What am I doing wrong?

Options
Frelling_Tralk
Frelling_Tralk Posts: 56 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started off at 1,200 calories and was advised by posters that for my height, weight, and age (5,5, 154 pounds, 31) I should aim to eat 1,500 calories a day as the bare minimum to lose weight and keep my body healthy, and that the calories to maintain my weight would be 2,200. Something to do with my BMR? Okay fine, so I upped my calories to 1,500 a day. Only since then I've lost no weight at all.

Also I read a lot of positive things in favour of having a cheat day to reset your metabolism, so a couple of days ago I had some extra and ate just over 2000 calories, only to find that I gained a pound from that. I really don't understand why though as, according to what I've read on here, I would need to eat 2,200 calories to just maintain my weight and I wasn't even above that amount?

I'm just confused because the advise on eating more for your metabolism seems to make sense and I've been following it, yet all I seem to do is stay the same weight or gain, even though 1,500 calories are supposed to be the right amount for my body to lose weight on?
«1

Replies

  • shelbymkoenig
    shelbymkoenig Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    What some people post doesn't work for everyone. If 1200 a day worked for you, then go for it! If that's not enough try 1300, just fiddle around until you find something that works. Water water water is by best advice. I gain at least a pound a day if I don't have at least a liter of water, but again, that's just me you may or may not need the same amount. I find my "fat days" (what my dad and I call cheat days) only work if I have been eating at a lower deficit than the one set by MFP. I'm allotted 1900 by MFP but lately have been staying between 1400 and 1700 and that's working out just fine for me even though I just came off a 2 week plateau.
  • PunkinSpice79
    PunkinSpice79 Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    What some people post doesn't work for everyone. If 1200 a day worked for you, then go for it! If that's not enough try 1300, just fiddle around until you find something that works.

    ^ ^ Totally agree. Our bodies are different. Go back to 1200. Do some strength training to see if you can increase muscle so your metabolism will burn more. That's my opinion. Wishing you the best! :)
  • mikcila
    mikcila Posts: 3
    Options
    I am so sorry - I didn't mean to be horrible!
    What I mean is that my doc and I are on a battle to find out what is going on with me - serious intervention is needed since I gain weight so fast.
    Thats why I am on these things.
    I do not advocate it for a second!
    What I meant was that some things just happen to some people and we dont always know why - what works for others doesn't always work for you.
    If that was the case I would have been able to eat a balanced meal and not pick up weight. But there is something wrong - we are trying to figure out what. I can pick up weight by simply eating healthy like a salad sandwich and some butternut soup and oatmeal in a day. After reading my post again, I realised I made quite light of my situation and I actually did suggest my diet...sometimes I don't realise what I am typing...so sorry
    You can be proud of yourself for just trying - eventually you will reap results!
    Sorry again if I offended anyone...this was not my intention at all!
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    Options
    and find a new doctor quickly....
  • MorningWhispers
    MorningWhispers Posts: 182
    Options
    500 calories a day sounds anorexic to me. Ouch.
  • grumpadon
    grumpadon Posts: 24
    Options
    I was working out 7 days a week in the beginning. I lost 16 pounds in the first month. then I have been on a plateau for 3 months. was advised to make small changes, rather than big ones. I tried everything. I have a friend who is a body builder. I picked his brain as well as others. I am now eating 5 small meals a day and snacks. I track macros. which are protein, carbs and fat. I am not a body builder nor do I want to be one. but, your body needs a certain amount of macros to lose weight. protein to repair and build muscle, carbs for energy (complex carbs, not simple carbs) and fat is needed to burn fat. I am on 2,000 calories a day and I have don't ever meet that. I started at 290 lbs. and after just 5 days, I broke thru the plateau. I lost 5 pounds. also......water is very important. I drink at least eight 8oz. glasses a day. if you don't drink a lot of water, you retain water weight. I eat about 125 grams of protein a day and my carbs are 225 grams. my fat is about 65 grams. I don't drink soda. regular or diet. I stay away from pasta. If I eat bread, it's whole grain wheat. no sugar, not even in coffee. I even drink a protein whey shake before I go to bed. you have to make smart choices about the food you eat. I go to the gym 3x a week and I walk a half hour everyday. before I registered on myfitnesspal, I lost 70 pounds just by walking. my leg was amputated and I had to find other ways to lose. even tho I still walk, I can't walk the distances I used to. you have to be brutally honest with yourself as well as your food choices. I am 50 years old, 6' 1" and as I mentioned 290lbs. my calories should be even higher but so far, the amount i'm eating is working for me. btw. if I were interested in body building. my calories would be above 4,000 per day. based on my weight and height.
  • RAEQ127
    RAEQ127 Posts: 106 Member
    Options
    Try this site. http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Options
    If your doctor is advocating HCG with a 500 calorie daily allowance AND gym workouts, then you need to find a new doctor

