New approach for energy & weight loss?

[Auntycorruption]

Not usually one to ask for advice but I'm struggling to know what to do next...

I need to lose a stone. Instead I'm slowly putting weight on (very slow, but it's definitely going in wrong direction).

I already walk 10-15,000+ steps a day.

I do a weights gym class 2x week. I stretch almost every day to minimise my back pain.

I aim for 1400 calories a day. Usually come in 1300-1800.

I have a busy life - family, job, the usual.

I am exhausted by 9pm every night. Sleep 8 hours. I wake up with aching hips and intermittently get lower back pain & sciatica.

I desperately need the magic recipe to lose weight and gain energy. I'm nearly 40 and scared of getting less & less healthy. I used to be fit and strong. What do I do differently?

What’s your height and current weight? Have you worked out how many calories you need to eat to maintain vs how many to lose weight?

Are you eating a balanced, healthy diet at the moment? i.e. lots of protein, lots of variety of veg etc?

I can’t advise re the hip and back pain, maybe a physio could help with that, but diet wise, there’s potentially quite a big difference between 1300 cals and 1800 cals. If you work out your average for the whole week, what’s the actual figure? If it’s towards the upper range, then it’ll take a lot longer to lose the weight.

You need a calorie deficit of 500 per day to lose 1lb a week.

Are you me?! Im exactly the same! And what makes it worse is that i was around 20 pounds lighter 2 years ago - when actually, i had less time to exercise, more stress, and lived somewhere where healthy food was harder to obtain. So whats my excuse? In my case, probably not being patient enough tracking calories/macros, and falling off the wagon too regularly.
I remember finding weight loss easier last time i tried, its definitely a mindset thing. I am going to try and stick to logging my food in nutracheck and no eating out, hopefully if i can do that for a couple weeks with no slips ill see the progress i need to motivate me!
If youd like an accountability buddy feel free to message 🙂

Might be worth a trip to the GP to get your bloods checked for any vitamin deficiencies or thyroid imbalance etc?

What do you tend to eat and drink on an average day?

Sorry life got in the way of replying (that's probably 99% of my problem tbh!)

My BMI is 29 so definitely need to lose the stone. The TDEE calc says Maintenance cals are 2014, so 1500 should give a loss.

@Penguin82

Are you me?! Im exactly the same! And what makes it worse is that i was around 20 pounds lighter 2 years ago - when actually, i had less time to exercise, more stress, and lived somewhere where healthy food was harder to obtain. So whats my excuse? In my case, probably not being patient enough tracking calories/macros, and falling off the wagon too regularly. I remember finding weight loss easier last time i tried, its definitely a mindset thing. I am going to try and stick to logging my food in nutracheck and no eating out, hopefully if i can do that for a couple weeks with no slips ill see the progress i need to motivate me! If youd like an accountability buddy feel free to message 🙂

Yes all of that. You're living my life haha.

@yumyumpoppycat

Might be worth a trip to the GP to get your bloods checked for any vitamin deficiencies or thyroid imbalance etc?

I've had a range of health checks over the last year or so and so I think that should be fine. But yes maybe worth a check

What are your Iron levels like? That's the big one with energy.

@Blondie1984

What do you tend to eat and drink on an average day?

A typical day:

9.30am. Greek yoghurt & fruit. Or cereal & milk. Or nothing and then want lunch earlier.

1pm. Bagel with chicken & salad. Or soup & toast. Or scrambled egg & avocado.

The afternoon is where is all goes wrong. Snacks - cake or probably a small bag of crisps. Couple of pieces of fruit.

6pm: I sometimes eat with the kids in which case it would be pasta, meat or fish & veg. Sometimes I'll eat alone after the gym so scrambled egg & bagel or a ready meal. I try and keep the protein up but it's a challenge.

Drinks - tea, water, a cappuccino maybe 2 or 3 times a week. No fruit juices, fizzy drinks or alcohol.

You say you eat between 1300 and 1800 calories but if you’re regularly coming in at the higher end then you’re not going to lose. It needs to be consistent defecit of at least 500 calories a day for weeks to see change.

Drink lots of water, reduce your carbs (I aim for no more 40% of my calories intake) and up protein (30%).

I’ve also found vitamins help - I always ignored advice to take them but I got ill a few weeks ago so started taking zinc, vit d and vit c and after about 3 weeks there was a noticeable difference in the level of fatigue I had.

I also think you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself - approaching 40, busy life and aching joints are going to take it out of you. Life is tiring and it sounds like you’re making the right changes to help.