Losing weight, but not the inches?

My personal annoyance with my journey is that I am STILL a UK size 24, despite losing something like 18lb now! I mean… REALLY – I’m doing lots of things right, yes, not 100% right, 100% of the time, but overall I’m doing well.

I am pleased with my weight loss, I am pleased with my food, I am pleased with my exercise, I am NOT pleased that I’m still a size 24! And I know I am, because I have 3 pairs of the same work trousers, 1 pair of which have been hanging up, but only worn a couple of times. Popped them on this morning, hoping they might be falling down, NOTHING!!!!!! They stayed, very firmly up!

This happened when I was with SW a couple of years ago as well, at that time I found it demoralising, and although I continued for a while, I was not upset when I came to a point I couldn’t attend SW anymore. I basically gave up, and reverted back to my old ways.

So, what do I do when I want to find out if there’s anything wrong? I hit the internet! Turns out this is quite common. I read a couple of forum questions and answers – one response in particular stood out, this lady had to wait until she had lost 3 stone before dropping 1 dress size (at this time she was down to 17stone).

Then I found some info on a couple of sites as well (listed at end of post).

Dieting alone will see the us lose inches quicker than diet and exercise, but that is due to muscle loss as well – shockingly upto 25% of our overall weight loss can be coming from muscle loss. If we are working out as well (especially with a blend of cardio and strength/resistance) our muscle mass will increase, so room left by disappearing fat can be taken with muscle, hence if no new muscle is being built, the inches disappear faster.

And then there’s the changes we make to our diet that can cause bloating, as an example, broccoli, lentils and wholegrains. These were just those named, but there has to be a whole host of foods that may bloat us. Apparently ginger, peppermint or fennel teas can help against bloating.

Then another site advised that inch loss is random depending on the person, but that a general pattern of loss goes from face, arms and legs first – yes that’s me, then stomach and hips. The fat on our tummies also helps to protect our reproductive organs, liver and kidneys – so the body has a reason to keep hold of that fat for as long as possible, it will go, but as a last resort – that makes sense to me, now I’m feeling a bit better.

So it turns out I’m not abnormal, my body is doing it’s best to keep on to protection. I like that, rather the body was with ,me as opposed to against me!

So, now I’m feeling a little more positive, what can I concentrate on?

  • I have cheek bones
  • My ring swings about a bit on my finger
  • Sleeves on tops are not as tight on the upper arms as they were
  • I am healthier
  • I am fitter
  • Jeans are more comfortable than they were
  • I have noticed muscle growth in my upper arms and on my thighs

Now I’m over my moody blues over this, I can think logically, and I know it will be impossible for me to continue to lose weight but not drop sizes, it will happen, I just need to keep motivated and keep going.

NOTE TO SELF: I am doing well, I have lost over a stone, I am demonstrably fitter and healthier, I’ve got this! I AM succeeding, I will CONTINUE to succeed.

Hopefully this post will find someone who is experiencing the same as me, and I hope you too find some comfort in this. And please, please don’t think about giving up. Let’s keep going, we can win our healthy, slimmer selves back 🙂

https://www.livestrong.com/article/386794-why-am-i-losing-weight-but-not-inches/

https://www.nutracheck.co.uk/Library/ForumArticles/Im+losing+weight+but+not+inches++why.html

13th Oct 2019 – good food day, exercise, nah!

Evening all, here ends another weekend, joys of work beckoning!

My body has now recovered from the meal out last night, after several dates with the bog last night – safe to say fat cooked foods are my very delicious enemy now 🤣

Another weird thing, I had incredibly painful cramp in the bottom half of my right shin which extended to my ankle. This was at about 3am last night, and although the cramp disappeared after walking about for a while, my ankle feels quite painful even now. I believe this is due to dehydration. I’m going to pop a hot water bottle over it shortly, see if that helps.

So given the rough night, we didn’t get out of bed til about 11.30 this morning! Heaven!!!

Being unprepared, ie no bread, we didn’t have brekkie until later, so I started the day with 3 bickies (nearly all gone now) and a cup of tea.

Then, after we visited with my sister and her family, and doing shopping, we had something substantial… beans on English muffins! I always assumed these muffins were cakey, but no, more like a squashed roll, I liked them.

Almost forgot the pic!

I was chatting with my sister (who has lost a stone to get down to her wanted weight of 9.5 stone, we are very different people!) About how tired I am, she’s given me a handful of vitamin d tablets. I’ll start them tomorrow.

It is advised for us in the UK to have this supplement throughout autumn and winter, and all year round if we have dark skin. There’s also been studies which suggest Scottish folk should have it all year round too.

Then Paul went on a bike ride and I prepared a couple of salads for our lunches. Only three, so I’ll have to prep more on Tuesday night.

I’ve changed the salads a bit, spinach, feta cheese, five bean salad, quinoa, honey mustard dressing and olives still, but then peppers and cucumbers. I’ll let you know tomorrow what I think.

