How come I'm not losing weight?

[SillyTilly123]

I've just done my bmi and I know I'm over weight.

I'm 5'0, 11 stone with a bmi of 31 which is obese.

The nhs thingy said I should be eating 1369-1760 calories a day.

However I'm using my fitness pal and on a normal day (without trying) I will eat around 1500, when i'm trying i will eat 1200. I walk the dog for an hour 5 x a week, plus usual looking after 3 kids, running a house etc. So why am I not losing any? Its really disheartening.
I don't want to go on any particular diet as I cannot afford to cook seperately for me-I just have a smaller portion of what dp and the kids have.
I dont eat chocolate or drink wine, I dont snack at all or eat late.

[newbieman1978]

Possibly a hormonal or medical reason though rare and if you feel very well in yourself unlikely.


The vast majority of time people don't lose weight when they try to is down to over eating and by that I mean under estimating the your calorific intake.

Sit down have a brutely honest look at what you are eating and work out exactly how many calories you put in your body each day.

Losing weight is simply and equation of calories in v's calorie expenditure.
Ie; 1500 cals in - 1600 cals out = weight loss.

There are some calulators online which can tell you how many calories you burn just living your daily life. Its fairly rudimentary but will give you a base guide. If for instance you burn 1400 calories just doing life, as long as you eat less than 1400 calories you will lose weight.

Again don't over estimate the amount of aditional activity you are doing, an hours dog walk may not amount to many calories burnt if it is simply a stop start stroll. However a brisk hours walk getting ones heart rate raised may burn a couple of hundred cals.

It really is a case of being really honest with yourself and trying to be as scientific as possible with cals in v's cals out.

Easy on paper I know!

[Mollydoggerson]

Apparently milk in tea/coffee can be 50 calories a cup.

Are you counting all calories?

I heard a Dr. say on TV, you shuold water down your food intake with light foods, eg. loads of veg. Cut out the dense foods.

[SillyTilly123]

I use run keeper as well as my fitness pal and an hours dog walk burns 196 calories (about 2 miles)

I have 3 cups of tea a day and add them at about 76 calories (if i remember right) on MFP.

Normal day:
Breakfast
2 bits of toast (with lurpak) and a cuppa tea.

Lunch
Homemade leek and potato soup (i love it) or sandwich/pannini and tea

Dinner
can be lots of things but never more than 500 calories usually 400.

Cuppa tea before bed.

Like I say I do not snack, my weakness is that I do not drink enough water which i'm trying to fix. I have MFP on 1200 calories a day and i usually just go over it. (but nhs says 1300-1700 so I must be under target?)

[Cookiepants]

Is the NHS figure to lose weight or maintain it?

[SillyTilly123]

Because I dont snack I can remember pretty much everything i've eaten so think i'm adding all calories.

I'll admit, I do have the odd takeaway which would take me over, but once every now and then shouldn't matter? And I dont gorge on it. If we have a kebab, I'll have the pitta bread filled with meat and a few chips and salad and thats it. (ie just what will fit in the pitta) I think its less than 200g of meat.

[SillyTilly123]

I think it was to maintain, but I dont think i could go any lower than 1200 (which is 1000 less than the maintain amount so I should be losing some slowly?)

[SillyTilly123]

Sorry 100 less*

[Twinkletron]

I'm 5ft 8 weigh 12 stone and myfitness pal days for me to eat 1200 calories a day if I want to lose 2lb per week. I am considerably taller than you so I'm guessing you are having too many calories if you are wanting to lose weight. Try sticking to 1200 and with the exercise you're doing it will soon start to drop off. Good luck!

[SillyTilly123]

This is yesterdays menu
2 slices of toast and a cuppa for breakfast is 278

Lunch
Heinz - Baked Beans
Warburton's - Medium White Sliced Bread
Scrambled Egg - 1 Medium Scrambled Egg, 1 scrambled egg 341
Cuppa 76

Dinner
Sausage casserole with mash and veg - 699 (might be less I didnt have a full portion but i round up)
Cuppa 76
But I did exercise worth 357 calories so well within my target

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Are you eating any protein, just looking at a typical day for you seems quite carby. Toast for b/fast...then maybe bread again for lunch - what sort of dinner do you have?

I wouldn't lose a thing if I had 1500 cals per day and I do loads of exercise.

When you say you have the odd take away how often are you talking about?

Do you log everything into MFP - when I first went on it I was amazed at how many extra calories I was consuming, probably 500 per day more than I thought I was having.

