Metabolism seems slowed?

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I started my diet a few weeks ago and I am seeing some results, but its much slower than expected.
When going on diets (such as weight watchers) before I would usually lose 2pound a week easy, but this time I'm luck at half a pound a week! And this time I'm exercising too!

I'm 5ft6", 172pounds and lightly active during the day (teacher). I go to the gym for intensive workout for 30 mins 3times a week. I currently eat 1250 calories a day, before diet I reckon I was over 2000. I drink loads of green tea and eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between ( eating ever 4 hours).

Any suggestions of why its moving so slow? I realise this is a change for life, but its frustrating to see little results.

Replies

  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    You lost body weight more rapidly during weight watchers because you had more fat mass - the higher fat mass translates to greater amount of fat oxidation. Thus, the leaner you get, the slower the process becomes.

    I'm actually glad you knew how much you were eating to maintain your weight before dieting because so many do not and it makes estimating a proper deficit below TDEE much more difficult and frustrating.

    You should not use scale weight as your primary assessment tool. Increases in water and glycogen can mask actual fat loss. Do tape measurements and take progress photos to assess yourself rather than focus on the scale.

    What is your goal weight? The deficit you set should depend on your fat mass and how much weight you realistically can lose per week. Applying too large of a deficit isn't going to lead to greater fat oxidation and will just reduce RMR and serum leptin concentrations further - which what you want to avoid.

    If you ate 2000 to maintain, and eat 1250, that by itself is a 750 calorie deficit which is 38% below TDEE. Not even including exercise deficit calories, that's on track to lose 1.5 lbs per week. You should be applying a total deficit of about 25% below TDEE instead or 500 calories less. Partition the deficit to eat 350 calories less than 2000 and engage in about 150 calories of total exercise (preferably moderate to heavy weight training with little amounts of cardio). So here you'd eat 1650 and exercise for 150 calories.

    How many calories are you burning a day estimated through exercise?
  • betastax
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    I understand how you feel.I increased my exercise to 2 aerobic sessions a day while eating about 300 calories below what i need to maintain my weight. I loss no weight.My motivation tanked.Its been hard to get remotivated.I stopped exercising and went off my diet. I'm trying to get going again!
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
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    Give it time, 0.5lbs a week is still weight loss! Take some waist and thigh measurements now so you can compare in a month. If you stick with it and the weight loss continues to be slower than you like (it might speed up) you can carefully cut the odd bit from your diet to speed it up a bit.
  • Ljay30
    Ljay30 Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks guys.
    I burn around 270 calories from exercise 3 times a week. I doesn't seem like a lot, but it significantly more than the zero exercise I do a month ago.
    I did weight watchers 2 years ago, and I weight more now than I did when I was on that.
    I'm aiming to lose at least 24 pounds - will see how. Fee when I get there :-)
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I started my diet a few weeks ago and I am seeing some results, but its much slower than expected.
    When going on diets (such as weight watchers) before I would usually lose 2pound a week easy, but this time I'm luck at half a pound a week! And this time I'm exercising too!

    I'm 5ft6", 172pounds and lightly active during the day (teacher). I go to the gym for intensive workout for 30 mins 3times a week. I currently eat 1250 calories a day, before diet I reckon I was over 2000. I drink loads of green tea and eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between ( eating ever 4 hours).

    Any suggestions of why its moving so slow? I realise this is a change for life, but its frustrating to see little results.

    Are you me?! lol. Same height, pretty much the same weight, and same job!

    I've been exercising regularly (4 or 5 times a week at the gym and a personal trainer for 2 of those times) and watching what I eat since July last year (when my 2nd child was 7 weeks old) and I've only lost 42lbs in that time. I have lost about 10 inches off my waist though, and the same from my hips and thighs.

