It's just not happening!!!!

jigfoot
jigfoot Posts: 39
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing 5/6 classes of cardio per week inc step, Zumba body jam and tums bums thighs for just over a month, been keeping calorie intake to around 1200 and nothing is happening minimal weight loss if any and just one inch off each thigh, hips and bust and one inch ON my waist!!! I'd love some advice on where I'm going wrong. Don't get me wrong I discovered that I'm loving all of the exercise I never knew I would but as I am over weight 12st 10 and only 5'4 I really need to lose it!
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Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Are you eating (grossing) 1200 or netting 1200 calories?
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Oh god I'm so rubbish I don't know what you mean
  • Gee_24
    Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
    Are you just eating 1200 calories or are you exercising and eating those calories back? ( Netting )
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    She means if you are only eating 1200 calories total and doing that much exercise, then you aren't eating enough to fuel your body and you aren't going to lose weight. You need to replace the calories you burn by eating more in order to meet the proper net daily calories.
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Yeah around 1200 but I've been trying to aim lower as my weight seems to come off so slowly! So how do I know how much to eat?
  • rcclcruiser
    rcclcruiser Posts: 98 Member
    1200 calories is not enough.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Yeah around 1200 but I've been trying to aim lower as my weight seems to come off so slowly! So how do I know how much to eat?

    You are not eating nearly enough. Find a TDEE calculator online and enter your info. Then subtract 20% from that number and eat that number of calories.
  • _Countryboy_
    _Countryboy_ Posts: 71
    When in doubt, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!
  • rcclcruiser
    rcclcruiser Posts: 98 Member
    What is 12st 10?
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    You want to eat back calories burned in exercise, for MFP calculations.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Yeah around 1200 but I've been trying to aim lower as my weight seems to come off so slowly! So how do I know how much to eat?

    12st and 10 is 178lbs right? and you're 5'4".

    You maintain your current weight at 1956 calories per day with zero exercise

    To lose 1lb per week with zero exercise you would need to subtract 500 calories from 1956.

    1956-500=1456 calories per day with no exercise.

    This means if you exercise, you need to eat 1456+ those exercise calories to keep the same 500 calorie deficit. Having too high of a caloric deficit is counter productive to fat loss.
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Heavy.....like 175lb
  • pepperpat64
    pepperpat64 Posts: 423 Member
    If you set your calorie goal to 1200, then burn 300 calories exercising in one day, you should actually eat closer to 1500 calories for that day. But 1200 calories sounds pretty low in general. It makes your body metabolism slow down to adapt to getting less "fuel" in the form of food than it actually needs. I was doing 1200 when I first started exercising and wasn't losing anything. But then I increased it to 1450 and also started "eating back" my exercise calories, and that's when I started losing weight. It doesn't seem to make sense but that's how bodies work. :-)
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Yeah around 1200 but I've been trying to aim lower as my weight seems to come off so slowly! So how do I know how much to eat?

    12st and 10 is 178lbs right? and you're 5'4".

    You maintain your current weight at 1956 calories per day with zero exercise

    To lose 1lb per week with zero exercise you would need to subtract 500 calories from 1956.

    1956-500=1456 calories per day with no exercise.

    This means if you exercise, you need to eat 1456+ those exercise calories to keep the same 500 calorie deficit. Having too high of a caloric deficit is counter productive to fat loss.

    Oh wow that sounds such a lot! So I need even more than 1400?
  • Cherylpro13
    Cherylpro13 Posts: 1
    You have to be sure you're eating enough protein as well.
    It also sounds like you're doing a fair amount of exercise and those days require you to eat more food.
    I lost 32lbs in 6 weeks and one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.
    If you have a late night craving, air popped popcorn is a great, fiber filled, filling snack.
    The Dairy Queen fat free sugar free fudge bars are only 60 calories and have 6 grams of fiber. They are a very
    satisfying snack without the guilt. Good luck!
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Oh my god thank you guys, I have always eaten fewer to try and lose weight and always struggled!!!!! I will definitely try a few more and see what happens! Thank you
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    (1) add some weight lifting
    (2) eat more.

