y cant i aim to lose 2lbs a week??

mrshickey

if I eat 1200 cals my calorie deficit will make me lose approx 1.2 lbs per week according to mfp. if i exercise i create a bigger deficict but according to most people i asked on here i then need to eat the exercise calories back. so i will never be able to lose 2lbs a week by having a big enough calorie deficit!!

i force myself to eat the calories even when im not hungry- but sometimes i just cant!! i eat lean protein, dairy, veg, oatbran ( no carbs, my body doesnt like them much) so im rarely hungry because of the protein. my fat/sat fat is almost always under and my sugar is always really low.

I have 34lbs to lose, ive lost about the same amount so far (before and with mfp) so i dont think 2lbs a week is a big ask really. I understand when i get closer to my goal weight that i will need to eat more and reduce my weight loss goal, but i still have so far to go!!!

i know most people will tell me to be patient. i dont want to be patient.

what can i do? exercise and not eat the calories back? eat under 1200 cals? (same thing really).

and is there any proof that eating under 1200 calories puts you into 'starvation mode' or is it one of those things people assume they know without real evidence.?

opinions would be good please, esp from people who eat less than 1200 cals (dare i say it). o yh, just a quick add. i tried upping my calories and i didnt lose. one week i gained.

michaelachallis

In my experience when i was eating under 1200 cals i was really struggling to shift the weight, as soon as i upped it to 1500 a day i started losing the weight rapidly.

mrshickey

In my experience when i was eating under 1200 cals i was really struggling to shift the weight, as soon as i upped it to 1500 a day i started losing the weight rapidly.

its the other way round withme. i tried upping my calories and didnt lose!!

AngelikaLumiere

I am eating around 1000 calories a day and I am not eating my exercise calories back. I am loosing about 2.5 calories a week. I have about 90 more pounds to go and I am not willing to take two years to do it. I am not hungry most of the time, but I like to wake up hungry so that I remember to eat breakfast. I don't believe you should eat if you aren't hungry, especially if you are trying to loose wait. The 1200 calories is an average. You may be one of those people who are below average in the number of calories your body needs. I take supplements to be sure my body is getting what it needs. Drink 10 + glasses of water a day, exercise a minimum 60 minutes per day and get at least 8 hours of sleep. As far as starvation mode is concerned, here is an interesting article: http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

aippolito1

Oh, no! Starvation mode IS real. I went through it last year. I was eating 1200 calories TOTAL while still exercising and lost my initial 12 lbs in the first two weeks...then I steadily lost about 1 lb for the next couple months until I hit 21 lbs and got stuck. I was exercising at least 400 calories and only eating back maybe 200 which put me at a net total of about 1000 calories. I couldn't lose at all no matter how clean my diet. Someone suggested I go up to 1400 and start eating my exercise calories so I did. My base went up to 1400 and I started eating more of my exercise calories. I immediately lost. Anytime I get stuck, I put my calories up and I start to lose again. Lately what's been working is just making sure I net at least 1200 calories. You don't have to eat ALL your exercise calories but your NET (at the top of your homepage or app) should say at least 1200.

Carri1

You Def don't want to go into Starvation Mode. I agree...please be patient with your body. It needs time to adjust. What exactly is the rush? I think that over 1 lb a week is great! Check out a one pound box of butter and see how much that really is...and you are losing over that! Wow!! Btw...IF you go into starvation mode you will lose nothing and gain on just a few calories. The body shuts off the metabolism pretty much...so don't go there! Relax!

engineman312

you need to eat, however,don't force yourself to eat all those exercise calories. i usually don't, especially if i had a big burn. your body does need fuel to keep going though. maybe try fruit smoothies with a scoop of protein powder. remember, this is 80% nutrition, 20% exercise.

but the key is patience. this is a marathon, not a sprint. it didn't take you 3 months to become over-weight, right? why would it take you 3 months to lose it all?

SueInAz

I personally don't think that 34 pounds is a lot to lose and I do think you're being a bit impatient. Unless of course you are only dieting to meet some goal, like a wedding. For most of us here, though, this is about a permanent lifestyle change with no end date. I know I'll be trying to eat this way for the rest of my life and not just to drop some weight quickly. You might want to consider what your real goal is.

