Aibu to ask why I'm not losing weight

[memesndmoreme]

Just that really. I'm eating less and healthier, no crisps, the odd sweet treat, walking more and exercising and no weight what so ever is coming off. Really don't know what I'm doing wrong? Any suggestions. Typical days food consists of porridge, wrap for lunch and then dinner things like spaghetti bol, stir fry, pasta, chicken. Drink plenty of water.

I don't want to be muscly or bulk up though? Just nice and slim.

I kind of carry the weight not terribly as I'm quite tall so I don't look like a slob if you know what I mean. Still wear size 12-14 clothes but in no way comfortable with my body

They are carbs, but as I say, it's low carb, not no carb. Plus most of them are complex carbs rather than simple carbs (sugar).

It's a massive misconception that women will be bulky because of weight training, we just don't have the testosterone to become muscular. Many men have trouble gaining massive muscles if that's what they're looking for, even they have to eat perfectly and train the right way to pack on size.

Relatively heavy weight training will not make you look masculine as a woman, but it will help your metabolism and help you lose weight/keep it off. I think you said you cycle for an hour three times a week. That's a lot, and you might find it more useful to cut that down and do heavy compound lifts like deadlifts etc instead.

Get yourself a light kettlebell and start by cutting your cycling down and doing 30
Mins of a kettle bell work out instead.
It's a brilliant all over work out combining core work / strength, aerobic elements etc.

Also, ditch the scales and take your measurements once a month instead.
Muscle weighs more than fat yet takes
Up less space so as you turn your fat into muscle, you will find your weight doesnt move or goes up yet you're toning up..

Don't worry about being 'muscly.' To get anywhere near a muscly look your diet would have to be very regimented, you'd have to do some amazing heavy lifts over at least a year...and have some genetics that help you out. More likely your posture will improve, you will protect yourself from injury, your bones will be stronger, your basal metabolic rate will go up and your clothes will fit better even if the scales don't budge so go pick some heavy things up gurl!

I started a weight training class three weeks ago because I'm brand new to it and its so much fun.

I'd recommend a class or a PT session to learn what to do and how to lift safely

As others have explained, working out with weights won't make you bulk up. Yes, you'll gain muscles, but you'll simply look toned. As in strong legs and no no bingo wings,not to mention a strong core. The benefits of weight training cannot be overemphasized: metabolism, bones, toning - and you'll still get your heart rate up. Try this:

I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but since you said you thought a wrap would be healthier than bread, I think you'd benefit from using My Fitness Pal, even if just for a week or two. I used it a few years ago and lost a lot of weight. When I am dieting now, I don't bother with it, but it definitely helped me realise how easy it is to over eat calories and how to make lower calorie choices. It's through calorie counting that you really realise how high carbs are compared to protein foods and veggies etc

OMG - sorry about the huge web link in my post above!
Not sure what happened there...

Thabkyou everyone for all the advice. This thread has really helped and given some great ideas. My son has some dumbells, so I will see if I can find any workouts on YouTube to use them.

Basically you are eating too much. I suggest cutting your portions by a third and you will see the weight start to come off. Exercise will tone you and help with mental health, The only way to lose weight is to eat less. It’s a pain, but true.

@memesndmoreme I feel your frustration! I am 54, the same height as you and just over 13stones so would love to shift a couple of stones. I recently gave up calorie counting as I wasn't losing anything and wrote down everything I ate on my so called healthy eating plan - then after three weeks, worked it out . I was eating between 2500 and 3500 calories A DAY!!! It really shocked me. I know I'm way less active than I was 10 years ago but didn't realise I was eating so much more. I was 'eyeballing' potato sizes thinking they were 6-7oz when they weighed 10-11oz. A 50g serving of dry rice is nearly 200 calories. The little 10g scrape of butter that I had on rice cakes to make them palatable was 60 calories so double those of the bloody polystyrene shit I was eating ! The carrots I was scoffing with peanut butter (for protein) work out at 10cal per ounce plus peanut butter! Apples were 95-100 calories each, bananas anywhere from 100-140 cals! So its no wonder I'm not losing any weight but hopefully now I can put the right foods with fewer carbs in my mouth and things may get better.

