Eating 1200 calories & exercising & not losing weight

kgagnon10

I started counting my calories and keeping it under 1200 a day since the beginning of January. I am 5'10" and started at 167 pounds. At first I started by just watching what I ate and then started to walk at a moderate pace for an hour about 5 days a week. The first few weeks I was losing about 2 pounds a week and I got down to 158. The past three weeks I have been staying at the same weight of 159 and I am working out more and have been running two miles for 2 weeks now. Some days i run slower 2 miles and walk 2 miles at a fast speed after and some days I run and do TRX workouts. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I am not seeing any physical results in muscle gain either. How long does it take to show muscle? I am at about 2 weeks now of working out 6 days a week and watching closely what I am eating. My breakfast is usually a smoothie with strawberries, banana, almond milk and yogurt. My lunch is normally a turkey sandwich with a banana and for dinner I try to choose healthier substitutes and watch the portions.

QuietBloom

If you are truly in a calorie deficit, you will not gain much (if any) muscle. Gaining muscle is quite hard work, and requires a surplus of calories.

Since your weight loss has stalled, you might have an error in your numbers somewhere. Do you weigh your food on a food scale? How are you estimating your exercise calorie burns?

kgagnon10

As far as counting calories burned, I only count when I run or walk and I use the app called Map My Run where I can enter in my height and weight. I measure my food by scanning the packages or measuring out the cups. But for things such a meat, I try my best to look it up and try not to get too much. If I burn about 300 calories running, how many calories should I be taking in?

AmyRhubarb

No way you're gaining muscle at that calorie intake, especially at your height and weight. And with the amount of exercise you're doing, I'm reeeeaaaallly hoping you're eating back your exercise cals.

I'm an inch shorter than you, a lot older and I lose weight eating 1800-2000 calories a day. Food is fuel, and it's likely you're not getting enough.

Congrats on your loss so far, but you might want to change your weekly loss goal to just 1 lb a week, and then make sure your daily NET cals are coming in at or at least very near your daily goal. Also make sure you are accurately logging food, as QuietBloom said, using a food scale (great investment and not expensive - pick one up if you don't have one already) and measuring cups for everything.

And then just give it time. It can take a good 4-6 weeks for true progress to show as the body adjusts to new calorie intake and exercise. Good luck!

psuLemon

First, buy a food scale. Cups and trying your best will not allow you to be accurate. Second, there is no reason to eat 1200 calories, especially since you are a tall, young and active woman. I would highly recommend estimating your tdee and cutting 20% . I suspect you should be around 1800+ calories to lose. But its key to spend the $20 to get a food scale. Also, adjust macros to add protein and fats. This will help with satiety. Protein and resistance training will increase muscle retention which will make you lean. So dont substitute resistance training for additional cardio. If anything increase resistance training.

dakotababy

whoa stop stop stop!

You need to start eating those exercise calories back, immediately.

lindsey1979

What are you goals? For that weight, I'd imagine you'd be a pretty good size (6 or so!) if you have even moderate muscle tone. Are you trying to just do some body recomposition or something else? At that weight, I'm not sure you'd really wanting to losing weight per se.