Why is it so hard to lose weight but so easy to gain weight

[Appleday11]

I have been trying for the last two years to lose weight. It took me about six months to lose three pounds. Then I went to my parents for Christmas, ate more than I usually would and I put on three pounds in one week. Three months later i havent been able to shift the three pounds. I go out walking every day, I go to the gym three times a week. I eat pretty healthily. I only let myself have snacks one day a week. The rest of the week is soup, salads, chicken etc. I hate the mental exhaustion of trying to lose weight.

Why does it take so long to get weight off, but so little time to put weight on.

One day at a time is a good idea!

Look at beetroot juice/tablets for bp. High bp can be a symptom of something else though so do get blood tests if you haven't already. How are your hormones? Peri and menopause can cause changes. As can viruses. When did you have covid?

I worked out how many calories I needed to eat a day to maintain my weight. Then how many calories I needed to eat to be in deficit by 1000 calories a day (to lose the recommended maximum 2lbs a week). Then I bought a blender, kitchen scales, bathroom scales and worked out exactly what I was going to eat. Probably very boring but I’ve lost 2stone so works for me

It's brutal

I'm 5'4, and basically have to eat 1400 cals to lose weight.

Ideal weight is around 9.5 stone and it takes a real effort to get to that stage I can tell you

I'm not an expert as I have recently piled on some pounds due to stress but I have successfully lost weight in the past, just struggled to keep it off.

What works for me in a calorie deficit are protein and volume foods. So for example (not real figures) a handful of nuts may contain 500 calories but so would an entire watermelon - which one would fill you up more?

Of course that's not everything, for example a watermelon is mostly water you might get filled up but feel hungry again very soon. So that's why you also need to focus on protein, which genuinely keeps you fuller for longer. Don't skimp on carbs and fats, just cut down carbs, up the protein and the veggies and be very on track with your calorie counting. It's boring and tedious but it works.

I was where you were op. I then flipped it all and started eating protein at every meal and started eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. Proper meals with protein, fibre and small amount of carbs (1 slice of bread, 3/4 cup of cooked rice or pasta max) have lost 8lbs in the last few weeks.

Look up Filling Meals on Facebook (he also has a book). It's all about losing weight while feeling full and satiated.

Rubbish.

I’ve been calorie deficit for 5 months now and lost 12lbs according to the scales - but I strength train too so I’ve got more muscle than before so I don’t necessarily follow the scales

my before and after photos are what help me see how far I’ve come

if you keep your protein up you feel less hungry - I try hit 110g a day

put absolutely everything in my fitness pal

i find I can’t even eat as much as before now as I’ve become more used to my new habits

its shocking when you start how much calories are in some things !!

No scientific backing here but I just think some people don’t have to think about this ever. Their genetic metabolism is naturally much quicker, I guess. My DH can put away an entire packet of biscuits every day and gain fuck all. If I did that I’d be huge and I’m way more active than him. I ate what I wanted for a week over Christmas and gained a stone. Wish I was exaggerating. It was of course primarily water weight but it took me an entire month to shift it.

My parents and grandparents are the same, as is my brother. Just gain weight so easily. My mum has been dieting her whole life pretty much, on jabs right now and has been for months but she’s very very slim now as a result and it doesn’t look great. The issue with jabs is a lot of people (like my mum) don’t exercise alongside it so they just end up looking skeletal.

I have to work incredibly hard to stay slim, it is not natural whatsoever. I have to run and lift weights 5-6 days a week.

Yes I had the same problem. Hence why I’m on Wegovny now.

Because we're programmed to overeat when food is plentiful and surrounded by constant temptation. And it's very easy to slightly overeat without feeling remotely uncomfortable. I was just saying to DH when looking at a massive poster of cheesy chicken burger at services when sipping my cup of tea how hard it is to stay slim in the face of things like that. Not to mention all the doughnuts, cakes or biscuits I might have had with my cup of tea.

My partner, who’s unexpectedly put on a bit of weight, then followed a diet plan by the GP, but despite cutting calories, found it a real struggle. The GP finally told him that his chronic recent insomnia was causing it, as the body stores fat in some sort of panic mode. 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn't give nuts as a great example as you have to have such tiny amounts and they are not something I would reach for to satisfy hunger. An entire watermelon is not 500 calories either, I doubt it's 50.

You haven't mentioned fibre which is absolutely essential to fill you up and for any other number of health reasons.

