Looking for some help to lose weight

Frigga_92

Hi all, just looking for some advice here. Bit wary about posting here as some of the more hardcore forum members can be a bit intimidating so please go easy on me

Since the beginning of January I have changed my diet quite substantially. Two of my worst bad habits were cans of coke, I used to drink 4-6 cans a week and about 3 cups of coffee a day, each with a little chocolate bar - I have cut out the coke completely and have cut my coffee down to one a day with no chocolate at all.

Whilst I understand the usage of BMI to determine how healthy you are is not a perfect science, my BMI is way at the wrong end of the scale and aside from wanting to look good etc., I am worried about my health.

I exercise on a treadmill for 45 minutes 5 nights a week, this is walking at a pace slightly faster than my normal walking pace and is rehab for my leg as opposed to weight loss orientated. Due to injuries sustained in a crash I am very very limited in what physical activity I can undertake so that is about all I can do for the forseeable future. I'm under two consultants and treatment is ongoing so hopefully there will be some improvement at some point.

I understand that weight loss is more about diet though and in my case, it's probably going to be 100% about my diet because I'm not physically capable of exercising away the weight.

I have used myfitnesspal to calculate my daily calorie intake and it usually comes in at around 1,300 calories, never more than 1,400 calories.
My treadmill indicates that I burn approx. 300 calories in 45 minutes so that's 1,500 calories per week but I'm not exactly sure of the accuracy of that calculation.

I started the 5:2 "fast" diet a month ago, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my reduced calorie days and on these days I have my usual breakfast (porridge), no lunch and in the evenings I have a vegetable juice, usually spinach, kale, celery, apple and some lemon. I've been experimenting so it actually tastes quite nice and I think it's a good way of getting calories on my reduced calorie days.

Just to preface, I am allergic to eggs, red meat and have quite a few other allergies so have to be quite careful about what I eat.
I rarely drink, I can't really go out much as my injuries are quite limiting, for example, I can't stand for long periods of time so I'm not much use in a pub anyway.
I make the majority of my food from scratch in a slow cooker, cook up batches of food and freeze it.
Other than a dislike of broccoli and tomatoes, I love all vegetables.
I absolutely love fish and would eat tuna for every meal.

As I said, I changed my diet at the beginning of January and I am a bit disheartened to have been so strict with myself and not lost much weight at all.
I am just wondering if anyone has any tips for me, I would really appreciate them.

Celly Smunt

I wouldnt feel too disheartened after one month, weight takes time to come off as much as it does to put on.

In terms of going from here

Diet: keep fresh, keep lean

As you said the majority of your meals are homemade, just ensure that what you're making is authentically homemade rather than out of the jar "homemade".
Have a lunch, starving yourself will negate progress.

Excercise: Obviously exercise goes hand in hand with health and diet.With yourself im guessing your legs are to blame for how you cant push yourself as mucg as you'd like to, and from there id suggest dumping the walking and picking up swimming before you find yourself in a place where you cant exercise anymore due to further injury.
Its all about intensity, you might find you can go more intensly in the water as opposed to on the threadmill, thus better results.Also swimming is a full body workout.

Go easy on yourself youre one month in.Now is about setting the foundation for what works for you.

doctorwhogirl

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

Hi all, just looking for some advice here. Bit wary about posting here as some of the more hardcore forum members can be a bit intimidating so please go easy on me

Don't worry, I don't bite.... I don't think!!!

I have cut out the coke completely and have cut my coffee down to one a day with no chocolate at all.

great stuff!

Whilst I understand the usage of BMI to determine how healthy you are is not a perfect science, my BMI is way at the wrong end of the scale and aside from wanting to look good etc., I am worried about my health.

Obviously it's up to you if you want to post up your weight, height, stats etc... but as you said, it's not an exact science. Very dependent upon your muscle mass etc... To what extent is your BMI on the wrong side? No judgement here btw, my BMI was in the obese category, well into it.

I exercise on a treadmill for 45 minutes 5 nights a week, this is walking at a pace slightly faster than my normal walking pace and is rehab for my leg as opposed to weight loss orientated. Due to injuries sustained in a crash I am very very limited in what physical activity I can undertake so that is about all I can do for the forseeable future. I'm under two consultants and treatment is ongoing so hopefully there will be some improvement at some point.I understand that weight loss is more about diet though and in my case, it's probably going to be 100% about my diet because I'm not physically capable of exercising away the weight.

