Why am I not losing weight?

[fedupofnamechanging]

Would really appreciate some help and suggestions.

I started my diet a couple of weeks ago and have been eating no more than 1200 calories per day. I am 5 ft 2 inches and weigh nearly 12 stone.

I have stopped eating rice and pasta, have cut right down on the bread (3 slices of homemade bread in 2 weeks) and only eat potatoes as part of a homemade soup or as part of a WW meal (am not doing WW, just eat some of the meals cos the calories are counted out for you).

I can't say that I have given up chocolate completely as I am a total chocoholic, but have cut right down and if I do eat some I account for it in my calorie count. I have stopped drinking alcohol (but do drink diet pepsi). and only have one sugar in coffee (again, accounted for).

But, fuck all is happening to my weight. I am scared that it will never come off.

Have made appt with doctor for thyroid test.

Help!

My fitness pal will work out number of calories...

At 5 foot 2, IMO 1200-1300 sounds about right.

Thyroid, thyroid, thyroid! Symptoms: weight gain/not losing weight when dieting. Excessive tiredness. Thining hair/losing hair (often eyebrows too). Puffy under eyes. Swollen neck. 'Fizzy' brain/thioughts (forgetful - like your brain is marshmallowy!). If it is undersactive, they will give you thyroxine and you wont believe how much better you will feel within weeks!

I am really forgetful. I forgot my own address at the opticians last week. They still had an old address on file, and that was all I could think of no matter how hard I tried! I put it down to having given up work and failing to use my brain like I used too, but maybe it is my thyroid.

Just did that BMR calculation.It was very interesting to find out what I actually need, so thanks for that. Based on being not especially active (which I am aiming to change), I need 1785 (approx) calories to maintain current weight, so cutting down to 1200 does seem about right.

Have followed advice today and had hard boiled eggs and ryvitas for breakfast and tuna for lunch. Did have some dark choc, but weighed it and stopped at 110 calories, rather than polishing off the lot (as I would quite like to do).

See, my brain is fuzzy. Can't get the hang of the italics thingy

Don't calorie count and don't eat/drink "diet" stuff - it's full of crap.

Look at the low-GI diets: the slow-carb diet (google it) is extremely simple and you get too eat loads of good protein, veg and pulses. It's extremely healthy.

You also get a cheater day when you can eat as much pasta, chocolate and drink as much booze as you want :)

If you are craving snacks then olives, nuts and hoummos with veg sticks are great and filling.

I've ditched the diet coke and bought fizzy water and decaff coffee today. Have also reduced sugar to half a teaspoon per cup of coffee and tried to eat more protein.

I like the idea of a cheater day, but I have very little will power. I think if I have days where I can eat lots of choc, I will fall off the wagon

Jax that is fab it gives me hope to lose some weight by the time I go away in june. This time last year I had lost the same amount of weight but I have just plonked it all back on and cannot get motivated again. Well done though its a fab feeling.

This is exactly what happened to me last year! I spent 6 months on a diet like that before anything came off. Eventually I lost 1 stone in the following 6 months and for some reason I've now lost another 2 stone since Jan. Very odd.

Even odder than that, despite losing 3 stone in all that time, I've not gone down a single dress size! All my clothes fit exactly as they did when I started.

I'm officially a freak.