PLEASE PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE

Hey,

I don't know what I'm doing wrong - I can't seem to lose weight. At all...

I eat no more than 1200calories a day. Usually less than that. I excercise 6 days a week and on average burn off 500 calories a day.
I read that 3,500calories = 1lb of fat so I've been aiming to burn off this many calories a week.

Is there something I'm doing wrong?
Info: I'm 163cm and my weight is around 55kg. I wanna get down to about 52kg

Replies

  • pestopoli
    pestopoli Posts: 111 Member
    Gotta eat more :/ No two ways about it. Your body thinks it's starvy time.
  • Caperfae
    Caperfae Posts: 433
    You need food.
  • candicane32081
    candicane32081 Posts: 132 Member
    are you counting everything you eat? If so , you could be building muscle which weighs more than fat. Also, sometimes you will lose inches and not weight, so you might want to try measuring. Just keep at what you're doing and make sure you drinking water. Goodluck!:smile:
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,078 Member
    are you counting everything you eat? If so , you could be building muscle which weighs more than fat. Also, sometimes you will lose inches and not weight, so you might want to try measuring. Just keep at what you're doing and make sure you drinking water. Goodluck!:smile:

    are you for real ?
  • AngelicxAnnihilation
    AngelicxAnnihilation Posts: 336 Member
    Eat.
  • FindingMyself24
    FindingMyself24 Posts: 613 Member
    Hey,

    I don't know what I'm doing wrong - I can't seem to lose weight. At all...

    I eat no more than 1200calories a day. Usually less than that. I excercise 6 days a week and on average burn off 500 calories a day.
    I read that 3,500calories = 1lb of fat so I've been aiming to burn off this many calories a week.

    Is there something I'm doing wrong?
    Info: I'm 163cm and my weight is around 55kg. I wanna get down to about 52kg

    I know this sounds weird but i recommend that you eat more....i was doing the same thing...i worked out 6 days a week and was eating on a 1200 calorie diet and i just wouldnt lose...ive recently upped my calories this week and ive already lost 2.8 pounds!! ...i went from 1200 to about 1700...its about 20% off my TDEE...i have more energy and feel fuller...its awesome!!
  • eat healthy foods, no junk, snack on fresh fruits and veggies. You are in starvation mode. Drink water too.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Agreeing. Your body thinks there's a famine going on and is trying to keep you alive through it by hanging on to stored energy. Feed that body! Treat it well and you'll get to where you want to go.
  • libertygirlfla
    libertygirlfla Posts: 184 Member
    I agree..eat more calories (healthy, of course). I was experiencing the same thing early in my journey. I upped my calories by 200-300 and within 2 days, I started losing.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Pleas let me know if I mis-calculated, but when I converted to pounds and inches (I'm in the US, so not so familiar with using centimeters and kg for measurements) it made you about 5'3 and about 120 now, wanting to be 114 pounds? Correct me if I am wrong, math is not my strong subject lol. Anyway, that sounds like a very normal weight for your height, but also not a lot of pounds to lose, so it gets a little more tricky when you're that close (or if you're already a healthy weight for your height/frame.)

    1200 calories may be what MFP calculated but it may not be enough for your individual needs--try calculating your TDEE and BMR and eating at the sweet spot between those two--where you're not starving but you're not over-eating...and lower your expectation to losing 1/2 pound per week.
  • BigMan1979
    BigMan1979 Posts: 11 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth for people with fat stores. In fact it doesn’t even make real sense. Your body builds fat stores to be used in starvation times. So yeah...it gets burned. And not at a lower rate. That wouldn’t even make sense. So your body is not running optimally now but if you starve yourself it will? Pfft.

    “Your body does not go into starvation mode until its fat reserves are completely exhausted and protein is the only fuel source left.”
    http://fitnessblackandwhite.com/starvation-mode-myth-or-fact/

    Anyway, what exercise are you doing? What type of calories are you ingesting? Not that the second really matters but it’s a good to know thing. And have you had your hormones checked?

    Just so you know, I would recommend eating more, as 1200 calories is not enough to feel good in my opinion. But don’t eat more for fear of a myth.

    By the way, here are some links to prove that starvation mode is a myth:
    http://www.nowloss.com/starvation-mode-myth.htm
    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
    http://examine.com/faq/how-do-i-stay-out-of-starvation-mode.html
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    You're 5 foot 4, and 120 pounds? It sounds to me like you don't have anything much to lose. Even if you want to lose 5 pounds, figure out your TDEE and eat 15% below it. You are severely under eating at this point.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth for people with fat stores. In fact it doesn’t even make real sense. Your body builds fat stores to be used in starvation times. So yeah...it gets burned. And not at a lower rate. That wouldn’t even make sense. So your body is not running optimally now but if you starve yourself it will? Pfft.

    “Your body does not go into starvation mode until its fat reserves are completely exhausted and protein is the only fuel source left.”
    http://fitnessblackandwhite.com/starvation-mode-myth-or-fact/

    Anyway, what exercise are you doing? What type of calories are you ingesting? Not that the second really matters but it’s a good to know thing. And have you had your hormones checked?

    Just so you know, I would recommend eating more, as 1200 calories is not enough to feel good in my opinion. But don’t eat more for fear of a myth.

    By the way, here are some links to prove that starvation mode is a myth:
    http://www.nowloss.com/starvation-mode-myth.htm
    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
    http://examine.com/faq/how-do-i-stay-out-of-starvation-mode.html

    OP, regardless of the reasons/science behind it, many *MANY* people have found a solution to the problem you described by consistently eating more calories than you're eating. Here's a great place to start:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    Why do you want to lose weight?
  • snowmanluv
    snowmanluv Posts: 200 Member
    I upped mine calories and gain weight weight. So confusing. I lowered them and still gained weight. Not sure.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I upped mine calories and gain weight weight. So confusing. I lowered them and still gained weight. Not sure.

