The 1200 Calorie Plateau

mmoyer1978
mmoyer1978 Posts: 124 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi. About three weeks ago, I dropped my calorie intake down to 1200. I had been eating 1500 for a long time and wasn't getting anywhere. I kept my workouts the same, typically burning anywhere from 700 to 900 calories per workout. I try not to eat back any more that 100 calories. I have stuck yo-yo'ing back and forth between the same 10lbs for a LONG time now (since at least March). I've stepped up workouts, dropped calories and am eating mote greens and lean proteins but I am still stuck. Over the course of three weeks I have lost 1.2lbs. Does anyone have an idea of where I am going wrong? Should I be eating more? Working out less? Where is my happy medium? Where is that step when I will finally get off the plateau and start losing again? Not to worry, I will NEVER give up until I reach my goal weight, but I am one FRUSTRATED health nut. HELP!!!!!
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Replies

  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 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=
  • elijhasmomma
    elijhasmomma Posts: 270 Member
    Hi! I'm new to mfp and am trying to figure all this out myself. I seem to be heading in the same direction as you are, 150lbs is my goal. :) I know that the goal is to burn more then you eat to lose weight, but now I'm confused. I usually burn about 800-1100 cals a day depending on which workouts I do. Is my net cals that mfp shows what my body is running off of? I usually do my biggest work out burning 600+ cals in the evening after I have already eaten all my meals an dmay eat a light snack after my workout and shower. But I'm confused. Can someone take a look at my diary and tell me if I'm doing something right or wrong? I don't want to put a BUNCH of hard work into this only to find out I am going about it all wrong. Thanks in advance! :)
  • 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.
  • Vincette
    Vincette Posts: 11
    I had plateaued for about 3-4 weeks and was only on 1200 calories. Still exercising, still eating right. Then last week due to various work commitments etc I ended up moving my schedule around so that most nights I could only fit in my work out about an hour before bed instead of my usual 5:30pm, and 3 more stubborn lbs have come off. Yay! I think it's just about mixing it up. I've also started doing some of the Tracy Anderson webinars that you can find on YouTube. They are only short, and I fit them in with my usual work-out, but I think they are helping. Good luck!
  • CreggW
    CreggW Posts: 3
    hello! it almost sounds like your starving your muscles too much. you should be eating something every 2-3 hours not that i'm an expert or anything. Also, it is said that your body adjusts to workouts after 6. it sounds like your burning calories really well but maybe try a totally different workout for a week. its funny but our bodies will fight us back. it can take up to 6 weeks to break a plateau. JUST KEEP AT IT!! :happy:
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 549 Member
    Losing 1.2 lbs in 3 weeks is still losing.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I don't know how tall you are, but I'm just about 37 years old, 5'7" and 165 lbs and I eat an average of 2100-2200 calories/day (that's about 1600 plus all my exercise calories) and am losing steadily about 1 lb/week... sometimes more. If you're burning 700-900 calories/day in exercise you should be eating a good portion of that back... why work out so much? I'm a distance runner and I work out 6 days a week and burn about 3500 calories/week... and I think that's almost excessive except I'm running a half marathon in 2 weeks.

    You shouldn't have to burn that much just to lose weight. Losing weight is almost all diet. Exercise has other benefits, but weight loss isn't always one of them.

    If you enjoy that level of exercise, keep doing it but eat the calories. If you'd rather do something else, do it... and go back to 1500 calories.

    My advice, fwiw.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 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 would suggest slowly upping your calories to that amount.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    you've been eating at a deficit for too long.

    try gradually increasing your calories to maintenance level and eating that for a week or so then gong back to eating at a deficit.

    as for how o, c'mon now this isnt like watching a bus filled with kids go over a cliff :laugh: just eat more food. add more protein and carbs and fats. more avocados, chicken, yogurt, etc
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    typically burning anywhere from 700 to 900 calories per workout.
    Wow - how long are the workouts ? Would take me 2 hours to burn that.
  • mmoyer1978
    mmoyer1978 Posts: 124 Member
    typically burning anywhere from 700 to 900 calories per workout.
    Wow - how long are the workouts ? Would take me 2 hours to burn that.

    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.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    You gotta eat. Food is fuel if you dont eat enough your body will fit you. Follow the roadmap for over a month and enjoy the calories.
  • pjbrowning
    pjbrowning Posts: 1
    are you getting all your water in every day? I would increase my water.
  • dawson55510
    dawson55510 Posts: 197 Member
    Try upping your kcals for a few weeks then slowly bring them down again. 1200 kcals seem very low espically if your burning 6-700 through exercise your body will defo hit starvation mode and start to hold onto fat for survival.
  • mmoyer1978
    mmoyer1978 Posts: 124 Member
    You gotta eat. Food is fuel if you dont eat enough your body will fit you. Follow the roadmap for over a month and enjoy the calories.

    I bet I will enjoy them but I'm still a bit freaked out by them. It's been a LONG time since I ate that much.
  • mmoyer1978
    mmoyer1978 Posts: 124 Member
    are you getting all your water in every day? I would increase my water.

