Can anyone explain to me where I’m going wrong please?

[StudentHelp]

I piled on the weight due to a medication I was taking for my migraines. I’m talking 3 stone in around 5 months and a combination of not moving as much (due to pain), eating more comfort food and being engrossed in studies ended up with me at 188lbs. I was going to the gym still but usually only 3 times a week and would often struggle with long walks as I’d be knackered by the afternoon due to the meds so I’ve stopped them.

I started taking the gym more seriously in from November through to January and lost around 12lbs going 5-6 times a week, I was sometimes burning 900 calories and sometimes only 200 but I was going and that was the main thing. I was also walking to/from uni (3 miles) when the weather permitted.

Anyway, fast forward to lockdown and 2 weeks ago I weighed in at 180lb which upset me so I upped the workouts and continued counting all calories. MFP recommended 1340 to lose weight and I’ve been eating around 1600-2000 but making sure I burn atleast an extra 4000 calories through workouts each week so I’ve been earning them back, I think? This is not including a daily walk.

I’m getting stronger and more toned, moving up the resistance bands I’m using and doing more sets of exercises but I’ve weighed myself today and I’m 182lb. Is it because I had clothes, Apple Watch etc on and I’ve drank 2 litres of water already? Should I re-weigh myself in the morning before eating? Are the calculations made by my watch wildly out and I’m over eating?

I just feel like no matter what I do I’ll always be heavy. My BMI is almost 27. I’m 5 foot 9 and my clothes are getting loose (I still fit into a size 10-12 jeans but my busy is 32HH so top size varies) but I’m just not shifting the weight, and I should be, because I’m overweight!

I’m not in denial, I am weighing everything, the butter on a bagel, any oats I use, my veggies, any dipping sauces, everything!

What else can I do?

P.s. sorry for the huge post

@MrsO1980
I haven’t spoken to my personal tutor much, no. I don’t have any educational needs and I already get rest breaks and extra time and extensions if I need them due to the migraines. I’ve never used them though as I’ve never needed them.

I am looking into moving out and hopefully in with my boyfriend but it’s a matter of whether I could afford to keep the place after he graduates. I do a daily time table and checklist every day that lists everything even getting dressed, brushing my teeth, skin care etc so I get everything I need done. I use a bullet journal too for mindfulness and give each day a colour coded rating and if I do any extra I tick it off the next day. I’m planning to have a break after I’ve finished my review, as I was meant to be on holiday next week.

I got in the 80s or above for all the exams the year I had glandular fever, probably because I was stuck in bed! I’ve never done as well since
I wasn’t massively worried about my sister before but she was upset yesterday which I think spurred it. I’ve applied for EC already this year.
I’ve been following all the trends in deaths per NHS trust and age group etc, I’m not panicking about COVID itself just struggling to be inside. I find the facts don’t make me panic.

Thank you for your post

I forgot to add my day usually looks like this:

• Wake up
• Clean feed and give medication to guinea pig that needs it
• brush teeth, clean face, breakfast
• Workout
• Shower
• Start work, work for around 3 hours
• Sometimes have lunch but sometimes don’t (around 1pm)
• maybe play a bit of animal crossing or other games on the switch for half an hour
• about 3 more hours of work
• walk the dog
• dinner
• more work (usually stop around 9pm) often with a guinea pig so not 100% concentrating
• Speak to boyfriend, play games, crossstitch etc
• Fill in bullet journal
• Feed and spot clean pigs again
• Teeth skincare etc and sleep

Def good to speak to your PT, they are really good for giving advice and support! Glad you've applied for EC's, wow those are amazing grades! It sounds as though you are really organised, but perhaps you could loosen your timetable? It would give you some breathing space.

Glad you have a plan regarding your housing! Not sure if your Uni has Senior Residents? If so you could work part time for your Uni, in reduced rate Halls (most offer private flats for couples) and you earn good money for fewer house than working in a shop/bar etc. It's an option to think about.

With regard to your health some relaxation may be useful, all work and no play... Try to enjoy your time outside, play with your dog etc, and enjoy the sunshine! Looking up new recipes, as a previous poster said, will help you enjoy new tastes and improve your confidence. What about cooking for your parents? One of them could cook the meat? You could make some veg side dishes. I understand it's difficult when your parents are 'set in their ways' (mine are and struggle with new foods) but spending time with them can be enjoyable if it is on your terms.

