Hit a plateau (well...or starvation mode)

losing4myself
losing4myself Posts: 61
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay...so i'm okay with this. Usually at this point I would say i'm throwing in the towel. I would lie to myself and say that I can stop counting calories and still stay on track. This time I am not giving up. This is my life. The sooner I get healthy...the more years I can enjoy myself being healthy. I have dealed with eating problems in the past (not eating, "emptying" my stomach when I did). I'm done with that...but it still haunts me and affects me. The disorder doesn't have control over me, I have control. The disorder is NOT who I am...just an obsticle I need to go around. So far I have lost 29 pounds...the most i've ever lost at once. This is because I've been telling my disorder to "hit the road". But of course I set my calorie intake to no more than 1200/day. When giving myself this goal it's very hard to reach. I have to force myself to eat and somedays just don't make it to the 1200. I know...that makes it seem as though I would not have a weight problem. The thing is, I always mess up my metabolism. When I don't count calories I do eat ALL day hardly realizing i'm doing it out of stress/boredom/loniless etc. Therefore I count calories. I think I set myself up for failure though. I aim for 1200 and usually get about 800 calories in on normal days. I do weigh everyday. It keeps me going, keeps me on track. I have not lost a single ounce all week yet gained 0.8 pounds and tomorrow is my official weigh in. I've kept everything the same ALL week except trying A LOT harder to get ALL my calories in. So the point i'm trying to get to is this: I think i'm going to up my goal to 1600 cals/day. If I go a little under I will atleast of gotten my 1200 in. I know it's hard to even get my 1200 in when thats my goal...but a lot of that is "conserving" what I have incase I really need them. Obviously that's a mental thing. So if I aim for 1600 I have PLENTY and should do better!! Anyone experience the same thing i'm going through?

Replies

  • maryrunslikeafox
    maryrunslikeafox Posts: 136 Member
    There is NO WAY you are eating enough! I'm not sure how much you weigh right now, but I weigh 170 and I have lost 9 pounds so far. I want to lose 10-15 more. I have my goals set to lose .8 lbs per week and I am alotted 1500 cals. When I work out I eat back the exercise cals and it definitely seems to be working! On only 800 cals a day your body is not burning fat its probably burning off any muscle you have. Are you working out also? You DEFINITELY need to eat more lady! I have eaten almost 800 cals today and haven't even had dinner.. I don't know how you are surviving! You should definitely up to 1600 and I bet you'll start losing some lbs!
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
    Diaries are tools for you to use and if you are asking others for help they need to be able to see what you have been doing. It is impossible to give someone directions in the dark!!!!! It is impossible to give advise if we don't know what the problem(s) are. If you are asking for help, please open your diary so we can be as helpful as possible.
  • maryrunslikeafox
    maryrunslikeafox Posts: 136 Member
    Diaries are tools for you to use and if you are asking others for help they need to be able to see what you have been doing. It is impossible to give someone directions in the dark!!!!! It is impossible to give advise if we don't know what the problem(s) are. If you are asking for help, please open your diary so we can be as helpful as possible.

    AGREE AGREE!! open it up!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    You've been dieting a long time? It might be time for you to give it a rest for a month or so :). Keep right on logging and counting calories, but eat at maintenance (go to goals - calories burned during daily activity is on the right side). You can set your MFP goals to be "maintain" to get that number to show in your goals. Don't quit, but sometimes, we need to reset the old metabolism! I did it for 2 months (Nov and Dec) and started back with a deficit on Jan 4th and began losing again.

    If you do decide to do this, ease up to maintenance...just increase by about 50 calories a day until you're there, then when your reset time is over, drop them back down.

    Good luck!!
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
    If you are living on 800 calories a day, that is why you aren't losing weight. You are simply not eating enough. Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

    Hopefully, that will help you understand why you need to eat more.

    The other thing is, you need to quit planning to fail. You say you want to shoot for 1600 so you can hopefully get 1200. The only way you are going to make this lifestyle change work is if you commit to achieving your goals. Raising them and still not meeting them is not helping you build the mental strength you need to change your habits.

    Good luck with everything!
  • losing4myself
    losing4myself Posts: 61
    Diaries are tools for you to use and if you are asking others for help they need to be able to see what you have been doing. It is impossible to give someone directions in the dark!!!!! It is impossible to give advise if we don't know what the problem(s) are. If you are asking for help, please open your diary so we can be as helpful as possible.

    I never asked for help. I don't need help. I know what my problem is and I was explaining my problem with what I had written. Only at the end did I ask if anyone was going through the same thing. Kinda for a support team thing from another person with the same problem who knows exactly what i'm going through. My diary is MY tool. It keeps ME on track. My friends are able to veiw my diary...that's it. I choose my friends wisely. People I feel comftorable with for one reason or the other to veiw my diary. Not just random people who have never talked to me once who have an opinion and want to judge. I don't take to criticism easily and my diary is at it's best i'm capable of each day. So when someone judges it...it makes you feel like all your efforts are useless. I am very aware of the calories and nutrition I put into my body and very aware that i'm not eating enough. I don't need other people to point it out as well.
  • losing4myself
    losing4myself Posts: 61
    Celo24, thanks! And the aiming for 1600 will be something I try hard everyday to acheive. What I meant was if I aim for 1600...even on a very busy hectic day there should be no reason i'm ever under 1200 if my goal is 1600 :happy:
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
    Celo24, thanks! And the aiming for 1600 will be something I try hard everyday to acheive. What I meant was if I aim for 1600...even on a very busy hectic day there should be no reason i'm ever under 1200 if my goal is 1600 :happy:

    Always glad to help. Just try and reach the NET goal that MFP sets for you every day. If you do that, drink plenty of water and watch your sodium intake, I promise you will see results. :smile:
  • kwaterhouse
    kwaterhouse Posts: 4 Member
    I've run into the same problem. I exercise hard core for about an hour and a half a day (weight lifting, cardio, etc.) and I allow myself 1200 calories. I've lost 8 pounds in 4 weeks which is not as much as I'd expect. I think I will do the same, allow myself more calories in the day and see if that makes a difference. Good luck!!
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