What happens if I don't eat all my calories?
cousinmurgatroyd
Posts: 7 Member
Hi! I've been doing this for about three weeks and I can only see a one pound loss. I've been on 1200 calories and I've found it hard but I'm getting by. It's really frustrating not to have lost more though. I checked my profile today and I realised I'd input my weight wrongly and it's recommended that I eat 1400 calories rather than 12. This has confused me even more because surely I should have lost more rather than less if I've been eating less than the calories I was meant to. I have a lot of weight to lose, and I don't have time to exercise just yet but I plan on it in the coming weeks. I'd really appreciate some advice! Thanks! 
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Replies
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I would like to see some answers as I am in the same situation as you are0
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Here's a great flowchart that might help. Created by lemonlionheart
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what are your stats?
Height:
Weight:
Age:
Goal weight:
Rate of loss per week:
Activity level:
Exercise habits:
Do you log your food (with a scale):
Do you eat back exercise calories:
all of these play into the results you're seeing, and it would be tough to give you any answers without knowing some of them. 0 -
MireyGal76 wrote: »what are your stats?
Height:
Weight:
Age:
Goal weight:
Rate of loss per week:
Activity level:
Exercise habits:
Do you log your food (with a scale):
Do you eat back exercise calories:
all of these play into the results you're seeing, and it would be tough to give you any answers without knowing some of them.
Please and thank you! Additionally, if you are comfortable doing so, opening your diary can help us see if there's anything in your logging that may be adding to this scenario.0 -
Hi all thanks for the replies!
Height: 5 foot 3 inches
Weight:248 pounds
Age: 37
Goal weight: 160
Rate of loss per week: 1lb over three weeks
Activity level:low
Exercise habits:pretty minimal, just walking
Do you log your food (with a scale): yes
Do you eat back exercise calories:no
I'm not going to open my diary if that's okay but I'm very low carb, having spoken to a dietician, and the carbs I am eating are small portions of brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain bread, no more than 120g per day. I haven't eaten any pasta, white bread or rice and I've greatly increased my vegetable and protein intake. Im in the region of 1200 calories every day, give or take 50 calories or so. I've been found to be glucose intolerant so it's really important to me that I lose weight.
Thanks again
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I would recommend using a digital scale and weighing everything that isn't liquid. A "small" portion can vary but a gram is always a gram. When I first started my weight loss, before MFP, I wasn't weighing and sometimes not even measuring. When I began reading the forums on MFP, I decided to begin weighing everything and using USDA in my food searches for most accurate calorie counting. Before MFP I lost weight, after MFP and weighing everything, I have consistently lost 2 lbs a week. I am the same height as you and still over 200 lbs. On non-exercising days I eat 1000 to 1200 calories.0
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Well if it's worked for you it may be worth investing in a scale. I've been using spoons as measurement (2 tablespoons of rice etc.) But maybe you're right, it's worth a try. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.0
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cousinmurgatroyd wrote: »Well if it's worked for you it may be worth investing in a scale. I've been using spoons as measurement (2 tablespoons of rice etc.) But maybe you're right, it's worth a try. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Yea I think especially if you're focusing on carb reduction and are eating a lot of protein and maybe fats as well, you want to be really careful with your measuring because having a 5 oz steak when you think you're having a 3 oz steak can break your deficit just like that. Same if you're eating full-fat dairy, a leveled off tablespoon versus a heaping tablespoon is a big difference.
PITA, I know! But you'll get the hang of it and you'll find that as you learn and internalize portion sizes for different foods it will get a lot easier.0 -
Thanks for posting this. In a similar situation but at least 100+ lbs more than you and cut my calories down from 1800 to 1500 and still. I do measure but I'm getting a scale for accuracy.0
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when you set your loss rate in MFP, what did you pick?
if you're doing light activity, then I agree with not eating back exercise calories. If you do an intense activity, then I recommend eating back at least half.
