Why am I not losing weight??

nerskine
nerskine Posts: 5 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone! This is my first post on here :).

I really hope someone can give me an answer that makes sense and that there is a way to fix my problem, which is... I'm on a VLCD so eat about 650 cals a day. I exercise every day, I do spinning, body pump, body combat, Pilates and abdominals, minimum 2 classes a day and 2-3 times a week 3 classes a day. I burn off more cals than I eat. Yet I can't seem to lose weight and I still have a long way to go to get to my target weight of 160lbs. I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, more if I exercise more. It's soooo frustrating and demotivating, seems like the more I do to lose the less results I have. I just don't get it!! I spoke to a few people in the gym and they think I may eat too little so my body is holding on to my fat thinking it's starving. But I've tried to be on 1400 cals a day and 1200 and 900 and with all of it I don't lose anything, I just maintain. The weight loss so far only happened coz I was bigger and it was a massive change to my body to reduce the food intake and exercise a lot. I naturally have a very slow metabolism which sucks too! Any ideas???
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Replies

  • lulabellarama
    lulabellarama Posts: 96 Member
    See your doctor
    You need to eat significantly more than you do
  • minuz5
    minuz5 Posts: 256 Member
    Hey,

    Interesting situation. If I were you I would calculate my tdee and I would take 20% off that, and that's what I would consume. Be precise,use food scales if necessary, there are a lot of hidden calories. But I wouldn't continue on 650cal a day, that's deffo starvation, taking in consideration that you exercise so much. So try to increase your calories below your tdee and continue exercise, do it for month, and see results :O
  • gina_nz_
    gina_nz_ Posts: 74 Member
    Do you weigh your food or are you just eye balling or using measuring cups? do you not include certain foods because you think they have little calories or are "free" foods?

    Because if everything you said is true you would have to be losing weight.
  • TamaraKat
    TamaraKat Posts: 533 Member
    See your doctor
    You need to eat significantly more than you do

    This.
    In order to lose weight, your body still needs its nutrients which you just can't achieve by eating 650 calories a day - it's not very healthy either. Try upping your intake and see what happens, if you persist with 650 calories, you will be putting yourself at risk... I lost weight by eating 1200 calories and exercising as do a lot of others on my MFP list!

    If that doesn't work then see a specialist and they can help you.
  • hiddenorchestra
    hiddenorchestra Posts: 14 Member
    You're not eating enough, and I'd say your body is in starvation mode. 1400 cals could not even be enough so figure our BMR and activity level and go from there. VLCD slows your metabolism.
  • nerskine
    nerskine Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm actually on lighter life diet, so it's just food packs no actual food to weigh or measure. This was my kind of last attempt at getting results as my previous attempts were not working. I've been to see my GP, waste of time. Basically he said I have a very slow metabolism and I should just accept the way I am and I would be ok in the old times when food was scarce!! Like that helps me and makes me feel better! Maybe I should go see a specialist of some sort or nutritionist...

    Thanks guys, just can't give up!
  • philanthropichelmick
    philanthropichelmick Posts: 24
    Maybe u need to try eating right for 12 days and "pigging out" on the thirteenth day, then repeat. I have done this and lost 25 lbs in 4 months. How can this help u may ask. It helps to reboost ure metabolism.Also, I wld try breaking up ure workouts. I walk for 15 min in the morning then do belly
    dancing/boxing or aerobics for 30-40 minutes and in the evenings I do several reps with weights or leg lifts. U may be losing inches and not weight with ure workouts, have u tried measuring ureself b/c I wasn't losing weight for 2 wks, actually gained 4 lbs while doing everything right and I had lost 4" on my thighs and 3 on my waist. Lemme know, I'm here for ya.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    No wonder you have a slow metabolism... With the amount of calories you eat - you crashed your metabolism. You need to reverse diet and see a doctor - a proper doctor!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I see from your page you have lost 43lb.

    True I do not know since when, but you have achieved. I did well early on and have been managing about 8 ounces a week recently and have to put up with that. I am battling with Salicylat Sensitivity, in food and the more problematic for me its in the environment and my weight and health issues are directly a result of this addictive toxin.

