1200 Calories a day, a ton of cardio and GAINING? !

Jocolette
Jocolette Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started out 145, 5 foot 7 and approx 28% body fat last summer. I started seriously working out in August 2012, hitting the gym or running for an hour or more 4 to 6 times a week. My eating habits before I started were very dirty, but only consumed maybe 8 or 900 calories per day. Once I started looking into things more I started eating clean, prepping meals, no processed food, mostly diet of veggies, salad, chicken, fish, fruit, protien powder after workout and upped my intake to 1200 to 1400 daily. My weight stayed stable but i figured it was because I was gaining muscle while loosing fat. Now, 7 months later,.I weigh 151lbs and have increased my cardio and weight training substancially but am NOT seeing myself lean out, and if i dont do my cardio of the day will hit 153 ish which is the most i have weighed in two years. I recently started only eating 900 calories of clean food a day again.because I just am nott seeing results and am at a loss for what to.do, I am pretty sure the area I need help.is the kitchen not the gym as I am super dedicated to my workouts, run 5 to 8 km a day plus weight training. Any thoughts? I dont want to lower my metabolism but 1200 cals is not cutting it for me! Help!
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Replies

  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    Is that netting 1200 or your goal is 1200 and you're not eating back your workout calories? If you're not eating them back, that's your problem. With that much of a work out ever day, you need to be eating more. Check out helloitsdan's post (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12) for a link and info to figure out your BMR and TDEE and what you should be eating at

    It looks like your diary says your goal is 900 not 1200?

    Edited cause I can't spell
  • emeneer
    emeneer Posts: 1
    You're starving yourself and as a result your body is holding on to every shred of fat/nutrition it can, rather than burning it off. I would guess if you start eating more (ie, bumping up to ~1500 cals/day) you will start to drop pounds after 3-4 weeks.
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    Eat more to lose more.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    No way you are gaining fat, maybe water weight on so little cals.
    That said you may be gaining if:
    1. You are eating more than you think you are eating. (If you are not weighing solids and measuring liquids you are most likely consuming more calories than you think you are.)
    2.You are eating back exercise calories and over estimating your caloric burn
    3. You have a thyroid or other hormonal issue
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Is that netting 1200 or your goal is 1200 and you're not eating back your workout calories? If you're not eating them back, that's your problem. With that much of a work out ever day, you need to be eating more. Check out helloitsdan's post (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12) for a link and info to figure out your BMR and TDEE and what you should be eating at

    It looks like your diary says your goal is 900 not 1200?

    Edited cause I can't spell

    I agree with this.
    Also, are you weighing your foods and measuring them correctly to make sure your calorie intake per day is accurate?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You're starving yourself and as a result your body is holding on to every shred of fat/nutrition it can, rather than burning it off. I would guess if you start eating more (ie, bumping up to ~1500 cals/day) you will start to drop pounds after 3-4 weeks.

    this.

    i would also consider reducing your cardio in favour of full body strenght training and a little HIIT if you do want to do cardio.
  • imchicbad
    imchicbad Posts: 1,650 Member
    CARTOON SLAP please read the road map above.
  • Jocolette
    Jocolette Posts: 9 Member
    Yes I just changed my diary goal today to 900. Everything ive read paired with my stats tells me to eat more but being never hungry and gaining discourages me from that... I am not eating back what Ive burned. Just total intake of 1200
  • bhelmreich
    bhelmreich Posts: 254 Member
    YOU NEED TO EAT MORE! I didn't lose any weight until I upped my calories to netting around 1450. Everybody is different but I would start by adding 100 or so more calories and see how that goes.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Based on the last week or so of your diary, you need to increase fats and protein... you're WAY low on those.

    Cut WAY back on the cardio, increase intensity in the lifting.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    You're starving yourself and as a result your body is holding on to every shred of fat/nutrition it can, rather than burning it off. I would guess if you start eating more (ie, bumping up to ~1500 cals/day) you will start to drop pounds after 3-4 weeks.
    Based on the last week or so of your diary, you need to increase fats and protein... you're WAY low on those.

    Cut WAY back on the cardio, increase intensity in the lifting.