    How long did you give it? Do you use a good scale and log everything?
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    This has been addressed over and over, every damn day. Up your calories to say 1700, and then be patient for a couple of weeks. Yourr body is starving and hanging onto every calorie it can for dear life.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    This has been addressed over and over, every damn day. Up your calories to say 1700, and then be patient for a couple of weeks. Yourr body is starving and hanging onto every calorie it can for dear life.

    Hey hey now, I know you mean well, but slow your roll. Although those of us who frequent the forums see this issue "every damn day", for OP, it might be her first time considering it...or she has seen it in the threads before but hasn't clicked yet that it's applicable to her specific situation.

    And while I agree that 1700 *might* be a good starting point for her, it's just a little presumptuous to assume that's *the* starting point for her.

    And yes, OP, whatever you decide to do from here, you'll need to stick with it long enough to see if it's in the right direction for you. At least six weeks, preferably eight or more. (And I still think the link I posted to Level Obstacles is a wonderful starting point.)
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Six pounds? 3KG? That's not a lot of weight to lose, and at your height and current weight, you're about where you need to be, so your body may simply be seeking stasis.

    Is this a real thread or a troll thread? Honestly, it seems like splitting hairs if we are talking about 6 pounds. Your body will gain and lose that amount over the course of a day, just from eating and drinking water and then expelling it in some form later.

    If you're really worried about 3KG, then up your calories 100 or 200, do less cardio, add in some resistance, and worry about body recomposition.

    And if you're eating salty stuff, cut back on that.
  • FindingMyself24
    FindingMyself24 Posts: 613 Member
    I upped mine calories and gain weight weight. So confusing. I lowered them and still gained weight. Not sure.


    When you up your calories you have to give it time...it can take several weeks to kick in...when i first upped mine i gained and today i just lost the weight that i gained...it just started working for me...it took about a week or so for my body to start losing...just give it time!!
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Six pounds? 3KG? That's not a lot of weight to lose, and at your height and current weight, you're about where you need to be, so your body may simply be seeking stasis.

    Is this a real thread or a troll thread? Honestly, it seems like splitting hairs if we are talking about 6 pounds. Your body will gain and lose that amount over the course of a day, just from eating and drinking water and then expelling it in some form later.

    If you're really worried about 3KG, then up your calories 100 or 200, do less cardio, add in some resistance, and worry about body recomposition.

    And if you're eating salty stuff, cut back on that.

    ^ This. Seriously, OP, if you're worried about 6 pounds then you're probably just wanting to change the shape of things. You do that by rebuilding muscle lost from being sedentary for an extended period of time. Get into some type of resistance/strength training and you really shouldn't be cutting your calories by all that much, if at all.
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    are you counting everything you eat? If so , you could be building muscle which weighs more than fat. Also, sometimes you will lose inches and not weight, so you might want to try measuring. Just keep at what you're doing and make sure you drinking water. Goodluck!:smile:

    So 1 pound of muscle weighs more than 1 pound of fat?
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Six pounds? 3KG? That's not a lot of weight to lose, and at your height and current weight, you're about where you need to be, so your body may simply be seeking stasis.

    Is this a real thread or a troll thread? Honestly, it seems like splitting hairs if we are talking about 6 pounds. Your body will gain and lose that amount over the course of a day, just from eating and drinking water and then expelling it in some form later.

    If you're really worried about 3KG, then up your calories 100 or 200, do less cardio, add in some resistance, and worry about body recomposition.

    And if you're eating salty stuff, cut back on that.

    ^ This. Seriously, OP, if you're worried about 6 pounds then you're probably just wanting to change the shape of things. You do that by rebuilding muscle lost from being sedentary for an extended period of time. Get into some type of resistance/strength training and you really shouldn't be cutting your calories by all that much, if at all.

    I'm no metrics guru, but I believe her ticker says she still has 5.6 kg to go...which is about 12 pounds.

    That said, the advice given above is no less valid. It's time to start considering the composition of body that you want to have.
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 236 Member

    This helped me out so much. I started to learn a lot from people on this site and realized I needed to eat more. I am now eating 1800 on rest days and 2000 on workout days and I have lost 5 inches in 1 month =)

    Try adding a few members too, it helps to see what other people are doing to!
  • terri_journey
    terri_journey Posts: 287 Member
    Hey,

    I don't know what I'm doing wrong - I can't seem to lose weight. At all...

    I eat no more than 1200calories a day. Usually less than that. I excercise 6 days a week and on average burn off 500 calories a day.
    I read that 3,500calories = 1lb of fat so I've been aiming to burn off this many calories a week.

    Is there something I'm doing wrong?
    Info: I'm 163cm and my weight is around 55kg. I wanna get down to about 52kg
    You are not eating enough to fuel your body honey!! Your body thinks it is starving and it is holding onto Everything you put into it!!
    If you need encourgement, feel free, to add me!!
  • MadelieneL
    MadelieneL Posts: 8
    Thanks for the people that helped ill try and up my calorie intake and add more resistance training to see if that helps. For the people saying its not a lot I started at 57 and wanna get down to about 50-51kgs. I think that's like 12pounds, not sure on the conversion.
    Really appreciate the advice :)
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Thanks for the people that helped ill try and up my calorie intake and add more resistance training to see if that helps. For the people saying its not a lot I started at 57 and wanna get down to about 50-51kgs. I think that's like 12pounds, not sure on the conversion.
    Really appreciate the advice :)

    If you're using MFP settings be sure to eat your exercise calories when you earn them.