What am i doing wrong?

debbieb1971
debbieb1971 Posts: 29 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm sticking to my 1200 calories a day and trying to eat a healthy diet - which I think I achieve 80% of the time. However i'm struggling to lose weight and when I've weighed myself this morning I've put on 1.5lbs. I feel totally disheartened by this.


My food diaries are open if anybody could give me some advice.

Thank you

Debbie x

Replies

  • kelly101386
    kelly101386 Posts: 389 Member
    Try upping your calories a little, it may be that your eating too few. It's amazing what a few hundred more will help with. Plus I don't know if you're logging water but drink plenty, it helps! I didn't lose weight with 1200 at one point, I was exercising an hour a day and everything. Boosted it too 1600 and the scales moved again. If you jump from however many calories you had before down to 1200, your body is going to try and hoard the energy. You need to ease yourself into it x
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    same thing happened to me.... It was recommend to me that I up my calories to 1500. I did that and lost 2 pounds the first week. I dropped half a pound 3 days later and the next week I lost another 2 pounds.
  • 0OneTwo3
    0OneTwo3 Posts: 149 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/475726-very-low-calorie-diets-and-metabolic-damage
  • Chriztii
    Chriztii Posts: 94
    How long have you been eating low calories? It does take time and also if you exercise will help a lot more.
  • Sul3i
    Sul3i Posts: 553 Member
    I agree w above up your cals yet it for like a month n see how it goes... Drink a lot of water and keep changing it up.... Switching up cals from t time to time and changing workout routines.... If u keep everything the same the whole journey eventually it will stop working because your body gets used to it. Best wishes :)
  • debbieb1971
    debbieb1971 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for the comments and the link - which I will try and read today but it seems quite a long thread so may take me some time lol.

    I try to drink two litres of water a day - I don't always manage to drink that much but I don't drink fizzy drinks. I drink black coffee with no sugar, peppermint tea sometimes, boiled water and tap water.

    I've been doing the 1200 calories for approx. 4 weeks after trying unsuccessfully to do Slimming World - it just didn't suit me. I prefer to count my calories as it gives me more freedom with my food choices and I like that I have to log on to record all my food.
  • adairbrum
    adairbrum Posts: 68
    4 weeks is not very long it takes some time to start off
    get some water in some walking a small workout i really like the 7 minute workout it burns only about 60 cals cut it targets alot
    so do it 2 times that is 120 most people need both exercise and diet ( well don't call it a diet just a habit change sounds better)
  • gracetillman
    gracetillman Posts: 190 Member
    I would try to increase your calories. The 1200 max doesn't work for everyone. I increased mine up to 1350 and I have noticed I am doing better, plus at that low you need to make sure you eat back your exercise earned calories. (Well at least I do)

    I looked over your diary and it seems like you are doing a great job on your diet.

    Don't give up!!
  • wwhickok
    wwhickok Posts: 29
    It's the calories imo. For sure. My wife was having the same issues, she upped her calories to almost 1500 I believe and found the results to increase drastically. It really helped her out, it might very well help you out. I think that's the only thing you're "doing wrong". I think there's a lot of information out there that people read, which again, was the case for my wife, that are so limiting on calories but in reality, sometimes, the calories are too limiting.
  • ylor89
    ylor89 Posts: 105 Member
    Hmmm... I was eating around 2500 calories before I started this in January. I'm 5'1" and very rarely exercise so 2500 was way too much for me! So when I started, I went down to 1200, which was really, really difficult because, you know, I love food. :wink:

    But after three weeks, it got easier to eat 1200 calories. Then about a month ago, I stopped losing weight. I was doing the same thing. Eating the same amount of calories. Not really exercising. And my scale stayed the same. So this 1200 calories thing worked for about four months and I've lost almost 20 pounds.

    However, I still have another 10 to go and I'm very determined to lose it!

    I started getting dizzy spells, and my doctor said it had to do with my diet and very low blood pressure. My ticker was not happy with me... :noway: So I increased my calories to 1300-1500 and I've been losing weight! I guess my body just needed a little more than 1200 calories. Which is good because I love to eat!

    I guess I would suggest increasing your calories a bit. It may or may not work... But just a thought. Good luck!
  • debbieb1971
    debbieb1971 Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm going to give it another week on the 1200 calories and if I see no change then i'm going to up my calories to 1350 and see if that makes a difference.

    I'm not very good at doing exercise, but i'm going to start making more effort with that too.

    Deb x
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Deb, if you can afford one, I recommend a FitBit. That will help you figure out how many calories you're actually *burning* in a day as well.
  • IMD918
    IMD918 Posts: 49
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm going to give it another week on the 1200 calories and if I see no change then i'm going to up my calories to 1350 and see if that makes a difference.

    I'm not very good at doing exercise, but i'm going to start making more effort with that too.

