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Weight loss - please help!

  • 20-02-2009 12:56pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,012 ✭✭✭✭


    i started eating healthy and excersing about 4 weeks ago.. im 19 years of age. im 5' 11 in height and i WAS 13 stone 8 pounds which is overweight. i started writing everything im eating down and still am. the first week i lost fives pounds and was delighted. the second week i lost 1 pound wasnt so happy. the two following weeks i put on a pound each week. which means now im 13 stone 4 ounds. which realisticly means ive only lost 4 pounds. im eating a healthy diet and power walking 7 days a week. drinking lots of water etc. why am i putting the pounds back on??? please help!!!!!!


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 118 ✭✭carolinei


    Hi,

    Not sure if this helps, but for the craic I went to WW - Week 1 I was 12 stone 3.5 lbs - Week 2 lost nothing - week 3 up 2 lbs :mad:. So my sister was doing low carb. Tried it for what would have been week 4 - down 7.5lbs. Lost on average 1 - 1.5lbs per week low carbing.

    I have lost 25lbs doing the low carb. Sometimes you gotta try something different. Worked for me. I am now at my ideal weight and a bmi of 22.5

    Good luck with the weight loss. Remember, it ain't gonna come off over night - cause it didn't go on over night.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    OP are you male or female?

    Drinking water is great, eating healthy is great, but no point eating 2 plates of healthy food for dinner. What is your intake? When do you eat? How often do you eat?

    I lost about 2 stone in two months, I discovered I had stomach ulcers I had to change my diet (which was healthy) Drank lots, and I mean LOTS of water, went to the gym every second day, completely cut out food like butter, crisps, chocolate etc etc. Unfortunately I love food, so I put all the weight back on about 18 months later :(

    I would suggest eating less, sometimes hunger can be mistaken for dehydration as they have similar symptoms.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,178 ✭✭✭kevmy


    If the OP is exercising a fair bit now from doing none or very little exercise they may be putting on muscle. It's common in fact it means you are doing it correctly. Don't so solely by weight.

    I'm going to guess your a guy cos your 5' 11''. If you are doing weights (which you should) you will feel stronger and you will notice bigger muscles. Muscle weighs more than fat so even putting on a little can even off a fair bit of fat loss.

    Do you feel healthier? Do you feel better? This is much more important than weight. You shouldn't judge by the scales. I wouldn't advise eating less without knowing what you eat.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,880 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    i started eating healthy and excersing about 4 weeks ago.. im 19 years of age. im 5' 11 in height and i WAS 13 stone 8 pounds which is overweight. i started writing everything im eating down and still am. the first week i lost fives pounds and was delighted. the second week i lost 1 pound wasnt so happy. the two following weeks i put on a pound each week. which means now im 13 stone 4 ounds. which realisticly means ive only lost 4 pounds. im eating a healthy diet and power walking 7 days a week. drinking lots of water etc. why am i putting the pounds back on??? please help!!!!!!

    At that height I can't see how you're that overweight....

    Read stuff in the fitness forum except the lipotrim thread. Take up weights (even if you're a girl), try something other than power walking....

    Weight loss/healthy living is a SLOW process. It's not something you can do for a month. It's a lifestyle change.

    Chuck out the stupid scales as well. If they're home ones they usually change your weight depending on what way the wind is blowing outside they're so useless.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,798 ✭✭✭Mr. Incognito


    Muscle weighs more than fat so as the muscle builds up you will actually gain weight- weigh is a poor indicator of health anyway.

    As long as you are increasing your training marginally all the time- you will see results but it takes time- come back in 6 months.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,012 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    You're down 4 pounds in 4 weeks - that's a result tbh. Losing it slowly like that is the best way to do it, more chance that you'll keep it off.

    Good point above about it possibly being muscle gain - muscle is approx. 3 times heavier than fat.

    I'd stay away from the scales, just weigh yourself once a month or so. A lot of diets fall flat on their faces because people are not seeing enough of a difference when they hop on the scales once or twice per week, get disheartened and give up.

    The initial weight loss is usually water weight btw, which is why a lot of people see a noticeable loss in the first week or two but then it slows down afterwards.

