Been going for a month and lost no weight

Kellihulst

Try eating a bit more. ANd what are you doing for exercise? Are lifting weights? Because if you are building lean muscle then you might not see the scale move as much, but will notice inches lost. So don't go a ton by the scale.

khall86790

The first thing I would suggest is do not eat your burned calories from exercising. In doing this you are actually wasting the time and energy you are spending on exercising, in my opinion. If you eat a few of those burned calories it's ok but not all of them, it's pure common sense. I do sympathize with you and understand your aggravation. Plus you have to remember that when your working out and building muscle mass, your not going to lose weight as that will come when it's ready. I mean nothing bad by what I have said to you, just speaking from experience.

Are you kidding me? If she was to do that she would be burning (approx) 2000 cals per day naturally, then eating 1200 cals per day, then burning an additional 200-300 on exercise creating an almost 1000 cals per day deficit. Again this is approximations based on average what people burn per day. 1000 calorie deficit is FAR TOO MUCH for her body to function.

OP, do not take this advice. It's terrible.

concordancia

The first thing I would suggest is do not eat your burned calories from exercising. In doing this you are actually wasting the time and energy you are spending on exercising, in my opinion. If you eat a few of those burned calories it's ok but not all of them, it's pure common sense. ,

No. No. Just no.

Exercise is not about the calories burned, it is about having a stronger, healthier body, which, in turn will be better at regulating weight. In order for that to happen, you have to fuel that body!

If you create too great a deficit, exercise will just wear your body down, as it won't have the nutrients and energy it needs for repairs!

watergirl75

The first thing I would suggest is do not eat your burned calories from exercising. In doing this you are actually wasting the time and energy you are spending on exercising, in my opinion. If you eat a few of those burned calories it's ok but not all of them, it's pure common sense. I do sympathize with you and understand your aggravation. Plus you have to remember that when your working out and building muscle mass, your not going to lose weight as that will come when it's ready. I mean nothing bad by what I have said to you, just speaking from experience.

Putcake

Thanks so much everybody for all your help! Lots to think about. For those that were asking, I've just done the calculator thingy:

BMR: 1542
TDEE: 1851
Daily calories to hit goal: 1481

So that would suggest I do need to up my calories. BUT what if the problem is I've been overcalculating calories burned during exercise? Then surely the opposite would be true.

Oh dear, I'm going to have to try a few things out aren't I?

THIS!!!

I am just about the same size as you. I started at 170 and since March have lost 7 pounds. The first few weeks, I chose my activity level as "sedentary" because I work in an office. Never mind the fact that I'm sitting while I'm there, but I'm chasing after a toddler when I get home. That level gave me about 1200 calories to work with. I lost nothing - and once or twice, put on a pound. I changed to "lightly active" and that bumped me up to 1480. Not a huge change calorie-wise, but enough for me to start to lose weight. Even when I've had a busy few days and haven't been able to do dedicated exercise. So upping the calories is not a bad idea.

You can do this!!

**Edited - I joined in March, not April**

deksgrl

Thanks so much everybody for all your help! Lots to think about. For those that were asking, I've just done the calculator thingy:

BMR: 1542
TDEE: 1851
Daily calories to hit goal: 1481

So that would suggest I do need to up my calories. BUT what if the problem is I've been overcalculating calories burned during exercise? Then surely the opposite would be true.

Oh dear, I'm going to have to try a few things out aren't I?

If you take the 1481, this is 1851 less 20%. This should include your exercise calories and you would not be eating calories back. Eat near 1500, and do not eat extra cals for exercising. If you want to track it anyway just for motivational purposes, just put 1 calorie in your exercise log. You don't need to track it for the calories.

MFP gives you a lower amount of calories because it doesn't include exercise, so then when you do exercise you need to fuel it, your deficit is already built in. If MFP gave you 1200, then you add in cals for your exercise burn, that would also be about 1500.

Get it?

deksgrl

The first thing I would suggest is do not eat your burned calories from exercising. In doing this you are actually wasting the time and energy you are spending on exercising, in my opinion. If you eat a few of those burned calories it's ok but not all of them, it's pure common sense.

No. Please educate yourself on how the MFP tool works so that you don't continue handing out bad and possibly dangerous advice.

tinasneed1

I don't use my exercise points either. If I did I would be eating a lot more than 2000 calories when I'm on 1200 calories a day and that is not as much food as you would think. I kinda combine My Fitness Pal with Weight Watchers so I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (believe me some of them have more calories than you think) that way if I go over my calories I don't feel as bad. I also stopped drinking diet cokes and I hate water so I would make myself drink at least a couple of bottles of water a day. I have 3 - 33.8 oz bottles that I fill up daily and add flavoring.I didn't give up sodas altogether, I just have one every now and then. I also joined a weight lose challenge at work with some of my friends, we pay $15 and weigh in once a week, when the challenge is over whoever was the biggest loser wins the pot. You just have to hang in there... GOOD LUCK!!!

watergirl75

The first thing I would suggest is do not eat your burned calories from exercising. In doing this you are actually wasting the time and energy you are spending on exercising, in my opinion. If you eat a few of those burned calories it's ok but not all of them, it's pure common sense. I do sympathize with you and understand your aggravation. Plus you have to remember that when your working out and building muscle mass, your not going to lose weight as that will come when it's ready. I mean nothing bad by what I have said to you, just speaking from experience.

