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!

I’ve lost 8lbs since 27th august by low carbing. It’s the only thing that works for me. It’s also brought my high blood pressure right down.

Agreed. I've lost over 2 stone since may and haven't banned anything. The key has been very strict calorie counting but within that I eat healthily but not to the point of rigidity. I had pizza the other day, I'd eaten very lightly for breakfast and lunch so knew I could eat 600 calories of pizza and enjoyed it.

I don't include exercise calories in my allowance. And I do try and generally have plenty of veg and protein, but i think it's much more sustainable if everything is done in moderation. I fancied a hot cross bun for breakfast today so even though I usually have a high protein breakfast I just went with it, and then had a tuna salad at lunch.

It has to be about finding a new sustainable lifestyle not going straight from unhealthy to the opposite extreme. And implying you need to be that extreme to lose weight makes people think "why bother" as it sounds unattainable. Little positive steps and applying them consistently is better

I do think some of you need to factor in that many slightly older and older people have both serious and minor health situations where vast amounts of cardio or weights are not advised- I've got disc and spine issues in neck (at 61) and whilst I'm not in agony I can feel it the minute I carry so much asa heavy shopping bag- so some of us are a bit restricted to walking, maybe a bit of light swimming or tai chi or light stretching or something similar and hence why we have to focus on diet.

@janieforever mmmm okay we'll I guess you're the expert here.

it sounds like you are not eating enough I eat 5 times a day 1200 cals a day 100g of protein, and I've lost 4 and half stone I average about 6000 steps a day , you need to eat to lose weight not starve, lean meats, fish eggs , brown carbs satisfy you longer, veg half a plate on evening meal , I eat lots of tuna , cottage cheese fat free Greek yog, chicken for snacks , eggs for breakfast with, only have carbs with my evening meal

Doing lots of cardio exercise is likely to just make you really hungry. We should treat exercise as for health and fitness, not weight loss because you have to do huge amounts of exercise to have any meaningful impact on weight loss.

That said, if you build muscle, it means you burn more calories, even when resting. There's a lot of twaddle talked about metabolic changes as we age - there's very little evidence it happens. It's more to be with being generally less active.

Yes I was worried how I would lose weight as I can't really exercise due to disability but actually I havent had an issue. Calorie counting has worked. I do try and do light exercise but I have been managing to lose weight without substantial exercise

(On the other hand, I do think I stayed slim in my 20s and early 30s as I exercised lots and walked lots. And my weight gain began when I was unable to exercise as much due to illness. So exercise of course helps with maintenance and overall health)

@Gilld69 the OP is eating just fine from what I can see- it's the 6 bottles of wine a week that are the issue- unless you don't eat at all I can't see how you would ever lose weight doing that. I think we can offer all the tips in the world and it won't change that- and by the way I think OP sounds an incredibly lovely lady - so I hope she can get on top of that as a priority before the weight issue.

Well no. Walking is an aerobic activity. Anyone power-walking with visible muscles is weight training too or is so lean that muscles are visible. It’s like when people say they’d like abs. Well everyone’s got abs but you need really low body fat to see them.

People get muddled. Walking will strengthen muscles and may lengthen them but it won’t cause the micro tears needed for hypertrophy.

Ppl think that because they can feel their muscles a bit sore after walking or exercise that they’re building muscle but they’re not. It’s just because they’ve used them more than usual. Maybe over a prolonged period of time they’ll build a little but we’re talking probably less than 500g in a year.

Furthermore, it’s really hard to increase muscle size in a calorie deficit. You really need a surplus. Extreme example is bodybuilders who cycle through calorie surplus and calorie deficit.

It’s really disingenuous to suggest muscle gain when someone is trying to lose fat and the scales haven’t changed. And it’s a big fat lie.

I look at my teens and the difference between lifestyles and my weight issues are clearly not “menopause” weight gain as gradually getting less active.

up until I was about 30 I didn’t own a car. I walked, cycled, got public transport. Work I was up and down the stairs constantly, down to the library, to the canteen for lunch, across to a different building for a meeting, down to the office for the printer or photocopier.

then I did my circuit class or swim after work. Sometimes on lunch.

post kids I needed a car, so everything is door to car and back. Work is now completely desk based. Canteen has shut so I bring lunch, meetings are on teams, if I need to speak to a colleague it’s teams. Any research or documents are delivered electronically straight to my laptop. Shopping online so I didn’t have to drag the kids round.

i simply didn’t move much. Now the kids can drive I’ve sold my car and am back to walking and cycling. I am the lightest I’ve been since I had my youngest and still losing while eating the same diet. Not exercise, but general being on my feet, NEAT. That’s what’s making a difference to my metabolism.

Can you set out your intake, with weights of food and protein amounts, I would be interested in what your eating

I need to aim for a similar amount of protein and cals. Ive had WLS and am struggling to get my cals over 1000, but importantly my protein hovers at around 60-70g and I would really like it higher but I dont use protein powders or drinks etc

I find it hard getting the amount in that small amount of cals.

Yes thats true too. I walked everywhere until I got ill. And was fully office based. Unfortunately now due to disability I have to park near work as often by the end of the day I can't walk far at all. I definitely notice (thanks to my condition) the amount of steps done in a day in the office with in person meetings.

Sitting at a desk all day isn't healthy, and although I try and do a dog walk at lunch time it's not the same.

Hmmm, yes. There is a lot of truth in this

Ive always been overweight but in my teens and 20s, even early 30s I was very active, didnt drive, public transport and walking, swimming at lunchtimes like you say, went everywhere on public transport didnt even get cabs

Then learnt to drive, nearly 3 stone on straight away after passing my test. Moved out of London, less walking around, less activity

Now menopausal and weight just wouldnt shift. I do need to get much more activity

Yes, totally this. It’s the compound effect, the result of our actions over time.

