Problems of weight loss

margaretclare

peachyprice wrote: »

I don't eat three times a day, haven't for years, and doubt I ever will.

I don't eat breakfast, but usually have brunch around 11.30 then dinner at around 7pm. I sometimes have a snack around 4pm, a yoghurt or some fruit or nuts.

As soon as I do eat three times a day, for example on holiday or if we have house guests who expect to eat and us to eat with them, I pile on the pounds and frankly feel quite unwell.

Thank you very much for this.

We went away for a few days the week before last. And what happens? Sandwiches for lunch on the road, then dinner. Dinner! This is the downfall.

I weigh in metric. Sorry about that! When we got back my weight had zoomed up to 74.3 kg. Today, 73.2 kg. Translation: 11 stones 9 pounds and 11 1/2 stones. So, lost 2.2 pounds when back to our normal routine.

inkie

I have really struggled with my weight for the past 15 years. I am finally in the zone to do something about it before it starts affecting my health. I have signed up with a health trainer via my GP. This is a free service for 12 weeks. She has advised me to aim for 1500 calories per day, and this will lead to a steady weight loss of between 1-2 pounds per week, ensuring that it be fat that's burning and not muscle. So far, so good, although I am only on my second week lol! it last week I lost 8pound. I was delighted. Mainly because I have not felt hungry one jot, it seems to have stabilised my blood sugar, and I feel that I have loads of energy.

lostinrates

margaretclare wrote: »

Thanks, Slinky. Slinky??? Sounds familiar, but I don't think you're *my* Slinky from the rest of what you write.

Thank you, okborednow. Like you, I've heard this said, it seemed counter-intuitive and I can't find any scientific support for it. 'If you eat too little you put on weight' - well, there were no fat guys on the Burma Railway. Nor in the concentration camps.

Yes, we do eat fairly low carb and I've read Dr Briffa's book. He's one of the few 'experts' who makes sense. And we've long ago stopped buying anything with the 'low fat' label. Anything low-fat is going to have extra sugar, and it's the dreaded white stuff that we don't need. We do have butter, but the amount we eat is not going to keep any dairy farmer in business. We tend to avoid anything highly-processed or industrially-produced. And needless to say, no ready-meals, no takeaways, nothing like that.

We eventually had lunch about 1.30 - 2 pm and then, we fancied tea and a toasted teacake later when we dropped into Asda. That will be it for me. I shan't want anything else, unless it's half an apple with DH.

A funny story - a year or two back when I was looking at everything, I signed up for Tesco diets on their website. The idea was, they worked out a week's shopping list by which you'd lose a certain amount of weight. One of the items on the list was a packet of jaffacakes. No explanation for that one!!! Needless to say I kicked Tesco into touch.

The concentration camp saying was a sure way to upset dh's great aunt ( now dead). She lost weight slower than some others in the camp she was in. She had PCOS . It got her considerable flack from others who believed she was getting favours for some time. Its also the case that for some rare people to eat significantly in deficit they will suffer malnutrition first, That's what happens to me, and I have to have supplements daily ( prescribed) to make up what I cannot take in calorific ally.

Its my understanding from my body and discussion with my drs etc that what not eating to much can do is lower metabolic rate, so that one is stuck eating less to maintain a loss and that losses cease to be as quick as one would expect on the calorie deficit created.


Eating early in the day boosts the body, but I find it hard and often don't. I find as well as boosting my body ( which I do agree i feel it does) it makes me more peckish, as it boosts all my functions.

Eating the right way for us is pretty much the most important thing of all I think, for me that will never be three times daily, I doubt, but agonising over it is similarly unhealthy.

Carl31

Slinky wrote: »

I was recommended to read Escape the diet trap by Dr John Briffa who advocates a low carb diet. Seems mad to think that you should be eating lots of butter and avoiding grains, but both my husband and I have been doing this for a couple of weeks and have started to lose weight without feeling at all hungry. If nothing else has worked for you, perhaps low carb is worth a look at for you.

