Weight loss help!

[Sophieweston]

Hello

I am 29 years old, 5ft 5 and currently weighing in at 13 stone 9lb.

I've been on a calorie deficit (tracking less than 1,500 cals per day), cut out sugary snacks, keeping 'bad carbs' to a rare minimum, fasting 5/7 days a week (missing breakfast, eating between 12-8pm) and using my peloton bike x3 times a week for half hr- 45mins for around 5 weeks now and only lost 2lb all together.

In my first 10 days I lost a total of 5lb, and since put on 3lb after a weekend where I attended a bbq (literally had x1 burger and some sides!) and since plateaued.

I work from home at my home office, so getting in steps is an issue, so last week I upped this and ensured I got in at least 10k steps a day, on top of the x3 peloton classes. Weighed in this morning, and... I've stayed the same.

Any words of advice/ areas I'm missing?
I am really keen to keep up this new regime, because despite the physical weight loss I feel 10x better. Skin is clearer, less bloated etc. However, I'm desperate to lose weight - my whole wardrobe is tight and I have a wedding in October that I'd like to feel really good for. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!

Appreciate the help!

I would suspect the initial rapid weight loss was mainly water and when you attended the bbq and ate carbs a lot of the water came back.

It is hard to say why you are not loosing more but 0.5lb a week is not bad if it is mainly fat. Maybe the exercise is helping you to gain some muscle and counteracting the fat loss?

What are you eating? I found what I eat is far more important to weight loss than the calories as it depends of how the food is broken down and absorbed by the body. For example you will gain more weight from ground almonds than whole almonds even if you eat an equal no. of calories of them. I have lost 11kg over the last 6 months simply by cutting out upf and switching to a whole food diet and reducing sugar and starchy carbs.

So how long have you been on it? Three weeks?

This is my 5th week

Ok, so not sure where or how you’re tracking your cals, but many of the apps/tools are not accurate.

the only thing you absolutely know for sure, as you are not loosing and irs 5 weeks, is you are eating and drinking what you need to maintain at this weight.

Yes I thought maybe it was the water! When it's broken down it doesn't sound so bad, it's just very disheartening considering I feel like I've made such big changes!

I eat really well - cook everything from scratch usually so never been one to eat processed foods. I've been trying to keep away from bread, pasta etc. and choosing brown rice or no carbs. I've had the odd bit of cous cous on occassion.

Maybe it's just a case of keep going and eventually I'll see good results.

I've been using Nutra Check. Most days I've been well under my allotted calories which I always thought would allow for any mis-tracking if that makes sense!

People probably won’t agree with me, but 2 pounds is actually a good, sustainable loss over that time. Imagine 2 pounds of butter off of your body (not saying ALL will have been fat loss, but much will). If you carried on you’d soon feel a difference in your clothes and you’d stand a good chance of keeping it off.

I hate to say it, but it’s not humanly possible, for you to not loose weight you are eating what is required to maintain. Basically take it over the course of a week and then average it out. But factually you are eating your maintence amount. So you need to be on less to lose.

sorry I know it isn’t what you wish to hear.

Whenever I've needed to lose a bit of weight I found I'd be all over the place for the first few weeks. Intermittent fasting coupled with your healthy diet should work eventually. Though it's possible that 1500 calories may be just a bit more than you need to be in deficit.

However, you should consider resistance/weight bearing exercise, such as workouts using dumbbells. I'm a great fan of Caroline Girvan as her programs are very professional and effective.

I used a combination of 16/8, low carb and calorie deficit to lose 4.5st. It requires patience - individual measurements wobble up and down, but the long term trend is always down. I’ve been stable at my target for several months now - if it creeps up even a little, I go back to being careful for a few days till I’m back where I should be.

Thank you - I'll take a look!

That's true! I suppose I just wanted to see results faster than I have being and just need to be patient. I do feel better already, just the scales that aren't moving!!

I think you'll get there if you stick at it. You aren't doing a fasting extreme diet, but a lifestyle change - give it till the wedding and you'll find it's working.

I've been going to the gym and paying attention to what I am eating and drinking for 6 weeks now, I haven't lost any weight to write home about - but my trousers are fitting better.

i am 5 foot 5 and in January weighed 14 stone 10lb, i now weigh 12 stone lb.

I think 1500 calories a day might be the issue, i have tried to stick to 1000 to 1200 and work out 6 out of 7 days of the week.

20 minute cardio work-out, 20 minute dumbbell work out.

Its honestly about what feels right for you, in the last 6 weeks or so it has only been 1-2 lb a week off but this is a healthy weight to loose.
When i was using a bike i wasn't seeing very good results so maybe that could be a factor?