<1000 calories and still not losing weight?

SLLRunner

Your body is in starvation mode because you're not feeding it enough!! As strange as it sounds, you have to eat more to lose weight, especially since you're consistently working out. And make sure you have at least 8 glasses of water a day. I just read a medical report that said you should never eat less than 1200 calories a day, which is the absolute lowest MFP allows. Then your workouts earn calories that you should also use-though MFP seems to overestimate the calories there, so I try to only eat half of them. Weight Watchers says the same thing, so it's obviously been researched to death. try it for a week or two and I'm sure you'll see a huge difference. And those last 10 pounds are just as hard to lose as higher amounts

I'm afraid she is not in starvation mode at 130 pounds.

CorvusCorax77

If you are at a deficit, you will lose weight. PERIOD. Some people apparently believe they are immune to physics. The metabolism never slows down to a point where you stop losing weight if you are truly eating at a deficit. The more logical answers have been given to you.

Ok, so does that mean if I'm eating 1200 calories, I need to burn off 1500? I mean how would I do that? I couldn't possibly be at the gym for hours, and I wouldn't have the energy. I'm not trying to come off as argumentative, but I don't understand?

Your body burns more than 1200 calories doing lots of exercise like cellular metabolism, heart pumping, breathing, digestion, rebuilding cells, growing hair, organ function.... Just sitting on your bum all day you burn 1200 calories.

Lleldiranne

If you're wanting your clothes to fit, I would suggest ignoring the scale and picking up weights. Honestly, you could maintain your weight and still lose 1-2 sizes, just by lifting heavy weights. Look into a program that focuses on compound lifts - New Rules of Lifting, Starting Strength, or Strong Lifts all have a good reputation around here. (I believe Strong Lifts or Starting Strength is available for free online).

"Lifting Heavy" means using a weight that you can complete about 5 reps in a set without sacrificing form but with feeling tired at the end of the set (and generally, 3-5 sets total, and you're right at your limit at the end of the last set, pretty much). You won't get bulky, especially if you're eating at maintenance or a slight (<10%) deficit ... It's actually really really hard for women to get much bulk at all.

Just for reference, I'm just shy of 5'1", and before I got pregnant I weighed ~130 lbs and was wearing size 4 jeans, and some size 2. And that's from my heavy lifting (cardio was mostly just warm up) and eating ~1800 calories daily. Think about giving it a try!

Edit: Thought maybe I should clarify ... "before I got pregnant" means with this pregnancy. The results I list above are over the last year or so, after already having 4 kids.

forkofpower

You're eating more than you think. Or you have some sort of medical issue that is drastically impeding weight-loss. But it's probably the former.

People overestimate their intake by a lot; even trained nutritionists do. Buy a food scale and measure everything you eat. Log religiously and eat 1200 cals a day and see if you lose. If you do, then you're not immune to weight-loss.

NadiaGH

You're eating more than you think. Or you have some sort of medical issue that is drastically impeding weight-loss. But it's probably the former.

People overestimate their intake by a lot; even trained nutritionists do. Buy a food scale and measure everything you eat. Log religiously and eat 1200 cals a day and see if you lose. If you do, then you're not immune to weight-loss.

Thank you very much! luckily someone gave me a weight watchers scale as a house warming gift a few years ago... it's still in the box :-/

NadiaGH

If you're wanting your clothes to fit, I would suggest ignoring the scale and picking up weights. Honestly, you could maintain your weight and still lose 1-2 sizes, just by lifting heavy weights. Look into a program that focuses on compound lifts - New Rules of Lifting, Starting Strength, or Strong Lifts all have a good reputation around here. (I believe Strong Lifts or Starting Strength is available for free online).

"Lifting Heavy" means using a weight that you can complete about 5 reps in a set without sacrificing form but with feeling tired at the end of the set (and generally, 3-5 sets total, and you're right at your limit at the end of the last set, pretty much). You won't get bulky, especially if you're eating at maintenance or a slight (<10%) deficit ... It's actually really really hard for women to get much bulk at all.

Just for reference, I'm just shy of 5'1", and before I got pregnant I weighed ~130 lbs and was wearing size 4 jeans, and some size 2. And that's from my heavy lifting (cardio was mostly just warm up) and eating ~1800 calories daily. Think about giving it a try!

Edit: Thought maybe I should clarify ... "before I got pregnant" means with this pregnancy. The results I list above are over the last year or so, after already having 4 kids.

