Doing everything right and still nothing?

merrillfoster · January 2011

I've been at this about 15 days now, and do pretty much everything right (I think). I eat my 1200 calories (rarely over, and if so, not by much), but not my workout calories (between 250-500/day), switched from soda to water, had only one cheat day (which wasn't even that bad)....and I still feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I lost 2 lbs my first 3 days, and nothing (pounds or inches) since then. Most days I do 20 min walking, 20 min stairs, and Jillian's 30 Day Shred. I'm being honest and recording everything I eat (none of that 'if I don't record it it didn't happen type stuff) Am I doing something wrong?

jenX1174 · January 2011

This was one of my biggest fears during my last two attempts at weight loss. I've only been at this 2 days, and I'm trying to keep this fear at bay. It's so discouraging to be working so hard and see little or no result.

I came across a great post on the board last night, and for me it really made me see the light on what is going on with my body during past attempts --- even though I had Lap-band surgery. Now it all makes sense!

DON'T GIVE UP!!!

I don't know how much weight you need to lose (I have a lot!), but I hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

ExaltedCornchip · January 2011

It takes a couple of weeks for your body to decide this is the new normal and start burning the fat to survive, my brother says. Keep at it.

merrillfoster · January 2011

I'd be happy with 25 lbs but would LOVE 30

jusimm · January 2011

are you eating back your exercise calories? Be sure to eat them back. Don't go below 1200. If you aren't eating your calories back you are probable too low. Your body will go into starvation mode and you won't be able to lose. Can't see your diary....

carrieann8080 · January 2011

I know how you feel! I just keep at it because I focus on how I feel and I can feel and see a difference I don't get too hung up on the scale number! Well, I try not to anyway. If you keep going you will get there!!

hjp1000 · January 2011

You could try eating slightly different amounts of calories per day, about 200 less or more so some days eat 1,000 others eat 1,200 then 1,400. This will get the body out of starvation mode which it may be in and your metabolism should also work faster doing this, it will also allow you to vary the amount of calories you burn of each day. This should give you some more weight loss. Also the first drop in weight is likely to be water loss rather than body fat. Furthermore the exercise you are doing is converting fat to muscle, muscle can weigh up to 3 times the amount of fat. However muscle requires more calories so it also moves your basal metabolic rate up. The more muscle in your body the more calories your body will burn up just by being alive. Lastly Research has shown that most people under recored the calories by a third. It sounds as if you are very carefull about this, but it may be worth weighing portions and also cheking nutritional infomation is correct on MFP. I had one piece of information that was 500 calories under what it should have been !

annie_p · January 2011

I'm not sure if I reading correctly...you eat your 1200 calories, but then burn 250-500 calories, so that puts you at 700-950 calories. This is definitely NOT eating your 1200 calories. You need to make sure you are hitting that 1200 calories.

Aside from that, it takes time. Your body probably just isn't used to all the switches yet. At only two weeks your body is still probably in the, "what the hell" stage, trying to understand what's going on with all these changes. Give it time and don't give up!

I don't know what all you're monitoring no your intake, but a big thing I would suggest(if you aren't already) is monitoring your sodium levels. This is a big thing when it comes to water weight. I've lost 21lbs, but it took 5 months to do it. I can tell you, that since monitoring my sodium intake, I've lost a few more lbs and inches.

Most importantly, and it should be repeated all the time...DON'T GIVE UP!!!

Cosmicsailor · January 2011

Keep at it. Don't get discouraged. You will look back at this post in a few weeks and laugh because you will be seeing results. Your body needs time to adjust. If you lose a pound a week you will be nine pounds lighter by spring... Don't give up.

ddavies919 · January 2011

I know how frustrating it can be when that scale doesn't move but it's your worst enemy! You probably don't want to hear this, but it sounds like you need to eat more, increase your calories.

I've done the 30 day shred and it can be pretty intense. Plus, you're walking too. I would try increasing your calories by at least 100 and see how that goes for a week.

Deb

dwarfer22 · January 2011

For someone who doesn't have too much weight to lose, plus excerciseing I think you are not eating enough. I would say try eating 1500/day and see what happens. It make a bit of time and tweaking to find what works for you. 1200 cals is there bare min your body needs to survive, and if you burn a cpl hundred off a day that is slowing your metabolism and stressing your body, making it cling to every last morsel of energy you give it.

lmvolk · January 2011

It's true, and if you spend most of your young adulthood eating only 600 cal per day (which is classified as starvation by World Health Organization) imagine yourself in your 40s and beyond when your metabolism has slowed down even more! You'll have to get by on a banana.
also, you can't possibly be getting the vitamins and minerals you need. You can't do this for years.
Although a lot of people do this for days at a time and then binge for a week... this binging is caused by the body's demand for nutrients and probably saves your life.

jessieinblue · January 2011

I want to be thin more than I want to be healthy that's the problem.

Yes, that is a problem, and to be frank, you are giving very bad advice. You clearly are willing to sacrifice your well-being for fashion, and while that may work (or not) for models and Victoria Beckham (who looks like a skeleton these days), it isn't fair for you to push such an unhealthy lifestyle on others.

