Dieting for 6 weeks and guess how much I’ve lost?

[CollagenQueen]

I’ve been dieting for 6 weeks. I’ve been eating like a bird during the day, with a normal evening meal.

I’ve cut out crisps and chocolate (which I used to eat daily).

I’ve dropped my wine consumption massively, now having several tee total days a week (I used to drink every day!)

I’ve also upped my exercise enormously, I now usually walk about 15-20k steps a day, rather than my usual 7k.

After six weeks of this, I’ve just weighed myself and guess what I’ve lost?

Absolutely nothing.

What the hell? Can anyone explain this? I really don’t want to give up, but this just seems insane!

Were/are you overweight yo start with?

do many people on here complain they don’t’t lose weight then they say their start weight was like 7 stone you see 🙂

I feel like I could actually cry. 😓

Did you take any measurements?

Have you gained or stayed the same? If you’ve gained you need to reduce calories. If you’ve maintained, you’ve figured out what you need to do to stay the same, but if you want to lose you need to reduce calories.

you can also increase calorie expenditure but keep the same calories - has the same result.

it’s always about calories in and out I’m afraid!

Curious what your “eating like a bird” looks like

honestly

What is your typical menu for the day? Including all drinks.

I am 12 stone. I’m only 5 ft 1, so definitely over weight. I just can’t fathom this.

Did you take measurements as well? Have you lost inches?
Are you tracking calories? You may have eaten more than you think. If you’re replacing a glass of wine with a couple of pieces of toast for example, your calories would have gone up (but you feel like you’ve “given something up” )
failing that, I don’t know. I’m the same. I exercise daily, I run, I eat really healthy meals, and I’m the same weight I was a year ago. Basically I eat more than I think I do. It sucks.

Do you have scales that measure fat percentage? Perhaps you have replaced fat with muscle. Have you lost any inches?

Are you tracking your calories?

I am just shy of clinically obese and have attempted to lose weight many times over the past 4 years. I have started tracking calories since July and have lost 7lbs so far. It is the ONLY thing that has worked for me. If you're not doing it, I highly recommend you do.

Okay, so breakfast has been cereal like bran flakes. Snack would be a hard boiled egg. Lunch has been some lean chicken, 2 slices of ham, cherry toms, coleslaw. Dinner is just a normal dinner, nothing outrageous.

I used to have wine every night and I’ve cut that right back to 2-3 nights a week.

I’ve upped my steps from 7k a day to about 17k a day.

Zero weight loss.

I hear you. I did intermittent fasting for 8 months where I only eat from 2-8pm and I didn’t eat much during that time and I stopped eating all chocolate, sweets, etc, except once in 2 weeks and exercising (cardio) for 30 mins 4 days a week.
In 8 months, I lost 4kg. I just can’t make it make sense. Well I stopped and the fast and I’m just exercising and I’ve not put it back on.

Even though you are eating less, across the week you are still not in a calorie deficit.

Work out how much you need to eat to maintain your weight - there are calculators online if you google.

To lose 1lb per week you need to eat 500 calories less than that every day.

Since I hit 40, I need to eat around 1200-1350 calories a day to lose weight. Pre 40 1500-1600 plus a bit of exercise was fine. And no alcohol. And more exercise. It's much harder now. I use a calorie tracker like myfitnesspal.

That kind of lunch may have more calories than you realise, especially the coleslaw. It might be better to try something like a supermarket sandwich with around 300/350 calories that you can be sure about.

I think I’m going to have to go on My Fitness Pal again and calorie count. But honestly, I have reduced my eating and alcohol intake massively plus all the extra exercise. So it doesn’t make sense at all. I’m 53, that could be the problem? My tummy definitely feels smaller and less bloated, but maybe I’m being delusional!

Do you feel better?
are you sleeping more?
do you have more energy?

persevere! get past the ‘this is hard I want to give up’. Let the habits embed.

Change your measurements of success - weight is one measurement. Can you walk X minutes and not be out of breath/get 8 hours sleep/less headaches etc

Im sure the weight will come off and slow change is better than fast loss that comes back on again.

When I lost 24lbs in lockdown 1 and 2 I only lost 2lbs in the first 6wks. But I wasn’t tracking calories. Once I started tracking I started losing. Don’t give up. Definitely measure too, but track calories and ensure you’re at least 500 cals less than you burn. Check out TDEE calculation

In fact I've just put your stats into a calculator, including your level of exercise, and it suggests 1700 calories per day to lose 1lb per week.

Is it possible you eat that on some days but have cheat days or wine days that undo it all?

Keep going. You have to be fitter if you're doing 17000 steps a day!

How much wine are you drinking on your '2-3 nights' a week? Sorry to be a downer, but 2-3 nights a week, every week, is a lot of extra calories that you are adding 🤷‍♀️

Yes I definitely feel better. Cutting out the wine has been huge for me. I was drinking two bottles every night. I now have at least 4 alcohol free nights a week, which I’m loving. I’ve been walking for bloody miles through the woods every day, working up a real sweat, which I never did before. I’m not expecting miracles, but a few pounds would have been nice. To do this for 6 weeks and lose NOTHING seems insane!

Respectfully you're not eating like a bird

You aren't in a calorie deficit , I'd suggest your calorie intake is pretty high

For me to lose weight, I have to eat 1100 calories a day, run 3 miles a day and walk a lot (2 miles or more). I also do a bit of strength training

Sadly, the extra steps (although really beneficial to your health) will have a negligible effect on weight loss. Sad fact.

It does feel unfair - I was similar (5 foot 2 and 11 stone) and making your kinds of changes worked for me. I think the unfortunate thing is that we shorties need very few calories to survive so do have to cut down an awful lot to lose weight.

Are you drinking enough water? Reducing carbs like bread and pasta and replacing with protein and vegetables?

Sorry you’re in this position, and fingers crossed for you.

Are you actually tracking your calories ? Because you only need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight especially at that height and weight it should fall off.

Use nutra check app and log absolutely everything and weigh it too.

Watch some of the videos on you tube about calorie deficit as often it's your drinks that add up without you noticing .