That said, it's your body. If you want to skip eating your exercise calories, then don't eat the extra calories. The whole "eat back your exercise calories" is a really subjective topic here and I personally feel that whether or not you need to really depends on your body. Some people find they need to and others find they don't, especially when they are first starting to lose weight. I think you're really going to need to judge for yourself if not eating them back works for you.

I would recommend, however, that you not eat under 1200 calories. It's not "the same thing" to eat less as it is to eat only 1200 and exercise. Also, if you've been eating less on a regular basis, you would probably gain weight if you started eating more. Your body would want to hold onto those extra calories because you'd been starving it. After a few weeks, however, once your body realized it was going to get that level of calories on a regular basis, you'd find that you could eat those extra calories and still lose weight.

mrshickey

I am eating around 1000 calories a day and I am not eating my exercise calories back. I am loosing about 2.5 calories a week. I have about 90 more pounds to go and I am not willing to take two years to do it. I am not hungry most of the time, but I like to wake up hungry so that I remember to eat breakfast. I don't believe you should eat if you aren't hungry, especially if you are trying to loose wait. The 1200 calories is an average. You may be one of those people who are below average in the number of calories your body needs. I take supplements to be sure my body is getting what it needs. Drink 10 + glasses of water a day, exercise a minimum 60 minutes per day and get at least 8 hours of sleep. As far as starvation mode is concerned, here is an interesting article: http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

interesting article. i myself have told people to eat more, without really knowing any proven science behind it but talking to my husband we concluded that people who dont eat dont stay the same weight or gain. they lose weight. thats how they starve. that is not to say i wont eat, i like food faaaarrrr to much, but i do think that my body has enough fat on it to prevent starvation mode for a while!!!

i agree with not waiting two yrs. i dont want to wait either. good luck!!!

mrshickey

I personally don't think that 34 pounds is a lot to lose and I do think you're being a bit impatient. Unless of course you are only dieting to meet some goal, like a wedding. For most of us here, though, this is about a permanent lifestyle change with no end date. I know I'll be trying to eat this way for the rest of my life and not just to drop some weight quickly. You might want to consider what your real goal is.

That said, it's your body. If you want to skip eating your exercise calories, then don't eat the extra calories. The whole "eat back your exercise calories" is a really subjective topic here and I personally feel that whether or not you need to really depends on your body. Some people find they need to and others find they don't, especially when they are first starting to lose weight. I think you're really going to need to judge for yourself if not eating them back works for you.

I would recommend, however, that you not eat under 1200 calories. It's not "the same thing" to eat less as it is to eat only 1200 and exercise. Also, if you've been eating less on a regular basis, you would probably gain weight if you started eating more. Your body would want to hold onto those extra calories because you'd been starving it. After a few weeks, however, once your body realized it was going to get that level of calories on a regular basis, you'd find that you could eat those extra calories and still lose weight.

I am 100% being impatient i totally agree. im just tired of forcing food to meet calorie goals, particuarly when the calorie goal doesnt give me the loss i want. there will be times of course where i will go over, such is life. my goal is to be slim. as soon as possible. il deal with maintenance when i get there. tbh i dont eat very badly anymore so im not too worried (thanks to tools learned on here and advice given etc). im not just sure how my body would start starving with all the excess fat on it??

cmriverside

You need to play with this.


You have to set a number and stay with it for a month, then re-evaluate. These changes will be slow when you have only 30 lbs to lose.

The 2-lb-a-week will not work for everyone right out of the box. Experiment. Learn, make changes. It's not that difficult if you are honest and accurate in your records.

blakeman187

Eat less....If you're current diet isn't working to your satisfaction, lower your intake by about 100 cals. If it doesn't work, lower it another 100.

KokomoJoe

You can aim to do whatever. Earlier this year I was mid 280s at Christmas time and was 256 by March. Unfortunately I stopped eating right, started drinking alcohol again, and not exercising and now I am back to where I was. Hopefully this time I can make the commitment to go in the right direction. Losing 30 lbs in 8 weeks is possible and I wish I had stayed on track as I would probably be 225 right now. It takes a lot of tweaking to keep up that kind of weight loss and keep it off.

