Feeling defeated...need some advice please

mlcrec

I have been working out 4-5 times a week with intense workouts (a mix of exercises & weight training, with a trainer) burning around 550 calories and eating right keeping my calorie intake at 1200. I measured & weighed in today and only lost 1 pound and only 1/4 inch on my hips. I feel very defeated and am unsure of what I need to do to see some improvements. Am I not eating enough? Has anyone else had this problem and found a way to overcome it or just have any advice in general? I am desperate for help!

DanaDark

Working out 4-5 times a week for how long?

Has this been over the course of 10 years at working out 4-5 times a week and eating only 1,200?

Is this the first week? Second week?

Are you eating back exercise calories? If so, half or all?

What is your weight loss goal per week? (Should be about 1.0 pounds a week given what you want to lose).

TDEE without exercise? BMR?

heathl39

Maybe you need to eat more? I am being told that I should be eating 1400 a day with the 4 day of exercising I do each week. I was told my calorie intake was too low and my body was storing. Well, I uped my calories and lost 2 pounds that week. We will see if it keeps working. This whole weight loss thing is hard!

Aaron_K123

If you are truly netting only 650 calories per day then no you are not eating enough. That isn't in reference to weightloss that is in reference to health.

Eating only 1200 calories a day with rigorous exercise is NOT eating healthily as you referred to it. Do you honestly feel that is enough to sustain you?

Aaron_K123

Maybe you need to eat more? I am being told that I should be eating 1400 a day with the 4 day of exercising I do each week. I was told my calorie intake was too low and my body was storing. Well, I uped my calories and lost 2 pounds that week. We will see if it keeps working. This whole weight loss thing is hard!

You don't lose fat faster by eating more calories that is totally illogical. Keep in mind that weight isnt necessarily fat and under stress the body retains water.

mlcrec

I have been at it for 5 weeks. When I eat "healthy" I struggle to get to even 1200 calories and to top it off I am a very picky eater so that makes it hard. And yes this is hard! There is such a science to it and I can't figure it out! It is so frustrating when I am working out harder than I ever have and am not getting results.

6yuu

Wow you sound really healthy! Make sure you are getting enough calories in order to have sufficient workout results. I find it so much harder to have an effective workout if I haven't eaten enough that day, especially if a haven't had enough carbs, but maybe that's just me?

jkal1979

I have been at it for 5 weeks. When I eat "healthy" I struggle to get to even 1200 calories and to top it off I am a very picky eater so that makes it hard. And yes this is hard! There is such a science to it and I can't figure it out! It is so frustrating when I am working out harder than I ever have and am not getting results.

Your ticker says you have lost 9 pounds. If that is what you lost in the last five weeks it averages out to 1.8 pounds a week.

If you are struggling to get to 1200 calories try looking for more calorie dense foods that you like. You really need to make sure that if you are using MFP to calculate your calorie goal to net your goal (meaning you need to eat exercise calories back). Make sure that you keep your body properly fueled and get the nutrients that you need to function.

mlcrec

I lost those 9 pounds last year when I was at this. I fell off and am now back at it!

I have been at it for 5 weeks. When I eat "healthy" I struggle to get to even 1200 calories and to top it off I am a very picky eater so that makes it hard. And yes this is hard! There is such a science to it and I can't figure it out! It is so frustrating when I am working out harder than I ever have and am not getting results.

Your ticker says you have lost 9 pounds. If that is what you lost in the last five weeks it averages out to 1.8 pounds a week.

If you are struggling to get to 1200 calories try looking for more calorie dense foods that you like. You really need to make sure that if you are using MFP to calculate your calorie goal to net your goal (meaning you need to eat exercise calories back). Make sure that you keep your body properly fueled and get the nutrients that you need to function.

sodakat

I wonder if you are stressing yourself out over this, trying to exercise to the extreme as well as eating at a deficit. Have you tried just concentrating on weight loss for a bit? Meticulous weighing and logging so you know you are eating at a deficit. A couple weeks of that might give your brain a rest and result in a couple pound loss.

