Is it possible to be unable to lose wright?

[Farlarful]

I’ve embarked on a weight loss regime for the first time in a number of years. I’ve successfully lost weight before - but menopausal now.

I was chatting to a 70yo woman who goes to Slimming World every week, has previously lost 3 stone doing it. But now she says she follows it to the letter but never loses weight. She’s not active due to hip problems. She feels she’s just unable to lose weight. This idea terrifies me.

Logically I know it’s improbable but I wondered if medical conditions can prevent weight loss in the way they can weight gain. I realise this woman may be deceiving herself over how strictly she follows the plan of course. But it’s got me paranoid that I’ll be in her position, particularly as I’m in menopause.

I’m doing keto rather than SW as starchy carbs are my downfall so I need to cut them out completely.

I'd say that in the extreme no, everyone can lose weight.

However, can you lose weight whilst still feeling like you can function as a human? Maybe for some people the answer is no.

No it’s not possible to be unable to lose weight. It is perfectly possible that a plan which worked for someone as a younger more active person would not work as an older less active person.

Im doing SW and there have been a good few women - older usually - who havent got to grips with the plan. Think they are following it and arent

Im post menopause and whilst the weight loss is slow, its coming off and Im not feeling like Im depriving myself of anything - just over 2 stone in a year, but dropped 3 dress sizes

Everyone can lose weight but there are factors that will make it more difficult for certain people.

Half the problem is people not being truthful to themselves about what they put in their mouth - and I don't mean that harshly but that tbsp of oil when cooking, the tbsp of mayo or dressing - it adds up REALLY quickly when you are trying to lose weight. Which is why I believe calorie counting is a better way because you really learn where those hidden calories are.

It’s entirely possible the older member is sticking to it and not losing weight. Given the huge list of free foods and the low metabolic rate of a sedentary 70 year old. She could need 1500 calories a day to maintain weight and manage to eat this while sticking to all the SW rules for a day’s eating, so wouldn’t have any weight loss at all.

i’m going through menopause started a month ago lost 8lb in total then did weigh in for this week gained 5lb and i have stuck to it feel so disappointed ii have eaten pasta and rice a lot and feel
so
backed up
and full
suffer with tummy and feel
its
to
carby for
me
help??

I can't seem to either. Was OK until 6 months ago. Placemarking.

well why have you made all your meals pasta and rice when there are millions of foods out there to choose from?

You cant just eat pasta and rice because it says "free" , you need 1/3 to 1/2 the plate filled with speed and then add the protein and carb

It's feels like it for me right now I went on HRT 6 months ago and have put on 10kg.

I've reduced calories, moving and exercising more I've added in fasting and still it keeps going on and on, almost 1.5kg weekly now.

Other than dropping to 800calories and training 7 days a week I'm not sure what the answer is? .

I'm actually coming off the HRT for 6 months to see if it's me or the hormones!

The benefits of HRT so far have been great in stopping other symptoms but this weight gain is mitigating the benefits as being overweight will be more detrimental to my long term health.

I've been on steroids for 25 years. I was a small, curvy size 12 when I started and I immediately gained a lot of weight. I was on a high dose to start with and stayed on it for years. I find it almost impossible to lose weight, even after serious surgery and not eating, in the normal sense, for two weeks, very minimal impact. I've been referred to the Bariatric clinic after all these years and Ozempic under strict supervision is being proposed.

No.

I sympathise. Premenopausal and now I have to drop below 1000 calories a day to see any weight loss. It's miserable as I'm constantly hungry. A few years ago I could eat 500 calories a day more & still lose weight.
Really annoying when people say 'well just cut calories and exercise more' as though it's really easy, yeah great, I'm starving as it is!

But you could technically have LOADS of pasta, and loads of salad with loads of lean protein on an enormous plate. It would still be on plan, but it would be an enormous amount of calories and you wouldn’t lose weight.

I always wonder why bread is syns on SW but pasta/rice/potatoes are free? It doesn’t make sense to me.

you need 1/3 to 1/2 the plate filled with speed

That'll do the trick

Yep, I calorie count and the amount of times I see someone reference (as a healthy snack) 'a handful of nuts'. I weigh my nuts out, I had 20g of cashews today, its miniscule. A handful can easily be 50g or more. And the problem with nuts is that a handful flies straight into your gob, and another handful is quite easy. But you'll tell yourself 'its just a handful of nuts'

Nothing wrong with nuts, they are good for you, lots of good nutrition in them but calorific i fyou are in a calorie deficit.

Same with my salad today, I put 2 tablespoons of olive oil on it, you wouldnt know it, it all went into the tomatoes and creutons etc, but thats 240 cals right off the bat, and 30g of fat.

I think my experiences with SW over the years that its very effective when you're young and/or you have quite a lot of weight to lose. But its too easy to go over your calorie deficit with the model they use if your calorie requirements are low so its less effective when you're older and slimmer, with only a stone or so to lose.

Because it really is quite easy to mindlessly eat half a loaf with butter and peanut butter and be hungry again an hour later :)

SW is easy enough, fill half your plate with speed - ie veg - no matter how big that plate is then use the other half to fill with protein and carbs

Scoff the lot, not a bother, but the thing is you will be full, you wont be hungry 20 mins later and reaching for the biscuits

Seriously I used to have the typical meal deal lunch - sandwich, crisps and drink - perhaps add a chocolate bar. Now my bread is syned to the hilt, lunch is no longer that, now its an open sandwich, 1 slice of wholemeal, topped to the rafters with salad and pickles and perhaps a tin of tuna. I need to eat it with a knife and fork, takes me 3 or 4 times as long to get in me then they old tuna sandwich, and Im full, dont need or look for crisps or the chocolate bar

Wholemeal bread is allowed ( either 1 or 2 slices depending on brand ) because of the fibre content as a HEB for those that struggle to break the bread habit

Pasta and rice is free, eat enough to fill you, not eat enough to burst a button. When I first started SW I would easily eat 300g dried weight of pasta before I felt full. I use to kid myself it was healthy because I was only taking it drizzled ( smothered) with olive oil and parmasen. Now a year on, if Im taking pasta its wholemeal and its filled with peppers, mushrooms, spinach, abubergine, courgettes etc and Id be hard pushed to finish 150gr dried weight.

If she really is following it to the letter then she needs to address portion control.

I agree, it does get harder the older you are and the closer to target weight you become

For me, those last 4lb took months. Weight and Height and activity level, I need only 1300 calories to maintain and tbh its not easy. I tend to have weekends off, go with the flow, although now I do have good/better habits ingrained so its not like Im face palming the cake tin, and then Monday to Friday reign it in and mindfully chose speed over everything. Not to say I dont have enough of the other food groups, I do my best, but I keep the bread bin closed and avoid the sweet treats

I did SW with a brilliant woman in Oxford Street. She stressed the need to eat sensibly, and not eat massive piles of pasta because they were free food, and to go for sensible portions. She also said you should have a look at your “syns” and consider cutting back on these if you weren’t losing weight. She also suggested moving more might be helpful!

yes, she’s fantastic! She talks a lot of sense, eg if you have a baked potato for lunch, don’t have a carby dinner.

Don't know the answer, but I was only successful in losing weight after I got diagnosed with T2 and started medication. I think high blood sugar can stop you losing weight. I've lost a lot, but it seems to have stopped now.