Slow Weight Loss - Why?

[YesAnastasia]

I have been doing a few different things recently but I don't feel like I have lost much (if any) weight at all.

I have read the first few chapters of 'Why Do You Overeat? When all you want is to be slim' so am essentially doing low carb. A few weeks before that I gave up wheat. I do cheat every so often (maybe once a week - usually chocolate/sweets) but compared to my diet before, I don't understand why it isn't falling off me. I feel as fat as ever. (and I am really rather fat). I haven't eaten bread/pasta/potato for months :(

I don't weigh myself because for me, psychologically, it hinders my progress (if I lose weight I think I can eat, if I gain I comfort eat...) and for a few other reasons.

I've been seriously trying this time and I'm afraid if I don't start to feel better soon I'll lose the momentum and give up entirely.

Any tips? Insights?

Make sure you are eating enough!! If you don't eat enough your body goes into starvation mode and holds onto every calorie as it thinks it may not be fed again for a while.

Take measurements - we really should go by inches than weight anyway (if only I could take this advise, lol)

1 lb a week is a perfect weight loss....slow but the slower it comes off, the longer it stays off. 1 lb a week equates to 4 stone a year.

Are you exercising??

If you are being good all week, that weekly cheat you are having may well ruin the whole weeks work - try and be realistic all the time so you dont feel the need to cheat.

HTH and good luck :)

Why don't you try proper low carbing? Join the bootcamp threads?

Also are you drinking enough water? If you are low carbing you need to drink loads of water - not drinking enough can hinder weightloss.

what exercise are you doing?

I haven't been doing any exercise actually and I have definitely been eating enough.

I can't afford to low carb completely, I'm a SAHM & we're struggling quite a bit (and DH is vegetarian) so my mum has been making my dinners every night. The rest of the time it's salad & eggs. The money is also the reason I don't go to a slimming class.

If I was losing a pound a week, I would have noticed 5 pounds so far.

I had a tummy tuck then put on a bit of weight after, I'm desperate for it to go back to how it was so I can tell the surgeon I'm not happy (because I can't say that if I have gained weight!)

I drink a lot of tea throughout the day so quite a lot of milk (1%)

I know it's the cheating but I have completely changed what I eat - probably cutting out up to 70% of my previous sugar intake. I may as well eat badly if it makes no difference...I'm getting very negative about it.

Also, I hardly ever drink alcohol these days - I drank a lot in my youth & I was still loads slimmer ??

I'm not an expert on low carbing but I have recently lost 2 1/2 stone through lower cals. I totally understand why you don't want to weigh yourself but just thought I'd say you wouldn't necessarily notice 5lbs weightloss. A lot of initial weightloss is water. I weigh myself weekly but don't think I 'noticed' my weightloss (in terms of clothes feeling looser) until I'd lost about 8 or 9 lbs. I started at 13 st 9. I also find that I can lose weight without losing inches and then lose inches without necessarily losing weight. The human body can be very weird and annoying.

So I'm trying to say don't give up!

Well I have a history of an eating disorder (bulimia) & found that if I have scales in the house, I get obsessed and very unhealthy about weight loss.

Yes, I do find that even if I haven't lost weight, I can lose inches. I will start to measure.

I might add another diet on top & eat as I am but have 2 fast days. God, what a life!

Thanks JohnnyDeppsfuturewife - I'm really trying to boost my willpower & it would be much easier if I could see some results to spur me on.

Also, if you have a lot of milk in the day maybe think about switching to something like almond milk.

I have the unsweetened almond milk now, it is 26 cals per 200 ml, as opposed to semi skimmed being about 100 cals for the same....it saves loads of calories :)

1 lb a week is a perfect weight loss....slow but the slower it comes off, the longer it stays off. 1 lb a week equates to 4 stone a year.

Excellent advice!