That said... take a look at this thread, and see if any of the info/charts make sense:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1318741/in-5-weeks-youll-lose-10lbs-why-is-it-not-working/p1
If you look at your weight at maintenance (using the livestrong calculator and the stats you provided) it says your maintenance cals are approx 2225 a day. Setting your loss rate to 2 pounds a week is "doable" at that rate, but probably not adviseable / sustainable for long.
As your weight drops, your maintenance cals will too, and then you'll find that trying to lose that many pounds a week will stall out if your eating habits and exercise levels remain static. To maintain a 2lb/week average loss, you'd need to supplement with more exercise and not eating back exercise calories.
Because you're on the lower end of the height spectrum, it's a bit tougher to lose faster, than if you are taller (because of your total calories burned per day).
Also, when you set your exercise levels, know that they assume a level of activity that you would not log.
Lastly... I recommend considering this:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1343719/get-rich-quick/p1
I encourage you to consider accepting a slower loss rate, and learning to adapt your lifestyle to a new way of life (as opposed to dieting to lose weight).
It may take longer, but in my opinion. will be more sustainable over the long run.
Sorry for the wall of text. Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:0 -
what are you eating? you need to eat healthy or you wont see as much change as you like you cant keep the same foods and expect to see change junk it out. eat healthy candy is dandy but fruit helps you poop0
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what are you eating? you need to eat healthy or you wont see as much change as you like you cant keep the same foods and expect to see change junk it out. eat healthy candy is dandy but fruit helps you poop
Not necessary to cut out "junk" food. Calorie deficit and moderation can get results.0 -
I am mainly eating "healthy" foods, chicken breast, salad, tofu, veggie stir fries, omelettes, oats etc. I won't lie though I'm definitely having treats like a small pot of mousse or something but they're all included in my daily allowance and logged.
I initially picked 2lbs a week because I do have so much to lose I felt at least the opening stages that would be a realistic goal. I've started a "diet" in the past and lost five or six pounds th first week. I feel like I'm making more of a lifestyle change this time because of the glucose Intolerance but it's still pretty demotivating to not lose anything.
One quick question - should I stick to the 1200 I've been on or eat the 1400 that it's recommended since I fixed my weight in the profile?0 -
1400. IMO.0
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Thanks MireyGal and everyone else -this is my first time posting and it's so nice of you to take the time to answer me. It definitely helps to have the support!0
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cousinmurgatroyd wrote: »I am mainly eating "healthy" foods, chicken breast, salad, tofu, veggie stir fries, omelettes, oats etc. I won't lie though I'm definitely having treats like a small pot of mousse or something but they're all included in my daily allowance and logged.
I initially picked 2lbs a week because I do have so much to lose I felt at least the opening stages that would be a realistic goal. I've started a "diet" in the past and lost five or six pounds th first week. I feel like I'm making more of a lifestyle change this time because of the glucose Intolerance but it's still pretty demotivating to not lose anything.
One quick question - should I stick to the 1200 I've been on or eat the 1400 that it's recommended since I fixed my weight in the profile?
so you are not logging your "treats" …the is probably part of your issue right there.
Also, it has only been three weeks….0 -
If analogies help you... think of it this way...
Weight loss is more like a credit card system than a debit card system. What you spend today is not instantly due. Your balance owing doesn't change overnight. At the end of the month, the transactions you've made are all reported and you see whether you owe, or don't. (Sadly, in my case I always owe)
3 weeks isn't enough time to receive a billing statement. You may see the deposits you've made reflected next week, or the week after.
When I started way back (I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, so my situation was different) it took me almost 6 months before I saw a difference in myself. My weight didn't change much, but my clothes started to fit differently. Then it was like I looked in the mirror, and I was a hugely different person.
Be patient. Keep doing the right things. You'll get your bill, and it WILL eventually reflect your actual deposits of hard work.0 -
No i am logging them...sorry if that wasn't clear. I'm logging every single thing that passes my lips! 0
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missiontofitness wrote: »what are you eating? you need to eat healthy or you wont see as much change as you like you cant keep the same foods and expect to see change junk it out. eat healthy candy is dandy but fruit helps you poop
Not necessary to cut out "junk" food. Calorie deficit and moderation can get results.
