Weight Loss Advice Required

[EllsBells]

Help! I've been lower carb since mid-January with the primary goal of sorting out blood sugar levels but secondary goal of losing about 8 stone in weight.
I hit the primary weight loss target of 2 1/2stone (15kg) - in 2 months but weight is now creeping down glacially. Recent research suggests that losing as much weight as quickly as possible is where I should be heading, not the 1-2lb per week as per NHS guidelines.
I was considering going down to low carb and only 1200kcal per day but I'm already CONSTANTLY starving (emotional triggers, not all of it is genuine hunger - it only feels like it) and I don't think I'm mentally strong enough to deal with more of that than I'm already doing. I've been upping my exercise levels but gain muscle really easily and am quite efficient at using energy - exercise is fine until you have to stop for whatever reason and then the underlying cause for the weight gain is still there - so diet it has to be!
Current kcal intake is approximately 1500-1700 (I guess) and sub 100g carbs per day (educated guess).

 

[Eddy Edson]

Help! I've been lower carb since mid-January with the primary goal of sorting out blood sugar levels but secondary goal of losing about 8 stone in weight.
I hit the primary weight loss target of 2 1/2stone (15kg) - in 2 months but weight is now creeping down glacially. Recent research suggests that losing as much weight as quickly as possible is where I should be heading, not the 1-2lb per week as per NHS guidelines.
I was considering going down to low carb and only 1200kcal per day but I'm already CONSTANTLY starving (emotional triggers, not all of it is genuine hunger - it only feels like it) and I don't think I'm mentally strong enough to deal with more of that than I'm already doing. I've been upping my exercise levels but gain muscle really easily and am quite efficient at using energy - exercise is fine until you have to stop for whatever reason and then the underlying cause for the weight gain is still there - so diet it has to be!
Current kcal intake is approximately 1500-1700 (I guess) and sub 100g carbs per day (educated guess).

Your carb level really won't make a difference - focus on calories (anyway, I believe the large amount of rigorous research which says "cals not carbs" and it certainly is the case for me) .

I use this body weight planner https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp from the excellent weight-loss research group at the US National Institutes of Health to work out how many calories for what kind of weight outcome.. It's not exact, but it is useful, but only in conjunction with a fairly accurate view on how many cals I'm taking in. For me, as I think for most people, estimating cals doesn't work very well - really need to actually count them.

For an excellent & entertaining overview on latest understanding of how yr bod and brain fight to keep you from losing weight, this just published from a leading researcher in the field: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/603894/burn-by-herman-pontzer-phd/

 

[EllsBells]

Your carb level really won't make a difference - focus on calories (anyway, I believe the large amount of rigorous research which says "cals not carbs" and it certainly is the case for me) .

I use this body weight planner https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp from the excellent weight-loss research group at the US National Institutes of Health to work out how many calories for what kind of weight outcome.. It's not exact, but it is useful, but only in conjunction with a fairly accurate view on how many cals I'm taking in. For me, as I think for most people, estimating cals doesn't work very well - really need to actually count them.

For an excellent & entertaining overview on latest understanding of how yr bod and brain fight to keep you from losing weight, this just published from a leading researcher in the field: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/603894/burn-by-herman-pontzer-phd/

Thanks, will check those out.
For me, calorie counting is the most soul destroying task ever. I did it for a week once and absolutely hated it - I could feel it destroying my relationship with food and it is so easy to get obsessed with it.
I'm using the hairy bikers eat your way out of diabetes quite a lot at the moment as it is diabetes friendly and calorie counted for me - that is helping I think. It's the 'hunger' that is awful. At NHS rates it will take a year before I can eat a normal adult portion again. Aaargh.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Thanks, will check those out.
For me, calorie counting is the most soul destroying task ever. I did it for a week once and absolutely hated it - I could feel it destroying my relationship with food and it is so easy to get obsessed with it.
I'm using the hairy bikers eat your way out of diabetes quite a lot at the moment as it is diabetes friendly and calorie counted for me - that is helping I think. It's the 'hunger' that is awful. At NHS rates it will take a year before I can eat a normal adult portion again. Aaargh.

