help - not losing at 1200 calories
Replies
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Thanks for all of that! I've always had a weight problem. I used to have trouble keeping weight on. Now I can't get it off, even if I am FASTING. I assumed being 51 and hormonally changing was the reason.0
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THIS.. Eat More! You are not providing any fuel for your body and it is holding on to all that it can!!!
If you feel hungry, eat. Also when you do eat, work in Protein. Protein helps to curb the hunger feeling.First, slap your husband.
Second...
I Copy/paste this everywhere. You're not new here, but these tips might help:
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
The TL;DR version? You're doing it wrong. You can't work out as much as you are and only net 700 calories.. and expect good things to happen.0 -
Don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat! If you are lifting weights, you may be gaining muscle weight. Try checking your measurements to see results. You may be more on track than you think.
Blessings,
Carol
No, especially when only netting 700 calories.
Maintaining......maybe.0 -
First, slap your husband.
Second...
I Copy/paste this everywhere. You're not new here, but these tips might help:
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
The TL;DR version? You're doing it wrong. You can't work out as much as you are and only net 700 calories.. and expect good things to happen.
This is EXCELLENT advice!!!!! Edited to add: maybe not the slapping your husband, or at least not hard.
And muscle does not weigh more than fat...jeesh. Muscle takes up less volume than fat. I guarantee if you take one pound of muscle and one pound of fat they will weigh the same, it's just that that one pound of fat will take up more space if you put them both in the same size jar.0 -
Try more cardio 3-4 days 20 min maybe?Eat around 400 calories a meal you have not been doing this long at first it will show nothing on the scale and then all of a sudden drop 10lbs and then up and down the scale will show just don't get frustrated ...Your body has to adjust ( your metabolism starts outta wack from being abused over years) Can't expect your body to know what the hell is going on at first some people take longer...I was out of shape and got myself to build up to more and more exercise now I crave it and my body is loving it and getting results I like and feel awesome!Stay positive
After 2 months and nothing shows then try to find out more could be sodium like others are saying...but I think it's too soon to tell still? 0 -
that is not even three weeks...it takes your body four to six weeks to adapt to any change...give it six weeks and if no loss then make some adjustments..
do you have a food scale, weigh/measure all your food? You could be underestimating..
Seconded
Also make sure you are weighing yourself under the same conditions every time... Same amount of time after you have eaten, worked out, same amont of clothing etc... especially at such an early stage of your goal... 2.5 weeks you could at best expect to lose 2-4 pounds so these things become a facotr. It sound though, that you are just expecting too much to happen too soon. Make a solid plan, execute it, and stick to it and you will see results.0 -
First, slap your husband.
Second...
.
.
I don't have a husband, but dude - you nailed it. Awesome response.0 -
. If I look at my "net calories" I am around 700 per day.
Goodness! How do you even have the energy to exercise?! I'd drop over dead right in the gym if I only netted 700 calories!
Oh trust me, I am hungry ALL THE TIME. But my hubby assures me that the hunger pains means your body is burning through those calories. He says I should be hungry all the time. He does not believe in the "starvation mode" theory. He just tells me that persistence is the key.
He doesn't know what he's talking about. You're hungry all the time because you're "starving" (net 700 calories).
^^THIS is exactly what I was going to say! You need to eat to fuel those workouts!0 -
Since 9/7/13, I have been faithfully tracking and consuming 1200 calories a day and have not lost a pound yet!
For yesterday, your diary says you ate over 1700 calories.0 -
I was having the same issue that you are just a few weeks ago. Someone here sent me a message and told me to stop working out so much and net 1200 calories per day. (I don't know her name, I've been looking for it all day to thank her. And, her messages are no longer in my inbox.) She told me to cut back on the exercise for just a bit to get back down to what I had originally lost. Then, slowly, add exercise back.
At first, I was totally afraid to take her advise as I want to lose the weight very badly. This past week, when I finally did, the pounds started gradually but consistantly coming back off!0 -
. If I look at my "net calories" I am around 700 per day.
Goodness! How do you even have the energy to exercise?! I'd drop over dead right in the gym if I only netted 700 calories!
