Feel utterly broken - another diet failed again

[nameeCha]

I’ve just done 3 weeks of solid Atkins, not cheated, really tried a d lost nothing! Not even a measley 0.1 kg! I actually weigh slightly more than I did when started. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m fed up of all these “diets”. Can someone please advise me? I stayed away from fruits even! I had such a craving. Just spoke to my sister whose managed to lost 10lb since start of summer eating all the foods I was told on atkins and keto boards that were to be avoided - bread, fruits, pastries. Where am I going wrong? Any advice please.

I had a similar experience. The thing that has worked for me is cutting out cheese, alcohol and as many carbs as I could. I was told to up my protein intake to help a slow healing wound, so DD bought me a tub of protein powder, so I replaced toast and cereal breakfast for a protein milkshake. Lunch another milkshake and 3 bits of fruit, banana, peach and satsuma, dinner portion of air fried salmon with a few new potatoes and green veg. If I get hungry I have a satsuma. The killer for me is socialising, so a meal out is followed by strictly following the above for a day or two to get my weight back on track. Lost 2 stone in 18 months, half a stone to go and I will be in the healthy bmi band for the first time in 45 years.

@nameeCha the minute you think it is a diet you set yourself up to fail.

What you need to do is make small changes and work out what works for you.

Cutting out food groups is never going to be sustainable for years.

Portion size is important. Swapping for healthier food. Allowing treats but reducing them.

Calorie deficit. I lost 4 stone in 6 months last year but judgvtexjoibg calories. Nothing will work if you are overeating. I eat anything I want within my allowance. No fads just tracking. Have a look at Sean Casey online.

Atkins, intermittent fasting, omad, soup diets, clean eating etc only help you lose weight it you are eating less calories than you burn.

They are all ways of cutting calories. If you don’t eat less calories while doing them it you won’t lose weight.

All the food that ‘the boards’ say will put on weight, that your sister ate, will only put on weight on a person if you are eating more calories than you burn.

The problem is you are trying to do a ‘diet’ and believing it will work because it just does. It won’t if you eat too many calories.

How many calories should I be eating? So many websites giving me different amounts! I’m 42, 5 foot 3 and weigh 76kg right now

Have you tried doing exercise ? I always find it easier to burn off more and then able to eat whatever

On average all websites are saying 1950 calories. So should I aim for around 1400? Or is that too much? I’m thinking 1200 then see how it goes I can adjust higher or lower

With any diet - keto, intermittent fasting, Atkins etc they only work if you restrict calories and are in calorie deficit

Take a photo on your phone every time you put something in your mouth even if it's just a couple of DH chips or a handful of grapes or a coffee & then you can see where you are going wrong - go over the meals & snacks photos to see where you are underestimating the calories.

I've just put your data into a calculator and it came out with this:

Edit, it's not loading the image.

Maintain weight, 1667kcal
Mild weight loss 1417kcal
Moderate weight loss 1167kcal

Unless you are extremely active you aren't going to lose weight eating 1950 calories. Most women need less than that to maintain let alone lose.

Thank you! I used mayo clinic and calorie calculator and another one and they have higher! This one seems better. Thick you do much

I've found Slimpod has helped change my mindset around food. It's cut down the craving, can't stop snacking, out of control feeling and also helped with my sweet tooth. It's a meditation style app you listen to at night. I didn't find that helped alone but it did motivate me to do intermittent fasting, 16:8, which I find fairly manageable and has meant I've lost weight.

The calculator also has a recommendation for extreme weight loss, but that number is stupidly low.

I would not recommend eating less than 1200kcal/ day, personally. I am your height and much heavier (also calorie counting again to get back), but when I weighed what you do now I would easily lose 1-1.5kg/ week on 1400-1500kcal.

Weigh yourself again in a couple of weeks.
Hot weather certainly makes me retain a massive amount of water and then it all comes off again.

Another question is how are your bowels? If you're constipated, then nothing is going to come off the scales because it will all stay inside you.

