Struggling with Losing - Upping Calories Not Working. :(
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my calories are set at 1200 for the program i'm doing but mfp changed it to 1500, i try to stay as close to 1200 as i can but sometimes go over. i never eat back the calories i burn and i still lose weight, you can check my diary to see what i eat if you want. i do sometimes get peckish but try to resist, i am still new at this though, i think when you start it is easier to lose but the longer you do it it gets harder
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I do not know how some people manage 1200 calories a day; when I drop below about 1700 I am ready to eat my own arm.
You know how? Because when the body is shocked by receive 50% or less of the calories it needs to just sustain life, it does some pretty radical things to save your skin. It dials back the metabolism drastically, which also dials back hunger too. And then it quickly burns as much of that pesky muscle tissue as possible that demands so many calories a day even at rest. And then it de-prioritizes non-essential functions like strong hair/nails and normal menstrual cycles, etc. It also renders you as lethargic as possible to minimize the likelihood you will do something stressful like exercise that will use up some of the precious few calories that the body has to sustain life with.
So no, you don't get hungry eating at 1200 calories. You have to eat at normal levels again for several weeks for the body to readjust. (I'm speaking as someone who spent months eating happily at 1300 calories and who now eat about 2400 a day.)0 -
Im sure you've already heard this, but it's not necessarily how MANY calories, but the TYPE of calories--if that makes sense. I'm no professional, and I'm only speaking from personal experience (I'm training for figure competitions); however, if you fill your day with odd macronutrients, then you will definitely FEEL like your body starving, even when technically 1200 calories won't necessarily put you in starvation mode.
I can't see your food diary so I'm not certain what your day looks like, but 2 rules of thumb I SWEAR by:
1. Fill up on protein in the morning, and it's okay to have good carbs. I know everyone hears this day in and day out, but it's sooo true and vital to not feeling like you're killing yourself as the day progresses. My typical breakfast is: 2 egg whites, 1 cup special k (or 3/4 c special k protein) with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours--trust me...if you beat your body to the "hungry" feeling, it'll do wonders for both your mental AND physical state.
Feel free to ask any questions--I've run the gamut of highs and lows and know what works for me--so if I can help just a little, I'm happy to do so!
^^ umm no.
A calorie is a calorie. A calorie deficit makes you lose weight. However, eating good whole food is better for you nutritionally and will keep you full longer. It'll also cut down on cravings.
Less is not more in terms of calories. You probably aren't eating enough.
My advice is. Find your TDEE and eat -10 to 15% of it (Because you don't have much less to lose). There are two ways to calculate your TDEE: One that takes exercise into account automatically and one you eat your calories back. Be patient after changing your habits, it takes time. Also weight loss will be slower the closer you get to your goals.
I feel like this was a little rude. I do agree that a deficit in calories aids in weight loss; however, the type of calories someone puts in their body can effect blood sugar, etc. So...100 calories of a sugary snack (like a cookie) is different than 100 calories of egg whites or chicken. Hence...not NECESSARILY the amount, but the type. I already said I wasn't a professional...are you? Do you know this girl?
It's frustrating to see people discredit others' advice...and it is just advice. It makes one discouraged to help others. Just a thought...0 -
A calorie is a calorie. A calorie deficit makes you lose weight. However, eating good whole food is better for you nutritionally and will keep you full longer. It'll also cut down on cravings.
While I agree that a calorie is a calorie, I think your suggestion is actually more on track of what she was getting at - she just didn't quite say it in the right way is all. There are lots of different foods that have the same caloric content, but make you feel different levels of "Full" if that makes sense? I can eat 10 baby carrots and that makes me feel FAR more full than the same calories in crackers. I think that was the point she was getting at - not that calories in food are *actually* different, they just make you FEEL different.
I am 5' 3" and my BMR is 1106 (hospital checked!), my TDEE is just over 1400, so in order to lose anything, I have to eat around 1300 calories a day. As long as I fill up with high fiber or high protein foods, I never have a problem feeling full.