I never said that you cant eat junk. I said you cant eat junk and get the results as quick.but there problem was that they are not losing as much as they would like.therefore if your in your limit but all your calories are empty its not as fine. so how do you help increase weight lose you increase good habits.0 -
cousinmurgatroyd wrote: »No i am logging them...sorry if that wasn't clear. I'm logging every single thing that passes my lips!
whoops, sorry I read that wrong.0 -
cousinmurgatroyd wrote: »Hi all thanks for the replies!
Height: 5 foot 3 inches
Weight:248 pounds
Age: 37
Goal weight: 160
Rate of loss per week: 1lb over three weeks
Activity level:low
Exercise habits:pretty minimal, just walking
Do you log your food (with a scale): yes
Do you eat back exercise calories:no
I'm not going to open my diary if that's okay but I'm very low carb, having spoken to a dietician, and the carbs I am eating are small portions of brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain bread, no more than 120g per day. I haven't eaten any pasta, white bread or rice and I've greatly increased my vegetable and protein intake. Im in the region of 1200 calories every day, give or take 50 calories or so. I've been found to be glucose intolerant so it's really important to me that I lose weight.
Thanks again
if there a reason why your activity level is low? try going to a walk or the gym. you can always put the treadmill on an incline burn some extra calories. Get that heart rate up! Also try some strength training. You wont bulk up but you will build muscle and muscle helps burn more calories at rest and speed up your metabolism
*edit* i just reread your post and saw that you dont have time to exercise. i hope you find time in the future or find a 24 hour gym0 -
missiontofitness wrote: »what are you eating? you need to eat healthy or you wont see as much change as you like you cant keep the same foods and expect to see change junk it out. eat healthy candy is dandy but fruit helps you poop
Not necessary to cut out "junk" food. Calorie deficit and moderation can get results.
I never said that you cant eat junk. I said you cant eat junk and get the results as quick.but there problem was that they are not losing as much as they would like.therefore if your in your limit but all your calories are empty its not as fine. so how do you help increase weight lose you increase good habits.
Weight loss is about eating at a deficit. Type of food does not matter in terms of losing weight as long as it fits within your calories. No one type of food will make you lose weight faster either. You can eat donuts all day, and as long as you are at a deficit you will lose at the same rate as you would if you ate those same calories in fruit.
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I started at 250 and I tried to eat 1200 right away. I was very committed, I was great at it, but... it eventually stalled out and I was grumpy, hungry, deprived and miserable all the time. When I stalled out I assumed I just had broken my body metabolism and I wasn't going to be one of the success stories. I gained it all back.
The next time I started paying mind to my health (because let's face it: being 45 years old, 250 pounds, only 5' 2" with high triglycerides and blood pressure isn't a recipe for living much longer) I used 1400 as my starting calorie goal. I dropped to 230, after 20 pounds lost, I changed my number to 1300. At 1300 I lost slower but got to 210. I've dropped my calories to 1200 again and I've hit 205, but it is hard. I lose on average 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. On super weeks where I get my exercise in I can lose 2 pounds!
I want to go back to 1300 or 1400 or more calories. I love food! Exercising more is the only way to earn that level of food back. I eat back only half of my exercise calories, so I am stuck at this rate unless I move more.
