Hi guys,
I work out four times of week and I am much fitter than I was a year ago which is great, but I have stopped losing weight as I am caught in this on the wagon, off the wagon cycle! I struggle with balance and I’m either all or nothing in the sense that for weeks I will calorie count, eat clean, train hard, then fall off the wagon and get stuck in a major carby , chocky, cheese fest for weeks. 😅😅 Any tips on how to break this cycle and get passed this plateau?
Hello and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum Gio1233 😊
The best advice I can give is have enough to eat. If you are following the NHS 12 Week plan then the 1400/1900 calorie target suggested is a just generic amount, please check your own personal calorie target using the BMI checker, it’s often higher than you think. We always advise starting towards the top of the range, being hungry and feeling deprived is often what leads to binges, and is the biggest cause of weight loss failure.
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Best wishes in your weight loss journey
Indigo 😊
Thanks IndigoBlue. I need to re-evaluate my approach. I think as you said not eating enough could be a big part of the problem. Some people have the discipline for restrictive diets but I just don’t and I keep trying and failing! I am going to try the 12 week plan and hopefully form a better eating habit. Thanks for the advice and best wishes!
Gio 😊
You’re welcome 😊
Hi StillConcerned,
That is true! My point was it’s high fat and something I eat in smaller amounts when I’m eating well. The opposite happens then for a bit and I just eat too much of it. I’m used to training now. I don’t think I’m over doing it. I take supplements after to help my muscles so that helps with soreness and healing. What does RNI mean? I think upping my protein intake would definitely be something I could do, but red meat, fish and poultry is not an option for me so it’s a tad harder for me. More veggies and less starchy carbs too. I just lack the discipline at times. Thank you for the advice and best wishes!
Gio 😊
Maybe make up the calories with good natural fat. Eating fat does not make you fat, it’s an essential nutrient and excellent for satiety 😊
Have a read of this phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...
Hi-I feel like I’m sailing in your boat! I’ve got into a comfortable routine of exercising 3-4 times a week for 30mins quite hard, with lots of weights/intensity etc.
I eat well for a while and get very small loss and then blow it on loadsa goodies!
Like you I feel the balance isn’t right somewhere....if I exercised and ate well and got a decent loss I could stay focussed but I don’t, so get disheartened.....and eat a load of junk.
How much do you want to lose? What type of exercise do you do?
Hi Maxi3,
I feel your pain! I do HIIT training mostly so its a good mix of cardio and weight training. I lift quite heavy and I’m trimmer and more toned than I was a year ago but as I said I have plateaued and I struggle with balance. I think if we can pinpoint the triggers and thought processes behind the overeating we can change our approach and thus, our eating. IndigoBlue mentioned not eating enough. I try to restrict myself to around 1200-1400
calories and I fail and Im struggling to find the happy medium. StillConcerned mentioned protein and I think that’s something that lacks with me as I don’t eat meat. I take protein shakes but I’d rather be getting my protein from more natural sources. Do you drink enough water? I know when I don’t drink enough water I can overeat and not feel satisfied. Do you record your food intake? I downloaded my fitness pal and find its a good way to track my calorie intake. Meal prep is something that I’m not consistent with either but it’s something that I’m trying to improve as many say it’s key to weight loss and healthy food choices.
I’d like to decrease my bmi by about 5%. I don’t know what that looks like in pounds. Maybe like 10lbs. I’m female, 69kg and 5 ft 7 inches in height.
Best wishes,
Gio 😊
Hi Gio-looks like we’re in good company😊nice to meet you! It must be tough getting protein if veggie. I like veggie recipes but eat a lot of eggs and do have meat. I use protein powder too but it takes away food calories so I’m sometimes not as keen lol!
Yep I do something like a HIIT too as I do it at home for 30min at least 3-4 times a week for past year and like you I feel more toned, stronger, healthier.....but it’s all covered in a layer of fat-loll. I switch between a heavy weights session/boxing with dumbbells/tabata routine/general circuit....use body weight exercises.
You’re taller than me, I’m female 5ft, and need to lose 5% bmi which is around 1stone for me.
I sometimes feel like I’m looking for something to upset me so I can eat lol 😆 generally in good spirits and trying to work out the magic calories. I’ve tried averaging 1200 and got slow weight loss, then upped it to 1400 and it slowed down completely...1700 and I’m gaining.....aagghh! I’m good through the week but wknds are hard as routine blown and hard to plan. I do use MyFitnessPal too-works well. There’s one I looked at tdy called MyNetDiary...was gonna see if a change would make me a bit more motivated!
