The 1200 Calorie Plateau

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Replies

  • mom2dms
    mom2dms Posts: 152 Member
    My first reaction is that if you are on 1200 calories for the day and burn anywhere from 700-900 per workout, you need to be eating back MORE than 100 calories, otherwise your body is in starvation mode. Secondly, how are you calculating your calorie burn? I found that when I started to use a HRM my burns were nowhere near what MFP was estimating..so be sure that what you think you're burning, you actually are...that will certainly affect how and what you lose.

    High protein low carb and sugar is key..make sure you are getting all your protein in, since your body needs it to burn fat.


    Good luck
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    I wish this mystical 'road map' end run around science worked for me. In June I averaged 1350 calories a day and lost 9 lbs. In July, just due to holidays and events, I averaged 1800 and lost nothing. Which is about what I lost last time I tried 1800. I don't ever have a 1200 calorie plateau, I have an 1800 calorie plateau.

    Even the road map has to be adjusted. Depending on your situation, you might have to decrease the calories by 200 calories. It doesn't mean you have to eat 1800 calories and if that doesn't work, you have to go back to 1200 calories. You might find that 1600 calories suit you just as much. Also, even formula's such as katch mcardle/harris benedict are based on the average. If you have done LCD for a long time, more than likely you have a suppressed metabolism. It may be that you have less lean body mass than the average person your age. Other hormonal issues affect things too, such as premenopausal, or even menopausal, PCOS, Hypothyroidism, etc.. they all have an affect.

    You're probably right about 1600 being a good plan for Aug. I'm sure I don't have a suppressed metabolism from a month at 1350. LOL And my BMR and LBM and hormones must be pretty average because I tend to lose at just the rate Fitbit predicts, which is also based on the standard BMR calcs.
  • mmoyer1978
    mmoyer1978 Posts: 124 Member
    I'm going to go a couple of weeks at the "road map" thing and see where it takes me. Though I have NO IDEA how I'm going to cope with eating that many calories again. I'm sure I'll enjoy it but it's going to feel VERY VERY wrong. Wish me luck.

    I started the road map two and 1/2 weeks ago. I was appalled at the amount of food I had to eat, but I have never felt better. First week I lost 1.2 pounds and this morning I had lost 1.9 pounds. It flies in the face of everything I have ever tried in the past. I am never hungry, have plenty of energy and continue to lose! It is mind boggling! I hope it continues to work. Intellectually I understand the concept - but my "fat" part of my mind still believes you have to starve to lose. Go figure! Best of luck.

    Praise the LORD! I am REALLY freaked out about eating more. I talked to my go-to fitness nut at work and she looked at me like I was bananas. But she weighs 118lbs and looks PERFECT. She herself admits she has never had to know what it's like to take of weight in the numbers I need to. I figure I've got nothing to lose but weight. If it doesn't work, I try something else. EVERYONE here has given a lot of great suggestions and a lot for me to think about. Thank you, ALL!
  • o2bADyer
    o2bADyer Posts: 208
    I think your body is going through a starvation period. Maybe increase the number of calories you're actually eating...just a thought. Good luck!! :smile:
  • ReneeJ814
    ReneeJ814 Posts: 72 Member
    My advice would be to forget the scale for awhile and take measurements. You may not be losing weight because you're increasing muscle mass, but you're still losing fat. I have just come off a 6 week plateau, and even though I didn't lose any weight during those 6 weeks, I lost 2% body fat and 4 inches. I know the scale is important and it's so easy to get caught up with the scale not moving; but the good news is that you're still getting smaller and that's all we really want, right? Besides, you've lost a significant amount of weight already, so your body is just being stubborn. Right now it's a battle of wills between you and your body. One of the 2 has to give up eventually, and it won't be you! Keep up the great work!
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    You don't have to exercise less, but I would try eating your exercise calories back or upping your calories. Right now if you are eating 1200 calories, burning 700 and only eating 100 back, your body is trying to run on 600 calories, that's not enough.

    I would suggest reading this
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12?hl=<span class=

    DITTO!!!! He saved me! :) I've lost 4 lbs since the beginning of the month and 2 weeks of that was my body readjusting to the calorie intake.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    There is a machine at the gym called a cross trainer (or arc trainer depending on who you ask). I kid you not it burns 550 calories off me (HRM) in 30min. I then follow up with about half an hour on the treadmill or 45min on a recumbent bike. I only workout for about an hour but it's an hour well spent.

    I think you are overestimating your cals burned. I'm 191lbs on a stair master the most I can burn in 30 mins on an aggressive interval workout is 400 cals, and I'm drenched in sweat. 550 in 30 min seems very high.

    Vary your workouts. If you do the same thing all the time, you burn less cals as the body get efficent at it.

    I would also eat more.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Praise the LORD! I am REALLY freaked out about eating more.

    I know how you feel, I felt the same way. But let me ask you a question: Do you want to hit your "goal" weight and still be fat? Or would you rather be lean and toned? At what you are eating now, your body is consuming muscle along with the fat. Fat is burned in muscles. You are losing your ability to burn fat, and you'll still be flabby. Even worse, start eating again you will gain it all back and have less lean body mass than when you started.

    Eat more, but make sure it is lean protean and veggies.
  • crimsontech
    crimsontech Posts: 234 Member
    I sent you a rather long private message to try and help you out. I was bouncing around between 292-295 for 3-4 months myself and I found a "magic" supplement that seems to be doing the trick, as I am now down to 284.6 as of this morning. I started taking it during the first week of July and after about 7-10 days the scale started dropping like crazy. I have considered that plateau busted... if this weight loss stops again it will be a new plateau. :P
  • YoYo1951
    YoYo1951 Posts: 370
    bump to come back to, I like the sound of the roadmap
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    I rcently used (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and upped my calories to 2000 -- this includes 3-5 days exercise/week. I don't eat back calories because it's added in.

    I've lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks.

    who woulda thunk it...I am losing weight and eating more!!

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