cant lose weight??

conzy · 12-08-2014 3:29pm

gordongekko wrote: »

This can't be healthy

It is. Most people would do a more conventional 16/8 split of fasting / eating but it doesn't matter whether you eat all your food in an hour or 24 hours, the most important thing is the total calorie consumption vs expenditure, there are many benefits to remaining in a fasted state *

* if you are metabolicly healthy and do not have underlying blood sugar issues etc

Nuts102 · 12-08-2014 3:35pm

I maintained my weight with my diet and not much exercise. Since i joined the gym 6 weeks ago i have put on 5 pounds with the same diet. I have been doing three days of floor exercises like insanity and the other three days swimming. I weigh more but i feel more toned and my jeans feel loser. Maybe your just putting on muscle from toning up.

conzy · 12-08-2014 3:50pm

You always hear this "i put on muscle and toned up" and its great that people see progress in the first few weeks of training but there is absolutely no way you put on 5lbs of muscle in 6 weeks.

Your probably drinking more water and eating more carbs to support your training and with all the hormonal changes starting to train has caused you are holding more water / glycogen and thats why you are heavier. it is unlikely that you have put on any muscle mass at all because you are not doing resistance training and you are not eating in a calorie surplus if your clothes are fitting better

TLDR: You lost fat keep up the good work. dont tell people that they will gain 5lb of muscle in 6 weeks.

Bruno26 · 12-08-2014 4:36pm

conzy wrote: »

You always hear this "i put on muscle and toned up" and its great that people see progress in the first few weeks of training but there is absolutely no way you put on 5lbs of muscle in 6 weeks.

TLDR: You lost fat keep up the good work. dont tell people that they will gain 5lb of muscle in 6 weeks.

Apparently Rory McIlroy put on 6 1/2 pounds of muscle in 8 weeks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy/11025006/Rory-McIlroy-muscles-his-way-to-maturity-at-US-PGA-Championship.html

lorenzo87 · 12-08-2014 4:39pm

Cut out all carbs, eat as much protein and vegetables as you want, drink lots of water, do 30 mins cardio and 30 mins kettlebells per day.
It is tough, but that is all you have to do.

Sephya · 12-08-2014 7:32pm

lorenzo87 wrote: »

Cut out all carbs, eat as much protein and vegetables as you want,

vegetables are carbs.

lorenzo87 · 12-08-2014 8:33pm

Sephya wrote: »

vegetables are carbs.

Very minimal, you need SOME carbs.
Main carbs as in pasta, bread, rice, potato, dairy etc.

Tigger99 · 12-08-2014 8:43pm

What about rest periods lorenzo? A bit too simplified. Also kettkebell s are becoming known for injuries as instructors dont always seem to be well trained in the area. I personally know of two people who were badly injured from misuse of kettlebells.

lorenzo87 · 12-08-2014 8:48pm

Tigger99 wrote: »

What about rest periods lorenzo? A bit too simplified. Also kettkebell s are becoming known for injuries as instructors font always seem to be well trained in the area. I personally know of two people.

There are many ways to lose weight, depends on physical ability, different type of motivation, time restraints, there is a way for everyone.

For me, cutting out carbs has changed my life. I was 18 stone 2 years ago, I am now 12 and a half, it is very boring but I eat 6 or 7 boiled eggs for breakfast, have tuna salad for lunch, and have meat and 2 veg for dinner. I drink 4-6 pints of water, don't eat after 7 (very important), and do my exercise before breakfast, half hour run, half hour kettlebells. I don't do heavy kettlebells Tigger so don't need rest periods, 6kg - 8kg is plenty, it's just all about keeping active and working the muscles.. When you cut out carbs, the first 2 weeks are the hardest, but after that you look forward to an egg!

dani049 · 12-08-2014 9:18pm

thanks for the replies

theres no way I can cut out carbs, my 2 slices of wholegrain a day keep me sane haha. i look forward to them.

i am afraid of upping my calorie intake because im most likely just going to gain weight again. tonight i tried on some shorts i bought after gaining the 8lb and i hadnt worn them yet, but they fit exactly the same. no inches lost, no weight lost.

my weekends are fine - havent had alcohol in months and i don't eat takeaways, pizza, ice cream,etc. i have 1 "cheat day" a week, where i dont count calories, but im still aware of what im eating and id say i never go over 1500 on those days.

