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Calorie-counting

Discuss calorie counting, including tips, challenges and real-life experiences. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Not losing weight despite massively cutting back

672 replies

Morgun · 28/09/2025 13:45

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.

OP posts:
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9
dontcomeatme · 28/09/2025 14:39

Bagsintheboot · 28/09/2025 13:50

Sorry but I still think you're eating an awful lot more than a normal person would:

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

I would say have porridge OR toast OR yoghurt. With a banana.

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

Get rid of the roll and crisps. A pasta salad is a meal in itself.

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

Ideally you should cut snacking completely, but if you must then forget the nuts and stick to the apple. Nuts are lovely but very calorie dense.

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

Cut out the garlic bread and if you must have a pudding then choose either the fruit OR the mousse. You don't need two things for dessert.

evening snack - a couple of biscuits

As above, I'd try to cut out the snacking completely.

Your calories will be massively adding up throughout the day with all these add-ons.

This.

SilenceInside · 28/09/2025 14:40

Edited to remove double post....

Comedycook · 28/09/2025 14:41

You need to work out your TDEE...there's loads of calculators online to use. Then aim for slightly less so you can have slow and steady weight loss without feeling too deprived. Fill up on high volume, low calorie foods...there's loads of ideas online about how to use your calories wisely.

beautyqueeen · 28/09/2025 14:43

Pasta and bread for two meals for a start! Drop the toast, the bread roll, the garlic bread and the biscuits and you’ll likely see an improvement.

Rockfordpeach · 28/09/2025 14:43

As others have said, its still a very high calorie day. Swapping to wholemeal bread, although healthier as it contains fibre is still as much, if not more, calories than white bread. I can make a bacon sandwich, with white bread, for less calories than a pasta salad. For weightloss it really is calories in vs calories out. I weigh more than you and therefore have a higher calorie deficit and my daily intake for losing 1-2lbs per week is a lot lower than what you are currently eating. You need to calculate your TDEE and use a calorie counting app to plan your day. Good luck

Comedycook · 28/09/2025 14:44

I'm currently on weight loss injections...
As an example yesterday I ate

Breakfast...one slice of wholemeal toast with an egg, a bacon medallion and a hash brown...this was just under 300 calories.

Lunch...a smoked salmon bagel thin with a very small amount of cream cheese

Dinner...mince beef tacos with salad

As a small treat I had a macaron.

If i wasn't on wli if probably be more hungry on this...if so, I'd have added more salad, maybe a bowl of soup or some cold meats

Shitmonger · 28/09/2025 14:44

Don’t use the online TDEE calculators. They’re notoriously wrong and guesstimate way too high. The user above posted one that claimed 2111 for a sedentary woman, which is wildly inaccurate.

BejewelledCat · 28/09/2025 14:45

I'm the same height and weight and have lost 9lb this month.

Example of typical day for me.

Breakfast - protein shake or porridge with berries

Lunch - jacket potato with beans

Dinner - homemade soup topped with seeds or salad with tofu

Snacks - piece of fruit or carrot/pepper sticks

I don't buy biscuits, crisps, cereal bars etc. That way I am not tempted to snack on them.

I'd say you need to just pick one thing per meal and eat more veg if your goal is weight loss.

Bladderpool · 28/09/2025 14:45

All you’ve really done is swap out white pasta and bread for wholemeal. As many others on this thread have said you’re eating a LOT of food, it’s totally unsurprising that you’re not losing any weight.

SilenceInside · 28/09/2025 14:46

Shitmonger · 28/09/2025 14:44

Don’t use the online TDEE calculators. They’re notoriously wrong and guesstimate way too high. The user above posted one that claimed 2111 for a sedentary woman, which is wildly inaccurate.

What TDEE calculator or tool would you suggest instead? It would be helpful for me to know what to use as well as the OP.

Also, even if the estimated TDEE is too high, the point still remains that the OP is eating significantly more than her TDEE.

youve987456 · 28/09/2025 14:48

Morgun · 28/09/2025 13:57

Changes I’ve already made -

For breakfast I used to have chocolate granola, white bread toast with butter, a normal yogurt and a cereal bar

For lunch I used to eat a big white roll with bacon, a sausage roll, a flapjack and a packet of crisps

For dinner I would have a ready meal, cheese cake and then a whole packet of chocolate biscuits as evening snack

So as you can see I’ve cut down a hell of a lot

Not wanting to sound rude but you haven't cut down a hell of a lot. You are eating what some deem "healthier" but your calories probably haven't dropped much.