    I am going to see a immunologist in the new year. Doctors in general don't see it as a problem I hope I have found the right button this time after 50 years of issues..

    Hope you get where you want to be safely.
  • Swifty1967
    Swifty1967 Posts: 5
    Had the same problem, saw a specialist doctor who pointed out that if you eat less calories than you burn you have to loose weight. Trouble is your eating too few calories so a minor bump even 50 to 100 calories is turned to fat, more so if calories are from sugars. I now eat only home prepared meals , proteins + veg, several pieces of fruit a week, no tea coffee diet drinks, and no refined sugar. Only alcohol is scotch wiskey and water, not carbonated. Following this diet I've lost 40+ kgs since April this year, lost 15 kgs in the three years prior with VLCD and gained 10 back, artificial sweeteners trick my metabolism into storing fat. So avoid these. You need to get your calorie intake to the required level, take adequate mineral and vitamin supplements, see a dietitian a good one and avoid prepacked foods. Good luck
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Is that you in the picture? Why are you on a VLCD?

    Work on a moderate calorie deficit at a level you can maintain. There is no sense in screwing up your metabolism, your self image, or your relationship with food.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Is that you in the picture? Why are you on a VLCD?

    Work on a moderate calorie deficit at a level you can maintain. There is no sense in screwing up your metabolism, your self image, or your relationship with food.
    The validity of your VLCD is questionable...in the sense people often are talking about not losing on very high deficits but are the deficits they are recording accurate and reliable.

    You would be essentially defying the laws of the universe, if you were burning more than you consumed and not be losing weight...Thermogenics-The rate at which your body metabolizes fat cells determines how slowly or how quickly you can gain or lose weight.

    I would habit a guess that you are not accurately logging you food intake (underestimating) and overestimating your calories burnt.

    That being said a VLCD with the amount of activity you are describing is dangerous and and hazardous.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

    Very interested to know what your stats are?

    What is your motivation for eating so little?

    Was this diet or style of dieting recommended to you by a professional?

    How do you measure your food portions?

    How do you estimate your calorie burns?

    ETA:Essentially you would be a human perpetual motion machine if your statement were true. Yay! free energy for everyone, energy crisis averted.
  • powersofmagnitude
    powersofmagnitude Posts: 5 Member
    I was doing the same thing. I plateaued at 305#s and never lost weight--any weight, for over a month. My doctor told me to eat 6 small meals every day (200 calories each). I eat at 7 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:00 (noon), 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. I eat 150-200 calories at each meal and total calories between 1,056 to 1200. I have started losing again a couple days ago. I'm now 299. Your friends are right about eating too few calories--your body is in "starvation reflex." That means it is hording calories to keep you from starving. Your body has become efficient operating with the amount of calories you are consuming. You may need to gain a couple of pounds back before you can start losing weight again. A two pound weight gain will fool your body into thinking it isn't starving; then just eat the six meals a day. Remember, every time you put food into your stomach, your body starts to digest that food--your metabolism turns on! Eating too few calories turns off your metabolism. Moreover, I do not eat any white flour products, sugar, or fatty foods. As the others said, below, see a good Diet Dr.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Oh god terms like "starvation reflex" and "starvation mode" if her body has adapted if she were eating so little and working out that much she would no doubt be at a deficit ergo would lose...maybe at a slower rate but would still keep losing.

    The logic behind if you are eating at a too high deficit halts weight loss altogether would mean if I stopped eating altogether I would never lose weight.

    Please refer to the link on adaptive thermogenesis.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm actually on lighter life diet, so it's just food packs no actual food to weigh or measure. This was my kind of last attempt at getting results as my previous attempts were not working. I've been to see my GP, waste of time. Basically he said I have a very slow metabolism and I should just accept the way I am and I would be ok in the old times when food was scarce!! Like that helps me and makes me feel better! Maybe I should go see a specialist of some sort or nutritionist...

    Thanks guys, just can't give up!
    So you have had you metabolism checked because "Basically he said I have a very slow metabolism" sounds pretty vague to me.

    Go get some real tests done...clinical evaluations, Thyroid tests, hormones, blood work etc.

    Some interesting links for you...

    Skinny people must have fast metabolisms right?