Same for me to go from 13 stone to 11 stone at 5'7". All the calculators said I should be able to lose 1lb a week averaging 1700. Hollow laugh And that is with doing a fair bit of exercise as well.

I also have three stone to lose. I have decided not to focus on exercise (it's a bonus if I can get out twice a week to get a 30 minute walk) and instead just cut back on stuff bit by bit. I first limited myself to two biscuits with a coffee. Eventually going to cut them out altogether. I have stopped scoffing crisps. I have none now. I feel slightly slimmer and I have been making these changes for the last month now. I feel better for it. I have accepted I won't be losing the weight any time soon. It will take at least a year. And that's fine. I will weigh myself regularly to make myself accountable.

Keep going OP. It isn't easy. Don't give up hope. I'm not classed as obese enough to qualify for the WLIs.

What exercise do you do at the gym?

My latest change has been portion control. And eating more omelette for lunch. Veg soup (no bread).

I think that's a bit persnickety - of course the vast majority of people on diets aren't actually starving. I think using concentration camp and famine victims as a comparison is a bit of a false flag.

Anecdata isn't the same as scientific data, but scientific data isn't the same as lived experience either - and scientific data can struggle to replicate the exact circumstances of individuals (because no one is studying the exact effects of specific dietary regimes on Brenda from Slough). Scientific studies COME FROM anecdata - we're a naturally observant, pattern spotting species, so we investigate what has already been observed. Scientific investigations by their nature follow a specific, narrow scope.

Starvation mode is a bad name for it, but I'm far from the first person to have stopped my weight loss plateauing by temporarily eating more and exercising less.

I was exactly like this.

What’s worked for me is having one of those protein yoghurts in a pouch for lunch and them eating a meal full of sweet potato and carrot and some meat at 5pm ish.

it took about 2 weeks of being hungry but the the weight started to come off and I’ve lost 1.5 stone and no longer hungry or craving a quick fix.

If I’m really hungry before lunch I have an Aldi fat free protein shake.

I agree with you here, however an entire watermelon wouldn’t be far off 500 calories, depends on the weight of the edible parts of it could be even more. One slice is about 60 calories

Just empathy from me OP! I have been up and down with my weight all my life, there is a genetic link but one I cannot afford to use as an excuse because then I don’t take accountability for what I eat. I’m not saying that’s you but for me excuses are dangerous.
Some people struggle more with weight and it is genetic though, it’s true. We are also very likely to carry on bad habits from our childhoods because our body remembers.
I have an underactive thyroid as well that was left undiagnosed for many years, as a result I gained over 3 stone and it was a real struggle to lose.But I managed it through sheer will power, keeping a food diary and exercising more. You have to REALLY want the change and stick with it. Having said that, it sounds like you might not be eating enough? I find that when I under eat I am way more likely to reach for anything yummy within reach because I’m so frustrated anything goes.
Also, be kind to yourself about how long change takes. People very often think yes but I gain weight so quickly, it should come off just as fast. That’s just not true. It takes far more will power to cut back than it does to sit on the sofa and eat to the tv.
Tv dining is another villain - I sometimes don’t notice how much goes in because I’m distracted. That’s where the food diary comes in. Find an exercise you love doing with people who challenge you to improve - I now swim 6 times a week and sometimes more. The people who go inspire me/challenge me to do better. I also write down the exercise I’ve done to hold myself accountable.
Fancy a snack out of boredom? Nope. Shoes go straight on, off for a walk. I “punish” my mind for trying to trick me by doing exercise to try to force it to stop.
But like I said - so much of this is psychology. Food is an addiction for some people but you can re train your brain.
Good luck.

Ok

I’ve nothing useful to add really but just want to post in solidarity. I’m lucky enough that I’m not massively overweight, but I’m not blessed with a fast metabolism either so feel like I have to make a real effort just to maintain it, let alone lose it!

I’ve lost weight with calorie control in the past but always seem to plateau when my body adjusts to it. Also I have a history of disordered eating and have found calorie counting quite triggering and problematic in the past, so I’m wary of returning to it. Right now I just try to eat healthy and portion controlled meals every day, but also make the effort to cook things that I find tasty as well as healthy (I love vegetables which really helps). I do lots of cardio and am working on building up my strength, which has really improved how I view my own body. I’ll never be a size 8, but 6 months ago I couldn’t even do a push up and now I’m so much stronger and fitter. I think building up my physical strength makes me think how strong my body can be…regardless of the flabby bits. I feel healthier in myself and try to focus on that rather than what size I am or the number on the scales.