I could really do with some pointers - I've been dieting on and off for just under a year and in the beginning shed 9lbs very quickly. However I'm now at 11st 7lb (height 5ft 7) and just cannot seem to get under that weight. I'm desperate to lose a stone, but am just finding that from one day to the next my weight can fluctuate by 2 or 3 lbs. E.g on Sunday I had gone up to 11st 11, then on Tuesday back to 11st 7 and now today 11st 10 - aaaarghh!!!
I'm exercising regularly (I cycle 5 miles to work and then back) and run etc, and am following weight watchers -anyone got any tips!? I just can't believe it's this hard!

I think the best thing is not to weigh yourself daily as it does become an obsession & any gain can be very demoralizing. Your weight does vary from day to day & so it is best to only weigh yourself once a week at the same time of the day.

I don't like WW - sorry to those who do. I have done it twice, reached my target & within 2 years put it all back on - with interest.

I have now decided the best way is to eat sensibly, which we all know how to do, reduce your portion size (use smaller plates) & try not to snack between meals or eat the children's leftovers. Drinking lots of watwer helps to dull your appetite too.

I have increased my exercise so that I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week in addition to walking the dog & with sensible eating (give or take the odd lapse), I have lost 5kgs since October. Yes, my weight has had its ups & downs & plateaus over the last 5 months & it has been hard work but the general trend is down.

So don't get demoralized, if you are exercising regularly, eating sensibly & not getting hung up about your lack of weight loss, it will happen! Hang in there & keeping thinking positively!!

Also muscle weighs more than fat, definitely worth bearing that in mind. And you can do as much exercise as you like, but if you are still eating the same amount or more as before then you won't lose weight, best thing is to eat small meals more often - such as 4 or 5 meals a day - that way you will help speed your metabolism up. And drink masses of water.
Good luck.

Yep I agree with FW weigh once a fortnight...don't forget certain times of the menstrual cycle you will be heavier and your body will need approx 200 cals more/drink masses of water you will weigh heavier.
I always think successful weight loss is when your clothes are noticeably looser. I always measure bust, waist, hips and note the loss weekly sometimes nothing sometimes .5 cm, then you notice the loss.
Good on you with the cycling!
Oh and your body is probably used to less food after a year of dieting. Have you tried cutting out all wheat or dairy or sugar completely that will make a difference.

Yep I agree with FW weigh once a fortnight...don't forget certain times of the menstrual cycle you will be heavier and your body will need approx 200 cals more/drink masses of water you will weigh heavier.
I always think successful weight loss is when your clothes are noticeably looser. I always measure bust, waist, hips and note the loss weekly sometimes nothing sometimes .5 cm, then you notice the loss.
Good on you with the cycling!
Oh and your body is probably used to less food after a year of dieting. Have you tried cutting out all wheat or dairy or sugar completely that will make a difference.

How about all of you out there who have lost 10lb since Jan 1st tell us how you did it?

Hi Joanne

I think it is good to hear what works as well as the negatives. I had been in a negative cycle of being unable to make inroads into the slowly insidiously creeping (upwards) weight but just found the motivation to make long term small changes. The major one was really a health issue. Or rather several. Familial risk of Heart problems, recent elevated BP and cholesterol, late onset asthma etc were responding slowly to medication and although not very overweight and being told I don’t need to lose weight etc, a surprising upwards trend in some tests galvanised me to finally recognise my danger points and ‘blind spots’ and take control. After all, I only have one heart, one body….. and there is s till a lot I want to do!

So, having lost 5 kg since Jan 1st and toned up and, and hoping to manage another 4/5 Kg (sustainable) by May, here’s what I have done.

