are there any other slow weight losers out there?

I am losing weight on this diet but WAY slower than other people it seems

I know I am not as active as many, although I do get out for walks some days and average a loss of half to one pound a week

this past 10 days I have been away, I have walked every single day and between 3 and 4 miles on 6 of those days
I have been gardening, and cleaning
I have been in a house so up and down stairs, much more moving around
I have had NO sweet foods at all apart from my breakfast berries
and have stuck to low (30 – 50g) carbs every single day
and I still only managed to lose 3 1/2 pound
I am pleased with it but I just get so down and deflated when I read all the wow wow stories on here

the menopause, I know, has made an impact on things and slowed things down for me

but please
if there are any other people who are losing so little, let me know

oh – and I have a lot of weight to shift – several stone still – so its nothing to do with that

how on earth do I get my metabolism to speed up – its like a sloth!!

thank you x

Hi Keeptrying,
I’m not loosing as fast as other people seem to be,I’m starting week 7 today and this week I gained a 1lb after not being absolutely strict. I find I loose around 3lb one week and none or very little the next. The weight is coming off, 1st 2lb so far but my waist measurement has not come down by inches like others. The menopause does seem to change how your body behaves I agree. I’m not too disheartened as I figure any loss is good. I’m determined to keep going, I needed to loose 70lb in total, so now I ONLY need to loose 54lb, which sounds a lot better. I’ve kept my menu plans and have decided to repeat the week on which I lost 4lb to see if that works again. I’m determined to keep going and shed the weight I already feel better on this way of eating. Let me know how you are doing? Cherry8

Hi Cherry8
that;s really well done – I agree getting weight to shift gets harder, not sure if its menopause or age related, but it isn’t a race, and over a stone in seven weeks is brilliant.
I’m just starting week 8, and have a similar pattern of weight loss and amount to lose as you – but hey, the fat’s been there a long time, so long as it is coming down steadily, and I am learning better eating habits (and having occasional nonBSD goodies, but appreciating that they are occasional small portion treats rather than everyday), who cares whether the total loss takes four months or five!

hope that week 7 goes well for you

Hi Keeptrying, are you doing the 800, the 5:2 or just the BSD med style low carb?

To answer your question about how to speed up your metabolism, the only way to do this is to increase your lean muscle mass. And the only way to increase lean muscle mass is to exercise. Specifically anaerobic exercise. Walking is a great fat burner for the calorie deficit whilst you are walking, but strength exercises (weights, pilates, etc) will build your lean muscle mass which in turn will burn fat more quickly.

Contrary to popular belief, cardiovascular exercise isn’t very good at burning fat. It can often also use muscle mass as an energy source. That said, cardio is an important part of exercise as the name suggests, it keeps your cardiovascular system and heart healthy.

My approach is to do a combination of cardio, HIIT and weight training, so I’m getting the best of both worlds. HTT

hi timmy, – i am doing bsd – but not counting calories – although i seldom if ever go over 1200 and mostly around 1000

i used to do the fast diet and that worked well re. weight loss but cause big reflux/throat issues which are still not completely gone – hence changing to healthier eating EVERY day

i certainly need to build muscle mass as i would think i have very very little of that!! thank you for your advice

hi frog and cherry – yes, i also have a very similar amount to lose to both of you
i have lost just over 2 stone since January – that is 3 months on the fd and then 8 weeks on bsd – with a few glitches along the way
i agree we should celebrate ALL weight lost and i find it easy to do for others but so much harder myself

well done frog for having ‘occasional’ treats, as i think if i tried that they would rapidly escalate into old habits

most of my fat has been around for some years
but i put on 1 1/2 stone in hospital in just 3 months, 3 years ago – and it took me the first 5 months of this year to shift it
it feels good though – to be rid of it, like i can perhaps start to rebuild bits of myself perhaps

off for chicken and veg now

best wishes xx

I’m doing BSD 800, I’ve lost 22.5 lb’s in 11 weeks, only lost 4 over the past 3 weeks. Our bodies are all different, I do take one or two days per week now and allow myself more calories but keeping the carbs low.

