Eating 1200 and not losing..

Options
ItsDiana
ItsDiana Posts: 60
in Health and Weight Loss
Upping my cals and I instantly gain weight! What am I doing wrong/what's going wrong here?

Side note: started to lift weights, so it could be that I am gaining muscle, but I should lose some weight after a while... right?
«1

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Upping my cals and I instantly gain weight! What am I doing wrong/what's going wrong here?

    Side note: started to lift weights, so it could be that I am gaining muscle, but I should lose some weight after a while... right?

    You aren't gaining muscle. It's virtually impossible to do that on a calorie deficit. Also, the issue with gaining is time. You aren't giving it enough time for your body to adjust (could take a month). Also when you weight train your body stores additional glycogen/water to repair your muscles.

    Keep in mind, you can NOT gain fat unless you eat 3500 calories more than you burn in a day and your metabolic rate alone will burn over 1200 unless you have a metabolic dysfunction.
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
    Options
    Your goal is 1200 but you're not even netting that (went back about a week through your diary).

    Eat more.

    And 1200 might not be the right number for you. Please read the following post:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • ItsDiana
    ItsDiana Posts: 60
    Options
    That link is really helpful! Thank you!
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions

    Cutting calories would be a huge mistake.
  • BlairCottier
    BlairCottier Posts: 171 Member
    Options
    I started MFP at a 1200 calorie goal. However, I was having the same issue as you are now, so I did a bunch of research and realized that 1200 cals is the MINIMUM number of calories you should ever eat, and this is for someone who probably much smaller than I am. I upped my calories to 1300 and even just by adding 100 calories, I have noticed a huge difference and the weight has started coming off finally. You also need to make sure that you are eating way more than 1200 when you are exercising, as your body will need the extra nutrients to burn fat. It really also depends on your body weight and your activity level. There are many calculators on the web where you put in your height, weight and activity level and it will tell you an estimate of how many calories you should be eating for optimum weight loss. I don't know how accurate it is, but it may give you a better idea of how much you should eat. Here is a link to one of those calculators. Hope this helps. Good luck!

    http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    Options
    Your goal is 1200 but you're not even netting that (went back about a week through your diary).

    Eat more.

    And 1200 might not be the right number for you. Please read the following post:

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

    ^This^
    But if the road map seems too complicated use http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee instead.
  • FritzlerSE
    FritzlerSE Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    bump
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions
    3. If you "have tried everything and cannot lose weight" or if you're eating "x amount of calories and still can't lose weight." my answer will always be the same- you are eating too many calories.

    And that is why I don't ask questions of people offering free advice...you get what you pay for....sigh...
  • exWHYzee1337
    exWHYzee1337 Posts: 96
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions
    3. If you "have tried everything and cannot lose weight" or if you're eating "x amount of calories and still can't lose weight." my answer will always be the same- you are eating too many calories.

    And that is why I don't ask questions of people offering free advice...you get what you pay for....sigh...

    I'm sorry but its true.. Your either not calculating correctly, you need to work out more, or you need to eat less. At the end of the day it is calories out VS calories in.. Not trying to be rude by any means, and I know "everyone is different" but it is what works. Good Luck
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions
    3. If you "have tried everything and cannot lose weight" or if you're eating "x amount of calories and still can't lose weight." my answer will always be the same- you are eating too many calories.

    And that is why I don't ask questions of people offering free advice...you get what you pay for....sigh...

    I'm sorry but its true.. Your either not calculating correctly, you need to work out more, or you need to eat less. At the end of the day it is calories out VS calories in.. Not trying to be rude by any means, and I know "everyone is different" but it is what works. Good Luck

    That's an absolutely asinine and simplistic response and thought on weight loss. Weight loss is not linear. You can very easily have difficulty losing weight when adequately recording calories in (and calories out), even with a margin of error.

    The quality of food (sodium, carbs, sugar, starch) can play a role, thus water retention can play a role. Your body may be plateauing on a low amount of calories; if you lost muscle mass due to a severe deficit/no strength training, you'll have a harder time losing weight.

    Etc.

