Eat less, move more not really working...

[abbey44]

Hi - I need some help, I think. Or maybe just encouragement.

I've been doing the low-carb low-calorie eating plan (8 Week Blood Sugar Diet) for a few weeks now, and it was going well to start with, but seems to have ground to a halt. In fact, since Friday I've actually PUT ON 2lbs, which is bloody frustrating. I have lost just over a stone, but have about three more to lose, so I'm not approaching that last few pounds that are hard to shift.

I have the same breakfast every day - 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of low-carb Livlife toast (3.5g carb), which keeps me going (and keeps my blood sugar level) till my early evening meal of, for example, chicken breast with salad or vegetables (about 10-15g carbs). Total calories are about 800 a day.

I walk my dogs daily, averaging about an hour and a half a day at a good brisk pace, so get a reasonable amount of exercise, I'd say.

I don't drink alcohol, record everything on MyFitnessPal, and monitor my blood sugar regularly (I'm type 1 diabetic, so this is important).

I know low-carb works, as I've done it before with good results, but this time I feel like I'm struggling. My weight just doesn't seem to be shifting, and after a plateau, it's even started to go up. God knows how! And the amount of insulin I'm needing isn't seeming to reduce like I remember it did the last time. I do have an appointment with my diabetes specialist, but not for a few weeks, and I'd really like to feel I could make a bit more progress before I see him.

I get so bloody frustrated, and when people smugly assert "eat less, move more works every time" I really want to shout that no, it doesn't.

Anybody have any ideas/comments/words of wisdom please?

Over a stone in a few weeks is pretty fast, tbh. It's natural for women's weight to fluctuate with the time of the month, full bowel etc.

But with no diet can you expect to lose your last stone as fast as your first stone and nor should you because you will lose a lot of muscle. When you think about it, you didn't put the weight on in just a few weeks.

Have You heard of the whoosh effect? basically, when you lose weight your fat cells empty, but because the body likes to try and preserve the status quo, as they empty of fat they fill with water..this means the scales can stay the same, or even go up, and it masks the fact that you are actually losing weight..at some point the body gives up (often triggered by a cheat day, or a glass of alchohol) and the water is released and you lose a lot of weight " overnight " - this is the " whoosh " ( to be clear, you don't, you already lost the weight, gradually, but you lose the water that is masking that.) It's a well attested to occurrence and I have experienced it myself, once " losing 5lbs overnight. " I would persevere and I am sure the scales will move again soon. Weight loss is never simple or straightforwardly linear unfortunately.

That calorie count is harsh! I know body going into starvation mode and slowing your metabolism has been largely discredited, but could that be happening? I can’t imagine 800 cals per day is a great idea with T1 diabetes as well.

I would have thought a minimum of 1300 cals would be healthier.

I tend to assume people aren’t exercising as much as they think they are, but your calorie count just isn’t enough to safely support any exercise, especially with your condition.

Thanks, PolkaDotty, that makes sense. I am persevering, and am trusting that it will all work in the end, but it's discouraging when you see negative changes. Maybe I'll have a glass of wine tonight and see if that triggers the whoosh

PickAChew, yes, a stone is good going, but it's taken six weeks, which isn't that fast, really. And I'm a long time past the 'time of the month' stage, so I can't factor that in, either. I know the last stone won't come off as fast as the first, but like I said, I'm a long way from that final stone too. It's more that the weight loss seems to have stalled completely - or even reversed over the last few days - which was getting me.

Hey, a stone in six weeks is really excellent. Last time I lost weight (have just restarted) I was doing two days at 800cals, followed by one day at 2000, repeat ad infinitum..I was swimming a mile 3 to 5 times a week, walking 3 or 4 miles (sometimes more) 5 times a week, plus doing weights/rowing machine etc at the gym..all that and I was only losing half a stone a month..so you have done really really well.

Thanks. I guess I just want to see a bit more of a difference! It always seems to go on a darn sight faster than it ever comes off.

That's an impressive amount of exercise a week - you must have been pretty toned after all that.

Maybe try strength training to up your metabolism?

It depends on the kind of physical exercise that you do. You don't only need to take in less food but rather eat healthy specially foods that are high in fiber. You need to not only be doing a daily exercise but really sweat out the routines because that's the burning point of stored fats.

You need to eat lunch.

Seems to me you're not eating enough calories which will make your body store fat. Throw in some meat/salad/veg for your lunch too.

You should be having a bare minimum of 1000 calories a day even though most nutritionists will say 1200.

Maybe try some cardio exercises too. Jogging on the spot, star jumps etc. Or look up hiit videos on YouTube.

It's also common for your weight to plateau for a few weeks, just don't give up and it'll come off.

I'd wager you're not eating enough calories, 800 is way too low especially if you're active. I'd up the amount by 200-300 a day with decent protein dense foods and see if you notice a difference

Don't give up. Try not to be disheartened, you are doing all the right things as it will start moving again soon.

Are you not getting enough calories? It's ok to calorie restrict for a few days but the other days you want to increase them, Or when you have your dinner are you having too many calories?

Sounds like you need to eat more.

Big salad for lunch, with lots of protein and fat?

Zombie thread, people...