    I'm 5'5" and weigh just 2 pounds more than you (I think...not 100% on that whole "stones" thing). I workout 5-6 days a week - *heavy* lifting 2x a week for 30 minutes, running 2x a week for 35-40 minutes, biking once a week for an hour, and doing a "brick" workout (swim/bike/run) once a week for about 2 hours (I'm training for two triathlons), plus one rest day...sometimes two if one of my other workouts gets "rained out". I eat about 1400 cals on my rest days, and I eat 1400 cals PLUS about half of my workout cals (ie if I burn 500 cals on a run, then that day, I will eat 1400 + 250 for a total of 1750 cals). I only eat back half of my workout cals because I have a high working heart rate, so I know my heartrate monitor over-calcs my calories burned because of it. I am also hypothroid (controlled by meds, but I have to fight for every ounce lost). And doing the above, I am losing just under 1 pound a week.....it's like a pound every 10 days or so. :smile:
  • pepperpat64
    pepperpat64 Posts: 423 Member
    The "Road Map" explains a lot of what we're talking about, such as TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), body fat, how to adjust your MFP goal settings to better track everything, and lots of other stuff. You'll find the Road Map referred to often on MFP. This post can be confusing for someone who doesn't know a lot about the science of nutrition and exercise (like me), but after I read it a few times, it started sinking in.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
  • junejadesky
    junejadesky Posts: 524 Member
    Oh my god thank you guys, I have always eaten fewer to try and lose weight and always struggled!!!!! I will definitely try a few more and see what happens! Thank you

    You will start to eat more and it will begin to come off!!! You will be AMAZED that you didn't discover it before now!!

    Good luck to you...
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    ....one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.

    That's just not true.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Oh my god thank you guys, I have always eaten fewer to try and lose weight and always struggled!!!!! I will definitely try a few more and see what happens! Thank you

    Please just remember that when you eat more grams of food you naturally store more waste in your bowels and water from sodium, don't freak out if you gain a pound or two according to your scale, it is not body fat and it is temporary.

    Also don't listen to the crazy carb lady, the only thing you lose from carb restriction is water weight.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.

    I'm glad that that works for you. I stop eating carbs only when I'm sound asleep and that's usually about 1:00 AM. I've lost 51 pounds and have maintained my goal weight for over a year now.

    There is truly no one way for everyone. OP, the other advice you've been given by other posters is very solid.
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
    You have to be sure you're eating enough protein as well.
    It also sounds like you're doing a fair amount of exercise and those days require you to eat more food.
    I lost 32lbs in 6 weeks and one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.
    If you have a late night craving, air popped popcorn is a great, fiber filled, filling snack.
    The Dairy Queen fat free sugar free fudge bars are only 60 calories and have 6 grams of fiber. They are a very
    satisfying snack without the guilt. Good luck!

    You tell porkie pie lies. Eating carbs after 3pm will not affect weight loss in the slightest. Sigh.....
  • Gee_24
    Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
    IMAGINE life if you couldn't eat any carbs after 3pm.

    Days out and dinner dates would be impossible!!
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member

    I lost 32lbs in 6 weeks and one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.

    Stop it... You're spreading false info! There's no reason whatsoever that he/she should not eat carbs after 3 pm. I guarantee you that this is not why you lost 32 lbs!!
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member

    I lost 32lbs in 6 weeks and one key is to NOT EAT ANY CARBS after 3 pm.



    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!





    No.
  • missyrawien
    missyrawien Posts: 37 Member
    The advice above about eating more is great (: Don't forget to keep hydrated too though, drink 8 glasses of water a day and more if you are exercising hard, it can help with weightloss and keeps you healthy (:
  • Alissakae
    Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
    Keep up the exercise - it will help your overall fitness and health and make losing weight easier. You got good advice here about upping the calories. You will lose the weight if you stay on track, good luck!
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
    Thanks everyone for your advice x
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Eat more

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