Just signed up and desperate for help

[Josie1]

hi, i would really appreciate some help.The past few years I put on a lot of weight, and was 13 st when I decided to do something about it.
I wanted get back to the the weight I was, which is 9st. I did well at first and within a couple of months I had reached 11st 5 lbs. I've been fasting all day and eating one meal at night (salmon or tuna, avocado, tomato, spinach, salad) with a couple of "cheat" meals at the weekend- I still fast during the day but let myself have pasta or whatever for my one meal. I never have sugar or milk in tea or coffee and never drink juice. Alcohol sometimes at the weekend.

I've been trying to do exercise every day (enough to make me sweat and be achy) and walk the dogs, but not enough I believe that I'm putting on muscle and loosing weight.

At first I lost loads. But now I'm back up to 11.8 lbs and it will fluctuate day to day. For the Past three weeks I've been stuck like this.

So, now I've done the usual and terrified myself by reading online that I've ruined my metabolism and I've gone into "starvation mode" and now can't loose anymore weight for the rest of my life, but instead have to spend my life eating one measly salmon fillet a day and get to keep my muffin top and couple of spare tyres!

The thing is, I love the fasting diet as I have so much more energy, don't get hungry during the day anymore and haven't even wanted to binge since starting. Other things I've read say that you must be making it up or eating more than you think you are, you can't possible NOT loose weight while eating one small meal a day for five days a week, but I've really stuck with it. I think I may be being unrealistic as about four years ago I went to 9 stone in a few months while eating more than I am now. I'm older now.

Sorry for the long, rambling post, but I have no idea what I'm doing as loosing weight was so much easier last time and I don't know what I'm doing so wrong when I've been so strict and dedicated.

Thanks for any help ❤


* edit- forgot to add that I'm really not loosing as have also bean measuring my waist and it has stayed a steady 27 inches for two weeks.

 

[MS14]

It's never too late to lose weight!!! I'm no expert on such topics: I'm only 14 years old but you really shouldn't starve yourself. Don't try to hurt your body by doing that. If you find a BMI or maybe a calories calculator online, you can find how much calories a day you can eat. Try to not fast is really what I want to say. Separate that one meal into different meals so that both you and your body can be satisfied. The pasta/salmon that you are eating is good for dinner time while you should eat maybe apples/oranges/salads/peas/beans, eggs etc during the day. That way you get more protein and less calories eaten. Sometimes you might get some cravings here and there but try to hang in there. People usually lose 2 pounds at most per week so go from that.
Think about what you want to eat and search it up online to see how much calories it provides you with. Check what body part you might need work with and do a specific exercise for that or even just run to be honest. As I said, I'm not really an expert at this stuff but I want to help you with all I know. Have a nice day, ma'am

 

[Nataliemae91]

Hi Josie!

Would love to help you out here as i have many clients and friends who were in the same position as you and didn't understand why they were putting on weight whilst not eating much! Eating small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism burning and should we miss a lot of meals then yes our body will go into starvation mode and can sometimes lead to slower metabolism and more weight gain in the long run.

It's good you are keeping up the exercise as that is so important, just also remember that muscle also weighs more than fat so sometimes ignore what the scales say and you will notice the difference in the mirror instead!

May i ask what you have for breakfast? As most of my clients skip breakfast (most important meal of the day) and then end up binging around mid day on sugary foods to get a spike of energy that they're body craves! I put them all on a healthy breakfast plan and I can honestly say nearly all of them have hit their body goals

Happy to help further...!

 

[Josie1]

Iv

Hi Josie!

Would love to help you out here as i have many clients and friends who were in the same position as you and didn't understand why they were putting on weight whilst not eating much! Eating small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism burning and should we miss a lot of meals then yes our body will go into starvation mode and can sometimes lead to slower metabolism and more weight gain in the long run.

It's good you are keeping up the exercise as that is so important, just also remember that muscle also weighs more than fat so sometimes ignore what the scales say and you will notice the difference in the mirror instead!

May i ask what you have for breakfast? As most of my clients skip breakfast (most important meal of the day) and then end up binging around mid day on sugary foods to get a spike of energy that they're body craves! I put them all on a healthy breakfast plan and I can honestly say nearly all of them have hit their body goals

Happy to help further...!