1. It helps that I am a bit of a control freak. If something (anything) is not working right, I will analyse and take control of any changeable aspects.
2. It also helps that I a) am NOT a snacker by nature and b) I do not have a sweet tooth/like chocolate overly. I eat 3 times a day and am NOT hungry/tempted in between.
3. I kept (still do) a very detailed food/exercise diary. I include measured quantities (NOT calories). I include ALL drinks, sleep, alcohol units etc as well as every morsel I eat, how and when and mood. Helped me to recognise the dangers. Portion sizes and empty calories in alcohol or pre dinner nibbles.
4. I weigh daily/ record weekly. Yes there are fluctuations (hormones activity levels, eating patterns etc) but if weight has increased with NO specific obvious reason, then I look at day before and see what I may have over indulged in. When required I re â€"balance the following day or so,
5. My motivation. a) Health. â€" turned 50. Have a few aches and pains, a few readings (BP/Chol) higher than is good for me, and want to stay as fit as I can for as long as I can.. If you have more than 1.5 st to lose to be in ‘healthy’ weight band, consider having these things checked if you haven’t done so. It can be good to frighten your self into taking action. b) Vanity (with little real cause). I want to look good as well as feel good and keep well. C) Clothes. I like to wear nice clothes. Have a good wardrobe and am blowed if I am going to throw it all out because I cannot control what I put in my mouth or get my rear into gear and move it more.
6. Alcohol. Never a big drinker, but now I plan to have 1 (at most 2) glasses wine three nights a week (fri/sat/sun) only.
7. SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY does it. Eat much more slowly, really savouring every mouthful. It IS possible to be a gourmet (I .love my food/cooking) without being a glutton.
8. Observe habits. What am I eating/craving and why am I eating/craving it. Replace the habit/reward with something else. (massage, lipstick etc)
9. At end of every day, I congratulate myself. On having done WHATEVER I have done. No beating up. And then I set a target for next day.
10. Figuring out what my obstructions were. Mainly it was lack of specific exercise. Not because I dislike it but because I like other things (reading/writing/thinking- sedentary pastimes) more. Lifestyle. I work from home and can be glued (happily) to PC from 6 am to 10 pm and usually well dressed so making effort in middle of day to go for walk/run or gym etc was off putting. Now have changed my way of thinking. I pull on exercise gear when I get up and change to ‘office mode’ after a long walk/gym/home programme, usually by lunchtime.)
11. Awareness of WHAT I eat/drink. E.g. Fruit juices and fruit snacks. Good for you, but still high in calories, albeit natural. I have 5 fl oz fruit juice, usually diluted 50:50 with water (tap). More thirst quenching, fewer calories and count towards water intake.
12. Bribe myself to drink at least 1 ltr water a day on top of coffee (contains water), squash, soda etc. Do so by NOT allowing 2nd cup coffee until 1st 500 ml bottle (tap filled) has been consumed. Same in afternoon.
13. NEVER EVER EVER eat between meal or after meals unless it is planned. If I snack or crave something (today â€" hormone related!! â€" it was salt/crisps and sweet) unless I balance the input with cutting the same cals (approx) from a meal. Occasionally, if I crave cheese, crisps, chocolate, I actually plan for them to be my lunch.
14. EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE. I try and ensure at least 30 (preferably 60) ins a day specific calorie burning exercise. A home gym programme, a brisk (4 mph or faster) walk or gym session/tennis/swim. For me, variety is the key. And making an appointment as concrete as seeing the bank manager for a loan.
15. No excuses! Today had planned a home training session but being peri-menopausal, a bit of a surprise hit. I opted for a 40 minute walk to town (moderate pace) and 20 mins remedial stretching and physio exercises.

It’s a bit of an essay but if anything helps anyone, worth it.

Good luck to everyone no matter how much or how little you are trying to change. It’s never easy, and gets harder as you get older. But there are genuine good news stories out there. I am looking forward to reading other methods. So come on. Share every little success, or even every little 'trip' and how you got back on track.

Carol

Thanks carol, I thought I was focused, but can see from reading what you do that I can still make changes. I think i must graze too much during the day, even though its fruit. I thought that doing that would keep my blood sugar more constant and stop rebound scoffing!
Yesterday i took the kids to the cinema and sat amidst their popcorn with a punnet of cherries feeling very virtuous! (but slightly fed up!)
Do you find though that you avoid social things cos you don't want the calories?

Hi Joanne

The simple answer to your last point, from a purely personal perspective, is NO! For me, planning is essential. Our lives are NOT a mad social whirl and I am seldom in places where others are always eating or there is often food available. (Live in rural village, work from home). More often than not, we entertain at home so I have control. BUT, if we are going to cinema,or a meal out, or to friends, or coffee and buns) I build that anticipated extra ‘fuel’ into my day. Meet a friend for coffee at 11 and I either SAY NO to cake (Not having a sweet tooth and not normally eating between meals makes this fairly easy FOR ME) just have coffee, OR really cut breakfast to a minimum (a banana or a small smoothie) AND keep lunch extra light â€" (small h/m light soup, NO bread/salad). For me, it’s about planning and balancing.

