Calorie deficit not working

[Username06]

I am a lifelong yo-yo dieter, if truth be told I definitely have some issues with food, I've been on/off a diet since my teens, basically I'm either on a diet losing weight or eating like food is going to become non-existant hence the constant yo-yoing.
I've always gone to slimming groups, always lose the weight and think I've changed my life around and then end up back at square one.

So i have decided now to try a calorie deficit in order to eat the things I still love in moderation and try to learn to eat healthy with occasional treats and lose weight. I have also started jogging a couple times a week as I'd like to be able to exercise and then have a treat without putting on the weight again when i reach my goal. At present I have a stone to lose to get back to a healthy BMI.

Here's the issue, in a month I've lost a couple of pounds despite feeling starving everyday and bloody exercising! I lose weight much faster following slimming world, what is going on, do calorie deficits just not work on some people, feeling so disheartened 😔

I have no trouble eating salads or carrots, but I won't go anywhere near those carrot sticks that you buy ready made.

@littlemisssunshine247 , do you feel better for pointing that out? You knew what she meant.

In the context of weight loss and looking better people are concerned about their size as well as their overall weight. People don't like being fat because they LOOK fat. A bucket of fat weighs less than a bucket of muscle. Still a bucketfull, but they weigh a different amount.

Or 12 Kg of fat looks a lot bigger than 12 Kg of muscle.

Somehow I think it’s rather obvious you did actually mean to be so rude.

@Weepixie , It was rather obvious that instead of encouraging OP to exercise, you were dismissive of it.

As you say, it's extra calories burnt. If someone is going from pretty much completely sedentary to a brisk daily 40 minute walk, then in conjunction with minding calories in, they are going to lose weight, albeit slowly.

Assuming they don't come back from the walk via the coffee shop.

Quite how someone is going to increase their muscle mass without exercising is a mystery to me and it’s even more obvious now that you know absolutely nothing about the importance of weight training/building muscle and that you’re best ignored.

No, any movement is good for body, (notwithstanding any special conditions)

But my point isnt that, its that people will think that their 6k pottering around the house and garden, to be supplemented by a 2 mile walk, is 'activity'

Its not really. Moving from room to room unless you live in Buckingham Palace is not 'activity' in the way its meant to be. Nothing wrong with it but lets not dress it up as something it isnt. And believe me, no one walks for 3 miles in their home.

But then the 10k steps is arbitrary anyway

I do weights several times a week, go jogging (run half-marathons and 10Ks), and do various gym classes.
None of those have made me lose weight and none of them have made me bulk up. They have made me stronger, fitter and leaner.

Also a repeated myth on these threads is about carbs of some kind 'spiking the OPs glucose levels'

Everyones glucose levels go up after eating, they tend to go up more after eating carbohydrate but that is not always problematic, it depends on your biology and you wont know if its problematic without having it measured and assessed by a medical professional.

Everyones glucose levels go up after eating, they tend to go up more after eating carbohydrate

Of course they do! And it’s the role of insulin to deal with it - some glucose gets used for immediate energy, some gets stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver - but if you’re eating a lot of carbs, there will be glucose ‘left over’, and that’s what gets stored as fat.

Not a myth. There is TONNES of evidence of this.

I have specified that everyones goes up. That bit is not the myth. The myth is that it is problematic for everyone. Its not, unless you know because you have had it measured and assessed (like my OH who is type 2).

Surely it would be hard to get to 10k steps with just pottering and a 2 mile walk though? If I'm on 6k then it'd take me another 40 minute walk on top of that to get to 10k. 40 minutes a day walking (personally I do a rather brisk walk) I'd decent activity.

Besides the sort of people who are going to count pottering for 6k steps as exercise are probably exactly the ones who need that kick up the bum to go out for a walk for 40 mins to get up to the 10k. No one who regularly runs 5k or does 3 spin classes a week is going to be counting 10k steps as their quota filled for exercise.

It’s problematic if you’re craving sweet food, or getting energy crashes, or feeling hungry all the time, or binge eating, or can’t lose weight.

Regularly experiencing unstable blood sugar also leads to pre-diabetes. And you just feel crap.

Saying it’s a ‘myth’ is incredibly misleading. Why do you think there is such a huge problem with T2 diabetes?

Also, ‘it’s not problematic unless you know’?

Since when was that a thing?

Eat instant porridge or cereal, pasta, biscuits and go for a brisk walk or a jog. As long as you use up more calories than you take in, the weight will drop off.

There you go, a myth for you.

OP advice re higher protein etc here is not bad. However what I really wanted to say (others may have already but not RTFT) is that I think you are being very critical of what you've achieved in a month and could do with being kinder to yourself.

One month is not very long, and 3 lb doing something that is sustainable long term is fine! Comparing it to what you achieved on Slimming World which you yourself say doesn't work for you long term is beside the point and setting yourself up to fail.

FWIW I lost 3 stone four years ago at the average rate of one lb a week and have not put any of it back on. Doing very much what you describe.

Sounds like you've successfully lost a lot of weight already and to lose more you have to have very low calories.

either way, accurate calorie counting always works, but if you're not actually being correct with your serving size and how many calories you're actually getting, it's easy to underestimate.
These apps have a tendency to massively overestimate calories burnt from exercise too. Unless you're very active, I would honestly not count exercise at all.

Sounds like you need to drop calories a bit. Make sure you’re logging absolutely everything, as a few calories here and there makes the difference. I am always gaining and losing the same half stone. Currently dieting and have lost half a stone in 45 days. I am not logging as I eat similar each day when on a diet, but eating around 1100, bit more on the weekend. Only exercise is walking and a few weights. I do 15k steps a day though, 20-25 on the weekend. That makes a big difference to what I burn.

Wow. I’m 5f 2 and have to be on 1200 to lose weight. I’m trying to lose a few lbs now and it’s only started to worn now I’ve gone to 1200. It’s quite easy with zillions of eggs, chicken, steak and veg tho to be fair

This post is the exact proof I was talking about that counting calories is not a sustainably effective way to lose weight.

I am commenting on the regular posts that tell people like the OP that she will be getting 'spikes' after eating. Everyones blood glucose goes up after eating, that is my point, you cant or wont avoid that.

You can feel hungry and binge eat without it being related to that. OP can lose weight so that is also not relevant.

All weight loss involves calorie deficit though whether you count them consciously or not. All weight maintenance involves calorie balance, again whether you consciously count them or not

The poster you replied to isnt counting though.