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kimstanley
kimstanley Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I started MFP exactly 3 weeks ago. I have become compulsive in entering everything in my food diary and have started exercising at least 45-60 minutes at least 4-5 times a week. Despite never going over my 1200 calorie diet over the past three weeks, I lost only 2 pds the first week and haven't lost even a pound over the last two weeks. Its very frustrating. Anybody have any advice?

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  • bellanean
    bellanean Posts: 220
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    Open up your diary so we can take a look :-)
  • kdolce15
    kdolce15 Posts: 7 Member
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    it could be that your calories are too low. Are you eating your exercise calories? I plateaued when I lowered to 1200 and lost a pound easily when I increased them.
  • Paige1108
    Paige1108 Posts: 432 Member
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    Same for me. At 1200 as your daily goal eating your exercise calories becomes really important. I even upped my calories to 1300 and lost 2 lbs that week,(I average 1600-1700 calories a day with exercise). 1200 is for your body at rest. If you working out, your not at rest, and you need to fuel those workouts. The 1200 includes your calorie deficit to reach your goal you don't need to add deficit, you need to add healthy fuel for all that great working out your doing. Keep up the great work. Your on the right track. I know you never thought you would hear this while trying to loss weight, but you probably need to eat more healthy calories. Good luck on reaching your goals.
  • kimstanley
    kimstanley Posts: 2
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    Thanks for the feedback so far. I have opened the food diary to show my diet.
  • Jarreduniverse
    Jarreduniverse Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm not sure about your stats (height, weight, frame, etc) but looking at your diary I would say to add more calories, especially if you've been exercising. You'll notice that if you go too low on your calories, MFP adds a note of warning about being too low on your calories when you complete your entry for the day.

    I'm not sure what your exercise plan is, but if you do a lot of strength training you might be getting leaner, gaining muscle and as a result you probably won't be seeing a significant drop.
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    You're not eating enough. As low as 700 cals?? Your body is holding onto your fat for dear life!! Literally!

    You got to eat at LEAST 1200 cals per day. Fruits and vegetables and zero alcohol.

    Alcohol makes you retain water.

    Try eating and not drinking. Try it for a week

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • GingerZEST
    GingerZEST Posts: 12
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    Yes, the only way I can lose weight is to eat 5 to 7 small meals a day with low carbs. NOTICE I said low carbs, none of this NO CARB garbage. Exercise is important for getting over pateaus, but food is far more important.

    Hope this helps;

    GINGER ZEST:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • GingerZEST
    GingerZEST Posts: 12
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    PART 2 after looking at your diary. Get rid of the FAKE food and EAT MORE AND MORE OFTEN. You need to eat 5 to 7 small meals. I have a great diet that I lost 7 pounds on the first week. I ate 7 small protein filled meals with yes potatoes and fruit. HAPPY TO SHARE (E_MAIL).

    Just eat more often, EAT MORE FOOD, and cut out the fake food. Your nutrition bars. TRY THIS. I don't know much, but I have noticed what does work for my genius friend ELIZAWE !!!!!

    GINGER ZEST:embarassed:
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
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    Everybody freaks out about the 1200 calorie thing, but that's for average people. At 117 lbs you are not average. I guessed at 5' 3" for your height, but using that your BMR is 1230 calories. Eating 1200 it'd take 4 months to loose 1 lb. Go to the tools section and enter your info to see what your BMR is with the right numbers.

    Take you're BMR and multiply by 1.2 then subtract 500.

    So if you are 5' 3" you can use 1230 x 1.2 = 1476 this the number of calories for you to maintain your weight.

    1476 - 500 = 976 is the number of calories for you to loose 1 lb per week.

    If you're taller that number will go up, if you're shorter, down. 1 lb per week is kinda pushing it for weight loss per week at your current weight, so keep close to that number and eat your exercise calories back. If you eat 1000 and burn 300 you're at a net of 700 for the day which is half your maintenance and that's a bad line to cross.

    Also eat more often. Eating 2 times a day isn't as good as eating 3 or 4. Split your 1000 calories up and try to eat 1/4 or 1/3 at each meal. That keeps your body happy and more readily able to give up that last bit of fat.

    And finally stick to the plan and ignore the scale. At such a low weight and shooting for the last few pounds, water retention will wreck havok with the number on the scale. Keep eating and being healthy, exercising, and doing the things you should and you'll get there. Maybe not as quick as you'd like but you will get there. :-)

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