That's great, thank you! will definitely look into heavy lifting. That definitely explains why some of the most petite girls at the yoga studio I go to are actually lifting the 8lb and 10lb weights, compared to us 'not that fit' girls lifting 3lb and 5lbs...!

NadiaGH

Your body is in starvation mode because you're not feeding it enough!! As strange as it sounds, you have to eat more to lose weight, especially since you're consistently working out. And make sure you have at least 8 glasses of water a day. I just read a medical report that said you should never eat less than 1200 calories a day, which is the absolute lowest MFP allows. Then your workouts earn calories that you should also use-though MFP seems to overestimate the calories there, so I try to only eat half of them. Weight Watchers says the same thing, so it's obviously been researched to death. try it for a week or two and I'm sure you'll see a huge difference. And those last 10 pounds are just as hard to lose as higher amounts

I'm afraid she is not in starvation mode at 130 pounds.

my point exactly. 130, eating what I felt was 'not much', and not losing?!? well, like I mentioned, I'm new to MFP, and today is my first day. Thanks to you knowledgeable and motivating people, I'm going back to logging and tracking! Hopefully I'll be back to post before and after pictures sooner than expected! with a major KUDOS to you guys :-)

rdsxfn

If you are truly eating 1000 total calories a day, and you are doing cardio exercise every day and you aren't losing any weight at all, then you have a metabolic issue or some sort of disease. The more likely scenario is that you're either underestimating calorie intake, overestimating calorie burn, or both...

+1 for the underestimating, overestimating or both.

spamantha57

You seriously need to eat more.
You are killing your metabolism.

A few years ago when my health issues were getting worse & I started to gain weight, my crappy government doctors told me to eat less. And less & less until I was only eating about 800-900 cals a day. I gained about 20lbs that year (45lbs total my 3yrs being sick.) My health was also not getting better no matter how many pills they tried to shove down my throat. But I believed in nutrition & decided to put matters in my own hands.

Last January I was healthy enough to make some more changes (after kicking prescriptions too) and slowly increased my food intake with exercise. I now eat usually 1500-1800 cals/ day & have lost 16lbs. Not a huge loss so far, but I'm doing it healthy & right for me.

Like you, I'm also 5'2". I used to be 105-110, got up to 156. I'm happy & healthy now, working at a gym & studying nutrition.

logg1e

If the scales are still in their box, how do you know how many calories you have been eating?

Dr__Girlfriend

You're not eating enough, you need to at least be eating your BMR. That's the amount of calories it takes to keep your body & organs alive in a coma. MFP calculators suck. Go to www.iifym.com and it will calculate your protein, fat, carbs and allow you to adjust for a moderate to aggressive cut.

I used to be in the same boat as you, I ate 1200 calories for months and didn't lose a pound. I was working out too much and not fueling my body. The scale is a liar. I started eating more, lifting heavy weights (no cardio.. Thanks Strong Curves!) I've gained 5 pounds, but I've LOST two dress sizes. YAY MUSCLE!

Dr__Girlfriend

http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

Taking measurements is the best way to measure your progress darling. If you're eating enough and putting on muscle, you will lose inches. There are some beautiful pictures to illustrate just that in sophie's article there. A must read. Just trying to help you get on the right foot, you're going about this all the wrong way You got this girl. No need to torture yourself and spin in circles.

becmarkwick

If you're wanting your clothes to fit, I would suggest ignoring the scale and picking up weights. Honestly, you could maintain your weight and still lose 1-2 sizes, just by lifting heavy weights. Look into a program that focuses on compound lifts - New Rules of Lifting, Starting Strength, or Strong Lifts all have a good reputation around here. (I believe Strong Lifts or Starting Strength is available for free online).

"Lifting Heavy" means using a weight that you can complete about 5 reps in a set without sacrificing form but with feeling tired at the end of the set (and generally, 3-5 sets total, and you're right at your limit at the end of the last set, pretty much). You won't get bulky, especially if you're eating at maintenance or a slight (<10%) deficit ... It's actually really really hard for women to get much bulk at all.

Just for reference, I'm just shy of 5'1", and before I got pregnant I weighed ~130 lbs and was wearing size 4 jeans, and some size 2. And that's from my heavy lifting (cardio was mostly just warm up) and eating ~1800 calories daily. Think about giving it a try!

Edit: Thought maybe I should clarify ... "before I got pregnant" means with this pregnancy. The results I list above are over the last year or so, after already having 4 kids.

