Hello,

I'm obviously new here.

I've been feeling quite down recently and searched some weight loss forums and this one popped up.

I got with my boyfriend 3 years ago and I have seemed to just balloon (literally). I've always been a size 10/12 but now I weigh 14 stone and I'm a size 16.

I finally got my act together and joined the gym a few weeks ago, I've been attending the classes/gym regularly and have completely changed the way I eat... I've cut out all my fizzy drinks (coca-cola addict), I've swapped my sugary teas for herbal teas, I only drink water now. I always have a healthy breakfast and lunch, I have dinner with loads of vegetables and I have been cutting my carb intake some nights.

I know it's only been 3 weeks and it's a slow process but my weight doesn't seem to be shifting at all and it's quite disheartening, I would have at least thought I would have lost something... Even half a pound maybe?

I would really appreciate if anybody could give me some pointers as I'm literally on the verge of quitting altogether.

Thanks x

It doesn’t sound like you’re on any specific diet, which is fine. I also prefer to simply eat less and exercise more. I find formal diets restrictive. Nevertheless, I suggest you start to formally count and record your calories for at least the next few weeks. Sometimes, we don’t realize how many calories we actually eat unless and until we add them all up!

You can find all sorts of info on the internet as to how many calories you require to maintain your current weight (given your lifestyle, age, height, etc.). You can expect to lose (on average) about 1 lb. per week for every 500 calories you cut out each day. So, for example, I need to eat about 1,800 to 1,900 calories per day to simply maintain my current weight (I’m 58, which I suspect is a lot older than you, so my numbers will differ from yours). If I cut that by 500 calories every day (i.e., I eat between 1,300 to 1,400 per day), I can expect to lose 1 lb per week, on average. If I also exercise (daily) sufficient to burn about 250 calories per day, then I should lose 1.5 lbs per week. If I just eat healthy, but still consume 1,800 to 1,900 calories per day, then my scales will stay the same. They might bounce up and down a bit each day due to water retention, etc., but over the long-run I won’t lose weight.

I suspect your issue is that you might be eating the number of calories required to simply maintain your weight (without realizing), which is why you see no progress. If you simply eat healthy, but still eat too many calories, you won’t lose weight (unless you’re doing a serious amount of extra exercise). It’s also not good enough to think that you’re eating less than you were before…because, according to your post, whatever you were eating before resulted in you gaining weight. So, whatever you were eating before was too much to start with.

In any event, don't give up yet! Try to formally count your calories for a week and see whether you need to reduce your intake.

I wish you all the best in your weight loss journey!

Thank you for your reply.

I know I should be counting calories but I'm not quite sure how to, we eat a lot of fresh food in my household so I wouldn't know how many calories was in half a broccoli and so on if you know what I mean.

I've been in a relationship for nearly 3 years now and I know that's part of my weight gain, with all the extra meals and takeaways etc. but I've stopped doing that now.

I'll definitely take your advice to find out what my calorie intake should be each day to be losing weight and also try to find maybe a calorie counting app which I can use daily.

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it.

It shouldn't be difficult to get a calorie count for broccoli or other fresh foods. If you google "calories in broccoli" you should be able to get the count for 100 grams, for one cup, and for all sorts of other measures. If you make a salad, you'll need to add each veggie/etc., one by one, plus the dressing (which is always the downfall!). Counting calories is a pain in the you-know-what, and I'm not suggesting you do it throughout your entire diet. But, it's not a bad idea to try it for a few weeks. After a few weeks of counting, you'll likely get a better feel for how much you should be eating. Good luck!