Not losing weight

casiebooth

I have been logging my food daily for the past three weeks and eating between 1200 and 1600 calories. I have not lost a single pound. Should I stop eating back my exercise calories? I am starting to get really frustrated!

ajels11

I can relate to that. I actually have been doing most things right like working out and tracking my food in my journal (book), but i never counted calories. I only lost a pound in the last three weeks and i am still trying to figure out why. I don't seem to get it. I workout more and watch what i eat, but no improvement. It is very frustrating and i go on vacation in a month and a half..

You should definitely not eat calories you burned through your workout plus daily intake. That leads to a waste of time and energy, unless you are only trying to maintain weight and stay healthy. Try tweaking your workouts and drinking more water..

therealangd

Did you take your measurements? Are your clothes fitting looser?

jesscaponigro

I always eat my exercise calories back, maybe not all of them but most of them. I have lost 15 pounds since I joined this site and about 25 pounds prior to that. Maybe you should evaluate what you are eating. Your diary is private so Ihave no idea what you are eating. Also are you drinking enough water?

donnamfreitagross

I can relate, before joining I lost 8lbs in one month, since I joined I haven't lost anything, I have no clue what to do either!

stephet92

I am going through the same thing. It gets very frusterating. Eating you calories back is not the best thing to do. If you eat a few of your calories back it is ok but try to stay away from doing that. Also take your measurements and see if you are loosing inches. Muscle weighs more than fat so you might be gaining muscle which also burns the fat. Try to consume more water and stay hydrated. Good luck!

Sheila1968

I have been trying for 4 years (ever since hitting peri-menopause and getting put on birth control pills) and cannot get the scale to budge. I went from 140 to 155-157 in less than a year and cannot seem to lose a pound no matter how much I exercise and watch what I eat. I feel for you since it has been FOUR YEARS of this for me. *sigh* It's beyond frustrating.

anave285

That has to be very frustrating and I am so so sorry that that is happening to you. I don't have an answer for you because obviously each person's body is different. I'm on 1250 calories a day and whenever I'm diligent and track my calories, I lose weight every single day. When I stop, I gain. I'm not even an exerciser, but when I was, I would eat my calories (if I wanted to) and still lost. I just want to say just stick with it and soon you will find what works for you. Please just don't give up. Good luck, I know you can do it

jesscaponigro

Just FYI the site already has a built in deficit, if for some reason you aren't eating enough your body can go into starvation mode which would also stop weight loss. Maybe you should consult with doctor for advice.

pinkraynedropjacki

It took my body about a month before I started really losing anything. I'm on 1200 cal a day & I am lucky to eat that at all & then I still burn off more. I end up with about 500cal of more left before I even work out. Everyone is different I guess & I've never been a big eater, just the wrong foods.

I used vitamin tablets to kick start my body (I went for the Swisse brand here in Australia & I will swear by them) and then it started coming off. Perhaps trying something like that may help. Or it could be just the wrong exercise you are doing. I was always told you have to be puffed while doing it. Not be able to speak very well. You should get a heart rate monitor & make sure it gets to 80.

abhawkins_1993

I have on different websites from searching on Google and from some people that you are not supposed to eat the calories you burn off after a work out. I never do. I also think it depends on how low your starting weight is. People who are heavier lose weight quicker than people who arent too overweight.

KathieSwenson

1600 cal may not be a deficit for you. I would try to stay at 1200 cal. It's very doable as long as your eating healthy foods. I went and bought a diabetic cookbook. The reason is I have trouble metabolizing sugar in general. Diabetics have to eat very healthy. They can have no more than 45 g of carbs per a meal. The cookbook list the calories and serving so I know I'm eating healthy and not getting a high carb intake. Everyone is different. I have lost 1.6 lbs. since I joined the sight 10 day ago but I'm stoke. That is 1.6 lbs that I would not have lost as I was trying to get past 198 for two months with medications I'm normally about 500 cal after exercise from reaching my goal only because I eat stuff out of my cookbook. Otherwise I would be way over. You might want to try that. Also., what exercises are you doing? If your not burning that many calories and then eating hih fat foods then that could cause you to not loose weight. There is so much to factor in on why someone is not loosing weight, that just a vague comment without being able to see your diary it's hard to see what is going on.

jbahrami

Different bodies lose weight at different levels...just stick with it. I checked your food diary...are you tracking your sodium? Consuming a lot of high sodium foods will make you retain water, causing that scale to be cruel (if you're tracking your progress that way). Be sure to watch not only how much you eat, but what you eat...and drink LOTS of water to help flush out your body. Eating fresher foods and less processed foods will make a BIG difference (words of experience).
Just DON'T GIVE UP!

