Calorie defect not working!! Help!!

Branstin

What do you think your calorie deficit was during that month ?

4 pounds in a month is about 1 pound a week which was caused by having a 500 calorie a day deficit .

^This.....one pound a week is better than the quick fix

Exactly!

How much did you expect to lose in a month? Four pounds is a fine amount and no don't lower your calories. In fact, you should be eating more food. The key isn't just to lose weight. You have to meet your macros to provide your body with the required level of nutrients and have enough energy to properly fuel your workout. This is hard to do for many people on 1200 calories.

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

RHachicho

Nothing is wrong. You are already pretty light. At your weight your body doesn't want to lose fat if you lose any faster your body will simply take muscle and bone mass instead. What you are doing is just fine. It just takes time to lose those last vanity pounds if that's what u wanna do. Also those lbs will fly right back on in a split heartbeat if you let them. Sorry but peoples desire to be thin has simply gotten beyond the body's natural healthy set point. Please understand that though I'm not judging you at all what you want .. is to be underweight. And to get there is going to require fighting against your body's natural inclination a fat guy like me can just hit a deficit and watch the lbs slide off and even gain some muscle in the process. But somebody already slim like you is gonna struggle to lose.

DamePiglet

Thank u so much to everyone who helped.. It has kept me encouraged and I just need to be more patient.. Thank you guys

Excellent!!! Keep up the good work!

MityMax96

My TDEE is 1570

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

Dont go lower! 1200 calories may be too low nevermind under that. Use the link above to caluclate TDEE and minus 15-20%.Much more sensible than starving yourself:) (The TDEE calculator tells us how many calories we should consume to accomplish our goals in an effective and efficient manor while preserving muscle. In other words, the TDEE calculator allows us to get the best results, in the least amount of time, safely)


Im 147, 5ft 5, workout 5-6 times a week and my daioly calorie intake aims to be around 1775 calories a day.

try doing 1300 cals

Akimajuktuq

What the "it's only calories in and calories out" crowd ignore/dismiss/ridicule is that there is more going on in the human body than JUST calories in and out. We have hormones that regulate metabolism. Metabolism is affected by so many things: how much food, quality of food, lean body mass, excess fat, sunlight, sleep; so many factors that we don't even know/understand them all (yup, "science" has barely scraped the surface of our physiology). Additionally all the fancy TDEE calculations cannot ever be completely accurate for every single person. Seriously, think about it.

I have been eating under my supposed TDEE for 8 months and not only have I not lost, I have gained. Why? Because under-eating for one and a half years trying to maximize weight loss was a complete FAIL. I lost muscle and I slowed my metabolic rate. Now the only answer (which would be the most common here) is to starve myself even more just like you are thinking you should do (please don't). OR, the real solution according to my research, address my metabolism which means being more active (and eating more) and building muscle (and eating more). And patience, grasshopper.

I can't tell you how enraged it makes me to see the continual comments that one MUST be eating more than they are logging, not weighing their food, etc. What a load of BS. Obesity is a fairly recent epidemic and we only started obsessing about calories since the 1970s. Obviously all the calorie obsession is NOT helping. Why were people NOT prone to obesity historically when they were completely unable to calculate every friggin calorie consumed? A question to ponder.

PS. OP is losing a pound per week?! That's pretty darn rapid for so little left to lose. And obviously the calorie deficit IS working well, until it doesn't. (Do people expect to lose 5 pounds a day? ffs :noway: )

MityMax96

What the "it's only calories in and calories out" crowd ignore/dismiss/ridicule is that there is more going on in the human body than JUST calories in and out. We have hormones that regulate metabolism. Metabolism is affected by so many things: how much food, quality of food, lean body mass, excess fat, sunlight, sleep; so many factors that we don't even know/understand them all (yup, "science" has barely scraped the surface of our physiology). Additionally all the fancy TDEE calculations cannot ever be completely accurate for every single person. Seriously, think about it.