Being aware of what you are eating/fdrinking is also key. Some people may be shocked to realise that they can clock up 1/2 days calorie NEED in a muffin and a creamy latte!!!

But then, I don’t have the distractions that others do. And as I said before, snacking is NOT a habit for me. I eat a good breakfast (porridge or Meusli & fruit or boiled egg, toast & honey) about 8:30 (often working - with coffee, juice and water - from 6:30), a simple lunch (soup or couscous, or sardines or avocado and tomato on toast) at about 1:30 (I do not like lots of carbs middle of day) and home cooked family meal, kept light (chicken and pepper fajitas, risotto, chilli, baked fish with veg, chicken one pot dishes) at about 7:00 pm. I don't eat other than in the klitchen/dinning room! Then kitchen is 'closed' and I do not eat again until breakfast. I do not want food, think about food (well I do, but not in an I want it way) or for that matter have snack food available in the house. My son likes some crisp type snacks, thankfully flavours I cannot abide!

I watch my portions very carefully, especially the carbs and protein. Seldom have more than 4oz portion of meat/fish, just little more (5 â€" 6 oz dry weight rice/pasta etc) since portions size was obviously MY downfall.

Saying that, I haven’t a huge amount of weight to lose but it was creeping insidiously upwards and hitting 50 I wanted to stop the rot. My target was for 1.5 st over 5 months and I had found trying to shift this, or halt the spread, over the past year or so become harder. I THOUGHT I was already doing as much as I could, but clearly not. It is now starting to shift and I feel so much better.

Exercise is a major thing though. I have to force myself but just getting moving (I am lucky, I have a variety of beautiful walks and lovely countryside from my front door, ranging from 1.5 to 4 miles and I do them briskly) makes a world of difference. I engaged a personal trainer (hitting my bank balance hard is good motivation) to help focus on core strength (as well as overcome some injury/health issues) and stamina/endurance building.

Could I take a few points out of your post and offer some questions/thoughts?

You said you may ‘graze’ too much albeit it on GOOD things. As I mentioned before, many good things contain lots of calories Your cherries for example probably had MORE calories than a small salted popcorn. Grazing to me is not a good pattern/phrase for meeting your bodies fuel needs. Can you think of eating planned things at planned time - 5 times a day is good. Three small meals (if you need pudding/sweet, make it a fruit snack an hour or more after your meal and keep real pudding to weekend treat) PLUS two small nutritious snacks (it can help to ‘take’ these from your normal meal â€" just spreading the eating out) rather than adding MORE calories.

You mentioned blood sugar levels. Are you diabetic? If so, there may be better ways of controlling slumps. Again, I think it is about planning and being prepared. Are you eating balanced meals at least three times a day â€" things to keep you feeling full?

The building blocks your body needs to maintain energy are largely carbs (low GI if you can) and high quality protein. If you are ‘grazing’ on too many calorie dense/energy light foods you will continue to feel hungry. Also, drink/fluid. Water if you think you want to eat, especially if many foods you eat do NOT contain much water.

Then you mentioned the Cinema trip. I am guessing your children are a lot younger than mine. Some questions to consider, not necessarily answer here.

What time were you at the cinema? When had you had your last meal? What was it? When was your next meal going to be? What was it going to be? CRUNCH question…. WHY did you/your party feel the need to eat ANYTHING whilst watching film? The cherries, whilst 'good' were quite possibly as high if not higher in calories than the popcorn you obviously felt deprived of.

This brings in to question the individual (not you particularly) attitude to ‘treats’ and denial. Again, it’s back to planning and preparation. If you really want to have a bucket of popcorn at cinema (I’ll be honest, I think it’s filthy stuff, smells like old vomit and it disgusts me having to step over/through dozens of empty/spilled buckets all over the cinema…) decide what you will skip from other meal/day that week to make it part of your overall intake. Then enjoy.

My final point would be to consider keeping a meticulous food diary for a week or so. Include portion sizes/quantities of everything you consume â€" from how large the glass of fruit juice is at breakfast, how many ounces of cherries/grapes, how many spoonfuls casserole etc on plate and ALL snacks. Include drinks, tea/coffee (with milk/sugar, water, squash and soda’s, and alcohol, all bits from children’s plate (Yes, I realised years ago I could consume an adult meals worth of calories from their left behinds!!) Also put down ALL physical activity (include housework, gardening, walking kids to school, chasing them round house as well as specific exercise).
At end of each days’ list write a sentence or two to describe how you feel about what you ate/did, when and why. Many people eat out of habit, boredom, because others are (work mates on different lunch schedules) etc. You should be able to clearly see the danger areas/times/foods and seek solutions, a step at a time. Not buying…. staying away from… saying NO thanks… taking one spoonful OFF your plate before eating….

