Gave up sugar…but stopped losing weight?!

[BurningOutt]

I have a terrible sweet tooth. I’ve always eaten relatively healthily but then had got into a terrible habit of eating a bar of chocolate every night (like a large 100g Lindt or bar of Tony’s - not like a snickers!) and I have an office where people regularly bring in chocolate/cakes and I’d eat lots of that too.

I had a wake up call in Jan when weighed myself for the first time in ages and my bmi was in the overweight category- 73kg at 5’7 . So since then I’ve cut out all processed sugar - no cake, chocolate, I haven’t even had any of the home baked stuff I make with the kids. I lost 3kg in 3 weeks and then for the next 3 weeks have lost nothing at all. I am definitely eating significantly fewer calories as have kept everything else the same.

Id like to get down to 64/65kg (bmi 21ish) but seem to be stuck here. I can’t really eat any less than I do…what is going on? I’m 39 but not in peri yet.

Are ypu tracking calories? I use lose it! App as has pretty much every food on there, i was over eating and not realising. Its very easy to do, some sauces are gert calorie dense and certain breads, pasta.

I weigh all my food now and use the app to track macros and helps.

Also, how is sleep, hydration, exercise?

What are you eating daily and thatll help, post what youre eating and quantities.

I went with lose it! App high protein, 105g a day... carbs 130 to 160g and fibre 23g. Aiming for 1500 to 1750 cals a day if im working out, slightly more carbs

Good protein too... chicken, prawns, tuna, salmon, eggs, greek yoghurt and lentils, veg.

Not all the high protein fad.

You need 2l water a day and good sleep also

Is it possible you have just stopped gaining weight by your changes so far?

The initial 3kg drop you saw after cutting out processed sugars like chocolate and cakes is common and often includes a lot of water weight, as reducing sugar intake depletes glycogen stores in your body, which hold onto water.

Once that's gone, fat loss continues but at a slower, more sustainable pace—plateaus like yours happen when your calorie intake now matches what your lighter body burns daily, even if you're eating less overall.

Don’t just use the scales, did you measure yourself then and see how you compare now?

2 things.

You've lost 3kg fairly quickly and some of this will be water. Your body will need time to 'catch up' before you see movement on the scales again. Use other methods to measure. Tape measure, clothes fitting better etc. you wait or you make more diet changes.

Processed carbs are chemically identical to sugar once your body digests them, so if you are still eating lots of processed carbs or are replacing the sugar you were eating with a carby or apparently heathier alternative then yes the diet will lose effect. Natural sugar is identical to sugar in processed food for example. Yes you gain fiber and some vitamins but you still get a big dose of sugar with it.

Alternatively try calorie control as above, some people find it effective to control quantity, just keep an eye on quality of calories, it counts fat as very high in calories despite fat having many essential nutrients and filling you up far more effectively then a sugar/starchy alternative.

100%

Sometimes even sauces or low quality carbs can tip you waaay over calorie intake for the day.

Thank you! Other than the bad sweet stuff habit I didn’t eat any UPFs anyway(ie none in my meals). I have reduced my carb intake too (rice, pasta) so have only been having the odd slice of sourdough.

Ive never been a breakfast person so normal day is something like this:

• 2-3 coffees with semi-skimmed milk
• nuts/fruit (snack at work); if wfh I will eat lunch - soup/salad/scrambled eggs on sourdough
• evening meal: salmon/chicken with roast veg, houmous (home made)
• dessert: cheese/greek yoghurt

Ive been doing parkrun + one other run per week but struggle to fit in more as work is horrendous (hence not having time to eat lunch when in the office).

Everything in moderation. I track everything on Nutracheck and my sugar intake is on the lower side and I still eat chocolate.

You are probably not losing more weight because you aren't actually overweight. Stop focusing on numbers on the scales and try to be strong, fit amd healthy instead and eat a balanced diet where nothing is forbidden.

I'm heavier than you (70kg) and the same height and a size 10 in clothes, BMI 24 and age 50. The same BMI I was aged 16/17. I have very good muscle tone.

At age 39 it's more inportant to maintain muscle mass with a normal BMI into and throughout perimenopause and beyond and getting down to BMI 21 may be counterproductive.

I should say that I have seen other massive benefits from giving up the sugar - more energy/less sluggish, my skin is much better and my chin hairs have stopped growing 🤣

I just hadn’t expected to plateau so soon on the weight.

