1200 calories per day, but losing less than 2 lbs/week

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Replies

  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    Don't eat your excersize calories! And drink TONS of water!

    Like this

    First, exercise is spelled wrong. Second, you have to eat your exercise calories to fuel your work outs, body and give your body the energy to repair itself after working out. Not eating exercise calories is horrible advice.

    So I should just stop exercising? And still lose weight? I am fine with eating 1200 calories a day and would rather not have to eat over 2000 cause I do burn about 1000 calories at the gym, according to the machine. I hate the gym and would love it if I didn't have to go.

    No, that is not what is being said. What is being said is that you should be eating what you are burning during your workouts plus your goal calories for the day. You need to count those "outtake" calories with your "intake". Your deficiency of calories needed to lose weight is already factored into the calculations MFP gives, and those that set themselves for higher food than MFP recommends, have already done the research as well on their deficiency (hopefully). So, if you are burning 1000 calories at the gym, you need to eat those 1000 back.

    Example: my calories to eat are set at 2050 because this is my TDEE - my deficiency to lose weight (my actually TDEE runs around 2500-2600 depending on who you ask). I burned 700 calories today, so I need to eat 2750 calories today.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    I'm in the same boat as you, I eat 1200/day and usually eat back my exercise calories of about 250-450/day (depends on the day and how much i exercise...usually between 30 minutes - 1 hour). I drink a lot of water through the day but have only lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks and the scale is saying I gained 1 pound back this morning. I have lost .5" in my waist though so I'm guessing I'm building muscle (because i never exercised before) so this is why I'm not seeing the weight coming off even though I've done a 360 in lifestyle. It's only been a couple of weeks though and I'm an impatient person who is learning to be patient...and it's hard because I like quick results so it's all a learning curve for me. I've decided to up my calorie intake to 1400 and see how that goes. This whole thing is a HUGE learning experience for me and some of it I find confusing but I'm slowly figuring it all out.
  • mccarol1956
    mccarol1956 Posts: 422 Member
    You need to be burning 500 more calories/day than you eat...which is hard (that amounts to losing 1 lb per week if you can do it). I normally burn between 300-400 calories a day doing cardio...you CANNOT eat the calories you burn. MFP has me on the 1200 calories per day program also...and I usually eat between 800-1000 and then burn the 300-400 extra. If you're eating the calories you burn, you will see very little weight loss. "Coach Calorie" I think is his name, has an excellent website with great articles about this problem and how to get the weight loss going. Also, if you're only able to do about 20 minutes a day in light exercise, that definitely will make a difference. I do at least 65 minutes/day 5-6 times per week. And like several others have mentioned....DRINK AT LEAST 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY. And you may need to eat more, but you also it sounds like need to work in more exercise. It's hard to lose without a good work out program, but that's just how it works for me. Everyone is different.

    This advice is wrong on so many levels. MFP is based on you eating your calories back. That is how it is set to work. There is already a calorie deficit built in. Usually it gives people too few calories. Set your wt loss goal to 1 lb a week, eat all those calories plus eat your exercise calories. You also need to add exercise on a regular basis. It does not have to be at the gym, a good brisk walk at least 3 days a week will help and is a great starting point. You can increase your activity as you get stronger. I do agree with this poster about drinking the water though.
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    Don't eat your excersize calories! And drink TONS of water!

    Like this

    First, exercise is spelled wrong. Second, you have to eat your exercise calories to fuel your work outs, body and give your body the energy to repair itself after working out. Not eating exercise calories is horrible advice.

    So I should just stop exercising? And still lose weight? I am fine with eating 1200 calories a day and would rather not have to eat over 2000 cause I do burn about 1000 calories at the gym, according to the machine. I hate the gym and would love it if I didn't have to go.

    No, that is not what is being said. What is being said is that you should be eating what you are burning during your workouts plus your goal calories for the day. You need to count those "outtake" calories with your "intake". Your deficiency of calories needed to lose weight is already factored into the calculations MFP gives, and those that set themselves for higher food than MFP recommends, have already done the research as well on their deficiency (hopefully). So, if you are burning 1000 calories at the gym, you need to eat those 1000 back.

