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?

Forgive me if I've missed this but you haven't mentioned your height or if you have any conditions like PCOS, endometriosis or are pre-diabetic. All of these things can make it really hard to lose weight.

I have also struggled to lose any meaningful weight and thats with calorie tracking and weight loss injections. I can't exercise though due to some health conditions I have but previously I used to do powerlifting competitively and that's when I lost most of my weight.

The more muscle you have the more calories those muscles burn with everything you do simply because they need more energy. Losing weight can also make muscles atrophy, which is another reason why focusing more on weight lifting rather than cardio is being recommended for weight loss.

Water retention is also a kicker because it can last for months in some people before you see a sudden shift and it can be really discouraging. 4 liters of water in a day is a lot of water. I don't even think I can manage 4 whole pints.

The bariatric team have also told me I need to eat carbs, protein and fibre with every single meal to prevent insulin spikes. It's not enough to eat carbs with one meal and then just protein and fibre with the next, because that doesn't protect against insulin spikes.

You sound very disciplined and like you are following lots of advice.

I believe it is normal to plateau for awhile it’s your body doing metabolic stuff adjusting its hormones and things that control your weight, it is a risk that weight will go back up because your body is apparently defending the energy resources that it’s got.

The only advice that I trust that I have seen to work is to reduce the number of hours a day over which you’re eating so make breakfast later and dinner earlier while also concentrating on fat and protein rich food and away from carb rich food which will help your body to burn fat. I believe this is scientific approach and lots of recent advice stems from this metabolic situation eg Dr Mosley through to Dr Pradip.

I suspect the weightlifting is very good for your body from a physical and metabolic sense and will help your body shape meanwhile.

I am not an expert- most of us are not because everyone is metabolically and situationally different and many people and companies are confusing the issue by selling their solution apps diets gym memberships and this confuses the issue which is a biological one and not a fashion/beauty/competitive/commercial issue.

Over in the Low Carb Bootcamp threads, we say KOKO - Keep On Keeping On. If you’re doing everything right with your diet and exercise, and your clothes fit better, then it’s likely you’re just in an extended weight loss stall. If you keep on going as you have been then the weight will start to come off again. It can be worth getting some blood tests done, for example thyroid and general health blood tests, even if only to reassure you that there isn’t an underlying issue.

If you feel that you need to do something then don’t cut your calories any lower but you could try looking adjusting your macros, giving intermittent fasting a go, make sure you’re getting enough good quality sleep, or cut down on caffeine or alcohol, all of which could help kickstart weight loss.

The fact that your clothes fit better is the best sign that what you’re doing is working. Scales are an incredibly inaccurate way to measure weight loss. A bit of muscle pain from your workout or your period coming up can easily put your weight up 2-3 pounds through water retention.

I would focus more on lifting weights - the heavier the better — and therefore building your lean muscle mass — than on doing cardio and running. Also focus on eating protein and fiber. Running at a ‘mid’ pace is unlikely to help you lose weight. It spikes cortisol, and especially in women over 35, who have declining estrogen that no longer protects against cortisol spikes, this can promote fat storage. There are other reasons to run of course, like your cardiac health. Building lean muscle helps improve your metabolism by protecting against insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Not lie but you said in your OP

try to run 3 times a week but I’m waiting on some new running shoes

so i wasn’t sure if you actually do this every week or just try to but doesn’t always happen.

Carbs are the devil for me. If I want to lose weigh I have to stick to a high protein/fat diet. Any carbs I have are complex not refined. Eating too many carbs and not burning off, will end up in fat storage, you only need a small amount to get you through a very challenging workout your "lots of lovely wholemeal sourdough" may indicate that this could be your problem

My partner found it hard to shift weight, despite slashing calories, walking a lot, and eating healthy foods. He had food tracked. But, his weight barely moved.

His GP and and a weight loss clinic think the lack of progress is entirely down to his chronic insomnia,

If you sleep badly, that won’t help with weight loss.

Don't listen to the posters who are being utter arseholes to you. It isnt as simple as calories in and calories out. Otherwise how would people lose weight on the atkins diet?

I'm currently reading the hunger code by Jason Fung and I would recommend it. It goes into detail about the hormonal effects our diets have on us. He explains why eating 1500 calories of cake or bread isn't the same as eating 1500 calories of brocoli.

I have only been able to lose weight consistently whilst intermittent fasting. I have PCOS and find it harder to loose weight the older I get.

