I keep gaining or not losing! Send help! :(

[shettie]

Hey guys,
Just wanted to post and see if anyone has any ideas what on earth is going on or where i'm going wrong. Since the 23rd June each week I've either gained or maintained. I'm 99% sure that i'm doing this right (I've been on for a while) and i'm also doing four exercise classes a week including high intensity interval training, boxersize circuits, a cardio class and a zumba class. I've also been going for a run once or twice a week where I can fit it in around everything else. I've contained a sample of this last weeks food diary (I've kept one since I started) - Saturday I went totally off the rails after being weighed and seeing I had put on a bloody pound (not ideal I know but I had an 'oh **** it then' moment. Today isn't proving much better but I will go for a swim later and try and work some of it off.

Everything is cooked with frylite spray The machine lattes are from the coffee machine at work, I count the milk into my HEA and then do 2 syns as I have sugar in it (from the machine not adding it myself) I think its half a teaspoon but I over count them on syns just in case. I get most of my super free from fruit snacks, and where meals have been repeated its where I've cooked dinner and then taken it to work for lunch the next day or had lots left over so eaten it twice. I eat all my meals off a small plate as well so I know my portion sizes aren't too out of control! Normally I have a little more variety but as ive been back at work i'm trying to adjust a bit! I've lost a stone so far and my target is another 2 stone off so I cant have hit a wall already surely! Thankyou so so so much for your help I really appreciate it im at a loose end!!!

Normally I don't really have any syns so I tried introducing a few more at the suggestion of a couple of members at group, but obviously its not doing much good THANKYOU! R xxxxxxxxxx
Tuesday 15th July - 6 syns total
Breakfast: 2 x wholemeal toast, 400g loaf (HEB)
banana (SF)

Lunch: pasta (F) fat free yoghurt (F) basil/garlic (SF) 30g cheese (HEA)

Dinner: Quiche - Cottage cheese, eggs, no fat bacon (F) onion, red pepper, mushrooms (SF)
mixed salad (F) salad cream (3 syns)

Snacks: nectarine (SF)

Drinks: water, hot water and lemon, machine latte (3 syns)

Wednesday 16th July - 4.5 syns total
Breakfast: 2 x wholemeal toast (HEB)
banana (SF)

Lunch: Quiche - Cottage cheese, eggs, no fat bacon (F) onion, red pepper, mushrooms (SF)
grapes (SF)

Dinner: Satsuma, 2 nectarines (SF) 3 v small baked potatos (F) spaghetti hoops (F) 2 beetroot (SF)

Drinks: water, hot water and lemon, 1 machine latte (2 syns) 1 hot chocolate (2.5 syns)

Exercise: 20 minute jog

Thursday 17th- 6 syns total
Breakfast: banana (SF)
activia yoghurt (F)

Lunch: mixed salad, kiwi, apple, mango (SF) tuna - in brine (F) salad cream (6 syns) mullerlight yoghurt (F)

Dinner: 'Fried' rice - rice, sweetcorn, scrambled egg -no milk (F) mushrooms, onion (SF) soy sauce (F)

Snacks: nectarine x 2

Drinks: 1.5l water, hot water and lemon

Exercise: 1 hour boxersize circuit training

Friday 18th July- 4 syns total
Breakfast: 2 x wholemeal toast (HEB)
banana (SF)
activia yoghurt (F)

Lunch: 'fried' rice - rice, sweetcorn, scrambled egg -no milk (F) mushrooms, onion (SF) soy sauce (F)
Satsuma x 2 (SF) apple (SF)

Dinner: Curry - green lentils, turkey/chicken, chicken stock cube, fat free yoghurt (F) pasata, onion, garlic (SF)

Snacks: 2 Satsuma, 3 nectarines (SF)

 

[MelonCollie]

Could it be that you're not using enough syns? Yours seem to be quite low.
Also you Could try adding more sf. You haven't mentioned quantities. Maybe weigh out your meals to make sure 1/3 is sf?

 

[Elvisfan4life]

Try success express for a week..2/3 superfree at every meal and only superfree as snacks. Id cut out some of that coffee and sugar and drink water too

 

[Happy Holidays]

My thoughts are I'd change the latte at work to black coffee & add your own milk & sugar, the machine coffee (I assuming here) won't be fresh milk & probably powdered, there will be syns in that & I'm not too sure how many. I'd also have bigger portions enough to fill you up, I know you didn't say you were going hungry but have enough food to make you feel satisfied. Otherwise all seems fine, you could post pics of your food if you like

 

[sparkle83]

Not enough syns was the first thing that struck me. Many people I know lose best at 10-15

 

[PatchworkPuss]

My first thought is that you are not eating enough given your level of activity, you need to eat back some of the calories you are burning off. Also if the exercise is a new thing or recently increased then you could be retaining fluid.

 

[Kittypuss85]

You don't appear to be using your HExA and HExB every day, some days you have 1 of the 2 but Thursday you have none at all - you need to include these to ensure a balanced diet.

 

[lardylady]

I would starve on that amount of food!

