900 calories a day

[BroadDaylight]

I run around 100 miles a month and do a 30-minute HIIT three times a week, and 15 minute dumbbell workout every morning.

I eat healthily, no junk food, nothing processed and cook from scratch. I log my food and my daily calories are between 1200-1500 a day but I'm just maintaining, even with exercise.

I am still a stone (maybe a little more) overweight and it's making me depressed. I can't shift it.

I've read that because of my height (5'1) I need to reduce my calories to 800-900 per day, has anyone had success this way?

Has the op actually listed what she eats daily or not?

'Healthy foods' mean very different things to people!

I’ve always heard the best way to get over a plateau is to take a week or 2 off, change things up a bit.

Im not slim now but when I was I was eating 1500 - 1800 calories a day with a daily walk I would loose. I’m 5ft

I just need my jaw wired shut these days ☹️

I under eat my calories during the week then have two days "off" at weekends when I eat pretty much what I want. So on average over the week, it's probably what is recommended, but the eating more at weekends seem to trick my body into letting go of the weight.

Recommend the "7 minute workouts" on you tube by Lucy wyndham reed. There are lots of them and some focus on "belly busting"

Look up the research on how long periods of low-calorie eating reduces your resting metabolic rate. It's the body's survival mechanism. Lots of studies are available. Dr Jason Fung explains it well in the Obesity Code and his YouTube videos.
Once you understand that you'll know what to do.

Thanks again all for the insights.

I absolutely understand what those are saying about metabolic rates, but if the body was able to hold onto weight by reducing BMR and continually adjusting then no one would/could be underweight?

I don't think I'm able to try eating more to see if that helps, I'd be distraught if I put weight on.

Can’t seem to upload a pic but wanted to sow u a reading I got from my gym. It shows weight, BMI, body fat %, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, body water, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, bone mass - amazing. 2 years post partum, I still look pregnant 🤨people ask me all the time! I am going to ask the GP if it’s fat or skin. If it’s skin, u can’t do anything Other than have surgery to remove it. The good thing about those scales is that it will tell u if u have fat around your organs, which is the dangerous kind.

Good luck!! Xx

@maddening

I am 5'7", over 16st since pregnancy weight gain 10 years ago, I eat 1200 a day and do 30 mins crosstrainer and 45 mins aerobics every morning plus 2 pilates classes a week, on the weekend I go to 1800 cals as long term this makes it doable and still do my exercise on the weekend. The crosstrainer and aerobics is around 700 cals altogether.

The NHS calculator says I would lose weight eating 1900 cals a day, I eat far below that and my calorie count is definitely correct. My deficit means that I should lose more than the 1-2 pounds I lose per month that I do, after 2 years it is fucking. Depressing.

Why is it accepted that there are Naturally V slim people who struggle to put on weight but the other way round then you're obviously lying or so stupid you must be unable to work out your calories, or so greedy, lazy and in denial.

You are doing a lot of cardio there but no weights. Cardio will not let you lose fat as well as weights. Also it depends on how hard you are doing your cardio. If you do 45 mins and barely break a sweat then it's not doing any good. Of you do 45 mins and you canbarely breathe at the end then if will be helping your heart massively but not necessarily your size. Weights are needed to remove fat

@BroadDaylight are you monitoring only calories or looking at macros too? What do you eat and drink in a typical day?

Those posters stating BMI is rubbish because athletes come out as overweight have a point, however for most mere mortals it's a good guide as you need a lot of muscle and low body fat in order for that to be true. You won't get that kind of body from cardio workouts plus athletes will be paying close attention to their nutrition. It's the kind of thing that lulls those of us who are overweight into a false sense of security, just like normalising being overweight.

I read back through your posts op and it sounds like you have a reasonable core. With that though if you have big core muscles (especially if you have a layer of fat on top) it can actually make your stomach look bigger. Could that be it?

Please don't reduce your calories or cut out food groups. It sounds like it's just your belly fat that is your issue. You are pretty healthy already Have a good grip on nutrients and this is a long term plan for you. Good points noted about weights and larger muscles.
What I noticed is yoga! That's done more for my belly fat/waistline than any cardio I've ever done. I'm not an expert I do you tube videos
and certainly am not standing on my head. However it works ( brilliant for mental health too!) I believe pilates probably would be similar in effect. You could go to a class for the basics.

are you monitoring only calories or looking at macros too? What do you eat and drink in a typical day?

