Help! I have so much weight to lose

dianagrace said:

I AM hungry now since calorie counting but wasn't before. And I was losing weight before too but am not now #hackedoff!

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So why did you switch?
Get yourself back on the diet that works for you.

Brunneria said:

I did. On myfitnesspal.
The cream quantities are scary high. Well, they were. I've mentally adjusted now.

For me, 'a coffee' is 450ml of filtered, with about half an inch of cream poured in on top.
Believe me, I know what I'm talking about.
And, like zand, it delights me.

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I wouldn't disagree, but a 'three meals a day' and one of them as coffee and a yoghurt, still wouldn't be a very high calorie diet, even if it is high fat. 1800 to 2600 is my maintenance as well.

If you included a couple of between meal snacks, and a supper, or 7 or 8 cups of coffee a day, I would consider that high calorie.

douglas99 said:

So why did you switch?
Get yourself back on the diet that works for you.

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I switched because I'd plateaued and was advised to reduce my cheese intake and calorie count.

I'm now eating 10/20g of cheese most days to @Brunneria's 100g!!

Thanks for the input

After how long was the plateau, from the start of the diet?

douglas99 said:

After how long was the plateau, from the start of the diet?

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Approx 8 months. Weight loss hasn't been as rapid as many here. 19lbs since March

dianagrace said:

Approx 8 months. Weight loss hasn't been as rapid as many here. 19lbs since March

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I find weight loss can really be odd.
Even on the Newcastle diet I seemed to stop after the first stone.
You'd think on 800 calories there was no way you couldn't lose weight, but for the last couple of weeks it seemed to slow down to a standstill.
But then again, I did look a bit too thin.
I'd say stick to the 1200 calories though, go though the pain barrier, and if weight loss comes back, it's a winner.
If not, move onto plan B, and shake something else up in there.

(Even if you don't kickstart the weightloss, you will improve the BG, even on LC)

douglas99 said:

I wouldn't disagree, but a 'three meals a day' and one of them as coffee and a yoghurt, still wouldn't be a very high calorie diet, even if it is high fat. 1800 to 2600 is my maintenance as well.

If you included a couple of between meal snacks, and a supper, or 7 or 8 cups of coffee a day, I would consider that high calorie.

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Doug, you're not getting it.
I understand why. But it is like talking to a wall.

It isn't about calories. I have failed to lose weight on 1200 cals a day.
Now I am losing on + or - 2000 cal.

So what changed?
I dropped carbs. I upped the fat. A lot.

I realise you don't want to eat this way. That's ok. Eat however you want.
But telling me that I am delusional about what food I am putting in my mouth is either rude, argumentative or just silly.
Take your pick.

douglas99 said:

I find weight loss can really be odd.
Even on the Newcastle diet I seemed to stop after the first stone.
You'd think on 800 calories there was no way you couldn't lose weight, but for the last couple of weeks it seemed to slow down to a standstill.
But then again, I did look a bit too thin.
I'd say stick to the 1200 calories though, go though the pain barrier, and if weight loss comes back, it's a winner.
If not, move onto plan B, and shake something else up in there.

(Even if you don't kickstart the weightloss, you will improve the BG, even on LC)

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Will do! Many thanks. Good luck with yours too

Brunneria said:

Doug, you're not getting it.
I understand why. But it is like talking to a wall.

It isn't about calories. I have failed to lose weight on 1200 cals a day.
Now I am losing on + or - 2000 cal.

So what changed?
I dropped carbs. I upped the fat. A lot.

I realise you don't want to eat this way. That's ok. Eat however you want.
But telling me that I am delusional about what food I am putting in my mouth is either rude, argumentative or just silly.
Take your pick.

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Who knows?
It kind of depends on how many calories you need, for you normal maintenance diet, which is a product of BMI, activity, metabolism, and a few other things.
I would lose weight on your calories intake, as indeed I did, so I guess you're arguing you need less calories to maintain your weight, and are eating in excess of your target, even though it's still a small amount of food to others, such as me?
Although a breakdown of the calories per meal would be an interesting starting point, compared to my portion controlled daily intake
Should be easy from your carbs and cals.

douglas99 said:

Who knows?
It kind of depends on how many calories you need, for you normal maintenance diet, which is a product of BMI, activity, metabolism, and a few other things.
I would lose weight on your calories intake, as indeed I did, so I guess you're arguing you need less calories to maintain your weight, and are eating in excess of your target, even though it's still a small amount of food to others, such as me?
Although a breakdown of the calories per meal would be an interesting starting point, compared to my portion controlled daily intake
Should be easy from your carbs and cals.

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I'm not arguing anything. Never was.
Until you can grasp that different people react differently to food, and until you cease to re-interpret my clear statements to fit your worldview, this conversation is pointless. And over.

douglas99 said:

Who knows?
It kind of depends on how many calories you need, for you normal maintenance diet, which is a product of BMI, activity, metabolism, and a few other things.
I would lose weight on your calories intake, as indeed I did, so I guess you're arguing you need less calories to maintain your weight, and are eating in excess of your target, even though it's still a small amount of food to others, such as me?
Although a breakdown of the calories per meal would be an interesting starting point, compared to my portion controlled daily intake
Should be easy from your carbs and cals.

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Most people find they can eat more calories and still lose weight on a LCHF diet compared to a low fat high carb diet. It's not just the calories. I doubt it would make much difference how the calories are distributed among meals.

dianagrace said:

I switched because I'd plateaued and was advised to reduce my cheese intake and calorie count.

I'm now eating 10/20g of cheese most days to @Brunneria's 100g!!

Thanks for the input

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Er... That's 100g at lunch.

I add a good 50+g to most evening meals...