Nutrients are a good thing.

lmvolk · January 2011

Because of crash dieting my metabolism is so crap I'd put on weight eating 1200 a day. I hate being like this but I strive to be thin. Even if I wanted to eat more I can't because I'd gain weight. I am stuck, I've been dieting since I was 13 so my body is screwed. I want to be thin more than I want to be healthy that's the problem.

@ Rexy... if you know that eating so little has caused your own metabolic disorder, why on earth would you give advice to someone else to eat that way? We would all love to help and support you, but we also need to help and support the opening poster by *not* telling her to do something that in the long run is harmful to her. What has happened to you is exactly WHY she needs to be sure to eat adequate nutrients and calories and JUST BE PATIENT.

RexyAli · January 2011

I don't know that it is so bad though. Why don't I feel ill? Why haven't I collapsed? How do I manage to have the energy for working full time and going to college and sitting exams? I don't want to stop until something bad happens cos I don't believe anything bad will happen. Who made up that you HAVE to eat so many calories anyway? If I take vitamin pills isn't that ok nutrient wise? Surely eating low calorie but very healthily ie only salad, vegetables, fruit and wholefoods and taking vitamin pills is better for you than eating McDonalds all day?

jlewis121186 · January 2011

no one is saying eat mcdonalds all day...i was a nurse in the ER before i had children and began staying at home...there was one girl who came in vomiting blood, turned out she was eating between 500-750 cals a day and her body was EATING itself...she had been doing it for about 3 years religiously, thought she was doing fine, but then her bones started being brittle, everything she ate hurt her stomach, she started bleeding internally and died 3 days after being admitted...

eating vitamins doesnt always work, if you do not take them in exactly the right order and with enough time in between, some will just pass right through since some different vitamins counteract each other.

you have health and energy now, but you are killing yourself slowly...go to any dr, ANY dr, with your diet plan and see what they say...i bet you wont like it...you can go to 30+ drs and none will tell you that it is healthy...

as far as how to get the weight to come off, OP, keep it up, you will plateau, change up your workout and foods...make sure you are eating enough and getting plenty of water...

yanicka · January 2011

I don't know that it is so bad though. Why don't I feel ill? Why haven't I collapsed? How do I manage to have the energy for working full time and going to college and sitting exams? I don't want to stop until something bad happens cos I don't believe anything bad will happen. Who made up that you HAVE to eat so many calories anyway? If I take vitamin pills isn't that ok nutrient wise? Surely eating low calorie but very healthily ie only salad, vegetables, fruit and wholefoods and taking vitamin pills is better for you than eating McDonalds all day?

Do you have any idea of what you are doing to yourself long term??? The fact that your body is probably eating it's muscle mass (AKA your metabolism) will make it so that you will be skinny fat in the long term. If you want ot kill yourself, be my guess but for the love of god Do not give advice. What you are doing is unhealthy to the extreme and is an eating desorder.

poptastic · January 2011

I know you said you are eating the right number of calories a day, but what foods are you getting them from? I found that cutting down on bread, pasta etc and filling up on sweet potato or squash instead made a huge difference. Also make sure you are eating more on exercise days.

MrX8503 · January 2011

I've been at this about 15 days now, and do pretty much everything right (I think). I eat my 1200 calories (rarely over, and if so, not by much), but not my workout calories (between 250-500/day), switched from soda to water, had only one cheat day (which wasn't even that bad)....and I still feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I lost 2 lbs my first 3 days, and nothing (pounds or inches) since then. Most days I do 20 min walking, 20 min stairs, and Jillian's 30 Day Shred. I'm being honest and recording everything I eat (none of that 'if I don't record it it didn't happen type stuff) Am I doing something wrong?

You have to eat your workout calories. Period.

Now that is out of the way...its physically impossible to not lose weight if you are following the rules. It takes a long time, but you will lose weight. Remember that 1lb of fat is 3,500 calories, thats a whole lot of energy.

If you aren't losing weight, reassess what you're doing wrong or consult in your family doctor to see if there are other factors in play.

I don't know that it is so bad though. Why don't I feel ill? Why haven't I collapsed? How do I manage to have the energy for working full time and going to college and sitting exams? I don't want to stop until something bad happens cos I don't believe anything bad will happen. Who made up that you HAVE to eat so many calories anyway? If I take vitamin pills isn't that ok nutrient wise? Surely eating low calorie but very healthily ie only salad, vegetables, fruit and wholefoods and taking vitamin pills is better for you than eating McDonalds all day?

The human body is very resilient, you would have to be doing something to the extreme to cause your body to collapse. The energy you think you have is an illusion, its just your body of coping with what is available and you've gotten used to it.

In order for your body to function properly you need:

Hydration (water)
Macro Nutrients (food)
Micro Nutrients (vitamins)

You cannot obtain macro nutrients (carbs, fats, protein) through vitamins. There is a wealth of information out there, be healthy, diet safely.

Doing everything right and still nothing?

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