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?

I don't get why you find this frustrating? If you know it's water retention you just have to be patient. And surely you know that you can/will still lose fat even when you're retaining water? Losing weight == seeing the scales drop.

Scales aren't the best way to measure progress.
You sound like your doing great and your clothes getting looser is telling you that. Running and particularly weights will be changing your shape and you will be building more dense muscle whilst losing fat, so the scales may not be changing alot but your body composition is. Its a good thing! Make sure your eating enough protein. I was surprised how much I should be aiming for which is about 70 - 100g a day for the weight loss and training I've been doing. I hit it with natural protein shakes, lean meat, oily fish twice a week, nuts and natural protein yogurt. I eats carbs too though and loads of veg and fruit.

Try to remember its not just about weight even though thats your ultimate goal. Losing it is just a side effect of a healthy diet/ lifestyle. Its your overall future health thats the most important thing. Good luck. 💪

Look up the set point theory. Your body seems to be happy at 16st or just above so when you go below that it will slow you metabolism down so you can’t lose more.
calories in/out does not take account of hormones and insulin and metabolism.
if you qualify wli would help with this

How about Wegovy? Best weight loss I’ve ever tried 😂 stopped me wanting bread/pasta/rice/ alcohol etc… I used to track my calories but would only lose a few pounds. Now it just comes naturally (along with the price tag 😂) x

Op, do you want to lose weight, because if you do, you will reassess your diet. If you don’t you will maintain you’re in a defecit and continue to not do so.

im nine stone, I maintain on about 2000 - 2200 a day, with more at weekends. I was nearly your weight, I consumed a lot more then, yes I had low days, but weekends, bigger portions etc all crept in.

it could be a minor miscalculation, an extra hundred odd cals a meal, which adds uo, a handful of nuts, some extra oil, whatever, it is very easy to do. But as much as you don’t want to hear it or accept it, you’re eating to maintence.

I think you need to focus on the clothes and not the scales. It's your size that matters not weight. You could be converting fat to muscle. I think those body scan scales are better they can tell if you gain whether it's fat or water retention. I know if I've been trying and the scales don't move my reaction is to get so frustrated I give up and eat something I want because why bother. Which of course is silly. If you knew you were making progress you'd be much happier about it.

I hear you. I’ve been tracking my calories and seemed to have plateaued. People probably wouldn’t believe me if I told them what I eat.

I’m not hearing it because it’s simply not true. If I was secretly snacking, I’d hold my hands up and say it because I am truly desperate to lose weight. I don’t love exercise, I wish I could eat like I used to and grab a takeaway every week and sink a whole pizza, because I absolutely loved that. But I’ve made that change and for people to sit and say I haven’t is genuinely infuriating.

It is virtually impossible to covert fat to muscle in a defecit for a woman.

Ok, then go and see your doctor, as you’re defying biology.

Having been 16.10stone and tried absolutely every diet/diet club in existence since I was about 17, I really hear your frustration. I have been there countless times.
Being in a bigger body is hard and losing a lot of weight can feel like a monumental challenge. I felt like utter crao all the time on reflection and so low about myself.
I lost weight this time on mj alongside the weight watchers app. By BMI was 40 when I began.
WLI maybe aren’t something you’ve considered or want to, and that is of course absolutely ok. However I’d recommend the ww points system anyway - I’ve found it really helpful. I know points is a fancy way to dress up “just eat less calories” but it helps me make different choices which has made me increase my protein and reduce carbs which has definitely helped me.
I am trying to maintain now after losing over 8.5stone in the past couple of years. I weigh now, about the same as what I have lost.
There were weeks I didn’t lose anything or had plateaus -the longest was about 9 weeks.
I am using ww still. It tells you your calories etc but what I find, is that even though my calories might be low, if I have had a high carb day I might be totally out of points. I think what my days eating consists of makes a difference to my weight, even if I have had a low calorie intake. I wonder if that’s worth exploring for yourself too, perhaps replacing one of the bread or pasta meals with something a bit different for a week or two?
I also didn’t think too far ahead, just focused on one day. I weigh daily but don’t really worry seeing a bit of fluctuation and then I just take an average over the week. That might also help, just taking an average over the month if there are weeks you notice your loss perhaps might be less or stay the same?
By the way I don’t have any association with we- just sharing what I am doing incase it helps 🤣.