Good luck. I eally bellieve the KEY is each individual to examine tehri habits and SEE what they are doing/eating/not doing that that is WRONG for their body's needs.

Good luck.
I’ve written another essay. Best stop there.

Actually keeping a food diary is very revealing - it's amazing how many little things end up in your stomach but when you think about the day's consumption you forget about them - which then leads to you questioning why you can't lose weight. However if you note everything down as you eat it, it very easy to see where the extra lbs are coming from.
Would definitely recommend it if you are trying to lose weight.

Emma you're absolutely right.

And I've found that if you get out a little notebook in a restaurant and start scribbling notes, all of a sudden the service gets so much better, as they think you're a restaurant critic!

That's hilarious! - I am definitely going to follow that tip from now on.

I am following the Paul McKenna "I can make you thin" programme and he says only to weight once a month as you can fluctuate week to week by up to 4lbs which explains why one day you weighed 11.11 then the next 11.7 (must say I still don't understand myself how this can be possible).

I am trying only to weigh once a month as on the weeks when I have been weighing weekly, if I don't lose anything it demotivates me so weighing once a month is good for me and I can tell in my clothes that I am losing fat as they are looser so use this method of keeping me on track.

Also I wonder whether 11.7 is the weight that your body thinks you should be. I am 5.6 and because have a fair bit of muscle and medium bones my weight goal is around11 stone as I think this s right for my body.

Good luck and I hope you get to a weight you feel happy at.

We have lost a stone in a month, just by cutting out kebabs, KFC, crisps and choccies. Replace with healthy meals, fruit, yogurts and veggies.
Alcohol hasn't been stopped, but has decreased (being on anti-biotics for a fortnight helped break the habit!).

The biggest thing has been fitting in 30 mins of exercise 5 days a week: we've found it best to get it over with first thing, before work, or else you dread it all day. We spent the 30 minutes watching breakfast news but now the telly stays off and we swim or walk instead.

I would say that 11 stone 7 lbs for someone who does a lot of exercise and is 5 feet 7 inches tall, is within a normal weight range.

I am 5 feet 8 inches, and it does sound very depressing when your weight is well over 11 stone, as it doesn't sound very healthy or feminine, but remember you will weigh more than the average woman because you are taller than the average woman! At this sort of height, unless you are built like a stick, you are never going to me a 9 stone size 8!

I was in a shop the other day and overheard two women talking about attending a weightwatchers type of class - one of them was complaining that she had gone up to 9 stone something, and I had a small pang of jealously... but when I looked she was considerably shorter than I am and that weight might be ideal for her, it certainly wouldn't be for me. I haven't weighed 9 stone something since I was a child, and neither should I!

Although I weigh about 11.5 stone (I do a lot of exercise, both cardio and weights), I am still a size 10 to 12 and that wouldn't be the case if I was 5 foot 2! Don't obsess with your weight alone - you need to consider your height too.

I don't worry too much about my weight now, but try to concentrate more on reducing my body fat percentage, as I think that is a better indication of how healthy your body is.

Hi Everyone,

I weighed myself before I came out and I've found that I've put on 2LBS again and its time of the month at the moment, I've been drinking water and I even walked to college this morning, I've made myself a big salad and I've got myself a 1 litre bottle of water! I've stayed off the alcohol and only drink fruit juice so where am I going wrong, my salad doesn't contain any cream or oil or sauces of any kind?

Firstly, if it's your time of the month that will probably explain it - I don't weigh myself during that time because I know that I will gain 2 or 3 lbs, but it does go again (it is fluid retention).

Secondly, you say you only drink fruit juice - fruit juice is very high in calories and is OK for a glass at breakfast for example, but if you are drinking a lot of it through the day that will account for a lot of extra calories that you are perhaps not appreciating?

hi Teresa

that will explain why i've not been losing any weight! thank you, thank you thank you!

Usually when i meet my dad i have a cordial and soda with ice, is that ok? i have left a report on my profile?

Hi Lisa,

I know how you feel - my good days of dieting seem to have an effect about a week later - often when I get fed up with no response. From experience I know that I've just got to keep on counting the calories and stay motivated, then I'm rewarded by the weight loss later.

