Why am I not losing on 1200cal per day?
Options
Replies
-
Another idea is to limit sodium to 2400mg a day...Decrease empty calories, eat LOTS of veggies, not potatoes, pasta, etc., add fruits, lean protein, and water and you should see a drop. Best of luck!
Yep, looking at what I am eating, I need to get rid of the potatoes and bread. Not much of a fruit eater but I can seriously up the veg. I think the 'empty' carbs have struck especially bread which is one of my many weaknesses. Although I am staying within calorie limits, I there is far greater proportion of starchy foods.
Thanks
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
Once I manage to get on an even keel I will look at sodium in terms of other health factors.0 -
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
What? You've never heard of high blood pressure or heart attacks? I'm am so totally confused by this entire thread.0 -
I didn't actually imply you are lying my dear. I simply stated that you likely are not telling the truth to yourself about how many calories you are eating. Lying is intentional, whereas not telling the truth can happen any number of ways.
Let me ask you something. How do you feel throughout the day? I have to track calories whenever I want to lose weight so far, because otherwise I don't eat enough. When I don't eat enough, my performance decreases because my work involves using my body to make music. My performance also decreases in my workouts.
Do you have energy? Do you feel hungry?
As for not wanting to measure food because of the way you cook, I can only say "how bad do you want this? Bad enough to learn a new way to cook and maybe have some simpler meals for a while?"
I say simpler, not boring, because I do know a few techniques for making something simple like a chicken breast, turkey breast, or pork loin taste absolutely splendid. But again, it involves taking measurements and absolute precision. In this case, with a digital meat thermometer.
While I appreciate the reply, please do not patronise me.
I think that after 30+ years of dieting, my body does its own thing. Just like many people cannot sleep if they drink coffee at night, I always wonder how much caffeine I have to take before I feel any effect at all. Like wise, not eating till noon or 1pm does not slow me down. No I dont feel tired or enervated. My energy levels are dependent upon my mood which is dependent upon what I have to do or what is going on in my day.
People describe carbohydrate crashes after eating chocolate or cakes, not me.
I do not exclude the possibility that I am going around in a carb induced fog but because it is my norm I don't know any different. This isn't a flippant remark as having excluded carbs when doing the Atkins diet it demonstrated to me that I was sensitive to something in the carb group. I woke up clear headed and with energy rather than my usual lethargy. A quick walk about sorts me out.
Whilst I want this and am committed to it I don't want it to the exclusion of having a good and happy lifestyle. I want to make changes that I can sustain. Weighting everything is not it for me.0 -
It's not just eating too little! I looked at your diary and it is what you are eating as well. You are eating a lot of beef brisket. You should try switching it to lean proteins such as chicken and turkey. Try tuna as well. Too much red meat is not a good thing for you either. Once or twice a week at most! And you are having too many carbs too. Too much bread will cause you not to lose weight also. Try having a "treat" meal once a week of whatever you'd like. I do that typically on Saturdays, and the rest of the week I stick to lots of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
OP has acknowledged that she is not eating enough calories. Why would you have her reduce her dietary fat consumption?
Or her carb consumption?
*sigh*
Thank you for actually reading my posts so you can see my conclusion. I am working on hitting the 1200 (which I didnt before) and pushing it up a 100 cals per week.
Im not sure if this is true, but I read on a link that the best way out of 'sticking' is to increase your cals gradually which is what I am trying to achieve.0 -
I didn't actually imply you are lying my dear. I simply stated that you likely are not telling the truth to yourself about how many calories you are eating. Lying is intentional, whereas not telling the truth can happen any number of ways.
Let me ask you something. How do you feel throughout the day? I have to track calories whenever I want to lose weight so far, because otherwise I don't eat enough. When I don't eat enough, my performance decreases because my work involves using my body to make music. My performance also decreases in my workouts.
Do you have energy? Do you feel hungry?
As for not wanting to measure food because of the way you cook, I can only say "how bad do you want this? Bad enough to learn a new way to cook and maybe have some simpler meals for a while?"
I say simpler, not boring, because I do know a few techniques for making something simple like a chicken breast, turkey breast, or pork loin taste absolutely splendid. But again, it involves taking measurements and absolute precision. In this case, with a digital meat thermometer.
While I appreciate the reply, please do not patronise me.
I think that after 30+ years of dieting, my body does its own thing. Just like many people cannot sleep if they drink coffee at night, I always wonder how much caffeine I have to take before I feel any effect at all. Like wise, not eating till noon or 1pm does not slow me down. No I dont feel tired or enervated. My energy levels are dependent upon my mood which is dependent upon what I have to do or what is going on in my day.
