Diet advice - Not losing weight!

Monife

Hi all,

Will just give a little background info on my weightloss journey so far. Started Weight Watchers in November 2010 at 18 stone 3lb. Over the next 8 months, steadily lost weight (totalling 3 stone 8lb). I then had my wedding, honeymoon etc and totally fell off the wagon. Returned to Weight Watchers in January this year 16lbs heavier (15 stone 11lb). Since then I have been up and down and realised that I have only lost 6lb since January (currently 15 stone 5lb).

I have been calorie counting for the last 6 weeks as I thought maybe counting points wasn't working for me anymore, but I am still not losing weight. What has made me post here today is I gained 1.5lb last week even though I never went over my calories (1600, using MFP to track) and joined a gym and went 4 times, so I am totally disheartened and really at a loss. I am 5ft 3, female and 24 years old.

A typical day for me, diet wise, would be:

Breakfast:

2 Weetabix with low fat milk or 2 slices of soda bread with banana on top

11am:

Weight Watchers yoghurt
Large handful of grapes or strawberries or an apple

Lunch (varies quite a lot):

Tuna/Chicken salad with a boiled egg and maybe some cous cous
OR
A wholemeal pitta with chicken/tuna and salad vegetables and a mandarin
OR
Homemade soup and 2 slices of soda bread

Dinner (also varies quite a lot):

Chicken (done in the oven with spices or the Maggi So Juicy) with baby potatoes or plain mash and veg
OR
Steak with the same sides
OR
Chicken and pasta/rice, homemade curry sauces made or homemade stirfry or pasta sauces made
OR
Homemade spag bol

On Friday and Saturday, I have 4 vodka's and diet mixer and 1 packet of snack a jacks. On Saturday and Sunday, I only eat brunch (2 slices of toast, an egg done in low cal spray and 1/2 tin of beans) and dinner.

Any advice much appreciated because I am at my wits end now. I have been reading the My Fitness Pal forums and have a strong feeling I might have to do a "metabolism reset" but want to explore other options first.

*Sorry for the looong ramble

davidgrn

I'm not an expert but your diet may have plateaued from a food point of view.

What's your excersize regime like? In my experience a diet on it's own is not enough, I have to excersize too.

Good luck though!

Monife

davidgrn wrote: »

I'm not an expert but your diet may have plateaued from a food point of view.

What's your excersize regime like? In my experience a diet on it's own is not enough, I have to excersize too.

Good luck though!

Well as of last week walking about 4 times a week was what I was doing exercise wise, with the odd aqua aerobics or zumba class. But I joined a gym last week and plan on going at least 4 times a week, went 4 times last week. They devised a plan of 10 minutes treadmill (increasing the speed every 2 minutes) and 10 minutes of cross trainer and then 4 different weight machines. I think the cardio is too little so I have been doing 15 minutes of treadmill and 15 minutes of the bike. Haven't really got the hang of the crosstrainer yet.

Stench Blossoms

christmas2012 wrote: »

Cut out the bread,and try taking supplements like CLA booster by pharmanord,or iodine tablets(follow the dosage instructions on the back and stick to them) - pharmanord is in the chemists at 20 +euros but worth it..Iodine tablets can be gotten in a healthfood shop or chemists..

Cut out the bread but ignore everything else here.

If you have a good clean diet you don't need supplements.

Monife wrote: »

A typical day for me, diet wise, would be:

Breakfast:

2 Weetabix with low fat milk or 2 slices of soda bread with banana on top

Could you try porridge or eggs instead?

11am:

Weight Watchers yoghurt
Large handful of grapes or strawberries or an apple

Do you really need the large handful? If you had a better more filling breakfast you more than likely wouldn't need this.

Try stay away from the weight watchers stuff. Although they are low fat they are riddled with sugar.


Lunch (varies quite a lot):

Tuna/Chicken salad with a boiled egg and maybe some cous cous
OR
A wholemeal pitta with chicken/tuna and salad vegetables and a mandarin
OR
Homemade soup and 2 slices of soda bread

Try stay away from bread. You should plan you meals around a source of protein. The tuna/chicken salad sounds good.

Dinner (also varies quite a lot):

Chicken (done in the oven with spices or the Maggi So Juicy) with baby potatoes or plain mash and veg
OR
Steak with the same sides
OR
Chicken and pasta/rice, homemade curry sauces made or homemade stirfry or pasta sauces made
OR
Homemade spag bol

What kinda veg are you eating? Is most of your veg potato? Try eat less of the potato and more veg.

I find if I load my plate with cauliflower, broccoli, green beans and carrots and eat them first then I'm not as inclined to eat the potatoes.

