Onwards & Downwards: April 2018

[AB Editor]

Hi all! Hope everyone had a good Easter - I have had a lot of eggs bestowed upon me, which will keep me going for a month or so if I practise enough moderation. How is everyone else doing?

Here is the thread from March:
https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Weight-Loss-and-Dieting/Question1595839.html

[Old_Geezer]

Cheers Ed.
As usual, bought my woman an Easter egg, but she insisted on sharing it with me. It's a tough job but somebody has to consume it.

[Quoi]

I have only recently noticed this little corner of AB and thought maybe I could ask you guys a question. Apologies if its over detailed.
I decided to lose weight in Nov 2017 - I was about 15st(6ft tall) - I cut the crisps and the kiplings cakes and cadburies buttons and swapped toast in the morning for protein in the form of 2 poached eggs. I also started walking 3 miles for 4 out of 7 days a week at about 15mins per mile pace.
I lost about a stone and today weigh 13st 11lb but.....
I have been that weight for 2 months now and it wont move! I now walk between 5 and 7 miles (4 times a week) and my lunch is always salad with some protein - chicken etc and my evening meal is vegetable balanced and medium sized not large sized.
I drink 12-15 cups of tea through the day and snack on carrot sticks.
I can feel and see fat disappearing - just not showing on the scales and veeeery slowly.
My question is - what shall I try next or should I carry on being patient?

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps it's getting replaced by muscle.

Make sure you aren't eating too few calories.

The body seems to settle on particular weights it tries to maintain. Maybe you might consider a short period of extra effort to try to kickstart another drop. But I'm not the one to advise really, I've been stuck for ages.

[Quoi]

I agree about the muscle mass - my legs are definitely swapping flab for muscle but not massively. I thought after a while the muscle over took the weight differencce as it burns even more fat the more muscle you have.
I was tracking my calories very particularly for about 2 months and I think that currently my daily 'calories-in' are on average 1400 - I track the walking using a fitbit app and my 'calories-out' averages at 2000. The app shows that this week I have a calorie deficit of -4500 - that has been to same (or thereabouts) for the last 6 weeks - i was expecting a least a little movement downwards but its been almost exact wavering only by 1 pound.
OG - I was aware of too few calories and the body going into starvation mode but I dont think thats the case - I never feel the slightest bit hungry on what I eat - it makes me doubt my calorie counting or the value of the exercise.
I suppose I really WANT my belly to reduce a bit more - I know fat loss cant be selective.

[Old_Geezer]

IME that's the last place it shifts from.
Check face and limbs first.

[Quoi]

Thanks OG - so should I reduce calories or do some different exercise or just wait?
I was thinking possibly of a 5:2 type of thing by just reducing calories on a couple of days - they say this prevents the starvation mode.
I'd like to just kick start the downwards movement again.

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect, if you're sure you're eating enough, that reducing further for a short period might help. The idea being not to be permanently eating less but convincing the body that a different default should be maintained.

[xstitcher]

Good morning all, whoops up a pound...it was the potatoes that were roasted under the lamb what done it. ....back to normal now so weight should get back too in a few days.
Quoi wow! I admire your perseverance. I just lost 20 kilos with the help of a dietician who figured out how much of everything I needed to eat. Perhaps you could get a professional to figure this out for you. There is no doubt that your walking is helping enormously for many things so keep it up even if you have to minimise it. As some have pointed out muscles weigh more than fat. Keep up the good work and please stay in touch.

[ummmm]

Quoi - measure yourself.

[Old_Geezer]

2.6 lbs up. For reasons not overly clear, at present, it was a high gain weekend.

[Quoi]

Morning all - Thanks for your comments so far. xstitcher - I have been investigating the effects of protein vs carbs on the internet & steadily swapped them over. Ummm the only thing I have been measuring is my waist that has been reducing steadily - no more notches to go on my belt so I will have to make a new one shortly.
I walked 8 miles last night in just over two hours which is a total of 22 miles for the week - weight this morning - the same as last week.

[wendilla]

Morning all well no weight loss again despite having a few salad days .looks like we are all on he naughty step this week .i know part of my problem is I don't walk enough but will do when weather changes .

[xstitcher]

Good morning all, I’m back where I want to be so that’s fine until the next time we have lamb potatoes I guess.
Tried frozen runner beans last night.....YUK! Definitely a one off. The fresh ones are fine. I can see asparagus has arrived and love it, the green not the white. I think the white have next to no taste so you have to have some sort of sauce with it that is always full of the naughty stuff AND you have to peel it.

[Old_Geezer]

You're supposed to defrost them !

[Old_Geezer]

A ridiculous week. Was climbing unbelievably at first, but seem to have dropped back again, somehow. Same as last Wednesday.

[wendilla]

Forgot to weigh this morning so will leave it now till next Wednesday . Hopefully scales will move when it gets warmer .

[xstitcher]

Good morning all,
Spring definitely has now sprung here this week.....better late than never. My weight has been going down oh so slowly but in the right direction which pleases me. Are you summer salad eaters into your "crunchies". Here we have a variety of low fat creme fraiche type dairy products that are great for creating your own dressings with the addition of fresh herbs. I don’t know what yours are callled.

[wendilla]

Morning another forget to weigh day but will do it tomorrow .weather improving for a few days then probably back to normal .So wont rush out for all the salad yet .