Thanks so much for your reply

I've been fasting during the week every day. I eat bothering until 5pm -literally nothing at all, I don't even get hungry any more until 5 pm after fasting for so many weeks. And then I also fast at the weekend but now I look back maybe even just the 2-3 cheat meals at the weekend have done it. Because a couple of times I did have for example a burger or a Sunday roast BUT still I don't feel I deserve these results after fasting all week long (I know it's hard to believe but I really don't cheat, I have no appetite during the day anymore and sometimes I'm so angry with myself for not loosing enough I have to force myself to eat the salad and salmon at dinner)

The problem is, I'm scared to go back to not fasting as I feel so good, and I'm scared if I let myself start eating during the day the hunger will come back and I will have to fight the urges as at the minute I have no urge to eat during the day at all.

I honestly feel like no one will believe me because I really am fasting every single day until 5 pm and apart from the couple of cheat meals at the weekends I have stuck to salmon, salad and sometimes fruit like a banana if I felt like my stomach was really acidy which isn't often now as I'm used to it and feel so much healthier. It just all seems so unfair *in my most dramatic whingy voice*!

Thanks so much for the reply ❤

 

[Josie1]

Thank yo

It's never too late to lose weight!!! I'm no expert on such topics: I'm only 14 years old but you really shouldn't starve yourself. Don't try to hurt your body by doing that. If you find a BMI or maybe a calories calculator online, you can find how much calories a day you can eat. Try to not fast is really what I want to say. Separate that one meal into different meals so that both you and your body can be satisfied. The pasta/salmon that you are eating is good for dinner time while you should eat maybe apples/oranges/salads/peas/beans, eggs etc during the day. That way you get more protein and less calories eaten. Sometimes you might get some cravings here and there but try to hang in there. People usually lose 2 pounds at most per week so go from that.
Think about what you want to eat and search it up online to see how much calories it provides you with. Check what body part you might need work with and do a specific exercise for that or even just run to be honest. As I said, I'm not really an expert at this stuff but I want to help you with all I know. Have a nice day, ma'am

Thank you for your reply, I think at 15 you are more grown up than I am at 27

I know all the right things to do maybe I shouldn't have started the fasting but kind of feel stuck now I have.

Thanks again ❤

 

[Josie1]

14 sorry

Thank yo



Thank you for your reply, I think at 15 you are more grown up than I am at 27

I know all the right things to do maybe I shouldn't have started the fasting but kind of feel stuck now I have.

Thanks again ❤

 

[Nataliemae91]

Hey Josie!

No I totally get it, and I've done the same in the past where I've practically just ate one bowl of cereal all day and a piece of fruit to lose weight (in weight I did) but it isn't a long term solution and I would always end up binging!

In terms of your fasting habit, do you think your capable of keeping it up for years to come?! I don't think it's a long term healthy solution even though you may like not eating much because mentally you feel like you're doing the right thing do lose weight your actually slowing up your metabolism. I think because you're body Hasn't been active in digesting much it's gone into 'sleep mode', this means your body isn't burning much calories. The longer you wait between meals the longer your body will be in this sleep mode if that makes sense.

If I were you I would start with three healthy meals a day. Lots of protein for breakfast to fill you up and a light meal for dinner with healthy snacks if you feel hungry of course it will be hard to break your habit but I think this is the long term solution in finding your healthy weight. Happy to provide healthy breakfast trial plans to you if ever you change your mind, have had great results myself and haven't looked back

 

[Josie1]

I just

Hey Josie!

No I totally get it, and I've done the same in the past where I've practically just ate one bowl of cereal all day and a piece of fruit to lose weight (in weight I did) but it isn't a long term solution and I would always end up binging!

In terms of your fasting habit, do you think your capable of keeping it up for years to come?! I don't think it's a long term healthy solution even though you may like not eating much because mentally you feel like you're doing the right thing do lose weight your actually slowing up your metabolism. I think because you're body Hasn't been active in digesting much it's gone into 'sleep mode', this means your body isn't burning much calories. The longer you wait between meals the longer your body will be in this sleep mode if that makes sense.

