Watching calories and can't even lose a pound? Help!!

Fightforit21

I'm a female 224 pounds 5'9

I've been eating between 1000-1200 and doing cardio burning 300 calories a day for a few months I track everything and I havent lost a pound it's like my weight is stuck

I'm going on vacation in a month and it's really depressing when I can't lose anything!!

I'm going to up my calories to 1310 which is what MFP reccomends do you think I will gain weight since I've been eating less? How many calories should I burn a day with that to lose 2-3 poinds per week?
Some people say zig zagging calories will help? I'm so unsure on how to lose this weight it's driving me crazy!!
I'm afraid of gaining! I've got to lose this weight!!

Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated!

Fightforit21

And I've been eating salad, vegetables lean meat, yogurt, rice cakes, apples, whole grains..

_Zardoz_

Are you waiting weighing everything accurately and counting everything including drinks?

katderbyshire

It is a very good idea to up your calorie intake to what is recommended. I was trying to lose weight from January to April but couldn't because I wasn't eating enough. My body decided to keep the fat around because I wasn't giving it much more to eat then that. Keep up the good work and do the recommended calorie intake and you will do just fine.
Nice job so far.
You will notice the difference in less then two weeks. I downloaded MyFitnessPal and was suprised at how little calories I was taking in. I have now lost 7lbs since May 14. You can do it too.
Have fun with it and enjoy the ride.
Kathleen

susannamarie

I would also check to make sure you are weighing and measuring as accurately as possible. I recently watched an episode of 'secret eaters' with my mother, and we were flabbergasted at how much people were inaccurately counting their calories. For example, the (rather heavy) girl thought she was eating 1250 calories and was actually eating something like 3600.

littlebrownbat3

Look at your water intake, you'd be suprised how much drinking water helps, just flushing out stuff that causes you to retain water

rawr9187

Are you eating your exercise calories back?

I had a problem with this when I first started. I was eating 1200-something everyday plus burning around 300-350 calories when I worked out. This put me at a net calorie of 850-900. I was losing 2-3 pounds a week for about the first month of working out, but then my body was going into starvation mode because I wasn't eating back my calories. I ended up fluctuating between staying the same weight or gaining a few pounds every time I weighed myself. I then upped my calories to about 1700-something to get closer to my BMR and I eat all my exercise calories back. And now I am losing a steady 1 lb a week which is recommended.

So I suggest you up your calories and eat exercise calories back.

Fightforit21

Thank you all for your help 

I definitely need to drink more water I have a diet coke addiction lol I have 2-3 bottles a day and that's just not enough 

Kathleen, 
Thanks for giving me hope! Seems like no matter what I do it won't budge but I will do the recommended intake and see what happens! It's so weird to me how eating more can actually help. My body must really be holding on to the fat! Lol I've honestly been stuck or a few pounds heavier for the past 3-4 months I'm excited to see what will happen upping my calories!

I had some of my husbands regular coke today and tracked it and I had no clue how much sugar was in just a 1/2 cup of pop it's crazy. So I will no longer be sharing a pop with him unless its diet or water! It adds up so quick! 

I sometimes eat back my calories im going to try eating back ALL of my calories after my workouts this time to see what happens I'm going to try to exercise for at least an hour 4-5 days a week! 

Hopefully I will see a difference!!
I will post my results next Thursday!