On Friday and Saturday, I have 4 vodka's and diet mixer and 1 packet of snack a jacks. On Saturday and Sunday, I only eat brunch (2 slices of toast, an egg done in low cal spray and 1/2 tin of beans) and dinner.

So your basically starving yourself on a Saturday? This isn't good.

Any advice much appreciated because I am at my wits end now. I have been reading the My Fitness Pal forums and have a strong feeling I might have to do a "metabolism reset" but want to explore other options first.

*Sorry for the looong ramble

What height are you?

And you don't need to do a metabolism reset.

Exercise wise: Have you looked into started Couch to 5k? That would be enough cardio I reckon for you.

You can do it on a threadmil but it's not as fun as doing it out doors.

Monife

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Cut out the bread but ignore everything else here.

If you have a good clean diet you don't need supplements.


What height are you?

And you don't need to do a metabolism reset.

Exercise wise: Have you looked into started Couch to 5k? That would be enough cardio I reckon for you.

You can do it on a threadmil but it's not as fun as doing it out doors.

I am 5ft 3. I really tried to like porridge and experimented with it but I actually hate it. I don't think I could stomach eggs on their own, I only recently started eating the yolk, didn't like it for years. The veg I mostly eat with dinner would be carrots and peas. With a stirfry it would be mange tout, onions, babycorn and sometimes red pepper. I wouldn't eat any veg with pasta dishes.

Monife

I did try the couch to 5K but I just can't run for that long at all because I get really really bad pains in my shins and calves. I thought I was maybe too heavy to be running. I find running a little bit easier on the treadmill but only marginally.

Stench Blossoms

Well first of all I'd start off with cutting out the bread and pasta.

As I said plan your meals around a source of protein.

Do this for a month or so and then work on having a better breakfast. An omelet for example would be better.

There's no point cutting out everything straight away. Make gradual changes that you will stick to.

Don't see this as a 'diet' but more of a healthy living lifestyle.

Could you try couch to 5k again but at a slower pace?

Dixie Chick

Hi there,

Well done on your weightloss to date, overall you still are 2stone down so this is a good restarting point.

Personally for me when i lost about 3 stone a few years ago, I followed a low GL diet (there are numerous web pages on this) which just basically takes all the "bad" sugar and carbs from your diet.
Also, what was pivotal was that I lifted weights, heavy weights for the first time as well and the two combines gave me great results.

WW food is somthing that I still avoid, i never realised how synthetic it was and removed most thing low fat, besides milk (for soem reason in cant remember) from my diet.

Monife

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Well first of all I'd start off with cutting out the bread and pasta.

As I said plan your meals around a source of protein.

Do this for a month or so and then work on having a better breakfast. An omelet for example would be better.

There's no point cutting out everything straight away. Make gradual changes that you will stick to.

Don't see this as a 'diet' but more of a healthy living lifestyle.

Could you try couch to 5k again but at a slower pace?

I don't know about the couch to 5k, I was going at a pretty slow pace to begin with... 6.5km/hr.

I am nervous to cut out bread, pasta fine, don't think I would miss that, but bread. I like to have it for breakfast, and the odd time for lunch, I wouldnt be able to stomach a salad every day for lunch. Also, I don't like omelettes, again not a huge egg fan. Can just about eat them in salads or with beans or a grill or on toast but I can't really stomach them on their own.

Dixie Chick

Hi Monife,

Without being rude now, as this advice was given to me before, but you simole have to open up your palate some more if you are going to have a long term success. You dont have to cut out bread completely, there are some breads there like a good dark rye bread etc thats very heavy and filling that will suit your bread needs. But if you are not open to trying lots of new things, the challege is so much harder beacuse you are going to get bored faster.

Dont worry about your speed with the running. If needs be do "week one" over and over and over 3x 20mins a week, it will pay off and will take care of your cardio

zoobizoo

before you give up on porridge:

Do you make it too stodgy so it turns into a thick paste? If so, don't leave it on the heat too long. Start off making it with all milk rather than milk and water.

Do you add fruit to it? Blackberries and strawberries are great in it as are stewed pears or apples (which also add moisture).

If that fails, why not toast the oats (in a frying pan with no oil) and have them with some stewed pears/apples and some low fat yoghurt....

okiss

I went to ww a few times. The most I lost was 2 stone and I was sick of weighting food and always working out points.
I have lost over 3 stone with slimming world and I am eating very well.
The class I attend has a number of ex ww members and they are all finding it so much better than ww.

muffinn

As someone already suggested start lifting heavy weights. Dont mind CLA its worthless. The only supplement you could consider taking at this stage would be OMEGA 3.