Yeah, I know a lot of people have that view of calorie counting. Anyway, good luck!

 

[trophywench]

A normal portion of protein is approx the size of a pack of playing cards. You REALLY do not have more protein than that ?

 

[EllsBells]

A normal portion of protein is approx the size of a pack of playing cards. You REALLY do not have more protein than that ?

Hi Jenny - when it comes to fish, it's fairly straightforward to have 120-150g portions. Red meats and chicken - I know I can cut down on. I also need to buy smaller steaks etc so I'm tweaking things. The other day I was so hungry I ate 2 chicken thighs along with two types of salad, with a mayo dressing, followed by a apple/cinnamon hot cross bun (which I know I shouldn't have eaten). Didn't even touch the sides. I was starving before, during and after.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks, will check those out.
For me, calorie counting is the most soul destroying task ever. I did it for a week once and absolutely hated it - I could feel it destroying my relationship with food and it is so easy to get obsessed with it.
I'm using the hairy bikers eat your way out of diabetes quite a lot at the moment as it is diabetes friendly and calorie counted for me - that is helping I think. It's the 'hunger' that is awful. At NHS rates it will take a year before I can eat a normal adult portion again. Aaargh.

I looked at that web link and if I used the calculator correctly, the recommended calorie intake was at least a third more calories than I roughly worked out I am having. I agree counting calories is a pain so I have been sticking with the carbs option.

 

[Vonny]

Hi @EllsBells, I did low carb together with low cals to lose the weight and reduce bs. I agree it can be soul destroying, but I actually found this time round that writing everything I ate along with the carb and cal content was a serious pleasure! I'm still quite anal about it and even though I'm lower than my original target weight of 8st 10lb, I'm still writing every detail down. I was v lucky in that I didn't get constant hunger, in fact by going low carb I pretty much lost the need to eat! Hopefully the same will happen to you if you go v low carb. Best of luck x

 

[Maca44]

Hi @EllsBells, I did low carb together with low cals to lose the weight and reduce bs. I agree it can be soul destroying, but I actually found this time round that writing everything I ate along with the carb and cal content was a serious pleasure! I'm still quite anal about it and even though I'm lower than my original target weight of 8st 10lb, I'm still writing every detail down. I was v lucky in that I didn't get constant hunger, in fact by going low carb I pretty much lost the need to eat! Hopefully the same will happen to you if you go v low carb. Best of luck x

Yes a big + reducing my carbs is feeling rather full most of the time no more mad rush to the fridge to have a carb scoff.

 

[EllsBells]

I clearly need to make adjustments somewhere with what I'm doing. According to the link @Eddy Edson posted I should be eating 2,700 cals per day just to maintain my current weight (blimey), so my current weight loss would be commensurate with consuming 2,000-2,200cals a day. I know I'm eating far too much protein (chickpeas and chicken portions in a meal = not great) and my blood sugar rolls up 8 hours later. And I suspect too much butter/oils in cooking, and adding too much cheese. I'll look into dropping the carbs further too.

If I keep at what I'm doing now then the weight loss will plateau sooner. Aaaargh. This diet b***cks is a nightmare. And. Seriously. Still very hungry.

 

[TrevA]

I’m having some success with my diet. For breakfast, I sometimes don’t bother but if I do I will have berries (usually strawberries or blueberries) and full fat Greek yoghurt. More berries for lunch. A few mixed nuts as a snack mid-afternoon. For dinner, I’ll have either stir fried chicken, cooked in olive oil, with either stir fry veg or salad, or fish with veg or salad, or beef mince meatballs in a home made tomato sauce. I have a bit of cheese on top and sometimes Mayo with the chicken/fish and salad. It seems to be working, losing just under 1lb per day or about 5 lbs a week. I do exercise a lot, which helps with the weight loss. I cycle for a couple of hours most days and walk the dog for an hour or so everyday.

I don’t track calories or macros, but I think I’m eating a fairly low carb diet.