<edited for spelling corrections.0 -
I am 5' 3" and my BMR is 1106 (hospital checked!), my TDEE is just over 1400, so in order to lose anything, I have to eat around 1300 calories a day. As long as I fill up with high fiber or high protein foods, I never have a problem feeling full.
<edited for spelling corrections.
But could it be because you slowed down your metabolism by not eating enough in the first place?0 -
Hi! I would recommend you get a heart rate monitor. It could be you are overestimating your exercise, which would result in higher net calorie consumption. Also, it's important to look at WHAT you are eating to make up those 1200 calories. For example, 1 brownie might be 400 calories, but 400 calorie salad would be like 4 cups of fruits and veggies AND lean meat. Try cutting out processed foods wherever possible. By eating a higher volume of foods for the same amount of calories, your body will not feel hungry. The bulk of your carbs should be from fruits and veggies and WHOLE grains. The less processed food you eat, the more water you drink, the better you will feel. I would recommend some resistance/weight training. Even if that means you invest in an exercise/stability ball and some dumbbells. It will help!0
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But could it be because you slowed down your metabolism by not eating enough in the first place?
I thought that, which is why I had it checked by the hospital. Nope - menopause. *grin* (surgically induced....)0 -
Im sure you've already heard this, but it's not necessarily how MANY calories, but the TYPE of calories--if that makes sense. I'm no professional, and I'm only speaking from personal experience (I'm training for figure competitions); however, if you fill your day with odd macronutrients, then you will definitely FEEL like your body starving, even when technically 1200 calories won't necessarily put you in starvation mode.
I can't see your food diary so I'm not certain what your day looks like, but 2 rules of thumb I SWEAR by:
1. Fill up on protein in the morning, and it's okay to have good carbs. I know everyone hears this day in and day out, but it's sooo true and vital to not feeling like you're killing yourself as the day progresses. My typical breakfast is: 2 egg whites, 1 cup special k (or 3/4 c special k protein) with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours--trust me...if you beat your body to the "hungry" feeling, it'll do wonders for both your mental AND physical state.
Feel free to ask any questions--I've run the gamut of highs and lows and know what works for me--so if I can help just a little, I'm happy to do so!
^^ umm no.
A calorie is a calorie. A calorie deficit makes you lose weight. However, eating good whole food is better for you nutritionally and will keep you full longer. It'll also cut down on cravings.
Less is not more in terms of calories. You probably aren't eating enough.
My advice is. Find your TDEE and eat -10 to 15% of it (Because you don't have much less to lose). There are two ways to calculate your TDEE: One that takes exercise into account automatically and one you eat your calories back. Be patient after changing your habits, it takes time. Also weight loss will be slower the closer you get to your goals.
I feel like this was a little rude. I do agree that a deficit in calories aids in weight loss; however, the type of calories someone puts in their body can effect blood sugar, etc. So...100 calories of a sugary snack (like a cookie) is different than 100 calories of egg whites or chicken. Hence...not NECESSARILY the amount, but the type. I already said I wasn't a professional...are you? Do you know this girl?
It's frustrating to see people discredit others' advice...and it is just advice. It makes one discouraged to help others. Just a thought...
I appoligize it wasn't meant to be rude. I agree different foods provide different responses in our bodies. However a calorie is still a calorie for weight loss. Nutritionally calories are not the same I agree.0 -
bump0
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Try eating more "filling" foods, maybe? I eat apples and baby carrots as an afternoon snack and it keeps me satisfied until suppertime. I also like to eat more protein in the morning for breakfast - an omelet does wonders to keep me full and is really low in calories. Actually count the calories in the TYPE of foods you eat. I hear a lot of people saying, "have an apple with peanut butter" for a snack, but that loads on an additional mega-watt of calories even with a single serving of peanut butter. The same weight in broccoli however, will net you protein *and* fiber, and very VERY few calories.
