No weight loss in first few weeks

This topic contains 14 replies, has 8 voices, and was last updated by Operationcatwalk 6 years, 11 months ago.

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)

Operationcatwalk

6:58 am
20 Nov 17
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Hello. I am a 55 year old post menopausal woman who has tried every diet under the sun and managed to gain 25 pounds through the menopause and a very tough time in life. I even went on a juice-only detox week with unspeakable ‘treatments’ and managed to gain a pound! How does that happen? I eat a very healthy diet (low carb, no sugar, low red meat, healthy fats) and exercise 5 times a week. I run a website for women over 45 and want to be the role meodel and not just the writer – so the 5.2 diet looked like a very prormising last chance saloon. I am assiduous in sticking to the ‘rules’. However, three weeks in and not a single ounce has shifted according to the scales. Am I alone?

Minka

7:27 am
20 Nov 17
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I’ve often been deceived by my own scales because they only report total numbers of kilograms or at best an approximation of fat percentage, water weight and muscle mass. I’m 61 years of age and I found that I gained a lot of muscle practicing 5:2 and shed fat, particularly visceral fat by practicing 5:2. The shifting of this tissue did not show up as such on my home scales even though my set of scales does approximate fat, water and muscle percentages. Given your reported activity levels, I’m wondering if you’ve shed fat and gained muscle? Have you taken measurements before starting and now recently? I find measurements far more indicative of body composition shifts than scales.

The only other invisible factor in being unable to shift weight (in the past) for me has been low thyroid hormone levels, though given how often you exercise, doesn’t sound like this is an issue for you. When I was hypothyroid I didn’t have the energy to exercise.

I eat a similar diet to the one you describe eating and I can easily eat too many healthy calories, which, at times still contributes to me gaining weight. What has helped me with this dilemma is to utilize the Fast Diet BMI calculator accessed by a tab at the top of this page (if you are reading this page via a laptop or computer). Particularly when in weight loss phase of this program, I utilized that tool to work out how many calories were my Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE and when in weight loss phase I would watch and tally all calories I consumed on non-fasting days as well as fating days. On non-fasting days I would ensure calories did not exceed my TDEE. On fasting days instead of consuming 500 calories, I would consume 1/4 of the TDEE of my goal weight (not my weight as a plump person). This ensured I definitely shed fat and the tape measure proved it over and over, week by week. On average I shed 1/2 kg a week. I’ve now been in maintenance mode for 14 months. I hope this helps and that you continue to stick with it. I personally stick for health benefits and to maintain my weight.

Operationcatwalk

10:33 am
20 Nov 17
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MInka – thanks for coming back so quickcly and with good advice. I did measure before starting and no loss of inches – so I am assuming no loss of fat. However, I did not think of doing 1/4 of my TDEE for my goal weight. I am on a fast day today and will do that. I will also be more focussed on measuring calories on non-fast days. Many thanks.

fasting_me

1:34 am
22 Nov 17
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Operationcw, I agree with Minka that you might want to look at what you eat on a Slow Day. Don’t think about Fast Day = 500 cal, so Slow Day = 4x that count. Use the calculator on this site to figure it out. Mine is 1450 calories and I ingest 600 cal on a Fast Day. But it is working!

The other factor in your non-weight loss is the type of food you eat. I have discovered, by trial and error, that white rice and beer stick to me like glue. When I don’t eat them, the weight is easier to lose. Have a look at the calories you eat on a Slow Day and see how they stack up.
Good luck. keep us posted.

CalifDreamer

8:03 am
22 Nov 17
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It sounds like you’re on the right track so it’s puzzling that you aren’t losing. Have you had your thyroid checked recently? That can have an impact if it’s slow. Have you tried counting calories for a couple NFD? I use myfitnesspal, a free app that makes calorie counting pretty easy. There are also other apps too that people on these forums have suggested. Just keeping track for a couple days can sometime shed light on things.

Do you have just a small amount to lose? The closer you get to your goal weight, the less calories you need to maintain a thin weight. 25 pounds ago I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted, within reason, and still lose weight as long as I got in my two 500 calorie days. Now that I’m close to my goal, I have to be much more careful on NFD. I don’t count calories, but I’m a lot more careful about eating only when hungry and more picky about what I eat.

Good luck to you on 5:2. I hope you find it as sustainable as I have. BTW, I’m 68.

Operationcatwalk

1:22 pm
23 Nov 17
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Dear Fastin_me and Califdreamer – thank you for your support.
I will certainly watch non-fast day calories and what I eat. I cannot think of anything ‘unhealthy’ but it is worth keeping a diary and seeing if thre is something which might needs taking out.
I will keep you posted on progress.
Thanks again – it helps to have the encouragement.
Kind regards
Operationcatwalk

nanniel

11:13 am
4 Dec 17
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You need to speed up your metabolism a little to start losing weight.
Honey and clay wrappings are very effective for that. Also creams like Nivele do the same. And massage, preferably a lot of massage. At the very least do it yourself. Then, you’ll start losing weight.

lucyajones

4:40 am
5 Dec 17
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It may sound strange, but it’s possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight.
Be assured that losing a few pounds at this stage has no impact on your baby’s development.Normal-weight women shouldn’t gain more than two to four pounds — total in the entire first trimester. By week 14 or so, your morning sickness should subside and your appetite will likely return with a vengeance.

diverdog

5:38 am
5 Dec 17
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I don’t know about “honey & clay” but having lost 70lbs of fat at age 50 and keeping it off for 16 years I know a bit about fat loss and fitness.

