Not losing weight despite massively cutting back

[Morgun]

Can anyone analyse what I’m eating and tell me where I’m going wrong? I’ve cut back so much yet the scales are not shifting. I’m 5ft 8 and 16st

breakfast - porridge oats, 2 slices of wholemeal toast with low fat spread, a fat free yogurt and a banana

lunch - pasta salad with a wholemeal roll and a packet of low calorie crisps.

Aftetnoon snack - apple, nuts and sometimes a fat free yogurt but not always

dinner - homemade spaghetti bolognese (wholemeal spaghetti), 2 small slices of garlic baguette, a weight watchers mouse and a piece of fruit

evening snack - a couple of biscuits

this is far less than I used to eat yet the scales are not budging. I’m being told to cut down further but I can’t see what else I can do, I’m struggling as it is.

porridge with milk has fats and protein ?
and fibre

No-one is ‘spreading myths’. You yourself said I was a myth that free yoghurts contain sugar - it’s not, many do.

Of course fat free yoghurt is not inherently higher sugar, and nobody said there was anything wrong with fat free yoghurt per se. Unfortunately not every yoghurt labelled fat free is low calorie either, and while some contain artificial sweeteners and no added sugar, plenty also contain added sugar. Great for you that it’s obvious which contain sugar, but lots of people are less well informed and believe fat free labels are always a good choice. OP sounds like she is at the start of understating her food choices could perhaps do with clearer direction (which is the whole point of the thread) than ‘just choose fat free’.

It’s a fact that we can survive without carbohydrates, but not protein and fat.

If Op is taking any of this in re. Yoghurts I have fage high protein Greek yoghurt 0% - 5% fat and it’s not sugary. It has such a lovely creamy texture it’s my fave!

But I believe there are even a few flavoured ones that aren’t too high in sugar nowadays.
Fage has brought out a line of fruit yoghurts and they’re about 7g sugar per 100g serving.

Although I usually stick to the plain which has about half the amount of sugar or less.

I promise I’m not sponsored by Fage 😂 they’re just my go-to for yoghurts.

That ^^
i am so bad at doing this myself but I feel better when I do

scrambled eggs are good but you can add roasted tomatoes, loads of spinach, mushrooms etc for not many more calories at all
salad - have an entire bag of salad leaves plus all the salad veg like onion, radish, cucumber, add pickled onions or gherkins and protein etc
use a tiny bit of butter and saute chopped cabbage and leeks, roast some carrots etc

Yes, you’re right. Ideally switch to kefir or something with live strains of probiotics, because your microbiome also plays a big role here. Also make sure you’re hydrated, often we mistake thirst for hunger. Caffeine is a diuretic as well, so lots of water

Yeah sorry OP you might be eating less than before but its too many calories (if it wasnt you would be losing weight) and too carb heavy. I recently lost 50lbs and my day would look like:

Breakfast: full fat Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, berries and cherries
Lunch: salad with loads of leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers etc, avocado, protein (chicken or salmon or cottage cheese)
Dinner: protein (something different to lunch) and loads of low carb veg (brocoli, cauliflower, cabbage)

I also walked 10-20k steps a day and did heavy weights 3 times a week. That's a bonus tho. Its really about what you're eating/drinking

Cut the low fat UPF yoghurts. Eat Greek yoghurt which just contains milk and yoghurt culture. Add a tablespoon of honey or a banana for sweetness.

Agree 90%- but you don't need a tablespoon of honey.😮 That's loads- about 5 teaspoons in a tablespoon, so very high sugar.

If you use decent honey you can get away with 1/2 a teaspoon in 150gms yoghurt.

Plain Greek yoghurt is made with live bacteria and is classed as a fermented food.

They do 5%, 2% and 0%.

Women's saturated fat intake over a day is around 20gms max.
So even 200mgs of 5% yoghurt = 10gms.

That leaves plenty for the rest of the day and if you eat lean meat or fish you'll be well within the limit (a lot of fat is 'hidden' fat in biscuits, pastry, and ready meals.)

Porridge or toast , no bread with lunch, no bread with pasta , no biscuits

You asked for comments and you don't like what's posted.

You are having 3 different breakfasts. Cut out the toast and have the yoghurt, but have full fat, no sugar, as it will keep you fuller longer so you won't need to snack on sugar or carbs.

Many of us who have porridge have 40gms. And that's it- with some fruit.
You don't need toast as well.

Likewise, you're doubling up on carbs for lunch.
Most people have pasta OR a roll. Or- here's an idea- have a meal with NO carbs! You can make a great salad without pasta. If you want some carbs, look at adding some chickpeas or white beans, Puy lentils, or other pulses.

88 cals on crisps is a waste of calories. Have an apple or an orange or any other fruit.

Low fat spread is just an ultra processed margarine with water whipped in to make it 'lighter'. If you need to use anything have a tiny amount of real butter, (ideally grass fed as it has a different and better range of omega fats.

And again...why do people eat garlic bread with spag bol?
No one ever used to- it was brought on m by restaurants trying to sell more stuff.

Honestly, OP if you want advice at least try to listen when everyone is saying the same thing.

The sugar in Fage 5% is not added sugar, it's milk sugar- lactase.

TBH lots of people are saying have the porridge with some fruit but actually the protein in a plain Greek yoghurt would be a more balanced breakfast than a carb-heavy porridge and fruit meal. The protein balances` out the carb and i think it's fine for her to have some on her porridge. I wouldn't call that two breakfasts.

You still seem to be missing the point @Morgun , a 40g serving may only fill a tiny portion of the bowl but that is a serving and is an entire breakfast to most people .

I'd put plain Greek yoghurt on it.

Yep. Yay for Fage. It’s a great choice :D

I love it! 5 percent for me with a handful of raspberries and some chopped almonds!

Yes! 5% Fage and raspberries is an elite pairing 😆 ah the almonds would give it a great crunch :D

It is still unneccesary to eat a bowl of porridge AND toast AND a yogurt. If the recommended portion is 40g then it equals one meal.

The fact that you’re not losing weight is because you’re not in a calorie defecit. You are eating too many calories, not burning enough and on top of that, you are eating the wrong foods. For example, porridge is awful for spiking blood sugars. Crisps are empty calories. Etc. You need way less carbs, more protein.

Eggs are a powerhouse. Packed with protein, iron, choline, b12. Much better than porridge! Most wholemeal bread is absolute rubbish. Eggs & a slice of proper toasted rye bread or sourdough would make a much better breakfast.

Alternatively, plain or Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey or maple, and some berries.

No one needs to eat 3 breakfasts in one sitting.

@Morgun I'm one of the unlucky ones with PCOS. When I need to lose weight the only way is to cut out carbs for breakfast and lunch. I save the carbs for my evening meal. Even then I can't go mad. It's very tiresome, but has been the same since puberty. Before that I was the skinniest kid on the block.

porridge made from steel cut or whole rolled oats and served with greek yoghurt is fine for blood sugar. It is also a particularly rich source of fibre and beta-glucan which encourages healthy gut bacteria. I think you are being unduly harsh on porridge. The best approach of all is to switch between the two: eggs one day, porridge the next.

I have to disagree. I measured my blood sugar for a week after eating certain foods and porridge oats spiked them the highest. It may be different for others, but since I’ve not included them in my diet. Definitely don’t recommend for anyone trying to lose weight.

What other foods did you test blood sugar with?

All the things I would eat regularly. After each meal for a week. The other thing that spikes them a lot was white potato!