Not losing target!

WayFonda

My daily calorie goal is 1200...I burn at least 600 & at most 1000 calories 5 days/wk using a heart rate monitor with chest strap at the gym. I'm also doing weight watchers. For the past month, my weight has either stayed the same, gone up at most 2, or will go down 1. I don't get the calorie in, calorie deficit stuff. And I'm not consistently losing weight.....HELP!!! I've lost 24 since Jan 2nd; but I don't lose my goal each week. I eat pretty well & at least 5x's a day. My diary is open so I have nothing to hide. I just don't get it!!

concordancia

Actually, your diary is not open.

sarah44254

your diary is not public, it might be open to friends (which I am not, so I can't see it)

In any case, if you are eating 1200, are you eating the calories earned from your intense exercises? You should really try that. The calorie in vs out idea goes like this: eat less than you use

Your body uses calories just to keep you alive, this is probably around 1700 or 1900 calories. If you use calories to exercise, then you need to eat and refuel to that point. Your body gets afraid it is hard to live if it is trying to run with a large number less than it needs.

It's hard for me to explain, but really an easy concept. Your body needs (let's say) 1900. You eat 1900. You feel good, so you go out and exercise and burn 600 calories. This 600 makes your body hungry again, really feeling like you have only 1300 to work with when the body needs 1900 to be happy. This is why many of us here say to 'eat the exercise calories'. Eating the 600 you 'earn' during exercise will put the body back at it's happy point.

1200 is less than 1900, which is where the weight loss comes in. If you ate at the happy point each day, you would maintain your weight. To lose weight, eat less (in your example, 1200). The same situation applies where if you burn 600, you are really only working on a 600 calorie day, so you need to eat what you 'earned' while working out to keep your body satisfied.

In short: Try eating more.

WayFonda

Thanks Sarah! Best explanation I've had!! I've read many posts & I just needed it broken down to it's simplest form...thanks! And I guess it is open to only my friends...sorry...it's been some time since I joined.