Dieting and exercise for over 6 months and lost no weight

[RabbitsPikasAndHares]

I've been eating clean and exercising since October and I'm starting to get really discouraged by the fact that not only have I not lost any weight, I seem to have gained a few pounds :(

I'm 5 foot 6, and currently weight 14 stone 10 and seem to carry it all around the middle (39 ich waist!!!). And frustratingly, all the time in the gym seems to have made this worse, as my arms and legs have toned up, but I still have a horrible huge fat belly.

I gym 3 times a week for an hour doing a mixture of cardio & weights

For food I;ve been aiming for around 1500 a day which should be well withing the range for a steady loss at my weight & height:

Breakfast: Overnight oats with chia seeds, OR meusli and soya yogurt. Coffee with milk no sugar.

Lunch: Noodle salad with tofu & veg (either veg based noodles for lower carbs or japanese buckwheat noodles) OR Oatcakes with nut butter and carrot sticks.

Snack: Apple

A few coffees throughout the day (just normal instant coffee, not calorific takeaway ones)

Dinner: Curry (Usually lentil & veg based) and rice Or Pasta etc. Normal veggie dinner things. Pudding once a week.

I don't drink, I rarely eat out (probably about 3 or 4 times in the last 6 months)

I'm feeling a bit confused about where I'm going so wrong! I know that my diet could be more restricted, but that is something I know couldn't work as it would be unsustainable, and low/no carb would be tricky as I;m a vegetarian. I don't have the free time or energy to up the hours at the gym. It's depressing as I would have thought considering how heavy I am I would have at least lost a few pounds!

Any suggestions? Am I missing something obvious? Am I doomed to never shifting a single pound?? I'm feeling so discouraged that I'm considering Orlistat...

Blod - you might want to have a look at the bootcamp threads, there are some really good low carb recipe ideas on there

You need to go to the docs OP. You should be feeling energized if you are only exercising 3 times a week.

MAKE them take you seriously. You could just have low iron or B vits or your thyroid slightly off. Its worth just double checking.

Yes, for me 75-100 is very low. But that said, once I get more used to it I might be able to reduce that.

Low carb is the only thing that works for me. Zero exercise. Lost 8kg (1+ stone) in 10 weeks. Try it dietdoctor.co.uk

I would second that it's worth checking everything with the doc, just to put your mind at rest if nothing else.

I did that about 3 months ago as I expected to lose loads of extra weight when I started all the exercise plus I was always tired. Thankfully everything came back clear but it was worth it for my peace of mind to get it all checked.

I do try and take a multi vitamin with iron most days though.

I'm 5"8 and have gone from 12stone 12pounds to 11.5 stone in 12 weeks by sticking to around 1200 cals per day and brisk walking for an hour every day (I hate the gym) - could it be that u are building muscle which weighs more than fat by doing weights rather than cardio?

Also I've cut out pasta and the only bread I have is 2 slices granary bread for my lunch sandwich.
I know how frustrating it is when it doesn't come off fast enough. I feel like I should be like a stick by now for how little it feels like I'm eating plus exercising every day! Also, would u consider slimming world, so many people seem to rate it?
Good luck to you x

Hello!

Something is definitely not working there. I Iost 3st in 6 months and it was exercise based for the most part. DO you have a fitbit? Frankly I think you're eating too much and not burning enough. I do at least 90 mins 6 times a week of exercise. Most of that is spent running but I do strength training too. This is what I do every day (Sat-Sun I eat whatever I want :)

• Breakfast: Gluten Free Rice crispis with Almond milk

Snack: Apple Lunch Thin bagel with reduced fat cream cheese Snack: Banana Dinner: I tend to eat low carb / fat meals and in small portions. Like today, i had turkey ha, ad cheese kievs cooked in the air fryer with mash and broccoli / cauliflower For dessert I'll have a bit of fat free greek yogurt and 2 prunes

If I still feel hungry, I'll either drink coffee, or drink more water or eat cherry tomatoes.

Hope this helps!

Hi
I'm 5'6 and to lose weight I have to eat 1200 daily. Rice/pasta/ bread makes up a very small amount of that, lean protein and veg make up the bulk of it. E.g. Breakfast is a quorn chicken burger with boiled egg and veg. Maybe swap your carbs for protein and use my fitness pal to track?

And orlistat doesn't work! Took it for 5 years!

I agree about the carbs. They're easy to overconsume, but easy to drop/reduce too.

Is Orlistat the stuff with the...um...rather unfortunate side effect? .

Yes that's the one! But I think it makes you believe that you won't get fat with junk food, so there's a trend of overeating IMO

Do you count the calories in your coffee too? Milk in it counts.
Green tea is supposed to do wonders too to belly fat. I haven't tried it but you need to drink 5 cups daily.

On a daily basis try to walk between 6000-10000. Good luck.

Remove the cereals, all the cereals for a week and see if it does a difference.
I am vegan on a whole plant diet. The only cereal I eat is brown rice but not everyday. Eat fruit for breakfast, salads, which soups with chickpeas, lentils, snack on almond, ...
I don't eat processed food, so my main source of sugar is from fruit.

Calorie counting is tricky, because it gives you a free pass to small bags of crisps, chocolate bar and such. You eat within your daily goal but it doesn't make any difference. I control calories, to make sure I eat enough. And I swear, to reach 1000 13000 calories a day on lettuce, cauliflower, carrots, peas, you have to eat loads.

Try to go fruit, veg, beans for a week, still enjoy your coffee. Take a b12 supplement daily and a multivitamin every 3 days. I get my iron from spirulina and veg.