Eat for your activity. Log with an honest scale. I am going to be one of the success stories. You can too!0 -
I'm in the same boat - weight is coming off very slowly, BUT my doctor recommended losing about 1/2 to 1 pound per week. He said this is healthiest and sustainable. So, while I'm not happy about the very slow loss and the scale staying the same, sometimes for weeks at a time, at least I know in the end the numbers are slowly making their way down. I use a digital scale and weigh my food, look up nutritional values for everything, have cut out soda and increased water intake. I eat much healthier food than I did in the past - more chicken, fish and salads - less red meat, fat and dairy. Have switched to low-fat or no-fat dairy and if I am going out to a restaurant to eat a meal I look up their nutritional info BEFORE I go and decide what I'm going to order (and make sure it fits in my daily calorie goal). I have also now started incorporating some walking for exercise, but haven't seen much in the way of weight loss due to it yet. However, I know it is something I need to do. Most days I am 400-500 calories under my goal. Some days, like today, I was over by 30. That is rare though - at least 5 days out of 7 I am under my calorie goal. I guess we just have to stick with it and it will eventually come off. This is a life-long journey and not a 'quick fix diet'. Good luck on your journey. Feel free to friend me if you'd like. I can always use friends to help motivate me and encourage me when I get down due to the slow loss.0
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I started at 250 and I tried to eat 1200 right away. I was very committed, I was great at it, but... it eventually stalled out and I was grumpy, hungry, deprived and miserable all the time. When I stalled out I assumed I just had broken my body metabolism and I wasn't going to be one of the success stories. I gained it all back.
The next time I started paying mind to my health (because let's face it: being 45 years old, 250 pounds, only 5' 2" with high triglycerides and blood pressure isn't a recipe for living much longer) I used 1400 as my starting calorie goal. I dropped to 230, after 20 pounds lost, I changed my number to 1300. At 1300 I lost slower but got to 210. I've dropped my calories to 1200 again and I've hit 205, but it is hard. I lose on average 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. On super weeks where I get my exercise in I can lose 2 pounds!
I want to go back to 1300 or 1400 or more calories. I love food! Exercising more is the only way to earn that level of food back. I eat back only half of my exercise calories, so I am stuck at this rate unless I move more.
Eat for your activity. Log with an honest scale. I am going to be one of the success stories. You can too!
I've been saying this a lot on everyones post but strength training will help speed up your metabolism. muscle burns calories at rest. if you gain some muscle you will beable to increase your caloric intake and still lose weight.0 -
Thanks everyone for the support and advice. I'm going to start some strength training combined with cardio and see how that goes.it'so definitely a long journey but I'm determined, you all have helped a lot :-)0
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Do you really weigh EVERYTHING and dont use cups and spoons or serving sizes at all?
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missiontofitness wrote: »what are you eating? you need to eat healthy or you wont see as much change as you like you cant keep the same foods and expect to see change junk it out. eat healthy candy is dandy but fruit helps you poop
Not necessary to cut out "junk" food. Calorie deficit and moderation can get results.
I never said that you cant eat junk. I said you cant eat junk and get the results as quick.but there problem was that they are not losing as much as they would like.therefore if your in your limit but all your calories are empty its not as fine. so how do you help increase weight lose you increase good habits.
Weird. I, along with many others on these forums, have eaten "junk" and gotten results quickly and hit our goals. Moderation is key. There are no "empty" or "full" calories, nor are there "good" or "bad" ones. Bodies can't distinguish the calories from carrots to the calories from Big Macs. You just need a deficit.
Please do not spread misinformation like this. Implying that there are "good" and "bad" calories, and that choosing one over the other can hinder progress is problematic.0 -
cousinmurgatroyd wrote: »I feel like I'm making more of a lifestyle change this time because of the glucose Intolerance but it's still pretty demotivating to not lose anything.
Metformin would make it much easier for you. Start at the tiniest dose possible because of the potential nausea side effects. You need to see your doctor.
Also, MEASURE your foods and EXERCISE more.
You DO have time. Download SWORKIT--phone app. Do 1 min of cardio 3x per week and 1 min of strength 2x per week, with :30 on and :30 rest. Up it by 1 min each week for the next 10 weeks. Then lower your rests by :05 a week and up your exercise time by 1 min each week for another 3 weeks. Then add one more minute each week until you hit 20 min total every day 5 days a week. You only need your body and enough clear floor space for your body.
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