weight loss theories don't make sense and make me maaaaddddd!!!

[deffonamechange]

Right...am gonna stay calm and just ask this question cos maybe there's something I'm just not getting.

Right...so when I speak to doctor/sports people/books/internet - general theory is that all you have to do is eat less calories/burn more calories to lose weight.

This is a proven theory to me for several reasons:
some of my friends/family have had emotional/physical traumas...stopped eating/reduced eating and weight has fell off them (and stayed off in quite a few cases)
Anorexics eat very very little, they are very very thin (not healthy I know, but definately thin)

So....how come, when I massively increase my exercise and massively reduce my diet, I don't lose anything and am then told by various SW/WW members that it's cos i'm 'not eating enough' and my body is 'holding onto weight'

The 2 theories contradict themselves!

Anyone empathise with my frustration? or can anyone explain it?

To lose weight you need to burn off more calories than what you consume. However, you shouldn't starve yourself because then your body goes into starvation mode and holds onto as much fat/muscle as it can. You need to get a healthy balance where you are still meeting your body's nutritional needs.

Really the best way of losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight is to eat 3 healthy meals a day and have the odd treat aswell as being active. It really is that simple.

Sorry if this is unhelpful but I find it hard to understand how it can be soooooo difficult to lose weight IF one is leading a healthy lifestlye.

When you massively reduce your calorie intake and massively increase your exercise what are you actually eating daily and what exercise are you actually doing? This might shed some light on why you seem to be struggling.

This is so wierd, I was going to post the exact same thing yesterday!!

I too am totally confused by being told that if you don't eat enough you won't lose weight because your body goes into starvation mode, but then there wouldn't be any famine victims and anorexia wouldn't exist.

I actually think that they cannot say that if you don't eat you will lose weight, because it's so unhealthy and will encourage anorexia ect especially in the young and teenagers.

Personally I find if I eat very little I lose a lot of weight, but I can't keep it up for long (which is why I have a weight problem) .

Yes but eating very little means that when you return to eating normally your body will cling onto the fat because it thinks it is starving so it's not an effective long term weight loss solution. Obviously if you stopped eating altogether you would lose weight but that's hardly effective either is it because if you kept it up you would die.

Weight loss theories make perfect sense it's just that it can be difficult for some people to stick to them practically.

I honestly think 'Diets' are rubbish. You need to see your eating habits and exercise as a lifestyle not a short term fix. You need to permanently eat healthy and permanently partake in a bit of exercise and don't feel as if you are depriving yourself all the time. It's an attitude.

Sorry if I sound all preachy I don't mean to.

That's what I meant supercherry, when i start eating normally the weight goes back on because you're taking in more calories again.
But it's when people say that the reason you're not losing weight is because you're eating eating enough and your body is in 'starvation mode' so it will hang onto the the fat and so no weight is lost - how can that be true?

not eating enough.

My diet and exercise...not particularly healthy vitamin wise I know but not calorific I don't think...

Typical Day

2 brown toast & primula
2 ryvita with 1 slice of ham between them & slim a soup
banana
1 digestive
brown pasta and tomato veg sauce (with a bit of parmesen)

I run 5 miles 3 times a week and go to gym once a week.

I don't drink alcohol.

This has been my lifestyle for last 8mths (apart from Jan - March when I was running 30miles a week training for a half marathon)

Not lost a single pound. Am 4 stone overweight and my BMI has me at clinically obese.

Am utterly baffled!

I'vegotaheadache maybe it means when people yoyo diet, starve then binge starve then binge. When you say 'go back to eating normally' this suggests that you don't eat normally when you try to lose weight, but you should just eat 'normally' all the time anyway.

Exception to the rule might be if you had something medically wrong such as an underactive thyroid.

Deffonamechange, I agree with you- that's not particularly calorific (unless you're having a mountain of pasta in which case maybe too many carbs?). What do you drink? You exercise alot too. I don't think I culd keep that kind of menu up though, it's not very exciting.

Deffonamechange, BMI doesn't take into account your bone structure. For example, my friend, same height as me, looks pretty good at 11 stone, but if I were 11 stone, I would look flabby. I have really small wrists whereas she has big wrists, so alot of her weight is her frame iyswim.

Ever had your body fat and muscle percentage measured?

deffonamechange - you really are not eating enough!

Same happened to me, I started running 3 x a week and lost diddly squat. Threee months later I joined slimming world and literally ate like a horse (but of the right foods) and lost 1 1/2 stone within months.

I would say your diet needs more fibre and more fruit and veg, but that is just on what you posted.

Also calcium intake has been proven to help aid weight loss alongside - are you having milk/yoghurts as well?

All this weight loss stuff has me so confused, much better to carry on eating buns only joking.
So does all this mean that if I exercise a lot I won't lose weight?

Deffonamechange - that food really doesn't sound a lot at all, but you're very very fit if you can do all that exercise at 4 stone overweight!

