To ask how I can loose weight?

[LadyWhistled0wn]

I had a medical issue for a few years meaning I could barely eat.
I went down to 5 stone 13lb at my lowest, obviously very skinny and very unwell.

I had the medical issue resolved and because I've started eating after effectively starving myself for several years I cannot seem to loose weight as I guess my body is storing it incase I starve myself again?

I'm currently a whooping 10 stone 8 lb and I'm only 5'1 so it's a lot of weight for me.

How can I loose the weight? I cannot join the gym as my joints dislocate (I tried to do the mams race at sports day today and my leg nearly popped out 😂).
I drink a lot of water, eat 3 balanced meals a day I suppose I might eat crap like a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar 2/3 times a day.. is it a case of stopping the crap? Or should I be cutting down my carbs?

I need help. 🤣

The methods that work for me. Keto, intermittent fasting, mounjaro.

Ultimately you need to find the one that suits you and your lifestyle that you can maintain long term, this is more important then type of diet.

I think if you're 5'1" and eating 3 balanced meals plus a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar 2/3 times a day you are probably eating more calories than you're expending hence why you're not losing weight.

I am 5'7" and can't eat chocolate and crisps 2/3 times a day without putting on weight for sure.

If it was me I would work out how many calories you need to maintain and then decide on how much you want to lose per week. This will then tell you what deficit you need to eat in. To lose a pound a week you need a deficit of around 3500 calories per week (or 500 per day) For example, if you need 1800 calories per day and want to lose a pound a week you would need to cut back by 500 calories a day so only eat around 1300 calories.

There are lots of ways to work out how many calories you need to maintain. I believe the MyFitnessPal app will do this for free or there are lots of paid sites such as Weigh Loss Resources or Nutracheck. You just need to put in your height, current weight and activity level.

It is a bit of a myth that all women need 2000 calories per day. My maintenance calories for example are only 1754 per day. I do some exercise to 'earn' a couple of hundred extra calories a day but dieting is almost completely about the food not the exercise so it won't matter if you can't.

There is no magic bullet I'm afraid, unpopular a view as it is, you just need to eat less than you're expending, which often isn't as much as you think, particularly if you're 5'1".

Good luck and hope you can find a way that works for you.

Well yes, not eating crisps and chocolate 2/3 times a day will certainly help!

Can you do some exercise that's easier on the joints like swimming? Weight loss is largely diet but exercise can help.

I would try cutting out the chocolate abd crisps as a good start. If I ate that kind of thing I would find it impossible to lose weight, I would gain it.

With the crisps and chocolate you are probably eating more than double the calories you need normally.
So expecting to lose weight is totally unrealistic.
Cut the junk first and see what happens.

Fair enough 😂

I get really bad sweet cravings and not sure how to swerve them! I've tried raspberries & strawberries but aren't they just as bad with the sugar content?

I'll have a look at my fitness pal app and will cut out the calories.

Swimming is a no for me, I've tried it and dislocated my shoulder.

Could I up my steps from 8,000 to say 10,000 would that help at all? Or maybe more?

Not in the same way as chocolate, it is while fruit. Try having some with natural yoghurt or kefir.

You can't run away from a bad diet. Crap 2-3 times a day is a lot.

Just checking as well that the health issue wasn't an eating disorder...

Intermittent fasting will help. It means on most days don’t start eating until after lunch.

@MrsTerryPratchett no not a eating disorder, I had problems chewing as my jaw kept locking and dislocating. Had surgery and all good now.

Well this morning I've been on a 1 hour walk and freed up a extra 100 calories 😂 determined not to eat crap!

Whole fruit isn't the same as chocolate and berries are good for you. If you stop eating chocolate and crisps multiple times a day I'm sure you'll start losing .

You absolutely CAN join a gym with joint hypermobility. I have EDS and strength training is what is recommended for people with joint hypermobility and joint instability to CREATE stability in the muscles around the joint. Although it doesn't help for weight loss as such.

The sugar content isn't your problem, the calories are. If you're eating a 100 calorie Milky Way vs 20 strawberries I can see how the chocolate bar is better on calories but you're probably not. If you're eating a 200 calorie chocolate bar a few times a day it's obviously going to be better to eat 8 raspberries in terms of calories.

You need to calculate what calories you burn just to stay alive and then cut them by about 1000 a week to start. It's all about the maths. And yes, you'll need to weigh your food.

What @bigdecisionstomake said, except calculate your calories on the free James Smith Academy calculator. It is much more accurate for that than MyFitnessPal. But then use MyFitnessPal to log the calories make sure you put in everything including ketchup, oil butter et cetera oh, and drinks like lattes, juice, and so on. You can eat anything you like within your calories,including sweets and carbs, but you’ll feel fuller if you eat a good amount of protein. You can also “bank” calories for treat days.

Eat less, or use drugs.

I'm 5'1 (and 63, which doesn't help!). If I ate 3 'balanced meals' plus 2-3 junk snacks a day I'd definitely gain weight.

Try scrupulously logging your food in something like NutraCheck to get a reality check on how much you're eating vs how much you need. I like it because it integrates with my Apple Watch - we usually walk quite a lot and a decent walk makes all the difference of giving a bit more headroom while still maintaining a calorie deficit. My aim is to lose weight extremely slowly so that basically I'm eating sustainably.
I find that really I only need 2 meals a day plus something like a bowl of berries, Greek yogurt and (weighed!) nuts as a snack. I have done intermittent fasting in the past, which did work but made me a bit grumpy. I find now that having just a couple of cups of tea and then a milky coffee mid morning gets me happily through to lunchtime, and then the other thing is no eating after dinner.

Eating fruit is definitely different, as it's nutritious, even if same calories as a chocolate bar. It will fill you up properly. You need to find what works for you personally, for me it's overnight fasting - unless you have an active job, you don't need three meals a day. I have brunch and dinner only. Do as much exercise as you can but don't fall into the trap of seeing it as a reason to eat more.

ouch...

No crisps or chocolate. Or booze if you drink.

Can you strength train at all? Build up some muscle. Caroline Girvan is good

I would say cut the crap first the crisps and chocolate for a month and keep the 3 balanced meals then reassess if you need to cut off any more calories. When i do too much too soon i end up binging up bur some people love going all in, you know your personality best! Calorie counting done properly is very eye opening.