So there are lots of options out there to keep you from feeling like you are starving yourself - it's just a matter of finding them. Ready, set, Go!
You can "friend" me if you want to see the kinds of stuff I eat to maintain around a 1300 calorie per day diet, although I've only been here a few days - everything for the past few years is on MyNetDiary....oops.
Also - the scale isn't moving, but what about your measurements? Are your measurements dropping? That sometimes happens...
The opposite is true for me. If I eat an apple, I am STARVING 20 minutes later. Like, tummy grumbling, feeling sick and like I want to kill someone. If I don't have protein with my meal, or a carb, I will be starving in no time. Happens with anything.. An apple, carrots... Anything that has little calories and nothing to sustain me.0 -
WOW....a whole week you gave it...impressive, very impressive...
seriously, Rome wasn't built in a day. Weight loss is slow...when it says 1 Lb per week or whatever, it isn't linear...actually 1 Lb per week. Sometimes you will have no loss..sometimes very small...sometimes bigger losses and so on. Also, weight loss is difficult to see on a scale over a short period of time due to the fact that your body can have natural fluctuations of 2-5 Lbs easy...sometimes more. So, it is quite possible to lose a Lb of fat in a week but not see that Lb show up on a scale because maybe you're retaining 3 Lbs of water or glycogen...or maybe you just need to drop a deuce.
My advice is stick to something....if you do the 1200 calorie thing, eat your exercise calories back. it works if you do it right.0 -
I had this too. Upped them lost a few lbs then plateau'd. I've stopped eating back my exercise calories, unless I'm really hungry as I always felt full and I'd go over before I did the exercise to get it back in the eve, I just aim for 1500 now (not net). I've also upped my exercise this week and have been doing it in the morning instead of after work and I have loads more energy. We shall see if this works but I feel leaner. I have lost inches so have you measured? cos I am trying to tone so have to remind myself that the lbs may not show on the scales. xx0
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Im sure you've already heard this, but it's not necessarily how MANY calories, but the TYPE of calories--if that makes sense. I'm no professional, and I'm only speaking from personal experience (I'm training for figure competitions); however, if you fill your day with odd macronutrients, then you will definitely FEEL like your body starving, even when technically 1200 calories won't necessarily put you in starvation mode.
I can't see your food diary so I'm not certain what your day looks like, but 2 rules of thumb I SWEAR by:
1. Fill up on protein in the morning, and it's okay to have good carbs. I know everyone hears this day in and day out, but it's sooo true and vital to not feeling like you're killing yourself as the day progresses. My typical breakfast is: 2 egg whites, 1 cup special k (or 3/4 c special k protein) with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours--trust me...if you beat your body to the "hungry" feeling, it'll do wonders for both your mental AND physical state.
Feel free to ask any questions--I've run the gamut of highs and lows and know what works for me--so if I can help just a little, I'm happy to do so!
^^ umm no.
A calorie is a calorie. A calorie deficit makes you lose weight. However, eating good whole food is better for you nutritionally and will keep you full longer. It'll also cut down on cravings.
Less is not more in terms of calories. You probably aren't eating enough.
My advice is. Find your TDEE and eat -10 to 15% of it (Because you don't have much less to lose). There are two ways to calculate your TDEE: One that takes exercise into account automatically and one you eat your calories back. Be patient after changing your habits, it takes time. Also weight loss will be slower the closer you get to your goals.
^^I agree with everyone of your posts on this thread joleen, excellent advice0 -
I am 5' 3" and my BMR is 1106 (hospital checked!), my TDEE is just over 1400, so in order to lose anything, I have to eat around 1300 calories a day. As long as I fill up with high fiber or high protein foods, I never have a problem feeling full.
<edited for spelling corrections.
Yes! For smaller women, it is often necessary initially unless you lift heavy starting out. I wasn't ready for that. Still am not.
