I can’t seem to lose weight unless I starve myself
eleonora1809
Posts: 85 Member
I’m 5’2” and 147lbs (67kg), my ideal weight is around 52-55kg so I need to lose 12kg.
When I was in school, I learned that average calorie intake for women is between 1,800-2,000 calories but if I eat between that range, I gained weight.
This app suggests I eat 1,200 calories but I always end up eating around 1,500 because I’m always hungry, and I just keep gaining weight? I don’t understand. My friend eats 2,000 calories everyday and her body is normal/ she maintains her weight.
It seems like I can only lose weight if I starve myself. If I eat under 1,200 calories I lose 1kg every 2 days but I always end up binge eating at the end of the week. Why is losing weight so hard?
When I was in school, I learned that average calorie intake for women is between 1,800-2,000 calories but if I eat between that range, I gained weight.
This app suggests I eat 1,200 calories but I always end up eating around 1,500 because I’m always hungry, and I just keep gaining weight? I don’t understand. My friend eats 2,000 calories everyday and her body is normal/ she maintains her weight.
It seems like I can only lose weight if I starve myself. If I eat under 1,200 calories I lose 1kg every 2 days but I always end up binge eating at the end of the week. Why is losing weight so hard?
0
Replies
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How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.11 -
How much you need to eat to maintain your weight depends on you size, weight and age. For someone with your stats, my guess is your maintence if you are sedentary is around 1700 calories. So if you eat 1500 calories, you should lose around .25kg per week.
How long are you giving it before you declare that you are not losing weight? Because of normal water weight fluctuations, it could take a month or even more to notice it on the scale. If you are giving up after a week or two, you might have been losing fat, but just not seeing it on the scale yet.
When you lose big like that from undereating, it is not fat loss, but water weight loss. There are more than 7000 calories in a kg, so you do not lose that every two days by cutting a few hundred calories, it is not possible. It is likely the water weight.
If you have not been losing on 1500 after trying for a long time, it is likely you are eating more than you think. If you are not weighing everything you eat, it is easy to think you are eating 1500 but instead be eating 2000+.
The other potential issue is that you could have a medical condition that lowers the rate of calories burned. If you suffer from PCOS or another condition, it could slow your metabolism so you burn less than normal.
If you are always feeling hungry, I suggest you switch up your foods. Some people feel full when they eat more protein,more fat, or more fiber, so play around and see what works best for you. Also try to eat foods that are not calorie dense like vegetables that will fill you without many calories.9 -
WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat. I weighed myself everyday. Exercise 2-3times a week, high intensity workout.
Yes. I think losing 1kg every 2days messed up my metabolism. I tried not to eat after 6pm.
My goal is to lose 12kg by end of June so I feel like I need to do things quickly.
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eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat. I weighed myself everyday. Exercise 2-3times a week, high intensity workout.
Yes. I think losing 1kg every 2days messed up my metabolism. I tried not to eat after 6pm.
My goal is to lose 12kg by end of June so I feel like I need to do things quickly.
Well like I said - you likely need to adjust your expectations. Why the rush to lose the weight? Rapid weight loss often has adverse effects like loss of lean body mass, you may be lighter but you may not have the body you desire. You also haven’t given it enough time - a month is barely enough time to start to see a predictable pattern and if you are alternating between extreme restriction and binging then it’s going to be even harder for your body to get into a rhythm. Consistency is key.
If you aren’t tracking your food how do you know you gain at 1500 cals?
Read this:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
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eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat.
If you don't track your calories at all, how can you possibly say what calorie level you require to lose or gain weight?
18 -
Oh and meal timing doesn’t matter.7
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How much you need to eat to maintain your weight depends on you size, weight and age. For someone with your stats, my guess is your maintence if you are sedentary is around 1700 calories. So if you eat 1500 calories, you should lose around .25kg per week.
How long are you giving it before you declare that you are not losing weight? Because of normal water weight fluctuations, it could take a month or even more to notice it on the scale. If you are giving up after a week or two, you might have been losing fat, but just not seeing it on the scale yet.
When you lose big like that from undereating, it is not fat loss, but water weight loss. There are more than 7000 calories in a kg, so you do not lose that every two days by cutting a few hundred calories, it is not possible. It is likely the water weight.
If you have not been losing on 1500 after trying for a long time, it is likely you are eating more than you think. If you are not weighing everything you eat, it is easy to think you are eating 1500 but instead be eating 2000+.