I’m mostly at peace with it, I’ve accepted that in any one week my body has lost what it can and that’s ok. In time I will get where I want to be.

Hi all I did the first 8 weeks as bsd 800 now on med style diet 11 weeks in , 24 pounds down – 28 still to go. My weight comes off in chunks nothing for say 2 weeks then 3 pounds . Frustrating at times but in right direction, this is doable for life though. Every so often I have what I call hunger days and now I just have a few more healthy calories feel better less internal struggle, has not affected my weight loss. This has been the first plan I have done where I do not want to stop . Downsides are always having to plan for eating out or being away. I have not tried to substitute carb foods yet but lots of discussion on this, I may try when at goal. I have 10 weeks before I go on a trip of a lifetime to Afica for a charity bike ride do not want to be the fatty on the bike at the back huffing and puffing. I believe our bodies do tell us what we need but we have not learnt how to respond. High fat low carb just works how odd is that. I want to shout it out as I go around supermarket seeing all that rubbishy food which I may add I did eat !!!! Have a good day all 🙋🏻🚴🐾

Hi Keeptrying, don’t give up! Often getting fixated on that pound or part kilo can get demoralising. Sometimes your body is getting smaller or more toned without the scales telling you it! Have you measured your waist to check if its getting smaller? I bet it is!

A lot of the guys on here know I am a committed NON weigher! I go by how well my clothes fit and if I can get into those forgotten garments in the wardrobe.. which I can! I’m on week 10 now; started on strict 800 cals, relaxed into a more 2:5 version (ie. less worry at weekends) and now generally follow a med diet but with an eye on portion size to make sure I don’t overdo it. And I’m still losing weight and fitting into clothes I thought were consigned to the charity bag! I’m in it for the longhaul and the health benefits 🙂

So chin up, and you will get there 🙂

My loss is slow, 3.5 lbs week 1 and only half a pound week 2 but my aim is to reduce blood glucose and this diet has done that fantastically. I would like the weight loss but happy to stick to the diet and not worry about my weight.

Many of us have found the weight loss slower than described in the book, but if you stick with it, you’ll get there. I have been plugging away for ten weeks (with a ten week break between weeks seven and eight) and I’m still a fraction of a pound away from being a whole stone lighter than when I started. If you have hit a plateau, it’s worth reviewing your intake of carbs (too much?), fats (not enough?) and fluids.
Keep going – you are already seeing the benefits and it can only get better!

Dear keeptrying

You do realise how fabulous a loss of 3.5 lbs in a week is do you? Apart from my first week on this or any diet – and a water fast once! – I have never lost that much in a week. I am in week 3 now and astonished at my loss even tho’ it is not nearly as dramatic as some. SunnyB I am going to be ecstatic when I get to a sone

As someone on the forums remarked we are now probably eating like a thin person.
ps I wore a skirt last night I have not worn for years – tight yes – but it did up

Onwards and downwards
Ruth

hi Ruth – and thank you
yes I guess 3.5 pound is good – but I think that has only happened twice in these 10 weeks
the first week, and the one where I was away busy all the time
sadly I am just not that active at home
and this week seems to be showing I have put weight back on – which considering I have stuck rigidly to my low carb, no sugar rules all week is pretty depressing
but for every day I can do this, I will

it’s taken me 12 weeks to lose 23lb’s, so my average isn’t even 2/week. I’ve only lost over 3lb’s in the first week, last week I only lost 0.5.

But gradually, the weight is moving, so I’ve taken this on as a lifestyle change. I’m going to continue even though it is slower than I’d like.

On my way again, lost another 1 lb today, that’s 5 lb in 2.5 weeks. Swimming later so back into exercise after a 4 days break (due to personal circumstances).

Hello.
I’m past menopause too, one of the reasons I piled on the weight in addition to responding badly to some life challenges/stress inducers.

I’ve been doing low carb Med diet rather than full BSD as I just can’t survive on 800 cals per day. I’ve had days when I’ve fasted by accident because I’ve missed a meal, but mostly, I’m on 1300-1500 cals per day. I exercise every day: 30-40 minutes of either cardio or resistance/HIIT five days a week and then 2 days when I make sure I walk more than 10,000 steps.

