Why can’t I lose weight? What is wrong with my diet?

Until I was 19 I was naturally very petite. But for the last 3 years I just keep getting bigger.

I’ve listed my usual diet and eating habits

I know it’s not the healthiest diet in the world but it’s not that bad is it?

Things I have for Breakfast, but I usually skip it
- Porridge, semi skimmed milk, 1 sweetener
- Toast, white/brown bread, margarine

Things I have for lunch / brunch
- sandwich, white/brown bread, margarine, fillings such as cheese, tuna mayo or cooked meat. No salad.
- Toast, white/brown bread, margerine
- Beans and cheese on toast

Usual meals my mum makes for tea

- homemade chilli with white rice
- Aldi lasagne with chips and salt
- Fish in breadcrumbs, chips and garden peas with salt
- Oven cooked Salmon with yellow rice and a hard boiled egg
- Sunday dinner- chicken, gravy, carrots, roast potatoes and peas
- Chicken Balti curry with white rice

Things I drink every day or p/w
- Between 2-5 pints of water every day
- Sometimes I might have vimto
- I rarely have fizzy drinks
- Roughly 2 bottles of wine overall p/w
- 1-2 coffees per day, no sugar or sweetener with semi skimmed milk
- Sometimes I have fresh orange juice

Snacks
- 2 mini pork pies every Sunday
- One desert every Sunday after tea
- Roughly 3 packets of crisp per week
- A small block of cheese
- Maybe 1 pizza per week
- Maybe 2 sausage rolls per week
- Roughly 1 Apple/pear per day
- Roughly 2 veg per week
- Roughly 2 McDonald’s per month

Reasons why I think I can’t lose weight

- I put salt on oven chips
- I have lots of mayo on tuna mayo sandwiches
- I have about 6 pieces of bread per day on average, either white/brown
- I eat a lot of cheese
- I eat at night before I sleep
- I don’t eat at proper meal times
- I hardly eat any fruit or veg
- I don’t do any exercise
- I drink a small amount of alcohol most evenings
- I smoke
- I rarely have salads with meals or on sandwiches

Reasons why I am confused that I can’t lose weight

- I never have fizzy drinks and rarely have juice
- I rarely have sugary foods like chocolate or cake
- I have margerine, never butter on bread
- I only have takeaway once a month
- I have 1-2 pieces of fruit per day
- I drink lots and lots of water
- Apart from bread I don’t think I have any other carbs?
-

Reply 1

hello_shawn

Veg every day. And yes, definitely do more exercise.

Reply 2

Kyri

You need to either count your calories (which includes weighing food) or eat in a way that keeps calories down, because this is what it comes down to. A good strategy is to eliminate all your snacks that aren't fruit or veg, and all drinks that aren't water, tea or coffee. Every meal should have a big portion of vegetables (not just a few carrots). These fill you up with low calorie, nutrient dense food so you don't fill up on high calorie junk.

Also, regarding some of your points:

Excess salt on your chips makes you retain water, but isn't the reason you aren't losing fat. But eating greasy, calorie dense chips (there’s still oil on them) is partly why.

The time you eat your meals has no effect on weight. It's all about total calories consumed over the whole day. I eat most of my food at night (after gym) and stay lean.

For weight loss exercise helps a bit, but it's mostly about diet. Like 90 % diet.

There's nothing magic about salads. Vegetables are better anyway as people usually cover salads with creamy stuff.

There's nothing magic about eating a couple of pieces of fruit. You need to eat them instead of the junk, not in addition to the junk.

Margarine and butter are both pure fat and have the same calorie count, so both prevent weight loss equally.

There's nothing evil about carbs and you don't need to avoid them. Just don't eat too much of them as too much of anything makes you fat. But it's good you avoid sugar. Sugar makes people crave more sugar.

Reply 3

RedTigerOolong

Your perception of food is currently significantly skewed. It's calories in vs calories out. If you require 2000 calories to maintain your current weight and decide to change to 1500 calories every day, it does not matter whether those 1500 calories come only from mcdonalds or the healthiest salads in the world, you'll lose weight regardless.

Reply 4

It's****ingWOODY

It's no good just listing the sort of foods you eat. Portion size is everything because it's calories that determine whether you lose, gain or maintain your weight. I could have two people of the same height and weight eating the exact same meals as each other every day, but if one had double the portion sizes as the other, one of those people would lose more weight or maintain a lower weight than the person eating the double portions. When I'm dieting I still have things like pizza and sandwiches, but I'm on no more than 2000 calories a day so I lose weight.

With the above said, your diet leaves a lot to be desired. Having next to no fruit and veg is never ideal from a health perspective, and replacing some of what you eat with some fruit or veg will mean a lower caloric intake and you may find you start losing weight with the added side effect of looking and feeling healthier. If you carry on eating as you are, you'll probably see some health problems such as high blood pressure and bad cholesterol profiles in the future. Exercise is also essential for good health and also burns calories, thus aiding your weight loss goals.

Reply 5

999tigger

Original post by Sadieleigh95

Count you calories. It is about being in a calorie deifict. You are eating more than you think

Eat less move more etc and join MFP.

Reply 6

LavenderBlueSky88

You need to start tracking calories/macros. Listing your meals doesn’t really help as we have no idea what portion sizes you’re having. Clearly if you’re gaining weight you’re eating too many calories for what your body is burning. Things like smoking, drinking and adding salt aren’t making any difference to your weight but you should consider your overall health too.

Why can’t I lose weight? What is wrong with my diet?

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