To be surprised am I not losing weight?

[Fatflump]

I am very overweight.

A few weeks ago I decided to cut out all the awful food I'd been eating (chocolate, carbs like White bread, rice pasta potatoes and so on).

Week 1I lost half a stone, Great. I was really pleased.

Last week I lost a pound.

I'm halfway through the week now and I've lost nothing.

I'm eating fairly well I think - yesterday I had boiled eggs and salad, fruit during the day, and chilli with steamed veg in the evening.

Today I've had 2 ryvitas with low fat hummus and a couple of light babybels, fruit, and steak/salad for dinner.

I'm not sure why I'm not losing, if I only had a stone to lose I wouldn't be so concerned, but I have over 5st to shift and was expecting to lose 3-4lb a week at least, certainly at first.

I don't know what to do. I've done nothing different than in the first week really.

1-2lb loss a week is healthy. I lost 5 stone in 8 months on SlimmingWorld averaged 2lb a week. I walked 10,000 steps a day and swam breaststroke once or twice a week too.
Personally I like Slimming world as it’s normal healthy eating, not hungry. I don’t eat loads of carbs and muller lights aren’t compulsory.
If you prefer calorie counting nutracheck is good. Use a tdee calculator to get a proper daily calorie amount not 1200. Good luck.

Sounds like you’re not eating enough. I’ve recently gone from 12 st to 11st slowly since June by slowly dropping calories and balancing out my carbs fat and proteins. I’m currently on my lowest calorie allowance so far which is still 1500 and that’s without much exercise.

I did hire a nutritionist which has been an expense but so worth it. It’s changed my eating habits and relationship with food, I highly recommend it if you can. I even have chocolate on my porridge most mornings, everything is allowed as long as it fits in with your allowance.

The 8lb you lost in week 1 will be mainly your liquid glucose stores. Your body will work to replenish those. You will have lost fat but it won't show until your liquid glucose is replenished. Keep going!

Echoing pp's sentiments, averaged over the month you are losing steadily and at a healthy and realistic rate. As you know weight loss is not linear and often you will lose a lot over a short period at the beginning and this will naturally taper down as the initial weight loss is often water weight. Your monthly cycle can also affect things too.

Remember you did not get to the size you are over night so give your body time to the lose the weight, if your goal is to drop more than a stone or two be realistic that it will take a few months maybe even a year to get there and that is OK. The fact that you are on the journey at all is the biggest hurdle so give yourself credit for that

Just keep on, you're doing great don't give up!

So don't go off weight go off body measurement too.
Also you don't want a quick fix, you want it to be a lifestyle change so you can keep the weight off. Slowly and steadily is the best way.
Track calories. Aim for 1700 cals a day and 14000 steps. Keep going with water.
Please ignore the ' you don't need carbs' comment, because that is ridiculous and not sustainable

I will start measuring myself. And up the exercise. I've got to do a 4 hour drive today so may not get much time but certainly will start tomorrow. I've got some weights I can use already.

It's just disheartening to not be further forward. I lost my 7st in a year (about 5st in the first 6-7 months then it took me ages to lose the last 2st) so I was comparing it to that, but I'll keep on. Hopefully next week will be better. I'm not craving chocolate as much as I thought I would which is good.

minimum of 10k steps a day - even if you can't go for a walk then do them in the kitchen etc, step when you wash up , folding washing etc, just stand and step, raise your hands, you can do this!
Track everything you eat,
I am doing RH fitness on Facebook
I thought the weight would drop off as I used to drink loads, but it didn't, its coming off slowly but steadily.
Step step step

It isn’t pointless OP, and you have done really well so far.

A year from now might seem a long way away but you will start to feel better much sooner than that!

Allow your success so far t spur you on.

I lost 18Kg by cutting out snacking, or only eating low calorie snacks such as carrot sticks, eating modest but nutritious breakfasts and lunches, swapping highly processed white carbs for complex and wholemeal, eating normal dinners but operating portion control. E.g half a pizza with lots of salad rather than a whole pizza.

Then it didn’t feel like A Diet , and misery. Just an adjustment to healthy eating.

And it has been easy to maintain.

You have made a great start with your first week and the walking.

Join one of the threads in weight loss chat? One that suits your approach and lifestyle?

There are many ways to lose weight, with zealous advocates for each, but the best method is the method that suits you!

first of all, stop weighing yourself so much. Stick to once a week (even that is a bit much). You are losing weight really nice. It's obviously gonna take a while, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. Best of luck, OP!

I track everything I eat on my fitness pal and it has been a game changer for me. I'm losing 1lb a week but it really does add up.

You need to change your attitude. I know its disheartening when you feel like you are doing your best and then you "only" lose 1lb or nothing but if you keep going it will pay off. Learn to be happy with that 1lb loss.

Put it this way you can give up and still be 5 stone over weight by this time next year or you can keep going and have lost 4 stone by this time next year.

I weighed myself today. 5 weeks low carbing and I've been very good, no cheats, haven't wanted to cheat, but after five whole weeks of cutting out wine, g&ts, cake, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, biscuits, so much (although I haven't gone hungry and have been eating healthy) but, BIG changes for five whole weeks, and I've lost one pound per week. It's so slow.

I know that I just need to stay with it...............

And i was choosing veg like mushrooms, green peppers, courgettes. I was going easy on veg like onions and leeks becaise they are higher in carbs.

Don't give up! A loss is a loss, no matter how small. Even just losing half a pound a week is better than putting half a pound on, that's the equivalent of a block of butter.
Visualise that block of butter, half a pound of fat, dissolving from your body.
You've got this OP, you can do it.