Chances are you have some insulin resistance so weight loss will be hard on the carb heavy diet you are having. My suggestion would be to look at higher protein and fat diets. Good luck.

youve987456 · 28/09/2025 14:49

Morgun · 28/09/2025 13:57

Changes I’ve already made -

For breakfast I used to have chocolate granola, white bread toast with butter, a normal yogurt and a cereal bar

For lunch I used to eat a big white roll with bacon, a sausage roll, a flapjack and a packet of crisps

For dinner I would have a ready meal, cheese cake and then a whole packet of chocolate biscuits as evening snack

So as you can see I’ve cut down a hell of a lot

Not wanting to sound rude but you haven't cut down a hell of a lot. You are eating what some deem "healthier" but your calories probably haven't dropped much.

Chances are you have some insulin resistance so weight loss will be hard on the carb heavy diet you are having. My suggestion would be to look at higher protein and fat diets. Good luck.

Bambamhoohoo · 28/09/2025 14:50

Comedycook · 28/09/2025 14:44

I'm currently on weight loss injections...
As an example yesterday I ate

Breakfast...one slice of wholemeal toast with an egg, a bacon medallion and a hash brown...this was just under 300 calories.

Lunch...a smoked salmon bagel thin with a very small amount of cream cheese

Dinner...mince beef tacos with salad

As a small treat I had a macaron.

If i wasn't on wli if probably be more hungry on this...if so, I'd have added more salad, maybe a bowl of soup or some cold meats

Edited

Are you suggesting before you were on WLI you would’ve eaten this plus a bit more salad or a soup and been satisfied? 🤨

you’ve forgotten what life was like before WLi!

Switcher · 28/09/2025 14:50

Wow that's triple carbs with every meal

MiddleAgedDread · 28/09/2025 14:50

If you’re still eating more calories that your body needs then you’re not going to loose weight. Unless you’re running a marathon tomorrow that is a hell of a lot of carbs!!

Woompund · 28/09/2025 14:50

Shitmonger · 28/09/2025 14:44

Don’t use the online TDEE calculators. They’re notoriously wrong and guesstimate way too high. The user above posted one that claimed 2111 for a sedentary woman, which is wildly inaccurate.

Not really - she weighs 16 stone. Carrying around a 16 stone body is energy intensive. When I was 15 stone my TDEE was 2400 and I wasn't particularly active - met 10k steps a day and worked out once a week. It was accurate too as I lost weight calorie counting so I know what my TDEE was.

Jollyhockeystickss · 28/09/2025 14:50

I make that 3100 calories so that will be why

whimsicallyprickly · 28/09/2025 14:51

youve987456 · 28/09/2025 14:48

Not wanting to sound rude but you haven't cut down a hell of a lot. You are eating what some deem "healthier" but your calories probably haven't dropped much.

Chances are you have some insulin resistance so weight loss will be hard on the carb heavy diet you are having. My suggestion would be to look at higher protein and fat diets. Good luck.

Show quote history

That's a really good point re insulin resistance. Intermittent fasting can help with that. Just a thought. It might be too much for the OP?

TotallyUnapologeticOmnivore · 28/09/2025 14:51

I'd suggest cutting out all carbohydrates (other than salad/vegetables-you definitely need to be eating more of those) for a month and see if it makes a difference. And avoid fat-free anything-those concoctions are largely carbohydrate.

tinyspiny · 28/09/2025 14:52

I cannot lose weight calorie counting even on 1000 cals a day , the only way I lose weight or even maintain rather than gain is to eat low carb .

Overtheatlantic · 28/09/2025 14:52

I agree with what others have said and I would swap the pasta salad for a piece of chicken. Protein fills you up for longer and helps stabilise blood sugar. Best of luck 🌷

Woompund · 28/09/2025 14:53

tinyspiny · 28/09/2025 14:52

I cannot lose weight calorie counting even on 1000 cals a day , the only way I lose weight or even maintain rather than gain is to eat low carb .

You could if you weighed 16 stone!

forgotmyusername1 · 28/09/2025 14:53

I am trying to lose weight at the moment.
I am generally being very angelic during the week and being a bit laxer at the weekend

Weekday meals
Breakfast - yoghurt
Lunch - home made veg soup (make a batch for the week) and one slice of toast
Dinner - usually some kind of meat + carb + veg and an ice lolly or yoghurt desert.

Weekend will usually have toast for breakfast, lunch usually the same but maybe have a pack of crisps and dinner sat night is always burger and chips (film night) and Sunday usually a roast. Will normally have a bit of cake for pudding

By limiting the treats to two days a week I am not feeling deprived particularly but usually put on a pound or so over the weekend but lose it and a bit more over the week. Currently 7kg down in a month.

RabbitsEatPancakes · 28/09/2025 14:53

You're eating 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners.

Maybe cutting back has stopped you gaining but you need to cut back more to actual drop weight.

Barney16 · 28/09/2025 14:54

Too many carbs. Cut out all the bread and swop out the pasta salad for a salad. Drink loads of water. Up the exercise.