Obviously, with injury, you'll have to be very careful as to what you do. Broach the subject of exercise for weight loss with your doctor and find out exactly what your limitations are. Weights are brilliant for building muscle which is very important when losing weight as often (it happened me) you can lose weight but also lose muscle. The more muscle you have to more calories you burn so losing muscle isn't ideal.
You're bang on, the ol' nugget you see on Facebook is true, abs are made in the kitchen!

I have used myfitnesspal to calculate my daily calorie intake and it usually comes in at around 1,300 calories, never more than 1,400 calories.
My treadmill indicates that I burn approx. 300 calories in 45 minutes so that's 1,500 calories per week but I'm not exactly sure of the accuracy of that calculation.

Don't go by the MFP calculation. It's stupidly low and will do you no favours at all. Try googling scooby calorie calculator. It's much more accurate and will mean you are eating enough to lose weight at the right pace and sustain the losses. Eating too little can often be a reason you stop losing weight. Your body needs fuel to move and burn fat. Eating too little won't enable your body to burn fat efficiently.
Don't trust treadmill calculations of calorie burn or any estimations on gym machines. Don't worry too much about calorie burn for the moment until you have food etc... sorted. If you really want a more accurate reading, a heart rate monitor will help you.

I started the 5:2 "fast" diet a month ago, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my reduced calorie days and on these days I have my usual breakfast (porridge), no lunch and in the evenings I have a vegetable juice, usually spinach, kale, celery, apple and some lemon. I've been experimenting so it actually tastes quite nice and I think it's a good way of getting calories on my reduced calorie days.

I'm really not a fan of this diet but each to their own. It may be hindering your progress, especially if you are eating as little as 1300 on the non-fast days. Your average intake would be very low. I don't know enough about juices really but I personally feel you're better off getting your food from whole, clean sources.

Just to preface, I am allergic to eggs, red meat and have quite a few other allergies so have to be quite careful about what I eat.
I rarely drink, I can't really go out much as my injuries are quite limiting, for example, I can't stand for long periods of time so I'm not much use in a pub anyway.
I make the majority of my food from scratch in a slow cooker, cook up batches of food and freeze it.
Other than a dislike of broccoli and tomatoes, I love all vegetables.
I absolutely love fish and would eat tuna for every meal.

As I said, I changed my diet at the beginning of January and I am a bit disheartened to have been so strict with myself and not lost much weight at all.
I am just wondering if anyone has any tips for me, I would really appreciate them.

Sounds like you have good food intake in terms of the kinds of food you take in. Have you read the stickies on the top of the nutrition forum. They will give you further guidance. You don't mention anything about fat in your diet. It's important you're getting enough. For women (you don't mention your gender) it's important for hormone production.

You say you've been strict, perhaps, as I said, you're not giving your body enough fuel.
Maybe post up a sample day and we can see is there anything your missing.

Have to state I'm not a professional, or an expert in this matter! Any advice I'm giving is based on what worked for me and others and from learning from the more nutritionally educated people on this forum!

jlm29

One of the stickies here has a calorie calculator quite near the start. Maybe the nutrition 101 one, or whatever it's called!

Frigga_92

Celly Smunt wrote: »

I wouldnt feel too disheartened after one month, weight takes time to come off as much as it does to put on.

In terms of going from here

Diet: keep fresh, keep lean

As you said the majority of your meals are homemade, just ensure that what you're making is authentically homemade rather than out of the jar "homemade".
Have a lunch, starving yourself will negate progress.

Excercise: Obviously exercise goes hand in hand with health and diet.With yourself im guessing your legs are to blame for how you cant push yourself as mucg as you'd like to, and from there id suggest dumping the walking and picking up swimming before you find yourself in a place where you cant exercise anymore due to further injury.
Its all about intensity, you might find you can go more intensly in the water as opposed to on the threadmill, thus better results.Also swimming is a full body workout.

Go easy on yourself youre one month in.Now is about setting the foundation for what works for you.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, when I say from scratch I mean completely from scratch, no jars.

I broke my left leg and the recovery has been severely complicated. I also injured my back in a pretty bad way, this recovery has also been very complicated. I'm under 2 consultants, my GP and a physio. I'm in the chronic pain category now.

Thanks for the advice.

doctorwhogirl wrote: »

Don't worry, I don't bite.... I don't think!!!




great stuff!



Obviously it's up to you if you want to post up your weight, height, stats etc... but as you said, it's not an exact science. Very dependent upon your muscle mass etc... To what extent is your BMI on the wrong side? No judgement here btw, my BMI was in the obese category, well into it.