@ManifestingWisdom

I weighed myself today. 5 weeks low carbing and I've been very good, no cheats, haven't wanted to cheat, but after five whole weeks of cutting out wine, g&ts, cake, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, biscuits, so much (although I haven't gone hungry and have been eating healthy) but, BIG changes for five whole weeks, and I've lost one pound per week. It's so slow.

I know that I just need to stay with it...............

Scale weight isn’t a great measure.

My best friend weighs the same as she did on her wedding day 3 years ago, but she’s 2-3 dress sizes smaller. Focus on how your clothes fit.

Well done for sticking with the improved nutrition plan, despite being disappointed in weeks 2 & 3.

You have now lost 8lbs in 2 & a half weeks - that is good going!

If you look on your better eating habits as a really long term investment, rather than "how much have I lost in a week", it will remain easier to stick with.

Google "plateau" in relation to weight reduction.
On dealing with a dietary change, especially calorie reduction, the body responds with initial shedding - hence the first week is often impressively motivating!
As the body becomes accustomed, some chemical changes which - apologies, I cannot recall the mechanics of - kick in.
At this point "plateauing" occurs.
It's not that you are no longer losing weight - you are, long term - just that your body is accruing what it needs in order to shed the next few lbs. That is a clumsy & non-scientific explanation, but essentially - you may even find you gain a pound or 2 some weeks.
It's all part of the process, & a necessary part of losing a large number of pounds, because your body has to do a lot of adjusting.
So don't despair when you get a fluctuating result instead of the smoothly reducing "graph" so many of us visualise ...

When it boils down to it, think of the huge favour you are doing yourself & your body in terms of wellbeing, mental health (hugely affected by junk food). And even a few pounds lost make exercise easier & more attractive.

Not lecturing OP - been there, done that.
Think long term, love yourself, & consider something like yoga or pilates.
You can do it at home for no money, it improves mood, enhances positivity & hence willpower, & there's nothing like it for really putting yourself back in touch with body, & what feels authentic to it in terms of exercise, nutrition, & optimum weight.

Hang on - this might help - from people who know the science of what they are banging on about, unlike me! - www.secondnature.io/guides/mind/motivation/weight-loss-plateaus-explained

I still have that feeling of there being so much flesh around my stomach and middle. Can't wait to lose a few blocks of butter from that area!
It's not social media pressure or anything, I just really feel the additional flesh and it feels like it's too much right now. Never been thin, never ''hated'' on myself for it but right now, I do feel like I'm carrying a lot of extra weight.

well, 5lbs down another 20lb to go. The slower it comes off the less your body wants to put on the weight again? I think. Looking at it through a positive lens.

@Fatflump

The thought of taking another year from now (IF I lose a pound a week) to still be more than a stone away from my correct weight is so depressing.

I'm really trying and it just feels pointless 😥 Like I said this week I've not lost anything.

Look at this another way round.

You could invest a year in improving your overall health, & at the end of it, will be feeling SO much better than you did 3 weeks ago.

Then imagine how much more easily you will move, what lovely clothes you can resurrect/buy, how much more confident you will feel, how much more habitual & thus easier it is for you to make good planning & shopping choices around nutritious food ...
when you weigh a mere stone more than your 'correct' weight.

Not that I like the term "correct weight".
Optimum for your lifestyle & health is better.

Keep going. This happens everyone.

Don’t weigh yourself for a while and up the drinking water and eat an apple every day and watermelons if you can. Keep going!!!

I was having a small treat most evenings of like 100 cals but I've not had that this week as haven't felt like it.

See?

THAT's your 'win for the week'.
Better nutritional choices have already started to reduce junk cravings.

Keep at it OP - & btw Second Nature, as per the link upthread, are an excellent resource if you are able to afford it. Very strong on the psychology & support, very knowledgeable.

Yes, 8lbs is 16 blocks of butter lost from your body!

Think of yourself as someone who is active - you walking makes you an active person- and someone who is caring for their body, which you are by eating more healthily. Weight loss will be a very beneficial side effect

I fell of the wagon SO often during my steady downwards curve. A whole box of chocs I bought for my Mum for Xmas, a whole multi-pack of Twirl bars because I had a row with a family member, and many more… just got back to the good habits the next day and carried on without beating myself up.

I feel you OP, I've been doing pretty well with my weight loss. Recently cut my calories down to 1000-1200, joined a gym and been going 3 times a week, cut carbs and last week I lost NOTHING! I was so demoralised, I knew it was my premenstrual week where I'm normally a bit heavier but I really thought my effort would have meant I lost a little. I have slacked off a little this weekend but am going right back to it tomorrow. Keep positive!

So one pound a week, for a year, equals 104 blocks of butter gone. Next time you’re shopping go and look at the butter shelf. Imagine trying to lift 104 blocks of butter in one go. Your body is actually carrying it right now! You’re going to feel so much better this time next year with all that butter gone. One day at a time, don’t give up.

This will happen, it's natural so don't be put off!!
Don't forget that you have also maintained the weight loss and that is hard work too.
Keep going with the healthy eating and increase your step count.

There is a great thread over on the weight loss board called lose it, please join us!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/4386227-LOSE-IT-November-2021

That first 7lb you lost; a lot of that will be water weight, that’s why people often see a really sharp drop at the start.

I also second PP that you’re not eating enough; statistically if you lose the weight eating 1,200 calories a day you are more likely to put that back on - it’s the endless lifetime cycle of dieting and weight loss / gain.

For most people dieting, calorie counting / restriction are just part of that cycle.

What really changed things for me was discovering initiative eating; which is basically about relearning your natural hunger and fullness cues and listening to them - dieting literally forces you to ignore them.

Also lift some weights, it will boost your metabolism and let you eat more without gaining weight!

you eat 1,200 calories per day,