any explanations?

arielledeforest
arielledeforest Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
Last week was my first week really recording my calories and exercising instead of just counting them in my head and it went great. This week, I can't lose anything?! I don't understand if it's because of what I'm eating, or how much, but is there anyone who could explain whats going on?
I've never really been a big eater, my problem has always been what I eat, so I rarely attain 1200 calories unless I purposely eat more despite not being hungry. I try to do between 30-45 minutes of exercise per day but nothing happens. I'd rather start by doing this right, than to lose time because I'm doing something wrong.
I've been a vegetarian for 11 years in case that changes something. I appreciate any input anyone can give me :)

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Well you've reached over 1200 calories or else weight wouldn't be an issue right now. So what did you do to reach it? Also weight loss isn't linear. Even if you ate exactly the same way you did last week, you would probably get a different result.

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    One week without a change in the scale isn't really unusual. It's likely to be caused by water weight due to the increase in exercise, hormones, sodium, etc. It's not unusual to see no change on the scale when you first start exercising because your body floods sore muscles with water to help them heal.

    All that being said, if your diary is anywhere near accurate you are drastically underfeeding your body. You may find that your body has slowed it's metabolism if you've been eating like this for a while.
  • sweetzoejane
    sweetzoejane Posts: 153 Member
    Weight loss is not linear and one week without weight loss is nothing to be worried about.

    However, some general advice that might help you be more successful...

    From your diary it appears that you are actually not eating enough calories to support the exercise you are doing and to lose weight (fat). Very large calorie deficits are actually not helpful for most people, especially long-term.

    I am a firm believer that one can eat just about whatever they want and still lose weight if they eat at a moderate calorie deficit, and there is plenty of evidence out there to support this; however, I also know that macronutrients and micronutrients really do matter. Try eating more fats and protein, and focus on whole foods as much as possible. Eating under 1,000 calories per day and exercising is not going to get you very far, nor will it be very sustainable. To be honest, not being hungry is a problem. You should be hungry. This is one of the many signs that your metabolism is working how it's supposed to.
  • arielledeforest
    arielledeforest Posts: 6
    I suppose I didn't really explain myself in the right way in the beginning. To gain weight I ate a lot of calories, but not necessarily a lot of food, I ate extremely unhealthy and fatty foods, and salt could have been considered a food group in my diet. I now eat healthier foods, which.. happen to have less calories in them. I should eat more to try to lose weight?

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