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Help Omlets .....

 

I've been trying to loose some weight recently but it doesn't seem to be shifting.

 

I have changed what I eat and make sensible choices when it comes to meal times. I cook from scratch and so am diligent with my olive oil and things like lamb and sausages are off the menu. I'm not a choccy fan anyway and have cut out crisps and snakky stuff my biscuit tin is empty and my fruit bowl is full. The only treat I allow myself is wine at weekends.

 

I have taken to walking DS to school (2 miles per day) and sometimes I run home taking a longer route making the whole round trip about 3 miles. I walk/cycle wherever I can and have abandoned my car. I swim twice a week for half an hour.

 

I do have an underactive thyriod which I take medication for (the lowest dose available).

 

Can you wise people give me some tips as to where I may be going wrong. I've lost about 1/2 stone in about 3 months which is rubbish by my estimations. I'm 5ft 7 and 13 stone. Yesterday I weighed myself and I was just over 12.5 stone, today i'm 13 (and i've got two sets of scales).

 

My shape has definately changed but my weight hasn't.

 

What do you think Omlets?

[Egluntyne]

Have a look at the **Healthy Eating Chat** in the All things Nice section.

 

I've been following the **Harcombe Diet** and have lost 12lb.

[Tiggy]

firstly, well done for improving your diet & increasing your exercise, as you say your shape has changed, toned muscle burns calories & weighs more than fat so may explain why your scales are not moving. Its worth looking at your portion sizes, the British Heart Foundation do a brilliant booklet 'so you want to lose weight for good' you can get it on line or from your GP surgery. dont be too hard on yourself.

[kerryegg]

I find the best way to loose weight is the original, 1970's Weight watchers diet. Pretty boring but easy to follow. Basically, pint skimmed milk and as much green veg as you can eat. From memory a scapping of margarine, 2 pieces of bread and unlimited tea, coffee, water. 4 ounces of protein 3 times a day and small portions of other veg eg carrots and mushrooms. 3 fruits.

They used to be keen on cottage cheese and tinned fish in water.

My usual day was fruit juice, egg on toast, tin of fish with mountain of salad and an apple, grilled chicken or lean meat, loads of veg and a pear.

Usually had other bit of bread as toast at bedtime.

There were all sorts of substitutions, natural yoghurt for milk etc and salt, curry powder, herbs etc were o.k.

Anyway what ever you decide good luck.

Incidently I find the odd forbidden drink and the odd bit of chocolate won't hurt if I are good the rest of the time.

[docsquid]

The other suggestion is to look at the exercise you are taking. You are taking a lot of low-intensity exercise, which has built up your overall fitness and helped lose a little weight. However a really good way to shift weight is to do interval training where you do some exercise at almost your maximum (around 85-95% maximum heart rate) and then active recovery at 50-60%. There are classes that do this sort of thing - like spinning clases - or you can recreate it by introducing either running up hills or intervals of faster running into your runs home. The intervals should be at least 1 minute up to 5 minutes and the recovery period should be the same duration or 1.5 times as long. This allows the lactate to clear from your muscles before you go again. You may need to reduce to a walk to achieve the recovery heart rate.

 

Although high intensity exercise uses a lower proportion of fat to fuel it than does low intensity, it still burns more fat overall because the energy requirements are higher.

 

Do check that it is OK to up the intensity with your doctor - the underactive thyroid is probably not helping, and replacement with tablets is not physiologically the same as naturally-occurring thyroxine which reacts to changes in pituitary hormones and therefore can vary according to need.

[jess]

Try high intensity interval training as mentioned above,

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training

 

Your metabolism works better when it is not bombarded with chemicals. try to buy as much organic produce as possible.

 

http://www.healthymenumailer.com/articles/organic-weight-loss.html

 

keep a food diary online, i use daily plate. you will be surprised how much you actually eat if you dont count calories for at least a week.

 

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

 

finally, find out your basic metabolic rate to help with how many calories you should be eating.

 

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

[patsylabrador]

You said your shape has changed but not your weight. Maybe you're replacing fat with muscle, which is denser and heavier. In which case you're doing well I would think. I've had amazing success with strength exercises using weights. I'm slowly but surely going down in clothes sizes, feel strong and stand better. I follow a program that varies from day to day and exercises all parts of the body including flexibility. I started doing them because now I'm 51 I wanted to make sure I didn't start to seize up as the years tick by, but weight loss has been a happy benefit. It also helps fight the effect of gravity!

I don't own a set of scales because I feel they can be a bit misleading as like you said they don't tie in with the improvement in your body.

I always have a big protein breakfast, bacon, eggs, sausages, that kind of thing and I don't crave food at all for the rest of the day. It's working for me.

[..lay a little egg for me]

Agree with the other advice above, but just wanted to add, forget the scales and use the tape measure! Although the docs harp on about BMI, it does not take account of your muscle to fat ratio which has clearly improved if your shape has changed. BMI is a very crude measure and waist to hip ratio is more important, so if your waist has shrunk you are definitely going in the right direction and improving your health. I used to find my bathroom scales could weigh me up to 5 lb different only 2 secs after getting off and getting on them again! I ditched them.