Also, are you sleeping well and relaxed most of the time?

mlcrec

Yes, I get plenty of rest. And the whole calorie deficit thing completely confuses me, I don't understand it at all!

Aaron_K123

I have been at it for 5 weeks. When I eat "healthy" I struggle to get to even 1200 calories and to top it off I am a very picky eater so that makes it hard. And yes this is hard! There is such a science to it and I can't figure it out! It is so frustrating when I am working out harder than I ever have and am not getting results.

By definition eating 1200 calories a day while exercising is unhealthy so no you are not eating "healthy". Eating "healthy" would be getting sufficient nutrition. You aren't eating "healthy" just because you only eat vegetables and whole foods, you eat healthy when you get enough nutrition. If you are struggling to eat 1200 calories I suggest adding more fat to your diet and aiming for something higher.

Aaron_K123

Yes, I get plenty of rest. And the whole calorie deficit thing completely confuses me, I don't understand it at all!

Okay OP. Give me your age, weight and height as well as a description of your activity level and your goal weight and I will attempt to walk you through how much you should likely be eating along with explanations along the way.

sodakat

Yes, I get plenty of rest. And the whole calorie deficit thing completely confuses me, I don't understand it at all!

Eating at a deficit means eating fewer calories that your body burns.

Did you let MFP set a daily calorie goal for you based on your stats and activity level?

Aaron_K123

OP MFP is a calculator, it only knows what you tell it. If you don't know what to tell it because you don't understand calories and how to count and diet appropriately then you are not going to give the calculator the right info and as a result it is going to give you the wrong answer. Don't just trust what MFP tells you to eat, understand all it is doing is outputing based on what you input...there is no brain there.

sargessexyone

Why are you upset at having lost 1 lb? 1-2 lbs per week is a perfectly acceptable amount of loss, especially since you don't have a huge amount to lose.

l_clc

I agree with aaron...you need to fuel better and eat your exercise calories. Someone else mentioned eating more calorie dense foods which would help if you have trouble eating 1200 cals or more.

That said, it's only been 5 weeks. Keep working hard, I'm not sure if the 1 pound loss was a one week thing or the 5 week mark. If it was the one week mark, that's a good weekly loss- one you should be proud of! Good luck hun!

mlcrec

I am 39, I currently weigh 158 and am 5'5". I am fairly active and my workouts are very intense with a burn of about 550 calories. My goal weight would be between 125-130.

mlcrec

That was 1 pound in 5 weeks! It is so confusing because some people say eat back exercise calories and some say don't...

Aaron_K123

I am 39, I currently weigh 158 and am 5'5". I am fairly active and my workouts are very intense with a burn of about 550 calories. My goal weight would be between 125-130.

Alright lets get started then. I'm going to walk you through what I am doing and explain each step.

First I am going to go to two different online calculators that are used to predict the number of calories at which you would maintain your weight. This number is refered to as your TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expentiture. If you ate your TDEE in calories every day you would neither lose nor gain weight because you are eating exactly the number of calories that your body burns from being alive, your daily activity and your exercise.

TDEE is broken into three components:

BMR or basal metabolic rate: This is the number of calories your body burns just being alive. It is your heartbeat, your brain function, your body temperature and your organ function. If you were in a coma this would be your total burn.

NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis: This is the burn from your normal daily activity plus your BMR. It takes into account things like standing up, sitting in a chair, typing on your keyboard, walking to the bathroom etc. All activity that is not intentional exercise. If you are sedentary your just normal activity usually adds about 300 caloires on top of your BMR

Finally your exercise burn, this is the calories you burn doing intentional exercise. This plus your NEAT is your TDEE.

So lets figure out your TDEE.

First with this calculator:

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

I am putting that you exercise 5-6 hours a week strenuous exercise and your goal is to lose fat at a 20% deficit which is about as fast as possible while still being healthy.

The result is your TDEE is 2400 calories a day and you would want to eat 1900 calories per day to lose weight.

Now this calculator for a second opinion:

http://exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

Here I put in that you did 12 hours a day rest, 11 hours light activity and 1 hour heavy activity.

The calcluated TDEE is again 2200 which means again for 1 pound lost per week you would want to eat 1700 calories a day.