That's great, thank you! will definitely look into heavy lifting. That definitely explains why some of the most petite girls at the yoga studio I go to are actually lifting the 8lb and 10lb weights, compared to us 'not that fit' girls lifting 3lb and 5lbs...!

NadiaGH

You seriously need to eat more.
You are killing your metabolism.

A few years ago when my health issues were getting worse & I started to gain weight, my crappy government doctors told me to eat less. And less & less until I was only eating about 800-900 cals a day. I gained about 20lbs that year (45lbs total my 3yrs being sick.) My health was also not getting better no matter how many pills they tried to shove down my throat. But I believed in nutrition & decided to put matters in my own hands.

Last January I was healthy enough to make some more changes (after kicking prescriptions too) and slowly increased my food intake with exercise. I now eat usually 1500-1800 cals/ day & have lost 16lbs. Not a huge loss so far, but I'm doing it healthy & right for me.

Like you, I'm also 5'2". I used to be 105-110, got up to 156. I'm happy & healthy now, working at a gym & studying nutrition.

Wow, that's insane! Well thank you so much! :-) and Good Luck with your weight loss journey, seems like you've figured it out!

Maleficent0241

My husband asks me the same thing all the damn time. Why don't you buy clothes that fit!?!? Stubborn ol' me refuses to, I don't want to buy bigger sizes... Just the thought of it depresses me... :-(

People can't read the size on your label. They can notice your clothes being too tight and you being uncomfortable.

I actually love that... It's something I have refused to accept for SO LONG. Even in high school and college, with the gain & loss of 5lbs here and there, I refused to buy bigger sizes. I'm going to follow MFP guidelines for the next two weeks as 1princesswarr suggested, but if I don't see a difference, then I'm gonna go buy me some cheap gear so that I don't hold onto it very long!

I get it, I really do. I refused to buy clothes for a long time too, mainly because I'm cheap I have gotten great stuff at Goodwill to get me through the weight changes. When it no longer fits, I can donate it back too! It may be something to look into if you need interim clothes.

Great advice in this thread too (minus starvation mode - been there, done that, have the t-shirt, and you do NOT stop losing weight because of it. I ended up in the hospital on IV feeds to keep my weight up). Something I wish I had done from day 1 is to take pictures and measure myself. It's hard to look at for me, but it shows me that I am still making progress even when the scale doesn't show it. The food scale is super important too.

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becmarkwick

Hi OP,

'Lifting heavy' usually starts out with liftng the Olympic bar - so 45lbs - if its wrapped in pretty colours and in the 'girls' area - you won't touch it doing strong lifts or the other programs )

NadiaGH

If the scales are still in their box, how do you know how many calories you have been eating?

reading the nutrition facts label, and using calorie counting apps... I know I know, I have to be very meticulous about it here on out... That's why I'm here today, whatever I was doing before wasn't right.

JohannaM19

YOUR METABOLISM IS SLOWING DOWN SO YOU WONT METABOLIZE YOUR BODY TISSUES. EAT JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE CALORIES AND ALWAYS MAKE UP THE EXERCISE CALORIES.

NadiaGH

http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

Taking measurements is the best way to measure your progress darling. If you're eating enough and putting on muscle, you will lose inches. There are some beautiful pictures to illustrate just that in sophie's article there. A must read. Just trying to help you get on the right foot, you're going about this all the wrong way You got this girl. No need to torture yourself and spin in circles.

Thank you! so nice to know that everyone on here is so encouraging and supportive! Will definitely measure up my curves tomorrow... Eeek!

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NadiaGH

YOUR METABOLISM IS SLOWING DOWN SO YOU WONT METABOLIZE YOUR BODY TISSUES. EAT JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE CALORIES AND ALWAYS MAKE UP THE EXERCISE CALORIES.

That's what I have to get used to. As of tomorrow, I'll have to consume at least my BMR to get started... That's going to be different, because I've eaten so little for the last year, at least. :-/

NadiaGH

http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

Taking measurements is the best way to measure your progress darling. If you're eating enough and putting on muscle, you will lose inches. There are some beautiful pictures to illustrate just that in sophie's article there. A must read. Just trying to help you get on the right foot, you're going about this all the wrong way You got this girl. No need to torture yourself and spin in circles.

Thank you! so nice to know that everyone on here is so encouraging and supportive! Will definitely measure up my curves tomorrow... Eeek!

Oh, I get it now.

Supportive = telling you what you want to hear.
Not being supportive = telling you what you are currently doing is wrong and giving you advice on how to fix that.