[C&T]

Another option, and somebody has already mentioned them, is joining a club like Weight Watchers.

 

I find that (on the whole!) I exercise and eat healthily - but I was eating much to much of the healthy options. Therefore, not losing a lot!! Weight watchers worked for me, as it helped me sort out my portion control, and then the weight started to shift. Other organisations I am sure will work just as well (just avoid the meal replacement options...)

 

I also found "having" to go and get weighed each week made me take the whole thing more seriously, and stopped me having the "odd" treat here and there - that can otherwise be forgotten about very easily! Also having to write everything down each day - which can be another eye opener...

 

Don't lose heart. You sound as though you are taking the right approach, and 1/2 stone off is much MUCH better than 1/2 stone on so well done for that!! You will just need to change one or two small things and I am sure it will help!

[Christian]

When I lost 5 stone a few years ago, I stopped weighing myself daily and only did it twice a month. Your weight will naturally fluctuate day to day, so try not to weigh yourself too often. It just gets you down and you lose motivation.

 

Good luck

[bridgy chooks]

I need to start trying to lose weight again after a bit of a lazy time recently. I too have an underlying health problem and find it difficult to shift the weight. I lost a lot of weight when I was first diagnosed.

 

I found what worked for me was to count the saturated fat content of everything I ate everyday and so I limited myself to a maximum of 15gms. I'm not going to say it was easy but it did work and you can still have proper meals. Another tip that I read somewhere is that every time you get hungry to have a drink of water or squash as your brain may actually be telling you that you are thirsty.

 

Hope this helps.

[stoice]

All great advice above. I need to re-assess my diet at the mo too. I lost two stone using WW two years ago but it's slowly crept back (Take aways and choc being my main vice - oh and portion size)

 

When 'in the zone', a thing that caught me out was high-juice squash drinks, and sugar in my coffee. I went for no added sugar or the barley water added juices as they have considerably less sugar and used a sweetener in my coffee (Just too bitter for me without it, but i did try). I then cut out those little dollops of full fat mayo that i didn't really need, and if i wanted a sandwich i either made my own bread (Small bread maker meant small slices) or bought the small half loaves that have smaller slices. All little changes that you shouldn't notice.

 

Keep up all your effort though, i wouldn't weigh yourself more than once a week as our weight fluctuates daily. A change in your body shape sounds positive so maybe focus on clothes that fit rather than scales? Whenever you need a pick me up buy a nail polish or some cheapo jewellery to cheer yourself up (And co-ordinate with your fab wardrobe) instead of reaching for something you know you shouldn't.

 

Good luck

[Sheilaz]

.....I do have an underactive thyriod which I take medication for (the lowest dose available).

Yesterday I weighed myself and I was just over 12.5 stone, today i'm 13 (and i've got two sets of scales).....

 

These are the 3 things that leapt out at me.

Have you been to the doctor's recently to have your thyroid activity retested?

Secondly, could water retention be responsible, esp. in this hot weather? My weight drops several pounds overnight & increases throughout the day. I only weigh myself first thing in the day, and only monthly.

Thirdly, well done on the first 3 months, it was a good start, not rubbish in my eyes!

 

Very best wishes for the next stage, let us know how you get along.

[sadietoo]

.....I do have an underactive thyriod which I take medication for (the lowest dose available).

Yesterday I weighed myself and I was just over 12.5 stone, today i'm 13 (and i've got two sets of scales).....

 

These are the 3 things that leapt out at me.

Have you been to the doctor's recently to have your thyroid activity retested?

Secondly, could water retention be responsible, esp. in this hot weather? My weight drops several pounds overnight & increases throughout the day. I only weigh myself first thing in the day, and only monthly.

Thirdly, well done on the first 3 months, it was a good start, not rubbish in my eyes!

 

Very best wishes for the next stage, let us know how you get along.

 

I was going to say the same thing..Have you had your thyroid activity tested recently. Also it's easy to focus too much on weight. I don't think when people look at you that they automatically calculate your weight, they will judge you on how healthy and well you look and confident you are no matter what shape or size you are.

Good luck with your weight loss, but don't let it take over your life. What's important is being healthy, not being thin.

[Plum]

firstly, well done for improving your diet & increasing your exercise, as you say your shape has changed, toned muscle burns calories & weighs more than fat so may explain why your scales are not moving. Its worth looking at your portion sizes, the British Heart Foundation do a brilliant booklet 'so you want to lose weight for good' you can get it on line or from your GP surgery. dont be too hard on yourself.

 

 

I really would follow Tiggy's recommendation. I went to classes based on that book and it changes the way you eat for good and your mindset. You aren't hungry, you eat normal food, no fads and you lose weight. I've lost over 2 stone since last August. It's slow but works.

 

Sounds like you have made a good start and as the others say the fact that your shape has changed shows it is working. There are lots of options for dieting most of which I have tried but they involve fads or combinations. This is the one that's staying with me for life (with the odd slip, not failure!)

 

Good luck with the loss