Disappointed, very disappointed :+(

[PB30]

Why... In the last 2 weeks I have gained 4lbs yes 4lbs I checked 6 times. During the last 2 weeks I had a small pizza and on another occasion a cream tea. The rest of my diet was the same as I have been following for 10 months. I have/had lost 5 stone, my goal is 6 stone 7lbs. Can food that weighs ounces really make me gain lbs? All the fat has gone to my tummy and is very uncomfortable.

[Zane1994]

Hi. It's not as much as weight of the food you eat but calorific value. You could eat 1 tablespoon of butter and it would give you just as much calories as 400grams of cauliflower but the difference is that 400grams of cauliflower would fill you up but a tablespoon of butter wouldn't and you would need to eat more food to feel full. So the answer is yes, if you don't burn off more calories than you consume, it will make you gain weight.

I would suggest to try different exercise routine to get your muscles out of the usual routine and see if that helps

[PB30 in reply to Zane1994]

Point taken... But I still can't believe how detrimental one small pizza and one cream tea has been. Thanks

[Zane1994 in reply to PB30]

Some weeks are like that. I have had weeks when I have been running, exercising and eating right and gained weight. Be kind to yourself and don't give up.

[Zane1994 in reply to PB30]

Have you tried measuring your waist/hips/bum/thighs? Sometimes weight does not shift because you are losing fat but gaining muscle.

[PB30 in reply to Zane1994]

Unfortunately I have lost a lot of muscle, mostly from my legs. My exercise has stayed the same: moderate.

[Lytham 3 stone]

Well done on losing 5 stone, you might need less calories now you are 5 stone lighter? x

[PB30 in reply to Lytham]

Thank you. Less calories! You are probably right, but I can't quiet come to terms with that this evening.

[Lytham 3 stone in reply to PB30]

Good luck ! x

[PB30 in reply to Lytham]

👍

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

I'm wondering if you're eating enough. Are you counting calories? If so, what is your calorie range? If you have been over-restrictive for some time, this could have slowed your metabolism

[PB30 in reply to BridgeGirl]

I have an under active thyroid and take thyroxine and have regular blood tests. As yet I haven't been told anything is out of kilter. On Monday and Tuesday I keep my calorie count below 800. The rest of the week I aim for 1800. I feel faint often so visited my GP who is aware of my diet, and he said I must get up slowly, which I do anyway, so no joy there.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to PB30]

Where do you get that calorie target from? What does the NHS BMI calculator suggest? It will give you a range, not a single figure nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-we...

[PB30 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Re: calorie range, I can't remember. I will refer back to the NHS BMI calculator. Thanks.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to PB30]

I've given you the link above so do check it out. Experience here says you're better starting in the upper end of the range to avoid hunger, which is the commonest reason for giving up on weight loss plans

[PB30 in reply to BridgeGirl]

I often feel hungry! I have followed the link and will modify my diet 👍

[Tiggerr in reply to PB30]

I can see you're worried PB30 but you're getting some good advice.

Out of interest what was the calorie range that the calculator supplied?

[PB30 in reply to Tiggerr]

The calorie range: 1935-2488 👍

[Tiggerr in reply to PB30]

I think you'll feel happier eating a bit more and not feeling deprived. Good luck with the modifications.

[TheAwfulToad Visitor]

Unfortunately, the slimmer you get, the harder it gets to reduce your bodyfat. I imagine your thyroid issues aren't helping.

As Lytham said: don't lose sight of the fact that you've lost 5 stone! That's a remarkable achievement. I've been weighing myself (as part of an experiment) over the past few days and it's varied from 70kg to 72.5kg at one point. These numbers say little or nothing about my bodyfat ratio - the factors that make up bodyweight drift all over the place for various mundane reasons. If you're of more-or-less normal weight, then the number on the scales is only 20-30% bodyfat, and there's no way you put on 4lb of actual fat as a consequence of a pizza and a cream tea.

Having said that, it's very important to realise that your body is not just a bunch of overflowing buckets full of calories, with excess ones being dumped into a landfill called "fat". Your body decides on a certain bodyfat ratio for a reason. If you're consistently eating less than you need, it will retain a fairly large amount of fat, because as far as your metabolism can tell, you're in the middle of a famine; and if you don't have sufficient bodyfat to get through it, you'll die.

I'm a little worried about you, TBH. Unless you're four foot six in your socks and of naturally light build, 6 stone 7 (40kg) is a very aggressive target. Is that a typo?

Try not to stress out and focus on eating adequate, healthy meals; I know you struggled a bit with the low-carb approach, but keeping carbs low and calories respectable is a key technique. Also, at this stage of the game, your progress is going to become more dependent on exercise (muscle-building) and fine-tuning the content of your diet. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't hit the wall in the first half.

[PB30 in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Thank you, a lot to take in . . . I may not of made my self clear: I don't aim to reach 6 stone 7 but to reduce my starting weight by that amount. As of now that means a reduction of 1 stone 11 more 😯

[TheAwfulToad Visitor in reply to PB30]

haha - that's a relief! I thought that was your target weight, but then I thought, "that can't be right"

I notice you mention you're losing muscle, which suggests your meals are inadequate. The problem is that losing muscle counts technically counts towards your remaining 1st11; it's easy to get sucked into the idea that if that dial goes down, then things are going well, and you may be tempted into doing things that are bad for you long-term.

If you are simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle (which is what happens to a healthy, exercising body) then your bodyweight won't actually change much. Your reflection in the mirror is a much better gauge of progress, especially if you've only got a modest amount to lose.

I'm going to post a Dr Berg video ... from personal experience (good and bad), I can concur with these points. They're especially relevant when one is approaching the target.

youtube.com/watch?v=9zZWBPy...(Not working as expected?)

[PB30 in reply to TheAwfulToad]

I have watched the video and I make only make 1 mistake. Thank y poo u for your comments.

[big-boy-lotars]

oof

[Tashalynk2]

Something like that happened to me at the realization of my insulin resistance. A glucose tolerance test is needed for the diagnosis because my hemoglobin a1c is always normal. Good luck

[PB30 in reply to Tashalynk2]

Thank you, may your bloods remain normal.

[rachelleigh73]

Hi PB30 - I wondered if there may be some gluten intolerance going on for you - I know if i were to eat pizza and cream teas I too would be feeling bloated from the gluten - and I would also expect the rush of carbohydrate in my system to slow down my weight loss efforts. Not all calories are equal - one of the things I've learned from the HU forums is that processed carbohydrate and their effect on insulin is the primary cause of my weight struggles - I simply can't eat them and hope to lose weight. I suspect a lot us respond the same way to processed carbs without realising it. Big congratulations on your weight loss so far - such a great achievement. Hope this helps - I feel sure you'll get back on track in no time ... x

[PB30 in reply to rachelleigh73]

I have taken on board everything you have said. Thank you. I also hope I get back on track 😢

[rachelleigh73 in reply to PB30]

You're welcome - but please - don't 'hope' or 'try' - KNOW that you are going to 'do' it... our attitude and approach matters a lot...

There are other forums under the HU umbrella you might find useful too btw - LCHF, Gluten Free Guerillas, Fasting and Furious - I take inspiration from them all. You can do this ... x