Please help me get past my disappointing weigh in

[Cahira]

I've been calorie counting and exercising 4 times a week since just after xmas.

I eat a small bowl of porridge with superfood topper every morning. Lunch is either ryvita and hummus or soup. Dinner is mainly chicken with veg - in a wrap, with noodles etc. and I sometimes pick up the cheap frozen ready meals that are less than 400 cals per meal.

I go running 4 times a week, usually between 2 - 4 miles each time. I'm not very fast but I feel it!

I am a size 14, 5'8 and weighed 12 stone 6 at the beginning of this month. Weighed myself today for the first time since then and I'm 12 stone 7

Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong? I use my fitness pal to record my calories so I've attached Friday as an example.

I was feeling so motivated but my weigh in has totally brought me down

Aim to do 10k steps, plus the running. 2-4 miles 4 times a week is a fantastic start but slowly increases the distance or do other forms of exercise.

Ok just a tip, anything that isn't sustainable in the long term isn't worth doing, you'll need to do it again and again and each time you do you'll need to cut the calories lower and lower.

Concentrate on lots of protein at each meal and good carbs (cut out wraps and rubbish processed foods, toppers?) Have a banana with a few blueberries and a drizzle of honey on your porridge instead of whatever toppers are.

Intermittent Fasting is a good way to reduce calories. I have lost six pounds since Christmas. It's sustainable but you still need to eat sensibly.

Totally recommend weighing daily. Weight loss isn't linear. Here's my graph losing 2 stones over 7 months. If I'd only weighed on up days I'd have given up!

Also water water water.

anything that isn't sustainable in the long term isn't worth doing, you'll need to do it again and again and each time you do you'll need to cut the calories lower and lower.

This hasn't been my experience

For me cutting carbs/sugar is like a prolonged fast

I lose the weight, eat normally again but hop back onto the carb/sugar 'fast' when needed

Of course this might not work for others but it does for me

Really useful to see your graph @nakedavengeragain thanks for sharing

Lost 0.4 lbs this week 😏 but my period is due today so I'm blaming it on that ! Honestly couldn't care less. I know I'm exercising and eating well with the odd treat so I don't crack up. Overall I'm looking for a sustainable 2lbs a week weight loss. Anymore and it isn't fat it's water and you'll put it back on. You want a lifelong change don't you? Not just for your sister's wedding? Good luck and keep us informed we can motivate each other!

Breakfast topper is a combination of goji berries, mulberries, chia seeds and cacao nibs.

I've done low carb and didn't enjoy it. I've done intermittent fasting and didn't get any results. To be honest, I only eat between 9am and 6pm anyway as I can't eat earlier and don't snack in the evenings.

i also weigh every day, i know slimming world etc tell you not to do that

The only reason they say this is because they want control over your weight loss journey. They have weekly meetings, therefore weigh ins must be weekly.

I would definitely try measuring your thighs, stomach, arms, hips etc. Because you seem to running a fair bit and muscle weighs more than fat.

It's the things you're eating. Fish pie and chips is likely to be high in fat even if they're reduced fat. Try eating more protein, low fat dairy and fresh fruit and veg.

Don't up your calories that's silly, but you're clearly not logging everything you eat, or drink, so you need to be more honest.

Id also add that the starvation mode crap people post about is just that,

Firstly any studies done have been on people fasting, as in properly starving, for between one and seven days, these studies showed when starving the human body the metabolism slows down.

What it does not show, and this is key, is that it has any impact on weight loss, as in these people still lost weight at the same rate. Because they were starving,

You're clearly not starving yourself, and if you up your calories all that will happen is you will gain weight.

I'm Doing Noom - try a free two week trial as their food logger is quite interesting and informative in terms of the types of food you are eating - it also balances out exercise and step counts etc - worth taking a look

Good luck C

Agree that upping calories is unlikely to help at this stage. I would measure and keep going.

Also sodium- reduce salt, likely to be high in chips and pie etc. It will make you retain water and cause bloat.