    Deb x

    Another week of 1200?! STOP. JUST STOP. 1200 is not enough. Everyone in here has said the same thing! IT'S NOT ENOUGH. YOU ARE STARVING YOURSELF. Your body is holding on to every single calorie possible because 1200 is not giving you the energy you need to survive, and your body is fighting to keep the weight you are trying to lose. This will stop when you EAT MORE. I know you are thinking that the less you eat the more you should lose, but metabolism does not work that way. Your body has been proving it to you for the last four weeks. Go to google and search for a TDEE calculator. Whatever that number is, subtract 200-500 calories from it, and eat at that as consistently as possible. It will be easier to be more consistent since you get to eat more than what you are eating. If you do this, you WILL lose weight. I promise you.
  • Drea_ann
    Drea_ann Posts: 65 Member
    Try upping your calories a little, it may be that your eating too few. It's amazing what a few hundred more will help with. Plus I don't know if you're logging water but drink plenty, it helps! I didn't lose weight with 1200 at one point, I was exercising an hour a day and everything. Boosted it too 1600 and the scales moved again. If you jump from however many calories you had before down to 1200, your body is going to try and hoard the energy. You need to ease yourself into it x

    I wasn't losing at 1200, upped to 1550 and I'm lost 1-2 pounds weekly.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    As everyone else said.... up your calories to about 1500 - also... what kind of workout are you doing? If just cardio, try adding some weight training in there. Even if you just do it at home with some light handweights.
  • Sparlingo
    Sparlingo Posts: 938 Member
    In case you're nervous about upping your calories, I'm 5'0" and have lost 40 lbs and am still losing eating 1300 calories PLUS most exercise calories. It's not cheating or wimping out or anything to eat more. It's sensible.

    And try to fit in exercise. You'll sleep better, it helps regulate moods, gives energy, and makes you feel like accomplished and healthy! I can't say enough good things about learning to prioritize exercise in life.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I agree with everyone about upping your calories. MFP gave you a goal of 1200 with the expectation that you would eat back your earned exercise calories. Dropping your calories too low can screw with your body's hormones and promote muscle deterioration, both of which will stall out your weight loss. I don't lose a thing if I drop my calories below 1400.

    A lot of people here recommend calculating your TDEE and eating about 20% less than that. It might be worth a try for you. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Whatever you decide, give your body a couple of weeks to adjust to any changes before you determine whether or not it's working. Our bodies tend to freak out and hold onto water weight when we make changes.
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
    Are you vegetarian? You need to eat more proteins, so if not, eat chicken, fish, eggs, nuts....if you are, soy, tofu, beans, nuts, edamame, etc...and start eating at least 1500 calories
  • TX_Aggie_Dad
    TX_Aggie_Dad Posts: 173
    I'm going to give it another week on the 1200 calories

    tumblr_m9ftrn5IFX1r22lig.gif
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm going to give it another week on the 1200 calories and if I see no change then i'm going to up my calories to 1350 and see if that makes a difference.

    I'm not very good at doing exercise, but i'm going to start making more effort with that too.

    Deb x

    Look up your BMR (basal metabolic rate). These are the calories you would need if you were in a coma .... unless you are extremely petite your BMR is more than 1200

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    Don't wait another week ... up your calories this week. Please, very low calorie diets result in muscle loss.
  • tsdaughe
    tsdaughe Posts: 88
    I think you are cutting too much. There is alot of debate about 1200 calories being starvation mode but I won't get into that. I do see somedays you eat even less then that. You really should not go below 1200. When you are not eating enough calories for your body to function (feed your heart, kidneys, lungs etc) your body will hold onto everything. I would eat least try to find your BMR at eat near or at that. I have eaten as high as 1700 calories a day and lost. Right now, i am at 1400 calories a day on non work out days and on workout days I eat 1400 calories plus any calories from exercise so usually between 1650-2000 calories depending on the day. Do not rely on the scale. Start taking measurements. Even now when I see a huge change in my body my scale stays the same or says I gained.

    As far as eating, you are doing good. Just do what you are doing but eat a little more and try to always eat no less then 1200 calories but really I would try to get up to 1400 or your BMR and go from there.
  • thenewpath2me
    thenewpath2me Posts: 9
    I'm confused, I looked up my bmr and it said 2007 calories. I'm morbidly obese, obviously ;) But what do you guys think I should be eating calorie wise?? I try to stay under 1500 and usually want one day to eat normal like a weekend day with my family. I shouldn't eat my active calories either since I eat that day over my calorie limit, but not go overboard that day either. Just looking for opinions :D
  • hetx2mommy
    hetx2mommy Posts: 26
    I'm in the same boat.........

    I've been doing MFP for 8 weeks this coming Monday. I was losing consistently, am down nearly 17 lbs. This week, no change! I've been on 1200 cals the whole time :/
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I'm in the same boat.........

    I've been doing MFP for 8 weeks this coming Monday. I was losing consistently, am down nearly 17 lbs. This week, no change! I've been on 1200 cals the whole time :/

    Look up "breaking plateaus" ...... Very low calorie diets are subject to plateaus.

    Weight loss will NOT be linear .... one week zero loss .... the next week 2 pounds .... who knows.

    Also - the closer you get to goal the slower your weight loss will be ..... it sucks, but that's the way it is.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    I'm going to give it another week on the 1200 calories

    tumblr_m9ftrn5IFX1r22lig.gif

    I was going to echo everybody else's thoughts about upping your calories. Then I saw this! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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