No matter what she does she can’t lose weight. She’s 18!

kermit

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 12:17 pm

Cookiewriter, I've been heavier my whole life.

tried every diet under the sun (dukans, atkins, cico) blah blah blah.

Eventually, I had to accept the following:

a) I will lose SLOWER than anyone else I know. my body just does not like to lose weight. how haShem made me. for me, half a pound of weight loss a week is FANTASTIC progress. I have to look at the long-picture, turtle vs hare, and just believe in the process (losing 10lbs over 4 months is so much better than losing and gaining the same 5lbs over and over).

b) I CANNOT lose weight if I'm in a perpetual state of starvation or 'depriving' myself of things I love -- simply because it takes me so long to lose weight. if I'm starving, I can't keep doing it long enough to have sucess.

what did eventually work for me was a program by College Nutritionist called "best body"

I started following all her principles she shares for FREE on Instagram and on her website and successfully lost a nice amount of weight that way. she is just fantastic, so much psychology and truly practical tips. I still watch her a few times a week for ideas and 'pep talks'.

I eventually signed up for her paid program for a couple of months just to listen to her classes and download some detailed meal plans etc then hopped back off. money well spent.

essentially, her plan is like so:
Every meal, you have 2+ cups of veggies, ~150 calories of protein, ~100 calories of fat.

in addition, lunch and dinner you add in 1 portion of carb, and you can also have 1-2 fruits and 1 "treat" every day (a full portion).

https://www.collegenutritionis.....mula/

I am so full eating like this because there's so much volume in the meals, and such high satiety with the protein and fat. And I never ever feel deprived. I save my treat of end of day. I have icecream, cake, cookies etc. if I'm having a simcha, I just skip carbs for lunch.

if I make a mistake I just keep on 'chugging along'

I've been doing this for over 2 years.

B"H I'm a size 10. I don't think I will EVER be slimmer, simply because this is where my body sits when I'm eating like this, and eating any less isn't sustainable.

and that's ok, I look beautiful, have great energy etc.

I really feel so good, and it was such an easy plan for me. I know many other people who saw success with her program Smile

ps look how yummy and filling these meals are! I get them free from her on her insta:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0.....dex=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0.....dex=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct.....dex=1

amother

SandyBrown

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 12:55 pm

I struggled with weight as a teen too - and it took years for me to figure out that I was actually pre-diabetic and very insulin resistant, going low carb allowed me to stop counting calories and stop feeling hungry and start losing weight that stayed off until pregnancy, when I started eating carbs again.

I wish someone had suggested to me that I try south beach diet or something very low carb as a teen. counting calories was a brutal time for me - I also did the nutritionist thing and it wasn't very helpful.

amother

Calendula ↓

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 1:10 pm

I would recommend an endocrinology workup, but preferably with a functional md or someone who thinks like one. Mainstream testing barely scratches the surface. It looks for BIG life limiting type issues, not subtle imbalances. Most mainstream doctors are also really not thyroid literate and will tell you thyroid is fine even if it's really not. Aside for thyroid and PCOS, adrenal and cortisol issues come to mind. It would also probably be helpful to get a look at her gut and digestive health.

I also would not recommend any calorie restrictive diets. I strongly believe most humans are adapted to high fat and high protein diets, with small amounts of complex carbs. Has she tried very low carb but NOT low fat? Or even keto?

Imabubby60 ↓

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 3:28 pm

I really feel the main thing is healthy eating and that a person can be healthy even if not "skinny". Getting the sugars, processed foods and unhealthy oils out of the diet are key. Additionally, walking, or any enjoyable movement /exercise. Please follow this Doctor for long term results:
https://youtu.be/vMZfyEy_jpI?s.....MXo_t
This is an idea of what I eat:
Breakfast: 3-4 Pasture raised organic eggs with cheddar cheese and /or feta
Lunch: A large salad (dressing: olive or avocado oil, spices, fresh lemon, bit of monk fruit sweetener) with slivered almonds, fish (wild caught salmon or trout, sometimes canned tuna or wild salmon, chicken or meat.) Sometimes I just have the salad with almonds and have dinner at about 4-5pm.
Dinner: Vegetables, Salad, chicken, fish or meat.
Snacks: a handful of macadamia nuts, olives, pickles.
Shabbos treat: Homemade protein bars: Mix natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt), almond butter, sugar free chocolate chips (Walmart), toasted slivered almond. Mix and bake covered until chips are melted, mix, and freeze.
Cheats: a few dinners a week (including Shabbos) I add rice or potatoes. When dessert is served at a function I take the fruit, and at simchas in general, I choose the vegetables and proteins. Not washing for challah, having a cup of dry wine instead.
Hatzlocha Rabbo!

Last edited by Imabubby60 on Mon, Aug 12 2024, 4:19 pm; edited 2 times in total

amother

Papayawhip

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 7:23 pm

amother Smokey wrote:

I have a 16 yo boy who always felt he was bigger. I spoke positively and focused on nutritious eating and keeping active, water the only beverage mostly, improving sleep. Getting to bed late has been an ongoing issue for some years, I really wanted to fix that and thought that would help him. This year he became slim. Looks completely different and he’s very happy. It was entirely diet. I found out about carnivore and wanted to try it. I wasn’t able to stick with it strictly for even 30 days, but I lost 17 pounds that never came back, bH. I never felt deprived and was full, had energy throughout the day and since I was ‘carnivore’ there’s so much food I didn’t eat. This is the only diet that the weight didn't come back when I stopped the diet. My son kept going with it till now. He eats regularly for Shabbos or Yontif, but prioritized protein, notices he doesn’t feel as good when he eats sugar, all around more awareness. he’s not carnivore meaning he only eats meat, eggs, etc, he has had pizza with friends, etc, but his way of eating has changed and he has something to fall back on. He used to be nearly 200 (I didn’t focus on weight, but he checked a few times a month, we have a smart scale), he’s low 170’s, upper 160’s now and looks slim.
We jotted on a calendar when we started, was: March 17 ‘24. Pesach I went completely off,

What does sleep have to do with it?

bookstore15

Mon, Aug 12 2024, 8:21 pm

I didn't read the whole thread, but I just wanted to say losing a pound per week is very good! Especially if you can keep it consistent. I'm not sure if you're expecting instant results, but that's not how we work.
I'm no expert, but from my own experience, I would say yes, it's about eating differently, and exercise was/is the biggest factor for me, both in physical and mental health. I found out that lifting weights did it for me. It's a big confidence boost to see your progress too

jewish girl

Mon, Sep 02 2024, 12:20 pm

Please please make sure that she is seeing a registered dietician as opposed to a nutritionist. Many nutritionists do more harm than good.

Also, if shes a type A personality, especially, nutritionists are asking for trouble. I would strongly recommend that she sees an endocrinologist, as they can rule out any medical issues.

Its also very very important that she is not restricting her intake too much. The key is balance.

While it may seem counterintuitive, being too restrictive can backfire. Severely limiting your intake can lead to nutrient deficiencies, increased cravings, and even metabolic slowdown. It's important to have a balanced diet that provides all the nutrients your body needs to function. Your body also adapts over time to a lower calorie intake which causes the metabolism to slow down to conserve energy.

Restricting is not the answer. Unless someone is overeating consistently, we usually have to eat differently, not less.