what am I doing wrong?

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Suziebear165
Suziebear165 Posts: 8 Member
in Motivation and Support
Please help as I feel so crappy and fed up at the moment. Been trying to lose weight for years and have managed to lose 3 stobe in the past 3 years. Ive lost 22lbs with fitness pal since jan and I find it great to use but im so frustrated at my little losses. I stick to 1200 cals a day apart from the odd tine ive slipped up and I exercise 4 tines a week. Im hardly even losing 1lb a week some weeks I lose nothing. I still have 4 stone to lose and feel quite desperate. People much slimmer than me seen ti be loosing so much more and I just want to cry:(

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  • refinedredbird
    refinedredbird Posts: 209 Member
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    Are you eating back your exercise calories? If you have a goal of 1200, you should eat them back as well or your body is not getting enough food and it could affect your weight loss. 22lbs in 6 months is excellent! Weight loss is not very fast in general if you are doing it the healthy way and even if the scale doesn't move, your body measurements may have changed from losing body fat which I think is more important anyways. Don't get discouraged, just keep going and make sure you are eating.
  • runninghealthy
    runninghealthy Posts: 21 Member
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    Are you eating back your exercise calories? If you have a goal of 1200, you should eat them back as well or your body is not getting enough food and it could affect your weight loss. 22lbs in 6 months is excellent! Weight loss is not very fast in general if you are doing it the healthy way and even if the scale doesn't move, your body measurements may have changed from losing body fat which I think is more important anyways. Don't get discouraged, just keep going and make sure you are eating.

    100%! 1200 calories is really the barest, barest minimum that your body can sustain on, in a healthy way. If you are eating that little, and also exercising, your body will react as if it is starving, and retain all of the fat that it can, in order to have calories to live off of. Try increasing your calories, but making sure that they are healthy ones, good grains, vegetables, healthy oils (like flax seed, olive, and avacado), and drink lots of water. It may take a little bit of time for your body to adjust, but when it does, it will realize that it is getting the nutrition it needs, is not starving, and it will be easier for you to shed the weight.

    And eat back your exercise calories. MFP has a deficit built in, so if you "gain" calories from exercise, that's another way of saying that your body has "gained" a need for more fuel, and you need to respond to it.

    Keep up the good work!
  • boberrymom
    boberrymom Posts: 362 Member
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    I agree with the other posters.

    Keep your chin up, little losses are better than little gains. You have to realize that the weight didn't come on overnight so it won't come off overnight either. You can do it. Celebrate in the accomplishments that you have done so far, you are doing great and those little losses seem like little bc you want to see those bigger numbers but the little losses show that you are losing in a healthier way.

    Hope this helps. You can do it, don't give up. **hugs**
  • Suziebear165
    Suziebear165 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks for the advice guys. I never eat back my exercise cals as I thought it would go in my favour also I get a bit dubious about the exercise values on my fitness pal as they seem so high and I always get worried they arent right and dont want to go over by accident. Know everything is going in the right direction so will keep trucking 2lb a week instead of 1lb would be awesome though!
  • runninghealthy
    runninghealthy Posts: 21 Member
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    Thanks for the advice guys. I never eat back my exercise cals as I thought it would go in my favour also I get a bit dubious about the exercise values on my fitness pal as they seem so high and I always get worried they arent right and dont want to go over by accident. Know everything is going in the right direction so will keep trucking 2lb a week instead of 1lb would be awesome though!

    The values are, I think, a bit high. If you are exercising at a gym, or on a machine that can calculate calories, by entering your age and weight, then use that. MFP lets you enter your own calorie burn values if you have them. Then, you'll be sure that the numbers are correct, and don't have to worry about eating them back. Also, if it will really help you not to worry as much, you can look into getting a heart rate monitor (watch) that counts your calories burned based on your heart rate when you work out. Those are normally very accurate, but also kind of expensive. Maybe try to eat back at least 60-75% of your exercise calories. That way you aren't stressed about going over (stress can also add to weight retention), but are getting good fuel.

    You are doing great, and should be proud of your dedication!
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 510 Member
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    What's wrong with losing 1 lb a week? This isn't a race. This is a change FOREVER. As long as you are losing, you are probably doing something right. Mind you, I was crazy when I ate 1200 calories a day and I was paranoid and worried and grumpy. I'm now still losing at 1650. Just my experience though.
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 237
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    Please spend a few nights reading all of this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/983158-all-in-one-info-page-halp

    it may save you, it did for me. I lost 7 inches in one month with this info, it was a gift. you can add me if you like :)

    good luck!

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