what am i doing wrong??

jamieraebowie
jamieraebowie Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I weigh 141pounds. I eat 1200 cals a day. I have one free day to eat as I please a week. I jog an hour 2-3 times a week + I clean 1 day a week for 2 hours. I will admit that the quality of food i eat may not be the best but I have read as long as you stay within your calories you will lose. I have followed this routine for a month now and have only lost 2.5 pounds. what am I doing wrong!! HELP!!!

Replies

  • egginabun
    egginabun Posts: 3 Member
    It's probably the free day you have :/ i used to do that as well and i found i would only lose a matter of ounces each week which was really annoying. Once I stuck to my calories everyday, i found that they weight has been coming off like it should. do you stick to your calories on your free days? Or literally just eat whatever?

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  • stfriend
    stfriend Posts: 256 Member
    Maybe you need to eat a bit more? I'm not sure what your numbers should be but if you use this website http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ it will give you and idea of how many calories you should be eating at rest, to maintain, or to burn. If this doesn't work, it could be sodium. I couldn't see your diary but reducing sodium has helped me a good bit. Also, have you been checking measurements? Sometimes they will go down faster than the scale.
  • BeantownSooner
    BeantownSooner Posts: 254
    Don't be down as 2.5 lbs in a month is great! I'd say keep doing what you've been doing. I'd also start taking measurements as it's a better indicator. As an example, if 3 months from now you were still 141 but went down 2 pant sizes how would you feel about yourself? Probably pretty good and you'd look great to go along with that.

    If you want to make some subtle changes try looking at your diet and replace one of those "Not the best" meals a day with a whole food meal (lean protein, veggies, whole grain). You could also go back into your goals and do the custom settings but only change the macro nutrient levels (carbs/protein/fats). I think MFP is too high on carbs at 55%. Many people on here use a more balanced ratio of either 40% carbs/40% protein/20% fats or 40%/30%/30%. Sometimes too many carbs can be an issue for some people when trying to lose weight. My experience is the more I restrict them the better i'm able to lose. I target 40/40/20.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
    It actually doesn't seem like you're doing anything wrong. Based on your ticker, you don't have much to lose, so 2.5 pounds in a month is really not a bad rate of loss. Try not to focus on the weight alone; keep an eye on how your runs improve over time, take progress photos, or look at your overall measurements. You seem to be doing a great job, and you will continue to see improvement if you keep at it; don't get discouraged just because you (understandably) want it to go faster.
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
    food is fuel, and you are what you eat. your body will look and feel better if it is filled with healthy foods.
  • hikergrl17
    hikergrl17 Posts: 6
    I was doing the same thing, 1200 cals a day, and working out hard (weights, tmill, stairs) and nothing!! VERY frustrating, esp since I gave up alcohol :-)
    i asked one of the trainers at the gym and she said i was eating too few cals...this is a common mistake, but i had the hardest time getting those extra cals in.
    Once i started doing that my fat% began to go down, I'd much rather see the fat go down even if the weight stays the same because that means lean muscle is building.

    you need to find out what your BMR is Basal metabolic rate....mine is between 1450 and 1500 - that is the amount of cals you need to eat just to keep your body organs functioning. do a google search and you can get a rough idea.

    we have a tanita body scale that shows: weight, fat%, hydration, lean body weight, BMR....that really helps as hydration plays a big part in this too.

    good luck! :wink:
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Not what you want to hear, but with 16 pounds to your goal, a half pound a week is probably your ideal weight loss.

    But the good news, you can set your calorie goal to aim for a half pound a week, and you'll get more calories to play with on a daily basis.

    Now, personally, I'm a big fan of the free day, but if you're eating a little more on a regular basis, you'll be less inclined to splurge on a free day. Or you might not feel the need to have one at all, if your favorite foods fit in your daily goal.

    Also, consider adding strength training a few days a week. It made an AMAZING difference in my body composition, and made the pounds lost not matter one bit.
  • jdswaker
    jdswaker Posts: 36 Member
    I was having the same problem because like you, I'm getting very close to my goal weight. I made a couple changes:

    One, I started eating closer to my net calorie goal. I try to keep my net intake at around 1000 or so, in case I underestimate. Making this adjustment helped a LOT because my net intake would be around 600 or 700 calories and I wasn't losing anything. When I increased to 1000-1200, the scale started moving again.

    Two, I stopped with the reckless abandon free days. I might eat a little more than my net calorie goal but I don't go crazy. I also log even when I know I've gone over to stay mindful.

    Hope that helps.
  • omgiacobbi
    omgiacobbi Posts: 88 Member
    I agree with the people who say you may not be eating enough. I eat between 1700 and 2000 cals a day (my goal is 2000, but I don't always make it) and I work out 3 to 4 times a week, and I've been dropping 2+lbs a week. Figure out your BMR and TDEE and eat the amount of calories that suggests. I promise, it works. I'm losing weight faster and healthier than I ever have before.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    Change up your foods to more healthier choices , and not have a free day a week, stick to good healthy foods everyday : .. I agree with what another poster said, .....you are what you eat :)

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