1200 calorie daily intake & walking ... Not losing HELP!

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Danik75
Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I'm in need of some help/advice. I just had my 3rd child 12 weeks ago & for some reason this time around I can't seem to get the baby weight off. I sadly tore my left ab muscles & developed a hernia during delivery. I've been walking 4-6 miles a day & eating 1200 calories or less but I'm gaining rather than losing. I'm 5'4 currently 155 lbs I normally weight 120-125, so I'm looking to lose at least 30 lbs. I'm headed back to work in Feb. & I need to be able to get back into my clothes lol. Any and all help is most greatly appreciated
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Replies

  • kholder4
    kholder4 Posts: 1 Member
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    You should definitely be eating more calories. I know, I hate when people tell me that also! Have you figured up your TDEE and subtracted 15-25%? I did one for you, guessing at how often you exercise (5 days a week) and subtracted 25% and came up with 1650 calories. You should try it and see. :)
  • ScorpionQwean
    ScorpionQwean Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I think you need to shock your body meaning, your body is telling you "oh we are walking again" so it maintains where you are at. If you walk, try sprinting / fast walking / then back to a normal walk. Incorporate ankle weights. Try some jump rope for a min.
    But switch up your routine and "shock" your body. Advice from my brother who is a nutritionist / bodybuilder.
  • jess135177
    jess135177 Posts: 186 Member
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    If you are gaining weight you are not eating at a calorie deficit. Are you weighing and measuring all of your food?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    How much are you gaining and over what period of time? It's possible you're just seeing some fluid retention right now while your body adjusts. It tends to freak out a little when you change your routine.

    Are you weighing your food on a kitchen scale? Using measuring cups? Eyeballing portion sizes? I know some people think it sounds obsessive, but a food scale really is a great tool to make sure you're eating what you think you're eating.

    Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? If so, are you using a heart rate monitor or MFP/machine estimates? MFP and gym machines tend to overestimate calories burned. It's important to eat back some of those earned calories, but 50-75% just to be safe.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    How long have you been at it? If it's a week or two, you probably just need to give it more time.
  • jcorpern
    jcorpern Posts: 96 Member
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    If you're gaining weight, the last thing you want to do is eat more calories. Weight loss only occurs when calories expended/burnt are less than calories taken in.

    Do you weigh everything that you eat and log everything that goes into your mouth? It's a common occurrence for people to underestimate the calories that they're actually eating, or over-estimate the number of calories that they are burning. But if you are gaining weight, and there's not a medical reason for it, then the most likely explanation is that you're taking more calories in than you're burning.

    Have a read of this...

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

    Good luck!
  • jess135177
    jess135177 Posts: 186 Member
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    I looked over your diary. MFP overestimates the calories burned so watch that. Also make sure you are entering exactly what you are eating. For example: "Jeanette's homemade grilled cheese" unless you are Jeanette and you entered that recipe, don't use it. Just log exactly what you used to make the sandwich.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    This.
    How long have you been at it? If it's a week or two, you probably just need to give it more time.

    And this.
    Are you weighing your food on a kitchen scale? Using measuring cups? Eyeballing portion sizes? I know some people think it sounds obsessive, but a food scale really is a great tool to make sure you're eating what you think you're eating.
  • Danik75
    Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
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    Wow! Thanks I'm trying to keep up w/ everyone's replies. Once I had my son within 2-3 weeks I was down to 145, then I started having a ton of pain in my abs. I was diagnosed with torn an muscles all along my left side & put on bed rest. I was on bed rest from Thanksgiving until the 9th of Jan. where since I'm still having pain I was cleared to walk. I count every calorie I intake & this method along with a more intense work out has always worked no problem. I do measure all foods
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    It looks like you haven't been very consistent with your logging or you simply have only been at this for a few days. Give it time. I'd also invest $20 in a food scale - they're easily one of the best tools to aid in your weight loss.
  • Danik75
    Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks Jess I will adjust that entry, it was the one that fit & my walking calories since I couldn't sync my pedometer app with this I manually manipulated MFP to reflect the data captured from my pedometer should I not do that? I was hoping to keep everything in one place as much as possible
  • fallenoaks50
    fallenoaks50 Posts: 84
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    Eat more. If you are eating 1200 calories or less per day and walking 5 miles (roughly 500 calories) then you are netting around 700. That's not enough.

    Track consistently for a couple of weeks. You're diary is mostly empty.

    Buy new pants for work. You're not going to lose 30 lbs in a month. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Wow! Thanks I'm trying to keep up w/ everyone's replies. Once I had my son within 2-3 weeks I was down to 145, then I started having a ton of pain in my abs. I was diagnosed with torn an muscles all along my left side & put on bed rest. I was on bed rest from Thanksgiving until the 9th of Jan. where since I'm still having pain I was cleared to walk. I count every calorie I intake & this method along with a more intense work out has always worked no problem. I do measure all foods

    Your eating more then you think if you are gaining, quit using measuring cups, except for liquids and get a digital food scale and weigh everything!!
  • Danik75
    Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
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    Parkscs I've been slowly filling in my information here from my handwritten journal & other apps that I had originally started to use before re-downloading MFP
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    If you aren't eating back your calories after working out then you aren't eating enough. 1200 in a bare/starvation mininum you should be eating after you add back in your exercise calories.
  • finzup
    finzup Posts: 78 Member
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    as a few have said, eat more. with the exercise you are doing you are going into starvation mode, where your body is hoarding calories.

    figure out your BMR Basal metabolic rate (you can find calculators online).. this is the # of calories you need to eat to stay exactly the same.
    If you eat those calories + add the exercise, you absolutely will lose weight
  • Danik75
    Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
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    I know I haven't been eating more, some days I barely eat at all. I have not been eating back my calories from exercising. I log 1200 or under.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
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    I know you mentioned that your diary isnt fully filled out, but for the coffee creamer. Did you really only drink 1 tablespoon? If you like your coffee with little flavor then I can understand that are you sure it was only 1 tbs?
  • jess135177
    jess135177 Posts: 186 Member
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    Starvation mode happens after 72 hours of ZERO calories. Log more consistently, use a food scale for accuracy and learn patience.
  • Danik75
    Danik75 Posts: 9 Member
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    as a few have said, eat more. with the exercise you are doing you are going into starvation mode, where your body is hoarding calories.

    figure out your BMR Basal metabolic rate (you can find calculators online).. this is the # of calories you need to eat to stay exactly the same.
    If you eat those calories + add the exercise, you absolutely will lose weight
    .

    Ok so I found a BMR calculator which gave me a total of 1451, so I need to eat this amount of calories & continue my walking? I've never heard of the BMR thing before sorry just trying to understand the method

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