Can someone help me please?

jhoffman27

I have a daily calorie intake of 1,200 calories I am 5'4" and 150 lbs. with a goal weight of 125lbs. I do cardio and strength training. But I have hit a plateau I started out at 160 lbs. and I've stopped losing and I know I need to up my calories and lower my calorie deficit but I'm not sure how many calories I should have. I'm sedentary if that helps. I know MFP can calculate how many calories I need but I am looking for input from others.
Thanks,
Jenn :happy:

chevy88grl

I'm 5'4" and was at a 150lb plateau for months. I recently upp'ed my calories and have dropped 4lbs in a week. I'm now holding steady at 146lbs and am trying to figure out what to do to drop 1 more pound. If I could just ditch that pound, I'd be happy. lol. So, I am going to try a bit of my own kind of calorie zig zagging.

parvati

I looked at your diary & you have not hit a plateau! You are not eating clean & healthy.... Cheesies 3 days in a row is one of the things that i noticed, over in you fat & sugar almost every single day. These are the reasons that you are not losing weight.

A plateau is when you are working out steady & eating properly & for no àpparent`reason come to a stand still on the scale...usually it means it is time to change up your workout routine.

You need to keep on doing your cardio & weight training but also focus on eating `clean` foods...
If you don`t understand this or need help with it, pm me & i will help you.

iamMaLisa

Hello, i am 5'4" and currently 163 pounds, i have never been able to loose weight at 1200 calories. I finally gave up after failing at several attempts over a few years and went to a Doctor to see what the heck was wrong with me. He first made me keep a journal and did alot of test for any medical issues. Well i had none, so he dropped my calories down to 1100 from 1200 and i only lost ounces, so he dropped me down to 1000 and ive been loosing about 1 to 2 a week and thats with working out alternating 20 min fat burn exercise every other day and doing the couch to 5k on the other days. I then did a bad thing cause i didnt think i was loosing fast enough so i took my calories down to 900 and i lost about 4 pounds a week, i keep that up for about 3 weeks, then i all at once i started loosing nothing, nothing i did made me loose weight. Dr said i was in starvation mode and so i am back to the 1000 calories and eating something small every two hours, to get myself out of this problem i caused. that took about three weeks, and i am now loosing about a pound a week sometimes two but its rare. So i understand the frustration. So by all means dont do what i did and starv yourself !!!

parvati

Hello, i am 5'4" and currently 163 pounds, i have never been able to loose weight at 1200 calories. I finally gave up after failing at several attempts over a few years and went to a Doctor to see what the heck was wrong with me. He first made me keep a journal and did alot of test for any medical issues. Well i had none, so he dropped my calories down to 1100 from 1200 and i only lost ounces, so he dropped me down to 1000 and ive been loosing about 1 to 2 a week and thats with working out alternating 20 min fat burn exercise every other day and doing the couch to 5k on the other days. I then did a bad thing cause i didnt think i was loosing fast enough so i took my calories down to 900 and i lost about 4 pounds a week, i keep that up for about 3 weeks, then i all at once i started loosing nothing, nothing i did made me loose weight. Dr said i was in starvation mode and so i am back to the 1000 calories and eating something small every two hours, to get myself out of this problem i caused. that took about three weeks, and i am now loosing about a pound a week sometimes two but its rare. So i understand the frustration. So by all means dont do what i did and starv yourself !!!

1000 calories a day is not enough for anyone!! I really hope that the young girl asking for advise does not misinterperet this to mean she should lower her calories!!!!

In your case i would also suggest that you up your calories to at least 1200 daily... & also up your exercise!! Only doing 20 minutes a day of exercise is most likely why you were not losing weight...on top of the damage that you`ve done to your metabolism by barely eating enough calories. Because of this, it will take a while to see results because your body is in survival mode & does not understand why you are doing the things that you are doing.
Instead of seeing a doctor who recomends a 1000 calorie a day diet...talk to a dietictian or nutritionalist & perhaps a personal trainer to get your diet & exercise on the right track. Good luck!

l3ugjuice

For me, in my experience, plateaus will pass. Just keep at it, make sure you drink enough water and make sure your sodium isnt jacked up sky high so that you arent just retaining water...which, frankly, is where most plateaus come from I think.

iamMaLisa

That would be why i said to not starve herself like i did, and even though a 1000 calories isnt enough for everyone. its the only thing that is working for me. I alternate that 20 min work out with the couch to 5K, so i jog every other day and exercise the other days. So i work out eveyday, that amount of time is all that i have to work with and as it is i am doing it at night when my son is in bed asleep and my husband is home from work.

parvati

That would be why i said to not starve herself like i did, and even though a 1000 calories isnt enough for everyone. its the only thing that is working for me. I alternate that 20 min work out with the couch to 5K, so i jog every other day and exercise the other days. So i work out eveyday, that amount of time is all that i have to work with and as it is i am doing it at night when my son is in bed asleep and my husband is home from work.