Alf Veedersane · 12-08-2014 9:36pm

I understand that 'fear' but eating so few calories isn't good for you. You probably feel like it doesn't have a negative impact but the truth is it will take it's toll.

Give 1200 a go for 2 weeks. Your body will adjust. Logically there is no way you can put on fat if you're eating decent foodand at only 1200 calories if you actually move at all during the day.

I would also suggest that you stag away from the scales for the duration of that time. It will only make you anxious if you see it up even if you know it is probably due to normal fluctuations.

Stheno · 12-08-2014 9:37pm

dani049 wrote: »

i am afraid of upping my calorie intake because im most likely just going to gain weight again. tonight i tried on some shorts i bought after gaining the 8lb and i hadnt worn them yet, but they fit exactly the same. no inches lost, no weight lost.

.

I don't mean to be rude, but if cutting calories to the bone, and eating once a day hasn't worked for you, then what's preventing you from trying something else?

A few people have posted on here that you should be taking in more than you are, why not do that and include more veg and fruit and see how you get on for a month?

lorenzo87 · 12-08-2014 9:40pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I understand that 'fear' but eating so few calories isn't good for you. You probably feel like it doesn't have a negative impact but the truth is it will take it's toll.

Give 1200 a go for 2 weeks. Your body will adjust. Logically there is no way you can put on fat if you're eating decent foodand at only 1200 calories if you actually move at all during the day.

I would also suggest that you stag away from the scales for the duration of that time. It will only make you anxious if you see it up even if you know it is probably due to normal fluctuations.

100% agree, eating very little calories is a horrendous way to lose weight.
Limit your carbs and you can eat basically as much protein and veg as you like, it is Atkins-ish but it works. And my blood pressure and cholesterol has dropped massively and my doctor said both are now perfect. Your body burns carbs, when the body doesn't have any more carb to burn, it burns fat.

PennyWren · 12-08-2014 9:45pm

I can't really offer any proper advice and I am certain that there are many people on this forum that really now what they are talking about and can give you excellent advice. But something is definitely wrong here, I'm presuming you are female? I am and I am the same height as you, do very little exercise( 45mins walking 5days a week) and I eat a vast amount more than you and I have been steadily losing weight since late last year and am now just under 11 stone. I would not last a day on that amount of food, I'd collapse.
Also it's worth noting that you are within the healthy weight range for your height. Don't push yourself so hard maybe the weight you are now is exactly where your body wants to be?
Congrats on losing the 7 stone too, that's an incredible amount

Soarer · 13-08-2014 9:33am

lorenzo87 wrote: »

There are many ways to lose weight, depends on physical ability, different type of motivation, time restraints, there is a way for everyone.

For me, cutting out carbs has changed my life. I was 18 stone 2 years ago, I am now 12 and a half, it is very boring but I eat 6 or 7 boiled eggs for breakfast, have tuna salad for lunch, and have meat and 2 veg for dinner. I drink 4-6 pints of water, don't eat after 7 (very important), and do my exercise before breakfast, half hour run, half hour kettlebells. I don't do heavy kettlebells Tigger so don't need rest periods, 6kg - 8kg is plenty, it's just all about keeping active and working the muscles.. When you cut out carbs, the first 2 weeks are the hardest, but after that you look forward to an egg!

Ha ha!

Mink · 13-08-2014 1:58pm

I would be very uncomfortable fasting all day and then eating all the calories in one sitting.

I absolutely wouldn't be able to do it and stay sane.

It just seems like your body is holding onto those calories (which I'm guessing you eat in the evening after your workout) and your metabolism has slowed down.

