Feeling hopeless
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zoer302
Posts: 23 Member
Hi everyone, I'm feeling a little hopeless at the moment and don't know what to do.
For those interested, I'm 5'2, female, 30 years old, 17st 4lbs (started at 18stone). Suffer from PCOS and have barely just made it into the "at risk of diabetes" category. Exercise level is low, I work Mon-Fri 9-5 in an office and only do light activities at the weekends (gardening, strolls with my camera, chores etc).
I started my journey on 4th January 2020 at 18 stone exactly. By 28th January 2020 I got down to 17st 3lbs.
Since then (the last 14 days) I've been floating between 17st 6lb & 17st 4lb.
I've not cut anything out of my diet (apart from highly processed food) and have sat between 1400-1500 cals per day.
A typical day looks like this:
Breakfast: Homemade museli (gluten free oats, nuts and seeds NO added sugar) with semi skimmed milk.
Lunch: Salad with either boiled eggs, chicken or some other protein source and a little goats cheese and pine nuts.
Dinner: Sweet potato mash, some form of veg (usually peas, sweetcorn or kale) and some form of meat.
Snacks: Either a pear or some low-calorie flapjack-type 'health' bar.
Drinks: 4 x tea with semi skimmed milk and 1 sugar.
Why has my weight loss seemingly stopped? I know this post may be a little premature and it's a slow process but I thought I would have at least lost 1lb in the last 14 days given my calorie deficit? I have been really strict in my calorie counting, even measuring the milk before adding it to my brews and the most I've eaten in a day in the last 40 days is 1500 when I went out for a meal.
I plan to add more exercise in the future but I wanted to get my "diet" right first so I'm not taking on too much at once.
I really thought I was on the right track but now I just don't know
For those interested, I'm 5'2, female, 30 years old, 17st 4lbs (started at 18stone). Suffer from PCOS and have barely just made it into the "at risk of diabetes" category. Exercise level is low, I work Mon-Fri 9-5 in an office and only do light activities at the weekends (gardening, strolls with my camera, chores etc).
I started my journey on 4th January 2020 at 18 stone exactly. By 28th January 2020 I got down to 17st 3lbs.
Since then (the last 14 days) I've been floating between 17st 6lb & 17st 4lb.
I've not cut anything out of my diet (apart from highly processed food) and have sat between 1400-1500 cals per day.
A typical day looks like this:
Breakfast: Homemade museli (gluten free oats, nuts and seeds NO added sugar) with semi skimmed milk.
Lunch: Salad with either boiled eggs, chicken or some other protein source and a little goats cheese and pine nuts.
Dinner: Sweet potato mash, some form of veg (usually peas, sweetcorn or kale) and some form of meat.
Snacks: Either a pear or some low-calorie flapjack-type 'health' bar.
Drinks: 4 x tea with semi skimmed milk and 1 sugar.
Why has my weight loss seemingly stopped? I know this post may be a little premature and it's a slow process but I thought I would have at least lost 1lb in the last 14 days given my calorie deficit? I have been really strict in my calorie counting, even measuring the milk before adding it to my brews and the most I've eaten in a day in the last 40 days is 1500 when I went out for a meal.
I plan to add more exercise in the future but I wanted to get my "diet" right first so I'm not taking on too much at once.
I really thought I was on the right track but now I just don't know
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Replies
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Standard question #1, you mention measuring, do you use a food scale? It can make a big difference. I once found a 30% undercount when I put something I had always measured on a scale.
If you haven’t been using a scale, get one a rework everything except liquids.
