Okay...need help, please. This is getting ridiculous.

FireTigerSoul

I usually get confused reading answers on the forum because there are so many different conflicting opinions on calories and whatnot, but I really need help. I don't know what to do. If I could find someone who has been in the same situation, that would be awesome.

I've been on here since January 2012. Last year I ate 1200 calories and did mostly cardio 5 times a week. I ate back exercise calories only when I was hungry enough to eat them. I lost about 16 lbs and countless inches. (It would have been more, but last summer was tough for me and I didn't exactly stay on track during those months).

December 2012 I stalled out. January 2013, I read IPOARM and decided to increase my calories to 1600. I changed my workout routine to cardio and strength training (pilates and other low-impact exercises, though. Can't handle anything more due to health issues), cardio 3x a week, ST 3x a week.

Since January, I have gained 10 lbs on the scale. So obviously, no weight loss. No inch loss, either. Pictures look the exact same, except I think I see a slightly higher butt, but....that's it. No changes whatsoever. Clothes fitting the same.

I FEEL like I can feel more muscles in my thighs, but maybe I'm just so desperate to see a change that I'm just finding things that were there before.

I dropped down to 1500 about a week and a half ago. No change. I want to drop down to 1200, but I keep hearing from everybody how bad and horrible it is. I just don't know what to do! This is getting ridiculous.

Should I drop down to 1200, since I know that this works for me? I have CFS/ME, and I'm worried that maybe this means I have a lower caloric need as a result. I have no insurance, so I can't afford to go to the doctor and have my thyroid checked.



Stats: 4'11, 150 lbs(current, includes weight gain), pretty sedentary (student), with the exception of 40 minutes exercise 6x a week. Calculators online show my BF to be around 29%.

I am VERY careful about my calories (accuracy), and I use a HRM, so I'm not overestimating on calories burned. Thanks.

kris4chloe

my suggestion would be to try a middle road. i agree 1200 is not enough, but 1600 may just be a tad to much? so try 1400?

head over to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ and run some of the numbers, figure out your goal etc. how much are you looking to lose or what are your goals? fat loss? etc

leafstucker16

Are you only doing cardio? I would try mixing in weights with the cardio, for the last 5 years I was always only doing cardio and while the scale would go down a bit it would creep back up. I noticed the biggest change when I started doing weights and cardio 2 months ago. I seem to get bigger losses on the scale and I can notice muscle where I have never had it before.

You don't just have to do free weights though, I didn't like doing them at first because it was a little intimidating. My favorite machine is actually cable based and I have seen huge improvements from using it. It looks something very similar to this:

http://greensandcoffeebeans.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cables.jpg

What does MFP suggest for your calorie range?

FireTigerSoul

my suggestion would be to try a middle road. i agree 1200 is not enough, but 1600 may just be a tad to much? so try 1400?

head over to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ and run some of the numbers, figure out your goal etc. how much are you looking to lose or what are your goals? fat loss? etc

I've run so many numbers in the past 3 months. They range from 1400-1700, and I don't know which one is correct. I tried 1600, I'm trying 1500...will subtracting 100 more really make a difference?

FireTigerSoul

Are you only doing cardio? I would try mixing in weights with the cardio, for the last 5 years I was always only doing cardio and while the scale would go down a bit it would creep back up. I noticed the biggest change when I started doing weights and cardio 2 months ago. I seem to get bigger losses on the scale and I can notice muscle where I have never had it before.

You don't just have to do free weights though, I didn't like doing them at first because it was a little intimidating. My favorite machine is actually cable based and I have seen huge improvements from using it. It looks something very similar to this:

http://greensandcoffeebeans.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cables.jpg

What does MFP suggest for your calorie range?

As I stated in my post, I now do cardio and ST. I can't lift weights at the moment...I can only do low-impact body weight exercises due to health issues.

MFP suggests 1200 to lose .9 lbs per week.

digitalsteel

My personal experience has led me to advise people with this kind of problem to spend less time looking at the total number of calories and more time on where those calories come from.

3dogsrunning

It's really really hard to give advice without being able to see your diary.

aquapup

I'm 5'3" and I can lose weight pretty easily at 1200 calories. I usually do cycles where I eat at 1200 with the same philosophy as you on exercise calories for about 2 weeks, then I eat maintenance calories (for me 1500 - 1600) calories for about 2 weeks or so for a break, or more typically stop tracking food all together during my break. I usually gain a few pounds if I don't track my calories at all, but I have found I can lose it again as long as I keep working out even when I am not tracking (metabolism stays ramped up maybe?). We are in the short category height-wise so while I am not a medical professional, I think it makes some sense that we shouldn't be eating for example, the same calories as someone 6' (aka my husband who can eat much more than me and burn many more calories than me in the same amount of time!) I'd be interested in what you are hearing about why 1200 calories is bad.

FireTigerSoul

I understand that being patient is part of the game, but 3 months without any kind of change is just ridiculous.

3dogsrunning

I understand that being patient is part of the game, but 3 months without any kind of change is just ridiculous.