    This is an off-label use of hCG which skirts the law. There is NO scientific evidence that hCG works on its own to affect weight loss. The extreme calorie restriction + hCG diet has been linked to hundreds of deaths as early as the 1970s. It is also thought to have caused the death of the then-famous singer Mario Lanza in the 1950s.

    If your doctor is recommending hCG with a 500 calorie diet, not only should you run as fast as you can in the other direction but you might consider reporting him/her to the local medical board!!

    Get another doctor immediately and get yourself checked out to see what damage the hCG/500 cal, diet has done to your body, particularly to your heart!!

    For ABC News coverage of this: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/hcg-diet-starving-pregnancy-hormones/story?id=13003120#.UeK3um2sKSo but there are also more scientific reports if you want cites.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Options

    If your doctor is advocating HCG with a 500 calorie daily allowance AND gym workouts, then you need to find a new doctor
    ^^^^ THIS. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS.

    And report him to the medical society. Seriously. There's less quackery in a flock of Canada geese than with this guy.
  • Project9
    Project9 Posts: 135
    Options
    I was working out 7 days a week in the beginning. I lost 16 pounds in the first month. then I have been on a plateau for 3 months. was advised to make small changes, rather than big ones. I tried everything. I have a friend who is a body builder. I picked his brain as well as others. I am now eating 5 small meals a day and snacks. I track macros. which are protein, carbs and fat. I am not a body builder nor do I want to be one. but, your body needs a certain amount of macros to lose weight. protein to repair and build muscle, carbs for energy (complex carbs, not simple carbs) and fat is needed to burn fat. I am on 2,000 calories a day and I have don't ever meet that. I started at 290 lbs. and after just 5 days, I broke thru the plateau. I lost 5 pounds. also......water is very important. I drink at least eight 8oz. glasses a day. I eat about 125 grams of protein a day and my carbs are 225 grams. my fat is about 65 grams. I don't drink soda. regular or diet. I stay away from pasta. If I eat bread, it's whole grain wheat. no sugar, not even in coffee. I even drink a protein whey shake before I go to bed. you have to make smart choices about the food you eat. I go to the gym 3x a week and I walk a half hour everyday. before I registered on myfitnesspal, I lost 70 pounds just by walking. my leg was amputated and I had to find other ways to lose. even tho I still walk, I can't walk the distances I used to. you have to be brutally honest with yourself as well as your food choices.

    Sounds like you ripped through 16 lbs of water weight the first month and now that you are up against the actual fat, it is sticking like superglue. Welcome to my world.
    I'll relay what I've heard the old timers here say 'hang in there". Don't get discouraged, look at the badges on some of these people's signatures, some awesome weight loss happening right here.

