Not losing weight, maybe too few calories?
CRuscle
Posts: 3
I just started using my fitness pal to track my meals and calories. Before starting this, I found myself eating breakfast and maybe a sandwich during the day but nothing else. I am 5'5" and I weigh 270lbs. I know I'm very overweight but I want to change. I lost 5 pounds in the first 15 days, but now I've been stuck at 270 for over a week. I'm eating between 1200-1250 calories a day. I eat 3 small meals and 3-4 different snacks, which include a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat very minimal carbohydrates. I don't exercise much, I work in an office and I don't move around very much. I walk on my days off. I know that if I were able to increase my activity level I would probably lose weight, but I just don't understand why a person like myself, so overweight, wouldn't lose weight with consuming the amount of calories that I am. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I looked at a website that told me I should be eating 1800 calories a day, but I'm afraid that's way too much, especially because I often have difficulty eating the 1200-1250 calories that I have set up for myself now. I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to give up...
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Replies
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I don't get the problem - you have lost 5 lb.
and then you have 1 week of not losing anything.
That's what happens - weight loss is not linear. You usually have a relatively big drop at first followed by slower rate - and some weeks of no loss and some weeks of even slight gain.
This is all fine as long as overall trend is a downwards one.
But having said that, I don't get how anyone could not lose weight if all they eat is breakfast and a sandwich per day - unless the breakfast is huge and the sandwich is a triple decker.(although perhaps they drink lots of calories)
I suggest you find out what your correct daily calorie goal should be - plugging your stats into MFP is easiest way IMO but some people like to use other calculators - and then aim for that many calories per day.
make sure your logging is accurate so you really are eating the number you think you are eating.
If you haven't made any progress after 1 month, perhaps open your diary for posters to make constructive suggestions.0 -
I just started using my fitness pal to track my meals and calories. Before starting this, I found myself eating breakfast and maybe a sandwich during the day but nothing else. I am 5'5" and I weigh 270lbs. I know I'm very overweight but I want to change. I lost 5 pounds in the first 15 days, but now I've been stuck at 270 for over a week. I'm eating between 1200-1250 calories a day. I eat 3 small meals and 3-4 different snacks, which include a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat very minimal carbohydrates. I don't exercise much, I work in an office and I don't move around very much. I walk on my days off. I know that if I were able to increase my activity level I would probably lose weight, but I just don't understand why a person like myself, so overweight, wouldn't lose weight with consuming the amount of calories that I am. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I looked at a website that told me I should be eating 1800 calories a day, but I'm afraid that's way too much, especially because I often have difficulty eating the 1200-1250 calories that I have set up for myself now. I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to give up...
First, you are extremely delusional thinking you eat only
breakfast and maybe a sandwich and some how wind up at 270 lbs.
Second you are clearly still over eating by a lot if the scale is not moving.
Upwards of 2000 calories a day and realistically probably a lot more.
Here's some *possible* reasons why you are not losing weight.
you are eating more calories than you are burning
you don't log your food with a food scale
you do not log your food accurately or consistently
you go hide in your room and stuff junk down your throat but don't log it because you're embarrassed
you aren't moving your body enough
you are a truly unique special snowflake who doesn't lose weight in a calorie deficit
Note: that last point isn't one of them.0 -
I guess I just thought I would lose 1 pound or something over the week if I were doing things right. I was feeling insecure because I really am committed to this and I just want to do it right. My weight has always fluctuated in the past. I lost weight by starving myself and I just want to be healthy about it this time. I'll keep at it.0
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It's only been a week so there's no reason to panic but, nevertheless, it's unlikely your caloric deficit is as large as you think it is. Make sure you are measuring solid food on a digital scale and liquids in measuring cups or spoons.0
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[/quote]
First, you are extremely delusional thinking you eat only
breakfast and maybe a sandwich and some how wind up at 270 lbs.
Second you are clearly still over eating by a lot if the scale is not moving.
Upwards of 2000 calories a day and realistically probably a lot more.
Here's some *possible* reasons why you are not losing weight.
you are eating more calories than you are burning
you don't log your food with a food scale
you do not log your food accurately or consistently
you go hide in your room and stuff junk down your throat but don't log it because you're embarrassed
you aren't moving your body enough
you are a truly unique special snowflake who doesn't lose weight in a calorie deficit
Note: that last point isn't one of them.
