I know why I’m not losing weight - but can’t fix it!

[froidIci]

Name changed for this as am attaching a picture which I might ask to remove later.

My BMI places me at Obese. 84 kgs at 167 cm.

In the attached picture from yesterday - you see me in size 12 cardigan, size 12 top and size 12 jeans.

I’ve been stuck at this weight for years and years. Original pre DC weight was 73 ish and I’d be delighted to hover around there again. But I’m stuck.

Ive done various approaches and a lot of soul searching and now understand that there are 3 reasons why I can’t lose it -

1. The amount of food I need to feel sated is clearly more than the amount at which I lose. My portions are clearly not the fistful/palmful/75g sizes of food groups usually recommended.

1. The nature of food which brings me comfort are not the sort that makes me lose. I find great comfort in carbs like rice or potatoes (not bread) - that I don’t find in say meat or roasted vegetables.

1. Finally Both these factors are deeply cultural. I was raised in a country/society where physical exercise was neither taught nor practiced. I wasn’t even taught to swim or ride a bike as simply not the norm in that context. Food is at the heart of that culture and the rice-based cuisine of potatoes and fats got ingrained into me as “comfort”. Now that I have migrated far away and I look at my aging aunts and parents - coping with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and nearly sedentary by 50, I am VERY worried.

So you see it’s not that I don’t understand why I can’t lose weight. I do. I clearly see the emotional nature of WHY I eat WHAT I eat.

But here I am.

If you could take a look at the picture you’ll see the obesity is sort of carried in the upper thighs, hips and buttocks and calves. The figure itself is an hourglass with a very wide bottom
And bottom half.

Thanks for any advice ….

@Fairislefandango

One of the main reasons a low carb diet works better than a high carb low fat diet is its effect on appetite. When the main reason that diets fail is that people can't stick to them, how diets affect your appetite is no mere detail, it's absolutely central to your likelihood of losing weight. Low carb diets are well known for giving satiety, stabilising appetite and reducing or minimising cravings (especially for sweet foods).

Absolutely. Its impossible for me to stick to a calorie deficit if Im eating a high level of carbs (by which I mean around more than about 100g or about 25% of my calorie intake depending which is lower)

A book that I really found helpful is Healthy as F*ck by Oonagh Duncan - it’s on audible too narrated by her and hilarious. She’s lost weight and kept it off using some very simple strategies which also happen to be in line with some of the science mentioned above. She’s also on Instagram and I think gives out tips on there. I have lost 20 odd pounds since I read her book and maintained through trips and holidays.

I think it's important to note that low carb does not mean zero carb. In reality it's only low carb compared to what we think is "normal" in our current diet/culture.

Remove processed foods/carbs including bread and it leaves room for rice and potatoes. Even pasta is a processed food really - again fine in moderation.

Also portion size and balance.

Cravings are the worst and my biggest enemy is insomnia/poor sleep. When you are so tired from 5 hours of broken sleep it's hard not to crave the carb heavy pick me up. Battle of the mind.

@RandomMess

I think it's important to note that low carb does not mean zero carb. In reality it's only low carb compared to what we think is "normal" in our current diet/culture.

Remove processed foods/carbs including bread and it leaves room for rice and potatoes. Even pasta is a processed food really - again fine in moderation.

Also portion size and balance.

Cravings are the worst and my biggest enemy is insomnia/poor sleep. When you are so tired from 5 hours of broken sleep it's hard not to crave the carb heavy pick me up. Battle of the mind.

Exactly I do my own version of low carb, I eat fruit and veg and have the odd bit of potato too.