what am i dong wrong???

I just weighed myself after 12 days of not weighing in. (intentionally because I become obsessed) in 12 days of eating only 1200 calories a day , tracking every bite, and burning at least 600 calories a day at the gym.(and not eating those extra calories) I lost one pound. I also did a two week cleanse. \this is becoming so frustrating!!
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Replies

  • CaddieMay
    CaddieMay Posts: 356 Member
    Eat more.
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    Eat more.

    Ditto. Eat back exercise calories.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Eat your calorie goal and your exercise calories.

    Log accurately.

    Be patient. 12 days is not long enough to see drastic changes.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Agree with eating more. You only have 9 pounds left to lose, and you are only netting 600 calories a day, which is not healthy. Change your goal to lose half a pound a week, log your exercise calories, and eat them back as MFP intends (it's why it adds them to you daily calorie goal). "Starving" yourself isn't going to get you very far as you've found out.
  • weatheredcheese
    weatheredcheese Posts: 112 Member
    Everyones right, you need to eat more, your body will be in starvation mode, doing so much excercise as well.
  • it is so hard to convince myself to eat more to lose weight, \I know u must all understand that. Also, sometimes I find it hard to get the 1200 in. Could always eat a protein bar somewhere and a handful of almonds or something. Have any of u tried this, and did eating more actually work?
  • enigmaneo
    enigmaneo Posts: 61 Member
    Patience. You're doing great you lost a pound.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    by eating only 1200, then exercising away 600 and not eating them back (edit), you're leaving your body only 600 calories a day to survive off. OF COURSE it's going to hold on to as much as it can, and OF COURSE you're not going to see much if any loss at all. Eat More!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Please stop abusing yourself!

    Most cleanses, and especially the Master Cleanse, are just glorified purges!
  • Shyloh1
    Shyloh1 Posts: 422 Member
    Don't be afraid to eat more,your body needs fuel!:)
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    it is so hard to convince myself to eat more to lose weight, \I know u must all understand that. Also, sometimes I find it hard to get the 1200 in. Could always eat a protein bar somewhere and a handful of almonds or something. Have any of u tried this, and did eating more actually work?

    I was eating MFP's recommendation for me, 1460, and lost 7lb and stalled. Figured out BMR and TDEE, am now eating over 1900 calories a day and my weight loss picked back up, I'm down nearly 22 total now. Yes, it actually works!
  • thank you all for advice, I will try it!
  • geneal01
    geneal01 Posts: 3 Member
    your body is going into starvation mode, because although your eating your 1200 calories, you are then burning off half of it back. so really and truly your only having 600 calories!!
    hope that helps!!
  • shanswan
    shanswan Posts: 32 Member
    I think I am in the same boat you are in. I think maybe I need to eat more too.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Eating so little is not respectful to your body. You need to fuel your workouts. Here, read this article about cortisol:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    Two other thoughts:

    There's no need for a cleanse. Your body cleanses itself perfectly fine.

    1 lb per week is an excellent rate of loss.
  • THIS:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Trust me...and lots of other people it's working for...
  • melmckay99
    melmckay99 Posts: 358
    Dunno how applicable this is to everyone, but I always found that when I was losing weight it came off in chunks...ok that sounds a bit weird, but what I mean is I would weigh about the same for sometimes 2-3 weeks and then all of a sudden I would lose 1-3 pounds in a couple of days. Just be patient and know that weight loss is not linear. Just cause MFP says you will lose 1 lb a week, doesnt mean it will happen that way :).

    Good luck with everything!
  • karinaskorner
    karinaskorner Posts: 10 Member
    Don't eat below your BMR(mine is 1308) 5ft 4inches and you should eat at least 1/2 your exercise calories if not all.... I reset my calories for the day to 1400 so IF you are burning 600/day, add at least 300(half your calories burned) to your BMR...

    ex....my BMR is 1308
    I burn at least 500/day
    This took me a few wks to work out after being on a plateau for 1 month only eating the site's suggestion for women set at 1200/day.
    ps I lost 15 pounds initially using WW but switched to this site and like it MUCH more.
    Also, watch your sodium content(I was shocked at how much sodium I ate) and be sure to drink plenty of water...I was only taking in 6 glasses/day and now 10 glasses/day and it took off that plateau!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    it is so hard to convince myself to eat more to lose weight, \I know u must all understand that. Also, sometimes I find it hard to get the 1200 in. Could always eat a protein bar somewhere and a handful of almonds or something. Have any of u tried this, and did eating more actually work?


    Lots of people are eating more. Check out the group Eat More to Weigh Less (EM2WL). http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    It now has well over 4000 members. You do not need to starve yourself to lose weight. Learn what your BMR and TDEE are. Aim to lose only 1/2lb per week for sustainable healthy *fat* loss.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
  • SamanthaClarexo
    SamanthaClarexo Posts: 353 Member
    Don't be afraid to eat more,your body needs fuel!:)

    This. Eat back your cals.
  • thank you for that link, took a while to read but a tonne of good info
  • Key to understanding whether you have gone into starvation mode is tracking bowel movements. If you aren't having them or if what you do have is very minor, you are crossing into starvation. With both food and water, your body has an autonomous ability to react to input. If you put in too little in (food or water), your body notices and will hold on to every little bit...causing you to retain food or retain water. If you put in too much, again you will gain weight. Give your body enough water and food for your activity levels and it will learn that it doesn't have to hold on to what comes in. Effective weight loss is not built on starving yourself until you lose. It is finding the Goldilocks point of just the right amount of calorie deficit to encourage loss and stimulate metabolism.
  • Gracerrr
    Gracerrr Posts: 141
    Can people who are saying to eat more offer other feedback for those who do eat more and still don't lose?

    I was only losing about 0.5-1.0 lb per week when I was netting 1200 calories, so I followed the advice to eat more (net 1650) and over the course of 8 weeks I have maintained, if not *gained* weight.
  • kmcosgrove115
    kmcosgrove115 Posts: 260 Member
    Grace -

    What is your BMR and TDEE? How much are you looking to lose?
  • Dehron
    Dehron Posts: 1
    I'm sure someone else already said it, but you should also adjust the times of day you are eating as well. If you do some spinning (exercise bike) in the morning for at least twenty minutes on an empty stomach, you will burn more fat that day.

    Also, as for WHAT you are eating: Focus on proteins and carbs in the first half of the day (for energy and recovery), and then in the second half of the day focus on protein and fats (which will help you store all that goodness you are putting away).

    www.livestrong.com is a great source for nutrition advice.
  • absinthia70
    absinthia70 Posts: 56 Member
    Thank you, I think this is part of my problem too - I am on phenermine/b-12 and lost 9 lbs last week (my first week - and yes I know this is too fast long term, am just trying to kick start) and this week only 1 lb. My diet from my doctor is 1000-1200 calories a day, but I have been eating only 700-800 calories, working out every day, and drinking about 10 glasses of water a day. Guess I need to eat more and up my water!
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Can people who are saying to eat more offer other feedback for those who do eat more and still don't lose?

    I was only losing about 0.5-1.0 lb per week when I was netting 1200 calories, so I followed the advice to eat more (net 1650) and over the course of 8 weeks I have maintained, if not *gained* weight.

    Are you weighing your food? Accurately logging exercise?

    I eat around 1700 cals and lost 2 pounds and an inch around my waist. It took forever (almost 2 months) to see a change, but it finally happened. I also lift heavy 2-3 days/week.