If I were you I would start with three healthy meals a day. Lots of protein for breakfast to fill you up and a light meal for dinner with healthy snacks if you feel hungry of course it will be hard to break your habit but I think this is the long term solution in finding your healthy weight. Happy to provide healthy breakfast trial plans to you if ever you change your mind, have had great results myself and haven't looked back

Thanks again for the reply and great advise, what you say makes a lot of sense.

I'm just scared it's not going to work and I'm going to pile on the two stone I've lost if I go back to eating during the day. I suppose what I'm doing now isn't working and so I'm going to have to try something else. And I'm also worried I will go back to being lethargic during the day after eating. I was also liking I wasn't spending much money on food too

What I did when I first started to loose weight was a poached egg and spinach in the morning, I can't actually remember what I used to have for lunch it's been so long! And then the salmon and salad for dinner. I'm scared it's going to open the floodgates but I'm going to take your advice because what I'm doing now CLEARLY isn't working and I think you're right.

I probably could of carried on with the fasting as I really don't miss food during the day, but I was looking forward to allowing myself some chicken or even a small amount of rice at dinner once I had lost the weight and got into a good exercise routine. But like you explained this isn't working for my body so hopefully trying it your way I will get back on track
Thanks again

 

[MS14]

What is there to be scared about? Just use Nathalie's tips and you'll be alright. There will be some drawbacks and advantages but it'll be alright in the end. Your main priority is to lose weight, is it not? Stick with what you have and I believe you'll be successful. I just started dieting for real (I tried dieting a couple of times but got out of it because of my urges to eat the "good food") and I believe that with Nathalie's advice, you could work wonders with yourself!

 

[Nataliemae91]

No problem, good luck and hope all goes well! If you ever need my help give me a shout as we've got a whole online community with free webinars

 

[MissionPossible]

Hey Josie

If you're apprehensive about eating, try juicing. It offers the opportunity to get good calories while also doesn't feel like you're "eating". I also think that because you've been fasting, this will be the best way to get done additional calories without going over board. Add veggies in with a couple fruit and drink it right away. Look up juicing online to learn more if you're interested.

 

[Omega]

Read this thread
https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/starvation-calories-and-adaptations.9468/

There is absolutely no need to starve yourself. It is not a healthy way of living.

Many people here have lost double or triple the amount of weight you are aiming to lose without starving themselves.

You want to be gradually losing weight with healthy eating habits which easily transfer into an eating plan which will be appropriate for the rest of your life.

One moment you say that you have no wish to eat any differently - then you cry out for lack of reward for the punishment that you are putting your body through.

Eat properly and normally - at an appropriate calorie level for weight loss - but get your body back onto a healthy eating pattern. Eat sufficient quantities of all sorts of nutrients so that your body can work properly. I am not so worried about you eating in a single meal - but I cannot see how you will be hitting the nutritional targets with the meals given. You don't just need to be having "some" protein, fibre, calcium etc - but enough... I strongly suspect that your portions on that single meal would not be big enough. I suggest that you use a computer utility to not just calculate your calories, but nutrients and compare to targets.

https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/the-importance-of-meal-frequency.26335/

Also - I am not sure exactly how much exercise you are doing... It is hard to quantify if someone who fuels their body insufficiently says "enough to get achy". Exercise is really good - and it may be that you would benefit from doing more exercise. Possibly you would be able to exercise more - if you were giving your body more appropriate fuel.

How many miles do you walk the dogs each day?

I know there are some great pinned threads in all the different sections of the forum - and it would be well worth you reading all those pinned threads.

 

[Josie1]

Read this thread
https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/starvation-calories-and-adaptations.9468/

There is absolutely no need to starve yourself. It is not a healthy way of living.

Many people here have lost double or triple the amount of weight you are aiming to lose without starving themselves.

You want to be gradually losing weight with healthy eating habits which easily transfer into an eating plan which will be appropriate for the rest of your life.

One moment you say that you have no wish to eat any differently - then you cry out for lack of reward for the punishment that you are putting your body through.