I have been eating under my supposed TDEE for 8 months and not only have I not lost, I have gained. Why? Because under-eating for one and a half years trying to maximize weight loss was a complete FAIL. I lost muscle and I slowed my metabolic rate. Now the only answer (which would be the most common here) is to starve myself even more just like you are thinking you should do (please don't). OR, the real solution according to my research, address my metabolism which means being more active (and eating more) and building muscle (and eating more). And patience, grasshopper.

I can't tell you how enraged it makes me to see the continual comments that one MUST be eating more than they are logging, not weighing their food, etc. What a load of BS. Obesity is a fairly recent epidemic and we only started obsessing about calories since the 1970s. Obviously all the calorie obsession is NOT helping. Why were people NOT prone to obesity historically when they were completely unable to calculate every friggin calorie consumed? A question to ponder.

PS. OP is losing a pound per week?! That's pretty darn rapid for so little left to lose. And obviously the calorie deficit IS working well, until it doesn't. (Do people expect to lose 5 pounds a day? ffs :noway: )

You do realize that TDEE calculations are ball park numbers??
And it is incumbent on the individual to track progress and tweak things where needed.

But you are not some special snowflake.
If you are below your caloric needs, over a long enough time, you will lose weight.

I mean, have you seen those kids Sally Struthers wants you to send money to feed???

7elizamae

Thank u so much to everyone who helped.. It has kept me encouraged and I just need to be more patient.. Thank you guys

I remember when I was in labor with my first baby and I said to the nurse, "I can't do this!" She said, "yes you can, you already ARE doing this!"

So, the same to you. You already ARE doing this, and it's working. I think you're off to a great start!

eric_sg61

What the "it's only calories in and calories out" crowd ignore/dismiss/ridicule is that there is more going on in the human body than JUST calories in and out. We have hormones that regulate metabolism. Metabolism is affected by so many things: how much food, quality of food, lean body mass, excess fat, sunlight, sleep; so many factors that we don't even know/understand them all (yup, "science" has barely scraped the surface of our physiology). Additionally all the fancy TDEE calculations cannot ever be completely accurate for every single person. Seriously, think about it.

I have been eating under my supposed TDEE for 8 months and not only have I not lost, I have gained. Why? Because under-eating for one and a half years trying to maximize weight loss was a complete FAIL. I lost muscle and I slowed my metabolic rate. Now the only answer (which would be the most common here) is to starve myself even more just like you are thinking you should do (please don't). OR, the real solution according to my research, address my metabolism which means being more active (and eating more) and building muscle (and eating more). And patience, grasshopper.

I can't tell you how enraged it makes me to see the continual comments that one MUST be eating more than they are logging, not weighing their food, etc. What a load of BS. Obesity is a fairly recent epidemic and we only started obsessing about calories since the 1970s. Obviously all the calorie obsession is NOT helping. Why were people NOT prone to obesity historically when they were completely unable to calculate every friggin calorie consumed? A question to ponder.

PS. OP is losing a pound per week?! That's pretty darn rapid for so little left to lose. And obviously the calorie deficit IS working well, until it doesn't. (Do people expect to lose 5 pounds a day? ffs :noway: )

Present one study that shows that eating LESS than you burn results in weight gain.
Present one study that shows that eating MORE than you burn results in weigh loss.
Start here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
Good luck!

emdeesea

Hey guys I seriously need ur help

Iv cleaned out my diet for the most part, I eat mainly salads for dinner n have soup for lunch and cereal for breakfast and it's all under 1200 calories but I'm not losing weight.. I'm 5ft 3 and currently weight 166.. My goal is 145 and iv been doing this for over a month and lost only 4 lbs in total.. Plus I go to the gym 3 times a week.. I'm considering lowering it to 900-1000 calories a day.. That might help..

Any suggestions???

Okay for one thing, you lost four pounds in a month. That's one pound a week. That's about where you should be.

Also, with your stats, I got your TDEE as 2439 and a recommended calorie intake of 1951 per day. Your BMR is 1573.

