 4x per week, I expected to lose at least something. Instead, I’ve put on 1kg so feeling disappointed.

Ive tried half heartedly in the past to lose weight but with no luck so gave up, and the only time this was successful was when I ate significantly less (I would purposely leave 1/2 a plate of food uneaten if out for dinner, just eat a bag of crisps for dinner, etc so wasn’t maintainable or mentally healthy).

Any stories of successful weight loss please help me as I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong

If you've been training intensively, the 1kg may be muscle gain.

Try measuring yourself as well as weighing because if you're swapping fat for (heavier) muscle tissue, you will lose inches that won't necessarily show on the scales.

If you have any form of insulin resistance then reduced calories doesn’t work so well.
I really struggle to lose weight.
Low carb and IF works best for me, I’ve lost 4.5 stone this way. Helps regulate the insulin.

Have a look a The Fast800 eating plan by Michael Mosley. It’s high protein/fat and low carb and I’m having success with this.

Keep a food diary as it’s easy to overestimate what you’ve eaten in a day. Keep a track of portion sizes - too much of a good thing is still not good if you are aiming for weight loss.

Take body measurements weekly rather than just relying on the scales, as muscle weighs more than fat and takes up less space so if you are definitely exercising you will put on muscle mass too.

Drink 2-3 litres of water daily, and no diet fizzy drinks etc.

You wouldn’t gain muscle that quick. But do take measurements. But you need a calorie deficit to lose weight and this isn’t always possible on increased exercise alone. Check your TDEE and weight everything. Increase your activity. You will lose, but you need to be honest and log everything correctly. I’ve lost 24lbs doing that.

You need to stick with the simple principal of calories in vs calories out.

I lost 5 stone on slimming world 5 years ado and am keeping it off. I know people will say you don't need these types of diets but there's a reason they are popular and a reason they work.

Takes me 6-8 weeks before my weight drops if I start going to gym and reducing calories. Muscle is denser then fat so every tiny bit of muscle I put on balances out the fat I've lost if I look at the scales. However, i can tell the difference in how my clothes fit within 3-4 weeks.

It's still calories in vs. calories out that you need to look at. One 45 minute pump class only uses about 300 calories and I'ma sweaty mess by the end. That's less than then toast and marmalade for breakfast.

I need about 1250 calories a day to lose weight. The exercise is for toning up and building muscle, not actually weight lose for me.

Stick to the right food and portion sizes and training and hide the scale at least for a month.
When I started a strict diet my weight didn't change at all but I lost 2 dress sizes by the end of the first month.
The scale started to show changes by the end of second month.

Another vote for the fast 800 diet recipe book. I've actually been doing Noom since January and have lost and maintained a 2 stone weight loss, (its been really slow because I haven't been the best behaved) but I use the 800 diet book because the recipes are nice, easy to follow and all the calories are already worked out for you so it saves the faff.

Though exercise is my weakness, I'm so fricking lazy so you've done well to start going to gym!!

Go slow, remember Rome wasn't built in a day.

Good luck OP

The 1kg wouldn’t be muscle mass, but it could be water retention. If you have just started exercising your body will likely be holding onto water to help your recovery.
Make sure that you are drinking plenty.
Also, exercise can really make you feel hungry and it is very easy to eat more calories than you are burning off.

I agree with all of the above posters but also would like to remind you to give it time. It took time to put the weight on, and unfortunately it also takes time to get the weight off. Long term it’s obviously important to do it in a healthy manner so it taking time is a good thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
I do get it Op, it feels relentless and you want immediate effect… been there many times. Keep up the great work though, your body will thank you!

and having tried for 2 weeks to eat significantly healthier

you can eat far too many calories from healthy food!

You need to record what you eat and see exactly how many calories you eat a day. The only way to lose weight is calorie deficit.

Do stick with exercise, it's better for you, push you to drink more water, and will tone you up. Flabby and skinny is not a great look either.

But you need to be strict on your calories every day. No need for cheat day, you can eat everything but in moderation.