Eat properly and normally - at an appropriate calorie level for weight loss - but get your body back onto a healthy eating pattern. Eat sufficient quantities of all sorts of nutrients so that your body can work properly. I am not so worried about you eating in a single meal - but I cannot see how you will be hitting the nutritional targets with the meals given. You don't just need to be having "some" protein, fibre, calcium etc - but enough... I strongly suspect that your portions on that single meal would not be big enough. I suggest that you use a computer utility to not just calculate your calories, but nutrients and compare to targets.

https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/the-importance-of-meal-frequency.26335/

Also - I am not sure exactly how much exercise you are doing... It is hard to quantify if someone who fuels their body insufficiently says "enough to get achy". Exercise is really good - and it may be that you would benefit from doing more exercise. Possibly you would be able to exercise more - if you were giving your body more appropriate fuel.

How many miles do you walk the dogs each day?

I know there are some great pinned threads in all the different sections of the forum - and it would be well worth you reading all those pinned threads.

Thanks so much for the reply, Im doing better now.

I'm not sure how many miles I walk, I really need one of those things that calculate that for you. But up and down hills for about an hour usually. I always get put off at the gym watching the calorie counter go SO slowly it feels like I'm doing nothing all at and like it's not really worth it. I also do 10 push ups now which I do daily and then switch to push ups on my knees and do another 10 (not much but I'm working on it) and then 20 squats, 20 sit ups and I try to do a workout video 2-3 times a week. I'm sorry I'm not very specific but I'm so unorganised with stuff like this, probably why I got into such a mess.

SO. The past two days I've forced whole fat unflavoured Greek yogurt, cornflakes (I Don't eat the other cereals ever because they always have sneaky sugar and the cornflakes I've found are the lowest on fat, sugar, salt of all the others I've seen, and cheapest) with a few raisins. Yesterday I had salad with a boiled egg, a small amount of cous cous, loads of beetroot,a few olives and other vegetables. Then the same again for dinner along with a couple of apples and about four crab sticks.

Today it's 2 pm and I forced some more cornflakes and yoghurt down earlier (I feel I've badly damaged my appetite along with my metabolism, I'm Italian, I've never had to force myself to eat in my life) and I'm going to make some more salad for tonight, probably roasted courgettes and mushrooms (I like this as you don't need oil ) and a little cous cous with loads of vegetables.


So I'm going to aim to first calculate how much exercise I'm doing exactly, but getting hold of something that will help me with that, and work on eating a more balanced diet.
I will read those links thank you very much for helping

 

[Omega]

I would very much like to draw your attention to the article on meal frequency as I think that other people have led you to believe that 5 meals is better than one... This has been proven to be a diet myth...

It is calorie and nutrition content which counts... There is no stoking to the metabolic fire by multiple meals...
1 meal a day or 10 meals a day - the effect is the same...
What does matter is providing your body with all the nutrients it needs...
What does matter is eating at a calorie deficit to earn a weight loss....
What does matter is eating and exercising in a manner which protects and if possible builds muscle.

 

[Josie1]

Hey Josie

If you're apprehensive about eating, try juicing. It offers the opportunity to get good calories while also doesn't feel like you're "eating". I also think that because you've been fasting, this will be the best way to get done additional calories without going over board. Add veggies in with a couple fruit and drink it right away. Look up juicing online to learn more if you're interested.

Thanks for the reply, I've done this before but to be honest i just felt like it was a right faff on, I might try it once a month or so for a couple of days from now on because I do feel fasting does benefit me but not long term it seems to have done more damage than good. Thanks for the reply

I would very much like to draw your attention to the article on meal frequency as I think that other people have led you to believe that 5 meals is better than one... This has been proven to be a diet myth...

It is calorie and nutrition content which counts... There is no stoking to the metabolic fire by multiple meals...
1 meal a day or 10 meals a day - the effect is the same...
What does matter is providing your body with all the nutrients it needs...
What does matter is eating at a calorie deficit to earn a weight loss....
What does matter is eating and exercising in a manner which protects and if possible builds muscle.

Yes I still very much believe that and now I see I was just doing it wrong, now I'm more informed. going to start going to the gym again and get out of my obsession with the scales as I let that hang over me too long so it turned to obsession and even competition with myself.

Thanks a lot