Feeling stuck/struggling with my weight loss journey - any pointers

[haribo1989]

So here are the facts:

Female - 35 - 5ft 3inches - years of ballet/dance/swimming - generally quite muscly
Until 2 Years ago I was 10.5 stone just fluctuating around this always at the high end of healthy BMI.

Now I am at 11st 10 and finding it really tough going to loose weight to get back down. I haven't noticeably put on weight in one area, just a little extra layer all over boobs gone up a size but mainly size 12 all over and used to be between 10-12. I am now sitting firmly in the overweight category and really want to reverse this as I had cancer 2 years ago and want to maintain a good healthy lifestyle. I am so worried the cancer will return and I have to have more treatment I want to be in a really healthy place.

I am taking Amitriptyline for nerve damage I have in my neck where I had surgery to remove a cancerous tumour 2 years ago. It says on the packet may cause weight gain but I cannot really see anything on the internet to explain this. Just that it might make you more hungry. Which to be fair it hasn't.

I eat reasonably (no breakfast, overnight oats for lunch and balanced dinner on week days) well and only have a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend (maybe slightly less healthy ie roast on sunday, maybe a dinner out on sat night). I try to do a minimum of 7000 steps a day on weekdays as I have a remote job and sit down all day plus 2-3 short 10-15 mins workouts a week. I am not unfit, I am quite strong and flexible and have no issue walking.

My mum, dad and grand parents are all a little over weight and we are all short. Is this a case of this is who I am, just a little overweight, or is it that I have reached an age where my body is expecting me to have children (I haven't had children) or am I fundamentally needing to eat like a sparrow and train like a racehorse to get back to 10.5st?

I just could do with some guidance, tips, ideas etc anything that can be built into a routine of as a remote working job thats reasonably full on which means I sit down alot.

Hi OP,
Could you increase your steps to around 8000 - 8500 a day?
Food wise, I would say you might benefit from more protein. You are having only two meals a day, and one meal doesn’t have protein (the oats you have for lunch). Perhaps you could add some protein powder to your lunch oats, snack on a protein shake or cottage cheese.
You sound very athletic so these small changes should help you on your way.
At the weekend, could you have one glass of wine instead of two? At your height, you may not have a massive calorie allowance and you’ll have to be a bit judicious.
The other thing you could include in your routine is either an extra long walk at the weekends or a strength workout on Saturday and on Sunday. All these small changes will add-up and should be possible to fit in your routine.

Could you try tracking your food for a couple of weeks? It be easy for the amount we eat to creep up and it only takes a few hundred calories a day increase over a few months to mean weight gain. You might find there's some simple changes you can make.
The other thing to consider would be strength training, you're at an age where you will be starting to lose some of that muscle year on year. If you can retain some of it, you'll avoid the eating like a sparrow territory.

thank you for replying!

@Pancakeorcrepe I think I will increase my weekday steps to 8500 that shouldnt really be an issue I try to walk every lunchtime so a little longer will be easy enough to fit in. I often go for a long stomp around the woods at the weekend so maybe just up that a little and make sure it happens every week. Great shout on the lunch oats to make sure its filling enough.

@Hibernatingtilspring I will do a couple of weeks of tracking food. I have a little habit tracker in my work diary that I tick off each day the things I do like (steps, 10 min work out, no fizzy/sweets choc) so I could add some bits on there for calorie counting. I love the idea of strength training the problem I have is knowing how to do this without becoming bulky, I have a tendency to put on muscle really easily and at my height its really noticeable when my shoulders and arms are muscly, my legs are very muscly too from ballet I have no issue with them its just upper body and then nothing fits my shoulders. I just want to look a bit more slender.

@haribo1989 ,
There was an interesting program on channel 4 recently featuring The Glucose Goddess who I’ve also heard interviewed on the Zoe podcasts, I think she talks a lot of sense. The Zoe podcasts are also very informative.

https://www.glucosegoddess.com/en-gb?view=sl-6497B7E4

https://zoe.com

You don’t have to buy anything from either but lots of great tips. I would however suggest you ask your GP to run some blood tests to rule out a medical issue such as hypothyroidism.

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks thank you this is interesting to think about. I think what I will do is be quite strict for a month making notes of calories, activities etc and if my weight has still barely moved then I will go to GP with this to show I have been trying but its not shifting and suggest a blood test. thank you x

So I know there are not many on this thread but just want to update by means of keeping tabs on myself!

I upped my daily steps to a min of 9000 each day (desk job but 45min stroll at lunch plus either a walk or run on the treadmill). Doing a strength Pilates routine on 3 days and 1 strength workout a week and an extra long stomp round the woods on a Sat/Sun.

Monitoring my food and keep calories (1300-1400 a day), fat and sugar low on 6 out of 7 days a week. dropped all the wine and only having an occasional G& slimline T. my weight has not budged... I look alot slimmer, less bloated and more toned.

I even changed the batteries in the scales incase it was broken.

I am having my wisdom teeth removed next week so I imagine no exercise and not much food. Once I am over this I think I will pop to the doctors because just for piece of mind.

I think I might need to accept I am quite a curvy, fit and a little heavier 35 y/o and my body has changed.

Hi op. Just wanted to say I feel you! I was a similar weight to you and went up to 13st in lockdown at a similar height and age. Getting it off is darn near impossible. I'm on mounjaro and 6 weeks in I'm down 4lb. It's so depressing. I have a very sedentary job so daily steps circa 4k.

Let's hope someone comes along with a suggestion to help!

@iremembersnappedandfarted

thank you for taking the time! it is frustrating.... I cannot believe how much I took my 20's metabolism for granted. I will keep going and keep building those habits because I do feel better (despite staying the same weight) but I just wish the weight would come down a little! just to give me a bit of hope!

Hi OP,
Focus on this:
” I look alot slimmer, less bloated and more toned“
Clearly you are doing something right. I think you will have a woosh very soon!

So I finally lost some weight - I don't know if I can officially celebrate it because I had 2 wisdom teeth out and only ate jelly and co-codamol for a week. 3lbs down. mission is to maintain the loss when I increase my food intake after recovery!