Busting my butt but the scales not moving

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Replies

  • Ok I'm confused, if we eat 1200 a day then workout it gives us more calories remaining but if we choose not to eat more we will lose weight? I pretty much avg 1200 or a little less and then workout so I always have remaining calories but I've only lost 8lbs since Jan 3rd. Should I exercise more? And sometimes I find myself hungry should I increase my cal as long as I workout?

    If you're eating 1200 then exercising you should probably eat back most of those exercise calories. 1200 is the net goal, so if you're not eating them back that's probably why you're hungry.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Ok I'm confused, if we eat 1200 a day then workout it gives us more calories remaining but if we choose not to eat more we will lose weight? I pretty much avg 1200 or a little less and then workout so I always have remaining calories but I've only lost 8lbs since Jan 3rd. Should I exercise more? And sometimes I find myself hungry should I increase my cal as long as I workout?

    Don't go below 1200. It's really not healthy. Your body needs those calories to keep you standing up, breathing and digesting your food. You can survive at less for a while, but it will have a negative impact on your body. If the body perceives an extreme food shortage, it will reduce it's energy expenditure, effectively slowing your metabolism and making it harder, not easier, to lose weight.

    A healthy way to lose weight is to figure out all the calories you burn in a day - including all activity, exercise and non-exercise, commonly referred to as TDEE - and then eat 20% fewer calories.

    For example, my TDEE is anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000 Calories. So I eat between 2,000 and 2,400 Calories. If I have a really busy day, running before breakfast, taking my daughter to the park in the morning, lots of DIY in the afternoon, then playing on the Wii with my stepson in the evening, perhaps I'll burn as much as 3,500 Calories - in that case I adjust my intake to compensate - eat around 2,800 Calories.

    I still lose weight. I eat well. I feel healthy.
  • Kennkaru
    Kennkaru Posts: 210 Member
    Why do people without a grasp on correctly using > and < use them at all?
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I am 29. 5'2" and 157 lbs. I eat >1200 calories a day and exercise three times a day burning approx 3000 calories but the scale has only moved three pounds since 1/17. I have lost approx 11 inches over all ( thrilled!!) but why isnt the number on the scale dropping?

    go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ work out your TDEE WITH your exercise calories added in, set it to lose fat - 5% as you have so little to lose and eat your calories :flowerforyou:
  • CarmenSandiegoInVA
    CarmenSandiegoInVA Posts: 235 Member
    Eating less than 1200 cals a day is not healthy, unless directed by a doctor you are not losing weight because your body is holding onto everything that you are eating. Be careful with that or you will wind up in the hospital.
  • Cese27
    Cese27 Posts: 626 Member
    I'm honestly not sure if this is a serious thread,for the op sake I really hope it's a wind up
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Ok I'm confused, if we eat 1200 a day then workout it gives us more calories remaining but if we choose not to eat more we will lose weight? I pretty much avg 1200 or a little less and then workout so I always have remaining calories but I've only lost 8lbs since Jan 3rd. Should I exercise more? And sometimes I find myself hungry should I increase my cal as long as I workout?

    If you're eating 1200 then exercising you should probably eat back most of those exercise calories. 1200 is the net goal, so if you're not eating them back that's probably why you're hungry.

    ^^^ What she said.

    If you are using the MFP system properly then you'll see the following -

    Calorie intake - Exercise Calories = Net Calories

    You want your Net Calories to equal your Goal Calories (1,200 in your case by the sound of it).

    If your goal is higher than 1,200, then you can get away going moderately under it. But when you are operating at the baseline, you really shouldn't go lower.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    I'm honestly not sure if this is a serious thread,for the op sake I really hope it's a wind up

    If it is, then they certainly succeeded. It really must be either shenanigans or someone with no clue how to track food and exercise.
  • Mrs_Fit
    Mrs_Fit Posts: 86 Member
    Maybe you've added a lot of muscle mass.

    NO. You will only gain significant amounts of muscle eating at surplus. Which clearly you are NOT. Am I correct in understand that you are netting in the negative everyday? You are not eating enough. That's why you haven't lost much weight. Your body isn't going to shed pounds if it's afraid it may not get to eat tomorrow, or all week, or goodness knows when.

    I suggest you ALWAYS net at 1200 or above. Prepare for possible health issues and an almost certain protein deficiency if you don't (splitting/cracking/peeling fingernails, bad hair and skin)

    PS. Eating at such a large deficit plus your steep exercise deficit is actually going to cause you to LOSE lean body mass.

    ^ ^ This^ ^
  • LadyBirdGo
    LadyBirdGo Posts: 39 Member
    it hasn't even been 3 weeks yet. 3 lbs in less than 3 weeks is damn good. no problem with that!
  • marsha3x
    marsha3x Posts: 8 Member
    By the way, muscle and fat weight the same. I don't know why people keep saying muscle weighs more. Muscle does light up your metabolism and you burn more calories at rest with more muscle mass. Eat girl, you have to eat to lose!

    No!!!! Muscle has a higher density than fat! Therefore if you put fat in a 1 liter bottle and muscle in a different 1 liter bottle the muscle one would weigh more. This is science. It's irrefutable.

    Honest to God. This forum drives me crazy!

    People like to believe that other people are stupid, and so when someone says "muscle weighs more than fat" they hear "one pound of muscle weighs more than one pound of fat", instead of "muscle weighs more than an equal volume of fat".

    I don't think there is a single person on MFP that would believe that one pound of anything would weight more than one pound of anything else. But people don't like to let that get in the way of a good nitpick.

