Only lost 1lb so far

lauraloy2013
lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I'm new to MFP. I've been logging for about two weeks but have been focusing on it more this week by putting my lit to 1200 calories. I'm 5' 3"and I weight 150lbs and exercise 3-4 times weekly from 30-60 minutes either in the gym doing a mix of cardio and strength or if I can't like last Monday just went for a walk/run with my dog. I'm feeling a bit dizzy and getting headaches but just weighed myself and I've just lost 1lb to 149lbs and had hoped to start off with a bigger weight loss. I don't think I can exercise much more with work and other commitments but I've gut out so much junk food I thought I would see a bigger difference. Any advice please? My first ever post

Thanks.

Replies

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Welcome Laural.

    Congratulations on your one pound loss! :smile: One pound is one pound.

    Did you eat get headaches and dizziness before eating 1,200 calories? If so, I'd get to your doctor immediately. If not and the symptoms started after "dieting", then I'd stop dieting and eat more food.

    1,200 calories is too few, especially since you are exercising 3-4 days a week. My guess is you set your goals to lose 2 pounds a week, which usually allots 1200 calories, but you are also supposed to eat those exercise calories back. Most or all of them, in fact. When you set up your profile in MFP, the calories given to you already have the deficit built in to lose weight.

    Losing weight is about a lifestyle change, not about cutting out all the foods you love. It's about learning portion control and being 100% conscious of what you put into your mouth. It's about calorie counting, both calorie intake and calories burned. It's about taking control of your health.

    Way back when I was pretty heavy the doctor told me I needed to lose weight. I told her I knew this, but that I was having a hard time giving up my burritos. She said, "it's not about giving up your burrito, it's about eating only half and saving the rest for another day."

    Finally, just make sure you log all food and all exercise and eat those exercise calories back, and give it time. One week is too soon to tell if your numbers are off.
  • amyparrish9
    amyparrish9 Posts: 23
    Totally agree with SLLRunner. I know for me personally if I don't eat enough I feel dizzy and sick. It sounds to me like your not consuming enough calories which would cause your body to go into starvation mode, and that may be why you aren't loosing as much as you hoped. But congrats on the 1lb!!!
  • sway1080
    sway1080 Posts: 45 Member
    Hey congrats on the 1lb! I am 5'4" and I started at 158lbs and I am now 138lbs. I work out as much as you do but my question is, are you eating back your exercise calories?
    Maybe try that (to NET 1200 a day). Thats what I do...you won't get headaches anymore and you should start losing. (From 150 to now I only lost about 0.7-1lb per week)
    Try to drink lots of water too :) Good luck!
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Thanks for your reply that's really helpful. Yes the headaches are since dieting. I hadn't realised that I could eat back the calories that I burn so that makes a lot of sense. Might treat myself today then. I suppose I just need to have patience with it I just thought when I set it to 2lb a week that I would. I think I'll be more likely to stick to it if I don't cut out all of the nice things I enjoy.

    I have also been using the "moves" app that tracks how many steps and therefore calories you burn throughout the day and I've been adding that to MFP in addition to my workouts. Do you think that's ok and not over counting how many calories I burn?
    it's has been so helpful thanks.
  • cllmetatrsld
    cllmetatrsld Posts: 58 Member
    I wouldn't log those steps calories. MFP asks you how active you are (sedentary, lightly active, etc). That takes such things as 'steps' into effect...and really, just walking from the door to the car isn't anything that gets your heart rate up for more than a few seconds.
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. I've just been looking over my net calories and they have been quite low under 1,000 calories at times with my exercise added. So that's where I am going wrong. Good luck to everyone.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
    Just realize that MFP often overestimates calories burned. I would recommend only eating back 70-80% of what MFP gives you as a result.

    I'd also recommend resetting your MFP goal to 1lb/week. I'm guessing you've only got about 30lbs to lose so 2lbs/week is too agressive for you.

    You can also look up the TDEE method. Just do a search on MFP and you'll get lots of things to read...:-)

    Good luck!
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Oh right ok that makes sense I had a feeling that might be the case. That will save battery on my phone too haha. Thanks :)
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Yes I'm planning to lose about 30lbs. I suppose I'm expecting results too quickly. I had hoped to lose it by March but maybe that's too optimistic. If I do that and it goes up to 1300 calories per day am I still ok to eat back some of the calories burned?
    Thanks.
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    2 lbs a week may be too aggressive if you only have 30 lbs to lose. That rate is normally reserved for the folks that have over 100 pounds to lose. You may want to consider lowering that to 1 lb. However I would even go down to .5. Yes the lose will be slower but it will be sustainable.

    And yes eat back some exercise calories but not all. You want to NET the goal that you are given. MFP notoriously overestimates burned calories. So don't eat them all back.

    Think about weighing food as well, that way you will know for sure if you are hitting the calorie deficit you need to be at.

    Good luck!
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    I haven't been the best mfp'er in the world, but I did log every day and started exercising. It took me 8 months to lose 30 lbs.

    I'm not saying you will be the same, but march is a bit to optimistic if you don't plan on starving yourself or losing a limb...

    Also with the tips of all the others your set to make it!
    Good luck! You can do it! :flowerforyou:
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Thanks 89nunu that's really helped to hear you've lost what I'm aiming too. I've just been and bought kitchen scales so can weight things more. I think I'll just give myself some more time. I've adjusted MFP to 1lb a week. Thanks and good luck!
  • Beckaroo94
    Beckaroo94 Posts: 66
    Did you weigh yourself at the same time both times and wearing the same thing? Do you weigh everything accurately? I used to estimate then bought electric scales and realised how off I was
  • Rocky_ZG
    Rocky_ZG Posts: 70 Member
    Your weight can easily vary up to 3-5 pounds on daily basis.
    As written above, you should weigh yourself in similar conditions always.

    It is possible that you lost some weight but you don't know it.
    Also body composition is important. If you lose some fat and gain some muscles, you could actually weigh more.

    I propose weighing:
    - in the morning immediately after waking up ang going to the toilet
    - naked

    :)
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    I've just past the 30lb loss and It's taken my from February until now to do it. And I still have about another 30 to go, so yes. If you only have that much to lose, it might take a bit longer than you're planning.

    As it's already been mentioned, you really should read up a bit on things like TDEE and BMR. one of the several "in place of a road map" threads is a great place to start. It should help give you an understanding of where to set your calories and why.
    Here's one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • lauraloy2013
    lauraloy2013 Posts: 58 Member
    Hi yea I weighed my self at the same time both times when I just got up but maybe as it's the weekend the time I got up varied a bit. Would that make a difference? I'm going to measure myself more and use that to track weight loss too maybe. Thanks for all the comments. Thanks for the link I'll have a look now.

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