"Calorie Deficit" when I'm already at 1,300?

garmel

Need some advice. I've been trying to stay around net 1,300-1,400 calories per day and am not losing weight. Gaining, in fact.
I eat healthy foods, salads, lean meats, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts. I try to stay away from processed stuff. I'll admit I have days that I fall off but I always get back up and restart.

I work out. At a minimum I try to burn 200 calories with a DVD. On days when I have time to run, I'll clock in a 400 calorie burn.

I just tried a week of Herbalife to see if that would induce any movement.

No loss. What am I doing wrong? I can't eat any less than the above amount. I'm already eating clean and healthy. I can't work out much more than I am. Really what am I supposed to do?

//Female, 40 yrs, 127 lbs, 5'4" - Want to get down to 120, 115 is my stretch goal//

nomad1000

Can you open your diary? You will get more constructive answers if people can see what you are logging.

RCMPWannaBe

Hi Garmel!

It might be that you're simply not eating enough and putting your body into starvation mode. If you're exercising a lot, you'll need to eat more.

I use this site to get my macros in order since MFP's macros are on the weird side!

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

DrJenO

What do you have set up in MFP for desired rate of loss (pounds per week)?

FitnessLover001

can we please be friends on here???! I have the same EXACT problem as you!!! And I am 127lbs as well wanting to get down to at least 120, but would prefer 118! I eat really healthy and turn down all junk food and only have one sweet a week, which is only a cake or pie my grandmother made. (Wouldn't eat that, but I feel like there is a special place in hell for those that turn down their grandmothers home cooking)
Anyway, I would love to be able to travel this same journey with you!

ChrysalisCove

Have you calculated your lean body mass / body fat % to ensure your goal weight is healthily attainable for your frame? I am 5'3" & have a LBM of 107, so anything under 130ish would be unhealthy for me.

Are you weighing all solid foods & measuring all liquids? Logging everything?

Are you netting below your BMR, possibly inhibiting your metabolism?

editorgrrl

If you're gaining weight, you're underestimating your food & or overestimating your burns. You're not eating at a deficit. Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

MinnieInMaine

Your BMR is 1300 so you definitely don't want to eat any less than that.

As someone else said, being able to view your diary would help with giving constructive advice...but here are a couple of common questions to get us started in the meantime:

Are you weighing/measuring your food and checking the listings against labels to make sure you're tracking as accruately as possible?

Where are you getting your calorie burns from?

eddiesmith1

If you're gaining weight, you're underestimating your food & or overestimating your burns. You're not eating at a deficit. Log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this ^^^^ it is really the only answer (aside from being on a prescription that may cause weight gain but you should be aware of that one)
There is no such thing as starvation mode despite claims to the contrary by many
read this
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

EDIT - I see you have opened the diary, you eat a lot of packaged/processed foods so sodium may be a factor. you don't log the water you drink but half your body weight in ounces would be good (for instans I weigh 196, so I am currently targeting 98 ounces (12 cups) per day. on days were i miss my water targets i gain

garmel

Thanks for the replies. I opened my diary. Weight loss per week is set for 1 pound.

I feel like I'm pretty diligent at measuring quantities. I'm not trying to "cheat the system" so I come in at my calorie goal, I know I'm only competing with myself. I log everything I eat.

So very frustrating!

deksgrl

You are very close to goal. Weight loss will be slow. Set your goal for half a pound a week.

Samby_v1

Are you measuring yourself? Do your clothes fit any differently? Sometimes we can't always see what's happening, either on the scale or in the mirror. The measuring tape don't lie!

Zastemsrud

i had this problem too. I was told to eat at least half of the calories I burn exercising, because if you burn those calories, then you aren't really eating 1300 calories. I'm trying it this week to see what happens. If you eat 1300 cals, but then burn an extra 500, then it's like you only ate 800 and that's too few, which could cause your body to start storing the cals you do eat.

Jewlz280

That right there is probably your issue. I highly doubt you are gaining, but maybe slowed down and water is bouncing around. Set your goal to half a pound a week and give it a couple of weeks and I bet you start losing again. When so close to your goal, you should only aim for half pound loss a week. Especially if you are already on the low end to begin with. You also may want to consider body recomp instead of weight loss. 127 is a good weight at 5'4''.

JessyLovesJCS

I'm not an expert, but wonder if you're eating too little? I found when I ate 1200-1400 calories a day I didn't lose and sometimes even gained, but then I upped calories to 1700-1850 I lose regularly. It's odd!

And could it be that you're so close to goal (and I believe a healthy weight already) that your body just doesn't want to lose more? Perhaps continuing to eat healthy, but work on endurance, muscle building, etc?

Indiri13

You have several days with fairly high sodium (2500+). Do you think it's possible you've lost fat but are retaining water? Do you take tape measurements in addition to the scale? Sometimes you may be getting smaller but not losing weight, particularly when you are so close to your goal.

How long have you been stalled in your weight loss?

TeaBea

First of all ....less than 10 pounds to lose....you should be expecting a 1/2 pound a week loss. The scale can easily fluctuate 1/2 pound here, 1/2 pound there. A high sodium meal can easily throw numbers off that much.

Second ......how are you measuring (weighing food)......weighing food is going to be more accurate (for dry stuff anyway).

Third............exercise......if you are burning 400 calories running (HRM is the best available estimate).....then you should be eating more than 1300 calories. Afterall ,1300 less 400 = 900 net calories. Too few calories can cause a plateau.....check your BMR (basal metabolic rate).......likely way above 900. At this large a deficit your body will use muscle mass for fuel.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

ALNoog

That's the part that confuses me more than anything....

If burning more calories than you eat is what makes you lose weight, how does eating back the calories you burn make you lose weight? I see both said everywhere but they just seem to really contradict each other. So I guess I'm not understanding..

Sorry to hijack your post... It just went with some of the advise you got that I keep seeing...

garmel

Yes, I would agree that the sodium is a major contributor. I just love SALT! ((( Will really try to adjust that down.

And the body tape measure - yes, did that too. No change there either! Except shrunk in BOOBS!

I lost a lot of weight between October/November (down to 121/122) and kept it off until January when I had a work trip and rose back up to 127. To me, that's not fluctuation, that's gain

Kimsoontobe

Bump

deksgrl

That's the part that confuses me more than anything....

If burning more calories than you eat is what makes you lose weight, how does eating back the calories you burn make you lose weight? I see both said everywhere but they just seem to really contradict each other. So I guess I'm not understanding..

Sorry to hijack your post... It just went with some of the advise you got that I keep seeing...

MFP does not include exercise when it calculates how many calories you need. You will lose weight with diet alone. When you do exercise, you need more fuel for that, or else you would be eating at an unhealthy low level. (This is unlike most other weight loss methods which do include exercise, so you would not eat extra for exercise).

Example:

1500 (the amount MFP tells you to eat to lose 1 pound per week)
-300 (the amount of calories you burned for exercise)
+300 (the amount more you ate for exercise)
=1500 (you are still at the deficit you need to lose 1 pound per week.

People who do not understand this can be eating too little, which is unhealthy. Hormones are effected when you eat too little and these hormones control appetite and weight loss. People who are at a lower body fat % who eat too little don't have fat to burn and they will burn muscle.

Most other weight loss methods include exercise, this is known as the TDEE - % method, you figure out all of the calories you would need including exercise and take a percentage off of that to lose weight. When using this method, you would not eat more for exercise, which is why people are confused with the MFP method. A properly set MFP + exercise calorie goal should be somewhere in the same vicinity as a properly set TDEE - % calorie goal.