Obviously, with injury, you'll have to be very careful as to what you do. Broach the subject of exercise for weight loss with your doctor and find out exactly what your limitations are. Weights are brilliant for building muscle which is very important when losing weight as often (it happened me) you can lose weight but also lose muscle. The more muscle you have to more calories you burn so losing muscle isn't ideal.
You're bang on, the ol' nugget you see on Facebook is true, abs are made in the kitchen!



Don't go by the MFP calculation. It's stupidly low and will do you no favours at all. Try googling scooby calorie calculator. It's much more accurate and will mean you are eating enough to lose weight at the right pace and sustain the losses. Eating too little can often be a reason you stop losing weight. Your body needs fuel to move and burn fat. Eating too little won't enable your body to burn fat efficiently.
Don't trust treadmill calculations of calorie burn or any estimations on gym machines. Don't worry too much about calorie burn for the moment until you have food etc... sorted. If you really want a more accurate reading, a heart rate monitor will help you.



I'm really not a fan of this diet but each to their own. It may be hindering your progress, especially if you are eating as little as 1300 on the non-fast days. Your average intake would be very low. I don't know enough about juices really but I personally feel you're better off getting your food from whole, clean sources.



Sounds like you have good food intake in terms of the kinds of food you take in. Have you read the stickies on the top of the nutrition forum. They will give you further guidance. You don't mention anything about fat in your diet. It's important you're getting enough. For women (you don't mention your gender) it's important for hormone production.

You say you've been strict, perhaps, as I said, you're not giving your body enough fuel.
Maybe post up a sample day and we can see is there anything your missing.

Have to state I'm not a professional, or an expert in this matter! Any advice I'm giving is based on what worked for me and others and from learning from the more nutritionally educated people on this forum!

Hi dwg, thanks for the reply.

Weight: 106kg
Height: 5ft 8"
Age: 26
Female

Prior to the crash I was hovering around the 90kg mark, a happy gym goer and steadily losing weight. I was on crutches for 6 months and my recovery has been very complicated. I have always been an emotional eater anyway and in the last 18 months I have been eating my feelings.

My GP and physio have pretty much said no exercise aside from walking or swimming until the problems with my leg have at least been diagnosed. I am undergoing further treatment in relation to my back in 3 weeks so hopefully after that I will be able to do a bit more upper body work at least.
Prior to the crash I was a big weights fan, I was getting onto quite heavy weights just before the crash.

Thanks for that recommendation on the scooby calculator. I've always seen mfp recommended so just gave it a go to calculate what i've been eating.

I just wanted to give the 5:2 thing a go. I don't think it's for me though.

My usual diet is porridge with supermilk, linwoods shelled hemp and flaxseed mix and a small glass of orange juice to take all my tablets with - that's breakfast.
11am break is natural yoghurt with fruit, usually strawberries, and nuts, usually walnuts, and 2 oatcakes with organic peanut butter.
Lunch is chicken (cooked at home by me, not pre-packed) or tuna with peppers, celery, scallions, cucumber, lettuce and if it's chicken 2 teaspoons of pesto and if it's tuna 2 teaspoons of mayo.
My dinner is either the same as my lunch or something I did in the slow cooker, spagetti bolognese (full of veg, carrots, peppers, green beans, courgettes, made from scratch) or chicken curry (loads of peppers and courgettes).

Also to add I don't eat much bread. I don't often buy bread as I'm too tempted to toast it, butter it and eat it all.
On a friday night I have a bag of popcorn and some chocolate, sharing bag of maltesers or something (shared with my husband) and on Saturday i might have a bun or something with a hot chocolate. On Sunday we have a roast dinner but I keep my portions small and I don't eat lunch on sunday, just dinner.
That's kind of it as regards "treats". I don't buy packets of biscuits or anything for the house as it's too tempting. If I want chocolate or something I will go to the shop and buy just one thing. I would be too embarrassed about my size to buy more than one thing.

Thanks again for your lengthy reply and advice.

SamforMayo

You are dealing with a lot at the moment and im sure chronic pain is not easy to deal with. Would your GP or other medical professionals looking after you be able to refer your to a nutritionist to help you?

Frigga_92

SamforMayo wrote: »

You are dealing with a lot at the moment and im sure chronic pain is not easy to deal with. Would your GP or other medical professionals looking after you be able to refer your to a nutritionist to help you?