So that is a no for opening the food diary?

emmacssmith

I just dropped my cals back down to 1200 too... I think it's enough and I think you're doing the right thing- just eat when you're hungry and trust your body to tell you when you're going too hard.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Do you weigh your food using a food scale and measure free-pouring liquids? Enter your own recipes?

Your height may mean you have to eat less calories. I'd try 1400 for awhile and see where that gets you. But first make sure you're logging accurately.


edited for spelling

Django1977

Hey there,

I would say you lost fat and gained muscle.

You should open your diary for others (so you can´t cheat on yourself hehe)

Did you tried a skincaliper measurement. Its the easiest way to see changes in body composition.

I would say by your amount of cardio and strength training you shouldn´t go to 1200 kcal / day. The calorie calculator from Scooby -> http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ when I set your age at 25 (sorry I don´t know your exact age) says that your BMR is about 1462 kcal / day and when you exercise about 3 - 5 hrs /week moderate exercise and you want to reduce your calories by 20% you should eat about 1800 kcal/day. Maybee you should rest 1 - 2 days (weekend?????) Maybee you doing too much????

Django.

Feel free to add me as a friend

missymakayla

I too was getting confused about the cal intake..Mine is 1200, and i know it sounds low, but it works for me..I think everyone is different. I would try dropping down to 1200(if that's what MFP says) and if you feel really hungry add 100 cal at a time until you feel full, but at the same time can still lose weight.... Good Luck!!!!!!!

mmddwechanged

my suggestion would be to try a middle road. i agree 1200 is not enough, but 1600 may just be a tad to much? so try 1400?

head over to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ and run some of the numbers, figure out your goal etc. how much are you looking to lose or what are your goals? fat loss? etc

^^. I like this. But first I would suggest you stick with 1500 a bit longer just to see what happens. For learning I think it's best to not keep changing. Also, it sounds like you are the same measurement dispite gaining ten pounds correct? If so way to go you!!!

mountaingirl2207

What types of foods make up your 1500 calories? For me, I have to keep my body guessing. If I eat the same amount every day, I don't go anywhere. So if I'm really hungry one day I'll have a 2000 calorie day, but then another day I'll do 1000 or so. The key for me is to listen to what my body is telling me. I also try to make all the calories count. I jump started my weight loss on low Carb so that Icould break my Carb habit. That was the best thing I could have done I think... now I eat carbs but not ALL carbs. Eat whole grains, lean protein, lots of veggies. Make everything count. You are really tiny and with your health issues you might need to tweak for a while to figure out what works.

julieharrell1

I am losing weight on 1200 calories a day. I feel great. I have been in a situation similar to yours. People have always told me I needed to eat more calories, but I NEVER lose weight by eating more. I always gain or stay the same. I think that too much of the advice out there is geared toward men who want to gain muscle. Muscle is good for women too, but it adds weight (at first anyway). Keep experimenting until you find your sweet spot. You want to have enough to eat and feel good, but lose at least 1 to 2 pounds per week. Everybody is different.

jesz124

That is a big gain to be fair. I don't think thats normal if you are doing as you've said you are (eating at a deficit and exercising). If anyone comes onto this thread and tells the OP it's ok, it must be muscle weight I will literally scream at my laptop. This won't help but any hooo. OP, silly question but, I presume you always weight at the same time of the day (morning, naked, empty bladder and before eating is best) and always with the scale in the same place (a flat smooth surface). If you are being truthful I cannot account for a 10lb gain...a few pounds, yes, easy to explain away.

Trilby16

How is 1200 horrible? You say you did it last year and it worked for you. There are a lot of people here who like to tell everyone else what to do. But metabolism is not one-size-fits-all. Maybe a large young man could not survive on 1200 but many ladies can and do. It depends.

jesz124

I am losing weight on 1200 calories a day. I feel great. I have been in a situation similar to yours. People have always told me I needed to eat more calories, but I NEVER lose weight by eating more. I always gain or stay the same. I think that too much of the advice out there is geared toward men who want to gain muscle. Muscle is good for women too, but it adds weight (at first anyway). Keep experimenting until you find your sweet spot. You want to have enough to eat and feel good, but lose at least 1 to 2 pounds per week. Everybody is different.

Muscle is needed by men and women. more muscle equals higher metabolic rate, equals in the long run you can eat more and not regain weight. Eating at 1200 and just doing cardio will not help maintain your lean muscle mass. That's why people recommend against it, not because the site is geared towards men who want to gain muscle.

cwolfman13

Go to fat2fit radio and figure out your BMR. You can eat that and then eat back exercise calories or...personally, I'd tack on about 100 calories to your BMR (as you are obviously doing more than sleeping) and eat back exercise calories. If you know your BF % you can get a more accurate BMR calculation using the Katch McCardle formula...but the other will suffice as well. Usually KM is about 70-80ish calories less than the other, more frequently used BMR formula.

Also, if you were eating back exercise calories at 1,600...probably too many calories. Most people who up like that are using the TDEE method and do not eat back exercise calories (per the MFP method). If you were eating back calories at 1,600 calories, it was probably way too much, and thus the weight gain.

