I can't see what I am doing wrong

cazwillis99
cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I wasn't losing weight so I went to see a nutritionist who recommended cutting down on refined sugar - which I have done. She also recommended cutting down on caffeine intake - again this has been done. However in the two and a half weeks since making these changes I have gained weight - not significantly but I don't understand how. Although she told me not to count calories I have left it at 1550 a day but have gone over slightly a couple of times. Due to lack of time wasn't really exercising until this week but have been to gym once and had a long walk yesterday so I know this certainly isn't muscle gain. Drinking all my water - in excess of 8 per day. Eating plenty of protein and lowered my carb intake - healthy snacking - 50g nuts per day split into two (compared to crap high sugar healthy bars previously). My fat intake is somewhat high but for the most it is healthy fat.

Any suggestions as to why I haven't managed to lose any weight would be appreciated because I am at a total loss here.

Thanks
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Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    You said yourself that you haven't been counting calories or exercising. It's great that you made positive changes to your nutrition, but losing weight takes a calorie deficit, and you don't even know if you are in a deficit without counting calories. Exercise increases that deficit. You need to be doing both.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    You said yourself that you haven't been counting calories or exercising. It's great that you made positive changes to your nutrition, but losing weight takes a calorie deficit, and you don't even know if you are in a deficit without counting calories. Exercise increases that deficit. You need to be doing both.

    Hi, thanks for you comment but my nutritionist told me not to count but I can't quite do that yet so whilst not "counting" I am staying within my deficit - 1550 a day which is a 450 daily deficit which should be enough to lose at least a pound a week and whilst exercise helps it is not specifically required to lose weight - lots of people lose weight without doing any exercise at all. I normally exercise every day but life got in the way a bit for the last few weeks. My calorie deficit alone should be making me lose weight not gain it.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    if you arent counting then how can you be certain what you're eating?

    in any case, i'd give it time. are you also keeping track of your measurements? those might show more of an improvement than on the scale.
    for instance i havent lost much scale wise, but i have lost 5 pant sizes !
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    You can't just eye ball your food. People greatly underestimate how many calories they consume and portion sizes. Count your calories.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    Looking at your diary it seems like your weekly intake does not contain more than 300 grams of vegetables. The rest seems to be loads of meat and loafs and even pasta and lentil. These are higher caloric foods and that would be fine if you did some heavier excercise...
    I suggest you cook your own meals more using and preparing fresh fish and meat and use vegetables as side dish. (a plate of steamed carrots with right herbs and a spoon of sour cream can be tasty - don't think of it as dull.)
    50 grams of baby spinach leaves and 20 grams tomato puree is not really enough for a day of vegetable consumption. Try to up these to be 1/3-d of your daily diet. And I would leave the loaf to max. 2 times a week and also get rid of the T*sco preprocessed whatever.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    I am counting what I eat - my nutritionist told me not to but I can't do that - I have to know - everything I eat is weighed, measured and logged and I am sticking to 1550 a day as per my diary.
  • Jo2926
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    Did the nutritionalist give you an eating plan or just suggest cutting down on caffeine and sugar?
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Looking at your diary it seems like your weekly intake does not contain more than 300 grams of vegetables. The rest seems to be loads of meat and loafs and even pasta and lentil. These are higher caloric foods and that would be fine if you did some heavier excercise...
    I suggest you cook your own meals more using and preparing fresh fish and meat and use vegetables as side dish. (a plate of steamed carrots with right herbs and a spoon of sour cream can be tasty - don't think of it as dull.)
    50 grams of baby spinach leaves and 20 grams tomato puree is not really enough for a day of vegetable consumption. Try to up these to be 1/3-d of your daily diet. And I would leave the loaf to max. 2 times a week and also get rid of the T*sco preprocessed whatever.

