Why am I not losing weight

[Fluffygreenslippers]

I was obese as a teen and in my early twenties then lost several stone. Am now 35. I maintained my weight for years. Sometimes I gained a few pounds and I would track my calories for a while, usually a small deficit of 1800 & would lose weight. Then lockdown happened. I started drinking heavily and gained about two stone. Then, as restrictions eased, I got pregnant. I tried to diet during pregnancy but found it impossible. I gained another two stone. I’m only a stone off my heaviest ever weight. I’m back to the size I was as a fat teen, I feel my old depression coming back. My shape has changed too, I was pear shaped and now I have a big belly. My hips have got even wider. My arse is huge. I thought the weight would come off naturally when I was no longer pregnant but I’ve actually gained! I said enough was enough on Jan first. I completely cut out alcohol, and for good measure chocolate too. I stuck to 1500 calories or less rigidly, I tracked every single calorie down to the splash of milk in my coffee. After seven weeks, I have lost nothing. No weight, no inches, nothing. My meals are mostly protein and veg. I use an air fryer so no more than half a teaspoon of oil is used in cooking. My shape hasn’t changed. Belly still huge. I thought just by cutting out booze I would lose something??? I was previously drinking heavily. At my weight (16+ stone) and height 5.9’’ I should be losing weight????

sorry its so long I tried to be as succinct as possible but clearly failed.

Calorie counting does work if you are honest about it but maybe as you are not very active at the moment, you will only need a small amount (say 1200 calories a day) to lose weight.

So I pretty much just gave up on my diet for a few days. I had a couple drinks Thursday & Friday. Ate instant ramen instead of salad. Now I have gastritis again…great.
Anyway I weighed myself & i’ve lost weight. How the fuck does that work? I give up dieting. I’m not planning on binge eating but I’m clearly not going to lose anything significant until I can work out again. I’m just too tired. Having a baby is too tiring. I don’t know how other women do it but I do not have energy.

You poor thing, that's disheartening!

I think skipping meals all day will slow your metabolism down - your body goes into starvation mode and conserves energy

I'd suggest weight watchers - it's the one the NHS refer to and you'll get tailored support and advice

Sorry but starvation mode has been proven to be a myth. A quick Google will show you that.

You dont even need to google, how do people think that anorexics or famine victims starve to death if starvation mode is a thing?

You havent lost weight over those few days, the weight loss you see on the scales are simply from what you had been doing prior to that. Dont be surprised if later the scales show a slight increase or stall again due to water retention from the alcohol or the processed food. It wont mean a gain in real terms.

People like to convince themselves that starvation mode is a thing because it's easier than accepting the truth - which is that they're eating too much and not doing enough exercise.

I was the same for years, when I was overweight. I convinced myself that with all the gym sessions I did (when in reality I was just going through the motions at classes) and the low calorie diet (which wasn't really low calorie at all) I should be losing weight, and if I wasn't it was because there was something wrong with my metabolism.
Funnily enough, when I started genuinely eating better - and less - and did some proper exercise, I lost the weight.

Go to the GP get your bloods tested I had the same issue and I had a under active thyroid

Having a baby is too tiring. I don’t know how other women do it but I do not have energy

Exercise gives you more energy. And I'm not surprised you're knackered if you've been boozing after a few weeks off, as alcohol can really mess with your sleep and energy levels.

There's no magic bullet I'm afraid, OP. People who lose weight and keep it off are those who get through the difficult first few weeks/months of increased exercise and a balanced diet, and keep it up for life.
A quick look at the exercise boards will show you that - there are a huge group of people who work FT and have small children, but also make time for exercise. Yes it's knackering at first but when you get used to it you feel genuinely energised by early morning runs/yoga/etc. And then it becomes habit, and then lifestyle, and before you know it you've somehow become one of these annoying size 8 or 10 athletic types, bouncing about at 6am having run 10k before the rest of the house is awake. It's not down to chance, it's a case of putting the work in.

Even when I was slim size 10 I found exercise very tiring. I’m not a high energy person. I’ve never felt energised by morning runs lol. I’ve been fat and slim and I do not have excess energy. The only time I had energy was when I used to take amphetamines.

Having a baby is exhausting, I remember those days. Please be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much when your primary job at the moment is caring for your little one

Starvation mode is real, it’s just is not as powerful as people think it is.

www.healthline.com/nutrition/starvation-mode

Starvation mode doesn’t mean you starve, it means that your body drops your metabolism and other small adjustments when dieting to maintain homeostasis.

This is proven and fact. It doesn’t stop you losing weight but it means that weight loss is NOT linear and you can diet for a few days and lose nothing, then suddenly lose it in one day. It can also mean that larger calories restriction can SLOW weight loss. It doesn’t stop it but it can slow it.

I genuinely think sleep deprivation inhibits weight loss. How much sleep are you getting? My first was a crap sleeper and I struggled so much to lose the baby weight - in fact I gained! I hadn't lost it before conceiving dc2. Anyway, dc1 started sleeping better while I was pregnant and then dc2 was a unicorn baby who slept really well from the get go, and let me tell you, the the weight fell off once I was sleeping properly most nights! And once you start seeing results it's so much easier to keep making healthier choices. Everything crossed that your sleep improves and that has a positive impact on your weight!

your metabolism slows down when you stretch out your meals too much and is unable to burn off all the calories you take in during your next meal. More calories could lead to weight gain. You might overeat if you are too hungry. Consider eating less often and in smaller quantities.

@timmothysmith01 but then why do so many people love fasting and say it works for their weight loss? Not everyone of course, but a lot of people do swear by IF and eating within a 16:8 window.