500 under TDEE to lose a pound a week, eat back exercise calories. That should have gotten you up to 1400-1500 calories working out at the level you suggested. Use a heart monitor if you need to in order to make sure you are eating back what you are burning. Make sure you are getting enough protein and fiber.
I had to have 5-6 evenly spaced meals/snakcs ready at all times, on hand, healthy (or healthier) snacks to bridge between meals if I was going to be away from home. I took carrots, apples, granola bars, and I logged every bite. If I was going to the effort, I wanted to see results.
As a person is getting used to a new diet, they will feel cranky and hungry. It's a phase, like changing any habit. Just try to deal with it, after a week or so, it levels off. You can take some maintenance days until your body gets used to it.
I would have suggested just a 200 calorie increase if 1200 didn't work for you. With exercise like zumba, my friend often logs 500 calories or so. That's 1800 calories to eat a day. That ought to be working.0 -
WOW....a whole week you gave it...impressive, very impressive...
seriously, Rome wasn't built in a day. Weight loss is slow...when it says 1 Lb per week or whatever, it isn't linear...actually 1 Lb per week. Sometimes you will have no loss..sometimes very small...sometimes bigger losses and so on. Also, weight loss is difficult to see on a scale over a short period of time due to the fact that your body can have natural fluctuations of 2-5 Lbs easy...sometimes more. So, it is quite possible to lose a Lb of fat in a week but not see that Lb show up on a scale because maybe you're retaining 3 Lbs of water or glycogen...or maybe you just need to drop a deuce.
My advice is stick to something....if you do the 1200 calorie thing, eat your exercise calories back. it works if you do it right.
Very true, all of it. I didn't lose anything for a month, then suddenly dropped my last 5-7 lbs. and had to start eating more to slow it down.0 -
Check out IN PLACE OF A ROAD MAP..its helped me loose my weight first day I lost 5lbs and now it seems everyday i am loosing 1lb or so
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0 - by HelloItsDan
Also FYI that I got from a nutritionist, she told me for myself anyways ( so try at your own choice) that random calorie intakes will help loose weight as well so say Monday I was 1200, Tuesday should be 1500 then drop to 1300 for Wednesday and then back to 1400 for Thursday and so on..I mean it did help me kick start my metabolism to loose weight and then I kinda just stuck to 1800 being the highest with my TDEE and just will not go above or below 1300 now. 0 -
You can't expect to lose weight if you make your caloric intake the same as your maintenance... You only up the calories to kick start your metabolism and drop back your calories to continue the weight loss ...
Maybe this time just drop to 1300 kcal to see if that curbs your starvation :bigsmile:
Good luck:flowerforyou:0 -
1200 calories seems low. Look into the TDEE - 20% route.
There is no magical answer that will work for everyone. I started losing right away then after about 6 weeks, hit a "plateau" and haven't lost another pound for almost a month now!
Keep at what you are doing and you will eventually see results.
You say you "cheat" once a day, try cutting that down to 2 -3 times a week?
As for being hungry - it helped me to snack every few hours. @ first it was hard to do without going over my calories but then I started picking lower calories snacks (baby carrots, cucumbers, laughing cow cheese wedge (35calories), small apple, etc etc) and did much better.
Just a suggestion. I'm no expert (rather new to this whole process too).0 -
I just wanted to add that we actually burn calories when our bodies break down the food we eat. "Each macronutrient takes a different amount of energy to breakdown, absorb, and use. Protein is the most complex macronutrient and, therefore, takes the most energy." Carbohydrates are the next, and fat is the least complex to break down. For example, we would burn about 30% of the protein calories we take in, when our body processes it. Fat calories only cause us to burn about 2-3% of those calories. Feel free to Google the "Thermic effect of food." There's a tremendous amount of information about it online.
Try increasing your protein intake if you haven't already. It will help you stay fuller longer and you should burn slightly more calories overall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food0 -
I just put your numbers into the fat 2 fit calculator and it says
sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1660
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1902
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2144
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2386
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2628
So I'd guess you need to eat more and not less.0
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