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?

Anyone who is pushing weights will gain muscle!

And how else do you explain clothes being looser while weight stays the same.

Unless the scales themselves are faulty I suppose. I never really trust domestic bathroom scales - maybe op should get some new scales?

I think carbs don’t work for me as they cause water retention for some reason.

im wheat free and maybe it’s that type of bread/pasta? Also they are higher in fat/calories for less so I get more calories if I avoid them!

OP I would suggest a blood test to include thyroid as that could be affecting your metabolism. The other thought is that you could also be converting fat to muscle which weighs more

Women don't gain significant amounts of muscle in calorie deficit. Thats not how our bodies work.

That's not on.
You can't come and tell the OP she's NOT eating the amount of calories she says she's eating.
Don't accuse her of not knowing what calorie intake she's eating, it's unbearably condescending.
Being an athlete, you will have high muscle mass which burns calories faster and means you can consume a certain amount of calories and lose weight compared to someone with much lower muscle mass who eats the same amount of calories. Plus your athletic training will burn through way more energy compared to the 'regular person' level of ordinary exercise OP is doing.
I'm really surprised - being an athlete and all - that you don't already have this knowledge base, actually.

Try intermittent fasting and push breakfast back or skip a few days a week.
You have done well so far.

Why would I lie about the cardio I’m doing?

If your clothes are fitting better, is it possible you’ve swapped fat for muscle? So your weight hasn’t changed but your shape has?

I don't really believe in calories in/calories out any more! I think it is more complicated than that. I'm 53 and trying to maintain my weight and I am finding it increasingly hard. I don't eat breakfast. Lunch is the mythical 'massive salad' with a bit of cottage cheese on then a piece of fruit. Dinner is a small portion of whatever we are having plus lots of veg, pudding is kefir yogurt with fruit in. I don't drink alcohol. I walk an average of 25,000 steps a day. I can maintain my weight on this but not lose any but when I was younger I would lose 2-3 pounds a week doing this. It seems bonkers to me!

I would carry on as you are, scrap the scales for now and choose one item of clothing you want to get into but can’t. Preferably something with a zip, like trousers. Once a week at the same time try on the trousers. This will give you a much better idea of your weight loss.

That's not what set point theory says. Set point theory suggests that the body can adapt to a certain weight when maintained for a significant period of time and this leads to natural adaptation in appetite/calorie intake/energy expenditure to maintain that weight. This is theorised to happen in both directions so when weight is gained and lost. This theory may explain why most people stay around the same weight without paying attention to their calorie intake. Not that the body finds a 'happy weight' all by itself randomly and then wants to stay there.

How do you accurately track your calories though if you are eating home cooked food? Or are you eating ready made meals? I found using Lean Cuisine helped me lose weight. The other things that really helped was eating two meals a day. Try buying a bunch of frozen meals and soups and just eating that tracking your calories that way and cut to 1200 a day. You will lose weight trust me. If you.dont on that you may have a thyroid issue.

I feel for you.

Not withstanding a vitamin or mineral deficiency, or hormonal or medical issue, sometimes this is just the way it is.

I'm about 14st, I eat 1,500 calories a day, to lose weight I need to dip under 1,100 calories.

It's unfair, and also unsustainable.

But it's just the way my body is built, if I eat "normally" like any average size 12 person, and exercise "normally" like any size 12 person, my body stays a size 18.

This is why I havent done WLI, I know that I'll need to take them forever, as my body has no interest in keeping weight off.

Edited to add: I eat mainly home cooked "ingredient" food, with a focus on protein and fibre, I go spinning twice a week, I walk a few miles a day. I'm actually medically quite "fit" (good BP, good heart rate, good recovery rate, excellent glucose metabolism).

Have you measured your fasting glucose & insulin along with HbA1c? You may also want to check your blood glucose 1-2 hours post eating to see how your body is handling this. Can buy a wee finger stick device pretty cheap online.

It sounds like your body is locked into storage mode where it wants to store fat. High insulin and insulin resistance will drive this.

If you eat in a calorie deficit then initially you will lose but then your body will recalibrate its basal metabolic rate and you will go back to maintaining or even gaining. If you are insulin resistant (so many people are) then you have to fix this as otherwise you will continue this cycle.

I was eating 1200 calories a day and not losing weight even though I was 13 stone with a BMI of 30. I stuck to 1200 calories for 18 months with no weight loss. I then started on Mounjaro and have lost 2 and 1/2 stone. My diet hasn’t changed dramatically. I’m still eating around 1200 calories a day. If you can afford it and meet the criteria, I recommend giving it a go.

Or if you can afford WLI that's what I've decided to do..
Sorry for all the unhelpful responses you have had!

People who have never struggled to lose weight simply do not understand that those of us who do know exactly what we’re eating and know that we are doing all the right things.
Have you had a word with your GP? It has taken me a long time, but my GP is finally listening to me and has referred me to endocrinology for further testing and monitoring.
I wish you luck with your weight loss. For some of us (especially post menopause). It is an enormous uphill struggle to lose weight because our bodies are determined to prevent us from doing that.

If your weight is stuck at your current calorie count, you need to drop your daily calorie intake.

Calories work on a sliding scale. You can lose weight on 2500 cals a day if overweight enough. The smaller you get the fewer you need. Try dropping to 1400 a day, then when you stall again, drop again. (It's not much fun!)

I am 5 ft 2, and was stuck at 11.5 stone for absolutely years. After 40 it got a lot worse and the fat was so stubborn. My usual workouts also just stopped working.

The only thing which worked was Orlistat. I mention it a lot on here, but it changed my life. Whatever anyone says, I did not eat too much fat, and I worked out a lot (still do) and yet that number just would not budge from 11.5 stone. I looked terrible in photos.

After a course of Orlistat, plus healthy eating and working out (both as previously done) I went down to 8.5 stone.

I genuinely believe some people need an extra push that can't be done with diet and working out.

Try eating the larger meals earlier in the day not in the evening, more time to burn off the calories

You're doing weights, which is great because it will be shifting your body composition from fat to muscle. This is excellent. Muscle is denser than fat, so weighs more. Having more muscle will also increase your basal metabolic rate, as well as helping with your running. And of course, as you run further, you'll burn more fat. Don't forget that gentle exercise, such as long walks, is also really good for this; you don't have to force yourself into HIIT etc (which might affect your sleep quality).

Forget about the scales for a while and focus on how you feel and noticing little changes from one week to the next, like clothes being slightly looser. Changes are happening, slowly but surely! You're doing really well!

No mention of bread (or butter) in your daily menu, so where does "lots of lovely wholemeal sourdough" fit in?
I'm not trying to catch you out, I just know from experience that drastically cutting carbs such as bread, rice, pasta is the only way I can consistently lose weight (I still eat a lot of fruit and veg).

Hi OP, I’ve not RTFT but in case anyone hasn’t mentioned it yet, you may want to focus more on building muscle rather than cardio / running.

Muscle is what helps keep your metabolism burning even when you’re not doing exercise.

If the weights classes don’t suit your schedule, you could add weighted bands to your ankles and wrists while you run.

Sorry but I have to correct you.

A lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat. So muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat.

What changed though is that muscle takes up less space than fat, hence why OPs clothes fit better. She’s building muscle and losing fat at the same time. Her weight remains the same.

@justmeandthedogs OP, to burn fat quicker whilst building muscle you need to re-look at what you’re eating (focus mainly on increasing protein in take, especially after weight training, and lowering saturated fat) and add in cardio exercise to burn the calories ie HIIT classes, cycle classes, more running etc…

OP I know you said you run but how far and how many times a week?