I'll be honest with you Sam4mayo, I don't have much luck with doctors. I've had 3 GPs since the crash, the first had zero interest in referring me for any additional treatment, even physio, he kept telling me i'd get better in time (that obviously hasn't happened), the next GP had little interest in referring me for treatment but did so under duress, I went to her in September of last year with pretty bad gastritis caused by being on all the different tablets i'm on for such a long time (I ended up in hospital), she made a few nasty, unhelpful comments about my weight the day I went to her with gastritis and was brought by ambulance to the hospital (she could've picked her timing and words a bit better), I ended up moving to my current GP after that. My current GP is great, has taken a real interest in my situation, has phoned me out of surgery hours to discuss things, treatment, how I'm doing etc but she's an older lady, while we both acknowledge that my weight is an issue in my recovery I think she would prefer if I would just go away and sort it out for myself.
Every doctor and consultant I've met since the crash have told me I need to lose weight, they all acknowledge that prior to the crash I was healthy and that the crash is to blame in many ways for the weight gain but no real interest in helping me and it's starting to feel like something I can't overcome on my own.

tupac_healy

Hey OP....

I was in a similar situation last summer and I put my mind to it and lost 20 pounds, not that I as heavy or anything just wanted to get as fit as possible for football.....

Only advice I will give you is NOT to put a time limit on it, make out yourplan/routine and give it time!!!! 2-3 months of doing the right things will stand to you...


Best of luck!



I'm just starting back myself so in a similar situation myself but it can be done mate

oscar_mike

Well attitude is half the battle, so your already off to a good start! Do you mind me asking how has the 5:2 diet worked out for you?

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

Well attitude is half the battle, so your already off to a good start! Do you mind me asking how has the 5:2 diet worked out for you?

Hi there, I did the 5:2 diet for one month. On my "fast" days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would eat my normal breakfast, no lunch and a veggie juice in the evening, usually a coffee around lunchtime just to keep me going. In that month I haven't lost any weight and that was my only reason for giving it a go. I never felt starving and I didn't experience any negative effects.

oscar_mike

Only heard of the 5:2 thing myself recently, not sure if the fasting part is for me though. Anyhow i know how frustrating the whole weight loss thing can be, but it can be done.

SamforMayo

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I'll be honest with you Sam4mayo, I don't have much luck with doctors. I've had 3 GPs since the crash, the first had zero interest in referring me for any additional treatment, even physio, he kept telling me i'd get better in time (that obviously hasn't happened), the next GP had little interest in referring me for treatment but did so under duress, I went to her in September of last year with pretty bad gastritis caused by being on all the different tablets i'm on for such a long time (I ended up in hospital), she made a few nasty, unhelpful comments about my weight the day I went to her with gastritis and was brought by ambulance to the hospital (she could've picked her timing and words a bit better), I ended up moving to my current GP after that. My current GP is great, has taken a real interest in my situation, has phoned me out of surgery hours to discuss things, treatment, how I'm doing etc but she's an older lady, while we both acknowledge that my weight is an issue in my recovery I think she would prefer if I would just go away and sort it out for myself.
Every doctor and consultant I've met since the crash have told me I need to lose weight, they all acknowledge that prior to the crash I was healthy and that the crash is to blame in many ways for the weight gain but no real interest in helping me and it's starting to feel like something I can't overcome on my own.

You are in a tough situation and stress will make you eat more, its a pity the health professional s are not more supportive of your efforts. Would you consider weight watchers or slimming world simply for the support and routine? It is very disheartening for you not to have lost any weight after trying hard. Don't give up, keep trying to make the healthier choices and continue with the exercise your doing and push your GP for help. Hopefully someone on here can give you some advice to help. You are young, this is just a set back, chin up.

tupac_healy

SamforMayo wrote: »

You are in a tough situation and stress will make you eat more, its a pity the health professional s are not more supportive of your efforts. Would you consider weight watchers or slimming world simply for the support and routine? It is very disheartening for you not to have lost any weight after trying hard. Don't give up, keep trying to make the healthier choices and continue with the exercise your doing and push your GP for help. Hopefully someone on here can give you some advice to help. You are young, this is just a set back, chin up.

I'd agree, most important thing is don't give up and don't put a time limit on it as it will cause frustration, stress to yourself that this is a lifestyle change rater than diet, that will add clarity !!!!

