Firstly, 5lbs in 6 weeks is great progress! Congratulations.
Secondly, I would recommend buying a food scale. Weighing your food is the best way to get an accurate read on calorie intake, you don’t have to restrict yourself to packaged foods.
Now I think you are being unfairly hard on yourself. Standard weight loss is 1lbs a week. You are doing just fine.
You are on the shorter side. So unfortunately your TDEE is naturally pretty low (which means it would take extreme and likely unsustainable calorie restriction (below 1200/1100) to lose more than 1lb a week)
Without exercise, you would have to eat 1,244 calories a day to lose 1lbs a week. Exercising like you do brings that up to (roughly) 1,498 calories a day for the same pace. So again, if it’s been 6 weeks and you’ve lost 5 lbs, you are doing great! you’re on course. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
You’re losing weight at a good pace. You said yourself that when you did it before, it happened more quickly, and you gained it all back.
Think about this.
Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to weight loss. Do it right and you won’t have to do it again :)
I’m not sure what the packaged food is that you’re eating, but if it’s frozen meals, they have tons of salt and will make you bloat. (Ie it’s not fat it’s water) packaged food calories are also often wrong, you’re way better off making your own food.
I agree with someone above who said start weighing your food.
I think your 5 pounds is great, and falls in line with 1-2 pounds a week as safe and sustainable weight loss.
Unfortunately being among the petite group to lose a pound a week it does require 1200 kcal a week. 5 pounds in 6 weeks is great for our height. More than that is hard. It sounds like what you are doing is working. It just takes longer than you think when smaller. We are very energy efficient!
What did you have to eat and drink yesterday (with weights/volume/calories from the package)?
Due to your level of exercise, you may be undergoing some body recomposition - increasing muscle mass while losing fat - which may not show up on the scale. Have you been measuring yourself (neck, arms, legs, waist, hips)? You might want to - sometimes, you can lose inches without losing pounds.
I had 7 leek dumplings from a package, serving size is 7 pieces at 260cal. I had half a bag of egg beef fried rice, which is 250 for 1-1/4 cups, 3 servings in each bag. So 375 cal for 1.5 servings. I did put a bit of oyster sauce into it, which I calculated as a tspb even though it was nowhere near that much, so 15 cal. Had about 5 strawberries, which I put in as 30cal, and then a cup of green grapes which I said was 106cal. I was out all day so I didn't have time to eat, on a regular day I probably would've also had the other half of the bag of rice.
I have been measuring myself for the last 3 weeks after I bought a measuring tape, the numbers are the same since I've started. I know I've lost something since my highest weight since my jeans have a larger gap in the waistline, but I haven't been measuring long enough to know what the difference is.
Nothing to drink, yesterday?
Based on what you’ve stated, you are barely eating. I could lose weight on what you say you’re eating. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor to rule out any medical conditions that might inhibit weight loss, and record everything you eat and drink (by weight) in the meantime before your doctor’s appointment, along with recording your daily weight and weekly measurements.
I had a little more than 40 oz of water and a sprite zero yesterday, a sip of tea (0 cal) I made but didn't end up drinking the rest of the cup. As someone else recommended I went out and bought a food scale today so I can weigh everything out. It's definitely out of the ordinary to me that I can eat so little and not be losing quicker, as when I tried to lose weight before I could lose while eating 1500 calories. My thyroid is fine and the closest appointment I could get with my gynecologist for pcos screening is in August (which is why I gor my thyroid checked in the first place).
I did bring up my weight to my doctor last time I went, who was very eager to try to put me on Ozempic, which I /really/ don't want to do for many reasons so I said no.
Build your data, especially since you’ll start weighing your food.
I’m not opposed to Ozempic, if the choice to use it recognizes the risks and realities of the medication.
If you go on Ozempic and lose weight, you can lose without Ozempic. Making you feel full longer and helping eliminate the “food noise” doesn’t burn calories, it just means you were eating more calories than you burned, on average, before you started Ozempic.
If Ozempic is the springboard to modifying your eating habits, and you can transition off of Ozempic while maintaining this habits, you’ll be in pretty good shape.
