Im at a standstill

Options
sarahjenks74
sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I stick to 1200 calories a day and exercise but my weight stays the same. Should i be on less calories?
«1

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Options
    Can you open your diary?
  • amyr271
    amyr271 Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    How long have you been doing this for?
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    10 months

    L
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    How do i open my diary
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Options
    If you aren't losing weight on 1200 calories, chances are you aren't actually eating 1200 calories :]
    Do NOT - under any circumstances - aim for lower than 1200.

    Make sure you are correctly weighing your food and logging everything accurately. If you are guessing portion sizes, You are most likely over-estimating which is messing with your deficit.
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Im not eating my "excercise" calories but i do try and stick to my 1200
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Options
    sarahjenks74 wrote: »
    Im not eating my "excercise" calories but i do try and stick to my 1200

    What I mean is, if you aren't losing weight - you are probably eating more than 1200 calories, hence why weighing your food and portions is vital :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Options
    sarahjenks74 wrote: »
    How do i open my diary
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • mummiecakes
    mummiecakes Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Hi...I had the same issue a little while ago and the folks here were super helpful. I bought a scale and realized that I wasn't as accurate as I thought in my portions (even using measuring cups wasn't as accurate as weighing). I worked to be more consistent with using the scale and accurate. Since then, I've managed to make some progress. However, I've also had to come to accept that, as I read from another MFP'er, weight loss is not linear...some weeks I lose, some I seem to maintain (frustrating!!).

    The people here have a wealth of knowledge and a lot more experience than me, so hang in there and take their good advice. Best of luck! :smiley:
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    sarahjenks74 wrote: »
    I stick to 1200 calories a day and exercise but my weight stays the same. Should i be on less calories?

    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I have opened my diary.
    Def not eat over 1200.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    sarahjenks74 wrote: »
    I have opened my diary.
    Def not eat over 1200.

    Are you weighing all your solid foods? I see a lot of weights on there, but there are also many things without weights ("1 slice" of bread, a cup of potatoes).
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I dont have to weigh the bread as i scan the barcode of the package but the veg etc is all weighed
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    sarahjenks74 wrote: »
    I dont have to weigh the bread as i scan the barcode of the package but the veg etc is all weighed

    If you aren't weighing packaged foods, you may be eating more than you think. A slice of bread can vary from what is shown on the package. Weighing foods is the best way to ensure that you are actually meeting your calorie goals.
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    I am so dreading when I stop losing like I am right now and have to start weighing my food :/
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    starwhisperer6 wrote: »
    I am so dreading when I stop losing like I am right now and have to start weighing my food :/

    It's really easy though! I found it even faster than measuing because I didn't have to count things out anymore (like I did with tortilla chips) or try to figure out if my cups were level. Figuring out a serving of spaghetti is way easier with a scale . . . not to mention the angst of trying to figure out if your apple is "medium" or "large."

    Not to diss your method, it's just I think weighing is not as hard as it seems.
  • sarahjenks74
    sarahjenks74 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Ok thanks everyone i'll start to weigh everything

Categories