    Example: my calories to eat are set at 2050 because this is my TDEE - my deficiency to lose weight (my actually TDEE runs around 2500-2600 depending on who you ask). I burned 700 calories today, so I need to eat 2750 calories today.

    Agreed. I base at 1450. I exercise between 500-1000. I eat between 1800-2300 calories a day. I eat back all of my calories. I've been losing inches. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, the more slim you are, the more healthy you are, the more...everything. You must work out. I'd rather be 130 lbs solid then 120 lbs with no lean muscle mass. I'd still jiggle. And this is done by lifting weights.

    And if you are going by the machine, it is wrong. Simple as that.

    Edit: My BMR is 1400. My TDEE without actual exercise (just a normal work day) is 2300. I eat a base 1450 plus exercise calories, so I'm eating around my TDEE, so actually my exercise is what I use as my deficit. BUT I'm still eating back those exercise calories....my TDEE for a normal work day just happens to be high.

    Invest in a HRM.
  • htward
    htward Posts: 1 Member
    Be careful with the cardio calculations.

    1) Do some research on your own on websites using your actual weight and manully add those exercises in. I found the "delivered" cardio exercises were adding too many calories basedon my weight and age.

    2) Consider going to 1.5 per week instead of two.

    3) Count everything - even gum, etc. When in doubt overcount. When it looks like 4-5 oz of chicken count 5.

    4) I have been doing this for almost 4 months - I've lost 28 lbs. Slowly but surely. I find that right around mid-cycle I flatline with my loss - you may be at that point. Keep going it will start to shed. Also you could very well be converting fat to muscle. Keep at it!
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member

    Example: my calories to eat are set at 2050 because this is my TDEE - my deficiency to lose weight (my actually TDEE runs around 2500-2600 depending on who you ask). I burned 700 calories today, so I need to eat 2750 calories today.

    Sorry to go off topic, but if you are working from tdee that includes your daily activity AND exercise so you don't eat back exercise cals unless your net falls below bmr, eating 2750 will put you above tdee which is a gain not a loss.

    You would eat back exercise using mfp calculations as their activity levels don't account for exercise.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    Don't eat your excersize calories! And drink TONS of water!

    Like this

    First, exercise is spelled wrong. Second, you have to eat your exercise calories to fuel your work outs, body and give your body the energy to repair itself after working out. Not eating exercise calories is horrible advice.

    So I should just stop exercising? And still lose weight? I am fine with eating 1200 calories a day and would rather not have to eat over 2000 cause I do burn about 1000 calories at the gym, according to the machine. I hate the gym and would love it if I didn't have to go.

    If i understand your post you just said you are eating 1200 calories a day and burning 1000 at the gym?
    That means your Net caloric intake is only 200 calories a day? Please seek help, That is so unhealthy i don't know how you are still walking.

    Apologies if i misunderstood.

    Ok my bad maybe I said it wrong. The site says I should eat 1200 and when I excise another 1000 on top of that for a total of 2200

    You eat 2200 on gym days then?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    You need to be burning 500 more calories/day than you eat...which is hard (that amounts to losing 1 lb per week if you can do it). I normally burn between 300-400 calories a day doing cardio...you CANNOT eat the calories you burn. MFP has me on the 1200 calories per day program also...and I usually eat between 800-1000 and then burn the 300-400 extra. If you're eating the calories you burn, you will see very little weight loss. "Coach Calorie" I think is his name, has an excellent website with great articles about this problem and how to get the weight loss going. Also, if you're only able to do about 20 minutes a day in light exercise, that definitely will make a difference. I do at least 65 minutes/day 5-6 times per week. And like several others have mentioned....DRINK AT LEAST 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY. And you may need to eat more, but you also it sounds like need to work in more exercise. It's hard to lose without a good work out program, but that's just how it works for me. Everyone is different.

    You do realize of course that MFP already gave you a deficit, unless you selected a weight loss goal of maintenance.

