eating 1200 calories, not losing weight

Cranquistador

math is hard though

LindseyAlyssa

For the past two months I've been eating about 1200 calories a day, sometimes it's less. My net is usually 800-900 calories. I'm 5'7'' amd weigh 160lbs, I'm also a vegetarian which makes it hard for me to eat healthy and reach my calorie goal. I workout 6 times a week and burn somewhere between 500-850 calories depending on my workout. Usually it's an hour of cardio and an hour of circuit training each day. I've kept this up for about two months and have had no weight loss. Am I starving my body, should I up my calorie intake? It just feels like I'm working so hard for nothing, my boyfriend suggested that I'm not getting enough nutrients in my diet and should try and eat a little bit of chicken each week, which I dont want to do because I'm a vegetarian and have been since the fourth grade. I just dont know what else to do, I really want to have a healty body that I feel comfortable with.

1. Weigh everything you eat so you're actually inputting the correct calories
2. Your weight may be the same, but have you been tracking your body measurements?
3. Are you wearing a HRM while working out or just using MFP's standard calorie burn calculations (often higher than reality)?
4. Being vegetarian doesn't make it harder to eat healthy, you just have to be willing to eat a wide variety of vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, etc. It's actually pretty easy to be healthy on a veggie diet. Checkout food blogs for ideas.
5. Go ahead and up your calories IF you are only eating 1200 calories and not underestimating. I'm 5'2" and eat about what you do.

LindaRuth317

You don't need meat. If he feels you are protein deficient (AND you actually are, as opposed to him just thinking you should eat meat), try seitan. Or try black MATPE beans (also called urad whole beans) 1/4 c. Dry = 27 g of protein, 45% of your iron at only 120 cals. I'm not saying any nutritional deficiencies are the reason you aren't losing weight, because I'm not a doc, but if it is the reason there are plenty of high protein, non-animal choices out there.

raven_ous

It's all about what you are eating, not starving yourself.

I have been where you are though, it has taken me a year to finally find a diet that worked for me.

I lost 18 pounds in one month without much exercise and it's been a life changer. I'm a little embarrased to post my before and after photos here but if anyone actually cares to hear what I've been doing then I'd be happy to help in any way.

Just shoot me an email at rachelevans558@gmail.com and I'll show you my before and after photos, and tell you about how things are going for me with the stuff I've tried. x

This is the second thread I have seen you breaking guidelines and to my suspicion spamming the threads with promises of weight loss techniques that you are only willing to share via email.

MyFitnessPal Site-wide Community Guidelines

7. Do Not Publish Private Contact Information

For your safety, do not post personal information such as telephone numbers, emails, mailing addresses, chat or instant messenger IDs, etc.

14. No Advertising, Self-Promotion, or Fund-Raising

bkjk997

I've seen this on MFP a few times:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Best of luck,
Kim

vim_n_vigor

How about instead of just telling her to eat more, look at that diary? Your diary is junk food, topped with junk food and dipped in junk food. You get very few nutrients in your diet, if you are truly logging what you eat. Eat some real, whole food for starters.

Cntrygrl07

I dont think its how much you are eating, im ome of those that cant lose except on 800-1300 cals average daily, the problem is what you eaf, wgat yiu pair it with and if u log your foods. Try having some fat, carbs and protein at every meal or add in some protein powder. Number 1 thing I see is logging. Best of luck.

Cntrygrl07

Sorry for typos, im on my tablet on the bus!

trogalicious

before you have to dig through more broscience...

here:

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this could help.

odusgolp

I hear there's math...

mom2kpr

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

***and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this could help.
[/quote]

This! Another good online calculator is www.iifym.com.
You need to measure/weigh every morsel of food that goes in your mouth. Accurately track calories burned & eat back a portion (50-75%). I suggest a HRM monitor if you can afford it - Polar makes excellent ones. Net at least 1200 (preferably a little more). Do this for about a month, see where you are, adjust if needed.

Also, looking at your diary. I think your exercise burns are way too high. Some days you are netting 0 or even negative numbers. You are not fueling your body properly. Netting 0 is like eating absolutely no food all day.

deksgrl

Peanut butter sammich and a glass of milk.

Fatflump1975

Hi, I have between 1200-1400 and find I loose better when I eat a lil bit more! I think 800 is way too low and you body is holding on to it as it thinks it's being starved!!

sarahdaniels600

Go on a binge for a few days and then bump your calories back down again. Trust me, it speeds up your metabolism and completely works. The less you eat over time, the fewer calories your body will expect and it starts burning them slower in order to conserve energy.

trogalicious

Go on a binge for a few days and then bump your calories back down again. Trust me, it speeds up your metabolism and completely works. The less you eat over time, the fewer calories your body will expect and it starts burning them slower in order to conserve energy.

a binge won't speed your metabolism.

_HeartsOnFire_

I'm also a vegetarian which makes it hard for me to eat healthy and reach my calorie goal.

That statement is absolutely not true. You just haven't found the right things/combinations to eat.

I've been a vegetarian for 24 years. I'm losing weight and eating at 1800 calories a day. You should not be netting LESS than 1200 and if you are working out 6 days a week you need to up your food intake. Your car can't run if it's gas tank is empty, same goes for your body.



Read this...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+sweet+<span class=

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

And most definitely read this!!!
http://www.vicmagary.com/blog/fitness-motivation/#comment-10883

sarafischbach9

Hmm. Obviously with your activity level I would eat more especially at your height and weight. I'm much shorter than you ( 3.5 inches! ) and I lose weight on more calories than you do. I also spend less time at the gym, although there are days when I hit two hours but those are only twice a week. Most days I spend 75-90 minutes there.

I would increase your calories to 1500 per day, perhaps a little bit more, and see what happens. You are very active and 1200 calories may not cut it.

Also, because you are doing circuit training, you could be retaining water from your muscles. When you start a weight training program, you can retain water because your muscles need them to recover ( I'm sure other people told you this ).

Wait it out, increase your calories, and see if the pounds jump off the scale. Do you keep measurements too? You may have been losing measurements but not losing weight on the scale. Also, are you weighing in only once a week at the same time?

_HeartsOnFire_

Go on a binge for a few days and then bump your calories back down again. Trust me, it speeds up your metabolism and completely works. The less you eat over time, the fewer calories your body will expect and it starts burning them slower in order to conserve energy.

No. Just no.

RGv2

Maybe you need to drink more water? What kinds of food are you eating? Because 1200 calories of ice cream, french fries, and cookies is a whole lot different than 1200 calories of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy things.

Maybe for nutrition purposes, but not for weight loss.

Muddy_Yogi

You're doing it wrong....you are not eating 1200 and not losing, you are either not recording your food properly or you think your workouts are way more impressive than they actually are.