[/quote]
And by the way.... I became obviously became overweight by eating a ton of calories per day, I'm not an idiot. However, in the past couple of weeks before starting fitness pal I really just stopped eating, all but breakfast and maybe a sandwich on days that I worked and eating whatever on days I had off. I started myfitness because I wanted to change that. Since beginning, have logged every morsel of food and drink. I do not binge eat or go stuff my face in my room or not log because I feel guilty. I posted because I was worried about not being healthy with my weight loss, not to be sarcastically put down about my efforts.0 -
Good for you for making a choice to live a healthier life! I started at 255 pounds, (5' 8") and have been up and down all my life. I don't have any special wisdom to share -- just wanted to cheer you on!!!! Keep going!!!!0
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see Ellington Darden The Body fat Breakthrough and recent youtube present by Wayne Westcott. Also see Body by Science0
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Just give it time.Meanwhile, don't give up Find supportive friends here . Maybe a female your age that has lost a lot of weight. Don't give up.0
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My guess is you are eating more than you realize. This is a common mistake that we have all made at one time or another.
Do you weigh all your food and log everything you eat? There can be a big difference between grams and cups. Also, our eyeballs lie when it comes to what looks like a medium banana or a small apple, or even 1/4 cup of almonds. Weigh as much food as you can in grams.
Are you sure you are choosing correct entires? Go here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
If you want more concrete advice you need to open your diary.0 -
I understand your frustration! You are probably right that you are consuming too few calories....and not drinking enough water. You want to burn fat, not muscle while dieting, so you must eat ALL of your calories each day. Water is important because as fat is burned, water exchange is needed to 'wash' the fat away from the cells. That's a simplistic explanation, but that's what happens.
One thing that is really helpful is to weigh, measure, and record every morsel you consume. That way, you don't overeat or cheat yourself out of calories. You can go to the 99c store and buy a bunch of measuring spoon sets and measuring cups, put them in a bowl on the counter, and that way there's always a clean one....no excuses!!!
Also, you can exercise by walking around the backyard a number of times each day. That way, you can walk when you want....even at night. You will know when your body is ready for more strenuous exercise.
If it is in your budget, you might try Weight Watchers Online. It really isn't that expensive and is very much like this site except a couple of things:
It has a MUCH better database
More user-friendly site
Great articles based on scientific research
Many, many forums for help and advice from NICE people who really understand what you are going through
I used WW Online for several months and since I'm on the way down am going to try this site to see if I can keep it up. If I start to slide, I'll go back!!!!
Best to you....feel free to add me as a friend.
Barbara0 -
sounds like you've had a history of yoyo dieting. it's possible that for various reasons your numbers are off since TDEE and BMR equations are based on averages.
assuming that you dont have issues with insulin, thyroid or PCOS that could be effecting your metabolism then you're either not accurately logging your food (ie not measuring your food and just eyeballing portions) or taking MFPs database as truth. I've seen some very off numbers in the databse, things that could very easily add up to be enough to negate a deficit.0 -
I understand all the points about accurate logging - but I don't think they apply here.
OP has lost 5lb in 3 weeks ( 15 days + 1 week if I have read correctly.)
I just think she is panicking because the last week showed no loss - but this is normal, no cause for concern. People often lose an amount, in this case 5 lb, and then have 1 week of nothing or even slight gain.
This doesn't mean the person is over eating, it just means weight loss is not exactly linear.
I think OP needs to continue as she is for a month before any conclusions can be drawn.0 -
not that you meant to, but just stopped eating could be what caused it. Not eating makes the body eat the away at store fats but not the stored fats that are dealing with weight. It eats away at the stored fats that are in muscles. Give it time, could have been a bad week. And even when you aren't necessarily hungry, grab something. even if its just a few pretzels or a handful of peanuts/almonds. atleast you are putting something into your body. trust me I have to do it all the time, I for the last 2 yrs if it wasnt my day off, ate lunch and maybe something small like a taco or burrito because I am so busy at work that I don;t have time to eat, or I'm so busy running my shift that I'm not hungry. But Ive been taking all sorts of snacks with me, along with a small healthy meal. so that even when I'm not very hungry I'll eat a container of yogurt or a banana or something just to keep my metabolism going.0
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I just started using my fitness pal to track my meals and calories. Before starting this, I found myself eating breakfast and maybe a sandwich during the day but nothing else. I am 5'5" and I weigh 270lbs. I know I'm very overweight but I want to change. I lost 5 pounds in the first 15 days, but now I've been stuck at 270 for over a week. I'm eating between 1200-1250 calories a day. I eat 3 small meals and 3-4 different snacks, which include a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat very minimal carbohydrates. I don't exercise much, I work in an office and I don't move around very much. I walk on my days off. I know that if I were able to increase my activity level I would probably lose weight, but I just don't understand why a person like myself, so overweight, wouldn't lose weight with consuming the amount of calories that I am. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I looked at a website that told me I should be eating 1800 calories a day, but I'm afraid that's way too much, especially because I often have difficulty eating the 1200-1250 calories that I have set up for myself now. I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to give up...
