What am I doing wrong???

jenny1985barham

Hello, I started my Healthy living / Weight loss over 6 weeks ago, I started jogging with a friend (we're using an app that slowly builds you up to 30mins using Interval Training, currently at 25mins & we go 3 times a week), I do pilates, go swimming with my mum & play Badminton with my Fiance. I've also cut back on the Alchol & started making a concious effort to eat smaller and smarter & let with all this have I seen any weight/Inches loss, No!!! n:sad:

So what am I doing wrong?? I eat around 1200 calories a day and do the above exercise, so could it be that I'm doing the wrong type of exercise (didn't think there was a wrong type though!!) or am I not eating enough making my body store it or am I still eating too much!

Has anyone else had this?

gypsy_spirit

In order to lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit.

In order to know if you're in a calorie deficit, you have to weigh/measure/log your food. (using a food scale)

Exercise is important to health, but not necessary to lose weight. (find something you love and do it consistently)

Meal timing is irrelevant to losing weight. Eat at the times that work for you.

Eat foods you like, make healthy choices along the way, learn portion control/moderation

Have patience. It's not going to happen overnight.


If you are not losing, usually the first two points above are the culprits. Do you net 1200 or is that your base before exercise? Seems like not a lot of calories for your age and the amount of weight you want to lose. Read this link:

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

jjay23

If you are only eating that many calories and not eating exercise calories that may be it? its scary to up them but I have found that by eating more I have lost more. It will happen in time just keep going and well done with sticking with it for 6 weeks! x

mactaffy84

GypsyRunner is correct! Eating more is not going to make you lose weight! You probably are not in the deficient that you think you are. And weight changes are weird. You may not lose anything and then all of a sudden lose a couple of pounds. I don't understand why that happens, but it does. Just keep going. Carefully log your calories. You will get there. The only thing that will prevent that is giving up!

jeyloz

I'm in a very similar situation, lots of lovely people on here have helped and the general consensus seems to be; make sure you're weighing and logging everything properly, eat back burnt off calories and make sure you're eating enough in the first place.

To me this is scary cos it's like being told eat more, which is why I need to lose weight in the first place! Well done for getting this far though, don't give up, I've read a lot of weight loss info and they all suggest to give it 12 weeks.

mcibty

JJay is right. It doesn't seem like you're eating enough.

I think people get mislead when people say "eat more to lose more" because that's only half of what you should be told. It's not saying "eat as much as you can to lose", it's "eat the right amount according to your needs and goals to lose at a healthy rate." So, sorry, Mactaffy, I disagree with you!

Sounds like you're burning a fair bit with all that exercise per week so log your burns and eat most, if not ALL of those calories back.

laddyboy

You are not eating enough. If you're eating 1200 and exercising you have a net caloric intake below that 1200. God made our bodies for survival. Your body is saving the calories because it's not getting enough. Make sure your net never goes below 1200.

Like I said to all the ladies in the wellness class that finished up a few weeks ago..."ladies, you have to eat to lose weight"

gypsy_spirit

Before you just willy nilly up your calories - make sure you are weighing and measuring your food first. If you "think" you're eating around 1200 calories, but you're actually eating more like 1500, you're probably going to gain weight by upping your calories.

Never just up calories until you have all the parts of the equation correct.

LKArgh

You are eating more than you think. Log everything, using a scale. Do this for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

_Zardoz_

You're eating far more than you think in your post you say 'around 1200' so using such a loose term says to me you're not weighing and measuring your food accurately. In all likelihood good you'll be able to eat more than 1200 and lose weight. First though you need to know accurately what you're now eating

oSummerRaeo

Net as close to 1200 if you can, I try to go over a little. Eat your exercise calories 'back' -- MFP has already factored in your calorie deficit. The exercise is to make you strong and body healthy!

Joanne_Moniz

Hello, I started my Healthy living / Weight loss over 6 weeks ago, I started jogging with a friend (we're using an app that slowly builds you up to 30mins using Interval Training, currently at 25mins & we go 3 times a week), I do pilates, go swimming with my mum & play Badminton with my Fiance. I've also cut back on the Alchol & started making a concious effort to eat smaller and smarter & let with all this have I seen any weight/Inches loss, No!!! n:sad:

So what am I doing wrong?? I eat around 1200 calories a day and do the above exercise, so could it be that I'm doing the wrong type of exercise (didn't think there was a wrong type though!!) or am I not eating enough making my body store it or am I still eating too much!

