I cannot lose on the recommended calories

Aundrea242
Aundrea242 Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
For me to lose 2 pounds per week it says that I have to eat 1200 calories. I have done this diet for a few years and lost weight at the beginning, but now I will not budge for a very long time. During the holidays I did eat a little more with family staying with me and put on 8 pounds. It took me almost a year to lose 8 pounds so now I am a little devastated by those 8 extra pounds. I now cannot take the 8 pounds off. I work out on the elliptical five times a week for about a hour at a time. I just started the elliptical recently though. In the last two months. If I eat more than 1,200 I gain more. Should I try a lower calorie diet?

Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Before you do, ensure that you are tracking your food as accurately as possible. This includes using a food scale to weigh everything. If you are eyeballing or even using measuring cups, you can be off by around 40%.

    Do this daily for a month or so and track your progress.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    Hi thanks for the reply. I count all of my calories. This may be bad, but all of my meals are weight watchers or lean cuisine
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Hi thanks for the reply. I count all of my calories. This may be bad, but all of my meals are weight watchers or lean cuisine

    Even prepackaged foods can be off.

    May I ask your height and weight? Also, could you make your diary settings public so we can have a look?
  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
    Have you tried calculating your TDEE? Are you eating 1200 calories NET or GROSS?
  • SeauxFiesty
    SeauxFiesty Posts: 3 Member
    Hi thanks for the reply. I count all of my calories. This may be bad, but all of my meals are weight watchers or lean cuisine

    Hi! Is it possible that the sodium or something in the packaged meals are adding fake weight (water weight, etc...anything that is not gained FAT or muscle but shows up on the scale)? Or else, maybe you need to eat MORE... or try changing up what you are eating. I've read that some people's bodies prefer higher protein/lower carbs, while other's prefer more carbs/lower fat. Maybe play around with what you're eating and see if that helps?
  • SuperCrsa
    SuperCrsa Posts: 790 Member
    Don't lower it even more. Check out your BMR, this is the energy your body needs to survive, please don't eat below this..
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Make sure you are accurately tracking your calories with a food scale and not guestimations.

    I noticed when I set my weight loss goal to only 1 pound per week, instead of the aggressive 2 pounds per week, I had a lot more losses.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Hi thanks for the reply. I count all of my calories. This may be bad, but all of my meals are weight watchers or lean cuisine

    Hi! Is it possible that the sodium or something in the packaged meals are adding fake weight (water weight, etc...anything that is not gained FAT or muscle but shows up on the scale)? Or else, maybe you need to eat MORE... or try changing up what you are eating. I've read that some people's bodies prefer higher protein/lower carbs, while other's prefer more carbs/lower fat. Maybe play around with what you're eating and see if that helps?

    The research I have read all indicates that this is not true. Different macro spreads, meal timing, food choices, etc only matter as adherence ability.
  • DatPanna
    DatPanna Posts: 59
    Honestly, at this point, I'd talk to your doctor about your current methods and lack of weight loss, as well as asking them to refer you to a nutritionist. There could be a reason for you to have a slowed metabolism or your diet might be lacking! I think it's best to let a professional handle this. Certainly don't eat less than 1,200. :( That'd do more harm than good.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    May I ask your height and weight? Also, could you make your diary settings public so we can have a look?
    [/quote]

    As of today I am new at this board. I never been here before. I found out today that is said I need to eat 1,200 to lose 2 pounds a week. I was already doing this. Until the holidays I ate more and gained 8 pounds. I am good at keeping my calories low and have great discipline, but in my younger years I was underweight and may have messed up my metabolism. I am now 42 years old and weigh 143 pounds. I want to weigh 122 and I am 5' 4". Snow- is the TDEE the same thing as what told me that I need to eat 1,200 calories? i am unsure what a TDEE is.
  • kolohekidd
    kolohekidd Posts: 5
    http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-speed-up-metabolism/
    This article explains just that topic and how your body is probably used to it.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    i think that unless your one of the rare ones who has a medical condition keeping them from losing weight on 1200 calories per day, that you should focus on accurate logging. even those who have this weight loss thing down, make mistakes. for example, i have been logging my banana as a medium banana, because its less than 7 inches, that medium banana is supposed to weight 100g, however, i decided to weigh my banana just yesterday and found that my banana without the peel, is 127 g... thats 25% more calories than i thought... imagine making this mistake multiple times per day, and maybe even on higher calorie items! you need to measure EVERYTHING! creamer, ketchup, sauces, drinks, butter, and even mints / gum... everything adds up. your having a problem, and i can almost gaurantee you that the problem lies in your logging, not your body!
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    May I ask your height and weight? Also, could you make your diary settings public so we can have a look?

    As of today I am new at this board. I never been here before. I found out today that is said I need to eat 1,200 to lose 2 pounds a week. I was already doing this. Until the holidays I ate more and gained 8 pounds. I am good at keeping my calories low and have great discipline, but in my younger years I was underweight and may have messed up my metabolism. I am now 42 years old and weigh 143 pounds. I want to weigh 122 and I am 5' 4". Snow- is the TDEE the same thing as what told me that I need to eat 1,200 calories? i am unsure what a TDEE is.
    [/quote]

    Well, 122 is already in the healthy range for your height, so losing 2lbs of fat per week is unrealistic. How many pounds are you trying to lose?

