eating 1200 calories, not losing weight

I started eating at 2000 and I gained weight, went down to 1500, still gaining weight, then 1200, still gaining.

I went to my doctor who sent me to the hospital where they tested my BMR and found out it was 801 - 911. A recreational therapist calculated my TDEE to be around 1100. So it's perfectly healthy for me to eat between 911 - 1100 calories a day. I have upped my TDEE to about 1500 now, on some days. I eat to my BMR plus exercise now.

My advice would be to get your BMR tested. You never know. Mine was sooo much lower than the online calculators and it's not like I have any medical issues that would affect it.

How do you find out what your BMR is?

Go to your doctor. Don't trust the online calc's. Your doctor can send you to the hospital where they will test it. It takes one night.

At this point, you need to up your calorie count to 1400-1500. If you are burning that many calories a day, you are starving your body so its holding on to what it can. Try upping your calories for a week or two and then see where you are at in the weight loss area.

If she bumps up her calories without addressing the fact she's not logging accurately and vastly overestimating her caloric burns she's gonna start gaining weight.

Just saying.



Next time I see a thread about 'OMG Sabotage!' I'm gonna point people here. The responses here are sabotage.

I also think it is what you are eating which frankly is quite a bit of junk food which is very high in sodium. Study up on nutrition. You can eat healthy and be vegetarian...research. Also if you have only been doing this 9 days, you would not expect a huge loss, especially considering your sodium intake.

math is hard though

You don't need meat. If he feels you are protein deficient (AND you actually are, as opposed to him just thinking you should eat meat), try seitan. Or try black MATPE beans (also called urad whole beans) 1/4 c. Dry = 27 g of protein, 45% of your iron at only 120 cals. I'm not saying any nutritional deficiencies are the reason you aren't losing weight, because I'm not a doc, but if it is the reason there are plenty of high protein, non-animal choices out there.

I've seen this on MFP a few times:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Best of luck,
Kim

I dont think its how much you are eating, im ome of those that cant lose except on 800-1300 cals average daily, the problem is what you eaf, wgat yiu pair it with and if u log your foods. Try having some fat, carbs and protein at every meal or add in some protein powder. Number 1 thing I see is logging. Best of luck.

before you have to dig through more broscience...

here:

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. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. 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/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this could help.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

***and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

this could help.
[/quote]

This! Another good online calculator is www.iifym.com.
You need to measure/weigh every morsel of food that goes in your mouth. Accurately track calories burned & eat back a portion (50-75%). I suggest a HRM monitor if you can afford it - Polar makes excellent ones. Net at least 1200 (preferably a little more). Do this for about a month, see where you are, adjust if needed.

Also, looking at your diary. I think your exercise burns are way too high. Some days you are netting 0 or even negative numbers. You are not fueling your body properly. Netting 0 is like eating absolutely no food all day.

Hi, I have between 1200-1400 and find I loose better when I eat a lil bit more! I think 800 is way too low and you body is holding on to it as it thinks it's being starved!!

Go on a binge for a few days and then bump your calories back down again. Trust me, it speeds up your metabolism and completely works. The less you eat over time, the fewer calories your body will expect and it starts burning them slower in order to conserve energy.

a binge won't speed your metabolism.

Hmm. Obviously with your activity level I would eat more especially at your height and weight. I'm much shorter than you ( 3.5 inches! ) and I lose weight on more calories than you do. I also spend less time at the gym, although there are days when I hit two hours but those are only twice a week. Most days I spend 75-90 minutes there.

I would increase your calories to 1500 per day, perhaps a little bit more, and see what happens. You are very active and 1200 calories may not cut it.

Also, because you are doing circuit training, you could be retaining water from your muscles. When you start a weight training program, you can retain water because your muscles need them to recover ( I'm sure other people told you this ).

Wait it out, increase your calories, and see if the pounds jump off the scale. Do you keep measurements too? You may have been losing measurements but not losing weight on the scale. Also, are you weighing in only once a week at the same time?

Maybe you need to drink more water? What kinds of food are you eating? Because 1200 calories of ice cream, french fries, and cookies is a whole lot different than 1200 calories of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy things.

Maybe for nutrition purposes, but not for weight loss.