Has anyone else had this?

dpwellman

Actually, I'm going to throw a monkey wrench and say, without knowing your fitness level, I can't say for sure if you're doing anything "wrong" (although, alcohol is calorically dense and one should never "drink" one's calories anyway).

You may not be exercising as intensely as you think Its easier in the long run (heh) to keep weight off permanently by focusing on exercise first rather than diet only or exercise and diet together (Baylor study).

Joanne_Moniz

To answer your question, no. You can't be doing the wrong type of exercise. But you can be doing it at the wrong time.

Put that aside for a minute though. First, you are to be commended to be doing what you are now doing... eating well and exercising! But when it comes to healthy living in the world we are in today, knowledge is power.

Science has proven that those that journal their food, lose twice as much weight as those that do not. So, I recommend you journal your food here. If you are and that is how you know you are eating 1200 calories, it is important, critical to know that it is about the quality of those calories, NOT the quantity of those calories. Certain foods can make you gain weight even though they may be low in calories.

You are right, there is no such thing as the wrong type of exercise. As for the exercise, our body has different energy systems. For fat burning, you don't have to change the exercise, however, you do have to change the order in which you do things. For the first 20 -30 minutes or so, our body is using up glycogen stores, not fat.

Joanne Moniz
The Skinny on Obesity Group

gypsy_spirit

To answer your question, no. You can't be doing the wrong type of exercise. But you can be doing it at the wrong time.

Put that aside for a minute though. First, you are to be commended to be doing what you are now doing... eating well and exercising! But when it comes to healthy living in the world we are in today, knowledge is power.

Science has proven that those that journal their food, lose twice as much weight as those that do not. So, I recommend you journal your food here. If you are and that is how you know you are eating 1200 calories, it is important, critical to know that it is about the quality of those calories, NOT the quantity of those calories. Certain foods can make you gain weight even though they may be low in calories.

You are right, there is no such thing as the wrong type of exercise. As for the exercise, our body has different energy systems. For fat burning, you don't have to change the exercise, however, you do have to change the order in which you do things. For the first 20 -30 minutes or so, our body is using up glycogen stores, not fat.

Wow. The word "science" in the same paragraph as the bolded sentence. I'm sure you're referring to sugar. The ultimate evil. Well, no.

Joanne_Moniz

Hello, I started my Healthy living / Weight loss over 6 weeks ago, I started jogging with a friend (we're using an app that slowly builds you up to 30mins using Interval Training, currently at 25mins & we go 3 times a week), I do pilates, go swimming with my mum & play Badminton with my Fiance. I've also cut back on the Alchol & started making a concious effort to eat smaller and smarter & let with all this have I seen any weight/Inches loss, No!!! n:sad:

So what am I doing wrong?? I eat around 1200 calories a day and do the above exercise, so could it be that I'm doing the wrong type of exercise (didn't think there was a wrong type though!!) or am I not eating enough making my body store it or am I still eating too much!

Has anyone else had this?

ndj1979

You are not eating enough. If you're eating 1200 and exercising you have a net caloric intake below that 1200. God made our bodies for survival. Your body is saving the calories because it's not getting enough. Make sure your net never goes below 1200.

Like I said to all the ladies in the wellness class that finished up a few weeks ago..."ladies, you have to eat to lose weight"

no, op is not in starvation mode..sigh...

ndj1979

OP - do you own a food scale? Weigh/measure/log everything?

jenny1985barham

:happy: Wow! Never expected such a response. Thank-you to everyone!
I do weigh all my food to make sure that I know exactly whats going in, although I think my other half thinks I've lost the plot abit! Hehe!!
It does seem strange to eat more to lose more but it does also make sense!

Thanks again for all the messages of support & I am enjoying doing it, feel invigorated when I get in from a run which I never thought would happen so I will keep going.