Why am I not losing weight?

[BurningWeight]

I’ve been dieting since January 1st and haven’t lost any weight. I am 5ft 6, 163lbs and have a sedentary lifestyle. According to online calculators, my maintenance calories is 1,700, so I’ve been having at a maximum of 1,300 a day.

An average day is:

Breakfast; 3 chicken sausages, 2 turkey bacon and an egg.

Lunch; fat free Greek yoghurt, 1tsp honey, berries.

Dinner; pasta with homemade sauce and lettuce / tomatoes / cucumber.

I am weighing oil etc so it isn’t that. I’m not having any additional calories such as teas or coffees. Can anyone identify where I am going wrong?

Before going on a diet, I was maintaining my weight and just eating pure shite to be honest. Chocolate, sweets, sugary yogurts, biscuits, crisps, take aways… so it has been a significant lifestyle change and shift, I can’t understand why nothing is being reflected on the scales.

Surely you feel better?! Surely your energy levels are better? Your bowel movements are better??

Give it time. And possibly try to increase your activity as well. It may be that a deficit of 400 cals a day isn’t sufficient for significant weight loss - the online calculators offer an estimate and may not be wholly accurate to your exact circumstances.

Yes, that’s true, but my main motivation is weight loss as I’m overweight, I’m struggling to see the point in continuing as my main motivation is my appearance.

So if you have more energy and feel better, then you don’t need to stick with the sedentary lifestyle. Start walking.

I am thinking of cutting the calories further, 1,300 is already a struggle however…

I do not understand how I haven’t gained a significant amount of weight, given how bad I was eating previously which was way over 1,700 by my estimations.

You've had a total deficit of around 4000kcals. One lb is 3500kcals, plus ongoing weight fluctuations (fluid, hormones, BMs etc.) Concentrate on feeling better - I bet your skin is soother? Make sure youre drinking plenty - your body needs fluid to metabolize fat. The weight loss will come.

assuming you mean Jan 1st 2026, that is very early to see a difference in the scales. Remember a woman’s weight can fluctuate due to where she is on her cycle. It might make more sense to give it a month and weigh yourself again when you are at the same point in your cycle as your starting weight. Give it some time!

Wholewheat pasta? I'd add in some walking too, and check what's in the sausages.

I work 9am - 9pm most days (I run my own business) and I have 4 children so finding time to regularly exercise is very difficult.

1300 is very low. I’m the same weight as you, pretty sedentary at the moment and only 5”2 and losing weight on 1700-1800 calories a day. You want to find your TDEE calories and reduce 500 from that. You don’t need to struggle on calories too low to even run your body lying in bed.

Where are you in your cycle? That can also affect how your body is hanging on to weight or not. Are you drinking plenty of water?

Do you drink 2 litres of water a day?

How often are you weighing yourself?

Thanks, not wholewheat. I will try to walk more. The chicken sausages are the heck ones, 74 calories for 2 sausages.

You're only 9lbs above a healthy BMI. I think top end is 154lbs for 5'6". Your body is probably quite comfortable where it is (studies show for older people being slightly overweight has a greater life expectancy than a healthy or underweight BMI)

Get your body moving to shock it out of complacency.

Too many carbs

Make sure you also measure yourself and go by the fit of your clothes in case your better diet and general activity levels have led to increased muscle mass alongside fat loss.

Can you do bodyweight exercises during work breaks? A few minutes of squats, press ups, planks, lunges etc each day can make a huge difference.

You do need to give it several weeks before deciding that it isn’t working. Also, what does not continuing mean? Eating better quality food is better for you in general rather than returning to eating crap.

I appreciate it can be hard to build walking into your day. Any chance of getting a folding walking pad and doing some walking on that during your working day?

Eh?

Join slimming world it's fab now ,!
U can have nut butter olives peanut butter avocado and olive oil as healthy extras !
So they added healthy fats to the plan it's super easy to follow and always something u can eat of your hungry !!! I lost 3 stone on it and I am menopausal and I wasn't active before I started I am now and I have arthritis !!

It’s the sedentary bit. I was about same weight & height (bit heavier) on NYD and am on 1700 calories. Dieting since the 1st, too. I do sometimes go down to 1500.

Have lost 11 lbs. I’m sure it’s because I’ve increased my exercise. I make myself do a 3km run to work and back every day - 6 km, and a 5 km walk at the weekends.

Also, I avoid “dense” food like yoghurt and nuts. A tiny bit of meat every couple of days but LOADS of veg and
I make sure I eat 5 proper portions of fruit and veg a day - usually a banana, apple, orange, grapes and carrots.

Try introducing loads more veg instead of pasta. I bake a head of broccoli, make vegetable sticks, soups. The soups have helped me a lot! Also, make sure you weigh your portions. I only have 100g pasta once a week.

Try replacing the pasta each evening with courgette spaghetti, a chicken breast, cauliflower rice.

Very few veggies in your diet. Salad doesn't really count. Cook up a load of broccoli to go with your pasta, have some mushrooms and spinach with your breakfast, etc, and you might find the weight will start to shift. And yes, lots of water too. Good luck. x

Since when does salad not count as vegetables!?

There are many things that can cause your weight to fluctuate. For example, where you are in your cycle,if you have any undigested food in your stomach, how much sleep you've had, when you last went to the toilet etc etc 1300 really isn't many calories so you will be in a deficit and losing fat so just focus on how you feel

If you do want to add movement, walking pad and then introducing a weighted vest is a great way to get some exercise in while working.

I use my standing desk and walking pad most work shifts, just to avoid sitting for long periods.

I’ve eaten way more carbs than that and have lost 4 stones last year. A few healthy carbs are fine, especially if wholemeal.

OP give it a bit of time. Make sure you get enough sleep and drink plenty of water, they both help. It could be that your sausages and bacon are salty, which means you retain some water and weight for a while.