1200cal/daily for 3 weeks and havent lost a SINGLE POUND

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13

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  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
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    I'm NOT going to say this to be a *****...but are you being 100% honest with logging food? I wasn't, swore up and down i was only eating 1280, and i had gained. Then, i started logging every little thing that passed my lips. Even a mere candy. I was wayyyyyy over my 1280 limit, and didnt realize it.
    Also, sodium intake. I have to have salt, i have low blood pressure, and unless i drink a *kitten* ton of water, i retain a Great Lake.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
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    Ok, before you listen to all the people on here telling you to eat more, first figure out exactly how much you are eating. Half of your days you haven't even logged anything, so if that means you ate zero calories on those days, then yes, you are eating too little. If not logging means that you fell off track and actually ate 2500 calories on those days, then too few calories is not the problem.
    Log every bite that goes into your mouth, and measure every portion carefully. We all fooled ourselves for years thinking we were eating less than we actually were.
    Next, look at what you are eating. Too much fast food, way too much sugar, too many empty carbs. Up your lean protein intake, up your fresh veggies and fruits, cut down on the saturated fats, and replace with good fats and high fiber carbs. No chips, sodas, candy bars, and fast food cheeseburgers. Your body needs good nutritional food to run properly. When your body is fueled properly it will work better. You will feel like exercising more, which will help you burn fat. Most of us have tried losing weight half-@**ed in the past and it doesn't work. You have to make the commitment to make major changes in your habits and stick with it. You didn't gain the weight in 3 weeks and you won't lose it that quick either. You are young enough to make the life changes now before you end up with diabetes and other health issues that are sure to come if you stay on this path. Trust me, it doesn't get any easier the older you get, so get a grip on it now while you still have the youth on your side. And when you get to be my age, the skin doesn't shrink back like it does in your 20s. It's not pretty.
    Not judging, just giving you some sage advice from someone who wished she had learned it at your age. Make the decision to change and stick with it. You can do this. It's not easy, but oh so worth it.

    THIS.

    Really, one would be amazed at how much food we eat that we dont count. Do you count the milk in your coffee? The candy you snuck (if you did)? The remainder of the lunch your child didnt finish, so you did? "Invisible" calories are a main reason why people who are dieting do not lose weight. It isn't "you're eating too little". If that's the case, anorexia wouldn't exist.
  • kie_kie
    kie_kie Posts: 106 Member
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    Try upping your calories and increase your exercise. eat less around dinner time and see what happens.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    t is silly to get hung up on a calorie number like 1200 calories. This number is relative to your RMR. If you are a bigger person this is a low number, if you are small like me this is a large number, barely below my RMR.

    It all depends on how much fat stores are in your body and what is your RMR.

    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 woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat.
    We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating,
    without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game.
    Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will
    allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart
    says.

    In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
    per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
    the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
    that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
    calculators and text books say otherwise.

    This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
    was just a bit off.

    You might just need to adjust your calories by 100 calorie increments until you find what works for YOU.

    You body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if 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; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    MFP gives us a starting point but there is so much more to learn about our bodies and how they function and the nutrition needed for daily activities.

    Try this link and read the info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Also, the group Eat More to Weigh Less is a great group with tons of winners in there. They can turn you onto other calculators as well. Do some research, try some different things. MFP will let you set your own custom goals but you have to have a good handle on how to get to your goals.

    Try that, add me as a friend if you like, and write me any time. I never got far on 1200 calories a day, now I am doing great;)

    denise:drinker: :drinker:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Here's a good thread discussing this topic.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    This!! Great topic to help sort it all out. I and many other MFPers have been following Dan's "Road Map" and have had great success with it. Check it out, find your numbers, fuel your body properly and don't give it a reason to store fat.