Average day:

Breakfast: 100g Greek yoghurt (or 20g oats with almond milk), 1 banana with 15g peanut butter added if I'm running that day.
Lunch: 1 or 2 eggs with 1 red onion, 1/2 pepper, fistful of kale and spinach and 1/2 an avocado, or a salad with 1tbsp homemade hummus (no oil) and quinoa with gherkins, cherry toms and beetroot
Dinner: Homemade 8-veg soup with green/red lentils or salad/steamed veg (the only dressing I use is ACV) with fish/chicken, or homemade veg and chickpea curry with 30g brown rice and black beans.

With this I average 1200-1500kcals a day.

I don't snack, and rotate meals with lots of veg for variety, so this really is just a snapshot but basically no processed, no junk, all from scratch and I try to stick to wholefoods, good fats, complex carbs and quality protein.

Drink: 1 black decaff coffee in the morning, then 3 pints of water throughout the day each with a dash of ACV.

I do get nice compliments on how healthy I look and I have a lot of energy, I have no illness and I'm not on any medication - it's just this excess hanging fat around my middle I'm desperate to get rid of. :(

Should state to see a difference i do at least 30 mins of different Adrienne practices at least 4 times a week ( mix it up)

I did Adrienne's 30-day yoga challenge a few months ago and it didn't help at all sadly. Maybe I should post a photo to see if you guys think it's fat or skin, or both.

You just hit a plateau. Change everything you do. Do more weight training for example and change up all your usual foods. Eat 5 times a days and look into cutting carbs more then cutting calories (like keto). Just send your body back in burning mode, it is just a bit stuck right now. But you are doing amaaaaazing girl. Absolutely amazing 💕

I don't know why but this makes me feel sad. Could you perhaps focus on something outside of yourself and see how that impacts your wellbeing?

I just watched a vid explaining the difference between fat and skin, it's definitely fat still hanging on as I can pinch a good few inches (can literally hold it in my hands)

I will try and shake it up, try and get out of the plateau, thank you.

I understand where those saying to let it go and be happy/positive are coming from, but getting healthy has been a huge journey and I know I'm not 'there' yet. If I gave up now I'd be letting myself down.

@claireb707

If you do 45 mins and barely break a sweat then it's not doing any good. Of you do 45 mins and you canbarely breathe at the end then if will be helping your heart massively but not necessarily your size.
Weights are needed to remove fat

Can you back this up with any science or is it just your opinion? Obviously the harder you work out, the more calories you will burn, but beyond that, I can't see a shred of truth in what you've said. People lose weight using cardio forms of exercise all the time, without ever looking at weights. Otherwise runners would be fat.

Ahh right. Maybe the weights advice then.
Maybe it's just how your body is supposed to be?

@BroadDaylight Bear in mind that if you want to build muscle (or fat), you can't be in a calorie deficit. Putting on size in any form needs calories. The new muscle has to be made of something! Make sure you're getting plenty of protein if you're going to lift weights, and don't drop your calories.

Thanks Eckhart - so should I focus on fat loss with cardio and weights and then work on building muscle?

[quote Eckhart]@claireb707

If you do 45 mins and barely break a sweat then it's not doing any good. Of you do 45 mins and you canbarely breathe at the end then if will be helping your heart massively but not necessarily your size.
Weights are needed to remove fat

Can you back this up with any science or is it just your opinion? Obviously the harder you work out, the more calories you will burn, but beyond that, I can't see a shred of truth in what you've said. People lose weight using cardio forms of exercise all the time, without ever looking at weights. Otherwise runners would be fat.[/quote]
I was generalising and that is why I said necessarily. I found when I was doing loads of cardio I wasn't getting any smaller but my heart rate was dropping. As soon as I started doing weights as well I got smaller.

Cardio on its own can take longer to lose size than adding weights into the mix which is why professional cyclists do a lot of weights as well as long days in the saddle

Also I was trying to hint(politely) that if you go on treadmill / cross trainer and out no effort in on lowest level it's not really going to help

I've seen the people like this at the gym (and I'm.not saying op is like this) but they use the lowest level and barely move but still say they are doing 30 mins on the crosstrainer

I do pilates and I would say that it's not really something you can do via youtube unless you already know what you are doing and what the exercise is supposed to 'feel like'. E.g leg lifts arent just lifting your leg, its properly engaging your core and not using your upper back and shoulder muscles when they dont need to be involved and so on.

Also I was trying to hint(politely) that if you go on treadmill / cross trainer and out no effort in on lowest level it's not really going to help

Not strictly true. An hour’s fast walk on a treadmill works for me.

Reading your typical day - that’s way more food than I would eat if I wanted to drop a few pounds. In fact it’s more than I eat normally.