Losing less than a pound a week

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On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

5'5
SW 180
CW 161
GW 140
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Replies

  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500 below that per day consistently and are not losing a pound a week your logging either needs to be tightened up a bit (make sure you're using digital scales for food and measuring your sauces with measuring spoons and liquids with measuring jugs) or you may be slightly overestimating your work out burns.

    How long have you been on MFP in total and how long have you been losing less than a pound, what rate did you lose before? Also how much are you losing per week now? Could it be water weight fluctuations? Have you started a new workout routine (which means you'll be retaining water for muscle repair) or perhaps it's that time of the month?

    Also half a pound a week is good progress when you don't have much to lose. x
  • grammageegee
    grammageegee Posts: 78 Member
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    I am in the same boat eating 1200 calories a day. I recently upped it to 1275 to see if that would make a difference.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    About how much energy do you use per day? I don't know your age, but for 30 years old your BMR would be about 1520. If sedentary and little/no exercise you would use about 1900 per day. So 1300-1500 would mean 1 pound per week on average. And if you are estimating your portions, then you think you're eating 1300-1500 but could easily be eating more.
  • justkeeprunning91
    justkeeprunning91 Posts: 96 Member
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    The exact thing happened to me, with similar stats (5'4", sw: 170, cw: 150, gw: 135). The first 20 lbs came of at about 1.5 lbs a week, but I haven't been able to dip below 150, and I can barely tell if I'm losing at all any more because the water weight fluctuations can mask a lot at half a pound a week. One thing I've found helpful is to average my weight for the week over the past couple of months and compare those. If now is less than 3 weeks ago, I'm getting somewhere. But I understand it can be so frustrating when the margin for error is so much smaller and everything is so much slower.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google will lead to many.

    You can also go very basic and start by looking up your BMR. Then multiply that by 1.2 to 1.25 to get a basic daily energy use for sedentary, no exercise. That would be the most basic TDEE. WIth extra daily activity (such as active hobbies, job) or cardio exercise: burning more.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google is your friend and trial and error after that since it's an estimate
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
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    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google will lead to many.

    You can also go very basic and start by looking up your BMR. Then multiply that by 1.2 to 1.25 to get a basic daily energy use for sedentary, no exercise. That would be the most basic TDEE. WIth extra daily activity (such as active hobbies, job) or cardio exercise: burning more.

    thank you :flowerforyou:
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Losing around 1/2 lb a week is fine, especially if you are weight training to preserve muscle mass.

    People didn't gain the weight overnight but they seem fixated on losing it in a week.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
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    A good trick is to switch to: a) Weekly photos (the camera never lies), b) measurements (the tape is your friend) and c) and body fat percentage. For me at least the scale is only one indicator of progress. Good luck and keep at it. :)
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited June 2017
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    A good trick is to switch to: a) Weekly photos (the camera never lies), b) measurements (the tape is your friend) and c) and body fat percentage. For me at least the scale is only one indicator of progress. Good luck and keep at it. :)
    To me, if the scale on average is trending towards what I am aiming for and my body fat is in line with my goals then I stick with it.
    If not then I make adjustments. Not much else to it, really.

    If you do not have a reliable and consistent way of tracking your body fat then measure your waist at the navel.
    It should be trending downward if you are trying to lose "weight", at perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 inch every couple of weeks depending on how much extra fat you are carrying.

    1/2 inch off the waist in a month is nothing to sneer at.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
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    cqbkaju wrote: »
    Losing around 1/2 lb a week is fine, especially if you are weight training to preserve muscle mass.

    People didn't gain the weight overnight but they seem fixated on losing it in a week.

    this is how i am. LOL
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    Taking measurements is a good way to be able to see changes. Scales fluctuate, tape measures never lie! As long as you or a friend is always taking them in the same place each time.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    I am an inch taller but otherwise your starting stats and goal are very similar to mine and that rate sounds completely normal to me.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    I'm the same height, started out heavier, am sedentary, and am a few pounds heavier (169) now eating 1400 calories a day to lose a pound a week.

    What do you have MFP set up? This sounds like a pound week numbers, but if you aren't using a food scale your logging could be inaccurate.