I've hit a wall....

[goooooglebox]

Evening everyone,

Hoping for a bit of advice.

I started my weight loss journey in February at 10st 3. Last month I'd managed to get myself to 9st 5 and literally no matter WHAT I do, nothing else will come off.

I'm doing circuit training 2 times a week and one run. I'm eating about 1000 cals a day.

Any ideas how to get some more shifted?

How tall are you? Maybe you don't need to lose any more? How much more are you hoping to lose?
1000 cals isn't much so I certainly drop any more cals.
Well done on your weight loss to date.

By the way 12lbs in a few months is really great.

Hi both,

Thank you.

I'm 5'4 and I am in the "healthy" range but I'm still not really where I want to be. I think if I could get to 9st I'd be happier.

Once I'm there I'd like to work more on toning my body rather than losing. I just don't know how to go about doing it!

Apologies. I said both! I hadn't realised it was one poster. Doh! Haha

Any tips? 😩

It will get harder the lower you go, you’ve less to lose and your daily calorie needs will be going down, so less deficit. What are you eating? Lowering carbs could help

Typical day would be:

Breakfast
One slice of multigrain toast and 2 poached eggs or weetabix with blueberries and strawberries

Lunch
Chicken or tuna salad or small portion of leftover from previous night

Dinner
Lean mince chilli with peppers and onions (no rice) or roasted chicken/veg, small number of potatoes

Days where I am exercising I will have an extra portion of protein before I go.

Try eating more often. 5 times a day. 3 main meals and 2 snacks.

Also... are you feeling really tired?

If you are, you might actually need to up your calories. As you replace fat with muscle, your muscle needs 3-4x more calories to maintain.

I've only just learnt this myself and I wondered my motivation and energy levels had completely plummeted. I had gotten to the lowest weight I've been since I was 16 and didn't realise I needed to up my calories to accommodate my muscle growth.

I'd say if you are feeling quite tired, try eating your maintenance calories and see if that helps? I know it sounds totally bonkers and opposite.

@PlinkPlink it's actually funny you say that as I've been a zombie these last few weeks. Knackered!

This whole thing is so confusing to me. Feel like a need to pay someone to give me a personalised food diary so I know what the heck I'm doing.

Thanks for the advice! What sort of snacks do you recommend? I use my fitness pal and it's always telling me off for having things with too much sugar when I input fruit etc

You don’t need snacks, you’re just upping your calories for no reason. There’s really no need to eat constantly, all the recent science suggests periods of fasting are more beneficial and there’s no need for this eat 5/6 times a day thing.

What are you using to track what you’re burning? It’s likely less than you think. A Fitbit for weight and burn and Cronometer for food (link them up to share info) is the best combo I’ve found. MFP isn’t detailed enough

But yes more fat would probably do you good

Yeah I use my Fitbit for tracking. I've never heard of that one though, I'll have a look!

Thanks

To tone you need to be doing some weight training. Get yourself some light dumb bells and google some excercises to be doing. Light and more reps will make your muscles leaner, whereas heavier but less reps will build them.

Eating 5 times a day keeps your blood sugar levels more stable and ensures you feel satiated longer than if you just had 3 meals a day.

It's entirely personal choice. Not nonsense. If it doesn't work for you that's fine. But dismissing suggestions just because it doesn't work for you is unhelpful.

Snacks I have...

Well I do have fruit. Usually 2 cups a day (not including bananas - a whole banana is 2 portions of fruit)

I also have crudites like cucumber, carrot with hummus.

Whole pack of cherry tomatoes.

Turkey roll ups - pepper slices and avocado slices wrapped up in Turkey slices.

Greek eggs - boiled eggs sliced in half. Take out the yolk and mix with 2 teaspoons of hummus. Replace in eggs and sprinkle with paprika. These are seriously delicious and a great way of getting protein in.

I also make protein balls. DM me if you want the recipe for these. They are my guilt free treat. They have oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips/raisins, vanilla essence, protein powder and almond milk.

Tinned fish and cottage cheese. Love the mackerel in tins. Cottage cheese usually has pineapple chunks in for me.

If you ever get sick of MFP, I would highly suggest Beachbody's 21 day fix portion pots. I never count any calories. I go by these pots and they are a God send.

Greek eggs sound tremendous!!

Team Rh on Facebook talks a lot of sense when it comes to eating and nutrition ( much better than fads anyway)

I personally think you aren't eating enough to give you energy you need, especially if you are also working on your muscle. 1000 calories is not a lot! You can't have much to lose....

Weights/resistance training will help muscle and isnt hard to start. Muscle will show on the scales. Go off clothing/measurements.

You're body is in starvation mode and clinging onto anything you eat....
I'm 8 stone and eat twice what you eat a day, more on weekend.
I eat a lot of complex carbs, lean meats, veg and fruit. But I'm very active. I run 4 to 5 miles 3 times a week and I mean run not jog.
I also walk a lot.
So average is 20k steps a day, closer to 30 on a run day.
I don't go to gym either.
Food is fuel and your body is a furnace. Starve it and it won't work efficiently and that includes metabolism and weight.
Going low carb is a gimmick and affects thyroid, fat stores and sugar levels.
Healthy balanced diet is what you need.

So today's menu:

Breakfast - bowl of fruit and fibre

Lunch - chicken salad (chicken breast strips, lettuce, cucumber, plum tomatoes, jalapeños, spinach, sweetcorn and green pepper)

Dinner - spaghetti Bolognese. Recently I'd have just eaten the mince, but tonight I will have pasta.

I'll also be exercising later and will be having 2 boiled eggs beforehand.

Today:

Breakfast - weetabix with strawberries and blueberries

Lunch - see yesterday

Snack - cucumber sticks and boiled egg (an hour before HIIT session

Dinner - multigrain toast (one slice), scrambled egg with tomatoes and feta. (This wouldn't be a usually dinner but my OH is out tonight so not cooking!)

This is what I’ve been eating to loose weight as per my PTs instructions

Breakfast Greek jog with raspberry and blueberry
PhD protein shake

Snack 2 rice cakes with peanut butter and honey

Lunch Prawns hummus cherry toms and cucumber

Tea chicken breast sweet potato and green beans

Can drink one Cadbury’s options if craving something sweet.

I’d also stop the cardio for weights.

There's too many carbs there I reckon, I wouldn't lose on that.

I'd switch the cereal for eggs and the Spag bol /toast for a hearty lentil soup or a steak with baked sweet potato and a salad.

Are you having butter with your toast? That'll add up quick

Thanks for the carb advice.

Today for breakfast I had scrambled egg (2), spinach and tomatoes. I didn't have any toast or anything.

Lunch will unfortunately be on the go which is a rare occurrence. I'll probably pick up a salad from subway or go to boots and get one of the shapers salads.

Dinner is chicken breast with roasted Mediterranean veg