Lowering your calories is like the worst thing you could do.

cwolfman13

Hey guys I seriously need ur help

Iv cleaned out my diet for the most part, I eat mainly salads for dinner n have soup for lunch and cereal for breakfast and it's all under 1200 calories but I'm not losing weight.. I'm 5ft 3 and currently weight 166.. My goal is 145 and iv been doing this for over a month and lost only 4 lbs in total.. Plus I go to the gym 3 times a week.. I'm considering lowering it to 900-1000 calories a day.. That might help..

Any suggestions???

Ummmm....you're losing roughly 1 Lb per week. That's good...I think you need to re-evaluate your expectations. You don't have **** tons of weight to lose...it's not going to fall off of you like it would an obese individual.

Your expectations are out of whack.

Camo_xxx

What the "it's only calories in and calories out" crowd ignore/dismiss/ridicule is that there is more going on in the human body than JUST calories in and out.

online TDEE calculators are a average and meant as a suggested starting point for you to use to figure out your own personal TDEE without having a full medical work up done. It is accurate enough for most people but some folks will need to spend some time refining their number to account for any differences. Here is a simple self administered TDEE refinement method.


* copy paste from www.acaloriecounter.com
The only way to truly find your EXACT calorie maintenance level is by doing a simple common sense experiment…

Basically, eat the same amount of calories each day for a couple of weeks and monitor what your weight does.
If it stays the same, you’ve found your exact maintenance level.
If it goes up or down, then just adjust your calorie intake in small increments, wait another couple of weeks, and see what your weight does then.
When it stays the same, you’ll know for sure that you’ve found your exact daily calorie maintenance level.

h7463

'Worst case scenario' by considering that you have a desk job and don't move much, your lowest TDEE is more likely around 1800 calories.

My TDEE is 1570

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

Dont go lower! 1200 calories may be too low nevermind under that. Use the link above to caluclate TDEE and minus 15-20%.Much more sensible than starving yourself:) (The TDEE calculator tells us how many calories we should consume to accomplish our goals in an effective and efficient manor while preserving muscle. In other words, the TDEE calculator allows us to get the best results, in the least amount of time, safely)


Im 147, 5ft 5, workout 5-6 times a week and my daioly calorie intake aims to be around 1775 calories a day.

cwolfman13

I have been eating under my supposed TDEE for 8 months and not only have I not lost, I have gained. Why?

Easy...because you've overestimated your supposed TDEE and failed to make actual real world adjustments....

You do realize that nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories right? Like...these numbers are just reasonable starting points...you still actually have to make decisions and **** and adjust for real world results.

maidentl

Please understand that though I'm not judging you at all what you want .. is to be underweight.

Um, 145 at 5'3" is not underweight.

michelleepotter

OP, I just reached my goal weight on Monday. I was just playing around with some numbers, looking at my reports, and literally right before looking at this thread I noticed that I lost exactly 4 pounds in the past month. Same as you -- but for me they just happened to be the last 4 pounds.

You are losing weight; it's just a slow process. Don't give up, and don't starve yourself. You can do this!

caracrawford1

Why oh why do people think that they must starve themselves?
Firstly, are you sure you are even at a calorie deficit? Lets start there. Do you weigh all your food?

MKEgal

Michelle said:

I just reached my goal weight on Monday.

YIPPEE!!!!
:flowerforyou: :drinker:

MKEgal

congrats on the doing it correct. Now learn to be patient and realize you didn't become fat overnight and you are not going to get skinny overnight either

This.

Iv (sic) cleaned out my diet for the most part

Which means what? You only eat nutrient-dense foods? You avoid foods with little nutritional value? You avoid processed foods? You're eating vegetarian? You're avoiding fats, carbs, what?