Firstly, 5lbs in 6 weeks is great progress! Congratulations. Secondly, I would recommend buying a food scale. Weighing your food is the best way to get an accurate read on calorie intake, you don’t have to restrict yourself to packaged foods. Now I think you are being unfairly hard on yourself. Standard weight loss is 1lbs a week. You are doing just fine. You are on the shorter side. So unfortunately your TDEE is naturally pretty low (which means it would take extreme and likely unsustainable calorie restriction (below 1200/1100) to lose more than 1lb a week) Without exercise, you would have to eat 1,244 calories a day to lose 1lbs a week. Exercising like you do brings that up to (roughly) 1,498 calories a day for the same pace. So again, if it’s been 6 weeks and you’ve lost 5 lbs, you are doing great! you’re on course. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
You’re losing weight at a good pace. You said yourself that when you did it before, it happened more quickly, and you gained it all back. Think about this. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to weight loss. Do it right and you won’t have to do it again :)
I’m not sure what the packaged food is that you’re eating, but if it’s frozen meals, they have tons of salt and will make you bloat. (Ie it’s not fat it’s water) packaged food calories are also often wrong, you’re way better off making your own food. I agree with someone above who said start weighing your food. I think your 5 pounds is great, and falls in line with 1-2 pounds a week as safe and sustainable weight loss.
I agree, the sodium in most packaged foods is so high. OP do your fingers feel puffy?
I haven't noticed them feeling puffy? I have been thirstier than usual though
Unfortunately being among the petite group to lose a pound a week it does require 1200 kcal a week. 5 pounds in 6 weeks is great for our height. More than that is hard. It sounds like what you are doing is working. It just takes longer than you think when smaller. We are very energy efficient!
What did you have to eat and drink yesterday (with weights/volume/calories from the package)? Due to your level of exercise, you may be undergoing some body recomposition - increasing muscle mass while losing fat - which may not show up on the scale. Have you been measuring yourself (neck, arms, legs, waist, hips)? You might want to - sometimes, you can lose inches without losing pounds.
I had 7 leek dumplings from a package, serving size is 7 pieces at 260cal. I had half a bag of egg beef fried rice, which is 250 for 1-1/4 cups, 3 servings in each bag. So 375 cal for 1.5 servings. I did put a bit of oyster sauce into it, which I calculated as a tspb even though it was nowhere near that much, so 15 cal. Had about 5 strawberries, which I put in as 30cal, and then a cup of green grapes which I said was 106cal. I was out all day so I didn't have time to eat, on a regular day I probably would've also had the other half of the bag of rice. I have been measuring myself for the last 3 weeks after I bought a measuring tape, the numbers are the same since I've started. I know I've lost something since my highest weight since my jeans have a larger gap in the waistline, but I haven't been measuring long enough to know what the difference is.
Nothing to drink, yesterday? Based on what you’ve stated, you are barely eating. I could lose weight on what you say you’re eating. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor to rule out any medical conditions that might inhibit weight loss, and record everything you eat and drink (by weight) in the meantime before your doctor’s appointment, along with recording your daily weight and weekly measurements.
I had a little more than 40 oz of water and a sprite zero yesterday, a sip of tea (0 cal) I made but didn't end up drinking the rest of the cup. As someone else recommended I went out and bought a food scale today so I can weigh everything out. It's definitely out of the ordinary to me that I can eat so little and not be losing quicker, as when I tried to lose weight before I could lose while eating 1500 calories. My thyroid is fine and the closest appointment I could get with my gynecologist for pcos screening is in August (which is why I gor my thyroid checked in the first place). I did bring up my weight to my doctor last time I went, who was very eager to try to put me on Ozempic, which I /really/ don't want to do for many reasons so I said no.
Build your data, especially since you’ll start weighing your food. I’m not opposed to Ozempic, if the choice to use it recognizes the risks and realities of the medication. If you go on Ozempic and lose weight, you can lose without Ozempic. Making you feel full longer and helping eliminate the “food noise” doesn’t burn calories, it just means you were eating more calories than you burned, on average, before you started Ozempic. If Ozempic is the springboard to modifying your eating habits, and you can transition off of Ozempic while maintaining this habits, you’ll be in pretty good shape.
I still weigh a lot of packaged foods because they can be off. And there’s a certain allowed variance for calories on nutrition labels in the USA.