[hillyhilly]

When I was on the Depo contraceptive injection I found it almost impossible to lose weight no matter how well I behaved.
10 years and two kids later but with no contraception, I find am 1.5 stone less and find it not too difficult to control. I also no longer work and so am generally more active and less stressed.

[SillyTilly123]

Nutritional Goals Target
Net Calories Consumed* / Day 1,200 Calories / Day
Carbs / Day 150.0 g
Fat / Day 40.0 g
Protein / Day 60.0 g

Your projected weight loss is 0.9 lbs/week
You should lose 4.5 lbs by March 13

I dont think they must like you to have less than 1200 callories a day as its saying the same for me, but with a slower loss.

[DoNotDisturb]

I'm really not sure about calories but on weight watchers you probably wouldn't have stayed within your points eating that as bread sausages and beans aren't low point.. I know that when I'm pointing I never eat sausages and I have to really limit my bread..

[SillyTilly123]

I know I have quite a few carbs. I need to have my tea and toast for breakfast, have done since i was little (i have gone down from 3-4 slices to 2 though)

I have just come off the pill onto the mini-pill, not sure if thats why?

The only thing I wouldn't log was a swig of Fanta (and I mean just 1 mouthful) but that is probably not even once a week as I don't like fizzy drinks. Just my tea :)

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

MFP automatically sets everyone at 1200 per day I think. MFP does not know your body, your metabolism and cannot possibly predict a weight loss.

Do you have a take away every week - if so that will affect your loss - you may be un-doing all your goodwork in one night. I know it's boring but I really believe until someone is at maintenance stage it's head down, don't go off track and get it done.

It's bloody hard, takes will power of steel.

Also, if you think you are being really good and genuinely know you aren't cheating have you had your thyroid checked?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

...and you don't need toast for b/fast - you could have scrambled eggs or porridge - you like your tea and toast but you don't need it.

[SillyTilly123]

Really? I knew bread wasn't too good, but whats the alternative? Sausages and beans I'm surprised at, I love a sausage ;)

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

You seriously will not lose weight having dinners like sausage casserole and mash - highly stodgy, full of saturated fats etc etc. 700 cals is a huge amount to eat for dinner (well I think it is). Alternative - quorn sausages(yuck), fish such as salmon or tuna, there's loads.

[SillyTilly123]

I couldn't stomach egg for breakfast, makes me feel sick (i've tried) and I cannot eat anything sweet that early but cannot eat porridge without a bit sugar :/ Sorry I know I'm being awkward but I really couldn't eat them so early, but couldn't function if I didnt have something when I got up.

I've looked into loads of alternatives but nothing has struck me.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

But you need to stop making excuses....why do eggs make you sick for b/fast - you've had them for lunch? You can have a spoonful of sugar on your porridge - I do (canderel) or shove some fruit in there to sweeten it up a bit.

[Florin]

If I was on your diet I would be gaining weight too. Far too many carbs. I would swap the lunch for something like a ham or chicken salad. No dressing or croutons, add capers or balsamic pearls or a squirt of lemon juice for flavour.
The only way I lose weight is by cutting out carbs and eating lots of protein. If I cut the carbs I can even eat lots of cheese and still lose weight. I drop carbs pretty much totally to get the weight off then maintain by cutting them out in the day and only allowing small amounts at weekends or evenings.

[SillyTilly123]

I dont eat fish, and like I say it has to be family friendly. I cannot afford to make 2 things (money or timewise) I thought eating smaller portions would be ok. (I do put a load of veg on to fill up on)

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Well, speaking honestly, you are putting barriers in the way of all suggestions and there lies your answer into why you are not losing weight.

It won't happen on it's own - you need to make changes and unless you do it's futile.

I know, I am the queen of diets although now on the maintenance road :)

[SillyTilly123]

The thing that bugs me is before I got my dog, I was doing virtually no exercise and eating as I normally would. So when I got my dog (a year ago) I though great, as I'm maintaining weight now (and had been for years) all I need is some exercise so it should drop off, and its not.

I understand what you are all saying and I need to make changes, I do actually love salad and would have it every lunch time, however then I have to make a different lunch for dp (he starts work late most days) as he will not eat salad (and yes i know he could make himself something but he doesn't)

Thanks for the replies.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

I make different meals for me, DH and DS! Doesnt worry me at all, I don't want to eat what they eat and they don't want to eat what I eat. Takes 2 minutes to chuck a salad together....but make sure there is something substantial in there too like egg or ham or tuna, with avocado or something.