I don't understand... (BMR, exercise, no loss)

megz4987

Since I had my daughter on March 4 I've been steadily losing weight (43lb) now it stopped... I'm not gaining and I'm not losing.
Now, I don't always record my exercise because I don't want to look at how many calories I have left and not realize it's added calories back in from exercising and eat them... so anyway...

I don't understand how my BMR is 1901.8 and I'm not losing just from that alone concidering I'm eating 1200cal or less. Then add in exercise and I'm still not losing??

So what am I missing?? Have I just hit a plateau?

rhiannon1979

It seems that you are probably running at too much of a deficit.

BflSaberfan

bump your calories to 1500 for 3 weeks and see what happens.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

Agreed.

It seems that you are probably running at too much of a deficit.

ladybug1620

eat....your....exercise...calories.

helenium

I used to eat 600 - 700 calories a day and exercised on top of that. One would think at first glance that I would lose sharply. But I plateaued and my mood was MISERABLE.

Then I started eating 1200 calories AND whatever I exercised. I've lost 8 pounds since then (2 weeks ago or so).

Try eating more. 1200 calories + whatever you burn from exercise. It adds back your exercise calories for a reason. In my case it made me shed weight.

Try it for a month and see what happens. If it doesn't work, try something else - but a month is nothing in the grand scheme of things and you'll STILL have a deficit and you'll STILL be eating healthily. It might be difficult to comprehend the idea of eating more to begin with, but you'll adjust.

AdamATGATT

It seems that you are probably running at too much of a deficit.

This.

Up your calories for a few days and see what happens. Play around with it. I've hit many a plateau since November, and I don't keep doing the same thing as I was doing for the weeks before I hit the plateau. Change it up. What works one month may not work every month. Keep your body guessing.

ChitownFoodie

Youve got to eat more.

McPenguin

You are eating SO little, and then losing more calories with exercise - your body is rebelling and saying "Hell, if you're going to starve me, I am not going to give up any fat." And it's sticking it's tongue out at you.

You MUST fuel your body while you work out. It's the only way to change that.

It sounds backwards, but it really does work. Try it for 3 weeks, see if you start losing again. It takes a bit for your body to realize you are no longer starving it.

If you don't want to eat ALL your exercise calories - you should at LEAST eat enough of them so that the net calories you eat is 1200.

megz4987

I'm going to try what you all suggested but I'm curious.... I dont understand why you should eat your exercise calories back, I feel like its defeating the purpose of burning them....

afleming22710

From what others have told me, eating your exercise calories or some of them back is important.

If you are eating 1200, but you burn let's say, 400. 1200-400=800 calories. So technically you're body is only getting 800 calories and is going into starvation mode. When your body goes into starvation mode, it begins to hold onto any extra fat you may have.

At least that's the way I understood it.

fcrisswell

Because MFP is already set up to give you the calorie deficit to lose weight BEFORE you exercise. So when you exercise you make the deficit even bigger....which sounds like a good thing BUT...your body will think it is not getting enough for the day to day activities and will then hold on to it's stores, thus, you lose very little to no weight. If you add in your exercise calories you need to eat more (personally I would not eat all my exercse calories because a lot of calorie burn estimates in my opinion are over estimated). Try it....your body will realize it is getting what it needs and should start letting go again.

megz4987

Alright... makes sense, I guess. I'll give it a go

fcrisswell

This might help you out too...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

megz4987

Thank You!

AdamATGATT

I'm going to try what you all suggested but I'm curious.... I dont understand why you should eat your exercise calories back, I feel like its defeating the purpose of burning them....

Because exercise is not just to burn calories. It's to increase your metabolism, improve endurance and lung capacity, etc. There are many more important benefits to exercise than burning as many calories as possible.