Would you consider eating the calories throughout the day - breaking them down into breakfast, lunch & dinner? Also you should be eating the minimum amount you need for your BMR - 1500 as you say - as this is probably affecting your body's vital functions!

dani049 · 13-08-2014 2:53pm

Mink wrote: »

I would be very uncomfortable fasting all day and then eating all the calories in one sitting.

I absolutely wouldn't be able to do it and stay sane.

It just seems like your body is holding onto those calories (which I'm guessing you eat in the evening after your workout) and your metabolism has slowed down.

Would you consider eating the calories throughout the day - breaking them down into breakfast, lunch & dinner? Also you should be eating the minimum amount you need for your BMR - 1500 as you say - as this is probably affecting your body's vital functions!

I only started that a month ago, and to be honest I have awful self control which is how I initally got so overweight..if I were to spread my calories over the day i know i would end up snacking on junk food and eating biscuits and all sorts then saying to myself "oh sure its only 50 calories..." knowing my eating window is in the evening its easier for me to not eat during the day, and then when I do eat, I get full so I dont feel the need to snack later in the evening.

I upped my calories to about 1200 yesterday and felt awful all day. tomorrow is my official weekly weigh in (evne though i weigh myself at home daily) and i know that my weight is still going to be 11st 2lb.... its depressing.

dani049 · 13-08-2014 2:56pm

I have a little glimmer of hope this morning. I did my fit test where you do exercises for a minute and count how many you get, and Iprogressed in almost everything since a month ago, which shows that some progress is being made...

managed to do 14 extra switch kicks, 5 extra jumping jacks, 10 extra military crawls and 9 extra power knees.

So this made me a little happier..just doesnt make sense why the results are not showing on the scales, measuring tape or in the mirror!

BKWDR · 13-08-2014 3:04pm

dani049 wrote: »

i track my food 100%, i have an app on my phone called myfitnesspal and every morning i plan out what im eating for the day. i fast 23 hours and eat the exact food within an hour in the evening (around 6.30pm)

Seriously??? You Starve yourself for 23 hours of the day and then binge on your 'allocated' calories in less than an hour??

I'm not a qualified nutritionist but that doesnt not sound in any way right at all. You are probably shocking your bodies metabolism into starvation mode which means it is going to store fat. Sure you may be exercising but what energy are you putting into your workouts?

Everything aside, it is in no way healthy to only eat during one hour for the day in which you eat everything for that day.

Oryx · 13-08-2014 3:14pm

dani049 wrote: »

I only started that a month ago, and to be honest I have awful self control which is how I initally got so overweight..if I were to spread my calories over the day i know i would end up snacking on junk food and eating biscuits and all sorts then saying to myself "oh sure its only 50 calories..." knowing my eating window is in the evening its easier for me to not eat during the day, and then when I do eat, I get full so I dont feel the need to snack later in the evening.

I upped my calories to about 1200 yesterday and felt awful all day. tomorrow is my official weekly weigh in (evne though i weigh myself at home daily) and i know that my weight is still going to be 11st 2lb.... its depressing.

Is this 23 hour fast how you intend to eat for the forseeable future? Because I dont see it as sustainable at all. And in any case, from what you say, it isnt working. You really need to learn healthy eating patterns, and what you are doing right now is not healthy. You are fasting because you cant trust your own self control, tackle that issue, rather than working around it in this way.

dani049 · 13-08-2014 3:18pm

BKWDR wrote: »

Seriously??? You Starve yourself for 23 hours of the day and then binge on your 'allocated' calories in less than an hour??

I'm not a qualified nutritionist but that doesnt not sound in any way right at all. You are probably shocking your bodies metabolism into starvation mode which means it is going to store fat. Sure you may be exercising but what energy are you putting into your workouts?

Everything aside, it is in no way healthy to only eat during one hour for the day in which you eat everything for that day.