Hi. I've had the same problem. I lost 5 kilos(convert that to pounds) within a month.
Since then, some weeks have been faster and some slower.
What I found were two things: try to vary your calorie intake. Make sure that the ceiling so to speak is still lower than your break-even. Secondly, don't underestimate exercise.
Get a garmin fitness band(you don't have to charge it every few days like fitbit) and make sure you monitor your movement. Eating has a bigger impact than exercise, but exercise is a must. Those 500-600 calories extra per day really add up over time.
I'm 155 kilos and I'm 193 cm. So I have a high calorie intake. My BMR(read what BMR is, it is *not* the same as total calorie requirement for a day, counting exercise) is 2200~ ish. If I move 15-20 km per day, that means I burn 1000+ calories per day. I vary my caloric intake between 2000-2800. Some days I go below 2000 and some days I go above 3000.
Why do I vary so much? Isn't it better to be near 2000 all the time? That was my thought, too, but then I noticed the same pattern as you. When I vary my intake - while still keeping my ceiling in a zone where I lose weight - I've noticed a much smoother - and consistent - downward pattern in my weight, I started at 166 kilos in the beginning.
I'm also going to vary my exercise. Instead of just walking, I'm also building muscles as a secondary option. By diversifying your exercise and your caloric intake, your body is constantly adapting its metabolism. Ask any gym trainer and they'll say that doing the same exercises all the time means that you're reducing the efficiency of said exercises because of muscle memory. I've found the same with calorie intake. Plus you probably took in too few in the beginning.
But remember, in order to vary your intake you need a higher ceiling, and that means you gotta move your *kitten* a lot more
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I just started using my fitness pal to track my meals and calories. Before starting this, I found myself eating breakfast and maybe a sandwich during the day but nothing else. I am 5'5" and I weigh 270lbs. I know I'm very overweight but I want to change. I lost 5 pounds in the first 15 days, but now I've been stuck at 270 for over a week. I'm eating between 1200-1250 calories a day. I eat 3 small meals and 3-4 different snacks, which include a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat very minimal carbohydrates. I don't exercise much, I work in an office and I don't move around very much. I walk on my days off. I know that if I were able to increase my activity level I would probably lose weight, but I just don't understand why a person like myself, so overweight, wouldn't lose weight with consuming the amount of calories that I am. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I looked at a website that told me I should be eating 1800 calories a day, but I'm afraid that's way too much, especially because I often have difficulty eating the 1200-1250 calories that I have set up for myself now. I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to give up...
First, you are extremely delusional thinking you eat only
breakfast and maybe a sandwich and some how wind up at 270 lbs.
Second you are clearly still over eating by a lot if the scale is not moving.
Upwards of 2000 calories a day and realistically probably a lot more.
Here's some *possible* reasons why you are not losing weight.
you are eating more calories than you are burning
you don't log your food with a food scale
you do not log your food accurately or consistently
you go hide in your room and stuff junk down your throat but don't log it because you're embarrassed
you aren't moving your body enough
you are a truly unique special snowflake who doesn't lose weight in a calorie deficit
Note: that last point isn't one of them.
You're an idiot. Metabolic burn rates vary wildly. Additionally, if someone is getting too few calories, their weight may not only not move down but in fact go up.
It's always hilarious to find meatheads thinking they look smart, but when they spew their ignorance, you just see their stupidity. Please continue; you are hilarious in the best kind of way - being unintentionally hilarious.
If someone is getting too few calories on an ongoing basis, no, their weight will not go up.
It is also against the rules of forum to name call, things like calling someone an idiot or a meathead, for example.0 -
I have seen some images depicted lately of a pound of fat and a pound of muscle and they really opened my eyes. If you have lost 5 lbs so far, then YAY! I don't believe that your current stall will be permanent and I do agree that there is a risk of eating too few calories, but it sounds like you are already looking at ways to review the nutrient density of what you are eating.