BeeOlive

bump

nz_deevaa

In my experience when i was eating under 1200 cals i was really struggling to shift the weight, as soon as i upped it to 1500 a day i started losing the weight rapidly.

its the other way round withme. i tried upping my calories and didnt lose!!

I wasn't losing weight consistently at 1200cals (and I have A LOT more than you to lose) so I upped my calories to 1430 and now it's coming off more consistently. However, in the first two weeks after the change I put on a little bit, 100grams the first week and I stayed the same the following week... it wasn't until week three after the change that it started coming off quicker. I read somewhere (but don't recall where) that it can take a month for your body to get used to changes in your calorie intake.

SueInAz

I am 100% being impatient i totally agree. im just tired of forcing food to meet calorie goals, particuarly when the calorie goal doesnt give me the loss i want. there will be times of course where i will go over, such is life. my goal is to be slim. as soon as possible. il deal with maintenance when i get there. tbh i dont eat very badly anymore so im not too worried (thanks to tools learned on here and advice given etc). im not just sure how my body would start starving with all the excess fat on it??

Our bodies are designed to store fat for times when there is little food. If you don't eat enough to feed your body, it will think you are going through one of those times. Hence the term "starvation mode." Once you get into a long term habit of under-eating, no matter how hard you work, your body will fight weight loss. It will hang on to every calorie it can and convert it to fat because it thinks you aren't going to get more food at any time in the near future. And then on the days when you DO eat more than enough, it'll store all of those extra calories immediately. So while you can lose weight by under-eating, you can't lose weight as EFFICIENTLY as you can if you're eating enough to fully fuel your body while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

Again, it's your body and you can do with it as you see fit. However, I honestly don't think you'll be able to lose 2 pounds per week by eating less than you already are, at least not for longer than a week or so. At some point, you're going to hit the figurative wall and the struggle to lose will be even worse than it is now.

mrshickey

I am 100% being impatient i totally agree. im just tired of forcing food to meet calorie goals, particuarly when the calorie goal doesnt give me the loss i want. there will be times of course where i will go over, such is life. my goal is to be slim. as soon as possible. il deal with maintenance when i get there. tbh i dont eat very badly anymore so im not too worried (thanks to tools learned on here and advice given etc). im not just sure how my body would start starving with all the excess fat on it??

Our bodies are designed to store fat for times when there is little food. If you don't eat enough to feed your body, it will think you are going through one of those times. Hence the term "starvation mode." Once you get into a long term habit of under-eating, no matter how hard you work, your body will fight weight loss. It will hang on to every calorie it can and convert it to fat because it thinks you aren't going to get more food at any time in the near future. And then on the days when you DO eat more than enough, it'll store all of those extra calories immediately. So while you can lose weight by under-eating, you can't lose weight as EFFICIENTLY as you can if you're eating enough to fully fuel your body while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

Again, it's your body and you can do with it as you see fit. However, I honestly don't think you'll be able to lose 2 pounds per week by eating less than you already are, at least not for longer than a week or so. At some point, you're going to hit the figurative wall and the struggle to lose will be even worse than it is now.

i understand, that does make sense. soooo disheartening!!! lets just hope i dont get fed up!!! if i eat 1200 minumum, then exercise, i can maybe play around with not eating/ eating some/ eating all of my exercise cals back to see what works. from the sounds of things this may be better than just eating less??

Healthy_Hannah483

Because you have to eat a minimum of 1200 calories to sustain your mind and body. No one can live off less than that without damaging theirself.

cramernh

I am 100% being impatient i totally agree. im just tired of forcing food to meet calorie goals, particuarly when the calorie goal doesnt give me the loss i want. there will be times of course where i will go over, such is life. my goal is to be slim. as soon as possible. il deal with maintenance when i get there. tbh i dont eat very badly anymore so im not too worried (thanks to tools learned on here and advice given etc). im not just sure how my body would start starving with all the excess fat on it??

