Please tell me what I'm doing wrong

[ineedaknittedhat]

I started trying to lose weight in May. I need to lose around three stones. I cut out all crap, junk and sweet stuff and immediately dropped 9lbs.

I've been eating healthily and counting calories using my Fitbit. I take in around 1600 a day and I'm moderately active, but don't do any formal exercise.

Weight loss has stalled because I'm obviously still eating too much or eating the wrong things. The only exercise I can do is walking.

Any ideas on how I can address this problem? I'd like to cut down on carbs, but am confused as to what I should be eating eg. is full fat milk okay? If I don't eat, I feel weak and irritable, what can I do to prevent this?

Any advice gratefully received. I'm sick of being fat and my knees hurt.

Hello Hat. I'm not a doctor or anything, I'm just someone who's trying to lose weight. Here's what I do.

• I use the MyFitnessPal app to track my calorie intake throughout the day and it warns me if I'm in danger of consuming what it considers to be too much carbs or fat.

• I keep bottle of water on my desk and try to drink as much as possible because heard that bodies don't like relinquishing their fat stores when a person is dehydrated.

• Like you, I much prefer walking over other forms of exercise. I have worked out a walking route that takes exactly an hour and I do that every day without fail.

• I'm about to start using some dumbbells at home to tone up my arms a bit, partly to make them look better, partly because it burn up a few more calories.

As a side note, I eat full fat yogurt, just not very much of it, and I don't eat any processed low-fat foods because they usually contain sugar. Right now I'm pretty much living on salad vegetables, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, fruit, avocados, slices of cold meat. I used to drink lattes but I have substituted green tea.

Well done on losing 9lbs, that's a great achievement.

I can not recommend joining Team RH enough. They have an app and a Facebook group. You are likely on too few calories and messing with your metabolism.

Calories are set based on your weight and the only formal exercise you need to do is steps. Although weights are heavily advocated.

There is so much online support. Absolutely no bs - don't join if you're easily offended. You'll never be hungry.

Thanks for these recommendations. I'm able to track my calorie and fluid intake on the fitbit app and I'm finding it easy to follow. I have some green tea teabags which I put into a bottle of cold water and I have that.

I shall take a look at the fb group.

How old are you and what is your height/weight? To lose 2lbs a week, I have to go down to 800 calories and 20g of carbs only per day but Im in my 50s and this has been recommended by a doctor. I do HIIT 4 x per week too. If I ate 1600 calories a day I’d gain. My BMR is 1400.

I'm 49, 5'4" and 14 stone 3lbs. I want to get down to around 11 stones I'm a size 14 at that weight and I feel healthy.

Yes, youre peri-menopausal so youll find it really hard to lose weight. I’d cut your calories by 100 per day, each week until you start to lose, (so 1300 calories per day in the 1st week, 1200 calories per day in the 2nd week etc.) that way, you’ll find your required daily calorie intake which puts you into a calorie deficit, as you’ll start to lose weight when you hit it. Look at the liw carb bootcamp board.

low not liw

Another team RH plan. It’s such an education.

I think reducing calories to 1400 and reducing carbs will help. Cut out bread, potatoes, rice and pasta as am easy start. Eat more veg and have just one piece of fruit per day. Still have milk in your coffee but maybe steer clear of carby cappuccinos and see if that helps.
My mum put my dad on a low carb diet and he lost a good few stones and reversed his type two diabetes. I'm reducing my carb intake now just by cutting out most of the obvious stuff, although I still eat the odd jacket spud.

Look into keto. I’ve been keto and lost 4 stone so far. Mixed with exercise. It’s extremely low carb. However you essentially need a caloric deficit regardless of what plan you follow

First you need to know what your TDEE is - this is the amount of calories you expend each day (google it and you’ll find a few.)
A general rule of thumb is to deduct 500kcal from your TDEE for a weekly loss of 1lb but there are variables based on activity.
Secondly, activity is beneficial for your health but it’s difficult to lose significant amounts of weight if you aren’t very active. Minimum should be 30 mins of elevated heart rate three times each week (Fitness Blender in YouTube is good for at home if needed.)
Finally, my best advice is from my gym: use your hand for portion control. Each mean = palm sized protein, thumb sized fat. cupped handful of carbs and two cupped handfuls of veg. Log in MFP to ensure calories and protein goals are met. Drink plenty of water and watch hidden calories in cordials and such.

It says my tdee is 1821 calories for my age, sex, weight and I put sedentary into the box for activity level.

Tdee still sounds too much tbh

I'm 37, same height as you and went from 13 stone to 9.5 stone by eating 1400 per day.

You need to eat less. I'd suggest low carbing so you don't de hungry

Ok so if your TDEE is 1821, to lose a pound a week you’d need to eat around 1321 calories a day. (Please don’t ever eat less than 1200/day.)
If you fill up on lean protein and veg with some good fats and a few portions of carbs, and drink plenty of fluids you’ll be well on your way. I know it’s boring (really, I do - lost 3st in 2016 and another 2st8lbs since the start of this year) but in a few weeks you’ll start seeing and feeling the results of work out into changing your diet now.

that should say put, not out.

You need to exercise more. If walking is your preferred way of doing so, then do that. Don't eat foods that claim to be 'low fat', they are probably highly processed and full of sugar or sweeteners.

Yesterday, I had 1227 and I've lost another lb according to the scales tonight. I agree that I seem to be eating too much, so will cut down to 1300-1400.

I try to eat normal fat stuff, as opposed to low fat and I'm trying to avoid carbs.