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.

You need to track your calories via my fitness pal, nutracheck or parrot pal or similar so you understand more what you are putting in. Then you need to look at your activity levels such as how many steps you are doing a day and aim for 6k minimum and work up to 10k+. For you to be in a deficit you need to be aiming for 1900cals per day and under and focus on eating at least 100g protein per day. Ask chat gpt what you need to eat per day based on your age/height/weight and activity levels and that you want to hit protein target and it will come up with some pretty good info for you

You’re eating loads! Four items for most meals when one ir two is plenty.
You need to look at the calories you’re eating. I think you’ll be shocked.

That answer from OP was quite early in the thread. She's just being introduced to ideas that I'm not sure she is on top of yet. It's a learning curve.

TBH I was just pleased in that post that she seemed genuine because when she posted her old diet I was in two minds as to whether this was in fact a goady joke thread: I can't see how she was even surviving on such poor nutrition, so she has already made strides in the right direction. None of us learn everything all at once.

It’s important to increase your protein and fibre. The eat well plate is a good resource to help you balance your meals so you get nutrients from different food groups.

oh crikey @Morgun I don’t mean to be harsh, but your nutritional knowledge is dire, you’re heading for T2D eating all that! Forget all the bollocks we were told in the 80s about fat for a start, throw out all the low fat, no fat processed garbage and start eating real food. Eat food as close to its original state as possible, cut out anything packaged from the middle aisles of the supermarket and stick to fresh veg and meats. If you have butter make it real, organic butter. Don’t eat any bread. Do not cook with seed oils. Cut out as much sugar as possible including sweet fruits. Educate yourself on high satiety foods and go low carb, high protein, the weight will drop off.

Sorry OP but you’re eating too much. Oats is breakfast, or yoghurt or toast… not all three. Pasta salad is lunch or a roll not both.

Unfortunately while you’re eating less than you used to you’re not eating less than you burn. So you’re not losing weight.

Your breakfast is essentially three meals…

I think after 581 comments saying the same thing@Morgun knows it was to much food. Shes clearly not coming back to this post either.

Why are you eating 3 meals for breakfast?

😂And again ...

You're deluding yourself OP and not listening to the advice given. Yes, IT IS 3 BREAKFASTS! Also, your slices of bread for toast may not be too high in calories but have you weighed out the spread you are putting on it? (You seem to be "forgetting" about a lot of the calories you are consuming.) That's before I even mention any of your other meals...

LOL. 24 pages in and people are still saying "you're having three breakfasts" or "too much bread". As if nobody else will have thought of pointing that out.

Hi Op. I'm unsure if you are still reading these comments, but it does sound like you've cut down on what you were previously eating and improved the health of what you are eating, well done!

There are some good tips here on ways to improve further on the changes you made, and I think swapping some of the carbs for protein options sounds sensible.

But, I came here to say that I'm in a similar position. I have drastically cut down on the calories I'm eating, and have lost zero weight over several weeks. I think my PCOS makes it difficult to loose weight, and I thought it might be helpful to share that it's not always that simple for everyone.

I weigh less than you (10st 11lb) and I'm a bit shorter, but my weight has stagnated for about a year.

Today I ate:

Breakfast: Bowl of fiber bran and semi skimmed milk
Snack: apple and some grapes
Lunch: tin of veg and beef soup
Snack: full fat greek yogurt
Extra snack: gherkins and a bit of cheddar cheese
Tea: small portion of a homemade butternut squash, leek and butter bean gratin (which has some cream on it).
Treat: 2 x biscuits and milk.

Increase fibre (fruit and veg) and protein.
Read nutritional information.

I’m really hungry in the morning, I have 3 portions of fruit with either oats or toast; banana, half a grapefruit, apple or peach.

I used to have 4 tablespoons of porridge oats, now I have 3. Instead of full fat milk, organic almond milk (similar protein, less sugar and fat.)

Lunch - when I’m being strict I don’t have butter or mayonnaise or cheese.

Dinner - Lots of Veg and a bit of Meat. Limit carbs. We eat a lot of white rice, recently started mixing quinoa and lentils into the rice.

Snacks - None if being strict. If I must have snacks (which is most of the time) I try to eat homemade cakes and things and make “healthier” options, banana bread or apple cake with less sugar. Add Greek yogurt into bakes for protein. Flapjacks are more like baked oats, I’m constantly working on reverse to increase protein and fibre while reducing sugar and fat.
If it’s all too much then just have a protein shake instead.

maintaining is better than gaining you just need to keep making small changes and once you get used to them, keep making more.

start with your breakfast, swap out the additional carbs and add fruit.

I can’t lose weight without feeling hungry. So I accept that I will sometimes feel hungry, I don’t starve myself, but sometimes it feels like it!

Same as previous posters. That’s a massive load of very unhealthy food. Well. I mean porridge and fruit is alright. But not along with everything else. I need to lose weight. I have a smallish breakfast of Greek yogurt berries and flax seeds. I skip lunch and then have a low carb dinner mainly e.g. steak onions and cauliflower cheese. No snacking. Although I’m not as tall as you.