    I've focused more on measurements that weight. I think because I do a lot of strength training/weights I've probably replaced fat with muscle which is why I'm not losing as much as i'd hoped. I'm now 2 inches bigger round my waist and hips than I was when I weighed 147lbs. I think if I lost nearly 30lbs I'd lose more than 2 inches from my waist.
  • Ljay30
    Ljay30 Posts: 31 Member
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    I started my diet a few weeks ago and I am seeing some results, but its much slower than expected.
    When going on diets (such as weight watchers) before I would usually lose 2pound a week easy, but this time I'm luck at half a pound a week! And this time I'm exercising too!

    I'm 5ft6", 172pounds and lightly active during the day (teacher). I go to the gym for intensive workout for 30 mins 3times a week. I currently eat 1250 calories a day, before diet I reckon I was over 2000. I drink loads of green tea and eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between ( eating ever 4 hours).

    Any suggestions of why its moving so slow? I realise this is a change for life, but its frustrating to see little results.

    Are you me?! lol. Same height, pretty much the same weight, and same job!

    I've been exercising regularly (4 or 5 times a week at the gym and a personal trainer for 2 of those times) and watching what I eat since July last year (when my 2nd child was 7 weeks old) and I've only lost 42lbs in that time. I have lost about 10 inches off my waist though, and the same from my hips and thighs.

    I've focused more on measurements that weight. I think because I do a lot of strength training/weights I've probably replaced fat with muscle which is why I'm not losing as much as i'd hoped. I'm now 2 inches bigger round my waist and hips than I was when I weighed 147lbs. I think if I lost nearly 30lbs I'd lose more than 2 inches from my waist.

    Wow, you have done so well :-) I hope it's just that I'm replacing muscle with fat, but just feel so unmotivated!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Options
    I started my diet a few weeks ago and I am seeing some results, but its much slower than expected.
    When going on diets (such as weight watchers) before I would usually lose 2pound a week easy, but this time I'm luck at half a pound a week! And this time I'm exercising too!

    I'm 5ft6", 172pounds and lightly active during the day (teacher). I go to the gym for intensive workout for 30 mins 3times a week. I currently eat 1250 calories a day, before diet I reckon I was over 2000. I drink loads of green tea and eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between ( eating ever 4 hours).

    Any suggestions of why its moving so slow? I realise this is a change for life, but its frustrating to see little results.

    Thank you. Like I said, try taking your measurements instead. Also remember that the more slowly the weight comes off, the more likely it is to stay off.

    I'm sure places like WW and SW make money because people regain the weight and end up going back!

    I do know what you mean though, it can be frustrating when you don't lose quickly. I lost weight quite quickly over the Summer hols when my kids weren't at nursery haha! And now i'm back to normal despite being run off my feet at work.

    Are you me?! lol. Same height, pretty much the same weight, and same job!

    I've been exercising regularly (4 or 5 times a week at the gym and a personal trainer for 2 of those times) and watching what I eat since July last year (when my 2nd child was 7 weeks old) and I've only lost 42lbs in that time. I have lost about 10 inches off my waist though, and the same from my hips and thighs.

    I've focused more on measurements that weight. I think because I do a lot of strength training/weights I've probably replaced fat with muscle which is why I'm not losing as much as i'd hoped. I'm now 2 inches bigger round my waist and hips than I was when I weighed 147lbs. I think if I lost nearly 30lbs I'd lose more than 2 inches from my waist.

    Wow, you have done so well :-) I hope it's just that I'm replacing muscle with fat, but just feel so unmotivated!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Um, no idea why that went a bit weird. This is what I said:

    Thank you. Like I said, try taking your measurements instead. Also remember that the more slowly the weight comes off, the more likely it is to stay off.

    I'm sure places like WW and SW make money because people regain the weight and end up going back!

    I do know what you mean though, it can be frustrating when you don't lose quickly. I lost weight quite quickly over the Summer hols when my kids weren't at nursery haha! And now i'm back to normal despite being run off my feet at work
  • Ljay30
    Ljay30 Posts: 31 Member
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    Lol, yea. I put in weight during school hols as I'm out of routine. Will try to just add an extra days gym and more weight training and record measurement more.
    Thanks for support.