Struggling to lose weight

[sleepfortheweek]

It’s so frustrating!

I signed up with a PT 4 weeks ago. I’ve had 4 weeks of going to the gym 3 times as well as another class once a week.

I’ve taken over some of the dog walks, so my steps have increased.

I’m tracking what I eat and making sure I get the right balance of macros while remaining in a calorie deficit.

I’ve halved my alcohol intake.

And I’ve lost…..2lbs! The worst of it is, that was in the first week and took me down to where I normally sit as I had put on a couple pounds in the week or two before going to the PT so it doesn’t actually feel like I’ve lost anything at all!

I’ve lost an inch around my middle, but that’s it.

its SO disheartening. Especially this time of year where there are temptations galore and I have been SO good but don’t feel like I’m reaping the benefits.

hard to stay motivated when the scales are hardly shifting

I’m 38 and female, if that makes a difference. 2 children, a job that’s busy but that I enjoy and I get 8 hours of sleep a night

You’ve lost an inch round your middle though- that’s incredible! It’s all about the actual size of you, not the weight.. muscle is heavier than fat you know. Don’t be disheartened, it’s working!!!

Again, that seemed to be in the first week…and nothing since. Every ‘check in’ day with the PT (once a week) I’m so hopeful then I stand on the scales and get the tape out and my heart just sinks

I would say 1 inch from around your waist is very decent progress! I’d be pleased with that. But I will also say that once I hit around 38 losing weight became a lot harder.
Before that I could cut carbs, booze and go for a few jogs and feel a difference quickly.. now it takes a lot more work and it does start and stall. Consistency and patience are key.
Keep it going, and try to stay in a mindset that this isn’t about weight.. You’re doing it for your health and strength more than anything.

You're doing really well. Slow weightloss is much better than fast - much more likely to actually stay off.

I would like to lose weight but for complicated reasons most "normal" ways to do so won't work for me. I've been seeing a coach who is adapting the normal techniques to my needs for 6 weeks and I haven't been calorie-tracking at all just following these things:

• make sure I have at least 5 and ideally 10 full servings of fruit&veg each day (a serving is about 80g or a volume about the size of your clenched fist)
• as part of that - snack more. Plan to have a veg-based snack (eg carrots & a couple of tsp of hounous) midmorning & mid afternoon - intention being to arrive at mealtimes not feeling that hungry.
• keep whatever carby-thing there is in my meal to a volume about the size of my clenched fist.
• eat a lot more high-protien foods - mostly white meat and eggs. Cheese & nuts in moderation as they are higher fat. My previous eating didn't contain nearly enough protien and now I'm ensuring I have at least 100g meat (contains 25g protien) in at least 2 meals as well as plenty of pulses etc, it's better, but could still stand to be higher at the moment. The recommended ratio of protien in the diet is 0.8g per kilo of body weight so the target is supposed to shrink as you lose weight.
• Cut out as much preprocessed additive-packed food as possible. Cook from scratch as much as possible. Stick to sourdough bread (ideally wholemeal sourdough) rather than "normal" bread.
• no late-night snacking. Eat an adequate evening meal that doesn't leave me hungry and then stop eating at 8pm

Doing my best to live to these rules I have lost 3kg in 6 weeks (6.5lb). Without calorie-counting.

I’d guess you aren’t in calorie deficit. How many calories do you think you need a day and how many are you getting?

Thanks for the replies.

im vegan as well, not sure if that matters! But I don’t each much processed foods at all, I love cooking and I’m pretty confident that what I am eating is healthy.

info struggle with increasing protein although eat a lot of lentils, legumes etc. I have started drinking a Huel protein shake 2x a day and getting around 80g protein a day which is not bad. It definitely helps me feel fuller for longer.

im eating around 1400 calories a day, and working out 4 x a week. I was eating probably about 2,000 a day before that. I’m 5’2” so my calorie need is probably less than someone of average height!

You could try low carb. I struggle to lose weight unless I am doing low carb. I suspect that might be tricky if you are vegan though?

Im 5ft1 and now maintained for the last few years when I was loosing weight (5stone in total) I had to stick to 1200 calories, my maintenance is 1400 (although I'm not able to be active so will be different to yours).

I’ve cutback my carbs too - no more toast for breakfast (my favourite!)

I’ll try keep at it, just so deflated

I’ve also dramatically reduced my salt intake, as I did eat too much as I know it leads to water retention.

I feel like I’m reducing/giving up all the things that bring me joy 😂

How much do you weigh?

I am just shy of 10st, which puts me in the overweight category for my height (just). I definitely feel it in my clothes.

my comfortable weight is 9st or just over which is a comfortable size 10 for me. Right now my size 12s are digging in.

so, looking to lose 1 stone

stay off the scales for a few weeks because it can feel demotivating. If your going to the gym your likely going to be gaining muscle too. If your losing fat and gaining muscle you won’t necessarily see a big drop in weight. If your calories/macros are not right they can also be adjusted as maybe they are not right for you. Your pt should be looking at this

I’m the same height as you and I have found that once I’m under a certain weight just upping strength training is more effective in that it makes me measure and look smaller than losing a few pounds so don’t be too disheartened. When I was very overweight it was definitely the food/drink element that had the biggest impact both on the scales and in measurements but now Im a healthy weight and have been for a while I can move up or down by about 7 pounds easily and not change measurements or fit of my clothes but if I up my core exercises in particular I see and feel a visible difference. Sounds a bit crazy but just what I’ve found. Well done on the inch loss that’s brilliant.

Maybe have a look at Slimpod? Very much focused on building long-term healthy habits that lead to weight loss overtime. I have lost 20lb in about a year without dieting, have really increased my exercise and fitness levels and taken mire than 10 cm off my waist. Focused on changing mindset rather than boom and bust dieting reliant on willpower.

This is the best advice I’ve seen here in years. I eat more or less like this - more vegetables but hardly any fruit because I don’t really like fruit, and I’ve lost weight easily and have maintained so far (since December 2023). It definitely worked and I am over 45.

You are only a bit overweight so half a pound a week is a perfectly decent rate of weight loss - it's just the way it is, there is nothing you can do but keep going. (Has your PT not told you this?)

Unless you want to, or have really found a particular way of eating that works for you, there's no evidence there's any point giving up carbs, as long as you are eating enough protein alongside them - it is all about the calorie deficit. Again, you don't want too much salt, but reduce it gradually rather than make yourself miserable.

Even for a shortie (I am a shortie) 1400 calories, especially given the exercise you are doing, is quite low. I wonder if you might experiment with upping it a bit. Too low can be counterproductive or at least not help you reduce further, and it does make the journey harder. (Your PT should have thoughts on this - or be able to suggest a weight loss dietician if you want).