To think I’ll be stuck at 16 stone forever

[justmeandthedogs]

I’m in the process of losing weight and since the start of the year I’ve lost about 13lbs.

But I seem to be in a loop. I’ll hit 16 stone 0.3 on the scales and then go back up to 16 stone 4, then go back down, then back up. It’s like an annoying cycle.

I eat well:

breakfast - yoghurt with berries and sometimes a drizzle of honey. On low protein days I’ll add some skyr.

lunch - something from home. Usually soup, a salad or a bit of meat with some veg.

dinner - again something prepped. Can be another big salad, cottage pie, pasta bake.

I eat 1550 calories a day, which is a deficit for my height and weight. I go to the gym twice a week (under the direction of a PT, to lift weights), try to run 3 times a week but I’m waiting on some new running shoes, and the other two days a week I’ll walk 10k steps minimum. I try to drink 4 litres of water a day at least.

my clothes fit better but the scale just won’t change 😥 do I just accept I’m stuck here?

It just makes me feel like such an idiot. As if I’m sat at home, eating and blacking out and ignoring it?

Another recommendation for Nutra Check.

Works really well for me.

Well done on your weight loss. Everyone is different and OP doesn’t have to use your method though. Personally I’d be increasing calories to maintenance for a week or two then go again.

Do you work? At home or outside?

What’s that got to do with the price of fish? Yes, I work, a desk job but I ensure to hit 10k steps daily. I walk as much as I can during working hours and get steps in before and after work, and at lunch.

😂 I'm a victim of auto correct.

justmeandthedogs
In 2024 I weighed 9 stone 6, I wore a size 8-10, I stopped going to the gym for 15 months due to my husband getting cancer, I started back to a different gym 11 months ago weighing just shy of 13 stone, I do cardio and weights 4-5 days a week, I now weigh 10 stone 12 and still wear size 8-10 and look and feel healthier than ever, I get my stats done monthly and have dropped lots of fat and built muscle so my weight is more because of muscle, have you tried getting your stats done with a caliper that measures fat, you might be surprised

@justmeandthedogs Your PT knows far more than any of us ever could about your training regime and your overall diet, so trust him. If he says this is part of the process, then this is part of the process.

As you've said you've only been stuck for a few weeks my best guess would be it is your muscles holding onto water because of the weight training. If it goes on for longer, your PT will probably suggest some changes to either your diet, training, or both, but as it's only been a few weeks, you just need to give it time.

A lot of what people are advising on this thread holds some weight, but, again, unless you are an athlete, you don't need to make it any more complicated than CICO. Stick at it, as you have been, and you will see results. You'll have a few more stalls along the way, but you will get there, slowly but surely, which is the best way to do it.

So you've done all that " bollox " and not lost any weight?

Sounds like you’ve gained muscle OP via the exercise, if your clothes fit better but you’re weighing more. You probably weigh more than you look at the moment so I reckon you’re doing better than you think. If you plateau at 16 stone for a while, though, ask your PT for advice. I hear plateauing is quite common and you can break through it. Good luck!

Wow some of these comments are awful OP. I really feel for you. It sounds like you are doing the right things, I would just check you are drinking enough water and maybe check in with GP to get thyroid and hormones checked. I have also found intermittent fasting helps. Good luck x

I gain on 1500 a day, to loose weight I have to be below 1200 consistently which is tough to stick to. Running, gym sessions etc don’t seem to really affect my calorie expenditure

Nope. No issues. I feel better than I ever have. Skin, nails, hair all amazing. Sleep like a log. No problem with logs either.

It’s soooo disappointing when you are being so good and don’t see results. FWIW I don’t see drops every week, the scales won’t move for 3-4 weeks then over a week I’ll drop 2-3lbs and it will stay off. Then I’ll yo-yo over the next 2-3lbs again. I weigh myself most days, first thing in the morning, after a wee and naked.

Maybe you are losing inches?

Everybody has their own views on WL- try not to get to caught up in everybody else’s ideas/opinions. I like slimming world. It’s great for me. I’m down to 9st (<5ft) and I enjoy it.

Don’t get discouraged- sounds like you’re doing a great job!

Stop drinking 4l of water a day as you will be retaining water.

I don’t know whether you’ve tried this and I’m sure you’ve tried everything but I do think it might be worth trying varying your calorie counting. So having a couple of days a week where you eat more so you avoid your body going into starvation mode. Also do you move around a lot during the day - up and down stairs, walking round the building etc. that can burn extra calories.

Also a lot of PTs recommend progressive loading to build up muscle; so the body gets used to e.g. a particular workout so you need to increase weight or reps to continue to build more muscle.

Finally interval training is positive for exercise rather than going for full effort without recovery.

Otherwise just keep your confidence and trust the process!

The 10K steps as a goal is nonsense. Nothing personal there! The whole 10k thing was the name of the Japanese invention for the gadget to measure steps. There was never any science behind it.

I genuinely wonder how many people hit 10K a day- that's just under 5 miles and is close to 2 hrs of walking at 2.5 mph. I do around 7K and that's a 3 mile hill walk, taking about 50 mins, and some days I have shorter walks around town etc to add onto that.

I was curious as it's easier to move at home- a standing desk, a couple of short bursts of walking at lunchtime etc.

@justmeandthedogs If you can afford it, get a treadmill, especially if your desk job has any WFH days.

While the kettle is boiling - 30 seconds fast incline walking
Waiting for dinner to cook - 15 minutes fast incline walking
On the phone - x minutes gentle, low incline walking
5 minutes between Teams meetings - treadmill, etc.

It really adds to the step count over the week and the incline raises your heartrate which is great for your overall cardio fitness.

It's also a steady cardio, which means your body is more likely to use fat to fuel it rather than muscle - hence why you see all the bodybuilders at the gym speedwalking Mount Everest on the treadmill.

What kind of meat do you eat daily? Does it not bother you that red meat is a probable cause of cancer and processed meat is a known cause?

Blimey OP. You have to have a life surely? Not on a treadmill between meetings.

How frustrating for you OP.
I would suggest increasing your calories to maintainence for at least a few weeks. When you're in a deficit for a prolonged period of time your body adapts and weight loss plateaus. So if you increase to maintenance for a while, your body relaxes and cortisol decreases. Then after a while if you eat in a small deficit again for a while fat loss should start again.
Phases of deficit/maintenance is much more sustainable and healthier for fat loss.

As well as general movement/activity every day and if you can some strength training.

All the best.

I track it. 10 minutes of walking should be 1000 steps. I walk a KM in 13.5 minutes, so about 4.4km or 2.7 miles an hour. I get 10k in a lot less than 2.5 hours!

I walk to my office - 2.5k steps. Walk at lunch, another 2k. Can get anywhere between 1k&3k just walking around at work. Right now I’m on 6884 and by the time I’ve gone got a walk at the beach and got home, I’ll be on about 11k minimum!

I'm inclined to agree with you.

Stick with it OP. Sometimes you just get stuck and then all of a sudden, drop a few lb in one go or at least start moving again I know this stage is frustrating, bit carry on and it'll pass.

Well done on your weightloss so far!

The less you drink the more you hold onto as you’re dehydrated!