Help - my weight is STUCK

Well.....I saw your post on the 1200 calorie people thread. Here's my opinion - 1200 is too low. You are most likely eating under your BMR (basal metabolic rate = the amount of calories you would burn while in a coma). The result of eating below your BMR - PLATEAU. The body gets so used to being under fed that your metabolism slows down and becomes sluggish, it runs at a minimum in order to conserve calories..not burn them. You should be eating somewhere between BMR and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).....1500 is a good ballpark figure but for a more accurate number you can go to - http://scoobysworkshop.com/

This is especially true for someone like you who does not have a lot to lose. You should be eating more and lifting weights. Not 2lb dumbbells to a JM30 day shred DVD buts weights that are heavy for you and strength training.

Eat more, get at least 100g's of protein and lift weights, you'll see a change!

with so little to lose you should not have a goal to lose more than 0.5lbs/week or a large % of your loss will come from lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

So, set your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week, lift weights, get enough protein, and eat back the cals you burn from exercise (or at least most of them). By doing this you should be able to make noticeable visible gains (losses) in 5 weeks, even if you only lose the projected 2.5lbs.

Plateaus are totally normal, but everybody is right you probably need to eat more (especially if you're working out and not replacing those calories). Also try changing up 1-2 things in your daily routine of what you eat, that always helps me a lot.

Have you been taking your body measurements? Or have you only been using the scale to measure your progress?

I am a big supporter of doing both (I weigh once a week, and do measurements every 2-3 weeks).. but it seems to me, since you stopped losing weight around the time you started exercising, that it could be that you are still losing inches/body mass, but building lean muscle at the same time - which can show up on the scale as weight.

How are your clothes fitting these last 3-4 weeks? Have you noticed any difference there? I would suggest taking your measurements if you haven't yet, and then checking them in a couple weeks to see if there is any improvement. If there is, you are probably still heading in the right direction, and don't get frustrated by the number on the scale. If not, then you need to maybe tweak your diet in ways mentioned above.

I'm using this advice! Thank You!

Try putting a little butter on it and trying to wiggle it out.

It depends on a lot of things.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale though: water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose weight when they eat more because of these fluctuations.

I Ignore exercise calories because they are over estimated. Most people underestimate calories so give it 10% less in the total. Also packaging will underestimate because legally they can put more not less so they will error on the more side.

If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for women over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I am a living breathing example of that. I went from obese to now under 12% BF and I've maintained for one year and built muscle the whole time. You don't BUILD muscle in starvation mode, so I proved everyone wrong. And I learned it all from The Venus Index Workout manuals and the Anything Goes Diet.

I am a big fan of progress pictures, front, side, and back to see progress that metrics does not show.
I hope this helps you.

blog bobbiesfitness.com

is 1300 cals your TDEE minus 20/15 or 10%?

Eat back your exercise calories...

If you are EATING 1200 cals and then BURNING 250 then you are only NETTING 950 calories a day - your body needs fuel to live. Stop starving your body and it will start performing the way you want it to - you should always NET at least 1200 calories a day.

:drinker: :flowerforyou:

I don't think your problem is that 1200 is too low. I think you are building muscle because you are now exercising.

It depends on a lot of things.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale though: water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose weight when they eat more because of these fluctuations.

I Ignore exercise calories because they are over estimated. Most people underestimate calories so give it 10% less in the total. Also packaging will underestimate because legally they can put more not less so they will error on the more side.

If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for women over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I am a living breathing example of that. I went from obese to now under 12% BF and I've maintained for one year and built muscle the whole time. You don't BUILD muscle in starvation mode, so I proved everyone wrong. And I learned it all from The Venus Index Workout manuals and the Anything Goes Diet.

I am a big fan of progress pictures, front, side, and back to see progress that metrics does not show.
I hope this helps you.

blog bobbiesfitness.com

This is such a great post on so many levels. Please reread this, OP.

--P