But in any event, don’t let hopelessness overwhelm you. There’s every reason for hope. Calorie counting works. There’s a margin for error with the calculators. Keep tinkering with the numbers until you find the right path. It’s there.2 -
If you have a Fitbit or other way of measuring your calorie burn, you could log that with food calories and find the difference. Then as long as your food intake is less than your burn, you should lose eventually even though it might be slow. I know no measuring device is perfect but I think close counts with this.2
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Sometimes weight loss stalls and there are various reasons. I hope someone will call up the famous graph made to figure out why one is not losing. Women, especially, have water weight fluctuations during the month. 2 weeks is not very long, so if you're on point with your calories then wait it out for a bit. Don't give up. You may need to change things up.2
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Weight loss isn't linear, and particularly for pre-menopausal women, water weight fluctuations can really muddy the picture. I've just spent nine days floating around the same weight, and then three days of steady uptick in scale weight. That's ovulation. I'll now lose steadily (and quite rapidly) for the next week and a half, and then bounce around that weight for several days prior to my period starting. Drop for maybe five days, and then the whole cycle will start over. Even though I have those long 'stalls', my monthly weight loss works out to be exactly what it's meant to be.5
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Weight loss isn't linear, and particularly for pre-menopausal women, water weight fluctuations can really muddy the picture. I've just spent nine days floating around the same weight, and then three days of steady uptick in scale weight. That's ovulation. I'll now lose steadily (and quite rapidly) for the next week and a half, and then bounce around that weight for several days prior to my period starting. Drop for maybe five days, and then the whole cycle will start over. Even though I have those long 'stalls', my monthly weight loss works out to be exactly what it's meant to be.
This is reassuring. Thanks. Especially having PCOS my periods are all over the place so it could be that.0 -
If you're doing exactly the same calorie-wise as you were when the scale was going down, you can be pretty confident that it's water weight! As well as the lovely hormonal swings, that can also be caused by higher sodium, increased carbs (glycogen replenishment), new or increased exercise (both duration and intensity), hydration levels, stress...
If your cycle is irregular, the fluid retention will obviously be unpredictable. Though, you may actually be able to use it as an indicator of when you're due.3 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »If you're doing exactly the same calorie-wise as you were when the scale was going down, you can be pretty confident that it's water weight! As well as the lovely hormonal swings, that can also be caused by higher sodium, increased carbs (glycogen replenishment), new or increased exercise (both duration and intensity), hydration levels, stress....
I hope so, I went from feeling pumped to feeling deflated in the space of 2 weeks lol. I'll have to just stick it out and see what happens *fingers crossed*0 -
how many calories are you getting per day? i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation. How are you doing for macros? you can also reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 per day and see where that puts you for the next week.0
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knightmagic wrote: »how many calories are you getting per day? i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation. How are you doing for macros? you can also reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 per day and see where that puts you for the next week.
Between 1400-1500 per day. I'm not really tracking macros but it tends to be Carbs 40%, Fat 30%, Protein 30%.0 -
knightmagic wrote: »i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation.
According to that my maintenance calories is 2,037 per day and says I'd have to consume 1,537 to cut, which is pretty much where I'm at.
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knightmagic wrote: »how many calories are you getting per day? i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation. How are you doing for macros? you can also reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 per day and see where that puts you for the next week.
She doesn't need to reduce calories, she was (is) losing just fine on her current amount. Logic says this is a water weight issue, the solution to which is 'be patient'.5 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »knightmagic wrote: »how many calories are you getting per day? i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation. How are you doing for macros? you can also reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 per day and see where that puts you for the next week.
She doesn't need to reduce calories, she was (is) losing just fine on her current amount. Logic says this is a water weight issue, the solution to which is 'be patient'.
I would agree, if you keep cutting calories your body will go into starvation mode. As much as we hate them we NEED calories. Keep going your doing great ❤1 -
CarolRennie91 wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »knightmagic wrote: »how many calories are you getting per day? i prefer to use a TDEE calculator online then MFP estimation. How are you doing for macros? you can also reduce your calorie intake by 100-200 per day and see where that puts you for the next week.
She doesn't need to reduce calories, she was (is) losing just fine on her current amount. Logic says this is a water weight issue, the solution to which is 'be patient'.