Edited to add: or cream, or butter (but not 50g of butter, that would be greedy )

Brunneria said:

I'm not arguing anything. Never was.
Until you can grasp that different people react differently to food, and until you cease to re-interpret my clear statements to fit your worldview, this conversation is pointless. And over.

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Fair enough, I probably eat around your calories though, but then again, I can't comment on your maintenance diet requirements compare to mine.

NoCrbs4Me said:

Most people find they can eat more calories and still lose weight on a LCHF diet compared to a low fat high carb diet. It's not just the calories. I doubt it would make much difference how the calories are distributed among meals.

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No. I agree, it's the total number, that's the beauty of my diet, I can overeat one day, under eat the next, so long as I get an overall balance, or do a bit of exercise, it all works out.

But enough, we're taking Zands post off the subject, and she's doing an amazing job, so I'm not posting anything further.

We all seem to violently agree we're all different on one hand, and yet seem unable to accept different approaches by sensible forum members? Personally, I can't embrace slicing off butter and eating it, or spreading butter on cheese, so I pass.

This is when I get the feeling I just need to do a bit of this..................

I'm merely in awe that Brunneria loses weight on 2600 calories, and frankly, I'm just too chicken to try it!! My successes have been (I'm positive) directly related to losing body fat, from criticial places (and some places I might have preferred to keep some), and I don't really want to risk adding some back, when I can't control where I lose from.

At around 15% total body fat, I clearly still have some, in there somewhere, but sadly I can't choose to lose the subcutaneous slivers I have, over any plumteousness (OK, I know that's probably not a word!) of my cheeks or throat. Did anyone see the article about "Gym Faces" in the Sunday Times this weekend?

Good going @zand, keep the faith.

zand said:

Thanks AndBreathe, I'm trying to!

My face and hands are very thin right now and look awful - yet I have at least another 5 stones to lose. I dread to think what they will be like when I get to anywhere near my target weight.

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Moisturise like crazy. Shea butter, coconut butter - anything! I'm using a lighter moisturiser in UK, but overseas, I am the flag bearer for Coco Butter and local Aloe Vera sales!

zand said:

Thanks AndBreathe, I'm trying to!

My face and hands are very thin right now and look awful - yet I have at least another 5 stones to lose. I dread to think what they will be like when I get to anywhere near my target weight.

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I expect that it will even out, I think we all have different weight distributions, we lose it all over but it's going to be more noticeable in the places we weren't really that big so haven't much to lose.
If I lose weight, I lose my boobs because they are naturally small .if I lose a lot like I did before diagnosis then then it looks absolutely dreadful . ( the skin there isn't elastic when you've had children and are now a grandmother)
Your hands and face fortunately have bones for support and not really that much fat so a small amount will make the difference. I agree about the moisturising of the face it can't do any harm and there are certainly people with good skin who swear by it. I wonder though if that is just lucky genes (creams on the outside, unfortunately can't effect the elastin that enables the skin to stretch and contract, genetics can)
@ Brunneria, May I ask if you were doing the walking before? I've just done a rough calorie/exercise count and that 5km or so a day makes quite a big difference to your net calories (providing you aren't now down to eight and a half stone.
I know that I cannot eat the amount of calories I do,albeit using a different diet, without at least that amount of daily exercise and maintain let alone lose weight.

phoenix said:

I expect that it will even out, I think we all have different weight distributions, we lose it all over but it's going to be more noticeable in the places we weren't really that big so haven't much to lose.
If I lose weight, I lose my boobs because they are naturally small .if I lose a lot like I did before diagnosis then then it looks absolutely dreadful . ( the skin there isn't elastic when you've had children and are now a grandmother)
Your hands and face fortunately have bones for support and not really that much fat so a small amount will make the difference. I agree about the moisturising of the face it can't do any harm and there are certainly people with good skin who swear by it. I wonder though if that is just lucky genes (creams on the outside, unfortunately can't effect the elastin that enables the skin to stretch and contract, genetics can)
@ Brunneria, May I ask if you were doing the walking before? I've just done a rough calorie/exercise count and that 5km or so a day makes quite a big difference to your net calories (providing you aren't now down to eight and a half stone.
I know that I cannot eat the amount of calories I do,albeit using a different diet, without at least that amount of daily exercise and maintain let alone lose weight.

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Hi,

The exercise thing is very interesting to me. And I am about to bore you with it too.

I've had back problems for years, and from 2010-2012 I was limited to about 2,000 steps a day. And in quite a lot of pain.
Then I went to a chiropractor, who discovered that my sacro-illeac joint was out (where the spine meets the pelvis). he corrected it in a single session, with a single follow up. Bless the man.
Oddly, that level of in-activity had no impact on my weight at all. I was fat, but stable.

A few months (2012) later I changed job. And now walk to work and back most days. Only half a mile each way. It aggravated my back, but after about 6 months, the pain eased, then disappeared.
I was delighted.
Weight still stable-ish. A little gain, if I remember correctly.

I was low carbing, but not high fatting, through all of this.

Then, in Summer 2013, we got the dog - partly through the belief that enforced walking would help my back further.
It has.
So, from mid 2013 to now, I have been walking to work and walking the dog = approx 7,000 steps a day (he has very short legs)
I might hit 10,000 steps on the weekend, when we take him on a longer trundle.

No weight loss until I hit this forum (Feb? 2014) and starting very low carbing, and increasing the fats.

It has been slowly melting off since. And when I say slow, that is about 20 lbs since Feb 14

My own observation is that the quantities I'm eating are a maintenance amount, without the walking.
and they are a weight loss amount, with the walking. PLUS the increased fat.

I can only assume that the exercise reduces my (massive) insulin resistance, just enough to access my stored fat. But that is, of course, speculation.