Seriously don't pack it in, it WILL happen for you

Frigga_92

SamforMayo wrote: »

You are in a tough situation and stress will make you eat more, its a pity the health professional s are not more supportive of your efforts. Would you consider weight watchers or slimming world simply for the support and routine? It is very disheartening for you not to have lost any weight after trying hard. Don't give up, keep trying to make the healthier choices and continue with the exercise your doing and push your GP for help. Hopefully someone on here can give you some advice to help. You are young, this is just a set back, chin up.

Thanks very much for that post.
I gave SW a go a few months ago and it pretty much just promotes healthy choices etc, which I think I am doing on my own anyway.
I usually attend my GP once a month so the next time I'm there I'm going to see if she can offer any additional help to me with regard to my weight.
It does get on top of me and along with everything else it makes me feel worthless.

Frigga_92

tupac_healy wrote: »

I'd agree, most important thing is don't give up and don't put a time limit on it as it will cause frustration, stress to yourself that this is a lifestyle change rater than diet, that will add clarity !!!!

Seriously don't pack it in, it WILL happen for you

Thanks for the reply.
I have tried not to put a time limit on things but it is hard, I suppose I just have to keep at it.
For starters I would just love to get under 100kg and then take another step.

oscar_mike

Have you considered atkins or a low carb diet? The results are pretty spectacular and noticeable after a week or two. I was once in a similar rut and it seemed like no matter what i ate of how much exercise i did the the scales just only seem to go back and fourth by a miserable 1-2 pounds. Low fat, calorie counting, fasting, you name it i tried it. But with low carb the weight just seem to evaporate for me.

SamforMayo

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

Thanks very much for that post.
I gave SW a go a few months ago and it pretty much just promotes healthy choices etc, which I think I am doing on my own anyway.
I usually attend my GP once a month so the next time I'm there I'm going to see if she can offer any additional help to me with regard to my weight.
It does get on top of me and along with everything else it makes me feel worthless.

Is it possible that your medication and/or allergies are contributing to your weigh problems? I think if it was me I would ditch the 5:2 diet and start to write every single thing down for a week and look at it to see what can be changed. You have made a lot of changes already so this will just focus you more. Make sure you enjoy the food you eat and the odd treat, as some one else said its a long term thing. Hopefully your injury will start to improve and give you more exercise options. If the weight started to drop at all it would give you more confidence. Did slimming world work at all?

Frigga_92

I used the scooby calculator as suggested by dwg.

It says if I reduce my calories by 20% per day I can lose 21.2kg in a year. That would be brilliant and quite close to the goal I have in mind. However, it suggests consuming more calories than I am consuming at the moment, just under 1,800, which kind of puzzles me. Maybe someone could share some light on the scientific basis for that?

sawdoubters

cut out sugar drinks,make all your meals from scratch,dont buy supermarket processed food,you can eat lots salads
no breakfast cereals except porridge, eat brown rice,lots fruit and vegitables,exercise for an hour do two days then one day off,dont eat after 7pm,drink lots water

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

Have you considered atkins or a low carb diet? The results are pretty spectacular and noticeable after a week or two. I was once in a similar rut and it seemed like no matter what i ate of how much exercise i did the the scales just only seem to go back and fourth by a miserable 1-2 pounds. Low fat, calorie counting, fasting, you name it i tried it. But with low carb the weight just seem to evaporate for me.

I haven't really looked at any "diet" per se, just trying to make healthier choices. It could be time to look at something like that though.
Thanks.

SamforMayo wrote: »

Is it possible that your medication and/or allergies are contributing to your weigh problems? I think if it was me I would ditch the 5:2 diet and start to write every single thing down for a week and look at it to see what can be changed. You have made a lot of changes already so this will just focus you more. Make sure you enjoy the food you eat and the odd treat, as some one else said its a long term thing. Hopefully your injury will start to improve and give you more exercise options. If the weight started to drop at all it would give you more confidence. Did slimming world work at all?

I actually haven't considered that my medication might be contributing to my weight gain/inability to lose weight easily. I will mention it to my GP. I doubt my allergies would be affecting me in that way, apart from having to avoid certain foods and take antihistamines daily.
It was my intention to ditch the 5:2, I gave it a month and have seen no benefit from it so time to move on.

I might try a low carb diet to see if it will kickstart anything for me.
Maybe a food diary too.

Frigga_92

sawdoubters wrote: »

cut out sugar drinks,make all your meals from scratch,dont buy supermarket processed food,you can eat lots salads
no breakfast cereals except porridge, eat brown rice,lots fruit and vegitables,exercise for an hour do two days then one day off,dont eat after 7pm,drink lots water

Ticking all of those boxes apart from exercise (see above) and not eating after 7 - would that make a huge difference?
Thanks for the reply.

tupac_healy

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
I have tried not to put a time limit on things but it is hard, I suppose I just have to keep at it.
For starters I would just love to get under 100kg and then take another step.

