To think there’s no point being hungry if the weight isn’t coming off?

[Flaribeau]

The doctor has told me to lose weight because I’m at risk of diabetes. I’m absolutely starving but virtually no weight is coming off! I haven’t had a single biscuit or packet of crisps, no takeaways or alcohol at all, I’ve cut right down on carbs, I’ve started walking for an hour a day, and I’ve still only lost 2lb in an entire month.

AIBU to think being hungry is absolutely pointless if I’m not losing weight? Everyone says you lose loads in the first few weeks but I haven’t. I was expecting to have lost half a stone by now. I’m suffering for no reason because the weight isn’t coming off 😭

Well that’s annoying but what are you eating- do tell them I’m sure you’ll get good advice.

Impossible to comment without a food diary and the weight of food - sounds almost dystopian but you could be eating a loaf of bread for breakfast everyday. I am not suggesting you post that info on this thread but you need to see clearly how much you are eating. You can input it into one of those calculators (forgotten the name), which tells you roughly what calorie intake you need to aim for for weight loss - it’s a broad brush but gives an indication.

Being on a diet shouldn’t mean your hungry all the time, I think you need to make a proper meal plan so your consuming less calories but not starving yourself either.

For breakfast I eat two slices of toast with Philadelphia, or maybe one toast with a couple of eggs. Lunch is a tin of soup, or salmon salad, or a sandwich. Dinner last night was curry with chicken and veg, one tablespoon of rice and two tablespoons of yogurt. Other evenings I’ve had roast chicken with veg and only one new potato, or chilli with one tablespoon of rice and a tablespoon of sour cream, etc. Maybe an apple or a tablespoon of peanut butter for a snack, or a cheese string. No alcohol. No biscuits. No treats. Sometimes I skip meals completely for an extra boost. I have to go to bed early because I’m so hungry. Occasionally I feel faint because I’m not eating.

I’m absolutely starving. And I’m walking an hour a day as well. Every weekend I’ve been on a long hike. So why isn’t the weight coming off? My family is saying I’m being excessive and dieting too hard, they want me to eat more. They’re saying you can have one small glass of wine, and more than one potato, you’re being ridiculous. But the doctor has really scared me, that’s why I’m pushing it so hard.

And it still isn’t working. Never mind them telling me to ease off - even dieting as hard as I am isn’t working.

Sometimes it takes a little while and then suddenly you'll have a big drop.

It would be a good idea to spend a couple of weeks really rigidly weighing things and working out carb content as that is what will help most. Then you can feel more confident of portion sizes and food choices.

I reckon you're over eating. I reckon you need less calories as you age and you are eating enough to not lose weight - so cut back. I would ditch breakfast. If you constantly fill up your blood sugar levels, enough for your body to constantly have enough to run on and not need to use its own stores, then you won't lose weight.

I lost some weight a few years ago, but then the weight stopped coming off. A couple of months passed and I was starving and living a life of misery with no treats or alcohol, but not losing a single pound. So I quit dieting and the weight piled back on. It just seemed pointless to be starving when it wasn’t having any effect.

Over eating? I’m so hungry I feel sick and I keep going dizzy. How much less am I supposed to eat?!

Are you calorie counting? The only way I lose is to count every single item and eat lower cals than the weight loss says. It’s tough though, when you’re middle aged. I lost 24lbs in lockdown, it was hard going but I had something to focus on and did it. I regained it, now struggling to lose but I know it’s because I’m eating too much. I’m hungry too; I need to eat more protein to fill up. That might help you?

Do your clothes feel any looser?

Water lots and lots of water. It's really important for a couple of reasons

1. you're brain can mistake dehydration for hunger so you feel hungry when you're actually thirsty
2. the process of breaking down fat (lipolysis) uses a lot of water, if you don't have enough you won't break down the fat
3. if you've upped your exercise and have aching muscles then you'll be retaining water to heal the muscle fibres

Whenever I'm trying to lose weight and having a plateau I find upping my water to about 2lts a day kick starts it.

Also make sure you are actually eating enough, you've cut carbs but are you still eating enough fat, protein, veg etc to prevent yourself feeling hungry?

Do a TDEE calculator, that will give you the amount of calories you can eat and stay the same weight. Deduct 500 and that will give you a daily target. My daily target is about 1650, on that I do lose weight. You don't need to cut to 1000 and starve yourself.

I think, be very careful of what advice you take on here. You need to find what works for you.
for me that was cutting all carbs and all sugar, that included fruits and berries and the results were quick to show.
but I was never hungry, I’ve never dieted and always eaten when hungry, always.

also take care to not develop an eating disorder if you’re too rigid, it’s so very easy to become addicted to that hungry feeling.

