I'm stuck! How do I lose more?!

[itsgettingweird]

Hi.

I've been up and down about 9lb the past few years.

Various things going on in life including death and my own health issues.

Whenever I lose weight I manage really well to lose those 9lb.

I've done it again quite easily but I seem to get stuck at this weight once I get there. Previously it's been the cause of me giving up (I think but unintentionally).

I do not want to this time.

I've decreased my calories again but I'm already 300 a day under the recommended amount of calories recommended for me to lose 1.5lb a week.

Any suggestions?

Have you tried intermittent fasting?

Cut down on bread. And don't eat anything after evening meal which you should try not to have too late. I think you might be under estimating your calories. But you need to cut down on carbs.

This is the analysis of what I've eaten today.

I've weighed scanned and logged everything.

I'm eating dinner in 5 minutes and it's logged. It's a non training day and so a non walk day.

I don't eat sliced bread.

I eat rice cakes or a gluten free pitta - occasionally I'll have both in a day which maybe I should stop?

Or instead of one I'll have pasta or potato gnocchi.

I'll have a look at if rice is better but I guess I've avoided it as don't fancy rice cakes and rice!!! I'll do it if needs be though!

I am getting my 5 a day which I'm really pleased about because I certainly wasn't before!

So you're actually eating a high carb, medium protein and low fat diet. You are getting a lot of carbs from all the fruit you're eating, as well as the pasta/gnocchi/rice cakes.

You would be much better going lower carb - try and aim for around 50-75g a day (i.e. around half of what you're eating now) and really up your fat. Good fats like olive oil, avocado, butter.

Instead of the fruit, try and snack on low carb veg instead - e.g. cucumber, celery, and have salad rather than fruit with your lunch. With a vinaigrette dressing and/or mayo.

... and have a read of this book: Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson which explains why calorie counting - in the longer term - really doesn't work, and also the set point weight theory (i.e. why you get 'stuck' at a certain weight)

Are you adding your exercise to the app?
I know My fitness pal gives you additional calories back to eat, there are a lot of people on forums complaining about weight stalling and realising they are eating too many calories because it gives you exercise calories back on your total to eat for the day.

I would say if you aren’t losing then you are over eating calories somewhere, you just don’t know it.
The portion for pasta is generally 75g for example, if trying to lose I have 50 so 100 seems quite a lot.

You need to recalculate your tdee and a new calorie total as you lose though.

Are you sure the stalling of weight is not because you'll be replacing fat with muscle? I was stuck on 70kg for what felt like forever even though I was exercising and eating around 1000 calories a day. I couldn't understand it. Then all of a sudden I started dropping the weight really quickly again. I am much more toned than I was so I can only assume it was because muscle weighs much more than fat and I was in fact losing but the muscle gain made it seem like I wasn't.

Exercises will omprove yoir mood and general well eing but won't impact your weight loss. Reqd the book recommended by BIWI.
In short - remove any UPF food from yoir plate

Thanks BIWI that's exactly the sort of advice I need. It's obvious what I'm doing isn't working but when your following something to the letter and you don't know there's a better way it's infuriating!

My add adds 50% of my exercise calories but I'm not eating them.

I'm eating below my base rate given daily before any are added.

My base rate lowered itself and my app keeps telling me I'll lose 3lb a week on what I'm eating.

However - clearly not!!!

I'd love to say it's muscle but I'd absolutely be kidding myself 🤣 other than walking I do no specific exercise and don't have time.

What I'm going to do this evening is spend some time looking to increase protein and lower carbs.

I've always been conscious of GF carbs because they are higher in fat but didn't actually consider the amount of fruit I'm eating!

Increase protein and things like low sugar low fat baked beans and cut back on pasta. Also reduce salt in cooking too.

This is good advice. Carbs are hidden.in many foods like fruit so people don't realise how many they are eating.

I don't think reducing calories is the answer for you. Some people are so fixed on that but our bodies are more complex than that. I haven't read the book recommended above but I'm inclined to believe that is more what will help you. I definitely think including some protein in your meals will help you.

How long have you been "stuck" at the same weight? To be honest your calorie intake sounds low to me for your height so I wouldn't cut it any further. I'd be tempted to just stick with what you're doing for a few more weeks and see what happens but I appreciate if the answer to my first question is months then you might not be willing to try that! My reasoning is that in my experience weight loss isn't a steady each week and sometimes I feel like I've lost nothing but then lose more than I'd imagine other times

For fruit i have been buying berries, they have least carbs for fruit, so raspberries, strawberries, blackberries etc. x

A week!!!!

So maybe I'm being impatient?!!!

I think I'M just worried that having been "here" before and then ending up eating too much and going back up again I'm determined not to make the same mistake again!

The stupid thing is when I overeat those 9lb go straight back on but I don't get any bigger than that

Ok I'm not an expert but if it were me I would see what happens in another couple of weeks as it could be a hormonal thing or anything and hard to read too much into an isolated weight reading.

Lift weights.

Hormones is something I've often considered.

I've had a hysterectomy but have my ovaries.

The past few days I've not slept as well and haven't opened my bowels as easily/ as much which I always did when in my period.

So I could be at that stage if my cycle but I never actually know!!!

I'll lower carbs and up protein and stick at it!

You talk about having to eat/snack in the morning to keep your blood sugar up so to not feel ill but I think there’s a bit of a chicken/egg thing going on because banana for breakfast, fruit snack at break and then fruit at lunch would make my blood sugars soar then crash and I’d be starving. Whereas doing 16:8 and not eating at all until lunch on geniunely not hungry (after the first couple of days). I didn’t have breakfast today and didn’t even realise when it was lunchtime as I hadn’t felt hungry at all. This is very strange for me! On days when I have a banana at break my stomach’s tumbling by

(hit post too soon) rumbling by lunch. So I’d try cutting out breakfast, not to save calories (you could eat them later) but to try and stop the spike/crash thing.

I didn't use to have anything for breakfast.

But I get up at 4am and often walk 6k at 5.

I was then really struggling by 10am and eating crap because I felt hungry and lethargic.

I now eat a banana and only sometimes have a snack at 10.30 (I rarely have time because my job is so time demanding).

I tried the fasting but it doesn't work with my lifestyle because I'm not in between 4.45am and 7.30/8.30pm.

I really wish I could because I've heard such great results from it but it was just not possible for me to be up for 8 hours before eating.

Should say my sugars aren't crashing now. With what I'm eating now and timings I'm not even hungry despite cutting back massively. I'm full eating 1/3 of my previous portions!