That's the way to do it imo, set a target but don't put a time limit on it and make sure you get your head around it as a lifestyle change.... NOT a temp fad diet to archive a goal or anything like that, this is a life changing decision and you need to commit 100% to it!!!!

Sounds to me like the determination is in you so head up and plough on mate!!

Frigga_92

tupac_healy wrote: »

That's the way to do it imo, set a target but don't put a time limit on it and make sure you get your head around it as a lifestyle change.... NOT a temp fad diet to archive a goal or anything like that, this is a life changing decision and you need to commit 100% to it!!!!

Sounds to me like the determination is in you so head up and plough on mate!!

Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Been doing a bit of googling about how I can make my eating habits even more low carb but keep my calories at the right level to lose weight so going to change things up again for this month and hopefully at the end of February I'll be on my way.

Alf Veedersane

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

not eating after 7 - would that make a huge difference?

No. By and large, the whole 'don't eat after 7' thing is a fallacy.

SamforMayo

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I used the scooby calculator as suggested by dwg.

It says if I reduce my calories by 20% per day I can lose 21.2kg in a year. That would be brilliant and quite close to the goal I have in mind. However, it suggests consuming more calories than I am consuming at the moment, just under 1,800, which kind of puzzles me. Maybe someone could share some light on the scientific basis for that?

I don't know the science for this but the amount of calories you are consuming 1400? does sound very low so maybe do try the 1800 with reduced carb and see if that kick starts it. Different approaches work for different people, my friend was trying to lose 2 stone for about 2 years starting healthy eating and giving up cause it was nt working. Eventually she joined ww and her real problem was portion size. This was an eye opener for her and the break through. You sound like you are in the right frame of mind to tackle this, some thing will work and just weigh yourself once a week or you will be come disheartened.

Frigga_92

Yeah I'm going to switch around what I'm eating a small bit and aim for 1,800 and see how I go.

I feel more positive now. Thanks to everyone who has replied.

oscar_mike

Yeah its definitely worth a look at least. In the first week you could expect to loose between 5-10 pounds. Of course that is only retained water, but it was a huge motivator and not to mention a much needed moral boost!!! Anyhow, hope you find something that works.

seosamh1980

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

Ticking all of those boxes apart from exercise (see above) and not eating after 7 - would that make a huge difference?
Thanks for the reply.

I don't think that poster read your other posts, or they would've seen you are indeed doing as much of that as you can already.

irelandspurs

I don't know about this but maybe try a Gluten free diet for awhile, I only say this because my mom had a bit of weight on her for a good few years and whatever she tried she couldn't shift it, her doctor suggested Gluten free and the weight dropped off her.

Frigga_92

seosamh1980 wrote: »

I don't think that poster read your other posts, or they would've seen you are indeed doing as much of that as you can already.

I'm trying to anyway

irelandspurs wrote: »

I don't know about this but maybe try a Gluten free diet for awhile, I only say this because my mom had a bit of weight on her for a good few years and whatever she tried she couldn't shift it, her doctor suggested Gluten free and the weight dropped off her.

Hi, thanks for the reply. My sister actually has a pretty bad gluten intolerance so I wonder is it possible that I could have it too? I will certainly look into that.

runawaybishop

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

I'm trying to anyway



Hi, thanks for the reply. My sister actually has a pretty bad gluten intolerance so I wonder is it possible that I could have it too? I will certainly look into that.

A gluten intolerance wont put weight on you. You said you hadn't lost "much weight" - but what exactly did you lose? If you are losing weight steadily then you are doing fine and should continue. How accurate would you say you are at tracking your calories - do you weigh everything, count oils, drinks etc?

Frigga_92

runawaybishop wrote: »

A gluten intolerance wont put weight on you. You said you hadn't lost "much weight" - but what exactly did you lose? If you are losing weight steadily then you are doing fine and should continue. How accurate would you say you are at tracking your calories - do you weigh everything, count oils, drinks etc?

Yes, I know a gluten intolerance won't make you gain weight but I understand it can prevent you from losing weight easily. My sister has this problem and when paired with PCOS it can be a bigger problem.

I lost 1kg in one month, not much at all.