Good luck

Hi Sue

I will keep going regardless of those that don't notice or care like my dad, it would be nice if he is pleased with what i'm doing, my mum seems to notice that i have lost weight and i'm noticing because my trousers are now to big even with a belt! but i just can't seem to stay out of greggs the bakers as i've just brought a creamy egg mayo on wholemeal but that was because i'm disorganised today. i've come into college sponaneously even though i've got an exam today. I will however try and keep my chin up and keep smiling! how are you?

Hello,

First time I have posted on the site and I'm in the need of some advice. I've got 7lbs to lose until I'll be happy with my weight but I seem to have stalled at 9 stone for the past 3 weeks. I think I'm eating well (trying not to eat to eat rubbish) and exercising 5 times a week for a hour.

Do you have any advice as to how I can kick start my system into losing weight .

Thanks
Vonnie

Hi Yvonne

Welcome to the site.

You say you've stalled at 9 stone, and you also exercise 5 times a week for an hour.

How tall are you? Why do you want to get to 8 and a half stone?

Nine stone sounds quite a good weight to be, and if you do a lot of exercise you will presumably have a lot of muscle (which weighs heavier than fat). I wonder whether you have just reached your natural weight? Unless you are very small built 8.5 stone might be just too light for you. What is your BMI (remember that this will be higher than "average" too if you are muscular for your frame).

Try to go more by your measurements and how your clothes feel than just weight alone.

Hi Teresa,

I'm 5 ft 3. Would like to get to 8 1/2 stone as I managed to get down that weight 5 years ago so I guess I've just got it into my head that thats the weight I'd like to be. BMI is normal, but if I'm honest if I can manage to lose inches and have my clothes feel looser I'd be happy but even that seems to have stalled. Got a pair of jeans that are my skinny jeans so I've been using that as a guide.

When you look back at what you weighed 5 years ago, did you do the same level of exercise then? If you didn't, you could find that you body shape will be different even though you could be the same weight, or you might find that you weigh more now but you could be the same size, depending on your muscle/fat ratio.

You are well within your healthy weight range, so I wouldn't worry too much about your weight. Try changing your exercise routine - do you do weights or toning exercises as well as cardio stuff? Mixing it up a bit might give you a kick start.

Also, the temptation when you don't lose weight is to cut back on the calories even more, but you need to be eating enough or your body will just go into starvation mode. Try writing down everything for a few days (to give you an average), then work out the calories you are eating compared to the calories you need (including exercise). Try not to go below 85%. If you are below this, eating more might result in the weight dropping again.

Finally, don't expect spectacular weekly weight losses when you have such little weight to shift. Try weighing yourself less often - perhaps once a month or once a fortnight (if you can't wait that long) so you have something to see.

HTH

I don't know if this is bad but I'm currently wearing a pair of my old size 12's jeans even though i'm 12.2ish stone? and i'd like to get down to 11st 5 or 10.5. my height is only a rough guess!

I completely understand how you feel. I has taken me 4 months to lose 13lbs - this is unheard of for me - when i was younger could have done it in 2 months!

it sound slike your doing everything right, the only things i can suggest that have worked for me when i have hit my many plateus are...
- write down everything you eat - i know its tedious working out points but its the only way
- cut back on bread/pasta
- drink lots of water
- add some variety into your exercise routines, especially with your running, there were recently some excellent interval training runs in zest magazine. do you run at the gym? if you do try using different machines, like the cross trainer

finally if you are following the points plan, why not switch to the core plan for a week?
good luck, i know how frustrating it it but dont be too hard on yourself and dont give up
hope this helps
Catherine

"I don't know if this is bad but I'm currently wearing a pair of my old size 12's jeans even though i'm 12.2ish stone?"

(not sure how to do the "Quoting" thing)

I wish I could have fitted into size 12 jeans and be 12.2 stone. It is clear that height has a lot to do with it.

I started a size 16, 11.11 stone and I am now down to 10.7 (this morning), I am eyeing up my size 12 trousers but I don't think they will quite fit yet! I am 5'3". So I am so jealous of you fitting into your size 12 jeans!
Want to be a comfortable size 12 by summer.

Don't we all! LOL!

My pair of size 12's are a pair from Dorothy Perkins and they are more stretchy, I would like to get down to a size 10 or just be fit so i can feel just as good when i'm with my beautiful friends!

I'm now finding that i can down a 1 litre bottle of water with in 30mins!