These comments are irritating.
losing weight is a matter of calories. Yes, it can be harder to stick to a calorie deficit if you're eating higher carb but bread etc does NOT stop weight loss by itself. Yes OP needs to change something but it's highly unlikely to be an issue with eating bread, unless she's gluten sensitive and it's causing excessive inflammation.

Agree, especially not eating in the evening

Women don't gain significant muscle in calorie deficit. This is just not a reasonable explanation for stalled weight loss.

What’s your height

that seems high

knock off 300c s day and I’m sure you will lose weight

It's easy to get fixated on the scales @justmeandthedogs . I take it that you have been increasing the amount of exercise you do? If your clothes are looser then you are losing fat, it's just that you are building up muscle at the same time - which is a good thing, you'll feel better and look better.

Also don't worry so much about the ups and downs of your cycle. You're still losing weight all month, it's just that you need to compare against the same place in last month's cycle (if you see what I mean).

Lastly I agree with the people who have said try something different. Maybe increase calories for a couple of weeks, or try cutting carbs out for a few weeks - it doesn't really matter what, it's about trying to "kick start" your metabolism.

That's not how weight loss works

There are three factors which might be in play:

1. If you are weight training, you may be converting fat to muscle, which would make you slimmer and more toned, but not lighter. Using a tape measure to measure yourself once a week is the best way to see if this is happening. If you are getting slimmer, but not lighter, that isn't something to worry about and should eventually settle.
2. TDEE is not an exact science, unfortunately. The calculator might be overestimating what you are burning, so you might need to eat less. If you are 1200 approx at sedentary and 1500 at the activity level you have entered, the 'correct' figure might lie between those two and it will be a case of trial and error to reduce the amount until the scales start shifting.
3. It's possible you might be experiencing portion creep - from experience, it's easy to fall into this, increasing your portion sizes a little can add up over a week. The best way to deal with this is to weigh/measure strictly for a week and make sure you factor in any drinks that are not calorie free.

You could try a blood sugar monitor?

You're doing really well, and don't be discouraged - keep at it! But you are eating a lot more calories than you think.

I find the only way to avoid hunger on a 1500 diet is to eat a lot of veg.
The source of the calories also matter - try to minimise the complex carbs and sugars (even fruit) and keep it to moderate protein, small amount of dairy and a lot of veg.

You were asked upthread how old you are? In perimenopause your body holds hard onto fat as it likes the oestrogen it provides

Unless you are definitely doing the running you mention you are not doing any cardio. Weights are strength training.

Could you add in a spin/cycle class? I found these the best way for me to shed the pounds.

Cut out the snacks. It's hard at first, then it quickly becomes the new norm. I got into not having snacks (even fruit) because I had invisalign braces and since then continued to do this.

Not having snacks cuts out a few extra calories without making it feel like an ordeal. Also it makes it much easier to listen to your body's signals of being truly hungry (not bored) and satisfied with the food you have eaten.

Try it and you will see results!

whilst TDEE and science etc has a place, its not an exact science. There are many, many other factors that affect what your personal calorie target should be, its not the same maths for everyone. Even at my biggest i had to be on a small amount of cals to loose, even when the science said 1500, id lose nothing, cos the science doesnt take into account other factors.

My advice having lost 60% of my body weight (some with GLP1 assisstance) is trail and error your cals. Try 1400 and see if that kick starts you again. Or go the other way and do a week of 1700 and then back down to 1550

You know you don't gain fat like that right? 'Gaining' 5lbs in a weekend is all water retention and over the next week or so it will go back down again. A 5lb fat loss is a significant amount and cannot be regained with a couple of days of excess.