    Think again: http://youtu.be/eTr1JUvEiUU

    Still convinced your problem is a slow metabolism?

    You don't: http://youtu.be/KA9AdlhB18o
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I was doing the same thing. I plateaued at 305#s and never lost weight--any weight, for over a month. My doctor told me to eat 6 small meals every day (200 calories each). I eat at 7 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:00 (noon), 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. I eat 150-200 calories at each meal and total calories between 1,056 to 1200. I have started losing again a couple days ago. I'm now 299. Your friends are right about eating too few calories--your body is in "starvation reflex." That means it is hording calories to keep you from starving. Your body has become efficient operating with the amount of calories you are consuming. You may need to gain a couple of pounds back before you can start losing weight again. A two pound weight gain will fool your body into thinking it isn't starving; then just eat the six meals a day. Remember, every time you put food into your stomach, your body starts to digest that food--your metabolism turns on! Eating too few calories turns off your metabolism. Moreover, I do not eat any white flour products, sugar, or fatty foods. As the others said, below, see a good Diet Dr.
    There are so many inaccuracy's within this quote I do not even know where to begin. *smh*

    Turning on or off your metabolism does this require sexy lingerie?
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    If you want to be honest with yourself, OP, then read what Ophidion has posted here. There's so much utter B.S. surrounding these issues and the information he posted here cuts through all of that.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    I was doing the same thing. I plateaued at 305#s and never lost weight--any weight, for over a month. My doctor told me to eat 6 small meals every day (200 calories each). I eat at 7 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:00 (noon), 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. I eat 150-200 calories at each meal and total calories between 1,056 to 1200. I have started losing again a couple days ago. I'm now 299. Your friends are right about eating too few calories--your body is in "starvation reflex." That means it is hording calories to keep you from starving. Your body has become efficient operating with the amount of calories you are consuming. You may need to gain a couple of pounds back before you can start losing weight again. A two pound weight gain will fool your body into thinking it isn't starving; then just eat the six meals a day. Remember, every time you put food into your stomach, your body starts to digest that food--your metabolism turns on! Eating too few calories turns off your metabolism. Moreover, I do not eat any white flour products, sugar, or fatty foods. As the others said, below, see a good Diet Dr.
    There are so many inaccuracy's within this quote I do not even know where to begin. *smh*

    Turning on or off your metabolism does this require sexy lingerie?

    Sometimes I bring a whip, too. Puts my metabolism into hyper drive.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    it's just food packs no actual food to weigh or measure

    You aren't eating any food!? At all? Honey, I don't want to be the doom-sayer, but you need to eat or you are going to die!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Might be worth considering getting your metabolism tested to get a (reasonably) TRUE figure.
    It probably will cost you a bit.
    I never found a way to do it cheaply - so I've ended up with my own machine which I did get relatively cheaply, but alas the wrong side of the world from you.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Turning on or off your metabolism does this require sexy lingerie?

    Sometimes I bring a whip, too. Puts my metabolism into hyper drive.
    See this is the kind of behavior I can endorse and it makes more sense than a majority of advice or threads on here.
  • Sapphire1812
    Sapphire1812 Posts: 90 Member
    Has your doc tested your thyroid levels? I too have a slow metabolism... but turned out it's because I have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)... so need medication to help it speed up a bit!

    But most definitely eat more. How many cals does MFP advise you to eat? Maybe use that as a base-line. If you exercise you will get more calories for the day. Try eat them... or some of them at least. Our bodies need fuel to burn calories - starve it and it just goes into starvation mode... so you stop losing.

    There's a calorie calculator here that you might find helpful:
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm#

    Also don't eat the same amount of calories everyday... there's something called zig-zagging where you change the number of calories that you eat per day, over the course of a week. The calculator posted above can also work out a 7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag).