You’re def right about triggers to overeating.....feels like there are so many though 😜 feels like we work hard but need something to change to get the results. Do you track macros?
Eeeek!! That’s far too few calories Gio1233 . . . You should be somewhere nearer to 2000. Also, the protein isn’t so much a problem, 45g is easily attained with an egg, some cheese and milk . . . Maybe add in some good healthy fats like avocado, olive oil etcThey not only make food taste delicious but are so useful for satiety and stopping the urge to binge
Hi Maxi3,
We are very similar. I eat a lot of eggs, quorn and vegan products and I’ll have nuts and seeds as snacks for protein. I’m down just a few kgs in a year. Well done on the training. You would feel great after! It’s so tough! What has a girl got to do to get abs and a muscle butt?! 😅The triggers! Pms, stress, the weekend! I think there’s a FOMO element to healthy eating aswell! There’s a fear of missing out on eating the bad stuff like fast food and sweet things. I feel like I’ll never see them again when I vow to eat healthy then boom! Off the wagon!😅 I might try that. MyNetDiary. Maybe set one day where you allow yourself to eat what you like and don’t count calories or two days and tweak your calorie intake for the other days. The thought processes definitely need to change. It’s definitely psychological. I don’t track macros. That’s fat, carbs and protein right? How much should each be?
Okay lots of confusion here so let me help out. Firstly you cannot exercise weight off. Your calorie restriction takes the weight off, exercise tones muscles, increases heart effeciency, and helps respiratory health.
It does help with weight loss if you already restricting calories. So let's take our 1200 calories. Let's say this is a pound a week of weight loss. If you then go to the gym four times and each time bust your Butt this is another 350 calories a day burned so maybe another 1/2 a pound.
How often do you change your program. I did an Induction for a guy and a year later he was doing the same exercises and the same weight. Every time I hit the gym I try and better my weight my reps or my cardio goals. Rest is overrated. I use the. PPL system so although I am in the gym training I am not training the same body part as yesterday.
You have to decide what you want. If you want to be slimmer you have to convince yourself this is something you want. You fall off the wagon because you think it's too hard. Well of course it is. But then anything worth doing always is. Visualise yourself next year in a bikini looking great with trim abs and bubble Butt. Is that not worth a little sacrifice?
So make a plan right now, when and what do I eat, what exercises am I going to do, where will I be in one month three months six months. Let's get going!!
I would focus more on total calories intake per day and prioritise protein. Don’t worry about macro splits as like I said before, it’s about the total amount of calories you consume vs the amount of calories you expend which will determine whether you lose weight or not.
Good luck! 👍🏼
Hi PTKeith,
Thanks for the reply and advice. I’m increasing my fitness often through increasing the intensity of my work outs. (Heavier weights, more reps etc) It’s really just my diet I need to address. I know it’s just takes discipline and hard work to get what I want, so this is something I need to work hard at or else I just stay the same. Well done on your own lifestyle change and weight loss journey.
Best wishes,
Gio
Yeonny75 and PTKeith-really useful info! Thank you! Def good to get reassurance that Gio1233 and I aren’t too badly off track.
I agree Gio1233, I up my weights and intensity every week (not every session)....lunges and now jump lunges, half press ups now full press ups etc....it’s def the mindset about eating that I feel I need to address too. It’s not quick fix (though would be nice) but...well just the feeling of progression I guess, but maybe expectation is too quick.
Why do we love food so much ehh Gio1233?!!! Loll the visualisation of a tight butt and abs 😆love it!! I think ur right about just one treat day as mine does tend to elongate over the wknd (esp bank hols ones hehee!). Maybe (without sounding stalkerish lol) we can keep each other in check sharing eating plans? I’ll see how mynetdiary is like too.
Have a fab evening, polish those guns 💪🏼 when do you exercise? Mine tends to be first thing 6:15am weekdays....otherwise the day gets in the way
A quick fix would be great!😅 It could be worse, we could be in love with something much more harmful! Sharing eating plans might be a great motivator Maxi3! I’m less likely to mess up if I have to tell someone what I’ve consumed that day! 😳
You too. I’m training at 19.30 so I’m getting siked up! Enjoy your work out! 💪🏽
That new app is annoyin lolll can’t find the foods I eat-loll! MyFitnessPal I’m down as maximouse (will I ever get mini mouse?!! 😆) hope u have a good workout! I’ll be attempting to cook/eat a healthy meal. I have the same fear of missing out on junk food-whats all that about?! Will Burger King run out of food? Sains out of donuts?! I did get my head round this last year but lost my mojo and stuffed my face. Ggrrr.
