Why am I not losing on 1200cal per day?
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I agree! but i don not agree that woman who are 40%+ BF would have their metabolism adapt that they would stop losing weight at 1200 cals. i think they r probably not accounting for all their cals.yet another example of 1200 not working.
why do people still waste their time trying it?
"Yet another example of"... shortsighted thinking.
The answer to your question is:
Because everyone's body is different...that's why.
Everyone doesn't come in the same size and/or metabolic rate.
Because it may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
So please don't undermine someone else out there who's body DOES function properly on 1200 cal/day and who does lose weight on just 1200 calories/day.
Not everyone has the same lifestyle requiring the same caloric intake as everyone else.
the only people for whom 1200 cal is right are very small women, very elderly people, or people with disorders that are under the direct supervision of a doctor.
end of story.
Or people looking to cut weight to make a weight class, competition, etc. They just don't sustain it long term, which I assume is an unwritten given in your post. But some people can use 1200 or lower cal diets with very good success in very short time frames.0 -
yet another example of 1200 not working.
why do people still waste their time trying it?
"Yet another example of"... shortsighted thinking.
The answer to your question is:
Because everyone's body is different...that's why.
Everyone doesn't come in the same size and/or metabolic rate.
Because it may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
So please don't undermine someone else out there who's body DOES function properly on 1200 cal/day and who does lose weight on just 1200 calories/day.
Not everyone has the same lifestyle requiring the same caloric intake as everyone else.
the only people for whom 1200 cal is right are very small women, very elderly people, or people with disorders that are under the direct supervision of a doctor.
end of story.
Or people looking to cut weight to make a weight class, competition, etc. They just don't sustain it long term, which I assume is an unwritten given in your post. But some people can use 1200 or lower cal diets with very good success in very short time frames.
indeed.
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Dieting and losing weight is all about experimenting and figuring out what works best for you. It takes time and patience.
There is a lot of good general information out there but it is not a one size fits all sort of thing. It is best to read up, follow general guidelines and tweak it to fit your needs.
The best advice I can give is find a routine that works for you and is completely sustainable.
Well said, some people can lose weight by eating 6 small meals while others have to stick to 3 meals a day. And all the papers out there saying "you should do this or you should do that" are just what we know so far, soon another study will come out and say something completely different. Remember when eggs were bad for us, now it perfection in a small package. There was a time when butter was bad, now its ok again.
Most people eat for the wrong reasons. In the evening I want to eat something sweet then something salty to counteract the sweet. Now ask me if I was actually hungry when I ate either one. lol and there was a time a few years ago when I could be in the middle of chewing and I would just know, you need to spit this out, your full. I'm trying to get back to that point. Most people are no longer in tune with what their bodies are telling them.
IMHO
in tune with your body has nothing to do with it.
it has nothing to do with how your body responds to certain foods.
weight loss is determiend upon multiple factors.
water depletion
fat mass loss
fat free mass loss
for dropping mass you can take any route you want. you can eat all your meals at one time. you can eat 10 meals a day. you can snack all day.
There are different foods that provide a variety of satiety levels. this is usually non processed foods that deliver the most satiation for each calorie it has.
bottom line for mass loss it is based upon caloric intake.
fuel availability, protein intake, need for muscle will determine what type of mass loss it is0 -
You are a nurse. I hope you are kidding
Eat nothing for 3 days and tell me if you dont lose weight please
The weight loss will be all water. The end result will only be dehydration...not loss of fat.
Yes there will be water loss which may come from depleted glycogen. not dehydration necessarily because you are still drinking water.
Fat loss and muscle loss will occur. energy will come from somewhere
agreed
I second this statement.0 -
Yes, sorry just did a slight amendment.
Yes pretty accurate. The only thing I dont log is my coffee intake. I drink about 3 half cups a day at work and 3 full ones at home all with semi skim milk.
I changed to stop me plateau-ing, but I have been stuck since just after Easter. I am wondering if changing back will help.
Funny you mention the coffee. I am reading a book right now (Accidentally Overweight by Dr. Libby Weaver) and she explains how coffee affects your insulin and blood sugar. She had a patient who lost weight by doing nothing other than eliminating coffee.
If you aren't logging your coffee and have 3 cups with creamer, that could be an extra 300 calories in your diet right there.