I was very accurate, I accounted for everything and left out nothing.

runawaybishop

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

Yes, I know a gluten intolerance won't make you gain weight but I understand it can prevent you from losing weight easily. My sister has this problem and when paired with PCOS it can be a bigger problem.

I lost 1kg in one month, not much at all.

I was very accurate, I accounted for everything and left out nothing.

A gluten intolerance will not stop you losing weight, not sure where you heard that but its not based in fact. By all means cut out gluten and see if you feel better.

1kg a month is grand. Slow sustainable weight loss is what you are after. Cutting out the coke and the chocolate alone is really good progress. Keep doing what you are doing and let us know how you get on after another month.

Frigga_92

runawaybishop wrote: »

A gluten intolerance will not stop you losing weight, not sure where you heard that but its not based in fact. By all means cut out gluten and see if you feel better.

1kg a month is grand. Slow sustainable weight loss is what you are after. Cutting out the coke and the chocolate alone is really good progress. Keep doing what you are doing and let us know how you get on after another month.

That's a bit puzzling as my sister has been told by her G.P. and a Nutritionist her G.P. sent her to that her gluten intolerance and PCOS are what are making it more difficult for her to lose weight. I must mention it to her that they've been giving her incorrect information.

Thanks for that.

runawaybishop

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

That's a bit puzzling as my sister has been told by her G.P. and a Nutritionist her G.P. sent her to that her gluten intolerance and PCOS are what are making it more difficult for her to lose weight. I must mention it to her that they've been giving her incorrect information.

Thanks for that.

Ask for their links to scientific studies that show this (request more reading material for example). Ones on humans, not on mice. Seriously. They should be able to let you straight away.. Just because someone is a GP doesn't mean they are experts on nutrition and diet and Nutritionist isn't a protected term. I could call myself one, as could you. We often see people posting here with bad advice from professionals that should know better.

Typer Monkey

A symptom of Coeliac disease (gluten intolerance) is that the villi in your intestine are not present. Villi are the protrusions from the wall of your intestine which increase the surface area of intestinal wall to aid absorbtion of nutrients from ingested food. The intestinal wall of a person with coeliac disease will be flat and so malabsorption is an issue. As a result being underweight is usual for those with unmanaged coeliac disease. I can't see how gluten intolerance could lead to an inability to loose weight?

Gluten free alternatives to bread, pasta, biscuits etc can be very calorific and high in saturated fat. I found this out the hard way when I was on a gluten free diet and blindly swapped 'like for like' gluten free products for normal bread etc. is that maybe what the doc was saying to your sister that managing coeliac disease with a gluten free diet may lead to weight gain and she misinterpreted? In your case then a possible unmanaged gluten intolerance wouldn't be responsible for an inability to loose weight, it would probably be causing the opposite problem really

Frigga_92

Typer Monkey wrote: »

A symptom of Coeliac disease (gluten intolerance) is that the villi in your intestine are not present. Villi are the protrusions from the wall of your intestine which increase the surface area of intestinal wall to aid absorbtion of nutrients from ingested food. The intestinal wall of a person with coeliac disease will be flat and so malabsorption is an issue. As a result being underweight is usual for those with unmanaged coeliac disease. I can't see how gluten intolerance could lead to an inability to loose weight?

Gluten free alternatives to bread, pasta, biscuits etc can be very calorific and high in saturated fat. I found this out the hard way when I was on a gluten free diet and blindly swapped 'like for like' gluten free products for normal bread etc. is that maybe what the doc was saying to your sister that managing coeliac disease with a gluten free diet may lead to weight gain and she misinterpreted? In your case then a possible unmanaged gluten intolerance wouldn't be responsible for an inability to loose weight, it would probably be causing the opposite problem really

No, she was definitely told that her gluten intolerance paired with PCOS has been the cause of her struggle to lose weight. Since she has virtually eliminated gluten from her diet she has lost a significant amount of weight. She initially did this about 4 years ago. She had been hovering around 90kg for years and her weight dropped to 75kg once she eliminated gluten. Anytime when she has allowed gluten back into her diet (for one reason or another) she has instantly put weight back on and when she eliminates it again, she loses weight.

Anyway, this topic is side-tracking the thread.

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

Have you considered atkins or a low carb diet? The results are pretty spectacular and noticeable after a week or two. I was once in a similar rut and it seemed like no matter what i ate of how much exercise i did the the scales just only seem to go back and fourth by a miserable 1-2 pounds. Low fat, calorie counting, fasting, you name it i tried it. But with low carb the weight just seem to evaporate for me.

