Very discouraged

You can do this, I hear that you are frustrated because the scale has stalled, I completely understand that . When I start to beat myself up over not losing weight I focus on my NSV I make of list of things that are better now than when I started (more relaxed, better sex life, healthier body and mind) focusing on these things can help me get through the stall outs. Also I'll take up a new exercise so that my mussels get sore or that I feel like I'm progressing in my education of fitness

I am allowed 1250 calories a day with the goal to lose a pound a week. I started in August and just now reached a loss of 10 pounds. I see your goal weight is 120, which probably means you don't have a lot of weight to lose to start with. The smaller you are, the harder it is to see immediate results. I only weigh myself every 2 weeks or so because I would get upset otherwise. Just get on a routine and before you know it, you'll notice your clothes feel baggier and your stomach feels tighter.

I have problems if I eat sugar and carbs! I really have to keep them under control or I gain weight even if I'm under my calorie allowances. Even skim milk is full of sugar, so you have to really watch everything. I am the most OCD label reader!

It sounds strange, but eat more that 1200. I just upped my calories because I stalled on weight loss. I was eating 1200. Now I eat between 1310-1400 and the weight feels like it's literally falling off of me. Lost almost 4 lbs in two weeks. It made me nervous upping the calories (VERY nervous), but it was so worth it. I feel better because I'm eating more, I have a bit more energy and the weight is falling off. Also, make sure you eat back whatever calories you burn during exercise (very important). Good luck!

I may up my calories again if the weight loss stalls again

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INTERESTING. This site says for me to get to my goals weight (120 pounds) I need to eat 1,200 calories. I'm already half way there with just breakfast today - which only consists of yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, grapes. coffee and orange juice !
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This seems like a lot of sugar. Sure, they're all healthy, but all those berries, plus grapes, plus orange juice (and the sugar that is in yogurt) would definitely stall my weight loss. Everyone is different, but I find that if I eat more than two servings of fruit a day, my weight loss slows or stalls.

As others have said, don't give up. Depending on your height, 1200 calories might be too little. I'm just under 5' tall and my goal is 1200 calories. If you're taller, chances are you'll do better with more. Also, be sure that you're weighing your portions. You said that you're trying to curb your hunger with almonds - almonds are super healthy, but they're also (relatively) high in calories. At the beginning, I was measuring rather than weighing nuts as part of an afternoon snack and after getting a kitchen scale, discovered that I was adding an additional 100 or 200 calories just because my measurements were not precise. (And at my height, this makes a huge difference.) Another explanation could be if you're are eating back your "exercise calories." If so, do you have a heart rate monitor? That is really the only way to get an accurate reading of how many calories you are burning.

Assuming you are doing all of the above, you might want to get yourself a digital scale if you don't already have one. That way, if you lose half a pound, you'll know and it will make this less frustrating. (I know people say not to worry about the number on the scale, but that doesn't work well for me.)

And finally, remember that this is a lifestyle, not a "diet," per se. Slow and steady weight loss is much more sustainable over time, even if it's just 10 pounds. You should not be hungry. (Maybe the first couple of days, but after that, things should level off.) If you haven't already, you will get to know your body. I know that if I've had a particularly hard couple of workouts one week, and I'm hungry when I'm normally not, then I probably need to eat a bit more. (If you're consistently hungry, then maybe that is a sign that 1200 calories is not enough for you.) Also, do you snack between meals? I find it's easier for me if I eat less at breakfast or lunch and then have a mid morning and afternoon snack. That doesn't work for everyone though.

Also, sometimes I won't lose anything for a couple of weeks, and then suddenly I'll be down 4 pounds. Your body needs time to adjust. While it may be as simple as calories in vs. calories out for some people, I know that for myself, the foods I eat matter just as much as what I am eating. However, I know that is not the case for some people.

So...my point with all of this (sorry for rambling!) is that you might need to play around a bit with your calories, but assuming you're doing everything right, then just stick with it and give it a few more weeks. Eventually you should see some weight loss. (And if you don't, then either your calculations are off or there's something else going on that is making it difficult for you to lose weight.)


p.s. the first section is a quote but for some reason it's not showing as one???

For me, 1200 calories a day will net me a one pound weight loss per week.

ROFL, not to laugh at new people, but they just don't get it. I lost 30 pounds in two months, and then despite my caloric reduction and exercise I stayed near 180 for almost 45 days! Talk about stick-to-it-iveness!

This is a marathon, not a sprint. While it would be nice to have constant reassurance from the scale that you are on the right track and making progress, we are talking about WEIGHT, which is the total weight of everything you have eaten, your bones, your muscles, and your fat. As we drop fat our bodies like to retain water. As we train muscles our bodies like to retain even MORE water.

Do this, go fill a gallon jug with water and weigh yourself holding the jug, and then not holding the jug. One gallon of water weighs 8 pounds.

You aren't going to get a beach body in a month or two, and those 90 day transformations you see show people who were "soft" building their muscles to look "hard".

You've been at it a week, why stop now? You've put in a week's worth of calorie cutting.. keep going!!

This man, he speaks the truth. All of this.

If you're exercising, you'll need more than 1,200 calories. If you only eat 1,200 calories, then burn 500 calories in the gym, your net calories are 700 calories to feed your body. This can cause issues with your body over time, so it might be a good idea to consume more calories. Do some research on BMR + Physical Activity, and that might give you an idea of a safe number for your calorie consumption.

I've been on MFP for almost three years. I deleted my first account, and then immediately started another account. I've been maintaining the same weight for almost two years because I don't want to lose any more weight or gain the weight back that I lost.

The advice you are getting from other posters to calculate your BMR and TDEE and eat more than 1200 calories is excellent. If you are starving, your body is telling you to eat more. Also, with a small amount to lose, you shouldn't be aiming to lose 2 pounds a week. Half a pound to one pound is much more realistic. Lastly, watch your sodium. MFP sets it at 2500 mg/day. The American Heart Association recommends 2300 mg/day and half the population should aim for 1500 mg/day. Sodium causes water retention in many people (espec women) which can mask your scale losses. One Chinese dinner and I'll retain 2-4 pounds overnight. I need to keep my sodium intake to below 2000 mg/day to stay on track.

Good luck!