    Your metabolism does not get permanently damaged like you think. It can be "repaired" after a few weeks of eating at or above maintenance levels.

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the total amount of calories you burn in a day.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    Certainly don't eat less than 1,200. :( That'd do more harm than good.

    I can honestly say there has been several times that I did eat less than 1,200 calories, but the more I do that the more I start to gain at below 1.200. I know I need to go up, but I cannot stand it when the scale goes up when I do this. I am obsessed about my weight and I really wish I was not.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    Well, 122 is already in the healthy range for your height, so losing 2lbs of fat per week is unrealistic. How many pounds are you trying to lose?

    122 is my goal weight. I weigh 143. I have come a long way. I use to weigh 86 to 103 pounds all the way up to 37 years old. This is why I wonder if I messed up my metabolism.
  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
    If you are only EATING 1200 calories per day and spending an hour per day on the elliptical 5 days per week you are not eating nearly enough to fuel your body. Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition you should take a step back and review your entire plan.

    I would recommend reading the following posts.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1017045-a-very-interesting-and-informational-read-on-deficits
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    TDEE as mentioned above is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. There are a number of TDEE calculators such as http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ online that you can use. They are based on averages, so you will probably need to tweak the results slightly to dial things in. Based on your stats, if you were sedentary (not working out at all), your TDEE is around 1550 calories per day just to maintain your current weight. With your activity level, the average you would need to consume to maintain your current weight is closer to 1900 calories per day. If you were obese or significantly overweight then a 2 pound per week loss goal is just fine, but in your case that is probably too aggressive.

    If you follow the TDEE calculation for working out 5 days per week, that daily estimate takes exercise into account so that would be your goal. Personally, what I have done with great success, is started with my sedentary TDEE minus 20%, which I have since readjusted to TDEE minus 10% because I am fairly close to goal. I use a heart rate monitor to establish my approximate calorie burn and then I eat back between 75 and 100% of the exercise calories burned. You are close enough to your desired goal that netting (eating your exercise calories), around 1400 calories per day should get you on a steady path of weight loss.

    You are looking to lose 21 pounds. If you lost an average of 1 pound per week that is only about 5 months to reach your goal. You may also want to consider looking into lifting weights in place of some of your cardio. It's a great way to recompose your body, as you will see if you read the articles I linked. Try to recognize that the scale is just one tool, but it is not necessarily the best tool for tracking progress. Take your measurements and track those as well. The methods described in the linked articles work when people are willing to try them out.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    Well, 122 is already in the healthy range for your height, so losing 2lbs of fat per week is unrealistic. How many pounds are you trying to lose?

    122 is my goal weight. I weigh 143. I have come a long way. I use to weigh 86 to 103 pounds all the way up to 37 years old. This is why I wonder if I messed up my metabolism.

    You are 5ft4 and you used to weigh 86 to 103 lbs until you were 37? How? Did you actually have an eating disorder or just a very low appetite?

    Either way I would suggest that you actually get your BMR analysed to see whether it is lower then normal for your height as a result of your previous under eating, unless you didn't actually under eat and were one of the previously considered mythical people that are tiny and eat 4000 cals a day in which case I would still recommend talking to a professional to get an idea of why you gained weight after all this time of being tiny.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    Thank you snow and thank you everyone else. You all have been wonderful. Snow I will take a look at the links you left tomorrow. It is getting late. I am so very appreciative.
  • Aundrea242
    Aundrea242 Posts: 21
    Did you actually have an eating disorder?

    Yes I did, this is why when people say perhaps you are eating too many calories that I know I am really good at counting calories. So good that I was once down to 86 pounds for several years. I am proud of myself that I can now say I will be happy at 122. It is a long way from 86 pounds. However, that way of thinking never leaves you and I do find myself very obsessed and stressed out over weighing 143. In my mind I feel like I am 243. I was on a medicine that got me up to 160 pounds two years ago and than I went down to 132 after getting off the medicine and eating 1,200 calories a day. My sister has stayed with me on and off a lot more this past summer and fall because she is going through a divorce, I gained it all back to 143. I absolutely cannot go over 1,200 calories or I will gain weight. I also cannot lose anymore on 1,200 calories.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    First of all, going from a serious ED to being okay with a goal weight of 122 is amazing. It does sound from your posts like the ED voice in your head is kind of active right now, though, so please tread lightly and gently when approaching weight loss.

    When you say "if I go over 1200 I gain weight," can you be more specific? How much weight, and how quickly, and how far over 1200 would you be going to trigger gaining? 1200 is really low for your current weight, and would even be low for your goal weight. Slowly upping your calories over 1200 shouldn't cause permanent weight gain. If it is causing you to gain weight and keep it on (i.e., not water weight), you should go see a doctor to see if there's something else going on.

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