I am a 63yearold woman who always had a steady weight of 10stone until 2006 then wham have increased to 14stone and feel hideous.

[stuggles63]

I have since Xmas rigidly stuck to 1000cals and gone to exercise/gym nearly everyday also tracking carbs and proteins, but I am not losing enough weight, only 1lb a week, why? I am otherwise quite inactive in flat. Have also tried weightwatchers with same slow results.

[Pigivi]

In this talk there is a part where it explains how the brain has a sort of "weight setting" ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt...

I think 1000 calories are just not enough - there are ways to calculate your basal metabolism (i.E. the calories your body needs at rest) There is a school of thought, that says that reducing your calorie intake, but not going below your basal metabolic rate associated with physical activity is the safest way to loose weight. From my experience, I have not reached a plateau when applying that principle, and the weight lost has never come back - while it always did when I went on strict diets...

Try to increase your physical activity - walking as you probably know is the best way to start - ideally 30 minutes every day.

Hope this can be of some help.

All the best

[Hidden]

At only 1000 calls it sounds like your body is in starvation mode. Have u tried eating a bit more??

[gingernut49]

Hi Stuggles, I'm the same age as you and struggled with my weight for most of my life. I'd lose a stone with WeightWatchers or Rosemary Conley, stop counting calories and it would all go back on again. Like the others have said, 1,000 calories a day is not enough and your body is hanging onto all those calories to keep going!

I was an unhealthy size 16, 12 stone 4 pounds, BMI over 25, then I watched an amazing BBC Horizon programme in August 2012 called "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" vimeo.com/54089463 - obviously at our age that thought appeals if we can stay fit and well!

Two non-consecutive days a week I ate up to 500 calories and I worked out the calories I needed on my 'normal' days thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-... and the weight dropped off - three stone in six months!

That was up to last April and now I maintain by 'fasting' one day a week which is so good for my health so I shall continue forever. I weigh myself once a week to keep an eye on my weight and catch any rogue pound before it multiplies.

In January 2013 I started the NHS Couch to 5k running podcasts - and I'd hated running at school - and now I run around 5k three times a week, and walk or run over five miles a day.

If you need to know anything else please do ask: this is the first 'diet' - I call it a way of life - that's ever worked for me and continues to do so! Please watch the programme - it changed my life and hopefully will change yours too.

[GoogleMe]

You could have a look at the NHS weight loss programme. I am not sure where the idea that 1000 calories is a good target has come from? It sounds as though you are trying for a rapid weight loss and perhaps driving yourself pretty hard (depending on what you mean by exercise/gym every day), perhaps in a punitive, self-hating sort of way.... when a steady lost of lb a week, especially through the 'hibernatory' months is good. It is going to take some time so my feeling is that weight-losers need to start liking themselves before they get to a weight they feel is right for them. You will see benefits and changes before you get to your goal weight anyway.

There's a nice idea called Random Acts of Fitness which might help

[Hidden]

Hi stuggles63,

Really think that 1) you've reduced your calorie intake too far and 2) in doing that may well have taken down other types of nutrition too.

Suggest you take your calorie intake up to about 1400 kcal a day - but do make sure you're counting E V E R Y T H I N G - drinks, gravies, toppings, sauces, what you eat at home, at work, when travelling, when socialising.

And a weight loss of 1 - 2 lbs a week is just fine. That's averaged out, of course, because most people have their blips and spurts.

If you've not already had a good read around the NHS live well lose weight pages, then I'd recommend them to you and also the NHS healthy eating ones too.

Remember, the name of the game is to cut back on your calories and increase your exercise/activity levels. Cutting back on your calories generally means eating less food and /or less high-fat / high-sugar food. It does not mean the you don't need all the other nutrients that a healthy diet contains just as much as ever. (Vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, ESA's, etc., etc.).

My guess is that increasing your activity levels would help as most of the hormones that change as you become overweight - i.e. as your body adapts to the excess weight - can be re-set by either losing the weight or increased activity / exercise.

No that doesn't necessarily mean going down the gym. Especially if you have a rathe sedentary lifestyle, start gently. A bit of walking, some light sport (ten pin bowling or swimming or even the vacuuming or washing the car), a bit of going up and down stairs, a bit of stretching. Do, give your muscles a chance to tone up and get back into shape before you hit them with "more serious" exercise.

Good luck with your weight loss efforts.

[Windswept1]

I agree with the others about eating a bit more & exercising a bit more. Slow weight loss is better as it is more likely to stay off, and you will lose your 4 stone over a year. After all from what you say it took several years to put it on. Good luck and try to be patient.

[ivlyndy]

I am was nearly 16 stone 5 months ago am 5'7" and 61. Have been really poorly with bile duct stones and had a cardioscan to be told my main artery has plaque in it. I have lost 23lbs since December and have been eating around 1670 calories per day. 50% carbs 30% fats and 20% protein. I have been walking 60 minutes 3 X weekly - power walking for the last fortnight. My diet excludes pastry biscuits white bread pasta and rice. I eat loads of vegetables including avacado a little fruit chicken and salmons tuna sardines and mackerel - walnuts and almonds. I am trying to avoid any sugar as this apparently is the cause of obesity and health problems. Processed and ready meals are full of sugar - which is addictive and causes us never to feel full. Since this eating plan I am never hungry and am losing at about 7/8lbs a month. I weigh myself on the last Friday of the month and have never felt better - I don't think you are eating enough so your body is protecting the fat it has stored. I use the FitnessPal application to monitor my food and exercise and recommend it.

[Hidden]

1 pound a week is good. That would be one stone in 3 1/2 months, 2 stone in 7 months, 3 stone in 10 1/2 months.