 

[NotsofattyPatty]

I would say that you are being unduly strict with yourself, particularly for the amout of exercise you do.

As has been pointed out, you don't always have your HExs; it's fine to skip them occasionally but you need to have them most days for good nutrition and you can not count the 'milk' from the machine lattes as part of the A choice as it is not, in all probablity 'real' milk. Your SF looks a bit sparse - there is barely any with your lunch on Tuesday for example. Try bulking your meals up a bit eg a couple of potatoes with your quiche and salad on Tuesday.

Try to have some 'treats' too - the odd packet of crisps, small bar of chocolate or whatever your particular 'vice' is. I get the impression that you don't fully trust the SW plan and, because you associate a weight loss' diet with deprivation, you are denying yourself the things which are often no-no's on a diet. Relaz a little and I think your body will sigh with relief that you are giving it the fuel it needs and start dropping the weight.

 

[jen3]

Lack of sf with meals is what immediately struck me - the 1/3 rule is there to naturally limit how much free food you eat. I know that seemingly the 1/3 rule is an option on EE now but try upping that with your meals and see if it helps

 

[Elvisfan4life]

I would eat more protein too with all the exercise you are doing. You dont seem to be eating much at all and maybe you need to eat more

 

[Jeanne Von Buttonpopper]

I agree with the comments already made, I think there could be some additional superfree thrown in to make sure you are getting the one third you need, absolutely more syns are needed considering how much exercise you are doing as cutting back has the opposite effect so you need to start somewhere between 10 - 15 and I really would suggest the whole 15 to begin with (you have to trust in this plan). Also, I too would knock the work coffee on the head unless you can find out for sure what the calorific content is. No point in guessing. I have heard people comment who start doing lots of exercise that it can be several weeks before they start to see the change on the scales. I would measure yourself and you will see a difference there where you don't see it on the scales. For now I would cut back a tad on the exercise and increase your syns and I bet you will see a change straight away and increase your exercise gradually. Good luck

 

[OpalLilyEats]

All comments already made have given you some great advice.

I would only add that you could try mixing up your breakfasts too... I see banana and WM HExB toast a lot. Changing your HEx's daily can provide a boost too.

Variety in your diet can confused your body and kick start it again

You could try porridge, fruit/fruit salads, yoghurt, eggs/egg muffins etc... xx

 

[Littlepink]

I would say you need more syns, aim for 10 a day, you also need your healthy extras every day and try more snacks between meals if you can't manage more for your meals, the thing with sw is that it works better the more you eat, if you don't eat enough or enough syns, your body doesn't get what it needs and goes into starvation mode which is when it holds onto everything that you eat and you'll see tiny losses or gains xx

 

[Ponytales]

I would agree with Opal_lily. Switching things up can get your body going, but also keep you interested.

I find omelette makes a great filling breakfast. I add things like mushrooms, spinach, cheese (HEA) ham, salmon, tomatoes to liven it up. If you don't have much time in the morning try making it the night before and just heating it up

The other thing is that you could be losing fat but increasing muscle. Have you noticed that you look more toned or clothes are getting loser?

 

[LoveMyCat]

You guys are absolutely wonderful thank you! I'll deffo get rid of work coffee's (which will be torture as I work in a call centre but worth it!) and try and up my veg intake as my sf mainly comes from fruit snacks and chucking vegetables in stuff! I ill try upping my syns next week and switching up my breakfasts as well! Unfortunately I've not lost inches either which I think is where the main frustration came from, leading to eating 3/4 of a cheesecake. With a bit of luck this will help so thank you all so much your advice is so valuable! Feel free to keep it coming I need all the help I can get

I might cut back on exercise a bit over the next few weeks as well as its killing me anyway! Perhaps focus on losing the extra weight and then toning up afterwards! xxx

 

[Poppet12]

Agree with what's already been said really! Can you take a flask of coffee to work? Or even a small flask of milk so you can get a black coffee but control the milk, powdered stuff is really high in syns for what it is!
When I first started exercising I overdid it then got sick of it and have proceeded to sit on my backside, you are doing a lot! I admire you for it but as you suggest, maybe concentrate on the toning up afterwards, cut back then build up steadily? X

 

[LoveMyCat]

I think you're right rosiepops! I feel like in term's of losing weight it's doing sweet **** all for me and is just making my days longer! I think cutting back is probably a good shout there. I might do 2 a week instead of four or something I don't know, it's a shame really as my fitness level has gone up! xxxx

 

[LoveMyCat]

Ps Just realised I posted this from an account I THOUGHT I'd forgotten my log in for! How bizzare xx

 

[Gwella]

Personally I think if the exercise makes you feel good you shouldn't cut back. It might mean you are gaining muscle but that is a GOOD thing because it will increase your metabolism - it will mean you burn more calories even when you're asleep! Also, if you lose weight and don't exercise, sometimes you will lose muscle as well, and that means it is harder to maintain when you get to target.

What might happen is that if you push yourself hard at exercise, your muscles will retain water to heal themselves. (sorry if someone's already said that). It should even out over time though.