    And of course, this only works if you, like others have said, actually log ALL your foods.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    1200 calories is usually with a few calories of what a person would be fed if they were in a coma, through an IV. But you are right about needing to log everything and get a good grip on what foods are being consumed (an accurate count). I suspect, after running her numbers on the military calculator, that her calories are way under what she needs. I've sent her some info on here though that she can look at and see if she thinks it's what she wants.

    denise
    Ok, before you listen to all the people on here telling you to eat more, first figure out exactly how much you are eating. Half of your days you haven't even logged anything, so if that means you ate zero calories on those days, then yes, you are eating too little. If not logging means that you fell off track and actually ate 2500 calories on those days, then too few calories is not the problem.
    Log every bite that goes into your mouth, and measure every portion carefully. We all fooled ourselves for years thinking we were eating less than we actually were.
    Next, look at what you are eating. Too much fast food, way too much sugar, too many empty carbs. Up your lean protein intake, up your fresh veggies and fruits, cut down on the saturated fats, and replace with good fats and high fiber carbs. No chips, sodas, candy bars, and fast food cheeseburgers. Your body needs good nutritional food to run properly. When your body is fueled properly it will work better. You will feel like exercising more, which will help you burn fat. Most of us have tried losing weight half-@**ed in the past and it doesn't work. You have to make the commitment to make major changes in your habits and stick with it. You didn't gain the weight in 3 weeks and you won't lose it that quick either. You are young enough to make the life changes now before you end up with diabetes and other health issues that are sure to come if you stay on this path. Trust me, it doesn't get any easier the older you get, so get a grip on it now while you still have the youth on your side. And when you get to be my age, the skin doesn't shrink back like it does in your 20s. It's not pretty.
    Not judging, just giving you some sage advice from someone who wished she had learned it at your age. Make the decision to change and stick with it. You can do this. It's not easy, but oh so worth it.

    THIS.

    Really, one would be amazed at how much food we eat that we dont count. Do you count the milk in your coffee? The candy you snuck (if you did)? The remainder of the lunch your child didnt finish, so you did? "Invisible" calories are a main reason why people who are dieting do not lose weight. It isn't "you're eating too little". If that's the case, anorexia wouldn't exist.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Options
    Here's a good thread discussing this topic.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    This!! Great topic to help sort it all out. I and many other MFPers have been following Dan's "Road Map" and have had great success with it. Check it out, find your numbers, fuel your body properly and don't give it a reason to store fat.

    And of course, this only works if you, like others have said, actually log ALL your foods.

    ^ditto, ALL this^
  • gusnjay
    gusnjay Posts: 26 Member
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    Don't give up! It usually starts out slow, it did for me. But now I'm losing weight, 12 lbs a month. It will happen for you too.
  • courtneybusdeker
    courtneybusdeker Posts: 20
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    i would have to agree about upping your calories. when i was at 1200 i stayed put or it seemed like i even gained. now that i am at 1300-1350(sometimes under, sometimes right at or barely over) the scale is slowly but surely moving down.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I sent you a private message...persoanlly I think you need to focus on just logging for a month every morsel that goes into your mouth
  • Lipstickcherry
    Lipstickcherry Posts: 122 Member
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    Here are my 2 cent thoughts:
    What you are doing right: I see some fruits, meat subsistence (I like these since you save calories and get protein), some veggies.

    What you are doing wrong: Not filling in your meals. Not eating a lot of veggies, not eating a lot of fruits. Eating a lot of processed food that may not be filling you up.

    More on that: Whenever I eat at Taco bell, In and Out burger, Popeye's, I am hungry right after myself. I just can't eat that much without going over my calories and all those refine carbs hit my blood stream right away, making me hungry sooner. I find that eating things like this helps me save money and feel fuller: 2 veggie patties + 2 tomato slices + 2 vegan Ameircan slice cheese (40 calories each) + veganaise (you can use mayo but I prefer the taste of veganise) + mustard + ketchup + some red lettuce = 2 open faced sandwiches. That equaled 567 calories for me last night. put that next to a taco bell burrito steak with cheese, you can eat more food for less calories. You can also eat soy hot dogs that are 45-50 calories each versus 100-200 calories each.

    Try not to judge yourself too harshly and take this as failure. Remember you are a JOURNEY sister.
  • tigmic
    tigmic Posts: 12
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    I can chime in and say that you might be eating too little. From my own experiences, I've consistently found that I've lost MORE weight the closer I come to the suggested calorie intake suggested by MFP, and had virtually no weight loss when I ate the bare minimum of 1200 calories.

