I have barely lost weight in 2 months & losing the will. Critique my diet?

[Maria53]

Nearly 2 months ago I started eating healthily. I banished all sweet treats and biscuits from the house and have only had the occasional treat since (a chocolate bar on the weekend for example). I may also have a couple of gins on the weekend.

Breakfast - 2 boiled eggs or alpro yoghurt with mixed berries

Lunch - homemade French onion soup (no bread or cheese) or falafel salad

Dinner - salmon with mixed vegetables and small portion of brown rice or homemade veggie stir fry

Herbal tea & a square or 2 of dark chocolate some nights. Usually all adds up to between 1200-1400 cals.

I am also doing a minimum of 3 hours exercise per week (cardio or weights). When I started 2 months ago I was 12 stone 10.9lbs. Now I am 12st 6.4lbs. I am 5'5 and mainly carry the weight on my boobs/ass.

It has been demoralising watching everyone lose steadily on here although I am pleased for you! Can anyone tell me where I might be going wrong?

Should say I also have 2-3 milky coffees with 1 sugar a day but not sure if that is significant or not. I always has black coffee only before lockdown, I think it might be a comfort thing.

Meant to say I dont have any sugar in them just milk. Sorry, I'm tired.

The calories in milk would add up as would the gin and chocolate treats. Might be better to think of weekly rather than daily calorie intake.
Or just try a different a approach? 5:2 worked well for me a few years ago. Or eat your diet but only within an 8 hour window. Good research that both those methods are effective.

And could also try eating more veg and salad and try to cut out carbs to the bare minimum and only eat carbs with one meal a day.

I wish I could practice what I say. Finding last 1:2 stone impossible to shift.

Meant to add that you’ve still lost weight in that time which is great, keep it up! But might be worth a different approach if you’re finding progress slow. Good luck!

If you're not losing on that I'd try to cut out another 100 calories, so maybe lose the chocolate or milky coffees. I don't lose unless I I hugely reduce my calories - I aim to have around 1000 calories a day. It's shit and annoying but it's the only way I get anywhere. I've been trying to lose and have now cut out breakfast because I lost a few lbs then plateaued, yet I still need to lose basically 2 stone to be healthy. 2 meals a day, no snacks. Hoping to see the scales shift next week!

Your diet doesn't sound bad, you just need to give it more time and dont give up. It's helpful to view it as a life long plan rather than a weight loss diet, because then you won't yoyo back. It's also important not to put so much pressure on your self. If you want to eat something do it. Everything's healthy in moderation.

a chocolate bar on the weekend for example). I may also have a couple of gins on the weekend.

^

This could be 800 cals. It's not much, but if you maintain your weight at 1200,say, youll never lose weight.

Brutal but true.

Should say I also have 2-3 milky coffees with 1 sugar a day but not sure if that is significant or not.

^

This could be 150 cals plus, depending on the amount of milk...

Little things add up. The half a pint of semi skimmed milk I use for my coffees and teas during the day is 130 calories - over 10% of my daily allowance. Might be worth revisiting your calorie counts if you have started to guessimate weights etc.

I'm 5'5 and used to be 13 stone.

I lost 3 stone by sticking to around 1200 cals a day.

I ate/eat:

3 scrambled eggs

Homemade lentil and veg soup, cottage cheese.

Chicken /steak/pork chop done on BBQ with a big salad that has chickpeas in it. No alcohol.
Winter I eat chicken casserole and jacked spuds, chilli and roast veg.

It's SO tough but worth it.

Maybe you should try and weigh and track every single little thing you eat or drink for a week and get an idea of your accurate calorie count? Even daft little things like the spoonful of instant coffee, oil/ frylight if you use it. It’s amazing how little things can add up.

Diet seems fine, depends on how old you are, how active you are and how much you have to lose.

Try tracking all your calories on my fitness pal. It really helps show where those odds and sods calories come from and mount up. And you have lost weight so don't been too down on yourself!

I’m 58 and aim for 1500 cals a day, which works, milky coffees will add up, if with cream/ syrups.
Just restarted so typically for me, b’fast banana, slice of toast, with nut butter.
Snack fruit or mini Aldi choc bar ( 150 cals).
Lunch sandwich , egg mayo, or ham / fish .crisps.
Snack scoop of ice cream with big handful of summer fruits, or nuts.
I try to drink lots of water and black coffee

Hi - I'm 5'5" and 8st5lbs. I really hope this comes across in a nice way, not a showy off way, as I thought it'd be helpful to share with you what I eat.

I have a glass of skimmed milk for breakfast, and chicken thighs and veg for lunch. (Raw veg - carrots, cucumber etc., not cooked in butter). Tea tonight I had a quarter of a pizza (home made) with lots of cheese, mushrooms, pineapple, sweet corn, and a bag of crisps. That's a reasonably standard tea. Or a bolognaise type meal but I don't generally eat carbs (unless it's rice and then I pile it on - yum).

I drink about 10 mugs of tea with milk a day. (Yikes).

I eat generally prob the equivalent of a small bar of choc and an small bag of sweets a day. I keep telling myself if I didn't, I could have carbs in the evening but I'd rather have skittles than spaghetti!

I run 5km about twice a week.

I did lose a stone to get here. I did that by eating fewer carbs, and filling up on lean protein and veg. I always always get my five a day at least.

What I would say is be careful of things you think are healthy. I put on weight if I eat too much fruit / dried fruit - I think sugar is the problem.

Keep at it - you're doing really well!! Slow loss is so much more sustainable, so don't beat yourself up. 😊

Hope this is helpful!

You might be surprised if you count up all the calories on a calculator carefully? I use the fitbit app and it all adds up, especially the teas and coffees, olive oil on food etc.

Thanks everyone. I also think it may be worth mentioning the doctor has suggested they think I may have PCOS and I am being investigated for endo. I am 28 and honestly thought it would be easier than this.

I will start by cutting the milky coffees, less chocolate and keep an eye on the fruit intake.

I was also thinking that because this is such a stressful time my cortisol levels have probably increased which is an enemy of weight loss. I was doing yoga every day but stopped as I thought it is not useful for weight loss. But it maybe it will be useful for decreasing stress levels.

I am using MFP and have been since starting.

Also I am fairly sedentary because I am working from home 9-5. As I said I am doing workouts equating to 3 hours per week and some walks too

Yoga is good for toning and muscle strength, which go hand in hand with weight loss. Definitely good to go back to that if you can!

I will start yoga again this weekend. I have definitely noticed my clothes are looser despite the small loss. I got a tape measure today so I'm going to watch changes that way as well.

i would try some intermittent fasting. also be absolutely vigorous about portion control because that doesn't sound like a lot but if your not losing weight something is a factor..

you're * yes it is bedtime for me

The milky coffees definitely add up. I haven’t been game enough to cut mine out yet, but I was absolutely shocked when I added up the calories and I was using 200-300 a day just on coffee. No wonder I’m fucking starving.

Try intermittent fasting, switching to drinking black coffee and green tea. Keep alcohol to bare minimum. Try switching to low sugar/sugar free chocolate. Check the label for less than 10g sugar per 100g. Up the veggies, keep the carb portions small.

Well done for your progress so far! Keep going, and keep switching things up.

Are you eating the same thing day in day out or is that just an example? I would say you need to eat small meals more frequently and have way more variety. Try to confuse your metabolism a bit by carb cycling ie having high carb, medium carb and low carb days.

Your body adapts to your diet, you need to keep changing it around. I find carb cycling works and really isn't hard to do. There's heaps on line about it.

Do your clothes feel looser? Exercise builds up muscle, which is three times denser than fat, so you may be changing shape slowly.