Monife

muffinn wrote: »

As someone already suggested start lifting heavy weights. Dont mind CLA its worthless. The only supplement you could consider taking at this stage would be OMEGA 3.

Thanks. Yeah I wouldn't consider diet pills now, I know there is no easy way about this. I was forced to take diet pills as a teen (by my mother and doctor), didn't work. Took them of my own accord last year, actually gained weight in the 4 weeks. They don't work.

I joined a gym 3 weeks ago and have been going 4 times a week. I do 40 minutes cardio (broken into 2 segments) and 20 reps and 2 sets of 4 different weight machines. I don't know the names of them but two of them are for legs/thighs, one is for arms (a bar that you pull down to your chest) and the other one is also for arms (where you sit down and push a bar with each hand out).

Decided that even if I don't lose weight, I want to become fit and strong

HealthyJenny

Hi Monife,

I'm a Nuritional Coach and I can tell you that losing weight is not about counting calories. You will only lose weight temporarily doing it this way.

Monife

HealthyJenny wrote: »

Hi Monife,

I'm a Nuritional Coach and I can tell you that losing weight is not about counting calories. You will only lose weight temporarily doing it this way.

Could you please elaborate a bit on that?

muffinn

Monife wrote: »

Thanks. Yeah I wouldn't consider diet pills now, I know there is no easy way about this. I was forced to take diet pills as a teen (by my mother and doctor), didn't work. Took them of my own accord last year, actually gained weight in the 4 weeks. They don't work.

I joined a gym 3 weeks ago and have been going 4 times a week. I do 40 minutes cardio (broken into 2 segments) and 20 reps and 2 sets of 4 different weight machines. I don't know the names of them but two of them are for legs/thighs, one is for arms (a bar that you pull down to your chest) and the other one is also for arms (where you sit down and push a bar with each hand out).

Decided that even if I don't lose weight, I want to become fit and strong

Ok, so you are doing two exercises for legs, one for your back (lat pull down) and one for chest (chest press). Pretty basic plan that covers large muscle groups but perfectly fine for a beginner.

Do you do your weights 2 times a week and cardio 2 times a week ?

Monife

muffinn wrote: »

Ok, so you are doing two exercises for legs, one for your back (lat pull down) and one for chest (chest press). Pretty basic plan that covers large muscle groups but perfectly fine for a beginner.

Do you do your weights 2 times a week and cardio 2 times a week ?

Oh yeah, forgot that one was for the back. Instructor asked what areas I wanted to work on and I said arms and back. I do the weights and cardio on the same day, 4 times a week. I do 20 minutes cardio, the one set of each weight machine and then the other 20 minutes of cardio and finish with the second set of weights.

muffinn

Monife wrote: »

Oh yeah, forgot that one was for the back. Instructor asked what areas I wanted to work on and I said arms and back. I do the weights and cardio on the same day, 4 times a week. I do 20 minutes cardio, the one set of each weight machine and then the other 20 minutes of cardio and finish with the second set of weights.

I would suggest that you increase the weights in your resistance training and separate it from cardio and do it on different days.

I find that majority of women are affraid of lifting heavy weights because they think they will bulk up and become huge and full of muscles. Unfortuatelly its not that easy, in fact its really hard for women to gain significant amount of muscle because of the hormonal differences between them and men.

Not to mention that if you are in caloric deficit it is in most cases impossible to put on muscle mass.

So I would say increase the weights so you can perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise and do it twice to three times a week.

syklops

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Could you try couch to 5k again but at a slower pace?

I normally agree with everything you say Stench, but I wouldn't push the Cto5k if someone has already tried it. Instead I would recommend swimming, bike riding, try to incorporate more walking into your day, and consider incorporating weights into the routine too.

I know someone will say "swimming is not good for weight loss", and in some ways they are right, but running 100m and then collapsing doesnt burn a whole lot either. With swimming you are not fighting against your own weight, so you can go for longer. Last time I was in the pool I did 40 lengths(this from the guy who cant run one block).

Obviously diet is important too. The OP seems to easily incorporate a lot of veg into a stir fry so I suggest she have more of these(sound familiar stench?). Get your 5 fruit and veg a day? With a stir fry you can incorprate twice that amount, but dont forget the lean meat too. OP, let us know if you want recipes.

Stench Blossoms

syklops wrote: »

I normally agree with everything you say Stench, but I wouldn't push the Cto5k if someone has already tried it. Instead I would recommend swimming, bike riding, try to incorporate more walking into your day, and consider incorporating weights into the routine too.