    Drinking a lot of water helps too. It just keeps everything flowing, fills you up, replenishes you, and doesn’t force your body to stockpile water.
  • fastforlife1
    fastforlife1 Posts: 459 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Read this. It will tell you everything you need to know.
    I have read this study. Notice it says "Systematic reviews of low-calorie diets have been unable to come to any firm conclusions about the value of different ways of achieving energy restriction, but one meta-analysis of low-fat diets produced a mean weight loss of 10 kg of weight loss that was greater in those with a higher initial body weight. Greater weight loss was achieved by subjects prescribed a 600-kcal deficit diet, compared with a conventional low-calorie (1200 kcal/d) diet... Low-calorie diets can be effective treatment, but the optimum way of delivering such diets remains unclear. "
    This is hardly a ringing endorsement of higher calorie diets. Furthermore it only pertains to low-fat low calorie diets which are not healthy. Fat is an important nutrient.
    Somebody who has a 100 pounds to lose who is on the first couple of weeks of dieting at 1200 calories, should be losing 2 or 3 #s per week.
    According to another study in Obesity Research Journal http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v9/n11s/full/oby2001134a.html
    "VLCD with active follow-up treatment seems to be one of the better treatment modalities related to long-term weight-maintenance success."
    VLCD are very low calorie diets of only of under 800 calories a day!
    There are NO magic studies in Obesity Research Journal that show higher calories result in higher weight loss. I'm sorry that is silliness!
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Read this. It will tell you everything you need to know.
    Seconded.

    ^thirded (is that a word :laugh: )
  • DERBS21
    DERBS21 Posts: 33 Member
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    Just eat more calories for a week and make sure you log EVERYTHING. So important! Good Luck and keep us posted!
  • Patcolombo
    Patcolombo Posts: 21
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    They say alternate each day calories.Say if your to have 1200 a day then do 1000 one day and then 1400 the next day which then confuses the body. I do believe in this one. This way your body won't think you are starving it. A lot of advice from someone new:smile:
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    I agree with some of what others have said..to me look at the quality of your calories..100 calories of veggies verses cookies...you get a lot more quality with the veggies. I'd try to cut back on the processed. Add in exercise...good luck!!
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    Your "quote" is interesting on your profile "the power of not eating". That's not what I want to tell people that have been filled full of lies about losing weight with all the fads out there that DON'T work. You look at the winners on this site that use the road map or other types of programs that promote healthy eating habits as well as exercise and then see if you still find it silly. I've seen too many people on here lose weight the healthy way and not end up looking like empty, flesh bags, or worse, skin and bone.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Read this. It will tell you everything you need to know.
    I have read this study. Notice it says "Systematic reviews of low-calorie diets have been unable to come to any firm conclusions about the value of different ways of achieving energy restriction, but one meta-analysis of low-fat diets produced a mean weight loss of 10 kg of weight loss that was greater in those with a higher initial body weight. Greater weight loss was achieved by subjects prescribed a 600-kcal deficit diet, compared with a conventional low-calorie (1200 kcal/d) diet... Low-calorie diets can be effective treatment, but the optimum way of delivering such diets remains unclear. "
    This is hardly a ringing endorsement of higher calorie diets. Furthermore it only pertains to low-fat low calorie diets which are not healthy. Fat is an important nutrient.
    Somebody who has a 100 pounds to lose who is on the first couple of weeks of dieting at 1200 calories, should be losing 2 or 3 #s per week.
    According to another study in Obesity Research Journal http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v9/n11s/full/oby2001134a.html
    "VLCD with active follow-up treatment seems to be one of the better treatment modalities related to long-term weight-maintenance success."
    VLCD are very low calorie diets of only of under 800 calories a day!
    There are NO magic studies in Obesity Research Journal that show higher calories result in higher weight loss. I'm sorry that is silliness!
  • stupidloser
    stupidloser Posts: 300 Member
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    You eat too much

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