Help! 30 Days and only lost 1 pound?

abouck

I am really confused! I have been dieting for 1 month. I began eating the recommended 1200 calories a day (mfp). I began working out toward the end of week one and burned around 200 calories per day 5-6 days a week ( I have a heart rate monitor). I have only lost 1 pound. On the 18th of March I increased my calorie goal to 1300 calories per day since MFP says that is my BMR. After that change is when I lost one pound, but that is all I have lost! So I am wondering if my calorie goal is still too low? I do eat my workout calories most of the time. I went to the fat 2 fit website and according to them I should be at 1400 calories per day. Any advise?

BigHulkDiesel

I would start looking at when you are eating. Be sure that each meal is spaced out in 2-3 hour intervals. Regardless of whether you are eating the right amount of calories, you can control how your body burns/stores those calories by your eating habbits. I struggle with this sometimes too. If you eat every 2-3 hours having smaller portions of your calorie goal, your body is constantly burning calories and increasing metabolism. If you wait too long in between meals your body begins switching into storage mode because it doesn't think it will be getting the proper nutrition, thus shutting down the "burn".

Also, look at the nutrients of the foods you are eating. Much easier to burn a healthy 100 calories as opposed to a fatty 100 calories. Makes sense?

Anyway, I hope it helps! Good luck!!

ladyraven68

I am really confused! I have been dieting for 1 month. I began eating the recommended 1200 calories a day (mfp). I began working out toward the end of week one and burned around 200 calories per day 5-6 days a week ( I have a heart rate monitor). I have only lost 1 pound. On the 18th of March I increased my calorie goal to 1300 calories per day since MFP says that is my BMR. After that change is when I lost one pound, but that is all I have lost! So I am wondering if my calorie goal is still too low? I do eat my workout calories most of the time. I went to the fat 2 fit website and according to them I should be at 1400 calories per day. Any advise?

if you are working out 5-6 days a weeks you aren't sedentary. Sedentary is for people who sit on their butt all day in the office and then sit of their butt all night watching TV. What is the Fat2Fit calories for your activity level?

Fat2Fit gives you the calorie's required for someone at your goal weight. If you want to know your current TDEE just put your current weight as your goal weight too, and then you can deduct 15% for your deficit.

I don't know how tall you are or what you weigh, but I'd recommend upping the calories again - if what you are doing now isn't working, you may as well give something else a try.

Good Luck

Doreen_Murray

You may just need to give your body a little time to adapt to the changes in your diet since it's only been one month. I do not lose a steady "1 pound per week," but I'm still losing slowly and losing inches. Don't forget if you're adding weights to your routine you're gaining muscle! Try to have patience and think long term versus week-to-week. Also what everyone else is going to say (types of food, spacing out smaller meals, etc.). :flowerforyou:

Aviation21

Hello abouck,

When do you eat? Do you eat the standard 3 meals a day? If so, try spreading your food out more to avoid starvation mode. During the day I try to eat a small portion of good food every 2 hours until about 6 to 7 pm. I am telling my body that there is always fuel coming and you don't need to store energy (fat). This has been very successful for me in the past and I am doing the same right now. I just keep it simple.

I use to manage a gym and when people would ask me how long will it take for me to lose weight my response: How long did it take for you to gain the weight? If you can lose the weight in half the time you gained it... that is fantastic!

abouck

My typical day:
7:45am Hard boiled egg & 16oz Water
9:30am Oatmeal & 16oz Coffee
12pm Tuna wrap & 16oz Water
1:30pm 16oz Water
3:30 Protein Shake
4:30 pm Workout & 16oz Water
6-6:30pm Dinner Protein & Veggie
8:30 Snack usually cereal (around 200 calories or whatever is remaining).

I am 5 foot 2 and currently 139.8 pounds. A month ago I was eating out all the time and I never exercised so it is very frustrating that I have made so many positive changes but not seen results in a month. I was able to maintain 140 pounds eating out and eating whatever I wanted with no exercise. My clothes are not fitting better and my measurements have not changed.

Aviation21

That last 200 calories you eat around 8:30 pm maybe you can spread that out during the day like at breakfast, and 3:30. Try to avoid large amounts of food after 7pm is the only thing I can think of - that and are you eating enough? When you turn your body into a calorie burning machine you actual feel like you are eating more and shouldn't feel hungry. Give it another 5 days.

abouck

I have already given it 30 days and now I feel like quitting. I don't see how another 5 days will help. I think I need to make some changes but need advise on how and what to change.

penrbrown

Honestly I don't think you're eating enough.

And I've heard it CAN take about a month before a body starts adjusting to the changes.

I'm in the same boat you're in. I'm almost 30 days in and I haven't lost... I have GAINED!!!! I refuse to give up though so I'm forging ahead. I'm giving it another month before I adjust my calories and try something new.

Coco_Puff

I really think you need to eat more. I know it sounds crazy and it's scary, but tons of women on this site have gotten to their goal size by eating more and lifting weights. The reason I say goal size is, they have built muscle, not the bulky kind, and weigh more than they look. But they're okay with that cause the more muscle you have the more fat you burn, which in turn can prevent gaining the weight back. This is what I'm striving for. I just increased my calories 2 weeks ago to 1800 on workout days and the scale is moving again. Good luck!!!

RobinvdM

My advice:

Don't set your own calorie goal. Let MFP set it for you, it will use your current weight, your height, and your activity level to generate a healthy calorie goal to strive for.