The other potential issue is that you could have a medical condition that lowers the rate of calories burned. If you suffer from PCOS or another condition, it could slow your metabolism so you burn less than normal.
If you are always feeling hungry, I suggest you switch up your foods. Some people feel full when they eat more protein,more fat, or more fiber, so play around and see what works best for you. Also try to eat foods that are not calorie dense like vegetables that will fill you without many calories.
I’ve been trying to lose weight since last year. I went from 57-58kg to now 67kg.
On february, I lost 5kg by eating 2 times a day. My diet consisted of bread & eggs.
I undereat but lost weight doing that. Then I started craving other foods and gained weight again.
This month I tried to keep my calorie intake between 1200-1500 calories but my weight still fluctuates between 66-67, not losing any. I’m frustrated and confused.
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WinoGelato wrote: »eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat. I weighed myself everyday. Exercise 2-3times a week, high intensity workout.
Yes. I think losing 1kg every 2days messed up my metabolism. I tried not to eat after 6pm.
My goal is to lose 12kg by end of June so I feel like I need to do things quickly.
Well like I said - you likely need to adjust your expectations. Why the rush to lose the weight? Rapid weight loss often has adverse effects like loss of lean body mass, you may be lighter but you may not have the body you desire. You also haven’t given it enough time - a month is barely enough time to start to see a predictable pattern and if you are alternating between extreme restriction and binging then it’s going to be even harder for your body to get into a rhythm. Consistency is key.
If you aren’t tracking your food how do you know you gain at 1500 cals?
Read this:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
I don’t track my calories everyday... and yes I think I need to start doing that and be diligent 😅
I don’t know. I’m just used to losing weight quickly by undereating. I don’t know how to do it to achieve it in a healthy way but I’ll try now.
Thankyou!0 -
Weigh. Every. Single. Thing. Before. You. Eat. It. Do it without fail for every meal for a month. Stick to your calorie count for that entire month. Then reevaluate.12
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eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat. I weighed myself everyday. Exercise 2-3times a week, high intensity workout.
Yes. I think losing 1kg every 2days messed up my metabolism. I tried not to eat after 6pm.
My goal is to lose 12kg by end of June so I feel like I need to do things quickly.
Love, there's so much wrong in what you wrote.
Stick around, and remain patient and the weight will come off.
1. you need to keep track of what you eat. All you need to lose weight is to eat less calories than your body needs. And the only way to do that is by tracking: weighing everything and finding the right database entries. Look, we'd not be overweight if we could guess how much we eat, right?
2. losing weight takes time. You can't force it. If you undereat by too much then your body will either burn muscles or stop functioning properly. If you lose muscles you'll not look great when you're at your goal weight but flabby. And it's more difficult to build new muscles than to lose weight. If you're body stops functioning fully you might lose your hair, have ugly fingernails, poor skin, be tired and miserable. This again takes a long time to repair. You don't want either, thus slow and steady wins the race.
3. With the small amount you have to lose you could be looking at losing 1kg per month max, maybe a bit more if you also work out. And that's logical. Look at it this way: if you want to lose 1kg per month then you have to eat 7000kcal less in a month. That's about 250kcal per day.
Your maintenance calories are likely around 1700 (not 1800-2000, what many people say). If you take 250 off that you have 1450 left to eat.
If you wanted to lose 2kg per month then you'd need to eat 500kcal less per day. That would bring you down to those dreaded 1200kcal. Might be duable, but do you want to feel miserable?
More than 2kg? Now things not only get uncomfortable but unhealthy as your body needs food to function: for your brains to work of course, for your heart, all muscles, digestion, etc.
4. Having said that: eating too little doesn't mess with your metabilism. It 'just' makes you sick and feel miserable, and to lose muscles. It also doesn't matter at what time you eat. Your body doesn't case as long as it gets sufficient food.
Thus slow down, learn how weight loss works and keep on going, slowly, one day after another.12 -
Get a food scale. Weigh everything. You are almost certainly eating more than you think you are. A little splash of oil in the pan, having that little extra few bites of something as you're cooking, a little extra milk or teaspoon of sugar in the coffee--very easy for those sorts of things to add up to hundreds of calories that you aren't logging. Do this for a month and see what happens.6
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What's going on here is very common. I'm guessing either you have some special event in June or just want to be thin for summer. I understand. Having said that, you have been given the right advice here. I did exactly what you are doing for years! I finally had over 100 lbs to lose. If you want to avoid that you need to have reasonable expectations and lose slowly to be able to maintain. I didn't get it sorted out until I was 59 years old. Don't follow in my footsteps.