    Hi, I eat veg with most meals - my soup for lunch is full of veg but it is a recipe so you can't see the content but it has celery, carrot, beans and spinach in it- if it definitely more veg than lentil and chicken. I eat at least two meals a week with fish - tuna and haddock and these are also then loaded with vegetables and quinoa. I don't eat pasta much as I am gluten intolerant - i occasionally have GF pasta but not often. The pasta you might be referring to is slim pasta and it is not actually pasta it is made from soluble vegetable fibre and contains next to no cals/carb/sugars

    All my meals are prepared from scratch (apart from fish fingers this week) because I have food allergies so I need to know what is in my food otherwise I can have nasty reactions to it I eat bread at weekends but very rarely in the week.. The two occasions that I have eaten bread in the week are both on Weds as I was in a hurry as I had to go to see my nutritionist and there was no time to do anything else.

    granted there are some meals where I don't eat a lot of veg but this should not make me gain weight - on the whole I eat healthy self prepared meals - I dont' use fat to cook, I don't eat sweets, I don't use sugar, I very rarely eat highly processed foods, I drink lots of water, I eat three times a day and snack healthily twice a day , i eat a calorie deficit there is no way I should be gaining weight.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Did the nutritionalist give you an eating plan or just suggest cutting down on caffeine and sugar?

    She didn't give me an eating plan but suggested I cut down on refined sugar and caffeine intake gradually and try to follow a low GL plan. She suggested upping my protein because at the time I saw her my protein intake had gone down to approx 40 - 60 g a day. I have followed all the advice she gave me -protein for most days is now closer to 100g a day, sugar is down from 100+g a day to usually less than 30 and the bulk of that is now from fruit and veg and not low fat/high sugar foods (I used to eat cereal bars as my snacks). She said for the whole my food intake wasn't that bad apart from sugar & caffeine so I was having blood sugar spikes which made me crave sweet stuff - have to agree with her because in the last two weeks my cravings have gone and there have been improvements in my mood/energy levels/sleep patterns jut not my weight :-( So there is a positive but just not the one I want.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    there have been improvements in my mood/energy levels/sleep patterns jut not my weight :-( So there is a positive but just not the one I want.

    wait, are we just talking about 1-2 weeks here? then all you need to do is be patient. :-)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?

    Just about any woman can lose at 1600 without exercise if all things are in line metabolically.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?

    Hi, my TDEE is over 1600 calories but I stick to 1550 cals a day - I am set for lightly active in my profile - I work in an office but I usually move around a lot - have worn a pedometer to work on a number of occasions and usually cover more than 2 miles a day walking round office. I do a lot of walking - if I can walk I will rather than use my car. Up until 2 weeks ago I was exercising 5 - 6 times a week but I had a sick pet and had to come straight home and take care of him. My pet is now better so as of this week I have started back at the gym and started up my walking again. Having said that even when I exercised 5 - 6 times a week I still didn't lose weight.
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?

    I have lost all mine at that exact amount with very very little exercise.......... calorie deficit is enough.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?

    I have lost all mine at that exact amount with very very little exercise.......... calorie deficit is enough.

    Exactly - so if I have a deficit why don't I lose??????
  • cocono
    cocono Posts: 22
    That is a very broad generalisation - that depends how tall they are,how old they are, how active they are and how much weight they have to lose.
  • cocono
    cocono Posts: 22
    That is a very broad generalisation - that depends how tall they are,how old they are, how active they are and how much weight they have to lose.

    New to this - that quote was referring to the post that said anyone can lose on 1600 calls. :)
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    That is a very broad generalisation - that depends how tall they are,how old they are, how active they are and how much weight they have to lose.

    New to this - that quote was referring to the post that said anyone can lose on 1600 calls. :)

    I said "I" had not everyone :D
  • Grazibaby
    Grazibaby Posts: 3
    I'm stuck in the same rut! I'm 3 weeks into counting my calories and making sure I'm infer my 1250 cal intake per day and doing occasional workouts when I get a chance, but don't see results on the scale yet. I took down my measurements 2 weeks ago and have 2 more weeks till I'm going to take them again to see if there is an improvement. I think that's an added motivation to workout a little harder. I think we been to be more patient and stick to it, progress is very slow so far but we have about 4 months till summer to find what works best for us...so keep it up!!!
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    I think patience is the answer
    Although you could be eating a little too far under your goal. All this last week you have been 300-500 under your goal everyday.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    That is a very broad generalisation - that depends how tall they are,how old they are, how active they are and how much weight they have to lose.

    New to this - that quote was referring to the post that said anyone can lose on 1600 calls. :)

    I said "I" had not everyone :D

    LOL I know everyone is different :-) and what works for one person may not work for another
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    I think patience is the answer
    Although you could be eating a little too far under your goal. All this last week you have been 300-500 under your goal everyday.