2 weeks is nothing! Be patient and give it 6 weeks before you see any real changes

Do you actually need to lose weight? It’s hard if you’re already a healthy weight.

Thanks all, hadn’t weighed myself in about 5 years and am a bit shocked!

I’m not big but the biggest I’ve ever been, a size 10 when I used to be an 8, I know it could be worse but when it’s the biggest I have personally been it feels bad, especially as I know it is due to being lazy and comfortable so could get worse if I don’t take action now

You don't have much to lose, so it won't be as obvious as severely overweight people.

Take a photo, write down your weight and measurements, and stick to strict calorie controlled diet. Keep with your exercise.

It's hard because it's a very slow and long term process, but when you will compare the photo from today to the one on your wedding day, it will be worth it.

The right muscle definition makes a world of difference too.

Losing 1.5 stone would most likely take you below an 8 from a ten unless you’re very tall? How have you arrived at that number?

It’s been two weeks and you’ve started going to intense classes and changed your diet dramatically. And you’re already fed up.
It’s unlikely this is sustainable anyway.

Presuming you have periods, your weight will fluctuate throughout the month - I gain about 4lbs around a period and I seem to be completely unable to lose any weight that week.
There’s another few days in the month we’re I am STARVING too. You have to just accept that your body fluctuates.
And water intake, how recently you went to the toilet, the food you’ve eaten in the last 24 hours etc will all make a difference too.

Eating ‘healthy’ isn’t the same as eating low calorie either. Though it’s a common mistake people make. Low sugar doesn’t always mean healthy or low calorie. And neither does low fat.

Figure out how many calories you burn a day, and then roughly how many you eat, and that will be your answer. You need to see it out at least a few weeks. And if you have any insulin issues or PCOS or any other issues like this, then probably longer as it’s going to be more difficult for you to lose weight

It takes time, if it was easy you’d have done it already, be kind to yourself and think about the positive changes in your health you’re creating by eating better and moving more

I agree with PP's. At this stage, I would pay no attention to the scales. I've recently picked up the gym again and it was incredibly depressing seeing weight going up or not shifting. I've stopped looking and set myself 'checkpoints'. I will weigh myself every 4 weeks only.

You need longer than a fortnight to see results. After a while exercising you often lose during rest days. But a fortnight is nothing really, you need to be thinking longer term about what food you eat and what is the right exercise level for you - a lifestyle not eyes on the scales all the time. (also if you’re exercising more you can easily end up losing inches and not weight)

Like other people have said you need to plan healthy meals and watch your calories. I have used MyFitnessPal a few times to successfully lose weight. I also watch sugar intake and cut out all chocolate (except maybe 1 or 2 small squares of dark chocolate), cake, crisps, ice cream, desserts and sweets etc, and try not to snack in between meals.

Are you taking any medicines? ADs/ anti-anxiety meds are shocking for keeping the weight on/ gaining.

That was my issue, and they weren't really doing much (just my experience, not slating them at all) so I stopped. Lost 10kg in 5 months without dieting. When I was on them I was having to do 1200 calories per day just to keep stable at 68kg.

That might not sound like a lot but it was very heavy on my frame.

I would say losing 1.5 stone to go from a size 10 to an 8 is harder than losing 1.5 stone if you were quite overweight with a lot to lose so that is part of why you may be finding it harder, it can be done but you will need to be quite careful about sticking to your eating plan.

Thanks everyone I feel happy that it isn’t just me that wouldn’t see a change after 2 weeks - nothings been too drastic, I’ve started just increasing the vegetables I eat and decreasing bad things like pizza so it is sustainable, at least should be I hope

Purpledaisy- my numbers are from the scales and from my clothes. Not sure what else to tell you other than peoples weight doesn’t exclusively mean a certain clothing size.

16:8 fasting works for me and I find it easy to stick to. At the gym I do mostly aerobic activity. I was just over a stone overweight and have shifted almost 6lbs in 4 weeks. Which I am very satisfied with. Started after a button popped off my shorts on hols 😂