When my kids were in primary school I walked to and from school twice per day which was about 8000 steps and that’s before any other daily movement so I was well over 10000 steps a day without even trying.

Talking of compound actions over time. If my weight is stable and my activity is consistent, so calories in equals calories out. And the only change i make is to eat one 2 finger kitkat a day, then after one year I will have gained over half a stone.

Might sound weird but you need to eat more and regularly to fire your metabolism. Your body doesn't know when it's meal is coming so it's holding onto the calories.

ignore this utter tosh. If you're eating 3 meals a day you're hardly heading towards the much vaunted "starvation mode"

Swop cereal for eggs
Check the calories in the coleslaw - mayo can be high, try more salad and veg
Lots and lots of water. 3 litres or so. You might be running to the loo for the first week or so but it settles down and really helps digestion.
Was the fish battered/breaded? That will add up too. And obviously chips are not much help.

It's so tough in our 50's to lose weight compared to younger years. But worth it for a healthier longer life.

Plenty of people on this thread are ignoring the main problem which is that THE OP NEEDS TO STOP DRINKING. No weight loss will happen until she cuts out the 6 bottles of wine she is having per week. So all the advice to eat more, eat less, follow this weight loss influencer on Instagram etc etc will do NOTHING until she does that.

FWIW I agree with previous posters that the OP also needs to be far more rigorous in terms of calculating and monitoring the amounts she is eating. ‘What’ you eat is important but so is the portion size (the ‘how much’).

I have been dieting since April and lost 12kg slowly and steadily (I would like to lose at least another 5). PURELY through calorie counting and exercise. No foods are ‘banned’ (wine isn’t either!) as that’s not healthy or sustainable. My Fitbit calculates my activity levels and adjusts my calorie allowance based on how active I have been - so it’s dynamic (makes sense really). As such the deficit changes day to day but as it is I usually go under my allowance. Seems to be working!

Well done for cutting back on the wine
Bet you’re saving lots of money!
sometimes under eating is as bad as over eating because your body goes into starvation mode and holds on fat for reserves

Well no. Walking is an aerobic activity. Anyone power-walking with visible muscles is weight training too or is so lean that muscles are visible. It’s like when people say they’d like abs. Well everyone’s got abs but you need really low body fat to see That's not necessarily true, DP runs and cycles, which are both aerobic activities and has very visible muscles in his legs. I walk and so Pilates and have never weight trained and have had visible muscles in my abs and legs my whole life. My BMI is normal - I'm 56kg and 5'3, so not
lean as such.

Hi OP

Losing weight is hard. Otherwise we’d all be thin. Well done on cutting back the alcohol. As PP have said this is undoing a lot of your good work. Have you thought about having one g&slimline tonic (strictly measured 25ml) instead of a glass of wine? Much less calorific.

On your daily eating plan I’d say you are not eating anywhere near enough fruit and veg. Every plate should be 50% fruit (fresh not canned) and veg, 25% protein and 25% carbs.

You also need to avoid adding unnecessary fat so choose low or fat free options for things like yoghurt and mayonnaise. Cut off all visible fat from meat, avoid using fatty cuts and use an oil spray instead of sloshing oil in when cooking. Yes, you need healthy fats, but the reality is that when you are losing weight it’s all about marginal gains, and adding a tbsp oil to a dish adds a lot of calories.

so breakfast might be a portion of bran flakes (measure the portion they recommend on the box: 40g is a lot less than you think). Have skimmed milk and add a big handful of berries or a couple of satsumas peeled and segmented.

Your lunch is tiny. Have a big salad and a baked potato (no butter), with baked beans, or tuna with one (measured!) tbsp low fat mayo and lots of chopped celery to give it crunch. Or your whole skinless chicken breast, chopped up with a tbsp mayo, celery and a few grapes. Or your tin of mackerel in tomato sauce on the baked potato or pasta with a big salad.

Dinner would be better as you say with a different cut of meat but it does have loads of veg. Maybe have it with rice for your carbs.

You do need additional calcium to your morning milk to maintain bone health so a snack might be a matchbox sized piece of cheddar (not the kitchen matches size….!!) with a piece of fruit.

Have a look at the Slimming Eats website or Pinch of Nom for some ideas for dinners.

Good luck.

Look up the programme Secret Eaters
Lots of people go wrong underestimating their intake
Good luck x

Drinks 2 whole bottles of wine 2 or 3 nights a week and wonders why she can't lose weight?! 😂

Come on, OP.....!

Sorry if you're 5ft1 and over 40's, you're going to have to eat less than that to lose weight. What you're eating is your maintenance levels.
I'm short and 40'sand the only way I lose weight is to cut right down on carbs.
Eat protein and veg only with the occasional fruit.
I eat things like lentil soups, chicken/fish/meat and veg.
No snacks and no alcohol sadly.

Focus on what you can eat rather than what you can't. So maybe eat bigger portions of protein eggs and lean meat (the small portions of chicken breast you describe will not fill you up). Eat lots of green vegetables and salads. Eat lots of berries. Some apple, banana, citrus.

Reduce the wine completely to two glasses on a Saturday only. Maybe drink something else you enjoy instead (flavoured water on ice), fruit teas etc.

All of this EXCEPT the low/fat free versions of yoghurts etc. These are ultra processed and often pumped full of sugars to compensate and leave you feeling hungrier sooner. This is well-known now.