    Thanks - will try to eat closer to my calorie goal this week - but sometimes I'm just not hungry/full up and I can't eat for the sake of eating. I am patient but sometimes it's just completely beyond me how I don't lose even when I am being good.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    Well if your TDEE is 1650 and you are eating 1550 that will take a loooong time to lose...

    What is your actualy deficit? And exercise can be tricky - some people add a 20 minute dog walk as a 300 kcal exercise which it is NOT... so that can set everything totally off.

    So my questions is, the TDEE you think you have was calculated how? Just based on your age, height and weight + "sedentary"/"lightly active" lifestyle, or did you add any type of activities that raised that TDEE? What are those?
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Well if your TDEE is 1650 and you are eating 1550 that will take a loooong time to lose...

    What is your actualy deficit? And exercise can be tricky - some people add a 20 minute dog walk as a 300 kcal exercise which it is NOT... so that can set everything totally off.

    So my questions is, the TDEE you think you have was calculated how? Just based on your age, height and weight + "sedentary"/"lightly active" lifestyle, or did you add any type of activities that raised that TDEE? What are those?

    My TDEE is worked out by my bathroom scales that are set up by my age, height and activity level. My exercise calories are worked out via a HRM or Endomondo when I walk ( and I have worn my HRM and used Endomondo at the same time to check the cals are accurate) I never use the MFP cals for any exercise. I do not log cleaning as exercise - exercise is when I have specifically done something that is over and above what I would normally do - so a quick walk to the shops does not count.
  • Jo2926
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    I'm going to suggest something that probably goes against what everyone else here is saying.

    You are paying good money to see a nutritionalist. Why not trust them and try EXACTLY what they suggest. i.e. don't count calories. Give it four weeks (anything less does not give you body time to adjust in my opinion). What they are suggesting is already having positive results (such as the better sleep), so they cannot be talking complete rubbish!

    I assume you are seeing the nutritionalist regularly? So if weight loss does not happen seek their advice on why not. You are paying for help with weight loss and if you do as they say and don't lose they have a responsibility to help you get to the bottom of the problem.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Okay - I would personally not lose with 1600 without exercise (because I have a desk job and go by car everywhere and the rest of the time I am sitting on the couch).
    How is your lifestyle exactly, did you calculate your TDEE using "lightly active"?

    I have lost all mine at that exact amount with very very little exercise.......... calorie deficit is enough.

    Exactly - so if I have a deficit why don't I lose??????

    Because you are obviously NOT at a calorie deficit!
    YOur body keeps an accurate log regardless of what you write down.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    My TDEE is worked out by my bathroom scales

    Oh. I suggest you the following:

    1. On this page, on top, click the Apps tab.
    then underneath, click BMR >> have it calculate your BMR - does it match your bathroom scale's value?

    2. Here:
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
    calculate your TDEE - does it match your bathroom scale?
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    My TDEE is worked out by my bathroom scales

    Oh. I suggest you the following:

    1. On this page, on top, click the Apps tab.
    then underneath, click BMR >> have it calculate your BMR - does it match your bathroom scale's value?

    2. Here:
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
    calculate your TDEE - does it match your bathroom scale?

    Fitness frog TDEE is 1752 for little or no exercise and 2005 for exercise 1-3 times a week. My scales currently have my TDEE at 1680 so they are not a million miles off as they are set for not very active. My BMR is 1384 my scales don't have that reading on them

    So my body needs at least 1752 cals a day to function - is that correct? But that is also what BMR is so what is the difference between the two numbers???? Oh I am now very confused!!!!
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
    Because you are obviously NOT at a calorie deficit!
    YOur body keeps an accurate log regardless of what you write down.

    Recommended daily cal intake for women is 2000 cals - so I am already at a deficit based on that - I am at 1550 a day and as pointed out by another person I am actually not hitting that most days and missing by up to 300 cals so that takes me down to around 1200 a day - this has to be a deficit because eating less than 1200 a day isn't recommended.
  • Reneeisfat
    Reneeisfat Posts: 126 Member
    You can't just eye ball your food. People greatly underestimate how many calories they consume and portion sizes. Count your calories.

    ^yup. This one.

    It's shocking how many calories are in seemingly harmless foods.

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