1200 calories per day- no weigh loss after 3 weeks

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cheron40
cheron40 Posts: 31 Member
in Motivation and Support
HI All

I am writing cause I am frustrated and fed up and am crying at my desk- I have been eating 1200 calories per day for 3 weeks
stopped drinking wine for the past 2 weeks, ton's of water AND doing a cleanse
and I have gained a pound-

I am so upset- I think due to the cleanse I have having a constant headache and I am majorly cranky as well

I am 5"3 and now weigh 156 pounds need to loose 20 pounds
I am also 40yrs old- walking daily for about 30 minutes

any tips would be amazing-
thanks

Replies

  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
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    1. Forget the cleanse. They're a waste of time.

    2. You can calculate your BMR and TDEE here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/. I actually did it based off the figures you put in your post. Your TDEE on "lightly active" is 1983 calories. Your BMR is 1442. Therefore, by eating only 1200 calories a day, you're eating less than your body needs to survive. That's bad. Aim for eating somewhere around 1500 per day. That should give you a weight loss of roughly 1 lb/week. That's sustainable and won't make you feel like you want to quit.

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

    4. Read it again.

    5. Keep walking - that's a great way to start off exercising.
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    Couple things: Stop doing a cleanse. You don't need to do a cleanse to lose weight. And you also don't need to be miserable to lose weight. Headaches and crankiness are not the way to go!

    We have similar stats and I am eating around 1500 calories per day. It sounds like weird advice if you haven't read up on BMR and TDEE, but you may want to eat more.

    Also, make sure you are weighing/measuring everything so you know exactly what you are eating.
  • wnbrice
    wnbrice Posts: 244 Member
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    Avoid the scale for at least a month, make sure in your 1200 you are getting plenty of protein and just go based off body measurements instead of weight.
  • sardesc
    sardesc Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm 5' and I net 1400-1500 with eating back my exercise calories. You probably aren't eating enough, I did the same thing in my 20's and it made maintaing my weight very hard.
  • michelejoann
    michelejoann Posts: 295 Member
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    EAT MORE.

    Your body will be like WTF?

    Seriously. I was at 1200 for a few months, and maintained. Threw in a more intense workout, ate back my exercise calories...and BAM. Lost 3 pounds.
  • blanhe2
    blanhe2 Posts: 88
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    Eat your exercise calories!
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 646 Member
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    1. Forget the cleanse. They're a waste of time.

    2. You can calculate your BMR and TDEE here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/. I actually did it based off the figures you put in your post. Your TDEE on "lightly active" is 1983 calories. Your BMR is 1442. Therefore, by eating only 1200 calories a day, you're eating less than your body needs to survive. That's bad. Aim for eating somewhere around 1500 per day. That should give you a weight loss of roughly 1 lb/week. That's sustainable and won't make you feel like you want to quit.

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

    4. Read it again.

    5. Keep walking - that's a great way to start off exercising.

    Totally agree! You need to eat more, never below your BMR.
  • 2credneck208
    2credneck208 Posts: 501 Member
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    I was in the same boat as you 2 weeks ago. I was eating too few calories!! I figured my BMR which was 1590, and upped my daily calories to 1500. I have lost 6 pounds. Eating more really does work!!
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
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    you're not eating enough. I plateaued forever until I started eating back the calories I burned during exercise. I net 1480 calories per day and if I work out a bunch, my daily calories need to be closer to 2000. It's working - I lost 4lbs in January after being stuck on the scale for months!
  • merB89
    merB89 Posts: 122
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    You are eating waaaaay too little. Bump it up a few hundred cals or so with healthy stuff. Veggies, nuts, low fat dairy, protein packed foods that fuel you. Way to go on the cutting out wine and drinking a lot of water!! Those are definitely huge steps towards your goal weight. You don't need to feel crappy to lose weight, and doing in a way that you are miserable makes it much more likely that you will give up and revert to old habits. Be nice to your body!!
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I am on a 1250 calories allowance and eat a large VOLUME of foods.Meat, fish, veggies, fruit ,ice cream, cereal, salads etc.I also exercise every day and I eat back the exercise calories I burn (at least half) every day. The more I exercise the more I eat and the stronger I get the more calories my body burns. You should never be hungry. If you are then you are eating the wrong foods! We can't see your food diary because you have it locked so I would suggest going over your diet carefully!
  • clmelisca
    clmelisca Posts: 2 Member
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    Your body is in starvation mode. It's going to burn muscle and not fat. No good.