1000 calories a day is still starving yourself!! You absolutely cannot get enough nutrients to feed your body & your brain on 1000 calories.

I understand that you say that this is the only thing that works for you however, i did suggest what actually will work for & allow you to be healthy at the same time. I`m not trying to be harsh with you, i`m just stating a fact. You say that you don`t have time to get more than 20 mins a day in but how long have you spent on the computer today, once again not trying to be harsh, but you have to be accountable for what is actually going on in your body.
If you want to workout, you will make the time! I have 3 young children & a husband who works out of town often. I as well have to make time...as do many other people on here. The solution for not having time or not making time is not to starve yourself....that is just not the answer!

bitterbb

I think she said she was under a Dr.s care. Seriously, 1200 is a guidline. It is a nice round number that is a good one for most but certainly not all.

kdao

I took a quick glance at your foods, try tracking your sodium and drink more water. I hope this passes for you soon. And I agree with a previous poster. Just because something is good for many, doesn't mean it's good for all. Lots of luck, you can do it!

kdao

That would be why i said to not starve herself like i did, and even though a 1000 calories isnt enough for everyone. its the only thing that is working for me. I alternate that 20 min work out with the couch to 5K, so i jog every other day and exercise the other days. So i work out eveyday, that amount of time is all that i have to work with and as it is i am doing it at night when my son is in bed asleep and my husband is home from work.

Keep up the good work, you are doing what works for YOU!

parvati

Yes, you are right she did say that she went to a doctor to get help with losing weight...and that she was tested, with no medical issues. You are also correct that 1200 cals a day is not for everyone, it is actually quite low for many people.

You most definietley do not have to agree with me, however i do see a problem with giving advise to a young impressionable girl that being on a 1000 calorie a day diet `worked for her`. I was a young girl with eating dissorders & implying that being on an extremely low calorie diet may work is completely upsetting to me!

I am a personal trainer, with a background in nutrition. I know what works & what doesn`t... Starving yourself does not work...i know that not only from experience but from learning the science behind it.

ecreigh2

I'm 5'5" and started at 160lbs with the goal to go to 135lbs. I'm almost there. I started at 1650 NET but have gradually bumped it up to 1860 NET as I get closer. I never hit a platue. I think you should gradually increase your calories 100 a day every month and see how it affects you. If you gain after 1 month drop it back down. Everyone's BMR is different.

kdao

All she did was share what worked for her and clearly stated that it was done under doctors care.....she is allowed to share her experience here just like everyone else is. No need to call her out because the subject was touchy for you because of your past issues.

iamMaLisa

The Doctor is see is a weight doctor and i see him several times a month, with a very close look at what i eat. I know i am still eating processed foods, and not all natural foods, i drink alittle over 3 litters of water a day. I am tied to my computer at work for tw hours a day answering overseas emails, and well sometimes like today i dont have any to answer. I work in the shipping and receiving department at my job and i move 30lb boxes all day long, pushing, pulling and moving. I get alot of exercise here at my work with the exception of the two hours of emails i have to deal with conserning customs paperwork. I understand you are upset i was just simply giving a bad example of what not to do. I have been over weight since 1991, i have joined gyms, had a personal trainer that all but called me a liar, saying that i must be sneaking food or lying about what i ate. I was completely humiliated, the funny thing is i have been on this site for several months but i have never posted anything until today. ( i guess that is what i get for doing so) sorry got off track.. I was on weight watchers and curves and jenny craig many many diets. 20 yrs is a long time to be on diets with a lot of disapointments, i have ran several 5k's my mother said i am the fittest fat person she has ever known, cause i stay busy all the time. My weight dr knows my history and is working with me to figure out what could be possibly wrong with me. he said in his 40 yrs he has never seen a case like mine. So now that i have explained my self, even though i didnt have too. I just want to extend an apology to the young girl who made this post and it has turned into a mess.

iamMaLisa

thank you, it has been a horrible battle and years of being called a liar by so many weight loss experts. So many wasted dollars too.

parvati

All she did was share what worked for her and clearly stated that it was done under doctors care.....she is allowed to share her experience here just like everyone else is. No need to call her out because the subject was touchy for you because of your past issues.