I started on June 2, so I’ve now done 6 weeks and a day, and I’ve lost 9 kilos, or 19 pounds. But it hasn’t been even or steady. Dropped a big chunk in the first ten days (four kilos) which tells you how much I was over-eating before! But since then, a steady kilo per week, no hunger pangs at all, and only occasional longing for bread. Last weekend, we had visitors and I did eat some bread and chips, but in very small quantities. I thoroughly enjoyed them, but was quite glad to get back to a stricter approach for the rest of the week.

Although the BSD book is quite calm about very fast weight loss, I am not so sure that it is a good thing – it’s encouraging, but as others have said, given that this is a lifestyle change, my feeling would be to focus on feeling clothes fitting better, much better sleep and concentration levels, healthier readings for blood sugar and the fact that there will be plateaus but that overall, you are getting fitter, healthier and slimmer in a natural kind of way.

I don’t know if this will help – it works for me, and that is to have short, long and medium term goals. My short term goal is to check that I eat under 1500 cals per day and always exercise as strenuously as I can. My medium term goal is to lose 4-5 kilos each month, and ideally, move down a stone, so for example, I’m currently just under 16 stone, but am aiming to be under 15 stone by the end of August. Because I’m a teacher, I work in half-terms, and my aim is to be under 13 stone by the end of October, and I’m hoping to be around 11 ½ stone by the end of the year. At that stage, my hope is that my new eating habits will be fully embedded, my weight will stabilise and I’ll maintain that weight indefinitely.

My questions would be –
Are you exercising in the right way? You really need to work up a sweat to get metabolic movement, apparently, so that’s why HIIT works. I think Dr M does cycling on a stationary bike – but weights/resistance training are also important, especially for older women as this really improves your bone density.
Are you drinking enough water? You should be aiming for 2 litres a day, ideally. It really helps with a) flushing out the system b) filling you up so you don’t eat excessively at meals.
Could it be a good moment to skip the weigh-ins and focus on feeling healthy? Sometimes, I take a break from weighing and then when you hop back on, there are really positive numbers to encourage you.

Don’t give up – you are doing really well and approach this as a marathon, not a sprint, and you will get there.

hi manxsprout

you are doing really great!!

I do certainly think if my life was more active it would make a difference
as my mh affects me and I struggle badly with motivation
I do have an exercise bike which I use but not the past 3 days as it messed up my hip so badly I couldn’t hardly sit/move
anyway today it seems a bit better so I will MAKE myself go out for a walk
I enjoy walking but I detest getting sweaty and out of breath as it makes me feel very panicky

i know i need to build muscle mass etc but it is just another head battle right now

oh, yes i think i drink enough

Hi, I’m staying on this thread because I need the encouragement to carry on. Although I would not go back to a carb choked diet I would like to see some weight come off. I am coming to the end of week 4 (Tuesday I officially weigh) and although lost 6lb saw 1lb back yesterday and 1lb back off today so still 6lbs. To help me get over the crying stage I got the tape measure out and have lost another 1.5 inches – total loss 8.5 inches.

On the bright side my blood glucose is still way lower than it was 4 weeks ago. I remember it being 190 (10.5 on HBA1c scale) then I got it down to 153 (8.5) so reduced my insulin by 2 units from 37 to 35, the next morning my reading was 211 (11.7) and I cried and put the insulin back up to 37 units. I am now on 28 units and my b/g is regularly around 100 to 105 (5.5 to 5.8) and I am so happy. I have also cut out one of my diamicron. So, am I complaining, no not really, but it would be nice to see the scales go down.

Moan over, now to get my menu planned for another week. I am going to use the same one I used for week one, just in case I am doing something different. Keep on keeping on.

Hey sunshinegirl
Those results sound pretty good to me – congrats! Keep plugging away and you’ll get there for sure. I know how disheartening it can be to gain a pound one day, lose it the next and feel you are just not getting anywhere – it’s just so frustrating! But then suddenly, you hit a losing streak and see the scales steadily coming down.