I read your sin feels saggy.I think you are dehydrated which makes the body remain water.Dronl.loads of water a d weigh yourself again a few days after the hot spell ends

That’s not true. I’m 5’9’, lost weight on 1900 to start with.

I advise that you don't eat 1200 calories it is another fad diet you won't be able to stick too.
At your height and weight, unless you have PCOS or other health condition. Aim for 1500-1700 daily. Minimum 100g protein.
Increase your steps. Strength train 3 times a week.
Keep it simple. Eat foods you enjoy within the above remits.
Protein, fruit and veg are filling so include those at every meal.
You will lose weight in a sustainable manner.

I'm another Mounjaro lover. It suppresses your appetite and cravings so eating under your daily calorie allowance is easy. I am not dieting per se but I am focusing on eating high protein, high vitamin foods as much as I can.

I have gone out for meals with friends and chosen a healthy option from the menu with one glass of wine and said no to dessert as too full. It really works - it's like liquid willpower.

I increased my protein intake to 0.8kg per lb of body weight and increased workouts to 5 a week lasting between 45mins to an hour. Still have the odd bit of what I want here and there, just sensible about it. Reduced carbs but still eat them, maybe once a day on workout days. Protein shake after workout. Didn't snack cos didn't need to with the protein increase. Weight coming off slowly and it's a sustainable way to eat cos I'm not depriving myself.

I would recommend following Abbey Sharp on YouTube, her weight loss videos are very sensible IMO. She is an advocate of intuitive eating. I don't need to lose weight but I'm interested in nutrition and healthy eating; what she says resonates with me and is what I do instinctively to maintain my weight.

The only diet that works, is one that you can stick to.

Cutting whole food groups out, is going to make sticking to the diet much harder.

Work out your calories.
Plan 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.
Try and have protein with every meal and try and add loads of veg/salad.
(I like to replace some of the carbs with more veg, so you can still have your carbs you’re just eating less of them).

If you want a treat meal, then work this into your weekly calorie allowance.
So if your allowance is 1500 a day (completely random number) you could make your Mon-Saturday allowance maybe 1300 and then your Sunday allowance is 1300 + (200x6) 1200 = 2500.

It means you can still go out with friends and enjoy treats, without ruining all of your hard work.

Lots of people have had success with SW/WW so it may be worth a try if you haven’t already.

I think 1400 is a good number for a fairly average woman who is overweight rather than obese. It also allows enough decent food without being hungry.

Learning to accept a bit of hunger is a good strategy. We have become too used to snacking and grazing. Our ancestors, until quite recently, did not have that luxury.

I found developing my core instrumental in eating less without actually feeling 'hungry-hungry'. I can feel the strength and tightness of my core and it feels so great that I just don't feel hungry.

A strong core has other benefits: overall physical strength, e.g. when exercising or lifting, less risk of back pain, stronger hips and legs, better posture, walking faster or longer without getting tired...

How? Lots of planks and abs work, such as:

• Caroline Girvan, e.g. Braced Core & Abs
• Rebecca Louise Best Abs
• some floor based workouts by Lucy Wyndham Read

But above all the Bowflex 3-Minute Plank which I've been doing almost every day for many years. The first time you try it you'll think I'll never be able to do this. But you will! Keep persevering, even if it takes a month to do 30 seconds. Your spine (and other body parts...) will thank you!

What about cutting certain foods out instead?

I can’t eat certain foods such as anything containing wheat and dairy for medical reasons, but it does shift you to eating more healthier because you have to check every label and this can discontinue a lot of foods. It is restrictive, but it’s made me feel a lot better in myself plus I eat more fruit and vegetables.

I’m the same height, older but had less to lose. I lost 13 kilograms eating around 1600-1700 a day but I am also very active and really tracked everything I ate and drank.

I didn’t find this difficult, I steadily and slowly dropped weight and I maintained my loss for nearly 8 months now.