KatrineJohansen

I can give you advice based on my own experience only. Here goes:
I don't lose weight when I net below my BMR (currently 1410 calories? - if I just eat net 1300, JUST 100 calories less than that, I don't lose a single gram.
I think you should calculate your BMR here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
and then make it a goal to net that every day. 100-or-so calories more than your BMR is ok too.

To me personally, netting around 1200 calories has NO effect what so ever. I need at least 200-300 more calories a day net to use weight.

clairethebear78

I used to be like that. No amount of diet or exercise did anything. For 10 years!!!!
Please please please, listen to or read this book: "Why we get fat and what to do about it" Gary Taubes.
If like me you don't like following instructions blindly, without understanding why you are doing it - Please read this book. It has changed my terrible relationship with food into one of love I get excited to weigh myself!
I only started this "diet" on Monday(!) and I feel fantastic! I have lost 2kgs (4.4lbs) SAFELY! No fads, no counting, no tracking, and the weight is just vaporising.
Please educate your big brains with the information you need to win the war. I'll even buy it for you!!! Actually, that's a good idea! I'll get it for the first 10 people to contact me.

Please read it. I know it's horrible to be overweight. It affects every aspect of life. Getting dressed in the morning, walking into the office, meeting new people and being afraid they'll judge you, uncomfortable intimacy... and the depression that comes with it, when you work so hard and see absolutely no results. It doesn't have to be that way. It is a book of logic rather than belief systems.

Let me know how it goes

bishoujokiseki

It might be because after a while of eating less calories, your metabolism gets used to it and slows back down.
Because, when you start eating less it naturally gets burned more easily than when you ate more, but your body adapts to it and stops going so fast after a while.
Other than that possibility, I don't know what it could be. I haven't lost very much either.

pilch4326

Don't eat your exercise calories......having these helps create that deficit that you need to lose weight. Remember it takes burning 3500 calories just to lose 1 pound of fat. Keep it up......you'll get there!

dana61681

i joined weight watchers 3 months ago and i dropped 22lbs but i been stuck at 190 for about two weeks nothing else is coming off . i drink water ,workout and eat right im getting so fustrated it feels like ill never get to my goal weight and it makes me want to eat but i know that wont do any good either im trying to stick it out but its hard when you are seeing no more results

MaximalLife

I have on different websites from searching on Google and from some people that you are not supposed to eat the calories you burn off after a work out. I never do. I also think it depends on how low your starting weight is. People who are heavier lose weight quicker than people who arent too overweight.

^^^^^^
WRONG!
MFP expects you to eat them back - that's built in to the system here.
This is how MFP works
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/faq/3-how-does-myfitnesspal-work

And Tips for Newbies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/470367-tips-for-newbies
Maybe this will help.
Just get started by going into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
Log in those exercises to your MFP exercise diary.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.

You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.

All Is Possible!

terhorton

Be careful,
if you are excersizing you need to increase your calorie intake. Try increasing your protien to gain muscle mass an become lean. You will find you are not losing on the scale at first it is because your fat is turning to muscle, but you will notice a difference in your cloths. You will also begin losing on the scale eventually, but you need to fuel your body or it will store the calories it needs to maintain your excersise. Best book I ever bought was "Eating Clean" by Tosca Reno. I'm not a body builder, but it is a great book to make you feel energized and looking your best even if the scale is telling you otherwise. Great recepies and logical advice.
Good luck.

cbl40

I could be repeating what others have said, but try changing up your exercise routine! Add more weights, or try a different class or do some interval training......just mix it up! Don't give up, you'll get there!!

glenr79

1200 to 1600 calories is perfect for weight loss... it depends on what you are eating.. there are foods you can eat to speed up your metabolism. If you eat the right foods the weight will come off. Eat lean meats, baked chicken, baked fish, turkey from the deli (not from packages), fruits and vegetables, whole grains, 100% whole wheat bread, green tea, eggs, tunafish, flax or chia seeds, almond milk or lowfat milk, goji berries, cayenne pepper, etc.... then also as well as cardio you have to lift weights..... lifting weights improves your lean muscle mass... when you have more lean muscle mass you burn more calories while you are sleeping or sitting there.... you burn 40-120 calories an hour with lean m uscle mass, if you have fat mass you only burn 3 calories an hour while you are sitting there.... tons of things you can do to see progress!