    Don't look at my badges, I just started 2 weeks ago and I'm waiting a full month until I do my first weigh in.
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
    Options
    Like you my calculated cals per day were also 1500 and I didn't lose very much weight at that, when I cut down to 1300 a day I started to lose more weight , at most about a pound a week but sometimes nothing and the ocaisional inexplicable gain. I have had problems losing weight since I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, I take tablets every day now but my excess weight is very stubborn. Are you really careful with portion sizes of the high calorie stuff like cheese, oil, cereals? (I had to give up my breakfast granola once I measured a proper portion - it really didn't seem worth bothering it was so tiny!)
    Don't give up and start starving yourself, the only way to lose weight for ever is to adopt a healthy diet and take regular exercise, it may be slow but it's really the best way :)
  • bevmcarthur
    bevmcarthur Posts: 341 Member
    Options
    DO SOME READING ON THE HCGC diet and you find out that yes you will lose the weight but it really mess up your metabolism its one of the MOST UNHEALTHY diets you can go on and about 90% of the people as soon as they go off it the gain it all and MORE back
    I feel the same - dont worry. I have no idea what I am doing wrong - I just seem to be gaining weight no matter what I do. I started on a 500 calorie a day diet today - pretty hectic, but I have gained 9 Kilograms (19.84 pounds) in 8 months. I also started taking gym diet pills today and hope to start the HCGC injections and gym training as well. If you find out what really works, let me know! I'll do the same - I tried this before and lost a lot of weight but wasn't disciplined and picked it all up again. Good luck - here's to wishing you all the best!

    Let me know if you want my diet - if you follow it to the tee you don't get hungry. But then you must also not watch Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!!! !That show always gets me eating junk - everything looks so delicious!
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    Options
    So here is the skinny---pardon the pun--want to lose weight eat 20% below TDEE--read about it and do it. Diets, fads etc, are just bunk. Change your lifestyle accept the fact your brain is wired to eat and you need to figure out what you want from life. No pill, diet, or fad will do it, you will have to do it. What are you waiting for? Get out there and start moving...
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    Options
    When you are eating too little, and up your calories, your body takes time to adjust. At first it takes the extra calories and hoards them, but once you are consistently working, you will eventually start losing weight again. Keep working hard. It will happen! Lots and lots of water. Maybe consider changing your workout routine to give your body a jump start on change too. Good luck!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    How long have you been eating 1500 calories? It takes about a month for your body to adjust to higher calories.

    You're probably retaining a pound of water from your cheat day, it will go away in a couple of days. Sodium can make your scale weight increase but it isn't fat. Also the extra food in your digestive tract can make you seem to weigh more until it passes.
  • grumpadon
    grumpadon Posts: 24
    Options
    I was doing strength training at the gym. what was happening, I was told. my body was burning lean muscle before it would burn fat. my metabolism slowed down because I wasn't eating enough. especially protein. you have to have a balance of protein, complex carbs and fat in order to lose weight. also...a lot of water to lose water weight. I drink about a half gallon a day. even if I don't go to the gym that day.
    I was working out 7 days a week in the beginning. I lost 16 pounds in the first month. then I have been on a plateau for 3 months. was advised to make small changes, rather than big ones. I tried everything. I have a friend who is a body builder. I picked his brain as well as others. I am now eating 5 small meals a day and snacks. I track macros. which are protein, carbs and fat. I am not a body builder nor do I want to be one. but, your body needs a certain amount of macros to lose weight. protein to repair and build muscle, carbs for energy (complex carbs, not simple carbs) and fat is needed to burn fat. I am on 2,000 calories a day and I have don't ever meet that. I started at 290 lbs. and after just 5 days, I broke thru the plateau. I lost 5 pounds. also......water is very important. I drink at least eight 8oz. glasses a day. I eat about 125 grams of protein a day and my carbs are 225 grams. my fat is about 65 grams. I don't drink soda. regular or diet. I stay away from pasta. If I eat bread, it's whole grain wheat. no sugar, not even in coffee. I even drink a protein whey shake before I go to bed. you have to make smart choices about the food you eat. I go to the gym 3x a week and I walk a half hour everyday. before I registered on myfitnesspal, I lost 70 pounds just by walking. my leg was amputated and I had to find other ways to lose. even tho I still walk, I can't walk the distances I used to. you have to be brutally honest with yourself as well as your food choices.

