Eating less, exercising more but no weight loss. What am I doing wrong??

[CaringForPod]

So, two weeks or so after deciding I need to shift some pounds, I've gone nowhere.

I'm eating more healthily, exercising more (last week did 100 lengths in the pool, walked EVERYWHERE and did exercises at home) but have so far lost zilch.

This is really depressing me. I'm 5'3" and weigh 10 stone 9lbs. Which, as every god-damn calculator thing likes to tell me, is overweight.

I haven't got the answer but I am interested as you have basically described me I'm the same height and weight and have been exercising and watching weight for nearly six weeks. I seem to lose a pound then put it back on?
I'm wondering whether I am not eating enough and if my age is a factor?

OK so all the exercise is not going to make an impact on your weight so soon - it takes 3500 to lose 1lb and not suire all that exercise would have added up to that!

When you say eat healthily, did you reduce your calories? at the end of the day it is this that will make the difference - weight loss is more aided by 1200 calories of crap food than 2000 of good stuff!

Could it be portion size? It is all very well eating healthily but if you aren't eating less then you aren't reducing your calories.

It might be worth doing a food diary too just in case you are eating things without realising. Have you seen Food Focus which is a free tool to help you keep track of what exactly you are eating and how many calories it might be until you know for sure that you are consuming less.

Thanks all. By eating healthily I mean I've ditched biscuits and cakes. I'm snacking on fruit, a couple of oatcakes. I used to have a massive bowl of cereal for breakfast, but now a smaller one with fruit. I don't drink fruit juices and sugary drinks, just water and sugar free squash.

I flipping hate food diaries - ironically, I am a recovered anorexic so had to do the bloody things all the time. My past issues have meant that this weight gain from the baby (now 10 weeks old) is causing me major mental problems. I feel physically sick when I look at myself sometimes, and my wedding photos from last year just upset me. I just want to feel good about myself, but can't.

I used to be really active - biking to/from work, going to the gym, swimming - but now with the baby I'm really limited as to how much I can do as he's still so dependent on me.

Different things work for different people. I agree though that more calories of good food more likely to lead to weight loss than less calories of rubbish - but eating too much good food will make weight loss difficult too.

Try cutting right down on processed carbs for a couple of weeks & have protein at each meal and see if this helps (what cereal are you having?).

To get over a plateau I cut down on carbs even further (including fruit) but have been able to reintroduce and maintain.

In terms of exercise - 100 lengths (assume 25m) is only one hour in the pool, say 400-500 calories. To loose a pound need a deficit of 3,500.

BUT BUT your baby is tiny! I didn't start my diet until he was 6 months old (and I was more overweight than you) and by his birthday I looked & felt great. Are you still breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding didn't work out - another reason I feel like a bit of a failure. Cereal-wise, I either have shredded wheat, weetabix or porridge.

I jut can't do more exercise, I simply don't have the time.Going swimming twice last week was a miracle. So I think how the hell am I meant to shift this weight if I can't exercise. I mean, I walk everywhere when we're out and about at home - walking into town from my house is a good 30 minutes and I do it briskly. I then rush about like a headless chicken.

I feel awful about myself. My husband is really supportive and says I'm beautiful the way I am, but I hate the way I look.

WHat kind of regime did you follow to lose your weight, foreveronadiet?

Caringforpod, come and join us on the Paul McKenna thread if you don't want to calorie count. We are very friendly and some of us have had a lot of success. It's more about listening to your body than anything.

Here we are

My regime:
a) exercise every day, either gym (cardio at start with some weights), then training for triathlon (did sprint triathlon in June!). 30DS or EA sports active for wii on non gym days. If you are stuck in in evenings I'd say go for walking in day and JM DVD at night.
b) I started off with tesco diets, totals plan (bit like weightwatchers but I think stricter) and logged everything I ate. By around 9 10 (I am 5 4) I hit a plateau for several weeks and cut down on carbs (I did eat fat free yoghurts & cottage cheese though, but no cereals, rice, fruit or starchy veg) and logged on MFP instead (trying to keep to 1200 cals). Now am 8 10 with around 20% bodyfat and am very toned.

Food diaries work for me as find it hard to have willpower without.

My body does a weird thing whereby I can diet (or overeat) for ages and it doesn't seem to change, then suddenly it looses a chunk of weight (or puts it on if I have been overeating) all at once. It defies science, but it seems to happen with me. I'd keep at it for a bit.

Also, your menstrual cycle and water retention may be influencing the scales.

Also, if you have just given up breastfeeding in the last couple of months, your body may still be retaining fat due to hormones.

I would wear some nice but slightly baggy clothes and avoid mirrors for a bit and you will find it soon falls off (I always feel better about myself if I avoid mirrors when I am carrying an extra few pounds).