Why am I not losing weight?

ncmc

Hi all, I am a 32 year old female, 5ft 7 and I started a diet 5-6 weeks ago. I was about 10st when I started (maybe a bit more, didn’t have an accurate scale at the start). I lost a few lbs in the first few weeks and got down to 9st 9 1/2 (first thing in the morning, probably a bit heavier in the evening). However, I have stayed at that weight for the last two weeks. I haven’t lost so much as an ounce.

I have been using My Fitness Pal on my iphone, and according to that, I have been eating approx 1200 cals a day. I walk most days (frequently twice a day) and jog twice a week.

My average day’s food would be as follows:
Breakfast: Porridge and skimmed milk, coffee
Elevenses: 2 satsumas
Lunch: Salad with loads of greens, tomato, portion of chicken/ham/eggs
Afternoon: Apple
So far so good, but I have gotten into the very bad habit of eating really processed food for dinner. So I might have a weight watchers meal and frozen potato wedges, or potato waffles and poached egg. I know this processed stuff is rubbish, but it is so low cal and easy. I know I shouldn’t be eating such crap for dinner, but I just find it easier to track my cals that way, and I am not a very good or imaginative cook and can’t seem to come up with low cal, tasty dinners.

I ease off on the diet at the weekend, but I don’t go nuts, haven’t been drinking alcohol and reckon for the week I am eating about 3500-4000 cals less than I am burning off. Based on 1200 cals a day and with the exercise I do, I reckon I should be losing at least 1lb a week. Yet I seem to have hit a total plateau. I know I don’t need to lose a lot of weight, but I have a goal of 9st 5lb for my holiday in September.

Sorry for the long post, I am just feeling a bit de-motivated and down about the whole thing today.

Can anyone point our where I am going wrong?

Bottle_of_Smoke

You're at the stage where the weighing scale is next to useless. You need to just go by how you look, your hip to waist ratio, bodyfat % etc.

I suspect you are fine for all of these, you eat better than most people and you're in a healthy weight range.

If you're plateuing I think losing more weight through more extreme dieting could just lead to you losing good fat (like losing your ass and boobs) and suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

Only thing that would make you look better now would be lifting weights to give you definition

ncmc

f you're plateuing I think losing more weight through more extreme dieting could just lead to you losing good fat (like losing your ass and boobs) and suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

Only thing that would make you look better now would be lifting weights to give you definition

Thank you Bottle of Smoke, this is exactly what is happening already! I've lost my bum totally! The one part of my body that I was actually quite happy with

I think I need to bite the bullet and join the gym. I'm finding 1200 cals very restrictive and don't want to be one of those people who is obsessed with calorie counting.

pinkypinky

That's a really tiny amount of food to be eating per day. You know yourself that your dinner could be much healthier. At 5.7 and 9.5 stone, your BMI is 21.9, which is the middle of the healthy range for your height. Of course, it is just a guideline but maybe more exercise is what you need?