I think this happened to me with quitting sugar, I stuck with it stopped weighing myself too often and after 4-6m I had lost 5kg total, I do seem to have levelled off now but am not controlling calories elsewhere. I’m happy with my size now and skin, mood etc has all improved

Before I had my kids I was 60kg from age 18 to 30. I never got back there after 2 kids but was 64-65kg and a size 10. I had a really terrible mc in December 2024 and had gained a lot of weight in that pregnancy, hence burying my head in the sand and not weighing myself in 2025. I think 65kg/size 10 is the right weight for my body shape - I’m a fat 12 now and don’t feel good or that I look good in my clothes.

Before I had kids I was 60kg in my 20s also. I don't need to be anywhere near that thin now. It sounds like your problem now is fitting in exercise and getting fitter and stronger.

Yes, I don’t need to get back to 60kg but I want to lose 5kg now to get to 65kg. I do need to exercise more but everything I’ve read suggests that diet makes the most difference? I feel like I’ve made dramatic diet changes but not really seeing much difference.

It does for weight loss, but I'm just saying that sometimes the number on the scales is not the most important thing.

Have you used a tdee calculator to work out your maintenance and deficit calories and then see where what you are eating fits in with the figures? I use tdeecalculator.net and myfitnesspal app to track. Protein is important to maintain muscle mass. You've put your lunch when working as fruit and nuts snacks but fruit is high in natural sugars and your lunch doesn't have any protein. Might also be good to swap the cheese out as a dessert option as it is high fat, Greek yoghurt is fine and cottage cheese or I have high protein yoghurts. I have a protein shake for breakfast too. I'm 44 5ft 3" 57.4kg bmi 22.6 but I've lost 4st in 14 months to get here by prioritising protein and drinking more water. I haven't exercised at all because of my long work hours in the nhs 7.30am-5pm and a 2-3hr commute a day on top but I naturally have a higher than average muscle mass starting off so it's not too bad still now.

If you aren’t losing weight, you aren’t in a calorie deficit. You need to log your calories for a period of time. Nuts for example are extremely calorie dense so you could be consuming way more calories than you realise.
download an app such as MyFitnessPal and log everything you eat and drink for a week. Every bite, lick, taste. Weight out everything and log it. Set your daily calorie target to target weight in lbs x 12. And see how much of a difference what you eat and what that target calorie intake is.

If that is all you are eating your undereqting calories which can have opposite effect as it raises stresd on body. Especially if running. You need t use an app and measure macros and probably eat a lot more protein as your diets lacking in it, fruit high sugar and nuts high fat and not enough protein.

You for your height and weight and activity shoild be eating 1500 to 1600 a day and atleast 80g protein.

You want to see changes, measure macros and weigh food.

Your tdee will be about 2000 so youre still under calories to lose weight but will be more efficient

Maybe download lose it! App and use that and see what difference it makes.

You should be eating more veg and another high protein source for another meal a day.

Start tracking and see difference.

Reduce simple starches like white bread, pasta and rice etc. although they take slightly longer, they took turn into glucose like sugar during digestion. Increase your fibre intake (both soluble and insoluble) . Plenty of veg, some fruit, beans, pulse and some wholegrains. Eat good quality proteins with every meal and some healthy fats. Eating this way will keep you more satisfied and keep blood sugar more stable. Once you are eating the right things it's easier to lose weight. Get this right, then keep an eye on calories and portion sizes.

Thank you - I don’t eat really any pasta/rice (maybe once per week). We have a lovely bakery near us so I do have a slice or two of sourdough probably every other day.

I think I should probably rebalance a bit between fats and protein so will try that, and tracking in the app. I love nuts and will often have a spoonful of peanut butter here and there…perhaps this is my downfall!

Thats why need to weigh, peanut butter is very calorific but if you have it in controlled way and weigh not an issue

I think the best way to get sustainable weight loss is to learn how to eat everything in moderation including chocolates and cakes - you kids are watching you and which habits do you want to pass on to them?

In terms of the weight loss many things could effect the number on the scale such as periods and putting on muscle mass.

@holisticlifestyleclinic2 I do agree but as far as the kids are concerned I haven’t changed much - most of the crap I ate was after they were asleep!

With the kids I restrict UPFs at home but at parties/with friends they can do what they want and it all works well. One thing I count myself massively lucky on is that both of them are great and adventurous eaters.

I have mild pcos and had GD in one of my pregnancies so I know I am at risk for diabetes if I don’t get my sugar habit in check.

Love adventorus eaters! My eldest has become a picky eater laterly but I hope that's just a phase so I'm still offering her the same foods as everyeone else gets and hope it'll turn to the better.

In terms of risk of T2D you're doing the right thing! If you live in the UK you entitled to get your HbA1c checked with your GP so you can stay on top it.