Why can't I lose weight?

Yazmina

I got married in August 2012 and I've since put on two stone, which I never managed to shift. I am 42, 5'3 and 12st/78kg. I've tried swimming classes, cycling, pilates and zumba.

Below I have listed my calories and step counts for the last week of March. This is a typical week for me in terms of calories and activity. The actual items I eat might vary, eg pasta or steamed plantain instead of white rice. Any constructive feedback on what I'm doing wrong is welcome.

Unless otherwise stated, all the meals are home made from scratch.

Sun
Breakfast: Low fat cheese toastie with wholemeal bread. A bit of smoked salmon.

1 cream cracker

Lunch: Chicken breast, tomato n veg stew. White rice and 1 chapati.

Dinner:, Chicken breast, tomato n veg stew. White rice, half chapati.

Pretzels. Fruit salad. Tea, water. 1000 steps.! Spent most of the day at home.

Mon:

Breakfast: Croissant, Peppermint tea.! Had to travel for work, no chance of proper breakfast.

Lunch:, Subway 6 inch turkey salad, gherkins, chillies.! A bit too much mayo (the server just blobbed it on).

Dinner: White rice, half chapati.
A bit of yesterday's Chicken breast, tomato n veg stew, & a bit of low fat Minced beef in tomato sauce. Mixed veg.
Fruit salad. 1 glass of Fruit squash. 4 tangerines.
8054 steps.

Tues:
Breakfast: Bowl of waitrose dried fruit, oat, wheat, rice crunchy cereal. Skimmed milk.

2 small apples.

Lunch: Salad Lettuce, cucumber, pepper. No dressing. (1ltr lunch box). 1/2 tin of mixed beans,! 1 small chicken breast. Small banana. Fruit salad.
11520 steps

Dinner: Salmon steak. White rice, spinach & mixed veg.
Peppermint tea. Water.

Weds
Breakfast: bowl of waitrose dried fruit, oat, wheat, rice crunchy cereal. Skimmed milk.

3 apples. Tea skimmed milk, no sugar. 5 mint sweets.

Lunch: Salad (1ltr lunch box). Tinned mackerel in olive oil, drained off most of the oil. No dressing.

Small pack of snack a jacks. 3 cream crackers with flora Pro active. 10838 steps.

Dinner: Quinoa n veg stir fry with salmon steak. Glass of water. Fruit salad.

Thurs
Breakfast: Bowl of waitrose dried fruit, oat, wheat, rice crunchy cereal. Skimmed milk.

Tea skimmed milk no sugar. Hot water.
1 small apple. 2x Oat & maple syrup bar.

Lunch: Salad Lettuce, sweet pepper, boiled quinoa. No dressing. (1ltr lunch box). Smoked salmon. Rather dry and boring. 11258 steps

Dinner: 2x baked skinless chicken thigh, Quinoa n veg stir fry. (2 slices of! bacon because the pack had been open for a while & it needed using up. Would not normally have bacon as a side).

Fri (working from home)
Breakfast: 2x Rye bread, boiled egg, bit of low fat cheddar, bit of smoked salmon. Tea, skimmed milk no sugar

3 dry cream crackers
5 cream crackers with flora Pro activ

Wine gums.

Dinner: 2x baked skinless chicken thigh & medium jacket potato. Low fat cheese, two small blobs of mozzarella, baked beans. Ran out of veg.

Grapes. Water. 7055 steps.

Sat
Breakfast: 3x smal slice rye bread
Peppermint tea with honey

Lunch: Half a cheese toastie. Granary bread Low fat cheese & flora Pro active. 1 small apple. 1 tangerine.

Dinner: Medium jacket potato, low fat cheese, 2 rashers bacon. 4 mushrooms (shallow fried,) 6 broccoli florets and mixed veg.

Pretzels. Fruit salad. Hot water & Lemon. 10745 steps.

Sun
Lunch: Scrambled egg with mushrooms, sweet pepper and bacon. 2x granary bread. Fruit salad, tea, semi skimmed milk, no sugar.

Pretzels

Dinner: 1/4 sea bass, spicy tomato sauce, white rice, spinach and mixed veg. 1 glass Cranberry squash, lemon water. Fruit salad. 9034 steps.
(Sunday's step count is exceptional. I'd normally be in my car).

Thank you for any constructive help!

MovingForwards

Download the my fitness Pal app and key in your foods, you will see where you are eating too much or the wrong things.

Subway, pretzels, chapattis and bacon I would get rid of for starters.

Calpol4life

MovingForwards wrote: »

Download the my fitness Pal app and key in your foods, you will see where you are eating too much or the wrong things.

Subway, pretzels, chapattis and bacon I would get rid of for starters.

Yeah you don’t want all of them as a starter!

That could be the problem!

Yazmina

OK, another thing. Most of my exercise takes place during my commute to and from work. I have a full time desk job. As I manage to meet my step target every weekday and a bit more on Saturdays, does this make me active or only lightly active?

asajj

I'd say lightly active. Things like pretzels, chapati, white rice are basically sugar. Dried fruit would be full of sugar. I'd replace/cut them. Try to do some workout at home. If you aren't sure, perhaps check some Zumba videos on Youtube as a start.

Ms_Chocaholic

What's your portion size like?
Definitely download MFP and input what you're eating, you might be in for a shock.

Yazmina

Cutting out the chapattis and white rice didn't change anything though. ☹️ We often eat steamed plantains as an alternative, just not this week. I still haven't lost weight.

Fuzzy39

The MyFitnessPal app is a great, I use it all the time. Not convinced that counting steps is enough exercise unless you seriously cut back on the carbs/sugars. I would suggest running. Park runs are a favourite and most cities have them now, and it’s free!

Yazmina

The thing with calorie counters is that they are a total pain. I`m changing my breakfast from tomorrow. I've got bran flakes, sunflower and pumpkin seeds all mixed together in a container. A calorie counter will require me to enter how many sunflower and pumpkin seeds I eat because they contain fats ��

Yazmina

Fuzzy39 wrote: »

The MyFitnessPal app is a great, I use it all the time. Not convinced that counting steps is enough exercise unless you seriously cut back on the carbs/sugars. I would suggest running. Park runs are a favourite and most cities have them now, and it’s free!

I've been attempting the park run, but as I am such a giant heifer and the course is mainly uphill I can only manage half of it.

Socajam

Buy yourself a scale - you are going to shocked at how things weigh
I tried myfitnesspal a couple of years ago and lost 24 lbs, then I got complacent and I am back to losing yet again.
As someone said, get rid of the white stuff - rice, bread, go easy on the plantains.
Instead of bread have Ryvitas - I eat 4 of those which comes to 140 calories - let me loose on bread and I could eat 2 wholewheat rolls.
Go easy on the sunflower/pumpkin seeds - my downfall
I have grown to love chickpeas - as non meat/chicken/eggs eater - I use as my scrambled eggs with a little chese and it comes out real nice. Google scrambled chick peas.
Summer is coming try eat a lot more greens - lettuce, chick peas, lentils, peppers, cucumbers, red onions (if you can) 1/2 apples, tomatoes, 4 oz of chicken cut up small or salmon - squeeze of fresh lemon and olive oil (1-2 tbs no more as the calories are very high).
You also need cardio, I have started my walking programme and plan to walk at least 5 miles or 700 calories per day x 5 days = 3500 calories = 1 lb lost.
It's really hard, but you have to be very discipline, and don't forget treat yourself, your the strain becomes too much.
Also don't forget to drink water, we need it.