Its called intermittent fasting and is not unhealthy at all. dont have a heart rate monitor to see how much I burn with my exercise but I am red faced and dripping in sweat after them, I give it my all, and the fact that I can do more this month VS last month (before I began monitoring calories and intermittent fasting) only shows that I am making progress with working out

dani049 · 13-08-2014 3:21pm

Oryx wrote: »

Is this 23 hour fast how you intend to eat for the forseeable future? Because I dont see it as sustainable at all. And in any case, from what you say, it isnt working. You really need to learn healthy eating patterns, and what you are doing right now is not healthy. You are fasting because you cant trust your own self control, tackle that issue, rather than working around it in this way.

No its not what I want to do long term, I only really want to get off the 8lb I gained then slowly start changing my pattern to have more meals per day (probably just lunch and dinner, but maybe a snack in between..never been a breakfast person)

I do agree I need to change something but the idea of eating more is terrifying to me considering I cant shift the couple lbs I gained on holiday no matter how hard i am trying

dani049 · 13-08-2014 3:23pm

I do appreciate everyones comments and I know that while the fasting for 23 hours may not be unhealthy, my limited calorie intake is (eg. if im eating 900 and burning 300, my body is only getting 600 cals per day..and i'm guessing most of my workouts actually burn much more than 300)

its just hard for me to get in the frame of mind of eating more. I worked hard to lose the 7 stone and i am struggling to lose this 8lb and its very upsetting for me. the idea of eating more and possibly gaining even more weight is very hard to deal with, i dont want to end up back where i started

maybe ill try adding on 50cals a day until i get up to 1200

Alf Veedersane · 13-08-2014 3:24pm

dani049 wrote: »

I do agree I need to change something but the idea of eating more is terrifying to me considering I cant shift the couple lbs I gained on holiday no matter how hard i am trying

You're eating decent food and exercising.

Eat a bit more decent food and trial that for a couple of weeks.

If you eat good food and exercise, then you won't put on unhealthy weight and you certainly won't be reclaiming the lost weight. Not by eating good food.

As it stands, you're running on fumes. You might think you're physically ok but it will catch up on you.

Stop being terrified by the number on the scales and prioritise your health.

BKWDR · 13-08-2014 3:29pm

dani049 wrote: »

Its called intermittent fasting and is not unhealthy at all. dont have a heart rate monitor to see how much I burn with my exercise but I am red faced and dripping in sweat after them, I give it my all, and the fact that I can do more this month VS last month (before I began monitoring calories and intermittent fasting) only shows that I am making progress with working out

Depends on how long you intend to do this for? It can't be good for you and is not a sustainable way to live, and as you know the quick fads to lose weight seldom keep weight off.

And as you've already said, it isn't working for you which would suggest your body is more than likely storing fats because your metabolism isn't being kick started so when you do throw all the food into you it either burns it up on your exercises or just shuts down and says 'im not getting fed for another 24 hours...'

Your progress working out is good but you know your own body, if you've tried this fasting for a month and you haven't seen the results and you've been 110% honest in your logging (which by the sounds of it you have) I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

I think if you are mentally strong enough to fast until 6.30pm every day you are definitely strong enough to plan out meals and stick to that plan.

I in no way wish to come across condescending in anything i've suggested or said, it is your body and you know how it responds etc etc

dani049 · 13-08-2014 3:33pm

thanks to you both.

I know it would never work to fast for 23 hours long term, I only wanted to do it to get rid of the 8lbs i gained on holiday. I want to lose an additional 6lbs along with that, but over time..i'm in no rush. Its really just the holiday gain I want rid of.

its very frustrating. I haven't had a take away since I was on holiday and even then I was eating things like tofu, steamed veg and rice...and managed to gain 8lbs just becuase i didnt count calories. i think I had 1 vodka the entire duration i was on holiday!!

