not losing with 1200 calorie plan

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  • Icelg
    Icelg Posts: 2
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    I had the same issue - stuck to my 1200 calorie plan but not losing anything except hope. I read other threads about eating more to boost my metabolism - I did, nothing - still stuck. HOWEVER...just within the last 2 weeks I changed something around which has resulted in 2 lbs since the change. I still eat the same amount, exercise the same amount, it's when I eat. My "old" habit was to eat something small for breakfast (yogurt, cup of cereal, etc.), eat light for lunch, enjoy dinner (heavy meal).

    The ONLY thing I changed....I now eat my 'big' meal for lunch and have a light breakfast and dinner. Staying awake after a big lunch at work can be a challenge, lol, but I've busted through my plateau.

    Give it a shot - you've only got weight to lose! : )
  • CharliesInCharge
    CharliesInCharge Posts: 278 Member
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    i do moderate exercise every other day and have been proud that i have been sticking to what calories i was supposed to have.
    Also checked out your exercise for the past week. I wouldn't say 15 min's of Calisthenics, home, light/moderate effort 62 calories burned is moderate.

    oh there you go ..

    inputing reality and facts and stuff into things.. :)
  • Farmerj2000
    Farmerj2000 Posts: 210 Member
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    i do moderate exercise every other day and have been proud that i have been sticking to what calories i was supposed to have.
    Also checked out your exercise for the past week. I wouldn't say 15 min's of Calisthenics, home, light/moderate effort 62 calories burned is moderate.

    oh there you go ..

    inputing reality and facts and stuff into things.. :)
    Just trying to help by pointing out the obvious.
  • JenniBaby85
    JenniBaby85 Posts: 855 Member
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    Maybe you need to eat more? Or maybe, just change up your exercise routine. Right now priority should be going to "how do you FEEL on this plan" because if you're tired and having trouble moving, you probably need more calories. But if you feel great and have a lot of energy, maybe it will just take time.
  • daisy22880
    daisy22880 Posts: 13 Member
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    I had the same issue - stuck to my 1200 calorie plan but not losing anything except hope. I read other threads about eating more to boost my metabolism - I did, nothing - still stuck. HOWEVER...just within the last 2 weeks I changed something around which has resulted in 2 lbs since the change. I still eat the same amount, exercise the same amount, it's when I eat. My "old" habit was to eat something small for breakfast (yogurt, cup of cereal, etc.), eat light for lunch, enjoy dinner (heavy meal).

    The ONLY thing I changed....I now eat my 'big' meal for lunch and have a light breakfast and dinner. Staying awake after a big lunch at work can be a challenge, lol, but I've busted through my plateau.

    Give it a shot - you've only got weight to lose! : )
  • Jojo1859
    Jojo1859 Posts: 58 Member
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    Ok, I'll be the first one to say it: EAT MORE, not less. Figure our your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and never eat below BMR. THere are a number of online calculators to help you figure out those two figures.

    This^
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    I don't think you should go under 1200 calories. Wish I had some other ideas for you. Perhaps don't eat back the calories you burn? I know someone said eat more. I've heard that works, but I've never really known anyone to do it.

    I do it. There are a lot of people who do it. Was I afraid to eat more? Absolutely, but eating at 1200 was doing nothing for me so I gave it a shot. I feel better, look better, and exercise better because of it.
  • daisy22880
    daisy22880 Posts: 13 Member
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    I had the same issue - stuck to my 1200 calorie plan but not losing anything except hope. I read other threads about eating more to boost my metabolism - I did, nothing - still stuck. HOWEVER...just within the last 2 weeks I changed something around which has resulted in 2 lbs since the change. I still eat the same amount, exercise the same amount, it's when I eat. My "old" habit was to eat something small for breakfast (yogurt, cup of cereal, etc.), eat light for lunch, enjoy dinner (heavy meal).

    The ONLY thing I changed....I now eat my 'big' meal for lunch and have a light breakfast and dinner. Staying awake after a big lunch at work can be a challenge, lol, but I've busted through my plateau.

