trying to loose, under calorie goal but not loosing

That is not true. Weight loss is calories in, calories out, plain and simple. It really doesn't matter what you fill those calories up with, as long as you eat the amount you're supposed to eat. Don't get me wrong, eating healthy is better for you overall, but in terms of just weight loss, it does not matter what foods you eat. The problem here seems to be you're not meeting your calorie goal -- some days you're way under. Try getting as close to your goal as possible every day for a couple of weeks. That is the only way to know if the goal MFP has set is right for you.

so eating 1200 calories of donuts will lead to weightloss, but 800 calories of vegetables will not lead to weightloss because of "starvation mode"? I'm sort of doubting this. There aren't enough nutrients in donuts to fuel the body.

Who said anything about 800 calories of vegetables not causing weight loss? Did I miss something?

You are missing MY point (my personal opinion, no one else's). Creating a calorie deficit causes weight loss, plain and simple. Eating enough to still feel satisfied while still maintaining a deficit is the only way I've been able to handle losing weight.

What kinds are foods are you eating? You have to go with nutrients... if you are still eating white breads, chips, potatoes, fried foods, burgers - but just less of it - you won't get many results. you should do oatmeal, fresh fruits, raw veggies, lean meats like grilled chicken (no sauces) and turkey. steam veggies. almonds.

That is not true. Weight loss is calories in, calories out, plain and simple. It really doesn't matter what you fill those calories up with, as long as you eat the amount you're supposed to eat. Don't get me wrong, eating healthy is better for you overall, but in terms of just weight loss, it does not matter what foods you eat. The problem here seems to be you're not meeting your calorie goal -- some days you're way under. Try getting as close to your goal as possible every day for a couple of weeks. That is the only way to know if the goal MFP has set is right for you.

so eating 1200 calories of donuts will lead to weightloss, but 800 calories of vegetables will not lead to weightloss because of "starvation mode"? I'm sort of doubting this. There aren't enough nutrients in donuts to fuel the body.

That's not what I said. I don't know enough about the science behind this to argue whether or not starvation mode is real, so let's not go there. My point is, if you create the right calorie goal for yourself (for example, mine is around 1600), you can fill those calories up with whatever KIND of calories you want. It won't be healthy, and you won't get the nutrients you need, but you will lose weight. And if you eat too few calories for YOUR body, whether that's 1200 or 800, generally your weight loss tends to stall.

What kinds are foods are you eating? You have to go with nutrients... if you are still eating white breads, chips, potatoes, fried foods, burgers - but just less of it - you won't get many results. you should do oatmeal, fresh fruits, raw veggies, lean meats like grilled chicken (no sauces) and turkey. steam veggies. almonds.

That is not true. Weight loss is calories in, calories out, plain and simple. It really doesn't matter what you fill those calories up with, as long as you eat the amount you're supposed to eat. Don't get me wrong, eating healthy is better for you overall, but in terms of just weight loss, it does not matter what foods you eat. The problem here seems to be you're not meeting your calorie goal -- some days you're way under. Try getting as close to your goal as possible every day for a couple of weeks. That is the only way to know if the goal MFP has set is right for you.

so eating 1200 calories of donuts will lead to weightloss, but 800 calories of vegetables will not lead to weightloss because of "starvation mode"? I'm sort of doubting this. There aren't enough nutrients in donuts to fuel the body.

That's not what I said. I don't know enough about the science behind this to argue whether or not starvation mode is real, so let's not go there. My point is, if you create the right calorie goal for yourself (for example, mine is around 1600), you can fill those calories up with whatever KIND of calories you want. It won't be healthy, and you won't get the nutrients you need, but you will lose weight. And if you eat too few calories for YOUR body, whether that's 1200 or 800, generally your weight loss tends to stall.

well, whatever words you want to use (doesn't have to be starvation mode), this doesn't make any logical sense.

You have a right to your opinion, but please don't be rude and dismiss mine. I can only speak from my personal experience and explained it as best I can. If anyone else sees where I'm going with this and wants to chime in feel free. If I eat too little, my weight loss stalls. And for me, I can eat a mix of healthy and unhealthy foods with steady weight loss as long as I hit my goal consistently. I'm not saying that's true for everyone.

I agree that you need to eat enough, preferrable healthy food. You can lose weight by eating junk if you are eating at a calorie deficit. But if you eat anything at too low of a deficit chances are your weight lose will slow. Try reading some of the info on eating more to weigh less. I love this thought and since I've upped my calories intake from 1200 to 1600 I have been losing faster.

For the OP I think your are losing great. However I would recommend eating more and getting closer to your goal. Keep researching and you will find a plan that works best for you.

Good Luck

Here's my problem with "you can lose weight eating 1200 calories worth of donuts just the same as eating 1200 calories vs fruit and veggies and lean proteins." What about nutrients? What about grams of fat? And would the same logic not say that a person maintaining with 1800 calories of day worth of donuts will have a similar body as a person maintaining 1800 calories per day worth of fruits, vegetables and lean meats?

i'm not trying to insist i am right. i honestly don't know. just thinking through the logic.

eat all you cals,make healthy choices instead of a xl coffee get a small youll be just as happy.watch your portions,eating three meals and three stacks keep your metablism burning.looks like you just joined in sept so give it sometime you need to find what works for your body.if that means eatting your excersie cals or just eatting more fruit and veggies.Good luck:flowerforyou:

You've lost 4 pounds in two weeks, I'm not sure why that seems like "not losing" to you?

Weight loss doesn't happen in a nice neat line - your scale will show higher or lower numbers every day, sometimes that means you have actually "lost weight" - other times it means you are retaining (or losing) water weight, it might be related to what you ate the day before, whether you've been to the bathroom, monthly fluctuations etc.

Don't stress about it - keep eating well (there is no need to try to be so far under your daily goal) and you will see results over time.

For Derek: Most of the entries in the MFP databse have been added by MFP users. That means that some of them will have errors, some of them will be regional variations (different foods can have different recipes from country to country) and some will be accurate. If you have access to a package to cross check then that can be useful, otherwise just look for something that is in the middle. Entries with no * in front have been entered by MFP and are more likely to be correct.
Really though, every food (and exercise for that matter) entry is an estimate. Just try to be as accurate as you can, it should all balance out.

Yup, as long as there is a calorie deficit you will lose weight dosn't matter what they are. There has been lots of research done on this. There is an article on fittness rx about it (very detailed). However the goal is always to eat healthy and to eat your calories that MFP says. So glad you have joined us, I hope you feel encouraged and will continue to lose the weight. You are doing great so far, and you are always learning new things about your body. Good luck in your journey.