Not sure if I can post images to my reply, I will try, or maybe I can post URL's so I will try that, too:
http://missamyscerra.blogspot.com/2011/11/one-pound-of-fat-looks-like-that-live.html
http://guysandgoodhealth.com/2013/04/26/what-are-some-differences-between-fat-and-muscle-tissue/
I hope this makes you feel cheerful seeing how much less of you there is already having lost 5 lbs. Again, YAY!0 -
To the OP, you should be encouraged. Use the settings in MFP to be sure you have a decent calorie goal. Weigh your food entries if you possibly can so you'll have confidence. Eat what MFP recommends. If you're doing those things, don't be discouraged by the scale. I made the same mistake. It you're eating less than you're burning, it will come off. If you want it a little faster, eat a little less, but don't eat so few that you're not feeding your body or it can slow down your progress and affect your health. MFP is a guide, not a prison.
Ignore the sarcasm and misunderstandings. Don't let them discourage you.
You're on the right track.0 -
Hey! Stop kicking yourself in the butt-- all you'll do is make your foot hurt! Be proud of yourself. You did a great thing-- you decided to do something about your weight. And you already proved to yourself that you're capable of losing weight. Like someone said, the weight didn't come on overnight, and it won't come off overnight. Every day, you have to be vigilant. Every day, you have to tell yourself that you can succeed. Just when you think you'll never see the scale move in the right direction, it will happen. I'm only 5'1" (almost), and I weighed 256 on January 1, 2014. I've lost 72 lbs. as of today. Sure, there are days when I could swear that my scale is broken because it seems stuck at a particular number. But there are also days when I could swear that my scale is broken because of the lower numbers I'm seeing. You don't sound any different from most of us on MFP. We have all dealt with this issue at one time or another. Be a little patient, and give things a chance to work. I know you can do this. Good luck!0
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Hey girl.
Each and every one of us runs into challenges on the journey. Do not heed the advice of people who do not know your history. Especially with any medical issues you might/might not have. Each physical body is different. We are here to share our own stories and presumably we are to provide encouragement, not judgement. I can tell you that I had the same thing happen with running into issues with too few calories. I decided to up my caloric intake to boost my metabolism and change my goals/plan. I will continue to tweak my plan until I find efficiency and results. This is after all, a goal for each individual. If you need to track with someone, I am here, just ad me. I can share recipes, workouts etc. Just here to be support for one another. All other issues aside, I am here on this journey as a partner....not a moron who is going to tell you what you are doing wrong based on a total lack of knowledge. You will succeed and you will meet your goals!0 -
hmmm some people get drunk on a saturday night and come here and act like big meanie heads.
or so i assume.
anyway. when you are very overweight, a change in diet will cause a large weight loss usually for the first three weeks, maybe two. then that weight loss will decrease to a healthy 1-2 pounds a week, and sometimes nothing.
sometimes it will even go up.
but losing a lot per week after the first few weeks is not even something you want. rapid weight loss is not healthy. i wont go into the details but you should research why, in the long run, you will be better off being patient and learning how to tailor your program, eat enough food so that you can imagine yourself with a better lifestyle, but not so much that you dont lose. and enjoy yourself. dont obsess on what the scale says. it is only part of weight loss. measure yourself. take before pics. do some strength training and cardio so your body looks and works better as you go.
find fun in it.
you will not succeed if you dont find the fun, most likely.
find the fun in making and following your program.
forget about obsessing on the scale. make sure every day you do what you need to do, do something extra to make your body better, and end the day with a calorie deficit.
the beginning is trial and error.0 -
Feel good about yourself, Meanie? Were you bullied in school? Get lost!0
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Things to get: enough sleep. Lots of water. Listen to your own body more than listening to anyone in these forums, including me even. Get some lots of mfp friends. Be patient and kind to yourself0
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.You have a Mister Ed face...wouldn't be so critical of others...just sayin'
Not sure who you are directing your posts to - but nobody's facial appearance bears any relevance to this.
You are also likely to get a strike from mods for such comments - just sayin' 0 -
If you eat at a deficit tou will lose weight.
I believe you're not eating at a deficit.
There are no fat people in a famine.0 -
If you eat at a deficit tou will lose weight.
I believe you're not eating at a deficit.
There are no fat people in a famine.
But OP HAS lost 5lb in 3 weeks - she just hasn't lost in the last week.