I know someone will say "swimming is not good for weight loss", and in some ways they are right, but running 100m and then collapsing doesnt burn a whole lot either. With swimming you are not fighting against your own weight, so you can go for longer. Last time I was in the pool I did 40 lengths(this from the guy who cant run one block).

Obviously diet is important too. The OP seems to easily incorporate a lot of veg into a stir fry so I suggest she have more of these(sound familiar stench?). Get your 5 fruit and veg a day? With a stir fry you can incorprate twice that amount, but dont forget the lean meat too. OP, let us know if you want recipes.

I actually missed the part where she said she was going to the gym thats why I suggested trying it again

How are you getting on food wise OP?

syklops

HealthyJenny wrote: »

Hi Monife,

I'm a Nuritional Coach and I can tell you that losing weight is not about counting calories. You will only lose weight temporarily doing it this way.

Then what is your advice?

Monife

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

I actually missed the part where she said she was going to the gym thats why I suggested trying it again

How are you getting on food wise OP?

Getting on ok foodwise. Attempted to limit the carbs this week and didn't do that good. Find it very hard to think of lunches that are low or no carb that aren't salads, because I can't stomach salad every day.

Lost 1.5lb this week so happy out. Have a night out tonight but will stick to vodka and diet mixer and have the workings of a low calorie fry for the morning after So hoping for the same loss again next week. Going to go to the gym 4 times again this week

Edit: Thought I would NEVER say this (admittedly very lazy) but I am actually really enjoying the gym. The thoughts of it kill me but once I get there, I quite enjoy it

somegirl2009

i will keep it simple................. eat 1200 calories per day and you will lose weight

muffinn

somegirl2009 wrote: »

i will keep it simple................. eat 1200 calories per day and you will lose weight

Wow, that is some advice!

How did you come up with this exact number if I may ask ?

somegirl2009

This is actually great advice,,,,

this time last year i was 4 stone and a couple of lbs heavier than i am now...

ive been trying all sorts of diets over the last year so i know what works and what doesn't work..

basically i joined a class similar to weight-watchers and it was the leader of the class who came up with the 1200 calorie thing but it works wonders as hundreds of people that go to the class lose weight each week so it does work and is great advice

Stench Blossoms

That is very bad advice OP and not advisable.

You more than likely will be not be able to sustain that diet.

In fact, don't look at this as a diet, look at it as a lifestyle change.

somegirl2009

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

That is very bad advice OP and not advisable.

You more than likely will be not be able to sustain that diet.

it is not a diet stench- its just a guideline for somebody who wants to lose weight and of course there is more to it than the 1200 calories it is a lifestyle change, you have to exercise and eat healthy

muffinn

somegirl2009 wrote: »

This is actually great advice,,,,

this time last year i was 4 stone and a couple of lbs heavier than i am now...

ive been trying all sorts of diets over the last year so i know what works and what doesn't work..

basically i joined a class similar to weight-watchers and it was the leader of the class who came up with the 1200 calorie thing but it works wonders as hundreds of people that go to the class lose weight each week so it does work and is great advice

I'm pretty sure that when OP said she wanted to lose weight she meant FAT, not lean body mass.

OP's current basal metabolic rate is around 1700-1800 kcal and that is without taking into account her caloric needs from daily activities and training.

How telling her to eat 1200 kcal is a good advice ?

Please be careful next time when posting stuff like this.

somegirl2009

do ya know what im sorry i even posted anything now with you

all i was doing was trying to help il keep it to myself next time

BYE

OMARS_COMING_

Cut calories to 1253,anymore and your finished.

nice_guy80

what is this obsession with counting calories??

you could eat 1200 calories of crap food, but it's still crap food.

eat proper, healthy, unprocessed food based around protein at each meal, cutting way back on carbs and snacking on fruit and nuts

then get out and exercise

madma

nice_guy80 wrote: »

what is this obsession with counting calories??

you could eat 1200 calories of crap food, but it's still crap food.

eat proper, healthy, unprocessed food based around protein at each meal, cutting way back on carbs and snacking on fruit and nuts

then get out and exercise

exactly.. theres too much talk of it, seems like a waste of time

rocky

what is this obsession with cutting carbs??

you could eat 5000 calories of fat, but it's still fat and gets stored as fat.

eat "proper", "healthy", unprocessed food based around protein at each meal, and snacking on fruit and nuts (better yet no snacking)

then get out and exercise

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

j@utis

rocky wrote: »

what is this obsession with cutting carbs??

you could eat 5000 calories of fat, but it's still fat and gets stored as fat.

eat "proper", "healthy", unprocessed food based around protein at each meal, and snacking on fruit and nuts (better yet no snacking)

then get out and exercise

if you eat 5000 calories of carbs and don't burn them off it will get stored as fat too.

topust

Monife wrote: »

Getting on ok foodwise. Attempted to limit the carbs this week and didn't do that good. Find it very hard to think of lunches that are low or no carb that aren't salads, because I can't stomach salad every day.