I think you should change one of your tracking tabs to sodium and see if you are going over the daily limit on that - it is pretty easy to go over, and if you do you won't lose weight as quickly if at all.

Eat more frequently through the day, make sure you are consuming lean protein, veggies/fruits, and some milk with at least 2 of your meals to get your daily quota sorted out.

I have been at this since Jan 28th and it's been hard to adjust to, but it's working. I don't know how much daily exercise you are doing, but remember to eat some of those expended calories back in a healthy way- nuts, fruit, etc.

Good luck, and don't give up!

mzhokie

I would try to net at least 1200 calories.... you really sound like you are burning more than MFP thinks you are. Do you wear a pedometer to see what your daily burn is? Find one that does calories too just to see. It won't monitor strength training but it could give you an idea what you burn on ave every day.

I had to change my set up here because I went from sedentary to moderate with the weather changes etc. I'm outside more, moving around more in every day activities vs exercise.

It sounds counter productive to eat more calories but maybe a little more lean protein or some greek yogurt would help. Give your body some more fuel to keep the metabolism up.

(BTW I went 3 weeks w/o losing a lb because my net was dropping below 1000 at least once or twice a week.)

Argent78

If you are also working out, you are probably building muscle, so your weight might not change a lot... but you are going to be loosing body fat. I'm on the same boat.... I haven't lost anything by working out and dieting... but I know this might take some time, and I'm more worried about the clothes than the weight per se. I'm 5.5 and 139pounds, and these last 10-20 pounds are the hardest to get rid of!

shedoos

I would start looking at when you are eating. Be sure that each meal is spaced out in 2-3 hour intervals. Regardless of whether you are eating the right amount of calories, you can control how your body burns/stores those calories by your eating habbits. I struggle with this sometimes too. If you eat every 2-3 hours having smaller portions of your calorie goal, your body is constantly burning calories and increasing metabolism. If you wait too long in between meals your body begins switching into storage mode because it doesn't think it will be getting the proper nutrition, thus shutting down the "burn".

Also, look at the nutrients of the foods you are eating. Much easier to burn a healthy 100 calories as opposed to a fatty 100 calories. Makes sense?

Anyway, I hope it helps! Good luck!!

Uh Oh...

CallMeCupcakeDammit

This might help you. Banks has a lot of great posts on here! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

4daluvof_candice

I'll try to eat Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, water before bed!
My problem is portions! So counting calories will reverse what I have been doing; NOT counting calories; and hopefully reversing the weight gain.

Sample of my menu is:

B: boiled egg, 2 slices bacon, fruit, 8oz milk
S: fruit
L: 3c tossed salad, 1oz lite dresing, garlic bread
S:1/2 c raw veggie or fruit w/ PB w/ 8oz apple juice
3-4oz protein, 1c veggies, 1/2 c brown rice
64+ water through out day
workout: 30min/day for 7 days

Pollywog39

I have already given it 30 days and now I feel like quitting. I don't see how another 5 days will help. I think I need to make some changes but need advise on how and what to change.

Okay, here's the Pep Talk. Are you ready?

*First, how old are you................you appear to be older than 21 and younger than 50, and I will not insult you by trying to guess
Age makes a difference in how you store fat, how easily you can lose weight, etc.
*I am 57 years young. I started my adventure last August, at 178 lbs (and only an inch taller than you When I signed up for MFP, I only put that I wanted to lose 1/2 lb a week (hell, it took me 5 decades to get here, so trying to lose in a few months was silly.)
*I eat what I want, within reason. Small meals a few times a day, lots of fresh veggies & stuff.
*I am not a gym person........my main exercise is walking/hiking.
*I have sporadically, but consistently, lost weight.............I seem to go up a bit, then down a bit..........but I HAVE lost over 20 lbs, and I continue to just keep doing what I'm doing.

If you're in a hurry, and anxious about it, you probably won't lose as fast as you want to. At your height and weight, you don't have THAT much to lose to begin with, which always makes it more difficult. What's your goal? Are you trying to lose too much, too fast? If so, then slow down, eat a little more, and IT WILL WORK!

Trust us.............you're getting some good advice!

Okay, hope that helps!

{{{{{hugs}}}}} Polly

Stacivogue

You could switch out the cereal for something more protein-y. Try the fitbit or body bugg.

Cindym82

You should be eating more in the morning, and not cereal at 8:30pm. Also, up the veggies. Have a salad with the tuna on it instead of a wrap etc. Get some almonds as a snack and other things. An apple and peanut butter. I didn't see you mention a single fruit. Also, you shouldn't have eggs every day

And, I looked at your diary. Why are you having two scoops of protein powder with no weight lifting???? Get your protein from food

TwinMumCork

Be careful with the amount of protein you are getting 52 grams is way too muchYou should be aiming for maybe about 20gs at a meal.

Like others have said eat less carbs in the evening eat them earlier in the day so you can burn them off. I would also suggest eating a different fruit than a banana as banana's are loaded with sugar making them hard to burn off. Berries are a better option.

Personally I don't eat back my exercise calories but as I sit all day at work I find I ama sedenatary lifestyle and the hour or less a day does not make up for this. Timing of my meals not eating after 7.30 does really help and loads of water. be very careful with portion size you would be very surprised.

Don't give up just yet, if you really wanted to you would have quit and not posted this message.

runfatmanrun

I think generically speaking you need to eat more. 1200 calories is the minimum. When you burn 200 calories during your workout that puts you at a net of 1000 calories for the day and that is not enough. Your body is going into starvation mode. Try eating more the more you workout.