Not losing weight :-(

becca216

I have been eating healthy and working out since the beginning of February and have only lost 4 lbs since then. I have been tracking all my calories and try to stay around 1200 per day. For the past week or so I have kicked up my workouts hoping that I would start losing weight. I now go to the gym around 2-3 hours a day about 5 times a week and usually burn about 1200 calories. I don't know what I am doing wrong and its very discouraging. I am getting married in May and would love to lose weight by then. I hope someone can help.

thektturner

The safest recommended rate to lose is 1 pound/week. So, it seems like you are losing that. If you're eating 1200 calories and also burning 1200 calories, then your net calories are ZERO. That's not good. Your metabolism may have slowed because it thinks you are starving in some wilderness and it doesn't know when it is going to get food again, so it's probably holding onto every blasted calorie it can. My suggestion would be to eat MORE. Don't go crazy and make it healthy calories, but more of them.

Also, make sure you get enough sleep, drink enough water and get enough protein and fiber.

semor1

I agree. Not eating enough of the right foods -- proteins for example-- will keep u from lo.sing weight

SuperStorm

You HAVE to eat what's right for YOU!
Check this out:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Please note that this formula applies only to adults.

More: Calculating BMR

Calculate Activity

Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent
Add this number to your BMR.

The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

Create a Calorie Deficit

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time. Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound.
So, if you cut back 500 calories a day, you should lose about one pound per week. That said, If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you should lose approximately one pound per week. Do both, and ... you get the picture. Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (such as cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

Your weight loss will vary from week to week and at times you may even gain a little weight -- if you're working out you could be developing muscle, which weighs more than fat.

The long-term results are what matters.
http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm

gp79

As someone else has mentioned, 1lb per week weight loss is the recommended weight loss..coming out to 4.33lbs per month. In comparison, the members of the Armed Forces who are determined to be overweight are put on a 3lb per month weight loss. You've got to remember that the excess weight you carry did not take 4 months to put on and should not be a race to take off. It's better to make slow and steady progress that you can sustain, essentially after your goal has been met.

I can only speak for myself, but I set up my MFP a 1.5lb weight loss, sedentary lifestyle, and I eat back my calories from exercise. I've been steadily losing 1.5lbs per week, sometimes slightly more or less.

Eat nutritious meals throughout the day, keep on track with MFP, drink some water and exercise and you will lose weight. Just keep it at it.

stella77

I know that this is not a popular belief, but I think that doing too much exercise at once (i.e. going from 0 to too much) actually slows your weight loss right down.
I once had a fitness trainer who told my overweight friend that she needs to do about 30 mins of cardio 3 x a week but concentrate on losing weight first before she starts with "serious" workouts. So she went on a diet and did some cardio (on and off) and actually lost weight quickly.

I followed that advice when I started my weight loss program - only did 30 mins of fast walking (I did it daily) and that was it, but I stuck to 1220kcal most days (I had my goal set on losing 1.5. pounds a week, now I upped that to 1 pound a week, because it is hard sustaining 1220kcal diet for longer periods of time)

Good luck.

northernpie

G'day Becca,

You needn't worry....with dedication like that you will be losing all the weight you want in not time....just keep going!

Cheers

mamawildbear

Try something other than the scale to track your progress. With all that gym work, you're probably reshaping your body composition and that may take a while to show on the scale, discouraging you. Of course, even with measurements, it could take 6 weeks to see a noticeable difference and it sounds like you're already having trouble with patience with regard to weight loss. It's hard to realize that this is a long term process. Like others, I think your weight loss rate sounds pretty good. 4 lbs in one month is a very decent rate. You might need to adjust your expectations.

SNorrisii

You need to keep you Net calories at 1200 or above or your body will be in starve mode

KellyBurton1

Great advise here, it pays to eat more, sounds strange but true. Hang in there.