Still gaining on 1200 calories, 500-800cal workouts

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  • MrsBingley
    MrsBingley Posts: 145
    Now, I did see this guy on a program of Ripley's once who had a freakishly efficient metabolism. He stuck to 1200 cals/day, did a ton of strength training and he was strong as an ox.

    You could be like him.....but I seriously doubt it.

    More likely, you think calorie counting sounds like a drag, so you are here, claiming that it hasn't worked for you in order to see what other quick fixes we might have.


    There aren't any.

    If I'm wrong, see a doctor.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    if you are eating 1200 calories and are burning 500-800 calories a day then you are netting around 700-400 calories... which isn't enough for you body. It's going into the state called starvation mode where it holds onto your foods in fear that it won't get more. At least that is my understanding. You should probably up size your calories so your body wont be afraid and it'll shed the points and have enough nutrients to build your muscles.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    The gain might not be fat at all. In fact, you might be losing fat but gaining enough water to offset the loss and then some. Get to a doctor for a thorough physical. Once I was eating less and less but gaining more and more, and no one believed what I was saying. Turns out I had cancer and I was gaining a lot of water/edema. It could be kidney, liver or pancreatic, so many things.

    Not trying to scare you, but you need to get checked by a doctor (or more than one, as the first few might not believe you) if you're eating less and still gaining.
  • lucypeaks
    lucypeaks Posts: 96 Member
    Make sure you're eating back those 'exercise calories'...enjoy them! You will start to feel tired and ill if you don't...
  • mochamofitandhealthy
    mochamofitandhealthy Posts: 20 Member
    Unfortunately, I don't have clear advice for you on what the problem can be. But, I do want you to know that you are not alone. I have had a similar experience and frankly, have not found the best combination to lose weight. But here is the good / hopeful news: I truly believe there is an effective combination of nutrition and exercise for body and your unique needs (just like I believe there is a good combination for mine).

    I recommend the following (to at least rule some things out):

    1. See your doctor and get your thyroid checked (I think someone else advised this on this Board). Thyroid problems run in my family and an inefficient thyroid can keep the weight on.
    2. Get your blood glucose checked. Diabetes is an obvious possibility, but impaired glucose tolerance can also be a culprit.
    3. I'm not sure how long you've been at this, but patience is key. I have over 100 pounds to lose and have finally come to accept that it's not going to come off overnight.
    4. Check and manage your stress. For years and years I have viewed the idea that stress contributes to weight gain and weight retention as a myth. I have only recently come to understand that this is not a myth. Stress can truly wreak havoc on the body.
    5. Continue to reach out for help and ask questions. I admire you for asking for help through this message board. I am not very good at doing this, but am striving to do better in that area. Support and counsel from others is important.
  • jojo86xdd
    jojo86xdd Posts: 202 Member
    Eat more.
  • Binkie1955
    Binkie1955 Posts: 329 Member
    I can't see your food diary. open the food diary and let's see what you're actually eating. then I might have some insights.
    At 5'3" and 170 pounds, I can see your concern.
    but let's see the diary. I'm going to suggest you visit the keto calculator and make sure you have the mix of fats, proteins and carbs set correctly then we'll know more.
  • smattillion
    smattillion Posts: 33 Member
    don't be afraid of food. you need to eat to fuel your body and to have a great workout. bare minimum, you should be netting and eating 1200 calories (with no excercise!) if you're burning 500+ calories and eating none of them back, you are essentially starving your body. go to IIFYM.com and run your numbers based on a higher activity level and you'll see you need to eat alot more than 1200! seriously. ive been there before and it just does more harm than good. relax and eat!
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 623 Member
    At the OPs stats, burning 500Kcal per workout is highly unlikley, for starters.

    whats with all the naysayers on a 500cal workout? that's totally possible... 50min at med intensity on the elliptical or 30min running on a treadmill at a 9:30 pace...

    ed:...and im in fairly good cardio shape which means at a given intensity i burn less calories than someone in not as good shape i believe...
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    At the OPs stats, burning 500Kcal per workout is highly unlikley, for starters.

    whats with all the naysayers on a 500cal workout? that's totally possible... 50min at med intensity on the elliptical or 30min running on a treadmill at a 9:30 pace...

    ed:...and im in fairly good cardio shape which means at a given intensity i burn less calories than someone in not as good shape i believe...

    Cardio shape has nothing to do with calorie burn, aside from the fact the fitter you are, the harder/longer you can go. Two people of different fitness levels doing the same work at the same intensity will burn the same.
    Calorie burns depend on weight and intensity.
    The average for running is about 100 calories per mile. Of course, the more you weight will put you over the "average".