I've been doing a bit of reading on low carb eating. I suppose you only really need heavy carbs if you are doing proper exercise which I am not because I cannot, not right now anyway.
I'm going to cut out carbs for a few weeks and see what results I get from it. No harm I suppose.
I'm a bit stuck about breakfast because I always eat porridge and am allergic to eggs but I'm sure I'll think of something, grilled rashers and some veg?

oscar_mike

A typical breakfast for me would be;

2-3 diced strawberries/ or avacado/ or half apple
2 tablesspoons of blue berries
2 tablespoons of walnuts
3-4 tablespoons of full fat greek yog.


Very filling. But if your use to porridge, by all means keep going. Low carb is anywhere in between 50g and 150g of carbs a day so it easily fits in.

oscar_mike

Cured meats such as bacon chorizo, salami, pepperoni along cheese and fruits is also a nice breakfast the odd morning. It will take a few days to adjust your palate but its easy get in on.

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

A typical breakfast for me would be;

2-3 diced strawberries/ or avacado/ or half apple
2 tablesspoons of blue berries
2 tablespoons of walnuts
3-4 tablespoons of full fat greek yog.


Very filling. But if your use to porridge, by all means keep going. Low carb is anywhere in between 50g and 150g of carbs a day so it easily fits in.

Well I was going to try cut out the porridge and try and go as low carb as I can, even just for the first few weeks and see how I get on with that.
I was thinking of trying grilled rashers, mushrooms and avocado or yoghurt, berries and nuts on alternating mornings for breakfast.
Fingers crossed I'll see a difference in a few weeks.

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

Cured meats such as bacon chorizo, salami, pepperoni along cheese and fruits is also a nice breakfast the odd morning. It will take a few days to adjust your palate but its easy get in on.

I'm allergic to salami and pepperoni but the rest sounds good.
I think breakfast will take the most getting used to but hopefully not too long.

oscar_mike

Yeah bacon, mushrooms, spinach, peppers onions are all good when fried/grilled and topped with full fat cream cheese! Alternatively you can make smoothie out of the fruits and berries i mentioned earlier, sometimes that is easier in the morn.

The lowest carb diet i am aware of is 20g carbs per day (Atkins) Which can be tricky enough to get right, but anything under 50g carbs per day is still excellent and you should see a HUGE difference on the scales after a week!

Also its important to get in full fats as well for low carb to work, i.e. cream cheese, real butter, full fat cheese, peanut butter etc., There is plenty online anyhow

tusk

We all know that losing weight is about 60-80% down to nutrition, but one simple step can make that 60-80 much easier. Portion control. Most of us eat too much, cook too much and drink too much. Try to reduce your portion sizes a little and you're guaranteed to see some results.

oscar_mike

I would be curious to see if you get any results after a week, drop a reply here if you do get results, if you don't mind that is

tusk

From a results perspective, I think one of the most important things is to keep an accurate log. Your most important tool is a body composition scales or device. We tend to say lose "weight" when ideally what we want is to lose "fat". A body composition scale is great and handy for this, and while it may not be completely accurate, it will be consistent, and that's what you want. A consistent objective view of whether or not you're hitting your goals.

Try to take your measurements first thing in the morning after a pint of water. Same time, same day every week. Jot it down and keep an eye on the fluctuations.

It's normal for weight to go up and down a little here and there, so it's not recommended to weigh in more than once a week.

Frigga_92

oscar_mike wrote: »

I would be curious to see if you get any results after a week, drop a reply here if you do get results, if you don't mind that is

Yep, hopefully it'll be good news

whirlpool

Interesting / helpful thread!

runawaybishop

By interesting do you mean full of incorrect information?

whirlpool

runawaybishop wrote: »

By interesting do you mean full of incorrect information?

No.

runawaybishop

whirlpool wrote: »

No.

You should, because its full of it. Gluten intolerances wont slow weight loss because that's not how weight loss works. What's far more likely is that a gluten intolerance lead to a change in eating habits which lead to X, it was not the gluten intolerance that lead to X but the change in eating habits.

The whole discussion around low carb is indicative of many peoples attitude to dieting. Low carb is grand, i am a fan of it. Its not a magic bullet though that will shoot weight off you. You can be overweight on a low carb diet just as you can on any other diet. The diet you always lose weight on is the calorie deficient diet, whether you achieve that via exercise, keto or whatever you must be on a deficient.

Losing 1kg in a month is fine. I don't get what the issue is. Sustainable weight loss isn't a quick fix. Looking for results after a week is daft.