I also boiled the eggs for the week and measured out the fruit for a couple of days. Paul measured out our natural nuts for the week.

For dinner we had chicken cooked with pepper, leek, baby corn, garlic and mange tout in a Maggie bag, then my normal oven cooked spuds.

Fluid – 1 cup of tea, 1.2l water, 1 can Pepsi max.

Exercise – nope, not a single bit! I would use my ankle as an excuse, but that would be a big fat lie! I suspect the stretches would help, so really, my own worst enemy!

So that’s it for be, here’s to hoping all our weeks to according to our plans!

Night.

My eyes – day 3/21 – product trial

Evening all, hope you are well.

Usually with under eye creams I have, not a reaction as such, more as though there’s onion juice lingering in the air, so my eyes feel a little watery and ever so slightly stingy. Pleased to report, no such reaction with this product.

Here’s my face for tonight! Please do let me know by commenting (As you’re seeing me) right, left or none.

Before trial
Day 3/21

Thanking you kindly 😀

12th Oct 2019 – a mixed day but thoroughly enjoyable!

Evening all, hope you are well!

Being the grand old age of 45 now, we are home after an evening out at the very sensible time of 10.05pm… 25 mins before bedtime 🤣

However, we’re soldiering on with a film and alcohol… look at us being rebels!

Today has been just one of those nice, easy days. Starting off with me telling Paul he needs to lob some shorts away! You’ll see what I mean in the pic below (do excuse the state of my bedroom!)

REALLY!?!?! I DON’T CARE IF they’re your favourite shorts… they’ve GOT to go!

And of course there was the extremely pleasant shock of 5lb weight loss (As per second to last post “How did that happen…”)

Anyway, to business.

Food – 2 shortbread biscuits, 2 chocolates for breakfast. Greek yoghurt with lots of grapes, walnuts and a drizzle of honey for lunch.

And dinner, which was delicious, and a real treat! My sister in law had given me a voucher for Miller and Carter, which I highly recommend if your in the UK, so Paul took me there this evening.. Thank you my love 😍

Us ready to go out
To share
To share
To share

This marks the end of naughtiness, back to full on healthy food as of tomorrow!

Fluid – one glass of water, 1 cup of tea,1 can diet coke, 1 can Pepsi max, a few cream luqueurs, 2 disaranno with diet coke.

Exercise – we went to a local county park for a good walk, the circuit took about 45 minutes at a rate that had my heart working well.

So that’s been my lovely day, for now fair folk, I’ll say good night.

How did that happen! Weight loss success!

My goodness! Considering how rubbish I felt I had done this week, I can not believe how much weight I’ve lost! 5lb this week people… 5lb!

Only 27lb more to go until Christmas 🤣

I guess by trying to counter calories this week, I’ve managed to keep a deficit going.

On thinking back, I’ve swapped out my healthy nutritional food for my treats, cake and chocolate, oh and a tipple.

I also finished my period this week, so that would have accounted for some bloating on last week’s weigh in.

And I have exercised every single day. Even today, I’m writing to you from a park after a heart rate raising 45ish minute walk.

I’m so glad I swapped out foods this week, but I have to tell you, I’m missing all my healthy foods. And I was quite hungry on those days. Only tonight to go, steak and alcohol will be involved!

It just goes to show, when I think I’m not doing well, carry on trying, don’t give up – there still might be a nice surprise at the weigh-in!

11th Oct 2019 – ok food day, good exercise day.

Evening all, hope you are well 😊

I’m feeling nice and mellow right now, I’ve had a small tipple of Welsh cream liqueur and it was lovely!

I haven’t been great with my food overall this week, there’s been chocs and choc cake, so to try and counter it I’ve been missing some of my healthy foods out. I truly CAN NOT wait to get back to proper healthy eating next week!

My exercise hasn’t been as full on as I wanted either, but I have exercised every day, so I’m not feeling disappointed in myself.

I can’t find the leggings I usually exercise in, so I’ve nicked a pair of Paul’s shorts… and they fit… just! I like them, I’ve decided I’m nicking them 🤣.

So, here we go!

Food – 2 hard boiled eggs and about 100g fruit.

Went to lunch with mum, chose my normal scrummy salad, and a smaller than usual starter salad.

Fluid – 200ml milk, 2 teas, 1l water, about 300ml full fat Pepsi, genuine error – I thought the server would bring a glass for me to fill up, so asked for a glass for Pepsi, she kindly filled it for me. So I sipped and did not refill. And of course 1 very small glass of cream liqueur!

Dinner – healthier fish and chips – nearly forgot the pic!

Exercise – crap night sleep again, so I didn’t do stretches this morning, but we are just about to start 37 minutes of cardio!

So that’s about it from me for now, I’ll be sticking my eye product test post on later.

For now, have a great weekend all!

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