This isn't mad at all

its processed carbs that cause people's weight problems, not fat and not proteins

looking_forward_not_back

Hi all
I am what's called a yo yo dieter. I can go 2 weeks sticking religiously to a strict healthy eating plan Then I go off the rails and miss breakfast
(purely because I dont fancy anything) starving by 11am then picking for the rest of the day.
Tried every diet going twice.

Would have my jaws wired if I didn't have false teeth lol

I need to lose approx 2 stone.

Was diagnosed with an under active thyroid last year and have to take tablets for the rest of my life. (no excuses) but you can tend to put on weight with it.

Blimey I just thought In the last couple of weeks I have vowed to become debt free, stop smoking, lose weight, save money,be more organised the list is endless lol

Good luck all

tesuhoha

You would probably do well on the 5:2 diet as you don't get terribly hungry. Because you can eat normally 5 days a week it helps to keep your metabolism going and the weight would go down.

Big_Tree

It is natural to be a bit heavier after retirement age.......

a good way to stimulate the metabolism is having meat and nuts for your breakfast.

example:

2 rashers of grilled bacon and a handful of almonds

or

1 chicken breast and a handful of peanuts


you get the idea I'm sure.

This will make you feel fuller for longer and it means your body will burn fat for longer into the day.

As soon as you wake up the body is burning fat, if you eat protein alone then the fat will continue to burn. If you eat carbs your body instantly starts burning the carbs and stops burning fat.

Eat meat and nuts for breakfast for a month and see how you feel...

margaretclare

Thanks to all for the last few suggestions. I do NOT think I'll be eating meat and nuts for breakfast!

The 5:2 diet - yes, I've read about that. The point is, I want to get away from the idea of 'diet'. Dr Briffa's 'Escape the Diet Trap' makes more sense than anything, and it is based on science. You can probably tell, I have a science background.

I too have an under active thyroid, I take levothyroxine 75 mcg daily. It is important when this is taken. Must be taken on an empty stomach i.e. well before breakfast. That could be part of the long-running mystery.

Stopping smoking is not a problem. In order to stop smoking, I'd have to start, and it's at least 40 years since I ever attempted this bad habit, never again!

I agree with Carl. We avoid anything labelled low fat, reduced fat, anything of the sort.

Lostinrates, eating early in the day is fine for us and it does not make us more peckish.

BigJockKnew, if it is 'natural to be heavier after retirement age', why was I nagged so much by consultants about the effects on my pelvic floor of excessive weight, of the risks of needing further surgery, of the effects on joints e.g. hips and knees. Not one of them thinks that it is 'natural'. I suspect the 'natural' bit is from the widespread habit of tea with a biscuit or 3. I've seen it.

BigAunty

margaretclare wrote: »

According to certain TV programmes for example 'Secret Eaters' or 'Supersize vs Superskinny', all that is needed is to come back a few weeks later having followed a 'healthy eating plan', and hey presto they've lost weight. Bingo. All that was needed was for them to 'eat healthily', 3 balanced meals a day etc etc.
.

I love that programme but that's not my take on the solutions they propose.

They mainly flag up that the affected person has got into incredibly bad but deeply ingrained habits, coupled with an enormous amount of ignorance about the basic nutrition and the effect that their type of eating is having on their body and incredible amounts of delusion and denial about how badly they eating or the quantities of the food.

So once the penny drops and the scales fall from their eyes that shield them from the truth, they then embrace a more regular balanced healthy approach to eating.

If they were told to eat 3 normal size balanced meals at the outset, it wouldn't work, the experts work on their attitudes and behaviours first.

MrsE_2

okborednow wrote: »

I myself have been told many times while trying to lose weight about the dreaded starvation mode! It seemed counter intuitive to me so I've done as much research online as I can. Thus far I've yet to find a single scientific study showing that if you eat too little you will not lose weight. Looking at things logically your body needs a certain number of calories each day to live and if they don't come from food they have to come from somewhere. The only time it wouldn't burn fat is if you physically had no fat left to burn...not a big problem for most of us I'm guessing! So I would not worry at all about only eating 2 meals a day do what ever works best for you.

If eating very little didn't work, then anorexics wouldn't be stick then.
I have a underactive thyroid, I'm well into the menopause & I'm on HRT.
I need to diet, HARD to loose weight.