Our bodies are designed to store fat for times when there is little food. If you don't eat enough to feed your body, it will think you are going through one of those times. Hence the term "starvation mode." Once you get into a long term habit of under-eating, no matter how hard you work, your body will fight weight loss. It will hang on to every calorie it can and convert it to fat because it thinks you aren't going to get more food at any time in the near future. And then on the days when you DO eat more than enough, it'll store all of those extra calories immediately. So while you can lose weight by under-eating, you can't lose weight as EFFICIENTLY as you can if you're eating enough to fully fuel your body while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

Again, it's your body and you can do with it as you see fit. However, I honestly don't think you'll be able to lose 2 pounds per week by eating less than you already are, at least not for longer than a week or so. At some point, you're going to hit the figurative wall and the struggle to lose will be even worse than it is now.

i understand, that does make sense. soooo disheartening!!! lets just hope i dont get fed up!!! if i eat 1200 minumum, then exercise, i can maybe play around with not eating/ eating some/ eating all of my exercise cals back to see what works. from the sounds of things this may be better than just eating less??

If you allow yourself to be this extremely impatient, the stress that you are in fact, allowing yourself to go through will only lead you into eating more than you really want to. If you dont want to get fed up, you have to manage your stress level better and deal with the reality that we dont get fat over night, and we definitely cant lose that fat overnight either.

Concentrate more on the positives of what you HAVE accomplished - and use that positive thinking to move forward in a more patient manner. Im telling you from personal experience - you lose patience, you lose control... when you lose control, you will most definitiely take it out on food if things arent working the way you want it to.

Remember, once you finally reach your goal, youre gonna STILL need to learn how to be even MORE patient with maintenance food, maintenance exercise, it doesnt end....

Nette_54

You must eat at least 1200 calories a day and drink plenty of water. You need to eat carbs too. I have been trying for years to lose weight and I found why I didn't succeed. . . . I was seeing a dietitian and she said I wasn't eating enough food so my body was in starvation mode all the time, another mistake I was making was that I wasn't eating any carbs at night thinking I was doing the right thing ! The dietitian said by not eating carbs at night by the time breakfast came around I was putting my body into starvation mode again because of the lack of food over night. When the body goes into starvation mode it store the food you eat as fat because it doesn't know when the next lot of food will come. Have 5 small meals during the day.

I must ask why are you putting yourself under such pressure by wanting to lose weight so fast, you are setting yourself up to fail before you even start ! ! ! The other thing to is the faster you lose weight the faster you will put it on again if you don't learn to eat healthy food instead of being on such a hardcore "diet ". Aim for 1 lb a week then you can be pleasantly surprised on the if you lose more some weeks.

good luck with your weight loss

LorinaLynn

Keep in mind that when you lose weight slower, you're losing more fat. When you drop weight fast, you're losing fat and lean muscle mass.

About 6 years ago or so, I wanted to get down from 145 to about 130 pounds and ate very little to get there. My progress was painfully slow, and when I reached my goal, I still had those dreaded back fat rolls, a tummy pooch, big thighs and big arms. I got frustrated with it all and quit, because if I was going to be mushy anyway, I'd rather eat what I want and weigh a few pounds more.

THIS time around, it wasn't about losing weight for me, it was about getting fit enough to run. I really didn't think I could lose weight or change my body much, since my past efforts failed.

But this time around, I ate a lot more, more than twice what I was eating before, and exercising more, and amazingly, my body was smaller - and those back fat rolls were GONE - by the time I reached 140 lbs. I reached my goal of 135, then changed my goal to 130 because the weight was still coming off effortlessly, then changed it to 126 and I really don't care if I reach that or not because I'm 100% happy with where I am. My arms are toned, my legs are muscular, my tummy is flat (I even have abs!) and my back looks great.

For me, I thought the options were (a) eat very little and lose very little, or (b) eat what I want and be heavier. I didn't know there was option (c) eat a decent amount, lose a decent amount and have slow and steady progress. Because for me, option (a) meant getting frustrated and quitting after a short amount of time. Think six months from now. At just 1# a week, you'll be almost at your goal and look fantastic. You'll easily be at your goal by next summer, just by going slow and steady. And you'll feel great getting there.