Deffonamechange - do you eat any protein at all? Maybe that has something to do with it (don't know what though)

The 'not eating enough' business is confusing namechange. I certainly wouldn't try to explain it but I do think there is some truth in it.

TBH I think that you aren't eating enough if that's a typical day and you're exercising that much - you need more protein for starters. I couldn't run on so little food, I'd be permenently shattered. Have you had your thyroid checked?

Supercherry - i didn't describe it properly, I do eat normally when I'm not on a diet, I try and eat healthily not too much fat ect just too much of it which is why I don't lose weight.

It's rather telling that I say that's not normal eating!!
But unless I'm counting the cals and really keeping an eye on what I'm eating I don't lose weight.
My 'normal' eating is enough to maintain the weight I'm at (12st 11) - which is too heavy so I need to cut the food down.

hi all

I am shattered all the time, I can't stop sleeping, been like this for years regardless of what food I eat, what exercise I do - also been EXACTLY the same weight (give or take 2lbs either way) for 3yrs!!

Last year me and my hubby did a protein shake diet for 2 mths. I did loads of exercise and hubby didn't. He lost a stone and I lost 2lbs - humph! It drives me NUTS!!

I know I don't eat enough protein..I'm not a big meat eater and I realise my diet is lacking in so much.

I genuinely do think I'm pretty fit to be running a half marathon 4 stone overweight, but it doesn't look or feel pleasant! lol!

Maybe I should ask doctor about thyroid? I have broached the subject with doc and nurse. Doc said for me to just eat less, exercise more. Nurse was totally dismissive and said I needed to accept that I'd never be a size 8 (WTF? I told her I wanted to be a size 16 which is what I was when I was at my thinnest but I looked good! That's hardly unrealistc is it?)

sigh...anyway, am now attempting a eat little and often and a bit more...and see what happens..am on Day 2...am starving!

Thanks all

I think you are eating very boringly so probably break out every so often for something more interesting/fattening am I right? It's what I find trips me up when I try a very restricted diet. You probably aren't eating enough for that level of exercise and your body is storing everything it can.

How muscular are you? Increasing your resistance training will increase muscle mass and hence increase your basal metabolic rate. It helps your body to burn the fat off faster.
Does your gym offer a 'training program' to members? It might be worth speaking to a professional fitness instructor or personal trainer for some tailored advice.

what sort of stuff do you like? can we plan a good days menu for you? Like I and others have said, you do need to eat to lose weight.

I'd insist on getting yout thyroid checked namechange. If only to be able to dismiss it and concentrate on diet/exercise. Do you take any sort of multi-vit/mineral? You could be a bit anaemic too if your diet is restricted.

Deffonamechange you should go back to the GPs and demand some tests just to rule any medical problems.

Are you quite open to different foods or are you quite fussy because I could suggest some nice healthy meals if you like?

I'vegotaheadache, I meant to eat 'normally' all the time rather than diet on and off.

Thanks all and thanks for the offers of help.

I'll just keep going, it'll have to come off eventually and on the plus side my heart must be having a damn good work out!

Deffo, you sound just as frustrated as me. Me and my DH eat roughly the same, except he also drinks more alcohol.
He does NO excercise at all - I walk to school and back 3 times a day, and play energetic tennis for 2-3 hours at least 3 times a week.
I cannot shift even a pound. It is really depressing, and had turned me into a really self-conscious person with low self-esteem etc, which is not what i want to be like.

Mrs Boo have you thought about portion sizes?

If you are eating the same amount then that could be why?

I know I bang on about it but low carb, avoid pasta, wheat, potatoes, plenty of salad, fresh fruit and veg, lean meat and fish, limit alcohol. I lost four stones last year and have kept it off.

cliche alert nothig tastes as good as being slim feels

Honestly

Oh,my word I forgot to say

WATER WATER WATER

I eat
2 T Dorset muesli 1/2 banana and milk
Mid morning - 2 plain biscuits or plain cake
Lunch
Fish and salad or soup and pitta, piece of fruit

Snack dried mango and/or almonds
Dinner always under 600 cals
Healthy low fat protein.2-3 veg and 1-2 small potatoes or. Small rice portion,
Pasta 75gms dried in each serving

Try fitday.com for calorie counting
You'd be amazed

I exercise everyday by walking puppy 1 hr a day
I run 2-3 x week 2 miles v slow or do
Exercise DVD or wii fit 1-3 x
I'm quite slim but lose .5 kgs easily a week doing this

You need to eat different amounts of food on different days - that is why red day green day works so well. If you eat the same things day in day out then your body gets used to that amount of food and your metabolism will adjust accordingly. If you eat say 100 cals one day 1200 the next the 800 or whatever your metabolism should (should because i am not an expert ) be tricked into going a bot faster to keep up.

BALD is right water and lots of it (also good for skin
and nothing is as good as thin feels