Weight loss too fast- oddly not enough calories ..help!

[Limehawkmoth]

I am still obese. 62. Been overweight all my life. Dieted before, always put weight back on. Been this weight for 20 years.

I posted on other board about weight loss jabs and taking them. I’m not yet. I have bowel issues and read a lot about what you really should eat if taking weight loss injections. I decided to make those changes first, to know if any symptoms I get then, are weight loss effects or the jab itself.

I’ve ate my 5 a day veg and fruit for years, i thought I did well on fibre, I thought I was ok for protein. Whole meal bread, brown pasta, brown rice, semi skimmed milk since 20 years. Home cooked from scratch food except once per week. I, don’t drink, not fizzy drinks either. But my downfall is (maybe was I hope) biscuit and cake, always needed a pudding or cake after my main meal in evening. Had a couple of biscuits snack during day. They’ve all gone. And I’m delighted right now that I am managing without.

Took advice on line re weight and height, I aimed for 1600 cal a day. I took advice form here and downloaded a calorie and nutrient tracker and got a whooping shock. I no where near met my fibre and protein levels.

so i have made some massive changes over last 3 weeks. High protein form enhanced yoghurts, quark etc, beans (ok I ate maybe 1 a week before), lentils ( had rarely and didn’t like), nuts, quinoa, spelt flour pasta, chai seed, spinach /peas as extra veg with nearly every meal, raspberries with breakfast, oat bran in my porridge, etc etc . You name it, the works, and I’m still out hunting more tricks

trouble is now I’m loosing weight very fast. Mainly becuase I’m struggling to reach 1600 calories. The sheer volume of food to eat is massive, and feeling really full on what I am eating, but now getting really concerned I’m starving my body and will pile weight on and more at some point.

ive lost over a stone in 2.5 weeks. Yep, I need to loose probably 5-6 stone in total to even get to a just overweight (I’m over 60 so I am setting goal there)

im missing a balance somewhere …I can whop back up other carbs, but actually am just adjusting now to switching standard carbs to all these new fangled (to me) types of food and don’t want to go back to craving carbs and sugar

anyone help me here, on how I need to adjust what I’m eating to hit the calories I need without screwing up the healthy eating changes? Right now without subbing some of this weird food out (well it’s new and weird to me!) I can’t cope with more volume.

i must keep fibre up as much as possible due to my gastro issues.

I’m assuming those of you on weight loss jabs, face similar issues?

What calorie total are you managing a day? Are we talking 800 or less or 1200 plus?

Those of us who are significantly obese when starting a diet will tend to lose a lot of weight quickly, because creating a significant calorie deficit is quite straightforward if you can stick to the diet you’ve chosen. I’d only be worried if that level of loss continued on for a few more weeks. It should start to level out.

Hm I'm not remotely an expert but I don't think the weight loss you describe is actually that shocking or worrying. Earlier this year I started doing Slimming World and lost a stone in 2 weeks. I think my body was going into some sort of weird shock because it was used to getting fed so much crap. When your existing habits aren't good, getting to a 'normal' number of calories can be enough to cause a rapid change, let alone going for quite a low total number of calories. On top of that, being larger means we use up more calories just by existing (a bit of a swizz for those already slim people who want to get slimmer and seem to have to fight to get off every pound). Also a lot of the initial weight loss will be water weight, I guess.

That rate won't be sustainable but nor do I think it's necessarily anything to be concerned about. My own weight loss quite quickly slowed down to 1 to 3 lbs a week, and I've been eating basically the same amount and types of food as during those first rapid loss weeks. My body has just adjusted.

Cliched advice I know but I'd also caution against total cold turkey on all the types of things you really like. Personally I've cut out all biscuits and cake in my own home as can't trust myself around them, but I still let myself have a nice slice out somewhere once a week or so, because it feels like a real reward to me now (and because I decided that life with no cake at all just wasn't a sustainable life for me).

Good luck!

I’m averaging 1200 per day for last two weeks - but it varies from 800 at lowest to 1600

Thanks for that advice…yep like always when you start diet and loose a lot to start, you can find yourself getting a bit militant on not letting cakes and biscuits pass your lips 🤣 .

years ago I did rosemary Conley and lost 3-4 lb or so in initials weeks- but I wasn’t eating this volume of food and this low calories ….plus that was so low fat focus, I ended up with sugar addiction as soon as many of her suggestions had sugar in😱🤦🏼‍♀️

I really find it hard to believe that you're 6 stone overweight and can't manage more than 800 calories some days. You're probably getting too deep into this and getting a buzz out of restricting. 800 calories is absolutely not enough food, it's barely anything even if it's mostly made up of lentils and beans.

If you’re averaging 1200 cals and eating the kind of foods you’re describing then you’re not starving your body, imo.

If you want to eat a bit more, then I would look to gradually increase your average cals to a higher figure by including some calorie dense foods rather than adding even more fibre and bulk. So you’ve said you include nuts, could you add a few more? Oily fish if you eat it, maybe? Avocado, olive oil on salad, full fat dairy if you’re currently having low fat, etc.

You prob had an initial whoosh, you don’t sound like you’re starving.

I am obese, and yes, one day I did struggle and only ate 800 calories. I felt full and to certain extent a bit bloated.
bare in mind, I have made a massive change to increase fibre and protein, and just didn’t feel like eating that day. I am 3 weeks into this. Hence asking for advice

I did routinely restrict to 800 a few years ago when doing fasting diet - a couple of times per week as per advice with fasting diet. Lots of folks do this. Actually found it easy- like a lot of “addictions “ it’s easier to just not eat barely anything a few days, then to be constantly monitoring your calories all the time and bloody thinking about it. But fasting diet triggered my gastro issues and I had to stop after 18 months.

also bear in mind I live on my own, and I batch cook. But sometimes I can’t be arsed to cook or prep food for myself.

yep, I may well be getting” too deep” into it. But I’m 62, been on too many diets during my life, always put on even more weight in the end. diets frighten me, that ll end up bigger than before in 5 years time. . But oddly I’ve never actually calorie “monitored “ or tracked nutrients - tools didn’t exist and was working so didn’t have time! To me this is finding out how I should be eating for rest of my life, in terms of substitutes for what I ate before.

but, I do recognise your caution. Fair point.