NO NO NO NO NO NO! Again...NO NO NO NO NO! Do not do this. You need to ensure you atleast NET 1200 calories. NET 1200 calories. That means if you eat 1200 calories, then go to the gym and burn 500, and you don't eating ANY of those back you are ONLY giving your body 500 calories to use for energy to keep you alive. Think about it like this....when your gas light comes on in the car do you stop for more gas so you can keep driving? YES! Your body is the same way. You have to refuel it to keep it running. You need to at the VERY least NET 1200 calories everyday!

wiremog

A few people have made a great point about diet - ie the importance of fruit, veg, lean protein. I am a big fan of the mediterranean style diet (I am a good cook) and I generally eat a big helping of salad or veg with my meals. I don't eat many ready meals and I like to cook from scratch as much as possible.

Lately I've really got into big salads with feta cheese, ham and cucumber with olive oil dressing

So I don't think what I'm eating is necessarily the issue. I do drink, probably 2-3 times a week, but almost always within my calorie allowance. I know that probably isn't helping but it's not something I'm willing to give up I'm afraid. Given my job can be quite boozy (I work in PR) it would be really difficult. So I need to try other things

wiremog

Thanks so much everybody for all your help! Lots to think about. For those that were asking, I've just done the calculator thingy:

BMR: 1542
TDEE: 1851
Daily calories to hit goal: 1481

So that would suggest I do need to up my calories. BUT what if the problem is I've been overcalculating calories burned during exercise? Then surely the opposite would be true.

Oh dear, I'm going to have to try a few things out aren't I?

If you take the 1481, this is 1851 less 20%. This should include your exercise calories and you would not be eating calories back. Eat near 1500, and do not eat extra cals for exercising. If you want to track it anyway just for motivational purposes, just put 1 calorie in your exercise log. You don't need to track it for the calories.

MFP gives you a lower amount of calories because it doesn't include exercise, so then when you do exercise you need to fuel it, your deficit is already built in. If MFP gave you 1200, then you add in cals for your exercise burn, that would also be about 1500.

Get it?

So I eat 1200 calories when I don't exercise, and 1500 when I do? Or 1500 every day?

deksgrl

You eat 1500 every day. That is a 20% deficit.

I was just pointing out the difference between how MFP works and why you are supposed to eat exercise cals with that method.

wiremog

OK, makes sense - thank you.

Chickyjd

I think your calories are much too low considering the amount of exercise you are doing as well - I'm on 1900 and losing. I follow the TDEE/BMR recommendations -

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

andiechick

I got my HRM off ebay for about £20 and was brand new and has certainly served me well for the past 18mths or so. it's one of the ones with a chest strap (obviously the others are more expensive) but I can even wear it for swimming as it's hidden under my costume. Good luck x

Alta2000

Eat just above your BMR 1500 something, so you do not need to eat back the calories. then every 5lb you lose, recalculate. If you do an extremely strenuous exercise, then you will feel the need to eat more, then eat more. For example, I walked for 11 miles a couple of days ago, which is extraordinary as I only do 3 max 5 miles per day. I was starving and I did eat more that day. Do more bodyweight strength exercises, instead of pure cardio, so you would tone your body. Do not forget that you are very young so your metabolism is in better shape and you need to eat more than a middle age person, or someone who has been dieting at 1200 calories for a long time and busted their metabolism.

nicole_riann20

I have bee working out for the past 4 weeks and can definitely see/ feel a difference in my body! But i also have not lost more than 2 lbs... I started to get a lil bummed but then realized that i have built so much muscle while i have been working out and muscle weighs more than fat! So therefore i decided i dont care what the scale says i know things are getting better cause other people can see a difference! So forget the number on the scale and keep up the good work!

cwolfman13

For people having this issue...i'd suggest that you are most like underestimating consumption and/or overestimating burn. This is just math...if the above is not the problem, please see your doctor as you may have an underlying medical condition and/or be on medications that interfere with metabolic rate. Otherwise, it is simple math and basic science.

- make sure you weight and measure everyting; I don't know how many people I've talked to who log 4oz chicken breast...and they tell me yeah...all I had was one breast. Well, one breast is usually more in the neighborhood of 8 oz and you only logged 4...you do that all day long and you're going to over eat. Weigh and measure your food and ingredients.

- If you are very overweight, you may be somewhat insulin resistant, even if you're not full on diabetic. It helps to reduce carbs here..particularly highly processed carbohydrates. I found greatest success with my carbs being 40% of my diet...I was somewhat insulin resistant when I started...when I reduced the carbs a bit (not low carbing) and kept those carbs to primarily natural sources, this helped the weight come off.

- Use a HRM to estimate calorie burn from aerobic activity. Do not log stuff like housework, etc. MFP intends you to eat back exercise calories, but I always did about 70% of what my HRM said to account for estimation error. If you're using databases and cardio machines, ask yourself if the burn you're getting is reasonable...most people burn far less than they think they burn during a given exercise event.

- Yes, eat back exercise calories with the MFP method. This isn't opinion...this is the way MFP is set up. this is why MFP ups your calorie goal when you log exercise. When in doubt get out a dictionary and look up the word GOAL. A goal is something to be achieved. Particularly when you're eating 1200 measly little calories, it is important to fuel your exercise. Under-eating for prolonged periods of time will cause metabolic damage.

ninashh

Try not eating after 7 PM, or 8 PM, just a couple of hours before you go to sleep. Try it for 3-4 days and see if the scale moves.

newmommyo2

Raw veggies boost my weight loss every time. I blast greens in a blender with tropical frozen UNSWEETENED fruit and a NECESSARY banana with water. Doing this makes them tolerable... Okay, and don't drink any other sugar. Just smoothies like that and water!