    Tell that to the people still trying to figure out the age old riddle, "You have 1 pound of bricks, and 1 pound of feathers. Which one is heavier?" - LoL!!
  • TrishLG
    TrishLG Posts: 173 Member
    Jane Fonda use to say that she weighed the same as in college, but was a lot smaller.
    Apparently you are building lean muscle mass. I would settle for that.
    However, I do think that you are exercizing too much. Maybe not, for you to decide.
    Are you getting your calories mostly from vegetables, so you are eating nutritionally dense food?
    If you know that you are doing it right, settle for that.

    One tip, eat the carbs earlier in the day. It gets the fires burning.
    Also exercise early in the day, the body utilizes both food and exercise better early in the day.
    I did high protein diets, tolerated the bad breath, but could not tolerate always being cold.
    High protein is easier to stick to, but the fires are banked.
  • mom2handh1975
    mom2handh1975 Posts: 224 Member
    EAT ALREADY! I know this from experience. I struggled for 2 months to lose barely 4 pounds. I got sick and can't work out right now, and although I'm eating 1500 calories per day, I've lost 3 pounds this week alone. With NO exercise. I was busting my @$$ at the gym and eating under goal every day and saw nothing happening. You really need to give your body adequate nutrition. Once you do, you will see results. Good luck!
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Jane Fonda use to say that she weighed the same as in college, but was a lot smaller.
    Apparently you are building lean muscle mass. I would settle for that.
    However, I do think that you are exercizing too much. Maybe not, for you to decide.
    Are you getting your calories mostly from vegetables, so you are eating nutritionally dense food?
    If you know that you are doing it right, settle for that.

    One tip, eat the carbs earlier in the day. It gets the fires burning.
    Also exercise early in the day, the body utilizes both food and exercise better early in the day.
    I did high protein diets, tolerated the bad breath, but could not tolerate always being cold.
    High protein is easier to stick to, but the fires are banked.

    Carbs in the morning.. carbs in the evening... exercise in the morning or the evening... all works out the same.

    And please, all future responders.... she is NOT BUILDING ANY MUSCLE! The OP is eating 1200 cals a day and exercising off 2000. Muscle growth needs calories to which the OP is getting NONE!
  • acurington
    acurington Posts: 5 Member
    :smile:
  • Cese27
    Cese27 Posts: 626 Member
    To anyone who is saying she is building muscle please stop it as she isn't at all.jeez
  • acurington
    acurington Posts: 5 Member
    Ok I'm confused, if we eat 1200 a day then workout it gives us more calories remaining but if we choose not to eat more we will lose weight? I pretty much avg 1200 or a little less and then workout so I always have remaining calories but I've only lost 8lbs since Jan 3rd. Should I exercise more? And sometimes I find myself hungry should I increase my cal as long as I workout?

    If you're eating 1200 then exercising you should probably eat back most of those exercise calories. 1200 is the net goal, so if you're not eating them back that's probably why you're hungry.


    Thank you I really wasn't sure how this works, and no I haven't been eating them back because I thought that was the goal. So whatever I have remaking I can eat and my net should be 1200 and I'm good as long as my remaining is not in the negative.

    You're a big help, I always use the app and this is my first time on the website and seeing this blog.
  • nicolemiranda
    nicolemiranda Posts: 1 Member
    I'm in almost the exact same place as you, I'm doing Jillian michaels 90 day body revolution and I just finished my first month 6 workouts a week not missed a single one yet, I eat 1200 calories a day, each workout I do burns around 650 calories. I've lost inches but the lbs aren't really going anywhere. Only lost 8 in a month:( I'm 5'2 144. I'm kinda ok with my results so far bc of the inches lost but when she's saying I should be loosing 5lbs a week it gets frustrating, and my calorie intake is all good foods I'd just about kill for a French fry lol. I was glad to see your post so I know I'm not alone.
  • To anyone who is saying she is building muscle please stop it as she isn't at all.jeez

    ^ He is wise, listen to him.
  • acurington
    acurington Posts: 5 Member
    Ok I'm confused, if we eat 1200 a day then workout it gives us more calories remaining but if we choose not to eat more we will lose weight? I pretty much avg 1200 or a little less and then workout so I always have remaining calories but I've only lost 8lbs since Jan 3rd. Should I exercise more? And sometimes I find myself hungry should I increase my cal as long as I workout?

    If you're eating 1200 then exercising you should probably eat back most of those exercise calories. 1200 is the net goal, so if you're not eating them back that's probably why you're hungry.

    ^^^ What she said.

    If you are using the MFP system properly then you'll see the following -

    Calorie intake - Exercise Calories = Net Calories

    You want your Net Calories to equal your Goal Calories (1,200 in your case by the sound of it).

    If your goal is higher than 1,200, then you can get away going moderately under it. But when you are operating at the baseline, you really shouldn't go lower.



    Thank you I got it now, with that being said I am able to eat more on the days I exercise and steady at 1200 on the days I don't and I will still lose weight. Sometimes if I exercise I have been eating some of my exercise cal but never really net 1200. I am 220 now and due to arthritis the only real exercise I do is walking and walking on treadmill. I use runtastic pedometer which counts my steps and automatically imports to mfp and when I walk on treadmill I don't add in cal burned from treadmill, only the steps and I'm not sure if that's correct either
  • bradfordjob
    bradfordjob Posts: 5 Member
    to start with you are not eating enough. if you are only eating 1200 calories a day and burning 3000 calories and working out three times a day you need to eat more. You body is under a lot of stress. Its probably going into starvation mode. i would suggest eating a little more
  • Rodderick89
    Rodderick89 Posts: 205 Member
    I am eating approx 1200 calories a day. I am exercising and burning approx 2000 a day so yes that would put me around -800 a day. Thats why I am frustrated but I know all good things take time

    Ahh nooo! Look up "In place of a road map" on the general diet/weightloss thread asap!!!

    -800 calories a day?!! Your vital organs need calories to function!