Number on scale wont go down (sigh)

helloitssophie
helloitssophie Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Since starting my diet I am not eating a lot and I thought if I ate less then the number on the scale would go down but it doesn't. when I exercise my weight goes up and that really frustrates me, this makes me lose motivation. I tend to eat about 600 calories a day with about 10 grams of fat so why isn't my weight going down? any advice is accepted:smile:

Replies

  • TashaUCanDoIt
    TashaUCanDoIt Posts: 20 Member
    only 600 calories? your body may be in starvation mode... if it isn't use to eating properly, then when you do eat it will hold on to it... I personally would advise you to eat more.... try it for a few weeks and your metabolism will speed back up. its kind of like feeding a fire... if your fire pit only has one log (600 calories) then it will burn slow or the fire will go out... if you feed your fire then it will burn faster and longer...

    good luck
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    You should try following the plan as MFP outlines it. Put in all your info and MFP will give you a calorie target based on your goals. Then as you add exercise it will add calories to your daily goal. Eat to that target every day and you should see weight loss. You should also not set your goal to lose 2 lbs/week if you only have a few to lose.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Put your details into MFP, set it for 1lb loss a week (you don't look particularly overweight to me) and eat ALL those calories. Yes, all of them, plus most of your exercise calories. The weight will then go down. But don't get on the scales every five minutes - once a week is plenty. Otherwise you get weird variations.
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    How are you determining you are only eating 600cal/d? If estimating or eyeballing I doubt you are eating 600cals. Study after study shows that we are terrible judges of both food quantity and calories burned until we get measure accurately for a period of time. Without measuring for a period of time it is suggested we can underestimate the calories we eat and calories burned by 50% or more. I suggest you measure your food with a scale for a few weeks to get a good idea of portion sizes. A heart rate monitor will help with the calories burned, but I see you only want to lose 25lb, so I doubt you are as out of shape as some of us when we started.

    All the talk of starvation mode, egad people. It does not start immediately. I have been on a 1200-1500cal PSMF diet (maint around 2300 for me) for 7wks now and I assure you my metabolism has not reduced significantly.
  • helloitssophie
    helloitssophie Posts: 8
    only 600 calories? your body may be in starvation mode... if it isn't use to eating properly, then when you do eat it will hold on to it... I personally would advise you to eat more.... try it for a few weeks and your metabolism will speed back up. its kind of like feeding a fire... if your fire pit only has one log (600 calories) then it will burn slow or the fire will go out... if you feed your fire then it will burn faster and longer...

    good luck

    How could I get my body out of starvation mode without putting more weight on? it seems like whatever I do the number on the scale doesn't go down
  • helloitssophie
    helloitssophie Posts: 8
    You should try following the plan as MFP outlines it. Put in all your info and MFP will give you a calorie target based on your goals. Then as you add exercise it will add calories to your daily goal. Eat to that target every day and you should see weight loss. You should also not set your goal to lose 2 lbs/week if you only have a few to lose.
    [/quote


    this comment keeps coming up in the quote, however this is my reply:I have about 2st 5lbs to lose and that to me seems quite a lot!:smile: how much do you recommend I lose a week, I am hoping to lose the 2st and 5lbs by August:/
  • helloitssophie
    helloitssophie Posts: 8
    Put your details into MFP, set it for 1lb loss a week (you don't look particularly overweight to me) and eat ALL those calories. Yes, all of them, plus most of your exercise calories. The weight will then go down. But don't get on the scales every five minutes - once a week is plenty. Otherwise you get weird variations.

    -first of all well done for losing 24lbs:) How did you do it? The scales go up though if I eat all those calories and it doesn't go back down! Maybe I am over-reacting but weight loss has always been difficult for me
  • helloitssophie
    helloitssophie Posts: 8
    How are you determining you are only eating 600cal/d? If estimating or eyeballing I doubt you are eating 600cals. Study after study shows that we are terrible judges of both food quantity and calories burned until we get measure accurately for a period of time. Without measuring for a period of time it is suggested we can underestimate the calories we eat and calories burned by 50% or more. I suggest you measure your food with a scale for a few weeks to get a good idea of portion sizes. A heart rate monitor will help with the calories burned, but I see you only want to lose 25lb, so I doubt you are as out of shape as some of us when we started.

