Only lost 7lb in two months. I mean really!

[Desperelda]

I am quite pissed off that despite working out 5/6 days a week and cutting out junk (most days) I’ve lost so little weight! I have lost 4 stone over the last 18 months and still need to lose another 3. I had hoped to be a third of a way there by now by increasing the exercise. I’ve had a week off exercising last month due to having flu but other than that the exercise is very consistent.

Typical days food is:

AM - Greek yoghurt, banana, apple, black coffee

Lunch - 2 egg omelette, half tin baked beans, grated cheese Or omelette with peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Black coffee

Snack - 3 rice cakes with peanut butter/houmous and pepper sticks Or apple slices with peanut butter

PM - rice, bean chilli, Or small soya mince cottage pie with broccoli, carrots

Around 3 litres of water

I have a small glass or red wine most evenings and will have a small dessert like ice cream over the weekend.

I burn off around 800 calories at each gym session which is the calories from
Breakfast/lunch and snack so it’s basically only the evening which I calculate as a calorie allowance so no more than 1200 at a push. More likely under a 1000. I do weight train so I know I’m building muscle but I’m 14 stone 3lb at 5ft 8 so plenty of fat to burn too!

Anyone suggest where I’m going wrong?

I’d love to know what you’re doing at the gym to shift 800 calories?

I love a spin class, at my best (which prob is pretty poor) I can shift 480 odd calories in 45mins. What are you doing that burns almost double that?

Wow, I only use 280 - 330 calories in a spin class! (Which I think is a lot really, easily wiped out breakfast!)

@HomeHomeInTheRange I’m going off my Apple Watch for calories burnt - do you think it’s overcounting?
I’m properly knocking my pan in!

How long have you been doing your current exercise routine, maybe yoy need to change up if its been more than 6 weeks.

I think you’re probably overestimating how many calories your exercise is burning.

Log your calories consistently for a week or two and don’t eat back exercise calories, and see what that does :)

I think it’s over counting it’s too generous.

Exercise contributes something like 5-10% of fat loss isn’t it? So it can’t really be helping you expend 1/4 of a whole daily TDEE in a one hour class. I am not a professional but I have read so many studies that exercise is not the answer to weight loss, it’s the answer to fitness and although linked they are not the same thing. PT’s and gyms and smart products want you to buy their services so they are invested in you believing that exercise is the key to weight loss when the key is a calorie deficit and exercise is for your cardio health and toning/building muscles. It’s also a really good habit to get into and good for you mentally but if you are trying to lose fat, working out like a demon for 1 hour then eating all your calories back isn’t going to create a deficit

0.5-2lbs per week is a healthy rate.

Wine won't help.
It is possible to exercise too much too, or your body is used to the routine.

Cut it down to;

AM - Greek yoghurt (100g) and a small banana, OR apple, black coffee

Lunch - 2 egg omelette, half tin baked beans ⅓ Tin , grated cheese 30g grated cheese.

Or omelette with peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Black coffee

Snack - 3 rice cakes with peanut butter/houmous and pepper sticks
Cut to 2 rice cakes.

PM - rice, bean chilli... depends on your portion sizes here really.

I think need more protein and less carbs, try replacing lunch with a protein shake - good luck!

I would have the omlet with salad, not beans and measure the cheese (30g)....

Log your food for one or two days, and actually weigh it down to the gram. Not suggesting doing this long term, just do it once to check your calories are what you think they are.

If that's not the issue, I reckon you're overestimating the cals burnt in the gym. I'd have to put in a couple of hours pretty hard work for that.

However, 7lb in two months is great! That's about what I lose when I create a 500 cal deficit. Steady loss is the way to go 😊

Other than the exercise, how much do you actually move during a normal day OP?

You're actually doing brilliantly, OP.

Tweaks I would make would be: ditch the peanut butter and wine (sorry). Weigh out the cheese. You're having three breakfasts, but you only need one (either yoghurt or banana or apple). Ditch the snacks, and eat a bit earlier if you're hungry. Increase the vegetable quota in the evening meal, and watch portion sizes (weigh out rice etc - 50g max). It's a bit of a joyless existence, but it works!

And also ditch the beans. Lunch would be either omelette or half a tin of beans, but not both.

This thread is two years old. I imagine OP's lost the weight by now!

OP probably not going to reply as this thread is 2 years old…