Re Covid, I'm the same, stats help me compartmentalise my worries about it. Hopefully when this is over we can look back on this time and think how well we all coped.

Please be kind to yourself and perhaps less regimented in your approach to life. You seem really hard on yourself when you're clearly doing a very good job!

@MrsO1980
As I said, I haven’t done as well since. I scored in the high 60s for my January exams but my boyfriend spent 10 days with my family and I spent 5 days at his as he lives 400 miles away!
I feel like I managed my time really well.

Some days I have been stopping at 7pm but I’d like to get my coursework finished and then I ‘only’ have to prepare for exams so I have the ability to take time off.

I don’t think I’d be able to live in university accommodation due to my pets. I chose not to so I could have animals and they’re my number one priority. I’d be a lot less happy in a house without them than I am in my current house. It needs to be my home as I never go home during term time as it’s too far (and I have 5 guinea pigs). My boyfriend is studying at a different university so I’m not sure how that’d work either.

My mum will eat vegetarian, it’s my dad that’s the issue. He genuinely won’t touch anything without meat in it. He’s very old fashioned and I thinks women shouldn’t work and should be there to cook and clean. I’m the youngest of 4 and we never ate meals as a family. I tried to suggest playing Mario kart, scrabble or doing a quiz but they never want to.

My mum likes the pigs though and always comes on the dog walk with me and we chat then.
I guess I’m hard on myself as I’ve always had to be disciplined. My mum always says whenever I’ve been told I couldn’t do something I always found a way to do it.

I know I should only weigh myself once a week but I had eaten when I weighed myself for the first post and I’m 179lb today so feel slightly better.

Not sure if anyone will read this but I’m feeling much better now.
This week I have:

• changed my Apple Watch to give me lower calorie estimations for exercises
• Tried 3 new recipes!
• only had chocolate twice (at the weekend) and it was 3 mini eggs each day so not a crazy amount; around 9g
• Made healthier choices in terms of food
• Stuck to 1300 calories every day and haven’t eaten my exercise calories
• I’ve submitted my coursework (so I’m going to have 3 mini eggs to celebrate as I’ve only eaten 1200 calories today)
• I’ve received feedback on a piece of work I submitted and I achieved a first
• I’ve planned healthy meals for the next week
• I’ve stuck to 3 hours work a day to give myself a break and I’m having a day off tomorrow as I should’ve been on holiday anyway this week

And I cheated and weighed myself this morning and I’m 176lb so that’s 6lb lighter than last Tuesday! I’m hoping it’s not a blip though so will stick to once a week from now on!

Thanks again everyone

Sounds good! Glad you are feeling better.

Thank you!
I’m down another 2lb as I thought I’d weighed myself on Friday and not Monday

I can’t see any difference really and not sure if anyone will even see the thread but I’m now 172lb so that’s 10lb lost.

The jeans feel slacker but I still wouldn’t wear them out of the house.

I can definitely see a significant difference op!

@iwanttobreakfreeeeee
Thank you! I’m hoping I can keep at it and lose another 32lb by Christmas. Turns out all this time my issue must have been the eating of my exercise calories.

I’m still trying new recipes and have reduced my chocolate intake to 2 days a week even though my family have all bought reduced Easter eggs for me as they know they’re my favourite.

I’m trying to balance my uni work with other hobbies and I’m feeling better in general.

Well done OP. You’ve done really well and I can definitely tell that you’ve lost weight. With the calories, 1300 does seem a bit low. I am no expert but I’d be starving if that was all I could have. I have a bit over 2 stone to lose and I’m having about 1700 cals a day and getting good results (about 2 lb a week loss). I do daily exercise though so might have a higher BMR. Anyway, keep doing whatever you’re doing because it’s obviously working and you look really good!

@RealityNotEssentialism
Thank you!
I’m doing a workout 5-6 days a week but I’m also walking at least 5 miles a day as I have the dogs to walk so I’m doing a decent amount of exercise but no where near as much as I’d do at uni when in the actual gym.

