Not sure what I am doing wrong..

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Amyirene74
Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
in Motivation and Support
When I eat 1400 calories or more I gain weight. When I eat 1200 I don't lose anything and I feel like I am starving. I end up bingeing if I stay at 1200 calories for 3-4 days. Now I have a head cold so that just exasperates my hunger. I have tried to do the tread mill for 30 mins at 3 mph and I just can't do it. My knees hurt afterward for several days. Wondering if maybe I should cut back carbs and eat more veggies? Any suggestions?

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  • thedrione
    thedrione Posts: 5
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    Hi Amy! I would always recommend less carbs and have more veggies. Are you getting enough protein in? I've always been told to never go under 1200 calories as a woman since this is our bare minimum to stay alive. Did you use the calculator to find out how many calories you need? 1400 was the result? Take a look at your daily menu. What kinds of foods are you eating? Also, are you eating 5-6 meals a day or just 3 bigger meals? Are you skipping meals? Also, take a step back and be brutally honest with yourself...Are you really tracking everything? Are you having days where you are going over? Treadmill at 3mph for 30 minutes is a lot if you are not used to it. Maybe try doing 2mph for 15 minutes twice a day, or for 10 minutes three times a day. I have to start small to stay successful. For me, my ankles hurt really bad if I walk too far too fast then I can't walk for days. I hope this helps you along. Take care, stay strong, and remember, you can do this if you are ready!
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    How long did you give 1400 cal a try? How much do you weigh? Are you tracking everything you eat or just kind of eyeballing and guesstimating?
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
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    Hi Amy! I would always recommend less carbs and have more veggies. Are you getting enough protein in? I've always been told to never go under 1200 calories as a woman since this is our bare minimum to stay alive. Did you use the calculator to find out how many calories you need? 1400 was the result? Take a look at your daily menu. What kinds of foods are you eating? Also, are you eating 5-6 meals a day or just 3 bigger meals? Are you skipping meals? Also, take a step back and be brutally honest with yourself...Are you really tracking everything? Are you having days where you are going over? Treadmill at 3mph for 30 minutes is a lot if you are not used to it. Maybe try doing 2mph for 15 minutes twice a day, or for 10 minutes three times a day. I have to start small to stay successful. For me, my ankles hurt really bad if I walk too far too fast then I can't walk for days. I hope this helps you along. Take care, stay strong, and remember, you can do this if you are ready!

    Thank you! I do go over but only after starving myself on 1200 calories a day. I do snack besides meals. I have 4 kids still at home with one being special needs so I have alot of stress and very little time for me. I will try the 2 mph for 15 mins. I am sure I can do that.
  • autumnsnow786
    autumnsnow786 Posts: 279 Member
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    Try the elliptical, it's much better for your knees.
  • mmc29
    mmc29 Posts: 2
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    don't forget to drink at least HALF your body weight in water each day too! I also have meal replacement shakes that fill me up and fuel my body AND I remove weight :) set smaller goals to work up to the bigger goals too!
  • sha4sure
    sha4sure Posts: 9
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    My daughter who is 13yrs old and myself who is 49yrs old are also not losing the weight like we want. We are eating 1200 calories a day and staying within our carb/fat and protein allowance and also exercising 30 minutes a day either by treadmill or bike riding and so far we have been doing this for 1 month approximately and we have only lost 4 pounds which were we hoping we would have lost 8 pounds already. The past 2 weigh ins we have stayed the same weight. What should we do? any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
  • newlow
    newlow Posts: 5
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    On your workouts, you might try experimenting with shorter bursts of high intensity and an overall shorter workout. If you are just doing cardio on a daily basis consider mixing it up with some strength training (bodyweight or weights) to put on some healthy muscle. Your muscles will demand more nutrition and also burn more calories in a resting state. Also, being someone that has been highly iron and Vitamin D deficient, it is verrrrry important to know where you are by way of deficiencies. If you have any it always helps to find out about it and handle it. Its very common for someone with a deficiency to not know about it and just suffer thinking that's just what life feels like. Also food choices are a very big deal. I've recently given up wheat and sugar, and all my usual intense and frequent cravings have vanished.
  • raumaitre
    raumaitre Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello Guys, Also it is important to sleep well. At least 8 hours. If you sleep 4 hours per day chances are that you won't lose weight.

    Also i wanted to add that you should go sleep hungry. 3 hours after your last meal. This last meal shouldn't contain a lot of carbs preferible just veggies and protein.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
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    How long did you give 1400 cal a try? How much do you weigh? Are you tracking everything you eat or just kind of eyeballing and guesstimating?

    I weigh everything I eat. I am very diligent with that. Right now I am 178.4 lbs at 5'5" tall. I have had a hysterectomy and am on estrogen for menopause. I have been on the 1400 calories since 12-29-12. I do go over occasionally but I try to stay as close to 1400 as possible. I went down to 1200 from Jan 7th to Jan 31st and then started feeling like i was starving. I am no longer losing. Instead I am gaining.....

