Not losing weight - need help and advice! Please

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  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    1200 calories may be too low for someone who is exercising that much. Make sure you eat back the calories you burn. :)

    Could be. But won't keep you from losing weight. If the scale isn't moving, either you're not burning as many calories as you think, or you're eating more than you realize. A calorie deficit *will* result in weight loss. No weight loss, no calorie deficit. Eating more won't fix that. To be clear - eating too little is a really bad thing. But it's a bad thing that will result in weight loss. If there's no weight loss, that's not what's happening here.

    As suggested, if you're not already using one, get a food scale. (edit - I see later you say you are) And many recommend eating back only half your exercise calories. I don't even seem to be able to eat that much back.
    I have now gained 2 lbs.

    No one has ever gained weight because they ate too little. Period. Don't mean to come off harsh, but everyone telling you to eat more is wrong. Something is out of whack. Take a look at your food measuring and reporting and make absolutely sure you're not missing something. If you gained weight, you simply are not at a calorie deficit. There's no two ways about it.

    Repeating this for clarity - I am NOT advocating that you eat too little. Anorexics are not healthy and literally die from too little nutrition. Eating too little is no joke. But Anorexics are never fat. You simply do not gain weight with that particular unhealthy behavior. By what is being reported here, there's no way that you're eating too little.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    OH MY!!! How does one eat that much??? I'm serious! I dont know how I could fit that into a day!

    If you couldn't or didn't eat more than that then you wouldn't be in the position of needed to lose weight, so you have eaten that much and probably more.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    Read up girlfriend. For real!

    http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    OH MY!!! How does one eat that much??? I'm serious! I dont know how I could fit that into a day!

    Three 500 calorie meals and two 250 calorie snacks. It's not that hard to do, in fact it is rather easy to go over. Which is why most people are here.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    OH MY!!! How does one eat that much??? I'm serious! I dont know how I could fit that into a day!

    you're kidding, right?
  • haburgess
    haburgess Posts: 19
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    I'm not an eater. I'm a starver. That's always been my go to when losing weight. I battled aneorxia for many years during high school. When I gain, that's what I fall back on. So, no, its not overeating that is my problem by any means.
    I've done Weight Watchers, Adkins, Dietitians (a couple, actually), The Virgin Diet, etc. The dietitian used to keep me on a high protein, 1200 calorie diet. We moved to 1400 and 1600, working out 45 minutes once a day, then twice a day. I lost maybe, 10lbs in a year's time, then plateaued and never budged.
    So, I'm not crazy when I try to keep my calories down. I'm a LIFELONG dieter. :(
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    I'm not an eater. I'm a starver. That's always been my go to when losing weight. I battled aneorxia for many years during high school. When I gain, that's what I fall back on. So, no, its not overeating that is my problem by any means.

    If you have a history of anorexia, you should get some advice from a professional. A bunch of yahoos on the internet aren't what you need. But something is out of whack. If you really are eating that little and *gaining* weight, something is seriously wrong.
  • tegalicious
    tegalicious Posts: 629
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    I'm not an eater. I'm a starver. That's always been my go to when losing weight. I battled aneorxia for many years during high school. When I gain, that's what I fall back on. So, no, its not overeating that is my problem by any means.

    Hmm. This just went into a whole different realm.
  • haburgess
    haburgess Posts: 19
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    It shouldn't be any different. I just listed all that I've done, along with the "professional" help that I have received.
    I'll try and increase my calories and see what that does.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    Sounds like you've done quite a number on your metabolism.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    If you have a history of anorexia, you should get some advice from a professional. A bunch of yahoos on the internet aren't what you need. But something is out of whack. If you really are eating that little and *gaining* weight, something is seriously wrong.

    ditto on this again and again. If you are serious that you have no idea how you could manage to eat 1600 calories a day and you have always been eating less than that and yet still gained enough weight to have 40lbs to lose you need a doctor or something. Or you are already at a healthy weight and are confused about needing to lose 40lbs. Please go talk to (a professional) someone to find out which it is.

    I wasn't trying to be mean I seriously thought you were joking since I often would eat 1,600 cal for a snack, much less a day!
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    It shouldn't be any different. I just listed all that I've done, along with the "professional" help that I have received.
    I'll try and increase my calories and see what that does.

    I'll say it one more time and then leave you to it.

    If you are eating that little and gaining weight, something is seriously wrong. I'm not a doctor. I don't know if it makes it any different or not. I had a woman with personal experience tell me that a history of anorexia can mess things up when you try to lose weight later in life. Could be. I simply don't know. But it's not something to be trifled with. And, again, if you're really eating that little food and somehow *gaining* weight, there's something that someone who knows what they're doing needs to help you with. That's no joke.
  • haburgess
    haburgess Posts: 19
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    http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

    This was a good read.
    THANK YOU!
  • haburgess
    haburgess Posts: 19
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    By the way, high school was 20 years and 2 kids ago. I am nowhere near a healthy weight. I thought I had posted it earlier in this....
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    bump your calories to 1400. I didn't lose on 1200 & started losing at 1400. I am 5'5".5-good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    If you just started a new workout routine, then the 2 pounds could be from that (water retention). Give the new workout time.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    By the way, high school was 20 years and 2 kids ago. I am nowhere near a healthy weight. I thought I had posted it earlier in this....

    so how tall are you and how much do you weigh? You just said you thought you needed to lose 40 lbs but didn't say how you arrived at that number.
  • haburgess
    haburgess Posts: 19
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    I'm currently 5'4 and 210. According to charts I should be in the 130's, but I am not built to be that small. 170 is a healthy weight for me and puts me in about a size 6.
  • Helenavee42
    Helenavee42 Posts: 175
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    Paleo is a great option. However looking at your diary I see that you are not actually paleo. Most days you are under 1200 even under 1000 unless you are not logging everything. 1200, like many others have said, is not high enough for most people. I like the TDEE- 20% method. And if 20% is too low then do 15% or 10%. Make sure you are eating back some if not all of your exercise calories and that you are getting enough water too. You need food, food is good for you!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I have about 40lbs to lose and I'm at 1200 calories, logging everyday along with tracking on my Fitbit.

    Your diary is woefully incomplete. Bottom line, evidence suggests you are eating more than you think. I suggest you get your logging down solid before worrying about anything else.

    I also don't understand where "paleo" comes into it - what you do log doesn't fit any of the commonly used definitions.

    Good luck!
    I'm currently 5'4 and 210. According to charts I should be in the 130's, but I am not built to be that small. 170 is a healthy weight for me and puts me in about a size 6.

    Personally, I would put some more consideration and self-reflection into those numbers. At that height at 210 lbs, you are about 50% body fat and have considerably more than 40 lbs to lose.

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