Stopped eating wheat, now 2 stone lighter but not that much smaller

[happywilly]

Following an exclusion diet I discovered that I am wheat intolerant (already dairy intolerant).

I have cut wheat out of my diet completely for the last 4/5 months and have lost almost 2.5 stone. I now weigh 9 stone 10lbs but am still a similar size to when I was a couple of stone heavier (size 14/16), just more squidgy now.

Admittedly, I haven't exercised, would that make a difference. If so what should I a reasonably unfit person do from home?

30 day shred. Every day 25 mins.

Would alo recommend 30 Day Shred, there is loads of support here for people doing it as there are so many of us.

Out of interest is it only wheat you have reduced or have you reduced other foods? Protein?

Do you wear really stretchy clothes? Maybe that's why you don't feel much smaller, because your stretchy clothes still fit.

What's your BMI now?

The reason why 30 day shred important is that if you have lost weight but you don't look much thinner, then you might have lost muscle rather than fat. This is likely to have happened if you didn't eat much protein and didn't do any weight bearing exercise as you lost the weight. Eating more protein and doing weight bearing exercise will help increase muscle mass.

BMI irrelevant, totally possible to have a healthy BMI yet have too much fat - google "skinny fat" to learn more. Waist measurement is a better gauge.

Forever - your comments about fat and waist measurements above do not tie in with my stats. I run 3-4 times a week. I weigh 63kg - BMI 21, waist measurement 27.5in but the machine in boots suggested my body fat was 33% - which was higher than their figure for "average"...my waist is pretty small yet it's not providing an accurate prediction of body fat - or maybe the machine in boots in wrong.

I know BMI's irrelevant from a health point of view (IMO the healthy range goes up way too high). I just want an idea of what sort of size she is, and whether it's a mental thing, ie. mentally seeing herself as still big when she's not. Maybe I should have said 'how tall are you?' instead.

Your stats sound great, Betty. What type of machine was it? The ones where you stand barefoot on some metal pads?

You stood on scales and held onto two handles. I didn't take my shoes off because it wasn't my weight I was interested in measuring - do you think the machine got confused by my shoes? I just struggle to see how I have above average body fat...it just doesn't seem right.

I am always about 33% body fat. Even when I'm slim I'm big chested. My conclusion is that the average body fat thing may well be based on males!

If it didn't have metal pads to stand on, the fact that you didn't take your shoes off shouldn't make a difference, but I thought they all had them and they send an electric current through your whole body and down through your feet. Do you feel flabby or toned? Do you do any strength exercises?

Nickoka those machines usually account for gender. I'm not sure about them though, because when I get on the scales under my husband's profile I'm about 8% fat! It seems to be going off weight in that instance, because surely a man with my fat profile has a lot more fat than would be considered normal!

I have ample norks maybe that was the problem. I think I'm going to try again without my shoes.

Using the tape measurement approach my stats are:

Body Mass Index: 21.0 kg/m2
Waist-to-Height ratio: 0.40
Percent Body Fat: 22.8%
Lean Body Mass: 48.6 kg

Do I feel flabby? Well I have extra fat floating around - my thighs are bigger than I'd like but I didn't think it was as bad as the Boots scale suggested. Am I in denial? Or are Boots trying to flog dieting drugs which were heavily advertised on the print out?

LOL at heavily advertised dieting drugs!

I've never heard of waist to height (heard of waist to hip) ratio. Wonder what the heck that is!?

Just Googled and did an online calculator thingie and it tells me I should 'take car' with my waist to height ratio, and has a picture of a haggard and stooping person.

I wonder how they managed in the olden days without all these calculators!

It says...

Waist-to-Height Ratio - The Waist-to-Height ratio is determined by dividing the waist circumference by the height. Waist-to-Height ratios of 0.5 or greater are indicative of intra-abdominal fat for both men and women and are associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. A study found that persons with a normal BMI but a large waist circumference, corresponding approximately to a Waist-to-Height ratio of 0.55, had a 20% higher mortality risk than persons with a normal waist size

*'take care', not 'take car'

If its a hand held one on really measures body fat on upper part of body. One you stand (barefoot) on measures lower part. So if you have large norks handheld will overestimate. If you have huge thighs the ones you stand on will overestimate.

I'd guess bodyfat around say 25%?

It's not great though is it? - I have ample norks 32DD but my upper body is very slim - I have v slim arms, neck, ribs and collar bone poke through. This machine made no caveat as to its limitations in terms of its accuracy in reading overall body fat and it was only that the figure seemed so shocking that I questioned it.

MyChildDoesntNeedSleep In the olden days people weren't rich enough to be fat and when they were it was something to be proud of - a grand display of wealth! And they didn't have health stats constantly pumped at them by the media and the NHS.

Your figure sounds lovely you bitch

Waist up is fine - big thighs aren't very lovely though especially when you are a trouser gal.

Anyhow apologies to op for sidetracking her thread. No idea how you lose 2 stone without changing clothes size - my only suggestion would be that you have now been weighing yourself at a consistent time every day combined with stretchy clogh or that you scales are broken

Meant stretchy clothes - darned iPone and fat fingers.

Gosh, lots of responses, thank you.

jellibelli & forever Only wheat that I have cut out completely, although I have been dairy free for a lot longer. If anything my protein intake is higher now to compensate for the lack of bread, breakfast cereal, pasta.

forever I suspect you are right about the loss of muscle, not helped by prolonged illness and lack of any kind of exercise

mychild No, I don't wear really stretchy clothes! My BMI is 24.7 now

BettyB I was weighed and measured at the hospital a couple of weeks ago, my weight was the same on their scales as mine!

So the shred it is then, hopefully that will sort me out. The only way I can think of describing my problem is if you blow up a balloon the first day and it is very firm and tight, the next day, it might look the same size but it is so squashy, I'm squashy!