    So why doing the math would you think you need to burn another 500 each day and not feed that workout?

    don't worry, many don't understand how MFP works.
  • JConstine
    JConstine Posts: 69
    Those numbers are just estimates to assist you. Everyone is different. There could be a number of things keeping you from that 2 pound mark and many of them probably aren't "bad." Just stay committed and you will reach your goal.
  • mariajae
    mariajae Posts: 18
    I agree on the idea of giving what you are doing a little more time. I have been doing this for just a couple of months and noticed a frustrating pattern. My body appears to hold onto my weight all month long and then drop a couple pounds within a couple days right after I start my period. Then I stay put for another 3 weeks and drop again. Maybe I am so old that my body keeps hoping I will get pregnant and so it holds onto the extra nutrition - lol - I really don't know, but everyone truly is different.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    Don't eat your excersize calories! And drink TONS of water!

    Like this

    First, exercise is spelled wrong. Second, you have to eat your exercise calories to fuel your work outs, body and give your body the energy to repair itself after working out. Not eating exercise calories is horrible advice.

    So I should just stop exercising? And still lose weight? I am fine with eating 1200 calories a day and would rather not have to eat over 2000 cause I do burn about 1000 calories at the gym, according to the machine. I hate the gym and would love it if I didn't have to go.

    If i understand your post you just said you are eating 1200 calories a day and burning 1000 at the gym?
    That means your Net caloric intake is only 200 calories a day? Please seek help, That is so unhealthy i don't know how you are still walking.

    Apologies if i misunderstood.

    Ok my bad maybe I said it wrong. The site says I should eat 1200 and when I excise another 1000 on top of that for a total of 2200

    You eat 2200 on gym days then?

    Phew.. I was really worried for you there for a minute.. glad you are eating back your cals if you are going off MFP caloric recommendations and not custom goals.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member

    Example: my calories to eat are set at 2050 because this is my TDEE - my deficiency to lose weight (my actually TDEE runs around 2500-2600 depending on who you ask). I burned 700 calories today, so I need to eat 2750 calories today.

    Sorry to go off topic, but if you are working from tdee that includes your daily activity AND exercise so you don't eat back exercise cals unless your net falls below bmr, eating 2750 will put you above tdee which is a gain not a loss.

    You would eat back exercise using mfp calculations as their activity levels don't account for exercise.

    You are right! I keep forgetting TDEE includes my exercise calories! Thank you! :smile:
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member

    Example: my calories to eat are set at 2050 because this is my TDEE - my deficiency to lose weight (my actually TDEE runs around 2500-2600 depending on who you ask). I burned 700 calories today, so I need to eat 2750 calories today.

    Sorry to go off topic, but if you are working from tdee that includes your daily activity AND exercise so you don't eat back exercise cals unless your net falls below bmr, eating 2750 will put you above tdee which is a gain not a loss.

    You would eat back exercise using mfp calculations as their activity levels don't account for exercise.

    You are right! I keep forgetting TDEE includes my exercise calories! Thank you! :smile:

    No worries, all these different methods of working out cals can be confusing as hell sometimes!! I've done the tdee method since I started but only recently found out all the science behind it :-)
  • mitchL93
    mitchL93 Posts: 4
    Eat more to keep your metabolism working, and exercise/burn more. Like you're already similarly doing.

    i.e. take in 1800 and burn 600 leaving you 1200
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    You need to be burning 500 more calories/day than you eat...which is hard (that amounts to losing 1 lb per week if you can do it). I normally burn between 300-400 calories a day doing cardio...you CANNOT eat the calories you burn. MFP has me on the 1200 calories per day program also...and I usually eat between 800-1000 and then burn the 300-400 extra. If you're eating the calories you burn, you will see very little weight loss. "Coach Calorie" I think is his name, has an excellent website with great articles about this problem and how to get the weight loss going. Also, if you're only able to do about 20 minutes a day in light exercise, that definitely will make a difference. I do at least 65 minutes/day 5-6 times per week. And like several others have mentioned....DRINK AT LEAST 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY. And you may need to eat more, but you also it sounds like need to work in more exercise. It's hard to lose without a good work out program, but that's just how it works for me. Everyone is different.

    This is absolutely wrong!!

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