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What am I doing wrong?

Vidar

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Morning Everyone, I need some advice or reassurance or something, please.

I've just done my official weekly weigh in and I've lost 1lb (maybe, the scales keep fluctuating) it was down more on Friday evening when curiosity got the better of me. I know people here say not to worry about the scales but for me who needs to lose close to half my body weight so I can get the leg surgeries I need it's important to me. Other than adding a few herbs and spices and the occasional glass of Coke Zero I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I do IF 18/6 at least 5 days a week had a 24hr fast yesterday. I do 2MAD most days, eat until I'm not hungry and stop and was OMAD yesterday but struggled to finish my food as I got very full very quickly.

I can't exercise due to mobility issues and just want to know what the hell I'm doing wrong. I know some people will say my body composition will be changing but how is it changing if I'm not exercising I don't understand. My body has gone all squishy like it did when I was doing dirty keto in 2019 but those scales just don't seem to be moving at all for me on Carnivore.
 
Hi @Vidar

First some reassurance. Herbs, spices and the odd glass of Coke Zero shouldn’t be interfering with either blood glucose control or weight loss. And exercise makes little difference to weight loss, so please don’t beat yourself up about any of that.

Is the 1lb loss for the past week? Or is that over a longer period? If the former, it’s not to be sniffed at - not everyone loses weight quickly and 1lb a week is a decent loss.

From what you say about your eating patterns it sounds like you’re doing all you can, so perhaps just be patient? My own weight loss was very slow indeed at the start.

Weight does fluctuate from day to day, so although it’s easier to say than do, perhaps stick to weighing once a week at the same time on the same day? Or even less frequently?

Finally, have you been checked for things like under active thyroid that could also be interfering with your best efforts? And how are your blood glucose levels doing?

Sounds very frustrating.
 
It sounds frustrating, what is in the meals that you eat? how long have you been actively looking to lose weight and what is your initial to what it is now? All of this looking at the overall trend is what I needed to do as it is so easy to get disheartened.

Thing is, weekly weight in coupled with an unexpected Last minute fluctuation makes it look like your week isn’t much but the week after it’ll have settled and you’ll have caught up maybe. I use weightgrapher.com although carb manager also seems to show trends now so lots of tools to help

You have gone down some so that’s good, and scales do fluctuate, it’s easy to increase or lose day by day due to all sorts of reasons, water retention, not having fully digested yet... i find very salty meals make my weight change and carbs definitely cause some increase (but you said carnivore so unlikely) I have seen fluctuations of over (and under) a kg day to day when I know I haven’t done much different

I never fasted so I don’t know about any impact there, others will know that more

I have my graphs over time and they are like a rollercoaster.
 
Goonergal said:
And exercise makes little difference to weight
Click to expand...
I think what you mean is exercise is not necessary for weight loss.
It IS possible to lose weight through exercise.
I appreciate it is not possible for everyone but, from personal experience, I can confirm exercise CAN affect weight.
 
In Response said:
I think what you mean is exercise is not necessary for weight loss.
It IS possible to lose weight through exercise.
I appreciate it is not possible for everyone but, from personal experience, I can confirm exercise CAN affect weight.
Click to expand...
I personally think exercise helps, where possible as I appreciate not everyone can. There isn't any shame in not being able to for many reasons, but any increase in activity helps

There are studies showing exercise on its own Is less impactful than anticipated by some who, for example overestimate it’s impact and eat more to make up for it for one example. It is oversold in this way,talking about exercise to burn off the calories for the choc you just ate. But energy loss and calories etc. is complicated: age, weight, sex and many other combinations all changes how much you may burn off

I do agree that the statement exercise makes little difference Is underselling a bit. I think it adds to the whole picture and has other benefits. But on a sliding scale, what you eat is more of an impact for sure, so want to see if there are options here.

Hence wondering what @Vidar has been eating to see if anything unlikely is happening there and hopefully find pointers to help. All of the information shared about the food and the OMAD seems to suggest the right approach so trying to get a little more info to see any other suggestions for you
 
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I believe Dr Mosely trialled two groups, one dieting and not exercising, and one dieting and exercising, and reached the conclusion that exercise does not make you lose weight. However, my granddaughter has taken up running after work and she is definitely losing weight, and that's without dieting. So, who is right?
 
Hi all

The OP did not ask for advice about exercise and the thread is not for debating the whys and wherefores of that topic, interesting as it is. Anyone who wishes to continue that discussion should start a new thread.

Thanks.
 
Like Goonergal said, 1 pound loss is good. If this is a weekly loss, then just keep stacking up those 1's and you'll be well on your way. Whether that's quick enough to satisfy your time goal is another thing entirely. To engineer a greater loss I think you have to be a bit more 'intentional' about things.
 