    Keep doing what you're doing, don't give up yet. Watch your portion sizes and maybe add some weight or resistance training - if you tone your muscles they'll burn energy more efficiently and faster.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭jonnycwh


    i started eating healthy and excersing about 4 weeks ago.. im 19 years of age. im 5' 11 in height and i WAS 13 stone 8 pounds which is overweight. i started writing everything im eating down and still am. the first week i lost fives pounds and was delighted. the second week i lost 1 pound wasnt so happy. the two following weeks i put on a pound each week. which means now im 13 stone 4 ounds. which realisticly means ive only lost 4 pounds. im eating a healthy diet and power walking 7 days a week. drinking lots of water etc. why am i putting the pounds back on??? please help!!!!!!

    just wondering if you're eating a lot of yeast? if you're average day consists of toast in the morning, biscuits at tea break, sandwiches at lunch and more biscuits later then you're eating yeast throughout the day. try cut down on it and see how you go.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,692 ✭✭✭Loomis


    OP are you male or female?

    Drinking water is great, eating healthy is great, but no point eating 2 plates of healthy food for dinner. What is your intake? When do you eat? How often do you eat?

    I lost about 2 stone in two months, I discovered I had stomach ulcers I had to change my diet (which was healthy) Drank lots, and I mean LOTS of water, went to the gym every second day, completely cut out food like butter, crisps, chocolate etc etc. Unfortunately I love food, so I put all the weight back on about 18 months later :(

    I would suggest eating less, sometimes hunger can be mistaken for dehydration as they have similar symptoms.

    Think it's the other way round; thirst is mistaken for hunger so we snack rather than drink water.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,012 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    What are you considering a healthy diet....if you can give examples of one days eating, we can help.

    Sometimes a lot of fruit can be the thing preventing the weight loss for example!

    Also you need to consider portion size!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Your port of call is the Fitness forum: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252

    Anyway thats a BMI of 26.5, which is a number. Whoopdedoo. I am probably right around there, maybe 28. I dunno. Fcuk owning a scale. Its not so much about your Weight as your composition. I'm sure Arnie would be found to be overweight, but that bastard is probably still built like a tank.

    Focus less on your weight and more on your actual fitness. Your cardio system probably thanks you for working out. When I used to cycle loads I never lost much if any weight but I could hold my breath and keep a low pulse much better than without the exercise. There are numerous other advantages to exercise than just your number on a bathroom scale.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    OP, what exactly are you eating? As someone suggested: if you haven't done so, cut down on the carbs as much as possible - and only eat wholegrain/high-fibre ones whenever you do feel you need them.
    I've seen certain examples of people posting "healthy" new diets on the Fitness/Nutrition & Diet forums - can't believe they think what they're eating is healthy. There's always processed breakfast cereals - sometimes high-sugar ones, white bread, high-sugar beverages, packet meals, bagels, that packet noodle shyte. These may not be Mars bars but they're actually still high in calories - and they're not good for you. Try to keep your food as natural and unprocessed as possible (I know this isn't easy to do 100% of the time but aim to do it as much as possible).
    It's also not just what you eat but the amounts - don't keep eating until you're stuffed.

    Much of the weight you're seeing on the scales could simply be due to all the water you're drinking. Honestly - you'd be amazed how much a good deal of extra fluid can cause your weight to go up.

    You lost a lot of weight early on because that's what nearly always happens when your body experiences a drastic calorie drop - the scope is there. And much of the weight that's lost in the early stages is just retained fluid, rather than fat. After those initial few days/weeks, things stabilise.

    When it comes to exercise, you've really got to push yourself to see satisfying results - power-walking seven days a week isn't bad but if you incorporated some uphill into that, you'd be doing even better. And is the gym an option? Instructors can do up a programme for you that will work you to the max of your ability.

    Finally, forget about the scales and concentrate on how your clothes fit you. Don't even use a measuring tape - temporary bloating (e.g. after some brown rice/porridge - carbs are very bloating) can cause a change in centimetres. Similarly, the scales register what's often only a temporary "gain" due to so much water being consumed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 757 ✭✭✭Bog Butter


    Overheal wrote: »
    Your port of call is the Fitness forum: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252

    Deffo go to the fitness forum. I have used it for advice on loosing weight and found it invaluable. There is a wealth of expertise there from fitness instructors to dietitans. Read the stickies there about nutrition but also make sure to post your diet and excerise regime and it will be critiqued.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭carlybabe1


    i started eating healthy and excersing about 4 weeks ago.. im 19 years of age. im 5' 11 in height and i WAS 13 stone 8 pounds which is overweight. i started writing everything im eating down and still am. the first week i lost fives pounds and was delighted. the second week i lost 1 pound wasnt so happy. the two following weeks i put on a pound each week. which means now im 13 stone 4 ounds. which realisticly means ive only lost 4 pounds. im eating a healthy diet and power walking 7 days a week. drinking lots of water etc. why am i putting the pounds back on??? please help!!!!!!