If you are finding it hard to see slow loss, perhaps try not weighing everyday, as previously suggested and hopefully you will find a larger decrease each time. Personally I find daily weighing motivating, regardless of the reading result, although I confess to occasionally struggling when it’s gone the wrong way. Then I visit the forum, have a little rant, people tell me it’s not all doom and gloom and I get myself back on track.

Hope you will manage to find a way to stay motivated and ‘stick with the programme’. The results will be worth it, even if it takes you a little longer than some to get there. Keep us posted and keep on keeping on!

Last week I was up a kilo, today down a kilo so no new weight loss for 2 weeks. I am religiously recording food on myfitnespal and despite being disabled, have tried to be more active. I am 13 weeks in and lost 20kg until last week when for the first time weight went the wrong direction on the scale. I have at least another 45kg to lose; I really thought I would never see the numbers go in the wrong direction. I am not so disheartened that I would fall off the wagon as I have reversed my type 2 diagnosis and don’t ever want to be as big as I was or am now. I am disgusted with myself for being a lazy, fat, sugar and carb addict and am in constant fear of reversing the good I have done so far because my mental/emotional state impacts hugely on my success in anything, but particularly when it comes to my weight. I will keep plugging at it.

whoa there bubbles, none of that negativity here. You have lost 20 kg in 13 weeks and you call yourself a slow loser. That is 44 lbs or 3.5 lbs per week, not so shabby. I have only lost 9 lbs in 8 weeks and I am setting off again for another 8 weeks. Would you look at me and my results and say I was a lazy, fat addict, not to my face you wouldn’t. So don’t do it to yourself. You must have changed so much in 44 lbs, look at yourself and see the beauty coming through, pat yourself on the back for having the strength and determination to get as far as you have. And have the will power and self belief to carry on. Big hugs from France.

I expect to see you in the 2nd 8 week thread so I can keep an eye on you.

Bisous xx

Hi bubbles,
I agree with sunshinegirl completely. I’d give my eye teeth for your weight loss figures! 🙂 We all start at different weights so comparisons are not helpful.
I think my weight loss averages at a shade over 1 lb per week (although it’s probably less than that now because, admittedly, I have relaxed things a bit these past few weeks). I started in January, I’ve lost around 30lbs in total (it fluctuates – refer to previous sentence) but would like to lose a bit more in order to achieve my ultimate target. When I get my 2nd wind I’ll knuckle down to it.

Even after all this time, I’m still prone to stuffing my face with things I know I shouldn’t! My mood is a big bad influence, plus I’m a sucker for special offers in the supermarket. Everyone hits a wall in this process.

We shouldn’t fixate on who’s the slowest loser – a loss is a loss, it’s still an achievement. After 13 weeks, your body probably just needs a bit of a breather, then it’ll get back on track. I am sure you will make inroads into that remaining 45kg – it’s not a race, as you yourself said: just keep plugging away at it.
Keep your chin up!

I think the big loses some have, and we may have at stages can up the expectations and then something that would get the slimmer of the week/month at a local club type group can feel a disappointment.

Bubbles! Remember the BSD book which is all about the shaming and guilt for weight gains which is entirely misplaced – it is the carb addiction which sets the body to craving more food not weakness on the part of the eater.

You are NOT bad and wrong, you are a human being whose hormones have got out of sync, and you are well on the way to getting them to do the best thing for your body. Everyone is different, keep the faith and plug onwards, day by day if necessary.

You are a phenomenal success, and a huge inspiration to others – nothing at all bad and wrong in that! 🙂 🙂

Thank you everyone for reminding me of my successes abd your wonderful encouragement. I am on a right downer on myself – I just cant believe I allowed myself to get to over 300lbs – I do beat myself up a lot; it is hard to think of oneself as anything but a greedy person – I was heading for one of those My 600lb life programmes and it has been terrifying. I was a normal sized child until I was about 7-8 and then steadily grew bigger and bigger of the ensuing 50 years. I did lose about 5stone back in my 30’s but then bad health and some traumatic experiences sent me spiralling. I have to keep my head in the right place.

Thank you thank you thank you for being here everyone!
XXXXX