A bit disheartened...

[01masone]

Hello,

I'm new here. Joined abut a month ago and have been lurking in the background reading the posts daily and exploring the site.

I started my weight loss journey about a month ago now. I have never been especially slim but the weight most definitely has been creeping up over the past few years. I very recently got engaged and although we don't get have a date, I refuse to be unhappy with how I look on our special day.

My fiancé and I love eating out and drinking but have tried to make a conscious effort to now not drink whilst at home and eat a lot healthier. We mostly eat fish or lean meat and have at least one veggie day a week. Life obviously gets in the way sometimes (especially at weekends) but I mostly try to stay under the designated calories on the MyFitnessPal app. I have also recently joined the gym and have been going at least 3 times a week doing cardio, interval training and weights.

I had quite a substantial loss after week one of 5lbs, but I think that must have just been water loss as I have not lost anything since! I am currently plateauing at 11st 12lbs, but according to the NHS BMI I am overweight and should aim to lose 2st 7lbs. After 4 weeks of healthier eating and increased exercise I guess I was hoping to see a bit more of a change so feeling slightly disheartened today

I was wondering if maybe I'm doing something wrong or if anyone else has any tips to try and boost my lose slightly?

Any help much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello 01masone and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

Well done on making such positive changes to your eating. Your body will thank you even if the scales don't co-operate. MFP is a bit stingy on calories as you are supposed to add in your exercise calories, so I strongly suspect you are not eating enough, causing the body to cling to fat. It's a delicate balance between eating a calories deficit and avoiding 'famine' mode. You can check your target calories with the NHS BMI checker. Also feel free to,join the daily Diary for further help with eating plans.

Here are a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the forum. Please note if you are using the new HU App many of these features are not available so I suggest you use the full website version.

The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you

Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted as long as the calories are accounted for

Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate

The forum also have group weigh-ins every day, as well as a new Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page

You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too. If you have any questions please just ask

Best wishes

Anna

[01masone in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thanks for the advice Anna, really appreciate it

[mannikaur]

Hi 01masone I'm the same never been super slim and had a toddler, I had a bad week last week due to half term but I have been more active. I found myfitnesspal has really helped to keep everything on track and im increasing my exercise with a fit bit... I increased by a 1000 every week.....

Im back on track and reading the posts... on a mission to loose a couple of lbs this week

[matets]

01masone congratulations on your weight loss thus far! You need not give up. Continue to focus on your goals and aim to eat clean one day at a time, by increasing your veggie intake. Drinks do have loads of calories therefore it's prudent to ensure you find a way to utilize the calories taken in through increased activity or wean off the drinks till you attain your goal.

[01masone in reply to matets]

Thank you matets . I feel if I gave up the booze completely I would probably see a bigger difference, just so tricky living in London as it's a kind of the lifestyle! Will try and make better choices though

[selinak]

Hi 01masone

Congratulations on the weight loss so far and more importantly the choice you've made to be a healthier you. Try not to be disheartened losing weight isn't as easy as it seems sometimes and it's not your fault.

A few tricks I've picked up are to drink bucket loads of water, about 3L a day. Cutting down the quantity of carbs i'm eating does help too but remember to keep a balanced diet. Extra protein keeps you fuller for longer. And then exercise, I started doing HIIT work outs off youtube. The body coach is a guy on there who does HIIT workouts for you to copy alongside, start off with the easiest one and build yourself into it cause it can be tough. It's designed to push you to your limits in intervals. But it will put your body into a fat burning state for hours after you exercise, people claim up to 24 but I dunno about that.

HIIT workouts don't go great with MFP but you could list it as jumping jacks vigourous if you wanted to log it, but majority of its benefits happen after you exercise.

Remember to eat enough! Don't try dropping the calories too low, you just end up in a starvation mode.

Plateaus are normal and the bane of my life these days. Don't panic it doesn't last forever. Consider it a hint to switch it up. If you're doing a particular exercise and diet routine and you've plateaud try a different exercise for a week and switch to more veg to kickstart your body again. Your body gets used to what you're doing and that's part of the reason the weight stablilises.

BIggest thing I can say is don't give up. It's a one day at a time life change you're making. Bad days do happen, just remember it's only 1 day, tomorrow is a fresh start. Weight loss is often a short term goal triggered by something, weddings being a big one. Remember to plan long term, set yourself small goals and celebrate the smaller achievements. Small amounts over a month or two add up to big achievements over the year. Consider this a life change, so make the changes things you enjoy and are able to keep up long term rather that a tough diet and routine that you feel like you want to break free from.

i really hope you stick with it and you see the benefits over time. I set myself a huge goal to lose for my wedding and I only got halfway, but i'm much healthier, my clothes fit much better, i'm more confident and I recognise that the wedding is just one day, i'm doing this for my wedding and my health and I won't give up after the wedding, it's a lifestyle change.

Good luck with everything and congratulations on the engagement.

Selina x

[01masone in reply to selinak]

Thank you so very much Selina for taking the time to write such a detailed and in depth response. I really appreciate your advice and suggestions, I'll definitely take them on board and hopefully I'll see more of a change soon! x