Height could be a factor if you’re tall? I’m 5 foot 9.
I am hungry at times, I think that’s why I thought it seemed too low, even after calibrating my watch it’s telling me I’ve burned 2700+ most days. Today, for example, I walked to the shops and walked the dog so I’ve walked 14.57km and only eaten 1100

Also forgot to add, my BMI is now 25 so almost in the healthy range

That’s great. Maybe you can think about slowly increasing your calories by eating an extra 100 or so each day for a week and then increasing by another 100 the following week. 1100 sounds way too low to maintain in the long run and as you’re very active, you need more.

Why are you not eating lunch? I’ve lost 6.5 stone, I run and cycle, when I saw my neurologist I was disappointed that I hadn’t lost a lot since my last meeting with him but I’d increased muscle mass from running and cycling in my legs and had toned up, not a huge amount but you could see it.

I think that you need to find a good plan that works and you’re seeing results, eating an apple or fruit is going to better than eating a chocolate bar sugar wise, you’re skipping a meal and possibly you’re not loosing weight as you’re body might be holding onto fat because it’s scared it’s not getting fed if you’re skipping lunch often.

@RealityNotEssentialism
I’ll try and up the amount of calories I eat but I’ve been trying to eat lots more veg so tonight, for example, I actually feel quite full.

@selfisolationsociety
I’ve never eaten lunch, I think it stems from hating school meals so I used to save my dinner money instead. I never feel hungry around lunch time, if I eat lunch I feel like I’m really forcing it a lot of the time.
As you can see from my thread though, I have now lost weight 11lb in 3 weeks

I’ve now lost 19lb in 5 weeks!
I’m feeling so much better, exercising at home every day, getting out for at least 2 walks a day and eating as healthy as I can whilst treating myself at the weekend.

I still can’t see much difference in myself but clothes are fitting better and my sister who hadn’t seen me since the start of March said you can really tell.

Thanks for all the advice I received on this thread! Praying I can keep this up throughout my revision and exams (starting in less than 2 weeks)!

Another massive positive is my Vo2max is improving and my resting heart rate is down 10 bpm on average since December!

I’ve included some pics from today if anyone even sees this!
I feel properly alive for the first time in ages!!

OP I think you need to be careful - it sounds like you have massively disordered eating and you’re at risk of developing a full blown eating disorder. 19lbs in 5 weeks is a huge amount, especially when you didn’t have much to lose in the first place. You’re putting yourself at risk of getting gallstones as well.

@Dyrne
I think a lot of it must have been water retention as I really can’t see much difference!
But I’ve been eating lower fat and trying to stick to fats in nuts etc and getting more veg and protein.

I was eating 1200-1300 like MFP first suggested as others on this thread said to stick to it. But I’ve upped it to 1600ish as I felt I needed more.

Been walking an average of 13.27km a day now and also doing a workout 6 days a week that includes cardio, HIIT sections and some weights (not massively heavy due to what I can get my hands on). The other day I’m stretching/letting my body recover.

What would you suggest I do instead please?

@StudentHelp I’ve just read all through this thread and I’m glad you’re feeling much better now and losing weight! You have inspired me.

I’ve been feeling a bit down as not been losing much weight but I’m wondering if I’ve been doing something wrong as only seem to be losing 1 pound per week which is quite slow.

How much do you lose per week and how many calories per day? If you don’t mind me asking?

I dropped I think a bit too low below 1000 and that’s when it seems to of slowed down x

@MonicaBingaling
At first for 2 or so weeks I was sticking to 1300 most days and some days I was as low as 1000.
In just over 3 weeks I lost 12lb but the first week was around 7lb in the end I think as it must have been some water retention due to my period! The next (just under) 3 weeks I’ve lost 7lb so just over 2lb a week on average but some weeks it was 0.75 and others 3lb.

It’s slowing down now and I’m expecting it’ll end up being around 1.5lb a week. I’m hoping to lose another 25lb by Christmas.

I think 1lb a week is a normal amount, it’s hard when you see massive losses at first but that will just be water. 1lb of fat is still a very good amount for a week!

I’m now eating 1500ish most days so almost at my BMR but making sure I stay active to keep losing.

I’m also of the mindset if I only maintain during exams then that will be amazing! I can feel myself wanting to eat more and more every day due to stress.

Day off tonight though! 75 minute workout down and a long walk later and then I’m going to make pizza for tea as I love the process of making dough etc and find it very therapeutic.

@MonicaBingaling Name change fail