SueInAz

You must eat at least 1200 calories a day and drink plenty of water. You need to eat carbs too. I have been trying for years to lose weight and I found why I didn't succeed. . . . I was seeing a dietitian and she said I wasn't eating enough food so my body was in starvation mode all the time, another mistake I was making was that I wasn't eating any carbs at night thinking I was doing the right thing ! The dietitian said by not eating carbs at night by the time breakfast came around I was putting my body into starvation mode again because of the lack of food over night. When the body goes into starvation mode it store the food you eat as fat because it doesn't know when the next lot of food will come. Have 5 small meals during the day.

I must ask why are you putting yourself under such pressure by wanting to lose weight so fast, you are setting yourself up to fail before you even start ! ! ! The other thing to is the faster you lose weight the faster you will put it on again if you don't learn to eat healthy food instead of being on such a hardcore "diet ". Aim for 1 lb a week then you can be pleasantly surprised on the if you lose more some weeks.

good luck with your weight loss

Interesting take.

I can't lose weight if I eat a lot of carbs, no matter my calorie intake. I've played with my macro balance a lot this year and have discovered that I have to eat less than about 90 grams of carbs per day or I just don't lose weight consistently. I spent from April to August losing and gaining the same 5 pounds eating a low fat/high carb diet. Since lowering my carb intake in August I've lost nearly 10 pounds.

The time of day you eat your food doesn't really matter. Studies have been done which debunk the "don't eat after ?? PM" myth. If you stay under your calorie and macro goals, you will lose weight. (I will allow that does help those who aren't counting calories and logging as most people tend to eat EXTRA calories they don't need at night between bedtime and dinner.) There are quite a few people on this site who use intermittent fasting as a weight loss method. They basically eat all of their calories in a 5-8 hour window each day and nothing but water the rest of the day and they lose weight.

I definitely do agree that stress will prevent you from losing weight, as well as take control from your own hands. Stress releases cortisol which has been proven to inhibit weight loss.

Nette_54

I am trying to eat higher protein as it builds muscle which in turn burns fat, but I still have to eat carbs too, I am using the Curves ladies gym eating programme at the moment and it is working for me. Curves uses a 3 phase eating plan,

Phase 1 ) 1200 calories for 7 days
Phase 2 ) 1500 calories for 23 days ( doing this now and struggle to eat so much )
Phase 3 ) 2000 calories for 2 to 4 weeks ( unless I gain 2 lbs if so go back to phase 1 for a few days ) I hope I can do phase 3

Then go back to Phase 1 again until I reach my goal weight then I just stay on phase 3 ( if I gain 2 lbs go back to phase 1 for a few days then go straight back to phase 3 )

The idea is to kick start the metabolism to work better.

jbrautigam24

The reason you need to eat back those calories you burned while exercising is because if there is too much of a caloric deficit, your body will lose muscle mass. You may lose poundage this way, however, your body will not look "tight" or "firm" because there won't be any muscle.

jbrautigam24

The reason you need to eat back those calories you burned while exercising is because if there is too much of a caloric deficit, your body will lose muscle mass. You may lose poundage this way, however, your body will not look "tight" or "firm" because there won't be any muscle.


-ALSO, the 1200 calorie/day to lose 2 pounds per week is, at best, a guesstimate. Some people require more or less calories than that to lose. It depends on your current weight and body type.

momma3sweetgirls

1 lb of weight loss per week translates to a caloric deficit of 3500 calories or 500 calories a day So, to lose 2 lbs a week, you need a deficit of 7000 calories a week or 1000 calories a day.

Now, it is generally accepted (although often disputed here) that a woman, regardless of size, should consume no LESS than 1200 calories a day to give her body the nutrients it needs to perforn it's general functions (e.g. breathing, digesting, thinking, heart pumping, etc.).

Sooooo, if your BMR is say 1750, it is NOT feasible to lose 2 lbs a week because a deficit of 1000 calories would leave you with a NET intake of only 750 calories. This is too little to feed your body. However, you can quite feasibly lose 1 lb a week by reducing your intake to 1250 a week.

