lost quick.... now it's sloooowwww

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wannafly2
wannafly2 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey. 2 months ago I started running, cold turkey. The doc had told me I needed to lose weight, which I knew I did. Anyway.... I started running/walking a min of 10 miles per week and restricting calories to 500~700 per day. I now am up to strictly running, I have allowed myself at least 1 rest day and have bumped my calories up to 700~950 a day.... I'm losing slower now. Is it because I increased my calories? Ugh! So frustrating. I'm also having issues. With being cold and constipation.

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You're losing slower now because you probably lost water weight at first. Normal weight loss is .5-2 pounds a week.

    You're also having issues because you're eating too few calories and not getting the nutrients you need.

    Read these links:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    ... you're eating 900 a day? or that is how much your deficit from maintenance is now?

    Either way, more exercise = eat more food to keep your deficit fairly consistent. If you want to increase the deficit then it's easiest done through eating less food in respect to your activity levels.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    Yeah, you're eating nowhere near enough calories. You've stalled because the weight you've lost is probably mostly muscle. That's probably why you're also cold all the time.

    If you want to lose weight and keep it off you have to do it the right way, which unfortunately takes time and patience. Read the sexypants thread that someone already posted.
  • oneloopygirl
    oneloopygirl Posts: 151 Member
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    I run... A lot. There's no way in heck I could eat 900 calories a day and train successfully for a race of any distance. That's crazy. There's no reason at all to eat that little every day. And there's no way you're getting all your nutrients in on that few calories. MFP recommends not going below 1200 and I lost eating anywhere from 1400 to 1600, sometimes more depending on the distances I was logging each week.

    I agree that the early loss was water weight. That's normal. Loss always slows.

    You need to develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise and develop a plan for the long-term. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    If you're exercising that much, you should be eating more.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    Unless the doctor PERSCRIBED you to eat that amount, no one should be eating 500-900 a day. Start with what MFP reccomends based on your settings and just STICK WITH IT. It took time to gain that weight. It takes time for it to come off. Doesn't happen fast.

    Generally there will be a lot of weight loss at first, most of this is just water weight. As mentioned before, normal weight loss per week is about 0.5-2lbs depending on how much you have to lose.

    You should probably talk to your doctor again about how little you are eating. Those issues you are having could be from your poor nutrition. You may also consider a therapist if you made a change this darastic.

    Kudos on your commitment though.
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
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    I am the furthest thing to an expert as they come, however I can at least share what I have learned thus far and my story...

    1. 500-900 calories per day is simply not enough if you are active and exercising daily... Utilize a BMI Calculator and find out roughly (and I stress roughly because there are so many variables that affect accuracy) what your daily calories should be... From there, subtract approximately 500 calories per day... This should lead to a constant two pound loss per week...

    2. Make sure you are drinking lots of water and staying away from foods high in sodium... Sodium will make you retain water and thus gain, fluctuate or remain stagnant...

    3. The first 10 + pounds you lose are going to be easy with diet change and the purging of waste and water from your body...

    4. Play with your daily caloric intake until you find what works for you... This may take time and require patience...

    5. Keep your body guessing... Spike your calories (in moderation because an increase of 3500 calories in one day will lead to a negative loss for the entire week) and change up your exercises... As soon as I spike my calories, I immediately transition back into clean eating and an intense first work-out...

    I can not guarantee this is 100 percent accurate, but it has worked for me...
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
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    Many people who begin to diet, do so by first cutting out sugars and carbohydrates and increasing amounts of protein intake... Your body needs some sugars and carbohydrates to immediately burn through-out the day... The increase in protein greatly assists your body during the muscle building process...

    The increase in protein can lead to constipation... To ease this (as I have done as well), I recommend you consume flaxseed (softgels or the seed purchased in bulk) as well as increasing substantially your fiber intake...
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
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    Correction...

    I meant to say BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)... Not BMI

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