    Date Weight
    12/29/2012 185.9
    12/30/2012 185.0
    12/31/2012 182.4
    01/3/2013 181.8
    01/5/2013 181.0
    01/09/2013 180.6
    01/11/2013 179.8
    01/15/2013 179.2
    01/18/2013 178.8
    01/24/2013 177.4
    01/26/2013 177.0
    01/29/2013 176.4
    020/1/2013 176.4
    02/02/2013 176.2
    02/08/2013 177.6
    02/09/2013 178.4
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    My daughter who is 13yrs old and myself who is 49yrs old are also not losing the weight like we want. We are eating 1200 calories a day and staying within our carb/fat and protein allowance and also exercising 30 minutes a day either by treadmill or bike riding and so far we have been doing this for 1 month approximately and we have only lost 4 pounds which were we hoping we would have lost 8 pounds already. The past 2 weigh ins we have stayed the same weight. What should we do? any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
    Unless you and your daughter are very overweight, you shouldn't be trying to lose 2 pounds per week. And a 13 yr. old shouldn't be on a very low calorie diet regardless. Where did you get 1200 calories? If from MFP, then you should be eating back the calories you burn during exercise. Your profile says you only have 25 lbs. to lose. If that's true, then 1 pound per week is great. If that's an interim goal instead, then 1200 just may be too low. Either use MFP to recalculate for 1 pound loss or find the road map (search for it in the forums) and calculate your BMR (don't eat below it) and your TDEE (not at sedentary but including the number of days you exercise) and take a cut from that making sure not to go below your BMR.

    To the OP, 1200 is probably too low for you, too. Definitely try to get in some exercise, but healthier choices will help, too. Cut out as many processed foods as you can as they are usually loaded with sodium and will cause you to retain water. Fruits and veggies will help flush the water out, along with plenty of water. If you didn't stick with 1400 for at least a month, try again. Unless you are tiny or your metabolism is shot, you shouldn't gain on 1400.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
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    Try the elliptical, it's much better for your knees.

    I am not coordinated enough for the elliptical lol. My knees lock up. I do better on a bike.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
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    On your workouts, you might try experimenting with shorter bursts of high intensity and an overall shorter workout. If you are just doing cardio on a daily basis consider mixing it up with some strength training (bodyweight or weights) to put on some healthy muscle. Your muscles will demand more nutrition and also burn more calories in a resting state. Also, being someone that has been highly iron and Vitamin D deficient, it is verrrrry important to know where you are by way of deficiencies. If you have any it always helps to find out about it and handle it. Its very common for someone with a deficiency to not know about it and just suffer thinking that's just what life feels like. Also food choices are a very big deal. I've recently given up wheat and sugar, and all my usual intense and frequent cravings have vanished.

    This last week I started taking supplements like a multivitamin, extra iron, extra omega 3-6-9 (helps offset the constipation that iron causes) and extra vitamin C and D. Hoping they help. I am going to try to cut back the carbs. I have the sugar cravings alot. I used to just eat a spoonful of sugar when i would get them.
  • Amyirene74
    Amyirene74 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    My daughter who is 13yrs old and myself who is 49yrs old are also not losing the weight like we want. We are eating 1200 calories a day and staying within our carb/fat and protein allowance and also exercising 30 minutes a day either by treadmill or bike riding and so far we have been doing this for 1 month approximately and we have only lost 4 pounds which were we hoping we would have lost 8 pounds already. The past 2 weigh ins we have stayed the same weight. What should we do? any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
    Unless you and your daughter are very overweight, you shouldn't be trying to lose 2 pounds per week. And a 13 yr. old shouldn't be on a very low calorie diet regardless. Where did you get 1200 calories? If from MFP, then you should be eating back the calories you burn during exercise. Your profile says you only have 25 lbs. to lose. If that's true, then 1 pound per week is great. If that's an interim goal instead, then 1200 just may be too low. Either use MFP to recalculate for 1 pound loss or find the road map (search for it in the forums) and calculate your BMR (don't eat below it) and your TDEE (not at sedentary but including the number of days you exercise) and take a cut from that making sure not to go below your BMR.

    To the OP, 1200 is probably too low for you, too. Definitely try to get in some exercise, but healthier choices will help, too. Cut out as many processed foods as you can as they are usually loaded with sodium and will cause you to retain water. Fruits and veggies will help flush the water out, along with plenty of water. If you didn't stick with 1400 for at least a month, try again. Unless you are tiny or your metabolism is shot, you shouldn't gain on 1400.

    I am working on cutting out the processed food. I do have to take in alot of salt though to keep my blood pressure up.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    Well, I think we have to admit that having a hysterectomy can change things. I had one in November but I still have my ovaries.
    Honestly, from looking at your log it looks like you were doing well on 1400 calories. And your weight gain from 2/8 to 2/9 may just be normal fluctuations or water weight. You can hold onto 2 lbs of water just from eating a pickle. I totally understand wanting the weight to come off faster. I really get that. But if you were consistently losing on 1400 calories why not go back to that? So many women can't lose at all after losing their ovaries. I think you were doing very well. Slow weight loss has many benefits. 1200 calories per day is so hard to maintain over long periods of time.

    Have you tried Pilates or weight training for exercise? You may find that since those kinds of workouts change the shape of your body in different ways than walking, you will stop paying so much attention to what's going on with the scale. And no impact on the knees!
  • rougecrayon
    rougecrayon Posts: 100
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    Do weight training!

    My cardio sucks! I can hardly walk without getting out of breath, so I've been focusing on bodyweight exercises, and strength training. I get a little cardio in, because I would like my cardio to improve, but that is what I focus on.

    The quiality of your calories may be questioned as well (I didn't look at your diary) but if you are eating whole, fresh foods, calories generally go pretty far! Plus Veggies are so filling and delicious!

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