If you lost on high calories and aren't on lower calories, isn't that your answer right there staring you in the face? Our bodies are not DESIGNED to lose weight when we feed them too little. Your body's first priority is survival. Second priority is stasis (balance). If you distract your body with code-red-alert-too-few-calories it will never focus on returning your weight to balance.
It would be halleluijah if I took in 300 extra calories per day in coffee: but I use semi skimmed milk so its only 150 per day max.
I will have a look around at info about the mal effects of coffee though. Thank you.0 -
Exercise and eat more. 1200 is too low for the most people. If breakfast makes you sick, try juicing fresh fruit & veg in the morning. Stop eating fried anything (eww). Water. Oh yeah and exercise. Plus, you are older and due to loss of hormones it gets harder for us, especially women. PS lifting weights increases bone density. Perfect for us older (seasoned? LOL) women as our bones slowly weaken. (Thanks for that Mother Nature)
With you right there on Mother Nature and getting harder to lose weight.
Did you know there is an increase in rickets because of the lack of vitamin D (from fats) in modern diets? Rickets had largely died out in the west until we labelled fat as public enemy number 1.0 -
sigh another 1200 calorie why am I not losing thread..
I swear I see like ten of these a day...
without really reading through I can see the answers...
Up your calories...always a popular one
Your in starvation mode - another popular slogan - so eat 24 meals spaced out at one hour intervals to get out of it
calculate TDDE and deduct 20% (the road mappers)
stop eating carbs but its ok to eat lots of veggies LOL
Eat raspberry ketones..I just added that for ****s and giggles...
Not sure what your solution is yet, but =ly toungue in cheek, I will follow the chocolate and red wine diet. (probably the only 1 I havent actually tried and yes I do have a diet book about it.)0 -
It's not just eating too little! I looked at your diary and it is what you are eating as well. You are eating a lot of beef brisket. You should try switching it to lean proteins such as chicken and turkey. Try tuna as well. Too much red meat is not a good thing for you either. Once or twice a week at most! And you are having too many carbs too. Too much bread will cause you not to lose weight also. Try having a "treat" meal once a week of whatever you'd like. I do that typically on Saturdays, and the rest of the week I stick to lots of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
If you are in a rush in the morning, try making yourself a smoothie the night before and refrigerate it. I have a good recipe you should try:
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup of Almond Milk or Skim Milk
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of ground flax seed
1 medium banana or 1/3 cup of frozen blueberries or 1/2 cup of frozen berries
Blend it all together the night before and put in your fridge. The oats will soak up the milk by the morning time leaving a nice thick smoothie. I have one of these every morning and I stay full. Usually after a few hours I have a morning snack, then I have lunch, a mid afternoon snack, dinner, and then if I'm hungry a snack no later than 7pm.
But you for sure need to stay away from eating just 1200 cals. Keep it at least 1600-1800 a day minimum. If you exercise, don't be afraid to eat some of them back as well!
Also you have to log pretty much everything that goes into your mouth to get an accurate count.
The smoothie sounds vile, but the principle is ok.
Actually I am not eating a lot of beef brisket. Barring minced beef, I probably only had beef twice in the last year. I bought a pressure cooker in the new year sales and the only thing I worked out how to cook in it was beef (you know how you play with new things) so have had a couple of beef joints in the past couple of months.
I simply buy a joint and eat it every meal till its gone. Simples. that last joint, some how managed to break my 3-month old pressure cooker so beef is off the menu.0 -
Well, you just now ate a croissant..... here's your sign.0
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I'm in the same boat. I eat between 1200 and 1350 a day and I've been completely stuck for two to three months.
I blame MFP (lol).
Seriously, I think MFP really need to look at this. IMHI Given that we put our height, current weight,gender, age and a little bit about our lifestyle, the outcome recommended calorific guidance is way way way off base. It is my opinion that MFP put a little bit more effort into better guidance regarding calorie recommendations.0 -
I'm in the same boat. I eat between 1200 and 1350 a day and I've been completely stuck for two to three months.
I blame MFP (lol).
Of course you do.
Why take responsibility and learn to eat healthy?0 -
Has anyone suggested this site yet? http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
I think dropping down to 1200-1300 cals for a short while can work, but not for a long while. I read that article and bumped up my calorie and lost a bit more by eating more.