People describe carbohydrate crashes after eating chocolate or cakes, not me.
I do not exclude the possibility that I am going around in a carb induced fog but because it is my norm I don't know any different. This isn't a flippant remark as having excluded carbs when doing the Atkins diet it demonstrated to me that I was sensitive to something in the carb group. I woke up clear headed and with energy rather than my usual lethargy. A quick walk about sorts me out.
Whilst I want this and am committed to it I don't want it to the exclusion of having a good and happy lifestyle. I want to make changes that I can sustain. Weighting everything is not it for me.
30+ years of dieting?
at what point are you going to realize that some of us know what we're talking about? obviously whatever you're trying to do isn't, and HASN'T been working.
You asked a question. You got answers. But you're ignoring the answers. Your success or failure is entirely on you.
1200 calories does not cut it. Period. The end. And the poster you quoted is absolutely right in saying that if you haven't accomplished your goal after 30 years of trying, then you just don't want it badly enough. You just say you do and think you do.
That said, I really do wish you luck. I hope, for your sake, that we're all wrong.0 -
I would say that you are in "Starvation Mode" and your metabolic furnace has slowed down to a crawl.
When we don't take in the correct amount of calories that our specific body needs to maintain "homeostasis", or more simply in this case the amount needed to maintain the body's everyday ability to function, the brain believes that there must be a shortage of food. And when this happens the brain tells the body's metabolic furnace to slow down and allow the body to store whatever food is taken in. And I think that's what is happening in your case.
Your body is HOARDING THE FOOD YOU EAT and your body's metabolic furnace has slowed down to a crawl. Your body is burning only what it needs to stay alive. The rest is being stored until the perceived "food shortage" is over. It's quite possible that your specific metabolism requires more than 1200 calories a day just to maintain "homeostasis" or a "balance" in the body. Until I accepted this physiologic principle I remained in "Starvation Mode" and lost NOTHING. My body stored every tiny morsel I ate. But when I started eating...I started to lose.
And in my case since I am physically unable to do any "exercise" it proved to be the INCREASE in calories that caused my metabolic furnace to ignite and my body to begin losing the weight. Now, when I hit a weight loss plateau I increase my calories a little bit (a very LITTLE, about 200 extra calories/day) and the metabolic furnace turns up the thermostat, burns hotter, and I start losing again.
Try it. What have you got to lose but weight!!!
I have to agree with you. I am going to slowly increase my weekly calorie intake - some how.
Your reply sounds as if you have little or no hope of accomplishing this small but "fun" task of actually increasing your caloric intake. That tells me something here. Could you be a bit depressed about all of this? It can be overwhelming if permitted to be. Look at it as a challenge. You have the means. You have the knowledge. You have the support. Now...it's up to you. Do you really want it enough to do it? Record everything on MFP. And I mean EVERYTHING you eat even if it's just a morsel. If you need more calories .....EAT THEM. Get a "Smart Ones" frozen meal...they're around 200-300 calories each. EAT IT. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!
I could increase my calories in a heart beat: one Chicken Nambali followed by Nehari etc. I struggle to do it on lean meat and veg.
I do not eat pre prepared food such as you suggest just about everything I eat is cooked from whole ingredients by hubby or I - hence my struggle.0 -
30+ years of dieting?
at what point are you going to realize that some of us know what we're talking about? obviously whatever you're trying to do isn't, and HASN'T been working.
You asked a question. You got answers. But you're ignoring the answers. Your success or failure is entirely on you.
1200 calories does not cut it. Period. The end. And the poster you quoted is absolutely right in saying that if you haven't accomplished your goal after 30 years of trying, then you just don't want it badly enough. You just say you do and think you do.
That said, I really do wish you luck. I hope, for your sake, that we're all wrong.
THIS.
Seriously every time some one in this thread suggests something you shoot it down...
But oh you've been doing this for 30 years ? It's working really well isn't?0 -
yet another example of 1200 not working.
why do people still waste their time trying it?
"Yet another example of"... shortsighted thinking.
The answer to your question is:
Because everyone's body is different...that's why.
Everyone doesn't come in the same size and/or metabolic rate.
Because it may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
So please don't undermine someone else out there who's body DOES function properly on 1200 cal/day and who does lose weight on just 1200 calories/day.
Not everyone has the same lifestyle requiring the same caloric intake as everyone else.
Nope!
1200 Cals because with my info re lifestyle, age, height, current weight, gender, target, rate of weight loss rate to which I aspire, MFP suggested 1200 cals per day. I foolishly trusted MFP to guide me. This I think is a real problem for users of MFP0 -
Dieting and losing weight is all about experimenting and figuring out what works best for you. It takes time and patience.