Oh trust me, I am hungry ALL THE TIME. But my hubby assures me that the hunger pains means your body is burning through those calories. He says I should be hungry all the time. He does not believe in the "starvation mode" theory. He just tells me that persistence is the key.
If you are eating the right foods throughout the day, getting in enough protein and fiber, and not eating junk or drinking a lot of empty calories, and if you are eating enough calories to not be in starvation mode, you will not feel hungry.
I started at 255 lbs (5'9") and in May I was eating about 2100 cals a day to start out. I was losing weight. (No exercise then).
Now that I'm at 233, my daily goal is 1800 and has been for a few weeks. And I'm exercising. I'm never hungry. I eat every few hours (small meals). Most days I do not make it to 1800 (but I cut it close!). However, if I exercise that day I really try to get extra calories in. I'm now losing 1-2 lbs a week on 1700-1800 cals.0 -
Also, listen to your body, but make sure you are listening to the right cues. If you are eating (as above), then you should not be hungry. If you are, grab a healthy snack. Be aware of "emotional hunger" cues (read up on it - it's very eye opening to anyone who has ever eaten out of emotions of any kind including boredom).0
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The most inportant thing here though is that you don't ever give up! There are tons of great advice on here and I am sure you will see changes soon!0
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Since 9/7/13, I have been faithfully tracking and consuming 1200 calories a day and have not lost a pound yet!
For yesterday, your diary says you ate over 1700 calories.
Yes, I had an emotional response to being frustrated and overwhelmed and then I chose to post here instead of eating my disappointment. My original post does say that occasionally I have gone over, but you will notice that my net calories for almost three weeks there have been 2 over 1200 and NONE over 1500.
These posts have been wonderful and I appreciate those who are giving honest but gentle advice.0 -
Make sure you aren't eating too much sodium (potato chips!), and try to stick to protein/veggies/fruit. Get your metabolism tested (I used the MedGem and see what your BMR really is. Change up your exercise too - sometimes that helps. Also, give it 4-6 weeks before you see the scale move - you could be building muscle and losing fat at the same time.0
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i love this thread! thanks!0
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First, slap your husband.
This is the most important advice. ;-)0 -
I don't wanna click on these threads but I just. can't. help. myself....0
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. If I look at my "net calories" I am around 700 per day.
Goodness! How do you even have the energy to exercise?! I'd drop over dead right in the gym if I only netted 700 calories!
Oh trust me, I am hungry ALL THE TIME. But my hubby assures me that the hunger pains means your body is burning through those calories. He says I should be hungry all the time. He does not believe in the "starvation mode" theory. He just tells me that persistence is the key.
Hubby needs to educate himself because he's full of poo-poo. EAT FOOD.0 -
...but you will notice that my net calories for almost three weeks there have been 2 over 1200 and NONE over 1500.
Personally I feel "net calories" is a huge red flag.
I know MFP is set up to "eat back exercise", but IMO that just causes more problems for many people. The issue is that logging food intake is already a source of error, and adding in calories burnt just adds an even bigger source of error.
My suggestion would be to fix your daily intake (averaged over a week is fine) to a single number - say 1300 calories. That's your target every day. Exercise as you normally do. You'll know very quickly, in less than 2 weeks, whether or not your intake is sufficient for your exercise level. Make the appropriate adjustment, although I would suggest that if you're feeling ok after two weeks, don't drop your intake, add more exercise.
If you eat at a low calorie level, your body's metabolism *cannot* slow down so much that weight gain stops. That's physically impossible. If you are not losing weight (as measured over 8 weeks or so) then you are not in a caloric deficit, and the key to fixing things is figuring out where the bad assumption lies.
PS Your hubby is right - "starvation mode" (as typically meant on MFP) is pure hogwash.0 -
Maybe its your thyroid?0
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*...punches himself in the face...*Maybe its your thyroid?0 -
...but you will notice that my net calories for almost three weeks there have been 2 over 1200 and NONE over 1500.
Personally I feel "net calories" is a huge red flag. My suggestion would be to fix your daily intake (averaged over a week is fine) to a single number - say 1300 calories.
Checked that...my weekly average of calories (not net calories) is 1290. And my thyroid is fine. I'm sure my body is completely messed up from 20 yrs of stupid fad dieting and yo-yoing. I am trying to do it right this time!