I had a quick look at this. Yep he is saying what the guys in here are telling me.0 -
i wish u the best of luck with ur weight loss. i dont not think it is becuz u r eating 1200 cals that u r not losing weight. i looked at ur profile and it seems that u have tried many many diets and not been successful. all diets have pretty much the same principle-burn more cals than u take in. maybe try to find out the real reason u have been unsuccessful in finding one that works for u. i wouldnt blame the diet. good luck in ur journey.
Thanks for your good wishes.
As for finding out WHY I cant stick to a diet, thats a whole other thread.0 -
Wait reading this thread I feel like
You have an excuse for everything.
You don't eat healthy. Even if you aren't using the restaurant or store foods you just don't eat healthy.0 -
Your initial calorie intake was working for you but when you dropped the count your body probably kicked into fat storing mode or starvation mode where it stores fat because it recognizes less energy in. Go back to 1500+ and you will likely begin to leave your current weight class heading toward your goals.
Live Long Man0 -
I'm in the same boat. I eat between 1200 and 1350 a day and I've been completely stuck for two to three months.
I blame MFP (lol).
Seriously, I think MFP really need to look at this. IMHI Given that we put our height, current weight,gender, age and a little bit about our lifestyle, the outcome recommended calorific guidance is way way way off base. It is my opinion that MFP put a little bit more effort into better guidance regarding calorie recommendations.
it's not MFP's fault. switch your goal to 1lb lost / week and see what it gives you.0 -
OK, yeah. Now looking at your diary I see that you are not eating well at all. It's more than just total calories. You need better quality foods.
One of the best things about MFP is seeing what you are doing. I was miffed at your comment as my PERCEPTION is that I eat loads of cooked veg (albeit a limited range) and loads of salad. Actually checking, spot weeks and there are lots of days when I don't.
Must do better.
Thanks for the comment It was useful.0 -
Lol, well at least we agree on some things. And it's usually because people who lack knowledge follow the advice of people who lost weight doing it.yet another example of 1200 not working.
why do people still waste their time trying it?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Sounds like your body may be going into starvation mode. Try eating all the calories that are reccommended to you for two weeks and see if that will get you back on track. good luck0
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If what you were doing before was working well, why would you change that?
IMO 1200 isn't enough. From my own experience I lost weight easier on 1750 plus exercise cals, than I did on 1500 plus exercise cals. It seems strange sometimes, but it worked that way for me and several others I've seen on here. It sounds like you also benefit from higher calories.
Go back to what was working before 0 -
Another idea is to limit sodium to 2400mg a day...Decrease empty calories, eat LOTS of veggies, not potatoes, pasta, etc., add fruits, lean protein, and water and you should see a drop. Best of luck!
Yep, looking at what I am eating, I need to get rid of the potatoes and bread. Not much of a fruit eater but I can seriously up the veg. I think the 'empty' carbs have struck especially bread which is one of my many weaknesses. Although I am staying within calorie limits, I there is far greater proportion of starchy foods.
Thanks
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
Once I manage to get on an even keel I will look at sodium in terms of other health factors.0 -
Other than water retention, Im not sure what the sodium limit will do.
What? You've never heard of high blood pressure or heart attacks? I'm am so totally confused by this entire thread.0 -
I didn't actually imply you are lying my dear. I simply stated that you likely are not telling the truth to yourself about how many calories you are eating. Lying is intentional, whereas not telling the truth can happen any number of ways.
Let me ask you something. How do you feel throughout the day? I have to track calories whenever I want to lose weight so far, because otherwise I don't eat enough. When I don't eat enough, my performance decreases because my work involves using my body to make music. My performance also decreases in my workouts.
Do you have energy? Do you feel hungry?
As for not wanting to measure food because of the way you cook, I can only say "how bad do you want this? Bad enough to learn a new way to cook and maybe have some simpler meals for a while?"
I say simpler, not boring, because I do know a few techniques for making something simple like a chicken breast, turkey breast, or pork loin taste absolutely splendid. But again, it involves taking measurements and absolute precision. In this case, with a digital meat thermometer.
While I appreciate the reply, please do not patronise me.
I think that after 30+ years of dieting, my body does its own thing. Just like many people cannot sleep if they drink coffee at night, I always wonder how much caffeine I have to take before I feel any effect at all. Like wise, not eating till noon or 1pm does not slow me down. No I dont feel tired or enervated. My energy levels are dependent upon my mood which is dependent upon what I have to do or what is going on in my day.
