I havnt been as heavy as my current weight for about 3 years. i have stopped drinking, am eating 1400 cals a day and exercising at the gym (5k runs)but havnt lost a pound in the first week of my diet!!! isnt the first week supposed to be when you lose the most weight? any ideas/suggestions

What are you actually eating within those 1400 cals? What is your current weight?

i am eating a varied and balanced diet - cereal or boiled eggs for breakfast, salads or sandwiches for luch, stirfries, small amounts of pasta with veg or anything meat or fish based with salad or veg. I weigh 10.11 which is too much for me. i have tried every diet going and always get bored and give up! any ideas?

It sounds like you're doing everything right. Weight can alter due to water retention as well as actual fat. Give it another week, I'm sure you'll start to lose if you keep doing as you have been.

Good luck!
Jeanette

It could be that you are eating too little. 1400 calories a day is not a lot and quite possibly your body is 'hanging onto everything it can get' and your metabolism could be slower as a result. A 10 stone woman should consume about 2300 calories a day to maintain, and knock of about 500 calories for a loss of about a lb per week. That leaves 1800 - quite a bit more. Perhaps eat accordingly with healthy choices, and exercise more to give your metabolism a boost. Using resistance exercises to tone up muscles will result in muscles buning a lot of those calories too.

totally agree - 1400 cals is never enough when you are doing intensive exercise as well. Up your intake of healthy foods and watch the weight fall off...!!

Completely agree with Steph and Mairead. 1400 calories only? not much there. Oh and can I just comment that by the looks of your photo you definitely do not look like you need to lose any weight. Wish I was as slim as you.

also make sure you're drinking plenty of water....and dont go too mad on the pasta after 5 pm..?
also maybe you're not losing weight but gaining muscle or your body composition is changing?!

thanks very much for all the support, very kind and helpful

I can recommend Rosemary Conley cook books for good advice and a range of recipes on the low fat side of life. Her diet advice is very sensible; eat low fat and take regular exercise.

I lost weight going to one of her franchised clubs. Can't make them now so I thought this was a good alternative.

If you've just startedexercising more you may not see a loss for a week or so - I have found this in the past. But stick to it as it will work.

Catherine, don't forget how long it took you to put on the weight - maybe it's crept on over a year, two or more? So we shouldn't be despondent when it takes a few months to take it off again - I'm guilty of this and want too-quick results.... after just a few days, I start checking the mirror and my waistband - sadly, it takes a bit more to 'drop a dress size'!! Good luck anyway.

The only 'diet plan' that has ever worked for me is Matt Roberts' Fat Loss Plan and it worked splendidly! It's all in there - delicious meal suggestions and recipes, exercise regimes and loads of encouragement. Try it!

Hi I am on a sponsored slim and was concerned as last week (only the second weigh in) I had not lost a single pound. I have kept up the healthy eating and exercise and this week two pounds have come off.

Try not to get disheartened as people told me, which was right as two pounds came off this week, I am putting it down to putting on muscle.

Also I keep a weekly check on my measurements in particular chest, waist and hips and even though last week had not lost weight had lost an inch off each part therefore fat is coming off and needless to say the pounds will come along at some point too. Good luck - go girl.

I agree re the measurements. A close friend of mine went on a healthy eating and exercise regime. We met once a week at the gym and to me she looked slimmer every time I saw her but she swore her weight on the scales had remained the same.
So I can only echo what everyone else has said and try not to get too despondent.

Hi Catherine

First of all I agree that 1400 a day may too little. You look quite tall from your photo but if an average (not very active) woman needs 2000 - 2200 to maintain weight and cutting 500 is required to lose, then since you exercise regularly (is the 5k run daily?) I would have thought 1500 - 1600 or even slightly more would be better. Try adding two healthy 100 - 150 cal snacks. See below....

Being in a what I think is a similar position I have done the following three things:

1. split the calories/(I don't count, just use sensible portions/ingredients etc) from three meals over 5. So for example, the fruit I might have with my porridge or before my boiled egg, I save for mid morning. Likewise with a fruit or portion of lunch or dinner are fittted in mifd/late afternoon. Although I have never been hungry (or indeed a snacker by nature - thank goodness) it is recomended to improve metabolic rate slightly.

2. Undertake up to 1 hr specific exercise a day. But I am able (working from home) to do this sometimes in blocks of 10 mins or 20 mins. My Personal trainer (I find my wallet being hit really helps keep me focused) says this also boosts metabolism. Sometimes I do 10 mins on stepper or even just 4 mins skipping while preparing lunch. And 10 mins catching up with the news on tv.

3. Drink lots of water. Again being active 1.5 - 2.5 ltrs daily (thats just 5 599 ml bottles.

Finally, I appear to have kick started a slow but steady downward trend (and believe me I love my food but practice being a gourmet without being a glutton)

I also find that keeping a really rigorous food diary (I include mood, sleep, alcohol, fruit and juice/soft drinks, caffeine etc) then analysising if things haven't gone right that day. I am experimenting with getting all the taste from much less food (I think portion sizes were my downfall) as well as wine, which I now have less than 1 bottle of wine or equivalent a week, and I seriously enjoy every sip much more than if it was 2 1/2 bottles a week.

I am sure that once you find the right balance for your body/lifestyle, things will start to happen - probably have done by now.

Carol

Thanks everyone, its lovely to have your support and ideas.
Have switched to slimming world now which seems to be working. I honestly havnt found losing weight this hard ever before. I really hope i learn from this lesson and dont put it all back on again!

Hi Catherine
I got onto your thread cos I was looking for info on how to run a 5km (haven't a clue where to start) but found the whole thing fascinating. I'm glad you've found slimming world - it worked for me really well. i lost 2 stone in 9 months - nice and steady only a pound a week or so - and I never had time to exercise so the food control was really crucial for me. I'm glad to say I've kept it off for 9 months so it's all good. Hope you are having some success with it anyway. What a lot of great advice you've had. Good luck.

Hi Catherine,

Like everyone said, take it slowly, be patient, and try eating a bit more -- especially if you're exercising intensely.

Also, if you've been on lots of diets in the past and later regained weight (you mentioned "I honestly havnt found losing weight this hard ever before"), your body is likely to cling to the weight all the harder. This happened to me and made the last 6 pounds take as long to lose as the 20 or so pounds before that!

Good luck with your diet, try to be patient and consistent and the weight WILL come off. And go by the fit of your clothes, not just the number of the scales -- if you're exercising, you'll be building up some muscle (which is more compact than fat -- so you may weigh the same as before but be thinner.)

Best,

Ali

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Ali Hale
www.theofficediet.com
"Healthy living for busy people"

If you do exercise a lot, be a little wary of the slimming club diets - I've only ever done Weightwatchers myself, and I followed the plan but kept a note of everything and then worked out the calories intake - I have to say it was scarily low!

I also do a lot of intense exercise (running 4 times a week), and taking that into account, there was no way I should be sticking to what they told me - I wouldn't have made it to the end of the road!

IMHO 1,400 calories is only just about covering your basic metabolic rate (what you need to live and breath if you lie in bed 24 hours a day), and doesn't allow for any form of general moving about or exercise.

I've found that when you don't lose weight, the temptation is to cut back on the calories even more, but sometimes you need to eat more and the weight starts to drop off.

Catherine
I agree with the above. I have been doing a low carb diet since Jan 7 and have lost 12lb and upped the exercise ie running now can do 3 miles and drinking lots of water. They do say that carbs after 5 are not a good idea when loosing weight. I hav followed weight watcher twice after having my children which worked but I think making a diary of what you eat and exercise is essential.

Good luck with it anyway.