    Yup! What they said ^^^^
  • KML617
    KML617 Posts: 220 Member
    I'm confused... are you eating 1200 calories a day or only 900?? Either way, it sounds like you're not eating nearly enough, especially if you are working out that much. No one should eat less than 1200 calories a day, and if you're adding a lot of cardio into your daily routine, then you should be eating much more than that. You're probably putting your body into starvation mode whcich causes you to start storing fat.
  • tamerkins2
    tamerkins2 Posts: 212
    EAT MORE!!!! MFP set my calorie goal to 1200 calories and I struggled to lose any weight. Last week, I manually changed my calorie goal to 1300. Guess what? In that week, I lost 2.5 pounds!! I worked out the same, the only difference in what I did was eat 100 more extra calories. It works! Your body is probably starving and holding on to the weight. It is panicking!!Without a doubt 900 calories is too little. That will never work for weight loss. I am confused even by 1200 calories at your weight of 151. That seriously is too little.
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
    I eat almost 4000 Calories a day so that i can net 1400, Your body needs fuel, if you dont feed it, it will hold on to everything. It trys to store it thinking it wont get fed again, so eating less will not help you at all. If you wanna loose weight you have to fuel your body to be efficent, to work, and continue working, not to deny it. Also consider changing up your work out. Your body trys to learn your habits and routines and will attempt to go on cruise control whenever possible. If you run all the time, try riding the bike, if you noramlly work out in the afternoon trying switching to the mornings. Make your body think, if it is properly fueled and constantly working and not trying to coast, you are going to see much better results... Hope that helps.
  • MissTattoo
    MissTattoo Posts: 1,203 Member
    You know what...nevermind. lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    just out of interest is there any reason why you eat in a 7 hour time frame? your diary is set with breakfast at 12, and then you are finished with dinner by 7pm?
  • tamerkins2
    tamerkins2 Posts: 212
    Yes I just changed my diary goal today to 900. Everything ive read paired with my stats tells me to eat more but being never hungry and gaining discourages me from that... I am not eating back what Ive burned. Just total intake of 1200

    THIS is the problem.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    One question:

    Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?
  • TinaLRoman
    TinaLRoman Posts: 41 Member
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    I'm where you are... 5'7 started (when I got here) at 145 and last I weighed myself I was 142. Mind you, I've been working out for years. Only until I joined MFP I started to focus more on what I ate, how I ate, when I ate and the training I've been doing. Last time I weighed myself, I had stayed at 142 and lost almost 3% bodyfat so I will take that over the scale moving ANY DAY! You may not see the difference, but ask people who havne't seen you in a while what they see. I know I was told over the weekend, my friends that haven't seen me in a month and a half said "holy crap steph, have you lost weight?" I said "nope, I'm bloated as hell, feel like crap and feel fat!" BUT, apparently there was a difference!

    The only thing I can suggest is upping your calories to MORE food. I've cut out sweets for lent and man oh man my stomach is a mess because I'm eating a lot 'cleaner' - aside from some pizza and wings on the weekend (haha). Either way, I was trying to do the 1,200 a day - that didn't do me any justice at all the first month - or so. I upped my calories to 1,520 and I checked my TDEE (which I need to now recheck) and it said I should be eating on average 1,810 calories a day. So, I eat like crazy and it's helped.
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
    Please eat more, you will never sustain this diet and you will never see results. When I used to eat 1200 calories, I lost weight and it was all muscle and I gained fat. I was skinny fat. You must eat more to fuel your body and those workouts if you want to increase your lean body mass. The more LBM, the more calories you will burn. Eat quite a bit more, increase your protein, cut cardio back some and start lifting weights, it will change your life - I promise.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.

    Adjust her calories 300 down, from 900???
  • tamerkins2
    tamerkins2 Posts: 212
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.

    She is 5'7 and weighs 151 lbs. How is 900 calories eating enough? I take that back - at ANY height/weight, 900 calories is never enough!!
  • tamerkins2
    tamerkins2 Posts: 212
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.

    Adjust her calories 300 down, from 900???

    RIGHT??? Come on.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I agree with the others, definitely sounds like a case of under eating, and possibly over training as well. But definitely not eating enough to fuel those workouts. I also recommend the road map thread - awesome information in there.

    Another good read: http://www.shapefit.com/overtraining-exercising-too-much.html
  • TinaLRoman
    TinaLRoman Posts: 41 Member
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.

    Adjust her calories 300 down, from 900???

    No the original 1200.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    You're starving yourself and as a result your body is holding on to every shred of fat/nutrition it can, rather than burning it off. I would guess if you start eating more (ie, bumping up to ~1500 cals/day) you will start to drop pounds after 3-4 weeks.

    this.

    i would also consider reducing your cardio in favour of full body strenght training and a little HIIT if you do want to do cardio.

    Exactly.
  • Jocolette
    Jocolette Posts: 9 Member
    One question:

    Do you care about your health or a number on a scale more?

    My health, before I sound like too much of a whiner I will add that I FEEL 100% better since i started eating clean and excersizing nomatter what weight. And regardless of the number on the scale will never go back to my previous lifestyle, however I was looking forward to dropping some pounds when I started and thus am a little "blah" about that...
    just out of interest is there any reason why you eat in a 7 hour time frame? your diary is set with breakfast at 12, and then you are finished with dinner by 7pm?

    There was a point in the summer where I was trying intermittent fasting about the same time when I started working out. I should have mentioned this before but I went down to 141while.intermittent fasting and then started gaining fairly consistently from that point. I like the intermittent fasting routine and my boyfriend is on the same schedule so it helps us coordinate.
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
    I'm going to disagree with the others. Before I say you're eating too much or too little, how tall are you? Depending on your height you may or may not be eating enough. Adjust your intake by 200 - 300 calories either up or down and see how that goes. I do agree with the poster who said to add in some weight training and switch out some of the cardio.

    I never eat back my exercise calories. Some people do, and some don't, you have to find what works best for you.

    You are wrong. She said she is 5'7" in her post....It is a good Idea to read the entire post before you answer a question... 900-1200 calories is too low for most people especially for an extended period of time.

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