People describe carbohydrate crashes after eating chocolate or cakes, not me.
I do not exclude the possibility that I am going around in a carb induced fog but because it is my norm I don't know any different. This isn't a flippant remark as having excluded carbs when doing the Atkins diet it demonstrated to me that I was sensitive to something in the carb group. I woke up clear headed and with energy rather than my usual lethargy. A quick walk about sorts me out.
Whilst I want this and am committed to it I don't want it to the exclusion of having a good and happy lifestyle. I want to make changes that I can sustain. Weighting everything is not it for me.0 -
It's not just eating too little! I looked at your diary and it is what you are eating as well. You are eating a lot of beef brisket. You should try switching it to lean proteins such as chicken and turkey. Try tuna as well. Too much red meat is not a good thing for you either. Once or twice a week at most! And you are having too many carbs too. Too much bread will cause you not to lose weight also. Try having a "treat" meal once a week of whatever you'd like. I do that typically on Saturdays, and the rest of the week I stick to lots of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
OP has acknowledged that she is not eating enough calories. Why would you have her reduce her dietary fat consumption?
Or her carb consumption?
*sigh*
Thank you for actually reading my posts so you can see my conclusion. I am working on hitting the 1200 (which I didnt before) and pushing it up a 100 cals per week.
Im not sure if this is true, but I read on a link that the best way out of 'sticking' is to increase your cals gradually which is what I am trying to achieve.0 -
I didn't actually imply you are lying my dear. I simply stated that you likely are not telling the truth to yourself about how many calories you are eating. Lying is intentional, whereas not telling the truth can happen any number of ways.
Let me ask you something. How do you feel throughout the day? I have to track calories whenever I want to lose weight so far, because otherwise I don't eat enough. When I don't eat enough, my performance decreases because my work involves using my body to make music. My performance also decreases in my workouts.
Do you have energy? Do you feel hungry?
As for not wanting to measure food because of the way you cook, I can only say "how bad do you want this? Bad enough to learn a new way to cook and maybe have some simpler meals for a while?"
I say simpler, not boring, because I do know a few techniques for making something simple like a chicken breast, turkey breast, or pork loin taste absolutely splendid. But again, it involves taking measurements and absolute precision. In this case, with a digital meat thermometer.
While I appreciate the reply, please do not patronise me.
I think that after 30+ years of dieting, my body does its own thing. Just like many people cannot sleep if they drink coffee at night, I always wonder how much caffeine I have to take before I feel any effect at all. Like wise, not eating till noon or 1pm does not slow me down. No I dont feel tired or enervated. My energy levels are dependent upon my mood which is dependent upon what I have to do or what is going on in my day.
People describe carbohydrate crashes after eating chocolate or cakes, not me.
I do not exclude the possibility that I am going around in a carb induced fog but because it is my norm I don't know any different. This isn't a flippant remark as having excluded carbs when doing the Atkins diet it demonstrated to me that I was sensitive to something in the carb group. I woke up clear headed and with energy rather than my usual lethargy. A quick walk about sorts me out.
Whilst I want this and am committed to it I don't want it to the exclusion of having a good and happy lifestyle. I want to make changes that I can sustain. Weighting everything is not it for me.
30+ years of dieting?
at what point are you going to realize that some of us know what we're talking about? obviously whatever you're trying to do isn't, and HASN'T been working.
You asked a question. You got answers. But you're ignoring the answers. Your success or failure is entirely on you.
1200 calories does not cut it. Period. The end. And the poster you quoted is absolutely right in saying that if you haven't accomplished your goal after 30 years of trying, then you just don't want it badly enough. You just say you do and think you do.
That said, I really do wish you luck. I hope, for your sake, that we're all wrong.0 -
I would say that you are in "Starvation Mode" and your metabolic furnace has slowed down to a crawl.
When we don't take in the correct amount of calories that our specific body needs to maintain "homeostasis", or more simply in this case the amount needed to maintain the body's everyday ability to function, the brain believes that there must be a shortage of food. And when this happens the brain tells the body's metabolic furnace to slow down and allow the body to store whatever food is taken in. And I think that's what is happening in your case.
Your body is HOARDING THE FOOD YOU EAT and your body's metabolic furnace has slowed down to a crawl. Your body is burning only what it needs to stay alive. The rest is being stored until the perceived "food shortage" is over. It's quite possible that your specific metabolism requires more than 1200 calories a day just to maintain "homeostasis" or a "balance" in the body. Until I accepted this physiologic principle I remained in "Starvation Mode" and lost NOTHING. My body stored every tiny morsel I ate. But when I started eating...I started to lose.