First off determine if you are hormonally healthy, do get T3 and sex hormones checked. Vitamin D too. I suggest finding a good physician that understands hormonal health and nutrition. Also get checked for food intolerances / allergies. Eating “good” foods that are inflammatory to your particular body will inhibit fat loss and make you feel really bad

Not losing fat is almost always about the calories. High fat, moderate protein and low carb is best for most people. But you need to eat on a net caloric deficit or you won’t lose fat no matter how good your diet is. Time restricted eating < 10 hour window on NF days and <500 cal on FD (I water fast for 35 hours). Quality sleep is an often overlooked issue as well. 7-8 hours on a regular basis is a must. Make sure you take care of your gut with plenty of fermented veggies and yogurt if you are not allergic to dairy

Exercise is important but it has a minor short term effect on fat loss. No matter how much you exercise you’re only going to burn an additional 200-300 calories a day. Your body will down regulate other processes if you exercise too much.

Exercise is where most women get it badly wrong. Most of your exercise time should be spend with intense weight lifting. It’s the only thing that will enable you to retain and grow a little muscle. This maintains and up regulates your metabolism. Add some HIIT on a spin bike or rower and you are golden. Three days of lifting and one of HIIT is plenty. Traditional cardio is a total waste of time and is counter productive in the long run.

I know hundreds of women that follow a program similar to this and they all lose fat, gain a little muscle and greatly increase their health.

I hope you can apply some of these suggestions. Good luck with you effort.

fasting_me

1:37 am
7 Dec 17
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OCW, how is it going? Any changes for you?

Operationcatwalk

1:47 pm
9 Dec 17
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Hello and thank you all for your support an comments. It is so appreciated. Well I have incorporated as much as possible – reduced fast day calories, monitored slow day calories to keep to the appropriate levels for my goal weight, experimented with water fasting on fast days, introduced weights to my daily exercise. I should also explain that I avoid all food intolerances (I was tested last year); thyroid test shows normal; I try to sleep 7 hours a night minimum and drink water. I was hoping to give better news – but I am afraid that far from losing weight or size it has gone up a little. Please don’t think I am a Moaning Minnie – but I am really fed up that I cannot reduce the 20 pounds I need to lose or my BMI. I just wish Dr Mosely and his team would look at us Diet Defiers – people who by the laws of biology should be a healthy weight and yet remain in the unhealthy zone. Thanks again for all your help. I will keep going if only for the longer term benefits for heart and brain, but this Operation Catwalk is walking into another wall. Take care all.

diverdog

7:05 pm
9 Dec 17
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Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. A couple of things, what weight are you trying to reach at what height? BMI is not a good indicator to use. % BF is a much better indicator.

Often the devil in in the details. I thought I was doing everything right and I wasn’t getting good results. I started weighing, measuring and keeping a food diary and found out I was eating 30% more calories than I thought I was!

Also I urge you to get your sex hormones tested. Low testosterone can make weight loss difficult for postmenopausal women.

Also you mention daily exercise. If you are exercising intensely every other day is plenty. You need recovery time for muscle to grow.

Operationcatwalk

3:46 pm
11 Dec 17
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Thank you Diverdog. You are kind to keep helping. I am trying to get down to 154 pounds and I am 5’8 inches – so not aiming at a very low weight. It is middle to top of the ‘healthy range on my doctor’s chart. I weigh my food and now use Myfitnesspal. I exercise about 4 times a week in a gym or class and on other days walk (not jog) and use my home dumbells (unless travelling). So maybe it is testosterone. I will see the Doctor, but getting this on the UK NHS might be a push in these times. So will look into finding another source of testing. Thanks so much. OperationCatwalk and not giving up quite yet!

Amazon

6:18 pm
11 Dec 17
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This is probably not what you want to read but if you aren’t losing any weight you are eating the right amount to maintain your weight rather than decrease it so you need to eat less.
I suggest you cut down the calories on non fast days.
I don’t know how you’ve decided how many to consume but if you use the calculator by clicking on resources at the top of this page and enter your goal weight and sedentary activity and try sticking to that for a couple of weeks.

diverdog

7:13 pm
11 Dec 17
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OCW, I think your goal is very reasonable, appropriate and doable. Amazon’s suggestion about TDEE is a good one. I do have one caveat: the exercise calorie burn is wildly optimistic. Select the calorie amount for a sedentary person if you want to lose at a good rate.

Amazon

7:17 pm
11 Dec 17
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I already said that………. 😉

Operationcatwalk

9:26 pm
11 Dec 17
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Thank you both. I am already eating 500 calories under the TDEE on non-fast days. So sticking to 1,500 or less. However, will try going lower. As for fast days – I just do water or no more than 250 calories. I will keep going and hope Santa sends a size shift! Thanks again. Operationcatwalk.