    I'm sorry, but your "facts" are missing too many variables to be good advice.
  • IrshRnr56
    IrshRnr56 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    I gain some water weight when I run more than six miles or do weight lifting. It's temporary muscle inflammation(I think). Seems like later the weight drops by several pounds rather suddenly.
  • BlairCottier
    BlairCottier Posts: 171 Member
    Options
    Your goal is 1200 but you're not even netting that (went back about a week through your diary).

    Eat more.

    And 1200 might not be the right number for you. Please read the following post:

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

    ^This^
    But if the road map seems too complicated use http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee instead.

    I also just checked out this post and it is awesome!! The simplistic response is definitely calories in vs. calories out. However, people who are even a little overweight (like me, I am working on these things, lol) don't understand how food effects our body. Reading this post was awesome, and definitely would help others to better understand how lose weight and more importantly MAINTAIN that weight loss. Thanks for posting whoever did that!!
  • Barbell_Jules
    Barbell_Jules Posts: 358 Member
    Options
    Your goal is 1200 but you're not even netting that (went back about a week through your diary).

    Eat more.

    And 1200 might not be the right number for you. Please read the following post:

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

    I don't have anything to add, sorry. Just replying to save the above link in my topics.
  • victorious27
    victorious27 Posts: 250 Member
    Options
    Just ask the registered dietitian in the link below. I think he's going to tell you to cut calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/755899-registered-dietitian-in-tx-here-to-answer-questions
    3. If you "have tried everything and cannot lose weight" or if you're eating "x amount of calories and still can't lose weight." my answer will always be the same- you are eating too many calories.

    And that is why I don't ask questions of people offering free advice...you get what you pay for....sigh...

    I'm sorry but its true.. Your either not calculating correctly, you need to work out more, or you need to eat less. At the end of the day it is calories out VS calories in.. Not trying to be rude by any means, and I know "everyone is different" but it is what works. Good Luck

    That's an absolutely asinine and simplistic response and thought on weight loss. Weight loss is not linear. You can very easily have difficulty losing weight when adequately recording calories in (and calories out), even with a margin of error.

    The quality of food (sodium, carbs, sugar, starch) can play a role, thus water retention can play a role. Your body may be plateauing on a low amount of calories; if you lost muscle mass due to a severe deficit/no strength training, you'll have a harder time losing weight.

    Etc.

    I'm sorry, but your "facts" are missing too many variables to be good advice.

    Agreed with firstsip...I sometimes eat a lot more than what I burn, but I still lose weight the same and vice versa. My body doesn't react to "calories in vs calories out" like many other MFPers, as I've noticed. I still haven't figured my own body out, but I disagree with the "in vs out" theory in a lot of aspects. That being said, I don't disagree with it completely. Obviously, it has a lot of common sense...but the fact that your body is going to react differently to different foods (regardless of calories) you can't always rely on it.
  • jamielynn020610
    jamielynn020610 Posts: 128 Member
    Options
    I first started out at 1200 calories per day and that helped me lose the first 22lbs that I have lost. However, I am at a stand still. So, I upped my calorie intake to 1350 but I have added exercise into my daily routine. Hopefully, I will see some weight loss when I weigh myself in the next couple of days. You can add me if you would like?
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Options
    I don't get that roadmap post because I'm eating under my BMR, working out and still not losing. So that doesn't always work for everyone.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    I don't get that roadmap post because I'm eating under my BMR, working out and still not losing. So that doesn't always work for everyone.

    Ummm if you're eating under your BMR you're not understanding the roadmap. You should be eating 80% of your TDEE. Your TDEE should be at least your BMR times 1.2. When you're close to your goal them numbers sometimes get closer together...but they should't cross.
  • MzStarrQueenB
    MzStarrQueenB Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    how many grams of fat are you eating?:smile:
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Options
    I don't get that roadmap post because I'm eating under my BMR, working out and still not losing. So that doesn't always work for everyone.

    Ummm if you're eating under your BMR you're not understanding the roadmap. You should be eating 80% of your TDEE. Your TDEE should be at least your BMR times 1.2. When you're close to your goal them numbers sometimes get closer together...but they should't cross.

    My TDEE is like 2600, so I should be eating 2000?? My doctor had me on 1400 and I stopped losing after 2 months and then I went up to 1700 and am losing, but like 2lbs a month. I don't think I'm one of those people who gets to eat more and weigh less. If it's calories in vs. calories out, I should be losing at 1700. Why would 300 extra cals a day make me lose?

Categories