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak?month=201005
  • cpsoroff
    cpsoroff Posts: 22 Member
    That is what I thought she should get checked out!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    whats with all the naysayers on a 500cal workout? that's totally possible... 50min at med intensity on the elliptical or 30min running on a treadmill at a 9:30 pace...

    ed:...and im in fairly good cardio shape which means at a given intensity i burn less calories than someone in not as good shape i believe...

    At a 9:30 pace, 30 minutes of running is just over 3 miles. Unless you're a horribly inefficient runner or you weigh 250-300 lbs., that's not going to burn 500 calories. At 175 lbs., I need to bicycle for an hour at 16 mph to burn that much (on flat terrain with no wind).

    And as 3dogsrunning already said, aerobic fitness doesn't make you more efficient; it just makes you more powerful. There are some efficiency gains that come from good technique, but they're minor. Put two cyclists of the same height and weight, a professional and a newbie, on identical bicycles, and they'll burn more or less the same number of calories if they're riding along at the same speed. But the pro cyclist can put out several times as much power as the newbie.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    You have clearly slipped into a mirror universe where there is a major variation in the fundamental principles of biology and physics.
    Is dubstep still a thing there?

    In the unlikely event that this is not the case, you are either monitoring your weight or intake/output incorrectly

    Not sure sure about the mirror universe. That's where everyone becomes evil and bisexual in Star Trek, isn't it? (Not that those two qualities are in anyway connected, I hasten to add)

    The second part sounds about right though....
  • Amadbro
    Amadbro Posts: 750 Member
    You have metabolic damage. Eat at maintenance for a few weeks. This will hopefully cause your metabolism to repair itself THEN you can go into a small deficit of 200-300. When losing weight you always want to give yourself enough room to work with. If your maintenance is 2800 and you want to lose weight. Then the most you should reduce is 500 which would put you at 2300. Then when you stop losing at 2300, reduce again another 100-200 cals. By reducing too much eventually your will suffer metabolic adaptation where even though you are eating 1200 calories and burning 600 (which gives you 600 calories for the entire day) you will not lose weight. You are not going to outsmart your body. It's designed to SURVIVE and has been doing so through famine for thousands of years. Eat more, lose more. Give your body what it wants and it'll give you what you want.

    simply put, you are not eating enough. I see it all the time. Your body isn't going to let go of the one thing it depends on for survival while your in a severe caloric deficit. FAT. Eat more. Find your maintenance and eat at that amount for a while to reset your metabolism. Then when you are ready to lose again..SLOWLY decrease calories. Right now your eating like a 6 year old.
  • kiniece
    kiniece Posts: 96 Member
    Have you had a COMPLETE Thyroid panel done? TSH, Free T4 and T3? Also a Measurement of serum thyroid autoantibodies and thyroglobulin to test for Hashimotos Thyroiditis (which I have but it didn't show up on just a TSH and but did on a titre). Hashimotos is FAMOUS for not showing up on TSH but a complete panel done by a specialist familiar will know EXACTLY what to look for and how to treat it! If you don't get the right answers from your PCP...move on to another. =D
  • AronKishore
    AronKishore Posts: 42
    You're either gaining muscle, or are eating a lot of sodium based foods and have subsequently allowed you body to go into water storing mode (which is known as water retention).
    1200 calories a day (food), and 800 calorie work out sounds sufficient enough.
    Don't let numbers define you. Take pictures of yourself in week/month like increments and see if you're transforming physically

    Good luck :).

    You can always check your thyroid also :)
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    You can't gain muscle weight on a deficit. :grumble:
  • MMulder68
    MMulder68 Posts: 139 Member
    Your body is starving. Been there done that!
  • snowwhiteve
    snowwhiteve Posts: 2
    The reason I hadn't responded is because I have found these forums quite depressing considering the tone of responses from most of replyers. Instead, I have emailed those directly that have provided CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and advice rather than negativity.

    For those that have provided constructive advice and hits/tips, thankyou - have now upped my calorie intake, will wait a few weeks and discuss further steps with my doctor!
  • jlblovely
    jlblovely Posts: 12 Member
    Are you sure you are burning 500-800 calories a workout??? The numbers on machines are not always accurate and neither are any of the numbers in here for every person. Example 2 girls go kickbox cardio/turbo jam...one girl is killing it and the other one is going through the motions. The site says 600 calories. The girl killing it may get 600 but the other girl may only burn 200! This site has never been accurate. Are you sure your not gaining muscle would be my second question.... obviously you know muscle weighs more than fat! Stay off the stupid scale for a few weeks..you may be just seeing a fluctuation due to water retention as well! Then after a few weeks (if your goal is to get smaller) put the jeans on and ask yourself...do these fit differently and looser and tighter where you want them to....That will define your progress not a scale! I use this sight for a food log...It is more organized than my printing it in my journal...but I can see how it tells me I should weigh 10 pounds less in 5 weeks..it has been saying that forever...I am maintaining even though I have a deficit......this isn't a catch all site!

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