    Stop weighing yourself for starters, its not a reliable gauge, for example, you have to weigh yourself at the same time of the day each time. Also, your weight can shift by as much as 1 kilo during the day, i.e. weigh yourself at 11 am, your 67 kilos, weigh yourself at 7pm same day, your 68 kilos
    most importantly, muscle weighs MUCH more than fat, and when you exercise your building muscle. measure yourself with a tape measure, arms, thighs and waist, its much more accurate....also, you should see a difference in your clothes, they should be starting to become looser
    Good luck op, try not to get disheartened


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 330 ✭✭Dexterm99


    OP,

    I have lost over 4 stone but it has taken me 2.5 years to do it. Don't lose heart. A lot of people give up because they have something they were craving and feel that they have cheated when they give in to it. One important thing I do is have a cheat meal once a week. If you don't do this you may binge. Excess energy does not turn into fat overnight so having a cheat meal is fine. It'll keep you sane and will mean you can still have a life. You should also be eating smaller meals but eating healthy snacks between so don't wait until you are starving. Think of your body as a furnace. It should be burning fuel all the time.

    If you eat the same thing everyday, your body will get used to it. You should be changing your meals around every 3 days to continue to lose fat. Same applies for exercise, so change your routine every 3-4 weeks to be more effective. Not only will you feel better, but you will have increased your metabolism with the extra muscle you've put on. Exercises that target large muscle groups like squats will greatly increase metabolism. Also, when doing aerobic exercise, short bursts of energy like sprinting will do more for weight loss than keeping a steady jogging speed.

    When do you exercise? If you feel tired during your workouts, try changing them to a different time. I've been going to the gym in the mornings as I find I've more energy plus I have no excuse for skipping it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Think it's the other way round; thirst is mistaken for hunger so we snack rather than drink water.

    Yes, sorry that is what I meant :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭nobodythere


    Are you weighing yourself the same time every day? Are you aware of how calories and metabolism work? If not, I recommend The Hacker's Diet (it's online) which explains it quite well, or if the writing style is not your cup of tea try How Calories Work on howstuffworks.com

    It will let you estimate how much weight you should be losing


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,092 ✭✭✭pseudonym1


    Op keep it steady and slow! Keep putting in the effort and will see the differance. Maybe go to the doctor and get all clear - there might be something else easily addressed - alergy etc. and ditch those scales.

    Eat healthy cut out majority of sweet/high fat foods. exercise every day and you will see the difference soon enough.

    Dont stress - supposed to have some hormanal reaction thingy where weight is concerned -

    What I did when I was unhappy with weight recently - is stopped obsessing about my apppearance and (forgive the cliche) looked inside myself. Developed and did things always wanted and never thought would - in turn this gave strength to follow through with healther lifestyle choices. Result stone and half lighter in 3 months!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    grasshopa wrote: »
    Are you weighing yourself the same time every day?
    Weighing yourself everyday would be utterly soul-destroying. If you have extra carbs on a Monday, then your weight will probably be slightly up on Tuesday.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 517 ✭✭✭greatgoal


    i dont know if youre male or female but jesus youre 19 years of age,eat what you want youre young,enjoy,wait until your 30s 0r 40s before weight starts wrecking your head,relax and eat and drink what you can,while you can and stop worrying..ok.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 37,214 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    If the OP is overweight, the OP is overweight - doesn't matter about age. And tackling it now will make him/her happier and reduce the chances of weight being a problem in his/her 30s and 40s.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,012 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    hi all again..

    thanks very much for the replys and all the tips..

    to answer some of your questions..

    im a girl..

    i excersice everyday power walking for about least 30 - 35 minutes..

    i also do sit ups,jumping jacks,knee ups, things like that to keep it interesting.

    i concider healthy eating as: drinking lots of water. porridge with fruit in the morning,low fat milk.. for lunch homemade veg soup or salad, pasta etc. for dinner a meat ex: fish, with rice and veg. i also have a yogart as a snack and more fruit if im hungry.

    i dont eat wheat so any pasta or rice i eat would be gluten free.

    i no it takes time but ive dieted before and its never been this hard.

    im finding my cravings very hard.

    but i just resist and say no.

    i dont no what else i can tell you but if i dont start to loose a little bit im obviously just meant to be this size!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭nobodythere


    Dudess wrote: »
    Weighing yourself everyday would be utterly soul-destroying. If you have extra carbs on a Monday, then your weight will probably be slightly up on Tuesday.