I am going to try and go back to 2 meals per day i think, maybe one at lunch and then one at dinner. i'll try adding extra calories slowly, even just for 2-3 weeks and see if i notice a difference.

i was feeling very disheartened about the whole thing until I seen my progress with exercising today, so I think that has shown me that my efforts arent completely wasted

Alf Veedersane · 13-08-2014 3:39pm

If you're getting in fewer calories than your body needs to function (BMR) then your metabolism slows down so you won't see the results you think.

Logically, if you're still eating less than your TDEE but more than your BMR, you won't put on fat. Trust logic

BKWDR · 13-08-2014 3:49pm

dani049 wrote: »

thanks to you both.

I know it would never work to fast for 23 hours long term, I only wanted to do it to get rid of the 8lbs i gained on holiday. I want to lose an additional 6lbs along with that, but over time..i'm in no rush. Its really just the holiday gain I want rid of.

its very frustrating. I haven't had a take away since I was on holiday and even then I was eating things like tofu, steamed veg and rice...and managed to gain 8lbs just becuase i didnt count calories. i think I had 1 vodka the entire duration i was on holiday!!

I am going to try and go back to 2 meals per day i think, maybe one at lunch and then one at dinner. i'll try adding extra calories slowly, even just for 2-3 weeks and see if i notice a difference.

i was feeling very disheartened about the whole thing until I seen my progress with exercising today, so I think that has shown me that my efforts arent completely wasted

I've recently started using MyFitnessPal myself, my diet is fairly terrible but seeing my calorie intake on a daily basis has made me think twice about eating THAT snack or getting THAT take away.

Best of luck with what ever you try yourself. Once you are happy!

tenifan · 13-08-2014 4:06pm

dani049 wrote: »

i was feeling very disheartened about the whole thing until I seen my progress with exercising today, so I think that has shown me that my efforts arent completely wasted

Hi Op, didn't have time to read your full thread..
However, maybe you're overdoing the cardio.

I don't envy your diet and you'll probably be wrecked after a workout simply because you're not eating enough (as opposed to actually having done a good workout).

Ditch the gimmicky diets like 600-1000kcal, fasting for a day, etc because it's not fun and all it can achieve is to keep your weight down until you get thoroughly fed up. You'll just end up finding it impossible to gain a little muscle (necessary to tone up and look good) doing so much cardio with such a poor diet, while impossible-to-shift fat will just hang from your belly and waist.

Stick to 3 decent meals a day with snacks of nuts in between. If you're not a vegetarian, don't do a vegetarian diet. Just eat nice lean meat & reasonable portions.

Try doing more weights to tone up more, keeping the heart rate up but not racing, and ignore your weight because it's not a good indicator of fitness.

Greenduck · 13-08-2014 4:09pm

Hi OP,

I have similar stats to you and always really struggled with the last few stubborn pounds. I tried all the healthy eating stuff in the world, fasting, low carb blah blah and none of it worked. What you may need is more fibre, Fruits and Veg and water in your diet. That seemed to have worked for me. Remember you're not overweight in the slightest so its not going to be as easy to lose the last few lbs. My diet would be similar to this and I lost about 10lbs over 1 1/2 months.

Upon wakeup - hoter water with lemon

Breakfast : 2 eggs scrambled (sometimes with some wholemeal toast)
or 1 weetabix with berries and yogurt.

Both of these have some fibre/protein.

Lunch : Left over dinner from the night before
or Sushi, Salad with some meat, grains etc, Thai veg and meat etc.

Dinner : would be turkey spaghetti, chicken stirfry, omlette with veg etc.

I might have a biscuit or yogurt throughout the day and had as much fruit as I liked. It looks like your calories are a little under and I know the fear that comes with increasing them...just try and increase them with good, whole foods. It really makes the difference. Drinking water helps hugely too, esp if you are training so much. Your body will hold onto any water it has if you are dehydrated so although it may seem like it will put you on weight, it will release any water retention you have.

The above is just a guide and it worked for me. Obviously everyone is different. Also give yourself a break. You're trying your best and you've done amazing so far.

cant lose weight??

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