Calling her out, seriously...lol that is funny!
I am definitely not touchy about any kind of `past issues, as you put it... (& i`m the one calling people out...)

Maybe the fact that this is a typed conversation & not a verbal one is why it is being misinterpretted.

I never said that she couldn`t share her experiences, it is a public forum...that`s what it is for...i just don`t agree with telling an 18 year old girl that a 1000 calorie diet worked, is helpful.... you want to call me out on it go ahead! My opinion on that isn`t going to change! I have a right to my opinion too!

Also, you make it out like i attacked someone...read my post again & take it with a grain of salt!

lodro

You could try lowering your carb intake in stages to the point where you're off your plateau and then stay below that amount within your calorie limits.

chevy88grl

Yes, you are right she did say that she went to a doctor to get help with losing weight...and that she was tested, with no medical issues. You are also correct that 1200 cals a day is not for everyone, it is actually quite low for many people.

You most definietley do not have to agree with me, however i do see a problem with giving advise to a young impressionable girl that being on a 1000 calorie a day diet `worked for her`. I was a young girl with eating dissorders & implying that being on an extremely low calorie diet may work is completely upsetting to me!

I am a personal trainer, with a background in nutrition. I know what works & what doesn`t... Starving yourself does not work...i know that not only from experience but from learning the science behind it.

Here's the thing being a personal trainer and knowing nutrition is excellent, but we are not all the same. And honestly, you don't anything more about her than what she is writing here. I wouldn't be so quick to judge. If she is under a dr's care - who knows ALL about her vs what is written on a website - then I think it is under control.

I've seen too many professionals be WAY too strict and set in their ways to accept that different people have to do different things in order for them to be successful. I've had personal trainers on this site tell me I eat WAY too many calories to lose weight. Funny.. because when I eat more calories, I actually LOSE weight vs when I eat too little and don't. We are all different.

lodro

Yes, you are right she did say that she went to a doctor to get help with losing weight...and that she was tested, with no medical issues. You are also correct that 1200 cals a day is not for everyone, it is actually quite low for many people.

You most definietley do not have to agree with me, however i do see a problem with giving advise to a young impressionable girl that being on a 1000 calorie a day diet `worked for her`. I was a young girl with eating dissorders & implying that being on an extremely low calorie diet may work is completely upsetting to me!

I am a personal trainer, with a background in nutrition. I know what works & what doesn`t... Starving yourself does not work...i know that not only from experience but from learning the science behind it.

not everyone is tracking to lose weight. i'm not, for instance. and i eat to a pretty restrictive regime, calorie-wise.

parvati

The Doctor is see is a weight doctor and i see him several times a month, with a very close look at what i eat. I know i am still eating processed foods, and not all natural foods, i drink alittle over 3 litters of water a day. I am tied to my computer at work for tw hours a day answering overseas emails, and well sometimes like today i dont have any to answer. I work in the shipping and receiving department at my job and i move 30lb boxes all day long, pushing, pulling and moving. I get alot of exercise here at my work with the exception of the two hours of emails i have to deal with conserning customs paperwork. I understand you are upset i was just simply giving a bad example of what not to do. I have been over weight since 1991, i have joined gyms, had a personal trainer that all but called me a liar, saying that i must be sneaking food or lying about what i ate. I was completely humiliated, the funny thing is i have been on this site for several months but i have never posted anything until today. ( i guess that is what i get for doing so) sorry got off track.. I was on weight watchers and curves and jenny craig many many diets. 20 yrs is a long time to be on diets with a lot of disapointments, i have ran several 5k's my mother said i am the fittest fat person she has ever known, cause i stay busy all the time. My weight dr knows my history and is working with me to figure out what could be possibly wrong with me. he said in his 40 yrs he has never seen a case like mine. So now that i have explained my self, even though i didnt have too. I just want to extend an apology to the young girl who made this post and it has turned into a mess.

I meant no offense to you what so ever... That definitely was not my intent!! I`m sorry! I just thought your original post needed a little clarity so that it wasn`t taken the wrong way & in turn my post got taken the wrong way.
Your case is unique & i am sorry that you have had issues both with your weight & with the proffessionals that you have sought help from! Without knowing your history, one wouldn`t have known.

Please do not stop posting because of this post! Not only will you find a great support system on here, but who knows, maybe you`ll find someone with a similar problem as yours, or perhaps someone who can hekp you with! Good Luck to you!