I'm 5.7 and heavier than you so not taking a dig but your breakfast and lunch are huge.

Caloriewise you're essentially eating 3 breakfasts and 2 lunches a day. That isn't going to create a deficit. You're eating less than you used to but you're still taking in more than you're burning off.

If you can't reduce the intake, you're going to have to increase the output significantly in order to achieve weight loss and exercise a lot more. Drink a lot of water, it tricks your stomach into feeling full.

It is way too many calories for losing weight.
Cut the toast, Cut the bread roll and crisps. Cut the Garlic Bread.
Do not increase other portion sizes
Do that for a week and see the difference.

Use my fitness pal for a week - to work out the cals

what you are eating is a lot now but obv less than you were

maybe body thinks it’s going into starvation mode or give it another week or two and sure the lbs will start dropping off

work out your tdee and drop 500 from it to start losing weight

Like others have said, more info is needed. But you need to be in calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

I asked char GPT to estimate calories in your day;

Breakfast

• Porridge oats (40g dry + water/milk): ~150–250 kcal (depending on whether milk is used — I’ll take ~200 kcal with semi-skimmed)
• 2 slices wholemeal toast (2× 70 kcal): ~140 kcal
• Low-fat spread (2 tsp / 10g): ~35 kcal
• Fat-free yogurt (125g pot): ~60 kcal
• Banana (medium, 120g): ~105 kcal

Breakfast total: ~540 kcal

Lunch

• Pasta salad (about 250g portion, with light dressing/veg): ~350 kcal
• Wholemeal roll (1 medium, 60g): ~180 kcal
• Low-calorie crisps (1 packet): ~80 kcal

Lunch total: ~610 kcal

Afternoon snack

• Apple (medium): ~80 kcal
• Nuts (small handful, 25g mixed): ~150 kcal
• Optional fat-free yogurt: ~60 kcal

Snack total: ~230–290 kcal

Dinner (Spaghetti Bolognese)

• Wholemeal spaghetti (75g dry): ~260 kcal
• Low-fat mince (125g cooked): ~220 kcal
• Tomato sauce/veg (homemade, ~150g): ~80 kcal
• Garlic baguette (2 small slices, ~60g): ~180 kcal
• Weight Watchers mousse: ~80 kcal
• Piece of fruit (e.g., apple/pear): ~80 kcal

Dinner total: ~1,100 kcal

Evening snack

• Couple of biscuits (2 plain, e.g. digestives): ~140 kcal

Snack total: ~140 kcal

🔹 Daily Total
~2,600–2,700 kcal

Have just re-read your post...

And cut out the mousse, and the biscuits and the nuts. Aim for about 1000 calories. 1200 if you have to. The weight will come off.

An app on your phone which easily calculates the calories, carbs and fat content of what you eat, makes the whole counting calories thing easier. Stick to the calories recommended by the app. Cutting down carbs and replacing the the calories with protein makes the weight move faster, but it's still slower than you would hope.🙄

How old are you and how much exercise do you do? Both are v relevant.

I think it sounds like a lot, especially breakfast. Cut out the toast etc and just have porridge with sliced banana.

Up the veg and protein at lunchtime.

Cut out totally empty carbs like garlic bread.

Also, what are you drinking? As alcohol is appalling for weight loss!

Calorie counting is really the only way to go - the NHS used to have an excellent tool but it appears to have disappeared. This appears to be similar, from USDA Free Online Calorie Counter & Calorie Tracker
However out of interest I did a quick and rough calculation of your stated intake:
Breakfast 500; Lunch 430; Snack 430; Dinner 566; Supper 16. = 1950 approx.and that is without knowing portion size nor adding in teas/coffees and any other drinks.
A woman's daily recommended is 1400 calories. Therefore you should still be gaining weight.
Cut back on everything. It is hard to start off with but if you persevere you will be successful. Exercise including stretches will help reshape your body.

I’ve lost a couple of stone lately a lot of big changes but I’m still a stone overweight. It looks like you have about 3 breakfasts compared to what I’d have. I just have fruit for snacks and no evening snacks, after your tea that’s it. I’m 50, on thyroid tablets and it’s the best I’ve managed to sort it out my whole life. I’m on my fitness pal and it’s roughly 1600 calories, also go swimming most mornings

Not picking on you in particular - there are currently 23 pages of PPs giving similar advice to this, as if its easy.

I’ve a feeling that OP will find it impossible. To her food is pasta, bread and low fat products, and I think getting away from that will not happen. Carbs and ‘diet’ products are by far the most accessible foods for many people and the thought of a diet of mainly vegetables, meat & fish, eggs and greek yoghurt and none to very little bread or pasta would sound awful, not to mention unaffordable.

The one reply OP has given was very early on and I don’t blame her for not coming back.