Just can't lose weight apparently... any ideas?
 

Hi everyone!;)

I'm pretty new here, been very patchy about commitment to 3FC (because of internet problems, not actual negligence) but have been keeping, I think, pretty strictly to my eating plan and in the 2 months since I started, I haven't lost any weight.

I'm 5"4, 58.6 kilos and when I started I was 59.2 or something. I know technically that's weight loss but that happened in the first week and I'm pretty sure it's just water weight! I also know that I am in the healthy weight range, but I'd really like to get down to 53 kilos or so (also healthy weight range) and get rid of my tummy - or as much of it as I can!

But over the last 8 weeks, I've been pretty good about my eating habits, eating lots of fruit and sticking to around 1400 per day. I exercise 5 times a week (always been sporty, this isn't new) and make up for the extra calories burned by eating a bit more. I have MyNetDiary to track calorie intake, although (potentially big issue) I live with a family as part of my year abroad and they cook for me, so I can't accurately judge how much of what I'm eating. I look it up and estimate afterwards, and I try to estimate on the side of caution. Mostly I'm not hungry, per se, but I'm almost never full, so I think that's quite a good gauge?

The only other things I can think of are; I don't sleep well and my boyfriend and I split up a few weeks ago. This didn't cause a splurge of eating in any way, in fact I lost my appetite for a couple of weeks, and am only now really eating properly again, although I always ate enough to be over starvation mode (eating with a family, they put food in front of me and I'd eat it - just forgot to eat when I was out and about during the day).

Thing is, I think all these are fairly minor, and that generally I've been pretty good. Any advice / suggestions for what it could be?:?: Anything would be helpful, I'm completely at sea!


edit: exercise is press ups, sit ups and plank, followed by a run, usually 9 miles per hour, of varying lengths but usually 45 minutes give or take

At your size, you would have to be fairly accurate with your calories. You can easily blow your deficit and you probably have. I would suggest using a digital scale (or measuring cups at least) and stop estimating. Estimating isn't working for you.

Your estimates aren't a good guage if the scale isn't moving...

Something that really jumped out at me with your post was that you exercise and then you eat more because of that....well, I don't think that's a very good idea. Like sacha said, at your weight, that could make a difference between creating a deficit and not.

Are you drinking any of your calories? Sometimes, that's something that can really make a difference....drink only water and maybe with some lemon juice.

I've read that working out before breakfast burns 20% more fat so you might try doing that. Also, weight lifting will help you boost your metabolism.

You can't control at all what your family serves to eat? Could you try to eat more veggies and less starch? How much sugar are you eating? Sugar is terrible for me because it stimulates the appetite. If you're eating a lot of sugar, I suggest you watch Sugar, The Bitter Truth on youtube. Very worthwhile.

As long as you don't know your caloric intake, it will be hard to determine what it will take for you to create a deficit. If you're truly just maintaining, then not eating back your exercise calories could create a bit of a deficit and adding weight resistance exercises and morning workouts could make you lose weight. It might be slow and steady but you don't have that much to go so you can definitely do it! :)

Oh, I missed the part about adding back exercise. You also said "about 1400" and you don't have an accurate count for family meals

1400 is actually very difficult - when you measure & weigh out a true 1400 calories, you think "uhh.... okay, where's the rest of it???". I'm on a true 1600 right now (weighed to the GRAM) and I'm quite psycho about 1 hour before a meal, at 127lbs. It's HARD!!!!

I can guarantee 100% that you are not in your deficit. If you were 300lbs, "about 1400" could cause you to easily lose. But you are 130lbs, and something as simple as one extra splash of oil and another 2oz of meat at dinner can negate your deficit.

If you are off in your exercise estimate (and you probably are), it can negate the deficit. That + above ^ and you could push yourself into maintenance or more.

It's nice being a lower scale size, but at the same time, it can suck. There is no room for error if you want steady 1lb/week progress.

I'm only drinking water and occasionally black coffee, so I don't think it's liquid calories.

Um, I'm living in China with a Chinese family... so as far as lunch and dinner go, I can't control it at all, it's what the family want to eat! Obviously I can control how much I eat, and I make my own breakfast (8 spoons muesli, soy milk till the muesli is damp, banana/berries/mango) but what I eat for lunch and dinner is out. On the plus side, not eating dairy products at all and sugar is mostly out bar fruits (and chocolate at a certain point in the month). Bad side - though I try to minimise it - just about everything is fried.

So, I guess that means I am drastically under estimating how much rice I'm eating! Thanks for the reassurance, I was beginning to think that my body is hopelessly stubborn and would never be slim. I'll be cutting down on food intake then, :(

Thanks so much!

Since getting an accurate read on your family's food would probably be difficult, I suggest not eating back your exercise calories. Also, depending on how much exercise you're currently doing, you could try bumping it up more, either more time, intensity, or variety (i.e., adding in strength training if you're not already doing that).

Then be pretty strict (within sanity ;) ) over the food intake you do control: no calories in beverages, eating high protein and/or fiber foods for snacks, cutting out as much sugar as possible.

I think it's awesome that you're doing a year abroad in China! I hope you have a chance to sample as much as you can of the local cuisine while still reaching your weight goals. :)

Also whole30 looks great! I've been considering going paleo for a while, bit hard out here (not eating rice or soy products... ha!) but definitely when I go back :D

I think paleo would be a great idea when you get home. It looks like your current woe is very carb/grain heavy and not doing it for you. You don't have almost any protein or fat in that breakfast. I wonder if changing that up a bit could get you through the day on fewer cals. But if I were in your shoes, I might just wait till you're home. You should be enjoying your time there!

Oh mama! I'd be doing TERRIBLY on that much sugar! Grains, fruit, 'natural' candy bars (which is what fruit bars are ;) ), and then top it with soy? It sounds like your situation is tough enough for eating well, but those choices are NOT going to fill you up on such a small amount of calories, especially if you're guessing/eyeballing portions.

Why not fry up some eggs for breakfast and do something like grilled pork and greens for lunch? I know both are available in that country, and it would be much more satiating and nourishing for the calories than the aforementioned, nutritionally devoid choices. Don't cut down on the food intake, per se, but make wiser choices for the same calories. Think exchange, not austerity.

Your body may well process sugars better than mine, but when it comes to being filled up on restricted calories, whole foods that are slow to digest, bulky, or full of protein and fat will nourish your body and sate your hunger so much better. For most folks, the occasional dumpling or fried whatever won't be the end of the world if the rest of your diet is rock solid.

Well, the food is definitely available, but the cooking method isn't so much. There is no oven. I've yet to hear of anywhere except Western restaurants (insanely expensive) having an oven! It's only a wok here, so my only cooking options are stir fry or boil...

At lunchtime I do try to go for protein full choices, but meats here are always fatty or deep friend or in dumplings. Trying to eat Korean food more as that is less fatty, but not getting too far. Will definitely be making up a new breakfast though, eggs = genius idea, why that didn't occur to me I do not know.

The pilot's diet is usually pretty effective when it comes to eliminating tummy fat.