Totally fed up. 57 and can't lose weight on 1000 cals a day! Is there any point dieting if you don't want injections!

[Suenami]

I am feeling totally miserable about my weight and wondering what the point of trying to diet is when everyone seems to be on the injections and losing tons of weight.

At Christmas I was about 2 stone overweight. I'm 57 and menopausal. Since then I've lost 10lbs through calorie counting and upping my exercise - I broke my shoulder last year and then cracked a bone in my foot, so I've been limited in what I can do.

For the last 2 months I have - as evidenced by MFP - eaten between 800 and 1200 calories a day and I've started walking briskly for 30 mins a day. I've lost 1lb.

I keep gaining and losing the same pound, I'm eating very little and not eating until 12.30pm. I don't drink during the week and often not at the weekend.

And I've just seen photos of myself and I look huge.

My friend is on Wegovy and has lost nearly 3 stone in the last few months. I dont want and can't afford injections but feel totally miserable.

Why is my body doing this??? I've kept a log of MFP and about 8 years ago I did a few months at 1400 cals a day and lost a stone! If I ate 1400 calories a day now I would put on weight. I'm on HRT.

I eat healthily, loads of green veg, protein etc. Ironically I am happier and more energetic than I've been for ages, until I think about my weight!

I do blame HRT for my weight gain to be honest. My whole body shape changed.

Looking at what you eat, maybe you are low on protein.

Walking, fast (on flat if possible) for an hour, if you could do two hour sessions, fast a day you will shed the weight. I'm 5 7 and about 8 stone 3 and literally eat all around me and crap too, I don't eat until late in the day though and I walk a lot. Walking makes the biggest difference imo. It doesn't build muscle but for pure weightloss i think its the best

I've started weight loss Injections, just completed my first month, lost 6.6 pounds in the first 2 weeks but am now slowly gaining ounces every day.

I am religiously sticking to 900 to 1200 calories daily, am recording every mouthful on MFP. No alcohol, no sweet stuff. Haven't eaten a single biscuit in a month. Protein Intake upped to around 60gm a day.

Exercise and weights 3 times weekly, water consumption around 2l a day.

I'm seriously annoyed and suspect my issues are medical, cortisol related. Most of my weight is around my abdomen.

I never had a weight issue until my 3rd child in 1998, then it went haywire.

I believe I can only lose weight on a water only diet and of course that won't end well. I truly believe some people just can't lose weight, whatever the intervention.

Omg you must be tiny! My dd is 5 5 and weighs 8 stone and she's a size 6!

But yes I think fast walking is great for health and weight loss.

That must be very demotivating. Can I ask, do the injections help you to lose weight while eating normally, or do they just suppress your appetite so you eat less calories a day?

Go for walks everyday

Half an hour or longer

You'll be amazed at how much you lose and listen to music or audiobooks or whatever as you walk

I am! Currently 30 mins a day. I walk up a hill to a particular tree, takes 15 mins then I wall back.

At that height and weight, eating only 1000 calories is seriously unhealthy as you're not going to be eating anything like your BMR.
Calories: How to Know if You Go Too Low (everydayhealth.com)

But the fast 800 works really well for people! 3 months only but even then twice a week

I am 49 and overweight. I have lost 3.5 stone since January. Slimming World . Find a nice group and stay to sessions- it really works.

What about swimming? That would be gentler for you. And also strength training.

Do both 3/4 times per week.

Yeah I've thought about that. I'm worried about my shoulder though as it got broken really badly and all the ligaments tore. I might just go for a dip and see how it goes.

yes, but that's twice a week and the other days they eat normally. You're consistently eating less than what your body needs to function so you won't lose weight.

I would say you are eating too few calories. I'm eating 1450 calories and have lost 23 pounds since November.

Just looking at what eat made me feel I'm eating like a queen .

I also walk 9000 steps everyday and do body pump twice a week ... I'm 55 .

You sound like me - for me the calorie approach just does not work. If I undereat I just get very tired and get bad headaches and I end up expending less energy.

What I do is cut down carbs a lot and eat more fruit , veg and lean protein. I alternate between days when I’m strict and days when I’m less strict. Weirdly, if I have a bit of a treat I might end up losing more weight.

I think for me the secret is to trick my body into not realising it’s losing weight. Exercise helps me too, going on a couple of walks each week as well as my general activity.

They just suppress your appetite

Exercise doesn't convert fat into muscle. You can lose fat and gain muscle but gaining muscle in calorie deficit for women especially menopausal women who aren't actively body building is almost impossible.

You aren't converting fat to muscle. See above!

I just don't think that's true. No-one that does fast 800 for two months wouldn't lose weight.

I imagine she means as the muscles grow and the fat lessens she is still the same weight.

Also if it were true that your body stops you losing weight at 1000 calories a day then none of the weight loss injections would work.

There's a guy I was following on tiktok who runs a weight loss business. He was a bit of a dick but he had interesting points about how he often got peopel to lose weight by upping their calories. I don't really know or understand it.

But I do think there's a lot to be said for understanding how your metabolism works. The best diet I've ever had was when I reduced carbs. I am insulin resistant so this is not surprising. Unfortunately, my cholestrol went up because I didn't reduce overall calories, just changed where they were coming from.

I am trying to limit carbs a bit now. Not excessively, but a bit and am fasting. Will be intersting to see how that works out.

I think you should seek proper professional help.

Oh my god. I quoted the OP.

SORRY EVERYONE!!!!!

There you go......you have answered the question that you are arguing over!

There's not a lot of difference between 800 calories a day and the 1,000 calories a day you think you are eating. So why aren't you losing weight? Answer is you are not eating 1,000 calories a day :)

If you eat 1,000 calories or less a day then you will lose weight, if Wegovy or Mounjaro enables you to do that consistently over a good period of time, and you increase your exercise, you will lose the weight you want.