Impossible to lose weight

anb3600

I lost over 2 stone a couple of years ago (I was slightly overweight and began to reduce my portion sizes for the first time ever) and was thrilled. Soon I realised I was becoming ‘skinny fat’ and due to circumstances (exam stress, mental health, family problems) I have put all the weight back on. I think I lost the weight initially and was in an unhealthy caloric deficit, starving myself on only 1200 calories a day most days (1800 is my maintenance). I then went back to 1800 maintenance after I lost the weight, but due to stress I’m now in a calorie surplus that I can’t get out of!

I’m trying to be in a manageable caloric deficit of 100 calories, but when I get stressed I can be in a caloric superplus of up to 1000 extra calories a day. I’m worried I will gain more weight than I was before and that I can never lose weight again because I’ve messed up my metabolism.

I’m trying to go the gym, and read a lot on the internet about how strength training is better for fat loss than cardio. But it’s so confusing as strength training burns hardly any calories compared to cardio- so it’s harder to be in a caloric deficit!

The weight gain is affecting my mental health and I’m beginning to think maybe I should just accept that I will be fat forever. What should I do?

Deanner03

You can't outrun/exercise your fork. Focus on the food first. Is there anything you can do to help manage the stress? Yoga helps me a ton (and helps with strength/flexibility). Can you find something OTHER than eating to do when you're stressed? If I feel the urge to binge, I start with drinking a whole bottle of water. If, after that, I still want something, I have something small and see if it goes away.

MsOpus

First....forget everything you have read on the internet. What works for others may not work for you. Weight loss begins with you. Set your mind to lose weight. 1-2 pounds per week is healthy.
Weight loss starts with what and how much you eat. 500 calories over per day equals one pound per week. And 500 less per day equals 1 pound lost per week.
Start with learning to manage what you eat for a few weeks first, then work into excercise. Walking is a good one to start with.
I have sent you a friend request. Please feel free to send me a personal message. I would be happy to help support and encourage you without judgement.
You can do it!!

kimny72

anb3600 wrote: »

I lost over 2 stone a couple of years ago (I was slightly overweight and began to reduce my portion sizes for the first time ever) and was thrilled. Soon I realised I was becoming ‘skinny fat’ and due to circumstances (exam stress, mental health, family problems) I have put all the weight back on. I think I lost the weight initially and was in an unhealthy caloric deficit, starving myself on only 1200 calories a day most days (1800 is my maintenance). I then went back to 1800 maintenance after I lost the weight, but due to stress I’m now in a calorie surplus that I can’t get out of!

I’m trying to be in a manageable caloric deficit of 100 calories, but when I get stressed I can be in a caloric superplus of up to 1000 extra calories a day. I’m worried I will gain more weight than I was before and that I can never lose weight again because I’ve messed up my metabolism.

I’m trying to go the gym, and read a lot on the internet about how strength training is better for fat loss than cardio. But it’s so confusing as strength training burns hardly any calories compared to cardio- so it’s harder to be in a caloric deficit!

The weight gain is affecting my mental health and I’m beginning to think maybe I should just accept that I will be fat forever. What should I do?

The first thing you need to do is try to brainstorm some other ways to deal with stress that are simple and easy to remember. A Twitter account that tweets cat videos. A play list of songs on your phone. Crossword puzzles, knitting, computer games, a quick walk. Then leave some kind of reminder to try that FIRST when you get stressed out and walk into the kitchen to grab a bag of something.

Also try to stock up on low cal/no cal "treats" to keep you busy: diet soda, sugar free fudge pops, sugarless gum, flavored hot tea. Make that plan B.

Have you made logging a habit yet? I log almost everything I eat BEFORE I eat it. So if I decide I'm having some ice cream, I put the bowl on the scale, weigh out one serving, grab my phone and scan it into my food log, put the container away. I see what it will do to my numbers and put it away before I eat it.

If most of your excess eating is at night, closing your diary and brushing your teeth can help, since almost everything tastes yucky after that.

Finally, double check your macros, and if protein, fat, or fiber are typically low, try to bring them up to goal. Each of those can affect satiety, and for some people skimping on them can lead to cravings.

Hang in there!

LyndaBSS

Fill out your food diary a few days in advance. Every time you want to binge, look at your diary. Do you have available calories? No? No more food for you. Period.

Make your meals something you really look forward to. You won't be as tempted to go off track.

TheAssyrian

MsOpus wrote: »

First....forget everything you have read on the internet. What works for others may not work for you. Weight loss begins with you. Set your mind to lose weight. 1-2 pounds per week is healthy.
Weight loss starts with what and how much you eat. 500 calories over per day equals one pound per week. And 500 less per day equals 1 pound lost per week.
Start with learning to manage what you eat for a few weeks first, then work into excercise. Walking is a good one to start with.
I have sent you a friend request. Please feel free to send me a personal message. I would be happy to help support and encourage you without judgement.
You can do it!!

This is exactly right. You need to control yourself when you're stressed. It's difficult (believe, I know) but it's essential. HIIT is (imo) better for weight loss than distance cardio and should be implemented into a strength training routine for maximum results! Good luck dude. Weight loss is tricky.