    Try to eat more.

    You're doing so many good things for yourself with the walking, etc. If you just add a few more smart calories a day, that weight will come off.

    You WILL lose the weight!

    Good luck!! :)
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    When you say you have been eating 1200, do you actually eat all 1200 or are you usually under? A lot people doing the 1200 calorie goal don't seem to realize that 1200 is your MINIMUM, not your maximum amount. Eating under that amount could be undermining your efforts.

    After reading the "in place of a roadmap" thread that someone linked earlier, you should also read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    Great information and friendly, knowledgeable people if you join the group. Good luck to you.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
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    If you're getting headaches, it means you're not eating enough. Listen to your body, and use the calculators others have posted to figure out what's right for you. Remember, everyone is different, and your needs change over time-- a good calorie limit for you now may be too many or too few 3 months or 6 months or a year down the road. Weight loss is a constant evaluative process, and just listen to your body and its needs. Get enough sleep, get enough water and food, and try not to stress out about sticking to a "plan", but about becoming more aware about what helps and what hinders your body when it comes to choosing foods and portion sizes. Don't starve yourself to the point where you're crying because you're miserable every day. Take care of yourself, and you WILL see results. :)
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
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    HI All

    I am writing cause I am frustrated and fed up and am crying at my desk- I have been eating 1200 calories per day for 3 weeks
    stopped drinking wine for the past 2 weeks, ton's of water AND doing a cleanse
    and I have gained a pound-

    I am so upset- I think due to the cleanse I have having a constant headache and I am majorly cranky as well

    I am 5"3 and now weigh 156 pounds need to loose 20 pounds
    I am also 40yrs old- walking daily for about 30 minutes

    any tips would be amazing-
    thanks

    Have you read these, 4 topics at this thread that will help you...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    Cranky adn a headache are sure signs you are not eating enough, again read those threads they are very informative. :bigsmile:
  • Kathe2
    Kathe2 Posts: 31 Member
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    Pay close attention to your carbs. Keeping them to 50 grams per day is the way to go. You will lose weight immediately.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    First off, as others have mentioned... stop with the cleanse. It isn't needed and can harm you more than help you.

    Second, with only 20lbs to lose your weekly loss goal should be at 0.5lbs per week. You don't have a lot to lose so you can't strive for high losses. 1200 is far too low.

    Work out your BMR and TDEE as others have suggested. Too low calories and you will be losing muscle.
  • bootsandfros
    bootsandfros Posts: 81 Member
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    if you want to do a cleans do it the natural way with plenty of fruits and green leafy veggies. that should clear things up for you.

    also, what is the quality of your 1200 calories? on days where i eat a vegetarian whole foods diet it is hard for me to reach 1200 calories (so i add in some nuts) but i am never hungry or light headed bc i can basically eat as much as i want.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    1. Forget the cleanse. They're a waste of time.

    2. You can calculate your BMR and TDEE here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/. I actually did it based off the figures you put in your post. Your TDEE on "lightly active" is 1983 calories. Your BMR is 1442. Therefore, by eating only 1200 calories a day, you're eating less than your body needs to survive. That's bad. Aim for eating somewhere around 1500 per day. That should give you a weight loss of roughly 1 lb/week. That's sustainable and won't make you feel like you want to quit.

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

    4. Read it again.

    5. Keep walking - that's a great way to start off exercising.

    Yes...I agree with this. Also, with only 20 Lbs to lose, you should be aiming to lose no more than 1 Lb per week; .5 would probably be better. If you opt for the TDEE method, no more than TDEE - 20%...even then, make sure it's not below your BMR...I'd personally do no more than TDEE - 15% with only 20 Lbs to lose....cut that back to TDEE - 10% when you get within 10 Lbs of goal.

    When you eat below your BMR, your body goes into metabolic stall. Obese and morbidly obese individuals can eat below their BMR for a time and it is more sustainable because they have so much energy stored as fat...with only 20 Lbs to lose, you really don't have the fat stores to sustain yourself eating below your BMR; therefore, as a defense mechanism, you body will stall metabolism and store rather than burn whatever you are consuming.

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