Why am I not losing weight? :(

I have been consistently every day doing my workouts, mostly the cross trainer and hula hoops for at least 45 minutes a day. I lost 5 kg for the first few weeks and I have not been losing weight since then. I maintained my calorie intake to 1200 calories a day and I did not over consume my food. Why am I not losing weight anymore? Feel so burdened.

Replies

  • beckymlong
    beckymlong Posts: 111 Member
    Are you getting the right balance of nutrients? It's no good eating at a healthy deficit if what you are eating is all fat for instance, also if you are close to a healthy weight it takes a bit longer to burn that last bit off
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I had a look in your food diary. No wonder you are not losing, you are eating perhaps HALF of your 1200. Eat your exercise back. Plus some of the stuff...well as the other poster said....it's not always the calories but WHAT the calories are. On one day you had dim sims & ice-cream...nothing else.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Up your protein significantly. You should get over 100g per day at least. As previous poster said, many days it looks like you are starving yourself. Eat your exercise calories back. It may say that your goal is 1200, but try to get closer to 1300 to be safe. Do you wear a heart rate monitor when you work out?
  • SusanaLdn
    SusanaLdn Posts: 121 Member
    Do a search on the forums on losing weight by eating more. I know how crazy it sounds, it took me two years to believe it. With what you're eating, those 5kg you lost were muscle, not fat. The day you believe this and eat all you should be eating, with a good macros balance, you start losing fat. Also read on TDEE. There are quite a few calculators online, do a few and find the median, eat at TDEE-20%. You WILL lose weight in a healthy way, consistently, being happy with your food. I know I had to read 85497645 posts saying this to finally do something right. Two years later and actually 5kg heavier than when I started here, it clicked. I have upped my intake to 1400, eat my exercise calories back, do Insanity. For the first couple of weeks I put on 2kg, then I started trimming down and my body is starting to look just as I've always wanted it to. Also, try ditching the scale and taking up the measuring tape. When you exercise you gain muscle, and that shows on the scale. Measurements and keeping photos on yourself in the same underwear/bikini will show you the results that really are happening. Go figure, those who have done it know better ;) Good luck with your journey!
  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
    What they said!

    If you are going down the 1200 calorie route (which isn't really sustainable long term and I (not a dr, don't play one on TV) wouldn't recommend it to anyone) then you need to eat back a good proportion of your exercise calories ON TOP of your 1200.

    I would say eat all your exercise cals, but it depends how you are tracking calories burned, MFP is not usually accurate, so unless you have a HRM to track them (still not 100% accurate, but nearer), eat a proportion of them - say 50% to start
  • SusanaLdn
    SusanaLdn Posts: 121 Member
    Here you go, someone took a lot more time than me to explain it properly:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important
  • LTGPSA
    LTGPSA Posts: 633 Member
    What worked for me is consistency in eating most of my exercise calories. I.E., at the end of the day, I typically had a green either single or double digit number. I also log every day. How is your water intake? Are you getting an adequate amount of vegetables into your diet? It appears you haven't been on here that long - patience and determination is key.
  • griff7809
    griff7809 Posts: 611 Member
    Please read this thread.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1039039-should-i-care

    I had the same question and fitness pal freinds hooked me up with great advice.

    Good luck!


    -Griff
  • SusanaLdn
    SusanaLdn Posts: 121 Member
    And yet another one, as it seems today a lot of ladies are posting on intelligent choices: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/835838-99-pounds-cause-i-need-a-win-today
  • desylia1512
    desylia1512 Posts: 6 Member
    hi, thanks for your info. No, i didnt wear a heart rate monitor while working out. Does it help?
  • desylia1512
    desylia1512 Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you on your advice! I guess i have been on the wrong track ince a long time ago. Its time for me to eat my exercise calories back! :)
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    hi, thanks for your info. No, i didnt wear a heart rate monitor while working out. Does it help?

    it only gives you a better idea of how many calories you're burning. I recommend them. Food scales, measuring cups, and an accurate HRM with a chest strap. That'll give you better estimated numbers of how many calories you're taking in.. and how many you burn.

    you have to eat enough for your body to function, which you haven't been.

    Eat a portion of your calories back and give it 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust. You just have too much of a calorie deficit right now.

    Also, the generic "1200 calorie" recommendation is probably from signing up on here... telling MFP that you're sedentary and want to lose 2lbs per week, right? Yeah, those numbers don't necessarily work. It's just the lowest that MFP will go.

    Check out http://www.scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ for a more accurate estimate of what you need to eat, and go from there.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    You said a few weeks, but it says your join date was this month. how long have you been logging/tracking?

    Are you eating your exercise calories back? Just a heads up, MFP is designed for its users to eat their exercise cals back. The formula can be found in the Goals page.

    What are your goals set at? If 2lbs, change to 1lb a week. Know that creating too large a deficit is counter productive.

    And are you using a food scale? If not, get one. It is way more accurate than using cups.

    And if you do decide to get an HRM, make sure to do -30% on the burns to account for inaccuracies.


    ETA: Whatever changes you make, know that it can take 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust.
  • Robincantrell21
    Robincantrell21 Posts: 8 Member
    Hello,
    I want to know how you can lose 15 pounds in 2-3 weeks? Will a no or low carb diet work? I've tried a low carb diet, which cuts out carbs and sugar, but boosts fat intake, and I find myself eating more sodium! I need a direct meal plan to follow to reach my weight goal of 125 lbs. Please Help!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Hello,
    I want to know how you can lose 15 pounds in 2-3 weeks? Will a no or low carb diet work? I've tried a low carb diet, which cuts out carbs and sugar, but boosts fat intake, and I find myself eating more sodium! I need a direct meal plan to follow to reach my weight goal of 125 lbs. Please Help!

    You should create your own thread because it derails from the OP.

    But to answer your question quickly - the goal of losing 15lbs in 2-3 weeks is unrealistic and dangerous. Aim for a 1lb/week loss. 2lb/week depending on how overweight you are.

    Carbs and sugar do not make you fat. Eating over your maintenance calories make you fat.

    If you need a direct meal plan, you may need to look into Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc. MFP is a calorie counting website that provides tools for people to manage their own intake. It doesn't provide meal plans.

    ETA: I noticed you post this same exact thing every couple weeks. I feel a little foolish for answering now..lol. But for any lurkers who might have been wondering the same...there's your answer
  • TabbiToo
    TabbiToo Posts: 19 Member
    Here you go, someone took a lot more time than me to explain it properly:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important

    Wow, that was just the post I needed to read. I have been eating 700 to 900 calories a day for years and just seem to keep gaining weight. I have just started counting calories and did not realize how little I was eating each day. I am now going to try to increase my calories to 1200 per day as I am exercising daily and seem to be burning around 1200 to 1500 calories with exercise each day. So I know I need to eat at least my MFP calorie minimum.