    Yes. I drink 12 to 16 cups of water a day.
  • dawson55510
    dawson55510 Posts: 197 Member
    Also how accurate is your kcal burn? it would take me 60 pretty intense mins on a cross trainer to burn 4-500 kcal and im quite heavy.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    You gotta eat. Food is fuel if you dont eat enough your body will fit you. Follow the roadmap for over a month and enjoy the calories.

    I bet I will enjoy them but I'm still a bit freaked out by them. It's been a LONG time since I ate that much.

    You dont have to eat more necessarily, just eat higher calorie foods. Cooking food in extra virgin olive oil, eating nuts, having a protein shake (like muscle milk which is 300 calories).
  • mamabearcushing
    mamabearcushing Posts: 30 Member
    I suggest having a couple of 1200 calorie days and a few 1500 calorie days. I also suggest switching up intensity in your work outs. A couple times a week really push yourself.

    As an example using a tread climber
    Workout Day 1: Incline set low. Speed set at whatever is comfortable but after 5 mins switch the speed up a little higher and run for two mins (whatever is comfortable) but push yourself. After two mins go back to the normal speed for 5 more minutes. for 20-25 mins

    Workout Day 2: Incline set higher. Speed set a little higher. After 5 mins, lower the speed for 2 mins, then back to the higher speed for 5 more mins.... for 20-25 mins

    Workout Day 3, Incline normal, speed normal, switch up when I feel like it. I go for 30 mins. ...

    I hope this makes sense. Changing things up helps sooo much.
  • mamabearcushing
    mamabearcushing Posts: 30 Member

    You shouldn't have to burn that much just to lose weight. Losing weight is almost all diet. Exercise has other benefits, but weight loss isn't always one of them.


    Exercise is very important to weight loss. You burn more calories a day with more muscle.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    typically burning anywhere from 700 to 900 calories per workout.
    Wow - how long are the workouts ? Would take me 2 hours to burn that.

    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.

    A LOT of fitness equipment really overestimates calories burned :(

    Not saying that's the case, but it tends to happen quite a bit!!

    Good luck in your journey!
  • Emili1236
    Emili1236 Posts: 3 Member
    hi, i am really struggling. i am on 1200kl a day and all i want to lose is 5lb! but i am not losing anything, i don't stop when i get home and i am utilising all my calories, and also doing excercise. i do like a nice glass of wine or 2 at the weekend, and occasionally in the week, so i am going to give that a miss for a few weeks to see how it goes.

    if anyone has any tricks to lose my 5lb i would be gratefull!
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    You could try some strenght training to go with your cardio, I upped my calories and started lifing heavy and broke my plateau. Cardio is great for endurance but heavy lifting will help change your body shape and you will lose inches and look firmer and tighter. I am really surprised how fast my body shape is changing and now the scale is moving again as well.

    I hope you work it out and kudos for you for not giving up, you can do this. :flowerforyou:
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    Try eating different foods. I bounce between a variety of cultures when planning my meals for the week. Last week was Greek, this week is Vietnamese, next week depends on the forecast. I was eating pretty much the same things every week and I think my body got used to it. I also have 6 different JM DVDs that I rotate. Yesterday was Extreme Shed & Shred Level 2 and Kickbox FastFix Level 3. Today is 6 Week 6 Pack Level 2 and 30 Day Shred Level 1. I've found I lose better if I'm constantly changing what I'm doing. I don't know if body confusion is real or not but it seems to work for me.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 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.
  • 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.
  • sarah5423
    sarah5423 Posts: 152 Member
    I've been on the 1200 calorie goal for just over 5 months and I steadily lost 1lb a week for about 18 weeks, my exercise routine increased a little every week as I got fitter doing dance/aerobic classes and long brisk walks I would say on average I would be between 2500 - 2900 calories under my weekly goal as I wasn't eating back exercise calories and then as I got close to my goal weight (I'm 5'2 and currently 110lbs aiming for 105lbs) about a month ago my weightloss stalled. I did a lot of research but struggled mentally to increase my calorie intake. Then a week last Saturday my class instructor went away for a week so my exercise reduced although I started 30DS and tried to increase my fitness by jogging, so my calories burnt were less, I re evaluated my goals which upped my calories to 1230 and I tried to eat a little more. Last week I was still 1900 under my weekly goal but the weight started coming off again. I'm hoping I've broken the plateau I'll see when I weigh in on Thursday but for me a little change made all the difference. We are of course all different and for those who are against the 1200 calorie mark according to MFP my BMR is currently 1182 calories so in theory I can eat under 1200 and still eat above my BMR! Anyway hope this helps, best of luck to you :-)
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 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.

    I'm hearing the Halelujah Chorus in my head... so glad to read this.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    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.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    hi, i am really struggling. i am on 1200kl a day and all i want to lose is 5lb! but i am not losing anything, i don't stop when i get home and i am utilising all my calories, and also doing excercise. i do like a nice glass of wine or 2 at the weekend, and occasionally in the week, so i am going to give that a miss for a few weeks to see how it goes.

    if anyone has any tricks to lose my 5lb i would be gratefull!

    With only 5 lbs to lose, you should aim for .5 lbs per week. Also, if you are a mother, you could be more active than the average person, which is why they suggest setting your account at lightly active. Also, depending on the age of your child, breast feeding adds more calories. Something to consider.

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