Hubby probably needs to be educated but he's a military man, never been more than 30 lbs overweight and when he wants to loose he eats around 900 calories a day and runs 5-6 miles a day. So, that method seems to work for him. It, however, does not seem to be working for me.0 -
Hello! Congratulations on taking control of your life! I'm no expert, but I read these forums every day and tons of weight loss articles as well. Here are a few things I'd suggest:
I've never weighed my food either, but I like to think that I'm good at eyeballing and measuring when I can. For this reason, I don't eat back ALL of my exercise calories, but like others have said, you should eat back at least half. I feel like that helps me in case I miscalculate. Eating more should also help with those days where you are overwhelmed and hungry! Don't be scared to eat!
Don't forget to count oils, butters, etc when cooking- I didn't look at your diary, but just wanted to mention that since a lot of people forget to log those.
Your muscles aren't used to working out, so as mentioned, they're probably holding onto extra water weight.
Personally, I wouldn't give up the chips. I still eat whatever I want- I just watch my portions, and try to eat an extra light meal if I have one that is heavier- it's all a balancing act.
DO NOT GIVE UP!!!! Whatever you do. Log in to this website every day and read through the forums. You will learn a lot.
Oh, and don't be afraid to NET 1200 calories. It already includes a large deficit in your calorie consumption. It's confusing, but anyone on this site who uses MFP correctly can tell you that. Anyone who is confused or confuses you about that doesn't understand how this site works- don't listen to them. You need to reach your MFP goal, or at least close to it. Again, I personally suggest eating back half of your exercise calories (since you don't currently weigh food).
GOOD LUCK!0 -
*...punches himself in the face...*Maybe its your thyroid?
LMAO. My thyroid is fine! I'm over going to the doctor because "something is wrong with me." The thing that was wrong with me was that I was sitting on my *kitten* all day, eating like it was Thanksgiving everyday and wishing I was a size 2.0 -
Hey,
If you are on 700 calories, pretty soon you will start to feel tired, lethargic, emotional and disorientated. You'll either start to get uncontrollable cravings or you'll stop being hungry and get ill. You only need a small calorie deficit and you can continue losing weight over the long term, without ever being hungry! Weight loss is NOT a case of 'no pain no gain'. That's exercise.
Having said that - if you've been on 700 for a few weeks then.... you absolutely should have lost weight by now - which means perhaps you need to have a little look at your logging - perhaps try weighing everything inc. veggies?
All the very best -x-0 -
I agree with everything that has been said here... Eat more net 1200 calories a day even more. I'm on 1709 and have lost consistently. You are starving yourself, not need to have hunger pains....0
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Hubby probably needs to be educated but he's a military man, never been more than 30 lbs overweight and when he wants to loose he eats around 900 calories a day and runs 5-6 miles a day. So, that method seems to work for him. It, however, does not seem to be working for me.
If you eat 900 calories a day and run 5 miles a day, you *will* lose weight. Guaranteed. If you do that, and you don't lose weight, then you are eating more than you think.
Personally, I'd be miserable at that level of food intake, but it will actually work.0 -
Hubby probably needs to be educated but he's a military man, never been more than 30 lbs overweight and when he wants to loose he eats around 900 calories a day and runs 5-6 miles a day. So, that method seems to work for him. It, however, does not seem to be working for me.
If you eat 900 calories a day and run 5 miles a day, you *will* lose weight. Guaranteed. If you do that, and you don't lose weight, then you are eating more than you think.
Personally, I'd be miserable at that level of food intake, but it will actually work.
So would not eating, but who the hell would just say "but it works"...?
Dude, why would... I can't.. I...
Just stop. Why even SAY that it'd work?
I didn't even bother quoting the other advice you gave about 1300 calories plus working out and knowing within 2 weeks whether or not it's working.. simply because that doesn't even need to be typed out again.0 -
Dude, why would... I can't.. I...
Just stop. Why even SAY that it'd work?
Because she said that's what she did, and that she doesn't lose weight with it.
Which means she didn't actually do that, because as you agreed, it *will* actually cause weight loss.0
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