And in my case since I am physically unable to do any "exercise" it proved to be the INCREASE in calories that caused my metabolic furnace to ignite and my body to begin losing the weight. Now, when I hit a weight loss plateau I increase my calories a little bit (a very LITTLE, about 200 extra calories/day) and the metabolic furnace turns up the thermostat, burns hotter, and I start losing again.
Try it. What have you got to lose but weight!!!
I have to agree with you. I am going to slowly increase my weekly calorie intake - some how.
Your reply sounds as if you have little or no hope of accomplishing this small but "fun" task of actually increasing your caloric intake. That tells me something here. Could you be a bit depressed about all of this? It can be overwhelming if permitted to be. Look at it as a challenge. You have the means. You have the knowledge. You have the support. Now...it's up to you. Do you really want it enough to do it? Record everything on MFP. And I mean EVERYTHING you eat even if it's just a morsel. If you need more calories .....EAT THEM. Get a "Smart Ones" frozen meal...they're around 200-300 calories each. EAT IT. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!
I could increase my calories in a heart beat: one Chicken Nambali followed by Nehari etc. I struggle to do it on lean meat and veg.
I do not eat pre prepared food such as you suggest just about everything I eat is cooked from whole ingredients by hubby or I - hence my struggle.0 -
30+ years of dieting?
at what point are you going to realize that some of us know what we're talking about? obviously whatever you're trying to do isn't, and HASN'T been working.
You asked a question. You got answers. But you're ignoring the answers. Your success or failure is entirely on you.
1200 calories does not cut it. Period. The end. And the poster you quoted is absolutely right in saying that if you haven't accomplished your goal after 30 years of trying, then you just don't want it badly enough. You just say you do and think you do.
That said, I really do wish you luck. I hope, for your sake, that we're all wrong.
THIS.
Seriously every time some one in this thread suggests something you shoot it down...
But oh you've been doing this for 30 years ? It's working really well isn't?0 -
yet another example of 1200 not working.
why do people still waste their time trying it?
"Yet another example of"... shortsighted thinking.
The answer to your question is:
Because everyone's body is different...that's why.
Everyone doesn't come in the same size and/or metabolic rate.
Because it may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
So please don't undermine someone else out there who's body DOES function properly on 1200 cal/day and who does lose weight on just 1200 calories/day.
Not everyone has the same lifestyle requiring the same caloric intake as everyone else.
Nope!
1200 Cals because with my info re lifestyle, age, height, current weight, gender, target, rate of weight loss rate to which I aspire, MFP suggested 1200 cals per day. I foolishly trusted MFP to guide me. This I think is a real problem for users of MFP0 -
Dieting and losing weight is all about experimenting and figuring out what works best for you. It takes time and patience.
There is a lot of good general information out there but it is not a one size fits all sort of thing. It is best to read up, follow general guidelines and tweak it to fit your needs.
The best advice I can give is find a routine that works for you and is completely sustainable.
Well said, some people can lose weight by eating 6 small meals while others have to stick to 3 meals a day. And all the papers out there saying "you should do this or you should do that" are just what we know so far, soon another study will come out and say something completely different. Remember when eggs were bad for us, now it perfection in a small package. There was a time when butter was bad, now its ok again.
Most people eat for the wrong reasons. In the evening I want to eat something sweet then something salty to counteract the sweet. Now ask me if I was actually hungry when I ate either one. lol and there was a time a few years ago when I could be in the middle of chewing and I would just know, you need to spit this out, your full. I'm trying to get back to that point. Most people are no longer in tune with what their bodies are telling them.
IMHO
YAH!
Thats the conclusion I have come to.
I have 30+ years of managing body; badly, but I know it better than any one. I know some of what works. Its not to say that I won't try anything else (after all my way got it in this state), but I don't believe in the dogma being spouted by some people because after all, there is always another day and another scientific paper telling us all what we did yesterday was totally wrong.0 -
up your calorie intake. My nutritionist told me i had plateaued because i dropped to 1200 cals and my body didn't think it was getting enough nutrition. I went to 1450-1600 and have lost 1/2 to 1 lb after the second week of doing so.0
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