I don't think you are overeating if you keep feeling so unwell! I think maybe switch to more protein and reduce carbs as protein fills you up more so will hopefully make you feel a bit better x

My DH has just been diagnosed as type 2 and we’re trying to get to grips with carbs ourselves to make easy changes where we can. The nutritional info on supermarket apps have been really eye opening when comparing two products that appear to be the same.

You mention toast and sandwiches a fair bit - bread is carbs and I know my MIL in particular had a huge issue accepting some food she thought was fine wasn’t. Bread has always been seen as an extra to fill people up cheaply so she thought that meant it was good. Full = good. Whilst doing fasting she thought fruit would be ‘free’. I think you might need a change in mindset and diet to get the results you need. It is hard going though.

I’ve worn leggings and baggy T-shirts ever since I had a baby, because I hate my body. My stomach is too damaged to be able to wear a fitted waistband. So I can’t tell if I’ve lost any weight.

If you are hungry, can you fill up on veg? Crudites with a bit of hummus maybe? Celery with a small (matchbox sized) bit of cheese, maybe some grapes?

one or two hardboiled eggs with a teaspoon of Boursin?

Greek yoghurt with berries?

If you eat food containing fibre with a bit of protein or even some fat, it will fill you up.

I find porridge with berries fills me up very nicely.

Or a cooked breakfast with a lot of tomatoes and mushrooms and maybe a rasher or 2 of bacon or an egg or two.

I would be querying insulin resistance. It’s not popular here to suggest that you couldn’t lose weight through calorie restriction and exercise, but that was my experience. I actually had gastro for 7-10 days and held down virtually nothing. My husband suffered similar and lost 15lb. I gained weight. I’m now on medication for insulin resistance and the issues are fixed. I no longer gain weight walking past food; and if I want to lose weight then I can do it it the normal way…. I.e upping the exercise and eating better.

But you ARE losing weight, you've lost 2lb this month - well done.

I eat about 2-4 slices of bread per day. If I wasn’t eating bread it would be rice or pasta, or breakfast cereal. Just bread is easier. I eat 1-2 pieces of fruit, I didn’t think fruit was unhealthy.

I would try having a day when you eat a bit more and you will see a big drop a day or 2 later. Works for ne every time.i have seriously cut down on carbs since a blood test showed high blood sugars.
If your body thinks you are starving it slows down its metabolism. Plus all you walking will be building up muscle.Have you had your thyroid function tested.I know from experience it is extremely difficult with underactive thyroid

You absolutely could get a whoosh at some point but in the meantime, are you drinking enough water? Would you consider weighing your food and calorie counting to get a more accurate idea of how many calories you are consuming each day? You could use one of the apps - nutracheck or my fitness pal. They also give you an idea of how much protein, carbs etc. you are having.

Ad hoc skipping meals doesn't sound wise, I'd concentrate on three filling, but healthy, meals per day and having the right number of calories and enough protein for weight loss.

Feeling faint isn't healthy, nor is it a sustainable way to lose weight. Slow and steady weight loss tends to be easier to maintain, I agree with @CyberCritical

It does sound miserable. I'm in a Facebook group for people adopting a mediterranean diet. Its supposed to be one of the healthiest diets there is. It is not a diet specifically for weight loss but people do report their weight getting back to normal and staving off things like diabetes and other weight related issues. You don't have to starve yourself, but balance your plate well and remove pretty much all highly processed food and refined oils and flours. Might be worth a shot. Especially since your diet does sound a bit meagre but you are eating processed bread etc.

Also have a read of Ultra Processed People. Research in their shows people eating the same number of calories had different weight outcomes. The one who ate ultra processed food gained weight even though they were eating the equivalent of what the person on the whole foods diet ate.

I should have lost at least 4lb in a month, just by doing a normal level of dieting. I’m literally starving so I expected to lose more. Absolutely gutted to discover that I only lost 2lb.

For breakfast I eat two slices of toast with Philadelphia, or maybe one toast with a couple of eggs. Lunch is a tin of soup, or salmon salad, or a sandwich. Dinner last night was curry with chicken and veg, one tablespoon of rice and two tablespoons of yogurt.

I'd be starving too if I ate this in a day.

Toast will fill you up temporarily, but it wears off dramatically because it's just carbs. Tinned soup will be carb-heavy too, and may be full of sugar. Same with the curry sauce if it's from a jar.

Try cutting out all the hidden sugars that creep into your diet. I'd also look at keto recipe ideas, as they are focussed on high-satiety foods full of protein and fat. This is what stops you feeling hungry too soon. You don't actually have to maintain ketosis in order to benefit from this type of diet.

Overeating?! She’s eating one tablespoon of rice with her dinner!