One year into my Unsuccessful diet (food diary included)

[weightloss21]

I'm looking for advice on where to go next as I feel I have hit a brick wall and not sure what else to try.

I'll try and make this as short but informative as possible.

I have always struggled with my weight. From last January I decided to track my food more carefully and start intermittent fasting by not eating breakfast and having black coffee instead. Within this time I have done the strict keto diet but didn't lose any weight.

Instead of going over every diet I have tried etc I will just write down my food diary more recently. Snacks can be from 0-3 per day and / means or.

More recently:
Pre - 2nd lockdown - work full time 5 days a week, on my feet all day job.
Breakfast = black coffee
Lunch = nothing/apple/babybell
Dinner = soup/stew/jacket potato/salad/meat&veg
Weekends = roast/spag bol/pasta etc - higher carb food

2nd lockdown - wfh sitting down most of the day. Upped exercise to 2/3 days a week (at home) either exercise bike or HIIT.
Breakfast = black coffee
Lunch = Salad/omlette/soup
Dinner = meat & veg/ fish & veg/ salad/ soup
Snacks = fruit/cup of tea,coffee,hot choc/babybell/boiled egg

Since last Monday (25th Jan) - reduced eggs as was eating a lot before.
Breakfast = black coffee
Lunch = Protein shake
Dinner = meat,fish & veg/ salad/soup
Snacks = apple,orange/sugar free jelly/teaspoon of peanut butter/cup of tea,coffee

I have a cheat meal once a week which usually consists of something like = lasagne/cottage pie/pizza/pasta and bowl of ice cream and a choc bar eg twix, mars bar etc

Since last January I haven't lost any weight. The first lockdown I didn't have a cheat meal but it didn't seem to make a difference (or I was losing it and then putting it back on).

My current meal plan isn't working so I am not sure where to go from here. Please do you have any suggestions/share your food diaries as I am at my wits end!!

How much do you have to lose?

Have you worked out how many calories you’re eating a day?

I would be so hungry on your diet! I never skip breakfast and am not overweight.

It looks like you need to take more exercise I guess but it doesn’t look like you eat very much. Do you get out of the house every day? I would try to walk each day as well as HIIT / exercise bike 3/4 times a week.

Sorry I forgot to say my weight and height etc.

I am 15 stone and 5'7"

I eat between 500-1200kcals a day. On a cheat day it is around 1500kcals.

I do think I need to add more exercise. I do walk every day as I have a dog and I am usually on my feet all day for work but I have been wfh since the end of December so I do need to up that more.

I am ok with the amount of food but I feel if I lower it much more I am not going to be able to sustain it and end up binging.

You should be losing if you’re really only eating 500-1200 calories a day. Are you weighting and counting absolutely everything?

Maybe you need your thyroid checking.

It's too few calories that is your issue here. Minimum should be at least 1200. Although that is likely too low
You need to work out what you burn and then calculate a calorie deficit and then eat that amount daily

Are you having huge portions? Any alcohol? Sleep eating?

I'd look at dietdoctor.com were you having a cheat meal once a week when you were doing keto?

Have you been to the doctor to check for underlying conditions like an underactive thyroid? It doesn't look like you're eating very much and even wfh you're still active with the dog walking and workouts. I would be starving and tired on that diet. :(

You need to be eating more. Your BMR is around 1700 taking into consideration your height and weight, and so you need that as a minimum.

Try not to look at it as 'cheat' meals, just factor things into your daily calories (and I don't mean eat just choc and nothing else to counter balance, that's not healthy), otherwise they become even more desirable and you tend to think about them more.

Find some new recipes, pinch of nom have some really good ones that are tasty, low cal and nice and balanced (plus not too pricey for the ingredients). Honestly it makes a big difference having genuinely tasty and varied meals, rather than quite boring 'healthy' meals, it's not sustainable.

Have something for breakfast! I'm not part of the 'most important meal of the day' club, but even having it a bit later in the morning, your body needs energy even if not actually doing much. Your metabolism will also be sluggish. You'll be able to carry out some sort of exercise more easily as well if you actually have energy, even a protein shake or fruit is better than just black coffee.