That is just normal fluctuation to me - the normal non linear pattern of weight loss.0 -
people are not actually reading OP's post.
her issue is that she lost quickly at first and then weight loss slowed down. this is a normal pattern but she doesnt know this. she wants to know if it is because of not eating for the last few weeks, but its because it is NORMAL
she only needs to be patient and figure out how quickly bodies should lose weight, and not expect every week to be a dramatic change and some wont be any at all.
people have high expectations of what will happen when they change their lifestyle.
OP. you need to set a calorie goal that is realistic and is a calorie deficit but not starvation. you can find threads about how to do that. it can be confusing and you may have to try a few different level before you find one that gets consistent results.
and that number is probably higher than you think at your weight. and if you eat them you will still lose weight. as long as you dont eat more.0 -
I understand all the points about accurate logging - but I don't think they apply here.
OP has lost 5lb in 3 weeks ( 15 days + 1 week if I have read correctly.)
I just think she is panicking because the last week showed no loss - but this is normal, no cause for concern. People often lose an amount, in this case 5 lb, and then have 1 week of nothing or even slight gain.
This doesn't mean the person is over eating, it just means weight loss is not exactly linear.
I think OP needs to continue as she is for a month before any conclusions can be drawn.
This. It's especially true since she was doing the low cal thing before starting MFP, so--if I'm reading right--the 5 lbs in 15 days is less likely to be just water weight, since it wasn't the very beginning of the calorie cutting.
OP, if you lose a lot for a week or two it's really common to lose less or even stall or gain a bit the next week. For women the time of the month matters too, and precisely when in the month varies by person. I only noticed my pattern after a few months.
Lucky for you it doesn't sound like you were doing the super low cal thing long enough to mess you up. Don't worry, keep at it!0 -
Even presuming this to be true, do you think the fat in muscle doesn't weigh anything.not that you meant to, but just stopped eating could be what caused it. Not eating makes the body eat the away at store fats but not the stored fats that are dealing with weight. It eats away at the stored fats that are in muscles. Give it time, could have been a bad week. And even when you aren't necessarily hungry, grab something. even if its just a few pretzels or a handful of peanuts/almonds. atleast you are putting something into your body.
I think eating for the sake of eating when they aren't really hungry is what gets a lot of people in trouble in the first place.0 -
I was directing my "Mr. Ed" comment to Supertact. He was mean to the woman asking for advice. No need. I am sick of people reachong out on this "support forum" and getting slammed! Sorry if it wasn't in the right place. I am new to this stuff.0
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Weight going up with too few calories, LOL no just noI just started using my fitness pal to track my meals and calories. Before starting this, I found myself eating breakfast and maybe a sandwich during the day but nothing else. I am 5'5" and I weigh 270lbs. I know I'm very overweight but I want to change. I lost 5 pounds in the first 15 days, but now I've been stuck at 270 for over a week. I'm eating between 1200-1250 calories a day. I eat 3 small meals and 3-4 different snacks, which include a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat very minimal carbohydrates. I don't exercise much, I work in an office and I don't move around very much. I walk on my days off. I know that if I were able to increase my activity level I would probably lose weight, but I just don't understand why a person like myself, so overweight, wouldn't lose weight with consuming the amount of calories that I am. I feel like there's something wrong with me. I looked at a website that told me I should be eating 1800 calories a day, but I'm afraid that's way too much, especially because I often have difficulty eating the 1200-1250 calories that I have set up for myself now. I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to give up...
First, you are extremely delusional thinking you eat only
breakfast and maybe a sandwich and some how wind up at 270 lbs.
Second you are clearly still over eating by a lot if the scale is not moving.
Upwards of 2000 calories a day and realistically probably a lot more.
Here's some *possible* reasons why you are not losing weight.
you are eating more calories than you are burning
you don't log your food with a food scale
you do not log your food accurately or consistently
you go hide in your room and stuff junk down your throat but don't log it because you're embarrassed
you aren't moving your body enough
you are a truly unique special snowflake who doesn't lose weight in a calorie deficit
Note: that last point isn't one of them.
You're an idiot. Metabolic burn rates vary wildly. Additionally, if someone is getting too few calories, their weight may not only not move down but in fact go up.
It's always hilarious to find meatheads thinking they look smart, but when they spew their ignorance, you just see their stupidity. Please continue; you are hilarious in the best kind of way - being unintentionally hilarious.
If someone is getting too few calories on an ongoing basis, no, their weight will not go up.
It is also against the rules of forum to name call, things like calling someone an idiot or a meathead, for example.0
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