    Sounds like you ripped through 16 lbs of water weight the first month and now that you are up against the actual fat, it is sticking like superglue. Welcome to my world.
    I'll relay what I've heard the old timers here say 'hang in there". Don't get discouraged, look at the badges on some of these people's signatures, some awesome weight loss happening right here.

    Don't look at my badges, I just started 2 weeks ago and I'm waiting a full month until I do my first weigh in.
  • jess6742
    jess6742 Posts: 146
    Options
    OP, how long has it been since you upped your calories? And how oftern are your "cheat days"? Any time you make a switch like that your body has to adjust. You upped your calories by 300 a day, plus the calories from your cheat days. That's a big difference. It's going to take a few weeks before you adjust. You probably gained water weight from the change.

    Also I wouldn't worry about the cheat days. Just eat your TDEE -20% and eat within your macros. Give it time, it will work.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    sounds like combination of bad advice and water retention..

    if you do a cheat day and eat way over then the next day you will be a little bloated and have water retention...

    As for bumping up, yet another reason to not listen to posters on MFP threads about how much you should eat..you know your body and what works for you better than some random poster...

    IF 1200 was working then go back to it...do what works for you ...
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,300 Member
    Options
    I am so sorry you are having such a hard time. A doctor who is trying so hard for you is good.

    I am just another person who attracts weight. May I suggest you read into Salicylate sensitivity. Salicylate is known to be toxic to people, but different people can take greater or lesser amounts. Doctors usually only think of in in relation to aspirin but it is also found in foods in general though some are free of it. If you look at the "food can make you ill" website it gives a comprehensive look at what is in our foods and the health problems which can be associated with things like amines, MSG, salicylate and many more. On your first visit to the site you will probably be offered a questionnaire. I suggest you try it because it could direct you to something your body does not take to and draw your attention to other things which seem unrelated but can have the same problem base. There is also a book by the same name available digitally or as a book. Another site to look at could be the salicylate sensitive site. People who use this tend to be those less affected, or the ones who post. Both sites give list of where salicylate can be found and in what concentration, unfortunately it can be in many environmental places too. Foods with higher levels of it are, tea, coffee, herbs spices, tomato purée, olive oil, pineapple for starters. Please try not to be overwhelmed by information.

    My only reason for bringing this to your attention is because I felt "ill" or "off" for over 40 years and eventually became diminished by it. I gained weight, became seriously bloated, hands, face, feet general body. I also have a tendency to rashes, spots on my back arms and legs not all the time in small outbreaks. There is nothing worse than having something not right and not being able to get to the bottom of it. Had I known this in my 20's, I would have been saved more than 40 years of seemingly isolated idiosyncratic health problems and there is every chance it could have been resolved where as I have to live carefully now.

    Hope you get to the bottom of your problems soon and I hope it is not salicylate sensitivity.
  • Frelling_Tralk
    Frelling_Tralk Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    OP, how long has it been since you upped your calories? And how oftern are your "cheat days"? Any time you make a switch like that your body has to adjust. You upped your calories by 300 a day, plus the calories from your cheat days. That's a big difference. It's going to take a few weeks before you adjust. You probably gained water weight from the change.

    Also I wouldn't worry about the cheat days. Just eat your TDEE -20% and eat within your macros. Give it time, it will work.

    It has been for about a month now, since like 19th/20th June was when I upped my calories. And I don't usually do cheat days, but I had some extra snacks in the evening a couple of days ago which took me over 2000 calories for that day, and then found that I gained a pound from it

    I've never been a huge eater, that's why I'm also confused about all the advise on it's 2,200 calories to maintain my weight. I never measured my food before so obviously I can't say for sure, but I don't think that I ever ate all that much over that for most of my life, which makes me wonder how I put on weight in the first place if that's the amount of calories that's supposed to be correct for just maintaining my weight?

    Also I struggle with my meals being from diet chef and only having limited calories, so I end up eating several extra snacks each day to make my calories for the day up to 1,500. Maybe I'm just eating too much sugar I guess?

Categories