You only have 34 lbs to lose. This is a relatively small amount and it's better to lose it slowly to increase your chances of actually keeping it off.

raven56706

im interested in hearing answers about this too. I want to lose weight as well but i set my goals for 2 lbs a week. Should i change mine as well?

im 5'8

SW: 232
CW: 218
GW: 190

my current goal calorie is 1440.

dont mean to hijack the thread but this can be helpful for others

amflautist

I am eating around 1000 calories a day and I am not eating my exercise calories back. I am loosing about 2.5 calories a week. I have about 90 more pounds to go and I am not willing to take two years to do it. I am not hungry most of the time, but I like to wake up hungry so that I remember to eat breakfast. I don't believe you should eat if you aren't hungry, especially if you are trying to loose wait. The 1200 calories is an average. You may be one of those people who are below average in the number of calories your body needs. I take supplements to be sure my body is getting what it needs. Drink 10 + glasses of water a day, exercise a minimum 60 minutes per day and get at least 8 hours of sleep. As far as starvation mode is concerned, here is an interesting article: http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267

That was an interesting article!!! I believe it. I have always politely averted my eyes at mfp when I read a discussion about "starvation mode". My only gripe with mfp is that the number on how many calories a person needs is the same for everyone. Our genetics are not the same. Our biochemical efficiencies are not the same!!! (May I politely say: check your poop. Suppose we all were to eat exactly the same stuff for a week. For some of us, the food would not be burned/absorbed in the intestines as efficiently => more poop. For others with extremely high efficiencies => less poop.)

Some of us need more calories, some of us need fewer calories to maintain a given weight. Everyone who is honestly recording all food and exercise, but not losing weight, needs to start experimenting. You can get off a plateau either by eating less or exercising more. Find your own numbers. The mfp numbers should be a starting guideline, but not a sacred cow.

SueInAz

That was an interesting article!!! I believe it. I have always politely averted my eyes at mfp when I read a discussion about "starvation mode". My only gripe with mfp is that the number on how many calories a person needs is the same for everyone. Our genetics are not the same. Our biochemical efficiencies are not the same!!! (May I politely say: check your poop. Suppose we all were to eat exactly the same stuff for a week. For some of us, the food would not be burned/absorbed in the intestines as efficiently => more poop. For others with extremely high efficiencies => less poop.)

Some of us need more calories, some of us need fewer calories to maintain a given weight. Everyone who is honestly recording all food and exercise, but not losing weight, needs to start experimenting. You can get off a plateau either by eating less or exercising more. Find your own numbers. The mfp numbers should be a starting guideline, but not a sacred cow.

Tell it, sister!

Seriously, I always cringe when I hear people saying to a 4'10" woman that she MUST eat 1200 calories per day. I have a very hard time believing that a woman that small needs the same caloric intake as a 6' tall woman. I'm a big believer of "do what is right for your body." You can tell if you aren't eating enough, the trick is paying attention to the signs and they might be subtle. It's not just how much are you might or might not be pooping but also:

is your hair dull or falling out?
do your gums bleed easily?
do you get irritable or depressed easily?
do you catch every cold or other illness that comes along?
do you often get dizzy when standing up?
are your nails weak, growing slowly or have horizontal lines?
is your skin chronically dry?
does 20 minutes of cardio wear you out so much you need a nap?

Weight loss is very personal and every person needs something just a little different in order to lose weight efficiently. You can't throw a blanket statement out like "eat 1200 calories every day" and expect everyone to have the same results. In addition to experimenting with caloric intake, some of us need to tweak our macronutrients, as well. As I mentioned earlier, it took several months, but I've finally realized that I have to watch my carb intake or I simply cannot consistently lose weight.

AngelikaLumiere

is your hair dull or falling out? NOPE
do your gums bleed easily? NOPE
do you get irritable or depressed easily? YEAH, BUT I AM A NATURALLY CRANKY PERSON
do you catch every cold or other illness that comes along? NOPE
do you often get dizzy when standing up? NOPE
are your nails weak, growing slowly or have horizontal lines? NOPE (I can pull staples with my finger nails.)
is your skin chronically dry? NOPE
does 20 minutes of cardio wear you out so much you need a nap? NOPE

So apparently eating 1000 per day isn't doing me any harm, is it?