@blblobby10 it's so frustrating and depressing when you are actively trying, thinking your doing well and then staying the same weight. Very demotivating. This thread has really educated me, so hopefully things start to change. Good luck on your weight loss x

You could switch out the wraps to the 60 calorie bread. I like eating toast & I found this super helpful because I can eat more 😆 Aldis have their own 60 calorie bread as do Brennans & I'm sure there are other brands.
Best of luck you can do this!

@memesndmoreme you are probably aware of it by MyFitnessPal is a great app/online tool for tracking your calories. its a bit of a pain if you cook a lot from scratch like I do putting each individual item in but it does store things for the future!! Good luck to you too - I'm hoping the clock change this weekend will galvanise me into action so I go out for a walk or cycle after work instead of sitting in front of the TV!

I eat lots of carbs and am steadily losing weight. Porridge for breakfast, Greek yogurt with cherry compote and honey for lunch, dinner is homemade soup or veggie pasta of some kind, I eat chips, burgers, cheese in toast, crisps, sweets, cereal. Carbs are not your enemy. Some people on mumsnet would have you believe carbs must never pass your lips. I eat around 1500 calories a day and walk a lot. I weigh 57.4kg and am 5ft 3in. If you swap your wrap for Greek yogurt and berries for example then you'll possibly feel fuller for longer and cut calories. I have the 0% fat Greek yogurt. The Fage one. I'm addicted to it!
I've not been very strict with things until 9th January but this is my weight loss graph since September.

This is not good for your body. Following a very low carb diet long term has been linked to heart arrhythmias, osteoporosis, kidney damage, and increased risk of cancer and sudden death.

Carbs are your body's main fuel source and depriving your body of macronutrients is a bad idea if you want to stay healthy.

I would recommend cutting out processed carbs like white bread and pasta, but keep the whole grains.

It totally depends on your portion size so maybe you need to weigh that out? In particular spaghetti or pasta as that can add up really quickly.
Also how far are you walking? A mile only burns around 100 calories

Just wanted to give to back up what people are saying about not realising how much you are eating.

I am currently logging everything I eat on MyNetDiary. Although I do want to lose weight I am actually doing it to log nutrients.

I also IF. But todays lunch was a grilled chicken salad. Very healthy. Nutrient dense. It was 826 calories.

I had 28g of hard goats cheese, 2tbsp of homemade olive oil based dressing, 120g of chicken, a slice of Rye sour dough bread with a bit of cottage cheese on it, pumpkin seeds I roasted with cinnamon and cumin, lettuce, mixed coloured peppers, cucumber. And a glass of orange, carrot and ginger juice.

All measures out. All accounted for. 826 calories is fine for me, because I IF. I broke my fast with protein shake. So I have had about a thousand calories today. I will only have a small dinner and start fasting again at around 5.15pm.

So my lunch is fine for me and I added bits to increase the calories and nutrients. But if you a a salad assuming it’s 300 - 500 Cals. And it’s 900 and then you do similar at breakfast and dinner, it’s soon adds up and you are eating for more than you think.

Read the book 'why we eat too much' by Andrew jenkinson

(And then if you like it come and join the thread of the same name)

Some of it is a bit speculative but the core argument is compelling and the way of eating he recommends works for some of us!

@Aria999 do you have a link up the thread because it doesn't come up on search?

@AutisticLegoLover

Why We Eat (Too Much) thread 6
www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/4590255-why-we-eat-too-much-thread-6

The link doesn't work so I've reported to MNHQ to see if they can sort it. It doesn't show under the topic. I just get this message when I click on the link. Thank you for posting it though.