hope you are well. I hade my surgery in Oct 2022 but to go ahead with IVF I need to lose 7kgs. I would like to mention I have been going to the gym consistently but I have lost inches instead of weight. For example, I went from size 18 to 12 but my weight hasn’t changed.
I rescheduled my meeting 2 twice cause I throught I will speak to the fertility specialist once I am 77kgs but my weight isn’t going down.
I am currently going to the gym 5 times a week and being good with diet.
Do you guys think if I say to the fertility specialist that I have lost inches but not weight i.e my day has became muscle.
my question is would they go ahead with my IFV treatment or they are really strict.
I am having one of those days where I feel like
Giving up thinking I am trying soo hard why weight isn’t going down but clothes size is?
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FMohammed
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Hi love, are you NHS or private ? Have you been given a specific BMI you need to hit ? I’m really sorry for what you are going through, I’d say it’s probably worth speaking with your consultant particularly if you are a private patient?
hiya, if you are a private patient I would speak to them. We started of nhs I had to get below 11st but kept sitting at 11.2 and they wouldn’t take us. I’d lost 5 stone by this point. It was honestly a night mare. Going by bmi is ridiculous xxx
It’s is.. bmi shouldn’t be thing tbh. I don’t look fat or anything specially when I have lost all the fat and I am soo toned. My cloth sizes has gone down but the weight isn’t
Hi, it sounds like you built muscle and now you are lean. Sometimes muscles can actually weigh more but you do not see fat because you have probably built some muscle. Perhaps you could share a before and after picture with the fertility specialist? Weight loss (on the scales) can be achieved through calorie deficit, no gym required ...walking is good. You have done the opposite which is a great achievement because you can lose weight on the scales but still look overweight ie no muscle mass. Well done, hope you get your IVF treatment. All the best, inSha'Allah you will be pregnant soon.
Hi FMohammed,First of all, it sounds like you're doing great progress and staying healthy, and that will always be good for your fertility journey!
I struggled with my BMI as well, just the opposite end, but annoying nonetheless. I discussed it with the nurses and a couple of doctors, they all agreed BMI is pretty much stupid and doesn't say anything about your actual health, but if you're looking to have the funding approved they do have to check it. Have they offered you a referral to a dietician? They might give you good tips x
No I didn’t got any referral to dietician. I think I should ask.. good shout x
My next appointment will be in March. So my hope is to lose the weight by adding walking every mornings.. like doing over 7k steps and see if I can lose weight on the scale x
Well done on reducing your body measurements that's fantastic! It is definitely worth discussing with them that you have lost all those dress sizes but the scales have not shifted. Have you considered joining weight watchers? It may help get a bit more weight off?
HiWell done on your massive weight loss, that's a fantastic achievement!
I am not sure what the answer is for you but to manage expectations I also had to lose weight to qualify, and my clinic weighed me at every appointment 😞
wow that’s amazing!! 🫶🏻 it’s so outdated the BMI measurement and criteria (what you’ve done shows exactly why!) but unfortunately they are very strict you need to be below 30 for nhs. I have saw people turned away to come back in a few months for BMi of 30.2! Have you spoken to your GP they may be able to help with a dietician referral and also they just gave my wife a 3 months free pass to all council gyms and swimming etc it also included having someone at the gym make a plan for her so you could maybe do that and tell them you are trying to lose weight now rather than build anymore muscle (muscle being heavier than fat) they could reccomend tweaks to your current routine? I know most gyms offer something like that anyways. There’s also water retention that could be causing you to hold on to some of the weight (if you still carry some at ankles or face for example) so GP can check that.
For me personally I’m a big advocate of walking and swimming and outdoor boot camps to lose weight for me personally it works better than the gym (I have no idea why no science behind that statement at all!)
I know you haven’t yet met the crazy BMI limit but what you have achieved is amazing and will absolutely have contributed to a healthier you and healthier egg quality even if it doesn’t yet tick that crazy NHs box 👏🏻💪🏼 gosh you should be so proud!! 💜
I was in the same situation, not losing weight but working out, then I started intermittent fasting, eating between 11am and 6-7pm, the pounds fell off really quickly esp with the muscle built. I stopped fasting when the IVF started but it got me into the BMI range needed. I didn't really change what I was eating other then breaking the fast with protein.
those times worked for me and my daily schedule but make the times work for you, I did the 16:8 fast (eating in an 8 hour window) but the times can be whatever you want
hi lovely, I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this. BMI is a load of crap for most people. I ended up going privately as I knew I wouldn’t get bmi under 30- I’m short and do a lot of strength training so am heavy.
I listened to a podcast episode on something similar- a woman had lost loads of fat and was really fit and toned but her BMI was still high. Anyway she appealed to her council and wrote a letter with evidence backing up reasons why it would be negative for her to lose weight any more - ie would involve stopping exercise and barely eating which is not conducive with getting pregnant. And anyway eventually her appeal was accepted and she was allowed the IVF and got pregnant and had baby on her second transfer. Her Instagram is @trainingfortwo and her podcast episode was Big Fat Negative from 25/1/22 “you gotta fight for the right to have nhs funded ivf”.
really sorry this is the case. Are you sure your scales are right? I definitely think if you take before and after pictures they might consider you. My bmi had to be under 30 but they didn’t weigh me they just looked at me so if you think you look entirely different they might just wave you through as well? The one thing that helped me lose weight was going low carbs. You get hungry for about a week but after that you get used to it and you even stop craving anything sugary and it tastes odd after a while. I didn’t go crazy, just avoided it mostly and cut out most sugar with one cheat day. Just an idea but really hope your next appointment goes well 🤞
In which case I just hope they wave you through no question asked! And if they don’t show your size 12 tags as not letting someone who is size 12 in for ivf is bonkers
Well at this point, why not work out what it might be to take you just under 30 bmi and say that. If they want to weigh you or question it later they can and weight can go up and down
HiJust saw your post and can't stop myself by saying wow! For reducing your size.
But sorry to say I think for weight reducing you follow wrong way.
You should focus on your diet and do brisk walk if you are going to gym then do tradmill or crosstrainer but focus on your diet should be your top priority. When I started my bmi was 32 I reduced it to 28 by doing walk on tradmill and left sweet and ruty and eat alot of greens and oats in breakfast.
So that will be easy because you are worrior you reduced sizes which is more difficult then weight.
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