Not surprising.

Not at all MrM27. My initial msg said "Can someone please explain what I'm doing wrong, and what I should be doing to see results.".
I know for a fact, whatever method I've been following thus far, is a complete failure. I appreciate what everyone has to say and and I will have to give each suggestion a chance to find out what works for me. Don't take it personally.

Jewlz280

http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

Taking measurements is the best way to measure your progress darling. If you're eating enough and putting on muscle, you will lose inches. There are some beautiful pictures to illustrate just that in sophie's article there. A must read. Just trying to help you get on the right foot, you're going about this all the wrong way You got this girl. No need to torture yourself and spin in circles.

Just to clarify here, are you saying she should quit trying to eat so low and just losing and focus on eating more and lifting heavy because at 130, recomp could be better than just diet alone? At least, that's what I got from the previous posts. Not that she is currently gaining now. It would be difficult to do that at such a high deficit. Just wanted to make sure that's what you meant.

daybehavior

Nah, she's cool Mrm27. She is a lot more open to suggestions than the majority of people who post these topics

heylee1969

I agree 1000 calories is way too low. Long story short, find out what your Resting Metablic Rate (RMR). Use this RMR calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/rmr-calculator.html
That should tell you what your minimum calorie intake should be.
Wear a heart monitor when working out so you know how many calories your burning, enter the amount on your exercise diary and MFP will automatically add the calories to your food diary. The extra calories you eat should be lean protein and carb balanced.This will add lean mass and decrease fat in your body. You may see a small weight gain at first but you will notice your muscles become more toned as the fat melts away.

I hope this helps

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NadiaGH

I agree 1000 calories is way too low. Long story short, find out what your Resting Metablic Rate (RMR). Use this RMR calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/rmr-calculator.html
That should tell you what your minimum calorie intake should be.
Wear a heart monitor when working out so you know how many calories your burning, enter the amount on your exercise diary and MFP will automatically add the calories to your food diary. The extra calories you eat should be lean protein and carb balanced.This will add lean mass and decrease fat in your body. You may see a small weight gain at first but you will notice your muscles become more toned as the fat melts away.

I hope this helps

It really does! Thank you Heylee :-)

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_KitKat_

YOUR METABOLISM IS SLOWING DOWN SO YOU WONT METABOLIZE YOUR BODY TISSUES. EAT JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE CALORIES AND ALWAYS MAKE UP THE EXERCISE CALORIES.

That's what I have to get used to. As of tomorrow, I'll have to consume at least my BMR to get started... That's going to be different, because I've eaten so little for the last year, at least. :-/

OP I am sorry but you really seem to be cherry picking the advice you listen too. Some that have offered help are some very experienced people here on MFP. You have not eaten so little for the last year.....it is IMPOSSIBLE, unless you have a severe undiagnosed disorder. I am not sure how tall you are but at 130 your BMR (if your were in a coma) is probably about 1400 and if you are slightly to moderately active your TDEE (what you burn a day with activity, including exercise) is probably 2100-2300. So if you have not lost weight that means you have been eating at TDEE, if you gained you ate over. To lose you MUST eat less. For roughly every 3500 calories you burn that you have NOT consumed you lose a lb.

Put your info in mfp, set a .5 goal, you are too light for more aggressive. 10lbs is considered vanity lbs. Set your activity level, try slightly active. Log EVERYTHING, weigh everything, measure all drinks. Log exercise, unless you are positive do not eat all the calories back, you are working with a tiny range for a deficient and 10 cookie can wipe it out for a week. Then read a lot, look up the TDEE method. Give it 4 weeks if no loss then adjust. The reason you need to know BMR is because you should never eat less than that number, trust me if you have been eating anywhere near your BRM for the last year you would have no weight to lose.....you could be in a coma and not gain a lb. while in taking your BMR. It is all math, and once you start weighing and logging you will see how easy it is to be off, and with such a small loss you have zero wiggle room.

Also....Starvation mode is a myth, mild adaptions happen but nothing to prevent weight loss at a deficient and never to gain on a deficient. Lifting will not make you big and bulky....you do not have enough testosterone and muscle is harder to gain than fat is to lose. When it comes to weight....calories are calories either ice cream or spinach, nutrition and body composition is the only time a "clean diet" matters unless you have health issues. With 10lbs. only to lose...body recomposition would most likely work best, drop the size and give you the better body...not only would you look great in clothes but you would look awesome naked. Look in the success forum for women who lift, the results are amazing.