1,200 plus exercise calories is enough for some...much depends on your personal stats...current weight, height, etc. If MFP says you'll lose .9 lbs per week at 1,200 calories, I imagine you are pretty short and/or maybe don't have a lot of weight to lose. I generally caution against the 1,200 calorie diet because so many don't know or understand what their BMR is and so many people do 1,200 and do endless cardio but don't eat back calories...so they net 500 calories per day or whatever, which is very unhealthy. 1,200 may very well be viable for you provided you are eating most of your exercise calories back...but again, I'd figure out BMR first.

Also, how much weight do you have to lose? Are you already at a healthy BF% and weight? If so, it can be very, very difficult to drop anymore...your body has a point where a certain weight and BF% is just what your body likes. Once you get to that point, to really do much more and make body comp changes, you really have to watch your diet in RE to what you're feeding yourself, not just calories. I'm finding this to be true still being just slightly overweight and on the cusp of a healthy BF%...my body just wants to fight to hold onto this little bit of extra fat. You may want to look at adjusting your macros ratios, particularly if you are carb heavy and a lot of those carbs are coming from simple sugars and refined white flour stuffs. You may want to try a 40/30/30 ratios...it has worked really well for me; most of my carbs come from veg, fruit, and some whole grains....junk food is minimal, but I don't deprive myself either.

Lastly, you mentioned a medical condition...are you on medication? A lot of medications will lower your metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight and basically throwing all of these BMR/TDEE formulas out the window because those formulas are based on the average person of such and such stats. I got put on a med back in January and my weight loss came to a screeching halt. It took me a few weeks to figure out it was my meds and determine that it lowered my metabolism by about 10%...so before meds, I maintained at around 2,700...now I maintain around 2,400 with the meds being the only difference.

funhouse77

At 4ft 11, you'll be fine on 1200 calories.

ChristiCare

A thyroid test is not that expensive, you are only doing more damage if it isnt working properly...

Also I am 5' 9'' and my Dr has me on 1200 calories and 22-24 grams a fat a day, with excercise

aliciapenny

What types of foods make up your 1500 calories? For me, I have to keep my body guessing. If I eat the same amount every day, I don't go anywhere. So if I'm really hungry one day I'll have a 2000 calorie day, but then another day I'll do 1000 or so. The key for me is to listen to what my body is telling me. I also try to make all the calories count. I jump started my weight loss on low Carb so that Icould break my Carb habit. That was the best thing I could have done I think... now I eat carbs but not ALL carbs. Eat whole grains, lean protein, lots of veggies. Make everything count. You are really tiny and with your health issues you might need to tweak for a while to figure out what works.

^^^ Ican't help but eyeroll at that. Your body doesn't respond to guessing if it will get fed. Chances are your average calories for the week is why it responded. If your weekly average calories is lower than your TDEE then you will lose.

Dulcemami4ever

Everyone's body is different. Maybe her body does not respond to eating a higher amount of calories. 1200 calories is fine AS LONG as you are eating ALL of your calories back from exercise. Do not go under 1200. A lot of people promote eating more because why eat less when you can still lose weight eating more? Which is understandable and makes complete sense. However SOME people are different. If eating at 1200 calories helps you lose weight and you are being healthy about it (eating your exercise calories back) then go for it. Do what works for you and your body. Just be healthy and safe.

jesz124

I can see exactly where this thread is heading, the 1200'ers are already circling and ready to dive, so as I am in quite a pleasant mood tonight I shall exit the thread at this point, OP I do hope you solve your problem, best of luck to you my lovely x

fiona2785

The thing that strikes me, is that getting so hung up on numbers and making sweeping statements such as '1200 cals is not enough', is that you're not taking your height into account. You're 4' 11" - surely you need less food that someone of, say, 5' 7" (my height). I take in between 1500 and 1600 cals daily and lose. If I took in 1900-2000 cals daily I wouldn't lose, yet someone 8 inches taller than me probably would.

You know what works for you. If you feel OK, go with it.

LokiOfAsgard

You do what works for you, everyone's metabolism is different and maybe you only need 1,200. The only thing bad about 1,200 is that's the minimum of calories created by professionals yada yada. But if that's all your body needs, that's all your body needs. Upping your calories hasn't work, so I say lower them back down and see if you see change.

jfrankic

Just guessed on your age (23) but here are your estimates....

BMR - 1421
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) - 1772
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) - 2031
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) - 2289
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) - 2548

Exercising 6x a week puts you at LEAST moderately active, so your tdee is 2289. Take 20% cut and that puts you around 1800 daily goal. 1200 would be too low based on your numbers.

Something doesn't add up if you've gained 10 pounds but clothes still fit same. Perhaps you weighed you the day after working out, had water weight, used a different scale, weighed at a different time of the day, etc? Do you have before and after photos?

aliciapenny

If you aren't seeing results your diet is off. You either are not using the correct calorie goal or you are not weighing all of your food properly. Measuring is not accurate. You must weigh.

Contrary to the excuses posted here everyone is not different. The basic laws apply to everyone.

ChristiCare

I agree opeing the diary would be very helpful. Tracking is such a huge part of maybe acheiving your goals...maybe food suggestions would be a great help to you..