Can't Stay Under Calorie Deficit?

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chanchanxo
chanchanxo Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This summer I have gained a total of 7lbs. Now I want to lose the weight. I am starting to exercise, only walking 2-3 miles and biking on a stationary bike for 30 mins a day. I am trying to stay under the 1200 calories but I am having a really hard time doing it. I keep going over by at least 300 calories each day.

How do you guys stay under the calories and not feel hungry??

Also since I started using MFP and beginning to do some exercise about 2 weeks ago, I have gained 1.5 lbs too. I am definitely eating a little healthier too, and I feel like I am eating less then what I have been eating before.

What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    What is your height and current weight?
    How many lbs are you trying to lose per week?
    Do you use a food scale for all solid and semisolid food?
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    You shouldnt be eating UNDER 1200 at all. Just saying
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    How are you counting the calories of the foods and drinks you consume? Are you using a food scale for solids? Have you double-checked the MFP entries that you are using for accuracy?

    1500 calories may be a good amount for you. 1200 is the minimum for women but you can still lose weight eating more than that as long as you consume fewer calories than you burn. Comfort is important or else you are more likely to quit. Something that may help your hunger is to eat more protein, fat, and fiber relative to the other things you eat.

    "eating a little healther" is neither here nor there as far as weight loss is concerned. Nutrition is important but weight loss is down to consuming fewer calories than you burn.

    Weight loss isn't linear. You might have a deficit but it's being masked by water weight from TOM and/or starting new exercise. You want to look at your weight trend over months rather than your weight day-to-day or even week-to-week.

    Here's a flowchart with good general advice:

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  • chanchanxo
    chanchanxo Posts: 7 Member
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    I am 5'1 and currently 104.2 but am looking to be about 100lbs. I was 97.2lbs at the end of June though. I know this is a very low weight, however I am very petite and have absolutely no muscle tone, and am very curvy so 97lbs works well for my body type. I am mainly trying to decrease my waist from 27 inches to 25 inches.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    edited August 2017
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    chanchanxo wrote: »
    I am 5'1 and currently 104.2 but am looking to be about 100lbs. I was 97.2lbs at the end of June though. I know this is a very low weight, however I am very petite and have absolutely no muscle tone, and am very curvy so 97lbs works well for my body type. I am mainly trying to decrease my waist from 27 inches to 25 inches.

    You can't expect to see constant success on the scale aiming for such a low weight and with so little to lose. 4 lbs is well within normal weight fluctuations.

    I'm not going to comment on your goal per se, but perhaps the reason you feel the need to be so light is because you have no muscle tone. I'd bet doing some strength training and getting in better shape would help you be happy with how you look, plus you'd get to eat more food.

    All of this. Also, as someone else said OP, you aren't supposed to be under your goal, you're supposed to hit your goal, and you should be eating back some exercise calories. You're underfeeding your body and creating a self fulfilling prophecy where you squander your lean body mass with an extremely low calorie intake/high deficit and then don't do any strength training to try to help preserve what little muscle you have...
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    It is harder to lose weight when you are petite I am sure. I can walk and I'll burn twice as much as you :-) Its all about deficit and how much you want to drop a week. If you are finding it difficult to keep to the calorie intake you want then exercise more. Since you are nearly there my advice would be to go for 3/4 lb a week and do it over a few weeks though. I'd also try and take multi vitamins to make sure you are getting what you need. Try and match MFP's macros. You are not eating very much but if you follow the macros (fat, protein, carbs) then you will be giving your body the best chance possible of keeping healthy.

    Good luck with it all.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    chanchanxo wrote: »
    I am 5'1 and currently 104.2 but am looking to be about 100lbs. I was 97.2lbs at the end of June though. I know this is a very low weight, however I am very petite and have absolutely no muscle tone, and am very curvy so 97lbs works well for my body type. I am mainly trying to decrease my waist from 27 inches to 25 inches.

    You can't expect to see constant success on the scale aiming for such a low weight and with so little to lose. 4 lbs is well within normal weight fluctuations.

    I'm not going to comment on your goal per se, but perhaps the reason you feel the need to be so light is because you have no muscle tone. I'd bet doing some strength training and getting in better shape would help you be happy with how you look, plus you'd get to eat more food.

    All of this. Also, as someone else said OP, you aren't supposed to be under your goal, you're supposed to hit your goal, and you should be eating back some exercise calories. You're underfeeding your body and creating a self fulfilling prophecy where you squander your lean body mass with an extremely low calorie intake/high deficit and then don't do any strength training to try to help preserve what little muscle you have...

    This last bit is important - the best goal is to hit the target. For me, going too low is as bad as going to high :-) All of this is good advice though.
  • natasor1
    natasor1 Posts: 271 Member
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    chanchanxo wrote: »
    I am 5'1 and currently 104.2 but am looking to be about 100lbs. I was 97.2lbs at the end of June though. I know this is a very low weight, however I am very petite and have absolutely no muscle tone, and am very curvy so 97lbs works well for my body type. I am mainly trying to decrease my waist from 27 inches to 25 inches.

    My dear, u are so little... Why do u need to loose weight? We don ' t want to see u disapear.
    Gain more muscles. Get in some weight lifting or resistance exercise, then u will be looking better, then just slim fat. Be prepared that muscles weigh little more than tiny fat you have. But the muscle corset will hold your tiny waist in check. I am "huge" 122lb woman, but waist is 25". Thanks my muscles
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    chanchanxo wrote: »
    I am 5'1 and currently 104.2 but am looking to be about 100lbs. I was 97.2lbs at the end of June though. I know this is a very low weight, however I am very petite and have absolutely no muscle tone, and am very curvy so 97lbs works well for my body type. I am mainly trying to decrease my waist from 27 inches to 25 inches.

    "No muscle tone." When we lose weight we lose fat+lean muscle mass. Large deficits make it harder for your body to support the lean muscle you do have, so trying to lose quickly makes "no muscle tone" look even worse. Add to that your workout regimen is cardio + more cardio.

    Instead of weight loss - look up recomposition. This is where you eat at maintenance (or just a little under) and you work on your body composition.....a higher % of muscle / a lower % of fat. Lean muscle is firm & tight. But you need to add strength/resistance training.

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