@Vidar a 1lb loss is nearer to your goal but I know what you mean! By eating OMAD and 24 hr fasting are you eating enough calories to keep your metabolism working properly or does it think it’s being starved, going into survival mode and slowing down? My ‘too efficient’ metabolism has always objected to me dropping too many calories and I feel ill if I miss too many meals!
 
I am wondering when you say your body has gone 'all squishy' whether you are losing active muscle tissue as well as body fat. When there is not enough energy supply in our diets out bodies do not distinguish between muscle and adipose tissue and will break down both to supply energy. Loss of muscle tissue reduces metabolic rate. Although it sounds counter-intuitive it might help to come out of starvation mode for a while.
Do you also take body measurements? Sometimes body mass can be static while measurements are still decreasing. Hopefully you have just plateaued for a bit and weight loss will resume soon.
 
Dr Snoddy said:
whether you are losing active muscle tissue as well as body fat.
Click to expand...

Although that is far less likely on a high protein (carnivore) way of eating and if there is plenty of fat - either body fat or added fat to use as fuel.

It is a good point about metabolism and starvation mode though @Vidar

You mentioned that you’re eating until full and then stopping, which suggests you are getting enough food/nutrients, but it’s definitely something to be aware of. Conscious fasting is helpful for both insulin resistance and weight loss, but it does need to be balanced with ‘feasting’. I can remember coming back from a holiday where I’d only eaten once a day for 5 consecutive days and being miffed at not losing any weight. Some helpful folks on here - @bulkbiker I think - gave me similar advice and it definitely helped.
 
The ‘squishiness’ can be explained by ‘whooshing’, which happens often when people have a lot of weight to lose.
https://pinchofnom.com/the-whoosh-effect-explained/

@Vidar
Please do not become discouraged.
In weight loss terms, a few weeks is nothing, and it doesn’t even count as a stall until it lasts longer than 6 weeks.
It’s a long game.
 
Morning Everyone,

Another weekly weigh in and this week I'm confused. I weigh myself 3 times to try and make sure my results are accurate, I have digital scales. First result was 31st 13Lbs, followed by two results of 31st 10Lbs.

I'm going to take the 2lb loss this week as opposed to the 1lb gain on last week. Which is surprising as I fell off the wagon, hard earlier in the week. I had a take away after having my covid Vaccine, Dr managed to hit the bone I think and I felt like rubbish. Actually really enjoyed this one for some reason though again felt like I'd been gut punched afterwards.

I'm back on track now though, and feeling squishier than ever. Hopefully the downward trend continues.
 
Great stuff getting back on track. Everyone hits stumbling blocks and the main thing is to draw a line and get back on track.

Were your 3 readings all one after the other on the same day? If so, it might be worth making sure that the scales are on a level, flat surface in case that’s causing the discrepancy.
 
Yeah all taken straight away, its on the bathroom floor in the middle so should be flat but I could get the missus to check it with a level I guess.
 
A lot of people say exercise is not possible.. but exercise doesn’t need to be jogging or cycling

It can be just a small walk even just pushing yourself to take just a few steps.. then a few more.. and over time although it may not have a big impact on weight it will have an impact on your general health.. and use a few muscles that hopefully will make it easier to walk further

I don’t know what you circumstances are.. but as I say it doesn’t need to be much to start
 

Want to share what some meals are composed of?
 
Weight loss can be a strange thing, it’s the trend that is important and not beating yourself up if you have a bad time or fall of the wagon.

this morning the scales think I have put on nearly 1kg, earlier this week I had a day when I lost a kg. If you go on the idea that 3500extra calories gives a kg weight (let’s set aside for now any debate on accuracy) it is highly unlikely I have changed in that way, it’s just fluctuations.

I get the squishiness, for me over time a lot was a bit and then somehow toned more, other parts still trying to get the final changes to address that. But slow and steady and you may well see it change. You are likely to get a rush at the start as your body loses water etc, but follow it over weeks/months. Before I knew it I was a size down in jeans, then another and stopped eventually 8” down and still can’t quite believe I did it... changes I didn’t expect, body looking in ways I didn’t think would happen. Smaller wrists, and fingers but no more little fatty lumps on my back (did a double take when I realised that) so it’s not always what you expect but your health and blood levels will thank you

don’t get disheartened, we all who post here share and celebrate success and that helped me.
 
bulkbiker said:
Want to share what some meals are composed of?
Click to expand...
Sure, pack of raw chicken wings, cooked in either butter or animal fats and gently seasoned with garlic powder. Ribeye, seasoned with salt and cooked in beef dripping. Diced lamb, and liver. Home made quater pounders with proper cheese from a farm shop (though dairy is very infrequent). Pork belly cooked low and slow in bacon grease.

Not all at the same time I might add, haha. Just eating till satiated and then stopping. The dog loves it, he's getting the scraps.


As for exercise my mobility issues and unsuitable home make that very difficult, though I do try.
 

With that menu you should be fine.. give it time.
Apart from a bit of dog walking (which I did when morbidly obese) I didn't increase exercise at all.
 
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