    Works for me.

    Anyways OP all I'm saying knowing about nutrition will help you a lot


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 320 ✭✭*Honey*


    I would agree with the points re portion sizes.. that's usually the culprit. Are you exercising the same as when you started... is it possible you could be slacking off? Are you eating enough too? Are you skipping meals.. oddly you actually have to eat to lose weight.

    Did the OP ever respond to any of these suggestions at all?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Right, where to start here.

    I'll start by saying that I'm 5'10 and weighed 13.2 last May and have since dropped to 10.11, with the intent to drop to 10.9 before stopping cutting weight and planning to tone up, i'm not saying that to throw salt in the wound or to brag. I'm saying it to let you know that it is doable and to try to encourage you not to give up.

    I'm a 33 year old guy who's getting married at the end of the year and wanted to drop the weight so I wouldn't look "round" for the wedding photos. Some things you should know.

    ) Being near 13 and a half stone for your height isn't the worst thing, granted you're obviously not happy about it, but it's nowhere near obesity levels eiter, so take comfort in that.

    ) You will drop a few pounds when you start, so when it goes back on (which is natural, and unfortunately weight rebound can happen to the best of us, i'm struggling with my last 5lbs as it is), you really have to be mentally strong to not let it discourage you.

    ) Watch what you eat, and more importantly, watch what you don't eat. The digestion system is your friend here, but if you skip meals then nothing can come out if nothing goes in. You get my drift here.

    ) Walk as much as you can, screw the power walking malarky (i only say that because i don't believe in it personally, i go for regular walks and it works equally fine, if you're on your way to work or college, get off the bus a few stops earlier as well. If you're not, then wrap up and just walk as far as you want, load up your mp3 player, phone, or whatever you use to listen to music and take yourself out.

    ) Time your eating patterns and try to stick with them, depending on your lifestyle that's not always the easiest thing on the planet, but try to eat at the same time every day.

    ) Stop eating after 8pm! I can't stress this enough, One of my major problems personally was the midnight munchies! Try water, if you're bored of water, get flavoured sparkling water. The blackcurrent ones taste a bit like fizzy ribena and is actually good to have after a walk or a run.

    ) Watch what you drink. Lay off the beers/stouts when you're out for a few drinks, if you can find a spirit you like when you're out, go for it, just until you've dropped enough weight that you're happy with.

    I'm not a doctor, and people may disagree with some of the above. I'm not going to tell you what to do, i'm just telling you what I did and what's working for me, everybody's body is different. But if you haven't given any of the above a shot, then what have you got to lose?

    Good luck. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 320 ✭✭*Honey*


    Very generally speaking the theory is "eat less, move more". Now eat less doesn't mean starve to death, in fact you have to eat to lose weight (otherwise your body thinks it is starving to death and will retain weight to keep you alive).... more move is easy, get off the bus earlier..walk to the shops.. walk the kids to school etc etc. We can all add in a bit of exercise to our lives, and work it around our lives. I used to get off work, drive about 10 minutes to a nice coastal area and then go for a 30 minute walk before home. Pretty easy to manage, very pleasant on a nice day.

    Watch you portion size.. generally speaking again, your dinner plates should not be immense, your plate should be half veggies, salad etc (no dressing though unless low fat), quarter carbs (pasta, potatoes, rice etc) and a quarter protein (skinned chicken, pork fillet etc - all fat trimmed off pre cooking). Try to eat 3 meals a day with 2 small snacks in between.. it actually becomes hard after a while to fit the snacks in and, if you don't need them, don't have them.

    If you do it right, you should never feel hungry except about 5 hours after eating, you should never feel listless or tired after a meal if you balance your need for protein, carbs and some fat in your diet... eat good fats, not bad.. good carbs not bad.

    Look up the Low GI Diet ... works very well for some and easily adaptable for the whole family.


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