Fuel your body correctly, eating too few calories is actually counter productive when it comes to weight loss. I did do intermittent fasting as well, is stop eating by 1830 and would not eat again until 0800ish.

I lost 5 stone in under a year following the above, when I was eating a similar diet to yours, nothing really came off.

@jesper1

It's too few calories that is your issue here. Minimum should be at least 1200. Although that is likely too low You need to work out what you burn and then calculate a calorie deficit and then eat that amount daily

Oh for good ness sake. Of course it’s not too few calories. Why do people not even do some basic research before spouting this nonsense?

Op if you’re not loosing then you’re eating enough to maintain at 15 stone.

It’s calories over a week averaged. To maintain this weight at this height you’re eating an average of 2400 calories a day. So you’re under estimating seriously some where. Likely portion sizes or your cheats.

Need 1500 as a minimum that top line should read!

You need to be eating more

What awful advice, no she doesn’t. Starvation mode is not a thing in this context. Read the studies on it. If she eats more she will gain weight.

She’s under estimating her calories.

I'd look at dietdoctor.com were you having a cheat meal once a week when you were doing keto?

It was dietdoctor that I was following when I did keto but it didn't work for me at all but I do still use some of the recipes. And I didn't have a cheat day but I didn't eat the breakfast part - so I'm not sure if that's where I went wrong.

I’ve been using nutrachek to record my calories since June. I aim for 1200, usually manage 1400! Hardly exercise and have lost 11kg. It’s not like dieting and a massive eye opener to how many calories there are in food. Perhaps something like that may work better for you?

I have heard a few times that I am eating too fewer calories but I can't see how eating more would make me lose weight?
However me cutting out breakfast has done absolutely nothing so I am wondering whether I should add a banana for breakfast or something - but then I am adding more calories.

I don't drink.
My portion sizes are quite big but I don't think big enough to hugely underestimate my calories.
Eg one chicken breast with large salad. One tin of soup. 3 egg omelet.

So you’re under estimating seriously some where. Likely portion sizes or your cheats

This. I really wish people would stop spouting "you need to eat more" on these threads, as it's nonsense.
OP, in the kindest possible way, are you being honest with yourself? I spent years being overweight and convincing myself I wasn't eating too much. Unsurprisingly, I was.

I have heard a few times that I am eating too fewer calories but I can't see how eating more would make me lose weight?

It won't. But you've now answered your own question. Your portion sizes are huge, AND you're having treats every week as well!

Have you been to the doctor to check for underlying conditions like an underactive thyroid?

I've not been to the doctor as I'd feel a bit silly/not believed. But I did do a home test as I had symptoms like tiredness all the time and my hair falling out but it came back normal.

I lost 5 stone in under a year following the above, when I was eating a similar diet to yours, nothing really came off.

Did you count carbs or just calories?

My portion sizes are quite big but I don't think big enough to hugely underestimate my calories.

It sounds like you need a week of weighing absolutely everything to make sure your portions aren’t off.

I’ve been using nutrachek to record my calories since June.

I have not heard of this I only use myfitness pal I will definitely check it out.

You have been eating too few calories historically (when you restrict too much your body responds by cutting your output to match, so you’ll feel lethargic, cold, your skin and hair/nails suffer). Unfortunately if you just increase your calories now your body will store the extra as fat.

If you haven’t already, read The Obesity Code and Feast, Fast, Repeat. It completely changed the way I eat. I can see you have already dabbled with IF, but if you’re going to fast, you need to do it properly (fuelling your body with sufficient, healthy food in your eating window.

It won't. But you've now answered your own question. Your portion sizes are huge, AND you're having treats every week as well!

I do struggle with portion sizes but when I put them into myfitnesspal they come under the calorie allowance.

If you were having chicken breast and salad/ egg omelet/a tin of soup - how much would you have of each?

Yes a 3-egg omelette is quite big. My teenage son does this but he’s always on the go and is a bottomless pit.