Lost 1.5lb this week so happy out. Have a night out tonight but will stick to vodka and diet mixer and have the workings of a low calorie fry for the morning after So hoping for the same loss again next week. Going to go to the gym 4 times again this week

Edit: Thought I would NEVER say this (admittedly very lazy) but I am actually really enjoying the gym. The thoughts of it kill me but once I get there, I quite enjoy it

Hi Monife, Keep in touch in how your getting on, like you was 18 plus going down to 15 until I changed job and piled on a stone in no time. So I'm back at the gym doing 6 days a week and lost 6 pounds in a month but this time I'm finding it much harder.

Its not going to the gym is harder but I'm doing far more than before, eating less and even stopped drinking but I was expecting more compared to when I lost it before.

rocky

j@utis wrote: »

if you eat 5000 calories of carbs and don't burn them off it will get stored as fat too.

:eek:what ??:eek:and you're only telling me this now??

what about 5000 calories of alcohol?

rocky

FizzleSticks wrote: »

And most of all OP seems to be really down about this number of the scales and seems to be maybe trying to eat like she always did if its in the calorie limits but it doesnt work like that, carbs seemed like the only option before I did my research on what my nutrional needs were and got to trying some new foods but before that I always restricted calories and fooled myself into thinking eating too many portions of that type of carb in one day was okay and sneaking in junk snacks was okay but it made me feel like crap not seeing results because I wasn't committing fulling to the change.

It didn't work for you because you haven't really restricted calories.

Madam_X

Heh, someone posts something with no support to a discussion forum and can't handle being challenged.

1,200 calories a day is too little, especially with exercise. You need fuel OP - I'd recommend prioritising protein over carbs. Porridge isn't for everyone - can make the blood sugar crash. I personally have an egg and fruit and I don't get hungry until lunch. Nuts too as snacks (not salted ones). Buy a bag from a health shop and dip in when peckish.

No need to put too much stock in the scales too - how are clothes fitting you? They could be loosening despite the scales.

Monife

Onixx wrote: »

Heh, someone posts something with no support to a discussion forum and can't handle being challenged.

1,200 calories a day is too little, especially with exercise. You need fuel OP - I'd recommend prioritising protein over carbs. Porridge isn't for everyone - can make the blood sugar crash. I personally have an egg and fruit and I don't get hungry until lunch. Nuts too as snacks (bit salted ones). Buy a bag from a health shop and dip in when peckish.

No need to put too much stock in the scales too - how are clothes fitting you? They could be loosening despite the scales.

Well people have commented that it looks like I have lost weight despite only losing 7.5lb since January. I am a bit obsessed with the scales and the number I see on it each week will be in my mind no matter how much I try and forget about it but I am going to just try hard and focus on healthy eating and building muscle and gaining some strength. The trainer in the gym said my strength (she tested it) was pretty bad so I really just want to become fit and strong now. If I lose pounds along the way, bonus

j@utis

Monife wrote: »

... I am a bit obsessed with the scales and the number I see on it each week will be in my mind no matter how much I try and forget about it but I am going to just try hard and focus on healthy eating and building muscle and gaining some strength. ...

if weighting yourself once a week makes you obsessed then I'm a scales maniac!

I weight myself everyday and record it since nov-2008 (except holidays - only because hotels don't provide scales)

El_Dangeroso

That graph is a bit horrifying in terms of OCD but damn I do love a good graph.:pac:

j@utis

rocky wrote: »

:eek:what ??:eek:and you're only telling me this now??
what about 5000 calories of alcohol?

alcohol? we're talking about healthy lifestyle here. alcohol is poison.

Monife wrote: »

Well people have commented that it looks like I have lost weight despite only losing 7.5lb since January. I am a bit obsessed with the scales and the number I see on it each week will be in my mind no matter how much I try and forget about it but I am going to just try hard and focus on healthy eating and building muscle and gaining some strength. The trainer in the gym said my strength (she tested it) was pretty bad so I really just want to become fit and strong now. If I lose pounds along the way, bonus

I agree with those here recommending calorie restrictions, no not 1200kcal, but still it's better to know how much you take in and just try to cut it say by 200-300kcal/day. and also keep an eye on protein/carbs/fat ratio.
I eat "healthy" diet almost all the time, junk food is very very rare on my menu but that only guarantees that I don't gain weight. if I want to loose I have to cut down on calories and this is the hard part because I just can't live without nuts