Morning OP,
A couple of things. What app are you using to track calories? If it’s one where you take a picture that’s massively inaccurate. The only way to know exactly how many calories you’re consuming is to weigh everything. Don’t use the weight stated on packaging or record an egg by size.
Next is nutrition and thermogenics. Your body burns more calories digesting protein and fibre than any other macronutrient. So you should focus on these two with every meal. At least 100-120g protein a day and 30g fibre.
If you do the above along with 10k steps daily and weight training you should lose weekly whilst being in a reasonable calorie deficit. From what you’ve said I’d guess around 1800 -2000 calories a day.
Try my advice for two weeks, I’d bet it works

If you aren’t losing fat, you aren’t in a deficit.
Either your tracking isn’t accurate or you need to recalculate your deficit.

If you're not losing weight, you're not in a deficit. Have you altered your calories since you lost weight, for example? Because now you weigh less, you need less calories.
Don't add up your exercise calories and then eat them.
Ensure you are drinking and sleeping enough.

It doesn't seem high for someone weighing 16 stone

Really? Because if I want to lose weight I stop eating bread, pasta and potatoes....works EVERY TIME.

OP doesn’t weigh less, that’s her point!

If you’re not losing weight you need to cut your calories. The only way I lost it was by going down to 1200. I was over 15 stone. Are you weighing all your food? Up to you. Carry on what you’re doing or make a change and see what happens.

You can't convert fat to muscle and even if weight training you can't grow significant new muscle in a calorie deficit

I sometimes think photos of what people are eating would be helpful but could lead to disordered eating habits.

I don’t calorie count I just use a small 1970’s dinner plate and have my cereal in a small bowl. Since hitting 50 I have to eat like a bloody tiny bird if I want to lose weight. I just eat a lot of veg, seeds nuts of different varieties every day, fish and chicken or pulses as my protein, limited fruit and carbs. Hardly anything processed. I was creeping towards top of my BMI last year, I have never been overweight but once over 50 the amount you can eat is small and I’m also quite active. I also gave up alcohol it’s just birthdays and weddings type drinking now.

@canyon2000 apologies for digressing but total hats off to you for doing 25k steps a day!! I did 10k every day without fail in January and it helped me enormously to not feel sluggish in the winter months - but - it is v hard to maintain daily😐.

Not in a defecit they are not.

I literally meant this week. But yes, we big fat fatties actually sit at home and eat 17 pizzas a day

Exactly. A personal trainer once said the old saying, "Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Queen, dinner like a pauper"....

This could be me - frustrating that the scale hasn’t moved for ages despite increased movement and running, tracking food and being in deficit. Looking at non-scale victories will help. If clothes are fitting better and you’re able to do more exercise, that is good. The number will follow.

Well there lays your problem 😂

Try cutting down to 16.

It sounds like you are doing brilliantly, especially with the muscle building and fitness. I think if you know exactly what is going in (and assuming your scales are accurate it sounds like you do) then your current calorie intake is your maintenance amount. I don’t understand why you are believing the accuracy of a website which says you should eat 1550 calories a day when your own eyes show that you don’t lose weight on that amount. I’m a shortarse and far more sedentary and need around 1000 to lose. You are likely taller, and much fitter but you clearly need less than 1550.
I’m not scared of carbs but I can’t do calorie deficit with them in substantial amount - especially the big “rice, pasta, bread, spuds” as a main part of a meal but I do eat a lot of lentil/dahl (no chapatti). I have kefir, banana, berry smoothie with whey powder, chia seeds, flaxseed (300cal) , Greek yoghurt and protein granola (200 cal - it’s fecking tiny) and 500 cal of something else like some meat/fish with green veg or salad, or lentils, eggs, beans etc.

With all respect to all the posters who have stated that the OP should definitely be able to lose on 1500 cals a day, how on earth do you know that?!!

People are unique, and there are multiple reasons why OP might not be losing on that daily amount.

I needed to eat 1,000 cals daily to lose 1.5lbs a week. For six months. I tracked everything that went in. I could only do that with the help of WLI. I'm now off and maintain on 1600/1700 cals, exercising 6 times per week. We are all different.

OP - it's tough when you know you are doing the right things. But, if you want the scales to go down it sounds like you are going to need to eat less cals, and switch out some of your food choices. And I know that isn't as easy as someone saying it to you. Losing weight is bloody hard.