Accept that you might not be at goal in June but you might be thinner than you are now. Get a food scale and weigh everything you eat and LOG IT. That was the key to losing for me and is still the key to maintaining. You may find some things you are underestimating and some things you are overestimating but it will get you on track.
It is impossible that you are losing a kilo every two days under 1200 but gaining at 1500. A kilo every two days means you are losing almost 8 pounds a week. Adding 300 to 400 calories a day would not reverse 8 pounds and create a gain. What is happening is you are estimating and I'm sure you believe those are the numbers but you need to figure out what you really need to eat to lose. Set a reasonable goal like .5 a week to 1 lb a week and be patient. Believe me when I say I have been where you are and the ultimate end to the situation is more weight gained if you don't change the pattern.
To lose a kilo every two days you need a deficit of over 3500/day. Unless your maintenance calories are at least that and you are fasting completely you aren't seeing true weight loss in that time. It is likely water. Don't forget the human body is mostly water and when you fast you lose all the food in your digestive system and water. This shows up as a big drop but it would not continue over the long haul. Slow down and be patient. You can do it if you eat a reasonable amount and log it faithfully to keep you in line.
Good luck my friend. Your body will settle and any "damage" done will clear up once you get onto a reasonable program. Wishing you great success.14 -
I really, really appreciate all your insightful advices. I need to drop unrealistic approach on how to lose weight and write down what I eat.
Hopefully I can achieve my goal not only on weight loss but also a healthier lifestyle.
Thankyou so much!3 -
eleonora1809 wrote: »I really, really appreciate all your insightful advices. I need to drop unrealistic approach on how to lose weight and write down what I eat.
Hopefully I can achieve my goal not only on weight loss but also a healthier lifestyle.
Thankyou so much!
Just in case you weren't aware, this app has a food diary that you can use. It is much easier than paper and pen for food tracking.6 -
One more thing to add, sounds silly but don't focus on your weight. Take regular measurements and pics to gauge how your body is changing. You can look lean even at a higher body weight and vice versa because fat and muscle have different densities. You can lose the fat but if you're working out and eating well you'll also put on a bit of muscle. In this scenario your weight might not change but your body will look different. Good luck!0
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eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »eleonora1809 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »How long have you been using MFP? How are you logging your intake - are you using a food scale for accuracy? Do you exercise? Do you eat back exercise calories?
Losing 1 kg every 2 days isn’t healthy.
For the amount of weight you have to lose, a rate of loss of 0.5 kg per week is appropriate.
You may need to adjust your expectations.
I just started this month, but I don’t really keep track on what I eat. I weighed myself everyday. Exercise 2-3times a week, high intensity workout.
Yes. I think losing 1kg every 2days messed up my metabolism. I tried not to eat after 6pm.
My goal is to lose 12kg by end of June so I feel like I need to do things quickly.
Well like I said - you likely need to adjust your expectations. Why the rush to lose the weight? Rapid weight loss often has adverse effects like loss of lean body mass, you may be lighter but you may not have the body you desire. You also haven’t given it enough time - a month is barely enough time to start to see a predictable pattern and if you are alternating between extreme restriction and binging then it’s going to be even harder for your body to get into a rhythm. Consistency is key.
If you aren’t tracking your food how do you know you gain at 1500 cals?
Read this:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
I don’t track my calories everyday... and yes I think I need to start doing that and be diligent 😅
I don’t know. I’m just used to losing weight quickly by undereating. I don’t know how to do it to achieve it in a healthy way but I’ll try now.
Thankyou!
Consider the approach in the thread below as a way to gradually remodel the way you eat, so that you hit your calorie goal with decent nutrition, and stay as happy/satisfied as possible along the way:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm
Track, review, adjust . . . rinse and repeat.
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Yes, it’s certainly important to eat fodd that you do enjoy but that keeps you full. Some people prefer fat for that, others protein, yet again others thrive on carbs. Mostly it’s a mix though.0
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Also how often you eat and when is highly individual. I have 6 meals per day and eat in a 9h window. Lots of carbs, esp. bread, pasta, rice. Works for me for feeling full, happy and also for being in a calorie deficit to lose weight.0
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