Twins2007

Sooo been there!!!

The scale JUST started moving in the other direction after I would gain and lose the same 5 pounds since August!

For me, it seems to be the number of protein...I wan't eating enough!

Also, I made up a column in my diary "emotional/compulsive eating" to keep track, honestly of what foes in my mouth...

As for the calories, you might want to try to only eat 50-75% of your calories back in case you are overestimating the food and underestimating the exercise? (which is another think I suspect might have been happening in my case...)

DO NOT GIVE UP!!

E xo

canroadrunner

I find that if I hit a plateau if I go off the diet for a few days and boost my calories, it helps to shake it up and I lose weight. Nothing crazy but I'll add in something high calorie that I might not have eaten normally.
I've seen this happen enough that I just changed my weight loss goal to .5 a week from 1 lb so that I have more calories to play with to see if that helps.

I've read enough posts on here that some people don't lose weight on the calories recommended but actually lose more weight when they eat more. I know that before I started MFP I wasn't eating enough and I was gaining weight.

Also, eat back your exercise calories. That topic has been done to death here and I'm still surprised by how many people don't get it. You want to lose weight in a HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE manner. Don't eat your X calories and you might lose weight but your body will pay the toll.

RckstrMommy

I was an obese child who lost 50 lbs as a teenager... for me to lose weight I had to eat 1000-1200 calories and exerise 4 times a week. Not all bodies are created equal. I think the whole "starvation mode" does not apply to all metabolisms. Even when I was at my thinnest, if I dare ate over 1400 calories I would gain weight... just the way my body is. Even when I breastfed, the week I ate over 1500 calories I gained 5 lbs.

I found the most success between 1000-1200 a day... same is proving true now also. I dont eat back the exercise calories either. I might go over 1200 but never over 1300.

So... take the MFP with a grain of salt... figure out YOUR body - it may not fit the MFP mold. I personally would stick with 1200 cals a day regardless. It's not too low.

I also go weeks without losing then will lose 2 lbs in a week - usually has to do with my female cycle...

And when I work out alot, I think I build muscle which weighs more than fat so I dont see the scale budge until I take a few days off from working out. Not saying dont work out, just keep that in mind.. it might be a month or more before you see progress.

tupperwaremum

Don't get frustrated. We started at a new gym and I have been doing 7 workouts a week. The first month I gained weight!! I am finally seeing scale results, but long after I saw my clothes getting too big and accomplishing things at the gym I NEVER thought I could do! Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and measure inches not lbs. Sometimes the scale just needs to cach up with what is happening in you body!

jntenna

I don't touch those exercise calories.

Levenat

I knw how that feels,i have been at it for one month also and i havent lost any weight.its kinda frustrating but giving up isnt an option so we just have to stick it out until something happens!

diamond18235

I can definitely relate to your struggle. It sounds like you aren't eating enough food if you are exercising. I was keeping my calories around 1200 a day while training to do a half marathon and was so frustrated because I couldn't figure out why my weight wasn't budging with all the exercising I was doing. I went to a nutritionist & learned that I should be eating 1500 calories a day BEFORE even figuring in my exercising. As soon as I increased my calorie intake, the pounds started coming off again. But on another note, be sure if you increase calories you are adding healthy calories, not just empty calories. The type of calories will make a difference too. Please don't get frustrated & give up!! Keep up the good work, it will pay off in the end and you will be glad you stuck it out.

natalieotis

I can definitely relate to that! I have personally decided to try not eating my exercise calories. Every day brings a new challenge-1 stepp at a time.

garyolson43

I never eat my exercise calories and I have lost 108 pounds. Just do not go below 1200 calories per day.