To eat or not to eat.

gfrank16

I started using MFP about two months ago, but only on my iPhone. I logged on the other day and found the forums. They have been so much help. I have lost about 13 pounds, but I feel like I am working so hard, and I'm not loosing enough to make it worth it. I eat 1200 calories a day, give or take some, and usually have one cheat meal a week. (Most of the time on Saturday.) I usually exercise five times a week, burning an average of 300 to 450 calories. I almost never eat any of them back in fear that it will counteract the exercise. I have adjusted to eating the few amount of calories, but after reading some of the forums, I am worried that when I end up with 300 to 400 calories left uneaten, it is slowing down the process... I don't know which one is more beneficial.

akiramezu

You're eating 1200 calories a day? you are in starvation mode, your body will do whatever it can to retain
fat, and you will not budge. You're 19? i don't know how tall or heavy you are, but if you want to lose weight
as a female, you need to eat around 1600-2000 calories to keep a consistent weight loss. 1200 is under eating
and is extremely silly

i added you as a friend.

AntWrig

Start with eating back maybe 100-200 calories per day. Increase protein intake first. That would 25g (100kcal) or 50g (200kcal). Monitor for two weeks and see where you are. If you gain, then reduce. If you continue to lose, add another 100 to 200, this time via fat intake. For every 1g of fat is 9kcal. Monitor for two weeks. Now, you will have slowly added your calories back.

shellebelle87

When i signed up for this, they told me that my goal/limit was 1200 calories a day...so I've been going near that number ever since.....

SergeantSunshine_reused

I was also given 1200 when I signed up. I lose 1 pound a week eating 1400 at the bare minimum but usually around 1800 ever day. No need to eat that little to lose weight.

ahinski

After a person has lost around 10 pounds, the weight loss process naturally slows down as your body tries to reach equilibrium. Expecting to continue to lose 2 pounds a week at this stage is unrealistic. If you haven't already, go into your settings on MFP and change your goal to a weight loss of 1 pound a week. You'll have to eat more (and you should be eating the calories you burn during exercise), but it will trick your body into thinking it's more in balance (even though you still have a 500 calorie deficit per day). Eating 1200 calories a day for too long *may* slow down your metabolism, but you can speed it up by eating more, but still not so much that you can't continue to lose weight.

Warning: at first you may gain a pound or two from eating more; it's negligible and worth it. You'll lose it soon and then start losing weight again.

Also, if you aren't already, vary your exercise regimen. Alternate between cardiovascular workouts and strength training 3-6 days a week.

There is a thread at the top of this forum called "Newbies Please Read Me (2nd Edition)." There you will find links to other threads, and the one on "expectation" may be especially useful to you, but you will benefit from all of them.

Hope this helps

Pebble321

13 pounds is 8 weeks is a very good weight loss - I'm curious to know what you expected to lose (in real life, not Biggest Loser world)?

Don't cut calories too low, you are running the risk of not getting enough good nutrition into your body, not a good strategy for long term health.

gfrank16

I read the thread... so very helpful! Thanks you so much for suggesting it; so many of my questions were answered.

gfrank16

13 pounds is 8 weeks is a very good weight loss - I'm curious to know what you expected to lose (in real life, not Biggest Loser world)?

Don't cut calories too low, you are running the risk of not getting enough good nutrition into your body, not a good strategy for long term health.

I didn't really have a specific idea of what I expected to loose, maybe 20 pounds? I am happy that I lost the 13 pounds, I just wasn't sure if that was a normal rate of weight loss or if I was doing something wrong to prevent faster progress. Thank you for letting me know it is a good number for two months.

ahinski

I read the thread... so very helpful! Thanks you so much for suggesting it; so many of my questions were answered.

Good!