I would agree, if you keep cutting calories your body will go into starvation mode. As much as we hate them we NEED calories. Keep going your doing great ❤
@CarolRennie91 'Starvation mode', in the popular use of the term, isn't actually a thing. Adaptive thermogenesis, a decrease in the number of calories you burn when you lose weight, is (this is a combination of being smaller, and therefore needing fewer calories, and a decrease in metabolic rate), but it is never enough to cancel out a deficit, nor cause weight gain.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/761810/the-starvation-mode-myth-again/p14 -
It looks like your choices are good but maybe the portions are too big. I am doing 1100 calories and it seems we are eating about the same way. I don’t get much exercise at all I need to get going on that. Having an position in the past three years has definitely added to my sedentary situation. I’m a slug. 😐1
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Most of the other suggestions about water weight are decent explanations for what's going on right this moment.
Do you have a rough idea of what your net carb intake is daily?
I personally don't tend to recommend low carb because it tends to be overblown, and I dislike the woo (some of which got me when I was younger) surrounding it, but... PCOS with insulin resistance is one of the times a low or at least lower carb seems to be pretty helpful. People with PCOS also tend to find they do good at resistance training. They might be slightly more inclined to put on muscle, and that in turn helps with insulin sensitivity.
Just things to consider if you haven't, and if you don't care for either one, obviously they won't work for you.2 -
magnusthenerd wrote: »Most of the other suggestions about water weight are decent explanations for what's going on right this moment.
Do you have a rough idea of what your net carb intake is daily?
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My MFP goal says 147 but I'm usually just under at 130 and go a little over on my fats.magnusthenerd wrote: »I personally don't tend to recommend low carb because it tends to be overblown, and I dislike the woo (some of which got me when I was younger) surrounding it, but... PCOS with insulin resistance is one of the times a low or at least lower carb seems to be pretty helpful.
I have done low carb before but couldn't stick with it for longer than 3 weeks at a time because I'd end up feeling extremely dizzy and lethargic like I couldn't wake up. In fact this is the first time I haven't tried low carb. I also love carbs so if there's any possible way that I can keep carbs in my diet, I'm going to try it!
Next week I'm going to try switching up what type of carbs I eat and maybe focus more on low GI, unrefined carbs ?? *shrugs* I dunno
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magnusthenerd wrote: »Most of the other suggestions about water weight are decent explanations for what's going on right this moment.
Do you have a rough idea of what your net carb intake is daily?
.
My MFP goal says 147 but I'm usually just under at 130 and go a little over on my fats.magnusthenerd wrote: »I personally don't tend to recommend low carb because it tends to be overblown, and I dislike the woo (some of which got me when I was younger) surrounding it, but... PCOS with insulin resistance is one of the times a low or at least lower carb seems to be pretty helpful.
I have done low carb before but couldn't stick with it for longer than 3 weeks at a time because I'd end up feeling extremely dizzy and lethargic like I couldn't wake up. In fact this is the first time I haven't tried low carb. I also love carbs so if there's any possible way that I can keep carbs in my diet, I'm going to try it!
Next week I'm going to try switching up what type of carbs I eat and maybe focus more on low GI, unrefined carbs ?? *shrugs* I dunno
130g would be classed as low carb, so you're fine
I was going to make the same suggestion yesterday, but worked out you 40% equaled 150g, so didn't worry about it. 1 -
Your rate of loss seems fine. Water weight from sodium in your meal out to TOM or just randomly would make sense to me. Possibly even just scale fluctuations due to undigested food or waste. Weight loss happens over time. Sometimes the scale even bumps up instead of down while losing body fat. Relax and continue to eat at a deficit. The scale will catch up eventually.
Your calories seem a bit low for your stats. If I’m calculating correctly you lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks then 0 the following 2 weeks. Averaged out thats 2 lbs per week which should be fine for your stats but is aggressive. Some people find deficits that are too sharp hard to stick with and end up falling off track and binging. Is 1500 the calorie goal MFP gave you?1 -
emmamcgarity wrote: »Is 1500 the calorie goal MFP gave you?
Yeah, It gives me 1,470 per day. I'm reluctant to deviate from that too much at the moment because I feel like I'm just at a level where I don't feel "deprived" but still low enough where I definitely know I'm dieting lol It's the longest I've stuck to it so feel like I'll wait a little longer and see what happens.
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