    Good luck and hope that helps.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    I find it hard to believe you do that much exercise EVERY day and eat that little EVERY day as otherwise yes the weight would be falling off you. Also you'd be completely and utterly exhausted. Are you sure you don't do it like 3 days in a row and then absolutely crack and eat like a loaf of bread without even realising it?
    Maybe the smart thing would be to keep eating the low calorie but stop exercise altogether for a week or two, just to give your body a rest and reevaluate the situation after youv'e done that. Hell, you're not losing weight anyway so why bother doing all that work? take a break!
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I find it hard to believe you do that much exercise EVERY day and eat that little EVERY day as otherwise yes the weight would be falling off you. Also you'd be completely and utterly exhausted. Are you sure you don't do it like 3 days in a row and then absolutely crack and eat like a loaf of bread without even realising it?
    Maybe the smart thing would be to keep eating the low calorie but stop exercise altogether for a week or two, just to give your body a rest and reevaluate the situation after youv'e done that. Hell, you're not losing weight anyway so why bother doing all that work? take a break!
    Well some more terrible advice, basically tell OP to keep eating almost no food or should I say not food and to also stop exercising.

    How about eat a reasonable deficit and exercise reasonably.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Has your doc tested your thyroid levels? I too have a slow metabolism... but turned out it's because I have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)... so need medication to help it speed up a bit!

    But most definitely eat more. How many cals does MFP advise you to eat? Maybe use that as a base-line. If you exercise you will get more calories for the day. Try eat them... or some of them at least. Our bodies need fuel to burn calories - starve it and it just goes into starvation mode... so you stop losing.

    There's a calorie calculator here that you might find helpful:
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm#

    Also don't eat the same amount of calories everyday... there's something called zig-zagging where you change the number of calories that you eat per day, over the course of a week. The calculator posted above can also work out a 7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag).

    Good luck and hope that helps.
    Testing thyroid levels good advice, over complicating calories in vs calories out when OP obviously has an unhealthy relationship with food, not so good!
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
    Wait...how much do you weigh? Why do you need to be on a VLCD? That is way less than a normal person needs and from what I can see you are not morbidly obese.

    These kinds of diet are dangerous without supervision from a professional. Talk with your doctor as everyone else is suggesting.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I'm out...

    JJnXhns.jpg
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
    Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm actually on lighter life diet, so it's just food packs no actual food to weigh or measure. This was my kind of last attempt at getting results as my previous attempts were not working. I've been to see my GP, waste of time. Basically he said I have a very slow metabolism and I should just accept the way I am and I would be ok in the old times when food was scarce!! Like that helps me and makes me feel better! Maybe I should go see a specialist of some sort or nutritionist...

    Thanks guys, just can't give up!

    Better question after reading this... "Food packs" what is that exactly? And also, this doesn't seem like a long-term solution or a very sustainable option...do you see yourself doing this forever? If not, what happens if you go back to eating normally and gain it all back?
    What are your stats? Weight, height, activity, etc? How much weight do you have to lose?
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    I'd say you need to eat more. My weight loss stalled out for a long while when I was only consuming 800 cals a day. I very slowly increased up to 1400 a day and continued to lose weight as my body needed more fuel to function. I also stopped falling asleep all the time and being quite so grouchy lol.
    Eating that little calories everyday isn't a diet, its an eating disorder and it likely won't end well. Your goal should be to get fit and healthy not just to get thin and your organs could start to fail if you don't fuel your body.
  • nerskine
    nerskine Posts: 5 Member
    Hey all

    Lost 43lbs but it's taken 2 years and now it's so hard to lose anything no matter what I do. Which is why I'm trying Lighter Life, 4 food packs a day, no thinking. I admit I do use sweeteners, probably 4-5 a day but diet allows it, wether that gives me cals I'm not sure.

    My weight now puts me in the obese bracket according to medical charts and even tho I don't look like I need VLCD I want some results. I still want to lose 30lbs to get where I want to be and even then I wouldn't be skinny. I'm very active and quite fit, I'm just fat too and hate it.

    Don't know what nutrisystem is, food packs are shakes, cereal bars, porridge, some meals like spat Bol and chilli. They're all dry in packets and contain all the vitamins and minerals you need tho I take extra, you're allowed. Defo not doing this forever, just till I reach the target, after that you go into maintenance program, basically eat healthy. If I ever get there!

    I will go and see a nutritionist anyway and I've had my thyroid tested and it's fine so can't blame it on that.

    Pale green sorry to hear about your gallbladder, that sucks. I did HCG for a short time and lost weight but got a bit worried about side effects so I stopped it. Hope you're ok now.

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