What is up? Not eating enough?

jenzimmer

Question. I have been working out like CRAZY and adding like 500 more calories per day because of this. I am set up to eat about 1200 calories per day. I have not been eating all of my calories on most days. I was not good last weekend and as of today am up 1 pound. :grumble: Even though my weight in day is Friday. So I have been working out extra hard and being very careful of what I eat this week. BUT I still haven't lost the 1 pound for last weekend. Could it be because I'm not eating enough? Any advice or thoughts? Thanks!

knottylibrarian

It is a possibility, when your body isn't getting enough food, the your cells will hang on to what ever fat you get and store them for later--so I hear.

Also, I saw on your ticker that you are trying to lose a small amount of weight--I am in the same boat and find it very difficult to lose weight after the initial 5 lbs. People on this site told me that if I had like 100 lbs to lose, the first several pounds would seem to "melt."

I would suggest eating your goal---and if you're not hungry enough, drink something with calories to meet your calories for the day.

mfinney

It can absolutely be due to not eating enough. Starvation (even though you may not feel like you're starving) is just as detrimental to your body as overeating. You have to find balance and eat enough. Be realistic in inputting your body info, activity type, and whatnot and take the calorie baseline seriously, and try like crazy to eat your exercise calories. There's a science behind all this that cannot be ignored if you want a healthy body. There are lots of posts on this subject, but if you need more help tailoring yourself, let me know.

Matt

SHBoss1673

You are the only one who can determine that. With less then 10 lbs to lose, you need a pretty small weekly goal. Somewhere around 1/2 lb a week, otherwise you're probably trying to lose too much too fast. If you exercise make sure, at your current weight, that you are eating back at least most of your exercise calories, your body doesn't have the fat reserves to support a large deficit and it will end up severely restricting your ability to lose fat, with a large deficit you'll end up burning off muscle and leeching calcium from your bones, which is something you don't want to happen.

135gratitude

I am having the same thing happen - working out like crazy (some days a 40 min. run and an hour at the gym of strength and cardio) and I have only lost 3 lbs in 3 weeks. The first week I GAINED 3 lbs!

SHBoss and others have really stressed the small goal/ adequate calories theory - so I am going to switch from a 2 lb/week goak to 1 lb/week goal.

With very little to lose, you might also want to only weigh yourself once a month. I have put my scale away until July 31st. When losing 0.5 lb to 1 lb per week, that can be masked with water/fluid retention, in the muslces, etc. Why put yourself through the stress/disappointment?

As SHBoss and others have said, maybe try striving for a 250-500 total daily calorie deficit - I am on day two of trying this, and I feel like I now get to eat a TONNE of food!!! I know it seems counterintuitive, but it's worth a shot, right?!

Good luck!
Betty
:flowerforyou:

hasiangirl

u have very little to lose and thats the hardest weight to lose....when i was down to that amount to lose a long time ago i had to change everything....my eating not so much although i did lower my carb intake aside from veggies and fruit....but u also have to change the work outs i think if ure doing the same ones every day

LivyJo

Are you using your "earned" calories? Or some of them at least? Or are you saying you are staying below 1200.
Use the Harris-Benedict equation to figure out if you are consuming enough calories. After your find out your result using this equation, then you would times it by 7 (for a week) and then subtract 3500 (for losing a lb), and then divide by 7.

For example: I weigh 180lbs. My daily caloric needs based on this equation is 2,482. That is to maintain my weight as it is today.
2,482x7 = 17,374 calories a week. - 5,250 (calories for 1.5 lbs - my weekly goal) = 12,124 weekly calories. 12,124/7 = 1732 calories a day to lose the weight at the rate I need.

It doesn't take into consideration your body make-up, so if you are leaner and muscular, you would need a few more calories, and if you are mainly fat then you would need a few less calories.

Hope it helps!

http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calorie-needs-women.htm

jenzimmer

Are you using your "earned" calories? Or some of them at least? Or are you saying you are staying below 1200.
Use the Harris-Benedict equation to figure out if you are consuming enough calories. After your find out your result using this equation, then you would times it by 7 (for a week) and then subtract 3500 (for losing a lb), and then divide by 7.

For example: I weigh 180lbs. My daily caloric needs based on this equation is 2,482. That is to maintain my weight as it is today.
2,482x7 = 17,374 calories a week. - 5,250 (calories for 1.5 lbs - my weekly goal) = 12,124 weekly calories. 12,124/7 = 1732 calories a day to lose the weight at the rate I need.

It doesn't take into consideration your body make-up, so if you are leaner and muscular, you would need a few more calories, and if you are mainly fat then you would need a few less calories.

Hope it helps!

http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calorie-needs-women.htm

Thank you! That's interesting. For the Harris-Benedict equation it says about 1400 calories to loose 1 pound per week. But in this site it's about 1200. So If I'm not eating all of my calories I'm way under! That would explain things becuase my body would be is starvation mode!!!! :ohwell: And I try to eat my exercise calories, but not always. It seems i'm about 200 less than I should be on average per day. I will try to get it closer and see if that helps. Thanks!