I eat mainly salads for dinner n have soup for lunch and cereal for breakfast and it's all under 1200 calories but I'm not losing weight

If you're not losing weight, you're eating more calories than your body needs. It doesn't matter why. This is the only reason people gain weight.
Unless you're weighing & measuring your food, you're probably eating more calories than you think you are. That's the most common reason for overeating, and the easiest to solve.
Eat normal healthy foods, whatever foods you want to eat, a wide variety of foods, just smaller portions.
That way you're more likely to get the nutrition you need.

Start here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

I'm considering lowering it to 900-1000 calories a day.

Don't do it unless you're supervised by a doctor.
In fact, just don't do it. You're already losing at a healthy rate, and could even increase calories a bit.

I'm 5ft 3 and currently weight (sic) 166. My goal is 145 and iv (sic) been doing this for over a month and lost only 4 lbs in total

At 5'3", a healthy weight range is 105 - 135, so 145 is a good intermediate goal.
Here's a BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
You only have 30 lb to lose, so losing 1 lb per week is pretty good. As you get closer to your goal, that will slow to 0.5 lb per week, maybe less. That's normal.

What my doctor & nutritionist told me to do is eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories. (Total calories, not net. Ignore net. Exercise is a bonus toward weight loss. Most people overestimate calorie burn and underestimate food eaten. Machines, including MFP, aren't very accurate either.)
So you should aim for 1350 to start. 1200 would be OK, because 120 is in a healthy weight range for your height.

Eat at a deficit of TDEE and NOT under BMR (basically the cals it would take to sustain you if you only laid in bed all day). Doing ALL that exercise and eating so little will just destroy the crap out of your metabolism.

:grumble:
MFP's BMR calculator tells me mine is 1735. (Scooby says 1737, with a TDEE of 2616 - 3000, depending on which of their calculators I use.)
My calorie goal is 1650, and I'm often under that, though not substantially. (Usually aim to be between 1600 - 1650.)
I have been eating under my BMR for months, plus exercising nearly every day, usually to the tune of 400-700 cal (depending on whether you believe the gym machines or MFP).
My weight-loss doctor (an endocrinologist) is quite pleased with my progress, says my health is fine.

It estimates hers at 1442 at 166 lb; at 135 it would be 1301.
So again, eating at 1300 cal per day should be fine.

though I'm not judging you at all what you want .. is to be underweight

No, she wants to be slightly overweight (if she stops at 145 lb).

stacyjh1979

I agree with most of the other posters. 1200 is the lowest you should go just to stay alive! Your body NEEDS calories just to function, and if you go below 1200, you'll starve it. That can cause all kinds of horrible things (including death, obviously.)

Give that calculator a try and follow some of the advice already given. Up your calories, weigh your food, work out a reasonable amount each week. Seriously, a pound a week is GOOD, healthy weight loss.

Something I've had to remind myself over and over is that I didn't get fat in a single month, I'm can't expect to lose the weight in a single month.

It'll be a daily thing for you, a daily re-thinking of how you're eating, how you're moving, how you're living. It;s not about speed, it's about changing your bad habits into good ones. You can do this!

For the record, and so you know I'm not just talking out my rear-end: I started at 177 (I'm 5' 4") and staying under 1200 calories, my weight loss was painfully slow. I upped my intake to 1400 (2400 on workout days) and I've lost 17 pounds in 5 months. The only change was eating more--I work out the same amount as I always have!

This is very encouraging to me. I'm only 5'2.5" and I've been losing painfully slow as well (I just used that exact phrase to my husband yesterday) at 1200 cal and I just decided yesterday to increase to 1400. I hope it helps me as it did for you!

LisaGirlfriend

Trust me... and I'm sure it's been said over and over again above, but EAT MORE!! I screwed up my metabolism eating 1200 calories a day for too long. I follow the TDEE method too and currently have my goal set at 1630 and I'm 5'3! I eat usually up to that every day and workout hard. I'm losing regularly. I may even add another 100 calories because I'm lifing heavy right now. Your body will thank you believe me. And also focus on getting 30 percent of your nutrients from lean proteins. Use the pie chart each day to see if you can hit the 30 percent. Everything else will fall into place. Good luck. Friend me if you like.