    Give it a shot - you've only got weight to lose! : )

    that is exactly how i do it too! i eat "light" during the day and try to save most of calories for my dinner. i will try switching things around and see if that will help any! thanks!
  • daisy22880
    daisy22880 Posts: 13 Member
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    i really appreciate all the helpful and positive feedback i received. i will try some of the tips i received and check out the information. i was unaware of the BMR and TDEE, so this is def something i will b looking into. it's nice to have a place to go for support! THANKS!!!!
  • keacey
    keacey Posts: 16 Member
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    I tried to keep the 1200 cal diet for a couple of months now, and did not lose a pound. I came through a site which calculates BMR according to your activity level and calculates your calories for the day. I made sure i ate at least that much and sometimes a little more. And I kept my at least 40 minutes/day workout. I lost 2 lbs in 2 weeks. Now I want to eat more, and then workout. I ate ice creams and cake and I still lost weight. Eating less decreases your metabolism to burn fat, eat more than you need and then burn it off through workout. I'm no food expert, but this is my experience. 1200 cal diet doesn't work for me.
  • LoseYouself
    LoseYouself Posts: 249 Member
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    You're not eating enough. It seems counter productive, but we need to eat enough, or your body is just going to fight you the entire time and you won't feel your best. I've had personal experience with this. I lost a lot of weight 4 years ago (with calories ranging from 1200-1800) and have maintained that loss.. but I've had trouble losing weight since then. I'd just fluctuate up and down, despite sticking to my lower calorie goal. I tried cutting back even more.. and it always backfired. I couldn't lose with less calories. You want a caloric deficit, but not one that is TOO big. Ideally, you should eat at least your BMR, but less than your total daily energy expenditure which depends on age, weight, height, etc. You can figure out these with online calculators.

    However, I've recently learned about increasing calories for weight loss. There's lots of information on it here. I increased my calories up to 2000 a day (and I workout 4-5 days per week) with a little extra if I workout extra hard or workout an extra day. Ever since starting this only 4 weeks ago, I've lost 7 pounds. It doesn't make sense, but it works.. and trust me you feel A LOT better and have extra energy to workout. This is the most energy I've had for workouts in over a year. Search some threads for eating more to lose more.

    Good luck!
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
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    Well a couple of things, first how much do you weigh and what is your height?

    Really anyone offering advice without knowing your specifics, can't give you specific advice. So yes, in general, Eat More and Exercise More and eat healthier and gain some muscle tone by weight lifting and drink more water and ...does any of this actually help anyone? I don't think so.

    So let me offer no help also, drink more water. Every day I looked at in your diary shows you only drink about 5 cups a day, the MINIMUM recommended daily intake on MFP is 8 cups a day and most health organizations, like the Mayo Clinic, recommend around 11. Simply put, Water cleanses your cells and flushes excess away. You should drink water until your urine is clear, and then when you are thirsty or hungry, yes every meal should be preceded by a full glass of water. Now that I have pounded in the importance of water, especially in weight loss, the next issue is in your calorie estimation. These "homemade" entries, are they accurate? If there is any doubt about the weight or portion of an item, estimate HIGH. Additionally, when you exercise you should estimate Low. This will allow you a bit of latitude if your estimates are off.

    Hope that helps, although I doubt it is anything you did not already know.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    do this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    This! Read it and do what it says.

    You probably need to eat more than 1200. MFP sets that as the standard intake for most people and for most it is too low. If you need a hand figuring it out, send me a message - happy to help!

    Other tips:

    * Log absolutely everything. The more you do it the easier it wil get as your favourite foods will appear on your diary options so you can log quickly.
    * Never assume portion size - get a set of cheap kitchen scales and weigh everything - even the milk in your coffee. I used to eat muesli for breakfast, then realised what looked like a tiny portion was 500 calories - ouch!
    * Calories in, calories out. The time of day you eat does not matter - eat when is good for you. If this means six meals a day, three with snacks, whatever - do what works for you. I'm a nighttime snacker so I eat a light breakfast and lunch so I can have a snack after dinner.
    * Eat back your exercise calories - your body needs fuel, so feed it. One word of advice - the calorie burn estimations on MFP tend to be way out so unless you have a heart rate monitor (HRM) to check your calorie burn assume the calorie burn said by MFP is double what it should be.
    * You mention 'cheat' days. These are fine but be careful you don't undo all your hard midweek by blowing it at the weekends. If I'm having a cheat day food and drink wise I try to get in a lot of exercise on that day to offset it.
    * Aim for 1lb a week loss. It doesn't sound much but it will ensure you don't lose lean tissue, only fat, that you will not feel deprived and miserable... and it works and will stay off.
    * Measure yourself - often fat loss shows on the tape measure rather than the scales.

    As I said, if you need any support/help, give me a shout.

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