How can I lose weight?

[FrackThoseCylons]

I'm struggling to lose any weight, and have been for a few years now. I am not overweight by much (about 11st5 at 5ft7) but I really feel it as weight exacerbates some of my chronic conditions (likelihood of osteoporosis in future so want to keep it down.)

I eat very, very little, or so others tell me. If I go to a restaurant, I never have a starter or dessert and can barely manage half the main. I suffer from oesaphagitis (chronic reflux condition) so being full makes me very uncomfortable, so I don't eat until I am full. On a typical day, I eat no breakfast, for lunch I'll have something like a salad with a bit of cheese or egg, for tea will be stir fry or chilli or similar, all with tiny portion of carbs. I don't snack apart from occasional biscuit (cake can leave me in pain) and drink about 3 cups of tea a day with one sugar each, and occasional drink of hot chocolate at night.

Someone suggested I might be in starvation mode, but I thought that was only a myth? I decided to try and get out of it by eating more, but it just made me pile on weight. I then joined slimming world with a friend and couldn't believe how much they told us to eat, I ate half what it said and still put on weight.

Ideally I'd like to be 10 stone which I was a few years ago. Unfortunately, my health means I can't exercise and I am sitting/lying a lot of the day which doesn't help, but I don't know where to go from here. I feel like I put on weight if I eat one little treat or piece of bread, it's just daft.

I tried 5:2 but couldn't sustain it because it made me too weak on fast days and on the drugs I'm on it's not a good idea. Also used MFP for a long while and it kept saying I was coming up well below the TDEE and should be losing weight, but only ever lost say 1lb a week then it's on again the next.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong, and how I can go about sensibly losing weight? I'm flummoxed!

Sounds like you are very inactive due to your conditions and some of your meds may not be helping either. You certainly aren't eating a lot imo -I certainly eat tons more than than and am much lighter and taller!

Have you had a thyroid check and do any of your conditions involve retaining water-swollen ankles could be a sign?

Could you exercise in water to help take impact of your joints?

Sorry-loads of questions and not many answers

Thanks StraponDodo

I did get a thyroid check about ten years ago now as part of other checks and there was nothing wrong then, but I was a lot lighter then, might be worth asking again I suppose.

I get terribly swollen ankles, especially in the summer, doctor says it's a common side affect of one of my conditions (breathing related.)

Swimming is actually the only exercise I can tolerate. at the moment I'm not getting out of the house but I really need to try and get back into it if I can. I can't do any kind of cardio though with it, only gentle strokes but every little helps I suppose.

Thanks for your post. :)

So some of the weight may be water-which is not the sort of weight you can lose by dieting unfortunately. Definitely worth a thyroid check-things change in ten years and it's a simple thing to do.

As far as exercise goes, try not to think of it as an all or nothing thing-just moving more even if it's just a bit of throwing away junk in the house or walking to post a letter or something.

Try not to beat yourself up though, it sounds like you are having a hard time health wise.

Thankyou. I do beat myself up a lot, because I want to be so much more active than I am and get so frustrated. Small steps though.

Anyone else have serious trouble losing weight?

Its tricky because you do not eat much, but because you are so inactive your TDEE (energy needs) are very, very low.

One suggestion that might help is to try some pilates or yoga at home : there are lots of videos on youtube of routines where you are lying down but working all of your muscles.

If you can get the muscles and bloodflow working then your fluid retention might ease
and Y Y Y to getting into the pool.
Even if you just march up and down pulling with your hands you will tone your muscles, up the blood flow and get your whole system working better

does your pool have any gently classes like pilates?

My local pool doesn't have much at all, closed for swimming lessons in the day then at night its too much for me to get out.

Pilates etc in living room is a really good idea and I'll look into some dvd s. I think I've just got really despondent about exercise as I've been ill for so long and I forget the benefits of even a small amount. I used to love the gym when I was better. Something gentle would be just right if I can motivate myself.

Blogilates is good, try here

And this yoga channel is really good

Thankyou, talkin. They look helpful. I think I just needed to come on here and say it's got to this point where I am so inactive and I want to get out of it. It's not even just about the extra weight. Winter is always bad for me but some of these exercises would help I think.

If you get your abdominal muscles working, that will increase blood flow around your whole digestive system which can only help with the medical issues.

One of my Yoga teachers has been known to do a whole 1 hour advanced class lying on the mat - it is really hard work if you aim to make the whole of your body stronger.

But it is a mindset thing - work within your limitations and creep them outwards a millimetre at a time

Good luck and keep us posted

Thankyou. I actually feel motivated to do something. I'm going to have a go tomorrow at one of those YouTube tutorials and see how I go. :)

How's it going OP?

Thanks Dodo. I actually managed a little walk this morning (took DD to orthodontist) which was more than I'd done for a long time, so feel more positive. For losing weight I think I'm going to stop concentrating on eating less as I already don't eat enough really and instead try and move a little each day with Pilates etc. Hopefully that will help. Also going to ask my consultant re thyroid stuff next week.

Good call. There are two ways to lose weight. Eat less or move more. The latter sounds like your best bet

:) Thankyou.

That's great that you got out- it's just a case of gradually building up, just one day at a time.

I'm off to orthodontist with DS, but keep posting!

your weight is fine but clearly your health is not. Please nag for further medical tests and help, stay away from the diet peddlers as they are not the place for you. Especially not SW who suggest sugary 'diet' foods, rubbish packet pasta and so on!

the weight range for your height also includes 10 stone - just be aware that too thin is bad for osteoporosis, or indeed for anyone.

BTW I'm a BIG eater and even I am now going for 'light bite' portions, the serving sizes have got really American in the last few years.

roll on Dec 22 when the daylight hours start increasing, this time of year is really miserable and tat-mas doesn't help.

Thankyou. This time of year is definitely the hardest, I have COPD and it sucks in winter and drains all energy.

I think I'd like to be somewhere in middle of bmi ideally, 10 to 10.5 stone or so.

Went out for lunch, managed soup and a roll but was too full so skipping tea. I know that's not a good idea but I feel so poorly when I'm too full. I know it's all skewed.

Specialsubject I agree re sw and how they promote rubbish sugar free stuff etc and low fat stuff, all those chemicals in low fat spread and yoghurt and the aspartame in sugar free squash makes me feel so much worse.

Frackthose
Skipping meals is not a problem so long as you do it consciously and plan your overall intake.
Plenty of fluids if you skip a meal.

and YY to specil about dark grey days.
I do not mind cold, I just want sunny.

and so say all of us!!