Why isn't this working?

Check your nutritional info...high in carbs, low in protein?

Are you going too low under your calorie goal each day? Hopefully you are eating back some of your workout calories?

Just don't give up! You can do it! I agree about checking your stats. Also, don't let it stress you out. The weight will fall off if you keep working hard. We've all been through it..just don't lose focus! Good luck.

My goal is 1200 -- I typically eat about 1300 (because I've heard eating under 1200 puts your body into starvation mode, then work out (sometimes cardio, sometimes strength, etc.) to burn the 100 or so that I'm over.

In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Just burning the amount that you're over isn't going to make you lose weight.

QUOTE:

My goal is 1200 -- I typically eat about 1300 (because I've heard eating under 1200 puts your body into starvation mode, then work out (sometimes cardio, sometimes strength, etc.) to burn the 100 or so that I'm over.


In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Just burning the amount that you're over isn't going to make you lose weight


On the one hand, yes, you need to burn more than you consume. But theoretically, 1200 is already a deficit. So you should still be losing weight. What kinds of foods are you eating, what kinds of exercise are you doing?

My goal is 1200 -- I typically eat about 1300 (because I've heard eating under 1200 puts your body into starvation mode, then work out (sometimes cardio, sometimes strength, etc.) to burn the 100 or so that I'm over.

In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Just burning the amount that you're over isn't going to make you lose weight.

That would only be true if 1200 was your BMR. The number of calories that MFP calculates for people to eat already includes a calorie deficit depending on whether you want to lose 1 or 2 lbs a week. For example, I burn roughly 2100 calories each day doing what I do (NOT including exercise). I want to lose ~2 lbs a week, so MFP sets my calorie goal at 1200 (-500 calories for a pound a week). Therefore, if I eat only 1200 calories and I don't work out, I would expect to lose about 2 lbs a week.

My goal is 1200 -- I typically eat about 1300 (because I've heard eating under 1200 puts your body into starvation mode, then work out (sometimes cardio, sometimes strength, etc.) to burn the 100 or so that I'm over.

Looking at your diary, it's not awful, but could be better. There is quite a bit of processed stuff that is likely VERY high in sodium. Sodium is something you'll want to watch, as it's important when you don't have that much to lose. Also, that chai every day is a lot of cals when your daily cal goal is that low. Try cutting that out. Try to get more fresh fruits and veggies.

What is your loss per week goal? It should probably not be more than 1/2 lb per week, MAYBE 1 lb per week. If you go higher than that, the deficit is too large and your body will resist; and you will likely lose a large amount of muscle, as well as fat. The less you have to lose, the lower the deficit your body will allow without rebelling.

Are you drinking water and not logging....or not drinking? Water is VITAL, especially when you don't have a lot of weight to lose (and especially when you take in that much sodium.)

Lastly, I would suggest you may need to work on exercising a little bit more. Not a LOT more, just a little bit. Because you don't have a lot of weight to lose, a lot of what you want to work on is toning and building muscle. To do that, you need to have both cardio and strength training. Also, when you are that lean, you need to be as accurate as possible with both logging food and exercise, and try to get as close to cal goal as possible each day (within 50 or so). Without a lot of fat to lose, your body becomes very efficient at holding on to fat and needs to KNOW it will be getting enough cals to be ready to let go of fat. So you must fuel it sufficiently and with good food.

Here are a couple of good threads to read that may help as well. Good luck to you!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20343-how-i-have-avoided-plateauing-length-warning

I'm not losing any either. Actually I've gained a little. I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio, 30 minutes of strength training and I'm under my calories most days. I know I don't drink enough water. I'm going to blame it on increased muscle mass.