Trying to lose weight

[XStardustX]

I'm currently awaiting to start my first ivf cycle next month.
Since my last weigh in , I've gained 3 lbs as a result of other fertility medication and I'm struggling to lose it.
I've been advised that if I'm not at the required bmi of 30 by my next weigh in my treatment will be cancelled. I've worked so hard to lose over 2 stone in the past year.
Has anyone been in this situation trying to lose stubborn while while trying for a baby ?
I don't know how to really go about it as it's just not shifting and I don't want to do anything drastic as I don't want to compromise on egg quality going into my ivf so it's important I'm getting nutrients and enough calories.
I'm walking , doing light weights, sleeping well, haven't ate crisps, buns and other junk but I feel like im not progressing anywhere.
Trying to seek out a gps appointment is not possible unless urgent. I don't really know where to turn for advice how I can lose weight safely while trying to get pregnant

Can you track your calories? Junk food makes it hard to lose weight, but lots of nutritious food is still high calorie.
when you say you’re walking, how much are you walking? Can you walk more? Could you jog sometimes as well? Are you raising your heart rate when you walk?
weights are good for overall fitness, but they are unlikely to help you lose much weight quickly, so maybe focus on your cardio this month whilst it’s so important
reduce your salt intake as that can cause water retention, and watch your diet, I think that’s all you can do. I’m sure with a huge amount of focus and a goal, it’ll be hard but is manageable in a month.

And well done on the 2st you’ve already lost!

You need to be in a calorie defecit in order to lose weight. 3500 calories = 1lb (roughly, on average)

If diet isn't working for you then you need to start doing more frequent, intense exercise to burn more calories.

HiiT is good for losing calories, as is jogging, cycling and swimming. Walking and weights, unfortunately, aren't really the best for calorie burning. If you really want to stick with those activities, you need to do them for longer, more intensely and more frequently. If walking, the faster you walk, the more calories you burn. You shoukd probably drop the weights for now though, as it's nit good for weight loss, it redistributes weight as muscle gain (so you'll lose fat but not necessarily lose weight)

So keep eating the same way (I.e do not increase calorie intake) but exercise more and choose or adjust exercises to burn the most calories.

Can you get a personal trainer? That's going to be your best shot. Tell them your goal and timeline and they should be able to put an exercise plan in place for you. They understand it all better than you will, so they'll know what the best weight loss regimen is going to be.

Calorie deficit is the thing to aim for, definitely. Use this calculator to find out your BMR (basal metabolic rate). https://www.diabetes.co.uk/bmr-calculator.html

This tells you how much you burn from just living! Then you need to figure out how much you are eating vs. how much movement you are doing. Actively exercising, like going to the gym or going for a run, burns some calories, but NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) accounts for much more. NEAT covers everything from housework, to walking, to fidgeting. Essentially everything you do that isn't sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise.

You can eat less or move more to get into a calorie deficit. How much one or the other works for you is a personal preference, but weight loss does start in the kitchen. Weighing/measuring your food for a few weeks and logging the calories is a really useful thing to do to find out exactly how much you're eating. As a PP has said, you can eat all healthy food but still eat more than you're burning off, so it's a bit of a learning process.

The only thing I disagree with from PP is to give up lifting weights (and definitely don't stop walking, it's brilliant for you - massively underrated!). I've lost 10kg in around 3 months whilst only doing light cardio, eating 2000 calories a day, hitting at least 9k steps and lifting weights 3 times a week. Unless you're doing really heavy/progressive lifting you should be fine to keep going as it takes a lot to put on 1lb of muscle compared to how much it takes to lose 1lb of fat.