What really works?

ABHY7

So I've been trying to lose weight for at least 3yrs now (the last year especially). I'm at the gym 3 times a week. I've cut back on carbs - except at weekends. I have lost maybe 3lbs!!! Ok I don't weigh my food but generally eat sensible portions. (Fist size average). My treats include popcorn, dark choc & red wine.
I drink alcohol maybe every 2 weeks.
I've had bloods done and everything looks good - thyroid etc. Low iron but manageable
Any advise on were im going wrong?
I may have PCOS but not confirmed.
Stuck in a rut at this stage!

toxikon

Weigh your food.

Poisonedpawn78

Count calories and weight your food if you want to be scientific about it.

If you want to keep guessing...i dunno use a babies fist instead?

shadow2soul

Eyeballing portions is the least accurate way to judge how much you are eating. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is best.

You need to eat at a deficit to lose weight. If you are just eyeballing portions it can be extremely hard to create the deficit you need to lose weight, because you are essentially just guessing at how much you are consuming.

Log your food/drinks consistently. I recommend a food scale (less clean up than measuring cups and more accurate).

sijomial

The one thing you haven't mentioned is calories!
Stop dancing around the key issue and get into a sustainable calorie deficit.

jjpptt2

Managing your intake works. Period.

How you manage your intake is entirely up to you. But it sounds like eyeballing portions isn't working for you... so I'd pick another method.

peaceout_aly

Most people who have difficulty losing while tracking are not measuring and weighing their food, or are eating back too much of their exercise calories. Start by weighing your food. It really makes a difference. 1 T of PB eyed out is a lot different than a straight up weighed portion. You'll start realizing how off you were in your logs previously. Also, try to stay on track even on the weekends. If you're good 4/7 days and let loose on Friday - Sunday every week consistently, it can set back progress significantly.

RoxieDawn

Stop eyeballing portions and weigh food.

seska422

Log everything that goes into your mouth before it goes into your mouth. Use a food scale to weigh all solids and any liquids for which you have grams from the nutrition information. Use measuring cups/spoons for any other liquids.

Make sure you use accurate database entries. I actually entered all of the items I use into My Foods without sharing with the database so that I can customize the names and no one else can edit them.

Be persistent and patient. A calorie deficit over time will result in weight loss over time. Experiment with the way you eat so that you are as comfortable as possible. I aim for 80% of my calories from nutrient-dense foods and 20% from treats.

janejellyroll

Calorie deficit.

There are many ways to create one, but many people here have found that accurate logging to consistently hit a specific calorie goal has worked well for them.

whitney91smith

The best way to keep moving in the right direction is to eat in a way that works with your body. The easy way to do that is a clenched fist size serving of carbs, a clenched fist size serving of vegetables, and a palm sized(length, width, thickness) portion of protein every few hours.

Eating enough protein throughout the day is important to keep your body anabolic, burning fat and building muscle, so you can keep working towards your goals. Eating enough carbs is also very important, unlike what most crash diets mislead people to think, because your body's main fuel source is carbs.

The other important thing is to eat enough calories in a day and not restrict yourself by eating in a deficit so much that you eventually end up making your metabolism slow down and that can bring your progress to a hault too.

Stick with it, you've got this! If you have any questions feel free to reach out!☺️

collectingblues

purelush wrote: »

So I've been trying to lose weight for at least 3yrs now (the last year especially). I'm at the gym 3 times a week. I've cut back on carbs - except at weekends. I have lost maybe 3lbs!!! Ok I don't weigh my food but generally eat sensible portions.
Any advise on were im going wrong?

Weigh your food.

jjpptt2

whitney91smith wrote: »

The best way to keep moving in the right direction is to eat in a way that works with your body. The easy way to do that is a clenched fist size serving of carbs, a clenched fist size serving of vegetables, and a palm sized(length, width, thickness) portion of protein every few hours.

Eating enough protein throughout the day is important to keep your body anabolic, burning fat and building muscle, so you can keep working towards your goals. Eating enough carbs is also very important, unlike what most crash diets mislead people to think, because your body's main fuel source is carbs.

The other important thing is to eat enough calories in a day and not restrict yourself by eating in a deficit so much that you eventually end up making your metabolism slow down and that can bring your progress to a hault too.

Stick with it, you've got this! If you have any questions feel free to reach out!☺️

yikes.

estherdragonbat

Weigh your foods, eat within your calories, and figure out the foods that satiate you and have you feeling energetic. This last bit varies person to person (I focus on protein and iron and let the rest fall where it falls, which is generally around or over 50% carbs and maybe 20-25% fat—a bit lower than recommended, admittedly.)

Eat a varied diet to get adequate nutrition.

And don't sweat it if one day you're lower on your iron and the next day you exceeded your calcium. That stuff balances out if you're eating a varied diet (see above).

kgirlhart

Eating at a calorie deficit really works. Weighing your food is the best way to know that your "sensible portions" are really sensible.

sdolan91

toxikon wrote: »

Weigh your food.

Silentpadna

purelush wrote: »

Ok I don't weigh my food but generally eat sensible portions. (Fist size average).

Not patronizing here...seriously. But here is an obvious question that I wonder if you've asked yourself:

If you don't weigh your food, how could you know whether your are eating "sensible portions"?

Your statement is simply an assertion. Don't you want to know if that assertion is true before chasing answers through blood work and all that?

diannethegeek

Anything that gets you into a calorie deficit works. You have to find what works best to get you there but, imo, logging very accurately for a couple of weeks (recipe builder, food scale, including everything from cooking oils to veggies and fruit juices) will give you some data to help troubleshoot what might work/not work for you. From there you can adjust as necessary.

And get your PCOS checked out and treated. Some people find a lower carb diet helps with that, but definitely check with your doc.

Calliope610

What really works? Consuming fewer calories than you expend.

Do you have an accurate picture of how many calories you consume? Do you burn more calories than you eat? If so, you should lose weight. How fast or how slow depends on how consistently you create a caloric deficit and the size of the deficit.

tammystarren

Track everything u eat. Count your calories staying in a good balance of macros. Measure your food properly. Preplan and prep. Maybe up your exercise a bit more too to challenge yourself

ABHY7

Thanks for all your replies! Buying a food scale tomorrow! Eek!