Hey Maxi3, I know how you must feel. Losing weight can be really frustrating (trust me, I’ve been there many times).
Instead of restricting certain foods you love, why not incorporate them into your calories for the day? That way, you’re not miserable that you “can’t” eat certain foods or that you’re missing out but more importantly, it gets you to start shifting your mindset away from the idea that certain foods are “bad” for you. No food is “good” or “bad”. Food is food and should be enjoyed.
I listed a few people to follow on Instagram in my below post and suggest you take a look as they give great advice on nutrition and have a very different take on “diets”.
Best of luck with your weight loss journey 😊😄👍🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Hi Gio1233, I think there’s some really good advice here and I definitely feel your pain! I’m certainly no expert but having struggled with my body image for many years (like many women), I’ve finally realised that the reason why we have so many problems with losing weight is because we over complicate it.
Whether you’re on a keto, low carb, low fat, vegan diet etc. it doesn’t matter. What is key to weight loss is your calorie intake. It really is as simple as that. If you’re consuming more calories then you’re expending then you put on weight. Also, if you’ve been dieting for a long time and you’ve plateaued then it could mean it’s time for a break. All you need to do is increase your calories back up to maintenance for a month or two and then go back on your diet after that. The thing with weight loss is, it’s not linear so there will be peaks and troughs but if the general trend is going down then you’re doing it right! 😊
Weight loss is a long term game so it needs to be sustainable. Restricting yourself from foods will only end in bingeing and hating yourself. You can still diet and eat junk foods but in moderation. If certain junk foods are too much of a red flag for you then keep them out of the house and don’t buy them. But if you cut out all junk food then you’ll only end up being miserable and a life without junk food, well, what’s the point right?! Also, I don’t know about you, but I hated being “that person” at the restaurant who always had the salad and no carbs 😏 Food is one of life’s great pleasures and you should enjoy eating whatever you want without feeling guilty and beating yourself up over it!
One last thing, as I mentioned earlier, weight loss isn’t linear so don’t expect to lose the same amount of lbs every week because in real life, that doesn’t happen. There are so many variables that affect how much we weigh from day to day so take the scale weight with a pinch of salt. If your measurements are going down and your clothes feel looser then that’s a more accurate measure of whether you’re losing weight or not.
You are more than just a number.
Like I said, I’m certainly no expert but I have read enough and follow enough experts in the field of nutrition to know that we, as humans, always like to complicate things and want a quick fix or the “magic pill”. I think especially as women, we’re very hard on ourselves but I’m finding that as I’m getting older the more I’ve come to accept my body as it is right now, which is a massive mindset shift for me. Don’t wait until you lose all that weight to love your body. Love your body the way it is now! I certainly don’t have the body I want and probably will never get but I appreciate what it can do and that’s enough for me 😊
Sorry for the long post but as you can probably tell, I’m really passionate about this topic and I really do you wish you well for your weight loss journey. If you’re on Instagram I’d recommend following these people as they really know that they’re talking about and have really helped me with my mindset:
@martinnutrition
@pixienutrition
@drjoshuawolrich
There are loads more great people you can follow but I prefer to stick to a handful otherwise I just get overwhelmed!
Good luck and best wishes,
Yuen 😄🙌🏼👍🏼
Hello yuenny75 and thank you for your response 😊. Are you wishing to join us for support in your own weight loss journey? Just let me know and I’ll sort out an official Welcome
Indigo
Lol you obviously didn’t read my post above. I’m happy with my body right now and just wish more women would love and accept their bodies. Thanks for asking but I’m all good 😉
I forgot another guy to follow on Instagram - @thefitnesschef_
He does a lot of visuals which I think is really helpful for those trying to get to grips with their nutrition.
Hi Yuen,
Thank you for your advice and kind words. You’ve hit the nail on the head with pretty much everything you have said from struggling with body image to over complicating weight loss due to so many factors.
It’s fantastic to get all the different perspectives from people in the group.
I will look up those guys that you’ve recommended. Thanks again and best wishes!
Gio 😊
Struggling with it all
Runner struggling with diet
Disaster
Teeny tiny jeans