    All the talk of starvation mode, egad people. It does not start immediately. I have been on a 1200-1500cal PSMF diet (maint around 2300 for me) for 7wks now and I assure you my metabolism has not reduced significantly.

    I do count the calories I eat, it wasn't a guess. What sort of stuff do you eat within that 1200-1500 calories? How much weight have you lost doing that? sorry about all the questions.
  • jessgetshealthy
    jessgetshealthy Posts: 50
    600 calories is very little. As for eating more calories, your weight MAY go up in
    the beginning, but then you will start to lose again. Please eat more. For your
    health.

    Are you logging the food you eat in your diary? Make sure you are eating GOOD
    calories and not bad calories. Log everything.
  • helloitssophie
    helloitssophie Posts: 8
    600 calories is very little. As for eating more calories, your weight MAY go up in
    the beginning, but then you will start to lose again. Please eat more. For your
    health.

    Are you logging the food you eat in your diary? Make sure you are eating GOOD
    calories and not bad calories. Log everything.

    How much would it go up by, as a estimation. I've logged everything I have ate today in my diary. I'm new to MFP today but yes I will log my food diary whenever possible
  • Obscuring
    Obscuring Posts: 51 Member
    I doubt it would go up by much, maybe a few pounds, but you should welcome it for the time it is there because it will mean you are eating a healthy amount of food! You have have have to eat more than 600 or you are starving yourself. :( Once you up your food intake you can start losing weight the healthy way, and over time. I know how easy it is to just eat a little bit and think, oh, I'm eating less this is good! Unfortunately your body doesn't work like that.

    Edit: I have done the same thing you are doing, I stopped losing weight also and started feeling ill soon after. There are side effects of not eating enough - your stomach will not thank you for it in the long run.
  • SophieA9083
    SophieA9083 Posts: 63
    600 calories is very little. As for eating more calories, your weight MAY go up in
    the beginning, but then you will start to lose again. Please eat more. For your
    health.

    Are you logging the food you eat in your diary? Make sure you are eating GOOD
    calories and not bad calories. Log everything.

    How much would it go up by, as a estimation. I've logged everything I have ate today in my diary. I'm new to MFP today but yes I will log my food diary whenever possible

    Most people will say 1200 calories is a rough minimum estimate to follow each day. If you eat as little as people are saying you are in the long run you may be damaging your body, well you will be. The weight you put on may be water weight from eating more food, it may also be muscle weight, if you find you are putting on too much weight for your liking, stop weighing and go by inches, again inches and your clothing is a better indication of how much you way!

    Best of luck

    X
  • jessgetshealthy
    jessgetshealthy Posts: 50
    Yes, please take measurements also. I can't give you an estimation by how much it will
    go up as everyone is different. Don't get on the scale for a week or so. Eat healthy, get
    in some exercise and take measurements!
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    In my case I am in the final sprint to my goal, so pay no attention to my calories. My point was an attempt to illustrate that the so called starvation mode is not nearly as quick as many people would like. In my case, I am using a short term plan that is intended to maintain as much muscle mass as possible while dropping the fat quickly. it is not a very healthy plan, nor does the author suggest it. I got tired of the slow loss rate, and my motivation level is very high so the strictness of this plan has been easy to adhere to. I have been at this for over 15mo, and have lost 94lb. Before my current nutrition plan I was on a moderate carb plan and was eating around 2000cals. I was losing around 1lb/wk consistently on that nutrition plan (except for typical road blocks now and again we all have).

    I know you are counting, but how? About the only real accurate method involves a kitchen scale. It is a very worthwhile investment. It only takes a few weeks to become a very good judge of portions. Measuring with cups or tablespoons is reasonably accurate, but it is very easy to underestimate with those. Take PB as an example. Its simple human nature. We like it, so the scoops tend to grow over time. 16g is not a lot on a spoon, and this is one item that is easy to add a bunch of calories with. There are many others.
  • kplunkett1320
    kplunkett1320 Posts: 1
    I too have been struggling with this problem. I was not eating enough food. My trainer advised me to eat 1594 calories in a 40/30/30 ratio. She told me to ignore the extra calories i am allowed here for logging my exercise. The ratio is a bit of a struggle for me but since I started 2 weeks ago, the scale is going down every day now whereas before it would go up then down but never much below where it was before it went up. I do weigh everyday because it keeps me motivated to keep trying. Especially now when I think it cannot possibly go down because I ate so much but it does and that is amazing to me.

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