So yeah, you want to eat 1700-1900 calories a day roughly.

Aaron_K123

That was 1 pound in 5 weeks! It is so confusing because some people say eat back exercise calories and some say don't...

You should eat back your exercise calories always. The confusion comes from calculation method. Some people eat a percentage less than there TDEE and their TDEE takes into account their exercise already. Other people eat at a deficit from their sedentary non-exercise maintenance and then "eat back" any calories they burn from exercise.

Either approach ends up giving the same answer.

Aaron_K123

To sum up from before.

Your BMR is about 1500-1600

Your NEAT is probably about 1900

With your 550 calorie daily burn your TDEE is around 2400.

A 500 calorie deficit would give you 1 pound per week weight loss. To hit this deficit you would eat 1,900 calories per day.

This is assuming you burn 550 calories every single day.

Alternatively you could take your NEAT of 1900, subtract 500 to get 1400 for your 1 pound loss per week without exercise and just eat back the calories you burn anytime you exercise.

mlcrec

I really appreciate you taking the time to break that down for me. That seems like a lot of calories to me!

Aaron_K123

I really appreciate you taking the time to break that down for me. That seems like a lot of calories to me!

It only seems that way because when you were putting on that fat you weren't paying attention to how many calories you were eating ;-)

I also am arriving at that number assuming you are correct that you are burining around 550 calories and/or are doing 5-6 hours per week of very strenuous exercise. The kind where you couldn't talk while doing it.

Either way 1200 is way WAY to low for you. If you eat that little here is what will happen:

Your bodies stress response and the activity level you are maintaining will cause your body to retain water which will mask the fat loss (since water weighs quite a lot). From your exercise you will be damaging your muscle in a way that your caloric intake will not be able to repair and you will end up losing muscle over time. You will lose weight, but you will not be fit.

If you up your calories to about 1900 the stress on your body will be less, the water retention will subside in time as you get used to your exercise, you will have enough fuel to repair your muscle and build strength (not muscle mass, but strength) and you will lose fat and ONLY fat at about 1 pound per week.

If 1900 scares you then eat 1700 for a while to try it out, that is probably enough to feel the difference and see the results...then you can bump it to 1900 when you are ready or if you feel its needed.

nofoodforthemood

Since you are so active bump it up to 1500 calories...with a couple pieces of fruit or something healthy. Your metabolism might need to realign.

DanaDark

Also remember to weigh your foods with a food scale. There is a huge different between weight and volume. I have yet to see a serving size in volume match the weight. In some cases, going by volume is 50% more calories than by weight.

Additionally, be cautious with estimated calories burned too. Many calculators over estimate.

lcmamom

I am seeing a nutritionist to help me kick start. She has really stressed eating more protein. Just an idea, good luck and keep working at it!

Aaron_K123

Keep in mind everything I am telling you assumes that your calorie logging and exercise burn logging are accurate. Consistency is key here.

Just for comparison I recently changed my exercise routine to be also about 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise a week and I eat about 2300 calories per day to lose 1.4 pounds per week.

Aaron_K123

Whoops, made one mistake on one of the calculators and said you were male instead of female. Fixed it and it suggested 1500 as your BMR and 2200 as your TDEE which would mean eating 1700 calories for a 1 pound a week loss.

Anyways, long story short...eat more, its good for you.

SLLRunner

I have been working out 4-5 times a week with intense workouts (a mix of exercises & weight training, with a trainer) burning around 550 calories and eating right keeping my calorie intake at 1200. I measured & weighed in today and only lost 1 pound and only 1/4 inch on my hips. I feel very defeated and am unsure of what I need to do to see some improvements. Am I not eating enough? Has anyone else had this problem and found a way to overcome it or just have any advice in general? I am desperate for help!

Are you wiling to open your diary so we can give more concrete advice?

1 pounds and 1/4 inch losses are great in my book. Slower the better.

Llamapants86

I just wanted to add that the first couple of days after increasing calories, you will probably gain some water weight. Your glycogen (sp?) will replenish a bit and with that comes quite a bit of water. So don't panic if you see a bit of a step change in the first little while.