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.

You're only 11 stone odd, your weight is not bound to change very quickly.

Last time I went on a serious diet I didn't lose any weight at all for the first 4 weeks. After that it shifted steadily. You haven't given it long enough - could be hormonal fluctuations etc.

The only other things I can suggest would be to get a step counter and see if you really are sedentary with those work hours and DC. Also I think I'd want a bit more fibre in my daily eating to avoid getting sluggish in the bowel department (which will show on the scales).

That's only just over a week, you probably are losing fat but remember water weight fluculates with the hormones, carb consumption etc... Have you considered tracking macros instead of just being in a calorie deficit? There are lots of free online calculators? Protein is definitely key.

Stop eating carbs and try intermittent fasting (I don’t eat between 6pm and midday the next day and the weight just falls off).

I'm 5.6.

First of all, you've been dieting 12 days 🤣.

My thoughts are
:

You need to drive up your metabolism, not sure if your just giving an illustration but get more veggies and hit 30g fibre.

Secondly, if you are only eating 1300 calories a day you really need to consider ketosis. Ketosis burns fat for energy, its a better fuel for the body. As it stands, you are on low calories, but not in keto, thus your body is going to cut back on processes like digestion and burning fat because these require calories.

If you don't want to do ketosis (if you do it you really have to stay in it), then increase your calories. 1650 is much more sustainable, maybe with 1-2 days at 1200 if you like. And increase your TDEE by doing more walking - get a walking pad for indoors etc. Its brilliant for easy fat loss, hit 10k a day.

Eat protein at dinner to reduce the sugar spike of pasta and sauce. Glucose Goddess has some great education on this.

Finally the main thing that is your barrier is that you don't actually have that much to lose to be within a healthy BMI, the body is clever, it knows and wants to hold on, so really best approach at your weight is a combination of movement plus a small calorie deficit.

If you just eat in a deficit you will lose weight eventually, but you have to track religiously and be prepared for it to not be super fast (and not very enjoyable) as you don't have that much to lose.

Whereas if you add some weight bearing movement, you can lose more weight, make it more sustainable, win win.

How do you have 4 kids and live a sedentary lifestyle 🤯

Jan 5th I was 5ft 7 and 200lb 😭 I've been using an app called cronometer, which recommended I eat 1,800 calories a day. After a week I'm 197lb. But I'm in first week of my cycle so not bloated etc and expect I'll 'regain' some towards end of cycle.

I'd look at a few things - where you are in your cycle, when in the day you're eating, sleep and liquid intake. And are you actually eating too few calories. If you consistently eat a very large deficit you may find you just aren't fuelling your metabolism and running round after 4 kids need more calories. Plus with the shock your body is holding what it can including water weight. The very low calorie diets only recommend that low for a couple of days a week.

It's not been two weeks?!?!!

Why on earth would you tell her to cut out fat free Greek yoghurt? Its a very healthy low calorie way to get in protein and calcium.

Living on veg is not going to do her muscles and bones much good.

With 400 calorie deficit a day over 12 days that’s a pound and a half. Which is well within fluctuating day to day weight anyway. I’d keep going for a bit longer.

Exactly this.

OP, it’s not even been two weeks! You’re barely overweight so your deficit is small - you will lose much slower than someone large who uses up more calories to live and can therefore create a bigger defect.

Plus you may already have lost a pound and it been hidden by the up and down by normal fluctuations. No way of knowing in such a short time frame.

keep going and be patient!

I’ve lost 2.5 stone using my fitness pal and getting off my arse and walking 30 mins briskly each day. Around 1400 cals was my aim.

weight loss was not consistent. I’d lose then go back up again for days / weeks at a time. Weigh daily, track daily, and be consistent. It’ll happen b

How old are you?
How many steps do you do a day as your sedentary lifestyle.

You should have lost a pound by now but then again, you may be overestimating your maintenance calories and therefore breaking even.

It's only been 12 days! Don't torture yourself with regular weigh ins. Check every month or so, not more often than that.

You might notice your clothes feel less tight some time before your scales show a shift. That often happens.

Where?

age?

I didn’t tell her to cut it out. I said I avoid dense foods in favour of fruit & veg. She has a lot of meat and processed food in her diet.

400 cal deficit isnt much really, at least 500 deficit to lose 1lb a week, also protein intake looks low if thats a typical day. I could lose weight still if sedentary as I know most of the weight loss is what you're eating.

Are you tracking calories properly? Something like my fitness pay will show your macros and give you targets for protein, carbs and fat.

I’m following avidly as am also losing.

in your shoes I’d go down to 1000 calories OP - good luck ❤️

I’m placenarking cos hearing about your progress will inspire me ❤️

You did literally tell her to cut it out. Low fat Greek yoghurt is hardly calorie dense and protein is really important if you actually want to lose fat not muscle.

The chicken sausages aren’t calorie dense either, nor is turkey bacon, and again they are great sources of protein. Maybe the bacon is more processed than is ideal, I’ll give you that.

its honestly bad advice to tell her to remove the only protein sources and replace them with more fruit and veg.

My original message:
”
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.”

Where does it tell her to cut out yoghurt? You’re arguing for the sake of it and derailing the thread.

Sausages and bacon are processed foods and not ideal.

Sausages and bacon may be a source of protein, but there's nothing great about them. Processed meats are known carcinogens, one of the few foods that are.

Fish, chicken, eggs or vegetable sources of protein would be so much better.

🤣🤣 salad doesn't count as vegetables 🤣🤣

id cut down on carbs and processed food (sausages and bacon). I’d also consider adding more good quality protein and look into adding fibre and upping activity at the same time. Have you heard of the Zoe podcasts at all? I find them useful.

Listen to the new year day episode of the Zoe podcast on Spotify- CICO has been categorically debunked by science. Counting calories/weighing every gram is not the (long term) answer! Plant-based variety is where it's at - again, check the Zoe podcast/website for details.

Agreed. 30 minutes of high heart rate 3 times a week even if that's doing a YouTube workout at 6am. I ran 50 minutes on a treadmill today and burned over 400 calories.