There is a lot of good general information out there but it is not a one size fits all sort of thing. It is best to read up, follow general guidelines and tweak it to fit your needs.
The best advice I can give is find a routine that works for you and is completely sustainable.
Well said, some people can lose weight by eating 6 small meals while others have to stick to 3 meals a day. And all the papers out there saying "you should do this or you should do that" are just what we know so far, soon another study will come out and say something completely different. Remember when eggs were bad for us, now it perfection in a small package. There was a time when butter was bad, now its ok again.
Most people eat for the wrong reasons. In the evening I want to eat something sweet then something salty to counteract the sweet. Now ask me if I was actually hungry when I ate either one. lol and there was a time a few years ago when I could be in the middle of chewing and I would just know, you need to spit this out, your full. I'm trying to get back to that point. Most people are no longer in tune with what their bodies are telling them.
IMHO
YAH!
Thats the conclusion I have come to.
I have 30+ years of managing body; badly, but I know it better than any one. I know some of what works. Its not to say that I won't try anything else (after all my way got it in this state), but I don't believe in the dogma being spouted by some people because after all, there is always another day and another scientific paper telling us all what we did yesterday was totally wrong.0 -
up your calorie intake. My nutritionist told me i had plateaued because i dropped to 1200 cals and my body didn't think it was getting enough nutrition. I went to 1450-1600 and have lost 1/2 to 1 lb after the second week of doing so.0
-
Dieting and losing weight is all about experimenting and figuring out what works best for you. It takes time and patience.
There is a lot of good general information out there but it is not a one size fits all sort of thing. It is best to read up, follow general guidelines and tweak it to fit your needs.
The best advice I can give is find a routine that works for you and is completely sustainable.
Well said, some people can lose weight by eating 6 small meals while others have to stick to 3 meals a day. And all the papers out there saying "you should do this or you should do that" are just what we know so far, soon another study will come out and say something completely different. Remember when eggs were bad for us, now it perfection in a small package. There was a time when butter was bad, now its ok again.
Most people eat for the wrong reasons. In the evening I want to eat something sweet then something salty to counteract the sweet. Now ask me if I was actually hungry when I ate either one. lol and there was a time a few years ago when I could be in the middle of chewing and I would just know, you need to spit this out, your full. I'm trying to get back to that point. Most people are no longer in tune with what their bodies are telling them.
IMHO
YAH!
Thats the conclusion I have come to.
I have 30+ years of managing body; badly, but I know it better than any one. I know some of what works. Its not to say that I won't try anything else (after all my way got it in this state), but I don't believe in the dogma being spouted by some people because after all, there is always another day and another scientific paper telling us all what we did yesterday was totally wrong.
smh0 -
I'm in the same boat. I eat between 1200 and 1350 a day and I've been completely stuck for two to three months.
I blame MFP (lol).
Of course you do.
Why take responsibility and learn to eat healthy?
Your comment is unhelpful.
The point of joining MFP is to HELP me to 'take responsibility and learn to eat healthily'. I took their advice and put in the relevant details and guess what I am not eating sufficient.
Duh!0 -
Your initial calorie intake was working for you but when you dropped the count your body probably kicked into fat storing mode or starvation mode where it stores fat because it recognizes less energy in. Go back to 1500+ and you will likely begin to leave your current weight class heading toward your goals.
Live Long Man
Thanks for your help.0 -
You've slowed your metabolism most likely. Go back to 1600-1800 cals for about a month and increase your workout intensity.0
-
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
What? You've never heard of high blood pressure or heart attacks? I'm am so totally confused by this entire thread.
Very selective0 -
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
What? You've never heard of high blood pressure or heart attacks? I'm am so totally confused by this entire thread.
Very selective
the number one cause of death is "very selective"?0 -
bump0
-
part of it is you're not eating breakfast... how do you expect your body to work thru the day if you don't FUEL IT
after the length of time between your last meal and the start of your day?!?0 -
Actually the number one cause of death in the US is heart disease followed by cancer. High blood pressure is a symptom and people survive heart attacks, but heart disease is so much more than just heart attack risk.
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
What? You've never heard of high blood pressure or heart attacks? I'm am so totally confused by this entire thread.
Very selective
the number one cause of death is "very selective"?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
A twelve hour fast is normal. So if you eat late a night (say 11pm) then then skip breakfast then eat at 11am, you would still be within limits.part of it is you're not eating breakfast... how do you expect your body to work thru the day if you don't FUEL IT
after the length of time between your last meal and the start of your day?!?
Breakfast, as most define it, is eating food in the early to mid morning.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions