1200 cals/day + 3 hours of cardio a week, still not losing
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1200 calories and two hours of cardio a day …there is your problem right there….if you are only eating 1200 then that means you are probably netting like 700-800 a day ….you should at least be eating 1700 - about 500 burned = 1200 net …
also at 5'3 153 maybe you need to focus on lifting heavy and trying to re-comp your body ..
as a reference point I am 35 male 5-10, 175 pounds ….
As a reference point, 153 for a 5' 3" female is BMI of 27.1 which is well into the overweight category. 140 lbs will put her barely into the healthy category. I am a 5'2.5" female and my profile pic is me at 130. Most charts put healthy weight for my height, which is not very far from OP, at around110-130 lbs. (personally, I am more comfortable around 120 myself)
While re-comping is always a good thing for health as well as slimness, the OP likely will have to lose 20lbs. or so to have a healthy BMI.
BMI is a garbage state. According to BMI, I am "obese" but I have about 12% body fat ...0 -
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I have been doing cardio and strength training for 3 years and I haven't lost one pound. Heck, I've gained 5 pounds. My Dr. said that is ok since I have lost 3 dress sizes but I am not so sure. I eat about 1200 cals per day, sometimes 1400. I only net about 500 calories a day when I log it in with my exercise though. ( I just figured out how to use the calorie counter correctly though..lol) I am changing my eating habits (albeit slowly) so I hold out hope I can lose some weight at some point soon.0
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I have been doing cardio and strength training for 3 years and I haven't lost one pound. Heck, I've gained 5 pounds. My Dr. said that is ok since I have lost 3 dress sizes but I am not so sure. I eat about 1200 cals per day, sometimes 1400. I only net about 500 calories a day when I log it in with my exercise though. ( I just figured out how to use the calorie counter correctly though..lol) I am changing my eating habits (albeit slowly) so I hold out hope I can lose some weight at some point soon.
If you've only just started calorie counting you have no idea what about you've been eating for 3 years my guess is a lot more than you think0 -
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I agree with the folks that suggest you are not eating enough calories. Based on the Harris-Benedict calculator, your maintenance calorie intake should be nearly 2,000 calories. Taking 800 calories off the top, then adding 3 hours a week of cardio (on the low end, that's another 1,200 calories burned a week), and you're average daily deficit is nearly 1,000 calories! For someone of your size, this is too big a deficit without risking a dramatic slowing of your metabolism. I'd suggest increasing your calories to at least the previous levels and perhaps a bit higher, maintaining the cardio.
Further, I'm a bit concerned with something you said - you bought a scale that showed a decrease in body fat, and an increase in muscle. What's wrong with that? Of course the weight on the scale won't drop as dramatically, but that should not be the goal. Someone else here talked about dropping three dress sizes, but still having doubts because of the number on the scale. All I can say is...STOP! The weight on the scale is meaningless. Body fat percentage is much more the factor.
I think if you eat more, perhaps add in some strength building to increase your metabolism, you'll see your body composition improve, which SHOULD be the goal. Not a silly number on a scale.0 -
Yes to all Haybale's advice.So if you give your body bare minimum, expect those kind of results for diet/exercise combo.
How are you logging your food for accuracy?
Calories is per gram, not per cup or spoonful.
Though I doubt you could overcome as big a deficit as you should have in place if you had a healthy body, unless food logging was just totally dishonest, and most on MPF aren't.
And your deficit will soon not be reasonable anyway. If you do not want to continue a fight with body you'll lose (but not weight), then pick a reasonable deficit at 10 lbs to go, that would be 250 or 1/2 lb weekly.
Don't cause thyroid problems by doing this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A
Because that also makes it harder to lose and maintain, usually by the fact you have to eat so much less than otherwise. And the effect they talk about in there doesn't have to happen.
The video- wow.
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keithintokyo wrote: »I agree with the folks that suggest you are not eating enough calories. Based on the Harris-Benedict calculator, your maintenance calorie intake should be nearly 2,000 calories. Taking 800 calories off the top, then adding 3 hours a week of cardio (on the low end, that's another 1,200 calories burned a week), and you're average daily deficit is nearly 1,000 calories! For someone of your size, this is too big a deficit without risking a dramatic slowing of your metabolism. I'd suggest increasing your calories to at least the previous levels and perhaps a bit higher, maintaining the cardio.
Further, I'm a bit concerned with something you said - you bought a scale that showed a decrease in body fat, and an increase in muscle. What's wrong with that? Of course the weight on the scale won't drop as dramatically, but that should not be the goal. Someone else here talked about dropping three dress sizes, but still having doubts because of the number on the scale. All I can say is...STOP! The weight on the scale is meaningless. Body fat percentage is much more the factor.
I think if you eat more, perhaps add in some strength building to increase your metabolism, you'll see your body composition improve, which SHOULD be the goal. Not a silly number on a scale.
This is really confusing, because I did not lose weight at 2000 calories, and barely any at 1500 calories a day. And if you think weight shouldn't be a goal, well, you can have that argument with my doctor. It's the only tool I have to measure my progress that's widely recognized. And while I've made some minimal improvements to body fat %, it's plateaued, and I haven't dropped a single clothing size.
At 35, I gained about 20lbs over a short period of time, due to stress/moving and eating out more frequently/not being active because I was working 12+ hour days.
So, I stopped eating out as frequently, added a steady cardio routine, and was eating 1800-2000 calories a day. I maintained but did not lose any weight.
After about a year of that, I cut calories down to 1500/day over 6 months with barely any measurable benefit. When I talked to my doctor, I was told I must be eating too much, which is why I reduced down to 1200.
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You posted that lunch is a salad. That can mean many things. What is your salad comprised of?0
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MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.0 -
cyclemaven wrote: »So, I stopped eating out as frequently, added a steady cardio routine, and was eating 1800-2000 calories a day. I maintained but did not lose any weight.
After about a year of that, I cut calories down to 1500/day over 6 months with barely any measurable benefit. When I talked to my doctor, I was told I must be eating too much, which is why I reduced down to 1200.
But you only recently started logging food - and we still haven't heard how accurately because I believe you said mainly try to measure, but no comment about weighing at all.
Mainly using a bad method makes it even worse then.
You were likely eating over 1800-2000 by some amount.
You dropped to same inaccuracy of 1500, probably much more.
Now a potentially better but some level of inaccuracy 1200, but again more by some unknown amount.
True, at this point should be losing.
Now - most of us have heard this many times as an extreme - "I'm gaining weight eating 1200 for weeks".
And with no valid reason like new exercise routine or such causing water weight gain, turns out the goal may indeed have been 1200, but when you include the binges because that was too low, the average now pops up.
And if your system has slowed down because of amount of deficit to what your body could burn, then each of those binges is usually wiping out a deficit. For the comment some make, it's actually a surplus, hence the slow weight gain by not adhering to a diet.
Someone asked before and it may have been missed - how did you log calories for that year at almost 2000, or the 1500 for 6 months?
And how often do you eat out on the 1200 now with logging? And how often is even the inaccurate measuring being done?
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keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
What Hay Bales said
This.cyclemaven wrote: »So, I stopped eating out as frequently, added a steady cardio routine, and was eating 1800-2000 calories a day. I maintained but did not lose any weight.
After about a year of that, I cut calories down to 1500/day over 6 months with barely any measurable benefit. When I talked to my doctor, I was told I must be eating too much, which is why I reduced down to 1200.
But you only recently started logging food - and we still haven't heard how accurately because I believe you said mainly try to measure, but no comment about weighing at all.
Mainly using a bad method makes it even worse then.
You were likely eating over 1800-2000 by some amount.
You dropped to same inaccuracy of 1500, probably much more.
Now a potentially better but some level of inaccuracy 1200, but again more by some unknown amount.
True, at this point should be losing.
Now - most of us have heard this many times as an extreme - "I'm gaining weight eating 1200 for weeks".
And with no valid reason like new exercise routine or such causing water weight gain, turns out the goal may indeed have been 1200, but when you include the binges because that was too low, the average now pops up.
And if your system has slowed down because of amount of deficit to what your body could burn, then each of those binges is usually wiping out a deficit. For the comment some make, it's actually a surplus, hence the slow weight gain by not adhering to a diet.
Someone asked before and it may have been missed - how did you log calories for that year at almost 2000, or the 1500 for 6 months?
And how often do you eat out on the 1200 now with logging? And how often is even the inaccurate measuring being done?
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keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
No disrespect to anyone who has a resistance to believing in calories in/calories out, but this concept is now new. Really, it's not. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it's proven through countless people who gain weight, lose weight, or maintain.
If you eat at a surplus you will gain weight every single time.
If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight every single time.
If you eat at maintenance you will maintain every single time.
The issue really is finding the correct numbers to reach your goal and judiciously doing what you have to do to reach those numbers. If those numbers are not working for you, go to the doctor and get checked out. However, keep in mind the cause of weight gain is eating too much food.
For medical issues impeding weight loss, go to the doctor and get help.
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You are saying the same thing I'm saying. Maybe the way I typed it came off as if everything I wrote was something that poster said and I was disagreeing with him. If I would have spaced it out like this maybe it would have been more clear.....keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
No disrespect to anyone who has a resistance to believing in calories in/calories out, but this concept is now new. Really, it's not. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it's proven through countless people who gain weight, lose weight, or maintain.
If you eat at a surplus you will gain weight every single time.
If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight every single time.
If you eat at maintenance you will maintain every single time.
The issue really is finding the correct numbers to reach your goal and judiciously doing what you have to do to reach those numbers. If those numbers are not working for you, go to the doctor and get checked out. However, keep in mind the cause of weight gain is eating too much food.
For medical issues impeding weight loss, go to the doctor and get help.
"I'm say No to you saying the OP should be eating more.
When in reality the truth is, if the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. If the OP is not in a deficit she's not going losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit"
Hopefully that makes more sense.
Oh no, what you said is spot on. I forgot to put I agree with you.:o
My further response is directed at people who think calories don't really count.
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Just posting to try to reiterate the accurate advice and outnumber the rest:
- Considering how little you have to lose, 1/2 lb per week is what your goal should be.
- To accurately log your calories, you need to be weighing on a food scale more times than not.
- Many entries in the MFP database are inaccurately added by readers, be choosy about which entries you use.
- MFP has also been known to over-estimate calorie burns on exercise, so don't be surprised if your actual burn is 2/3 to 1/2 less than MFP credits you for.
- Eating more will not cause you to lose weight. If you are sickly or weak or obviously underweight, eating more can make you healthier, but more calories does not = weight loss.
Good luck, I hope you find the way to reach your goal...0 -
cyclemaven wrote: »...most I can manage is 1600 calls on a day where my cardio is burning 600 (tracked thru my training app), so I'm netting 1000 cals or less on exercise days, and 1200-1250 on non-exercise days.
What exercise are you doing that burns 600 calories? Activity, intensity, duration? To burn 600 calories I need to run 5.5 miles at an 8:00 pace, bike for 70-90 minutes at 15-18 mph (depending on terrain), or row about 11000 meters on my erg at around 160 watts (which takes 47 minutes). I weigh 153 lb. at the moment.0 -
You are saying the same thing I'm saying. Maybe the way I typed it came off as if everything I wrote was something that poster said and I was disagreeing with him. If I would have spaced it out like this maybe it would have been more clear.....keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
No disrespect to anyone who has a resistance to believing in calories in/calories out, but this concept is now new. Really, it's not. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it's proven through countless people who gain weight, lose weight, or maintain.
If you eat at a surplus you will gain weight every single time.
If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight every single time.
If you eat at maintenance you will maintain every single time.
The issue really is finding the correct numbers to reach your goal and judiciously doing what you have to do to reach those numbers. If those numbers are not working for you, go to the doctor and get checked out. However, keep in mind the cause of weight gain is eating too much food.
For medical issues impeding weight loss, go to the doctor and get help.
"I'm say No to you saying the OP should be eating more.
When in reality the truth is, if the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. If the OP is not in a deficit she's not going losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit"
Hopefully that makes more sense.
Oh no, what you said is spot on. I forgot to put I agree with you.:o
My further response is directed at people who think calories don't really count.
just break up.0 -
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with style.
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I realize that you are frustrated... But a food scale is a must... When I am hungry I find it impossible to tell the difference between 3 ounces of chicken and 4... And a flat half cup of granola can be as much as an ounce less than a rounded half cup...
50 calories here and 50 calories there add up... And beer has 125 or so and the alcohol slows your metabolism... Plus beer can make you retain water...
It is a pain to weigh your food but it is worth the extra work...
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You are saying the same thing I'm saying. Maybe the way I typed it came off as if everything I wrote was something that poster said and I was disagreeing with him. If I would have spaced it out like this maybe it would have been more clear.....keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
No disrespect to anyone who has a resistance to believing in calories in/calories out, but this concept is now new. Really, it's not. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it's proven through countless people who gain weight, lose weight, or maintain.
If you eat at a surplus you will gain weight every single time.
If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight every single time.
If you eat at maintenance you will maintain every single time.
The issue really is finding the correct numbers to reach your goal and judiciously doing what you have to do to reach those numbers. If those numbers are not working for you, go to the doctor and get checked out. However, keep in mind the cause of weight gain is eating too much food.
For medical issues impeding weight loss, go to the doctor and get help.
"I'm say No to you saying the OP should be eating more.
When in reality the truth is, if the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. If the OP is not in a deficit she's not going losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit"
Hopefully that makes more sense.
Oh no, what you said is spot on. I forgot to put I agree with you.:o
My further response is directed at people who think calories don't really count.
just break up.
Oh, aren't you just adorable!
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We already talked about that.
I get the dogs.
You are saying the same thing I'm saying. Maybe the way I typed it came off as if everything I wrote was something that poster said and I was disagreeing with him. If I would have spaced it out like this maybe it would have been more clear.....keithintokyo wrote: »MrM27 - No what?
Cyclemaven - I certainly understand the frustration. With regards to the scale, I've found one key thing is to weigh less frequently, as the frustration of daily fluctuations up and down can be demotivating, when the key is a long term trend. If you've not dropped any clothing sizes, then I agree that likely means you've not been dropping much in the way of fat.
Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I'll assume for the moment that your calorie counts are more or less accurate. Would you mind sharing your workout routine? Perhaps that will shed some light. The reason I ask is because you said you maintained your weight while eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day and adding the steady cardio. At your weight (assuming that weight was the 153 pounds you've mentioned), 1,800-2,000 should be just about right to maintain, and the cardio should be helping you shed some pounds.
I'm a big believer in strength training for keeping your metabolism high, and using cardio to shed the extra. Looking at your workout routine might highlight some tweaks you could make that may make the difference.
No to you saying the OP should be eating more. If the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. She's not l, not she's not losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit.
No disrespect to anyone who has a resistance to believing in calories in/calories out, but this concept is now new. Really, it's not. It's been around since the beginning of time, and it's proven through countless people who gain weight, lose weight, or maintain.
If you eat at a surplus you will gain weight every single time.
If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose weight every single time.
If you eat at maintenance you will maintain every single time.
The issue really is finding the correct numbers to reach your goal and judiciously doing what you have to do to reach those numbers. If those numbers are not working for you, go to the doctor and get checked out. However, keep in mind the cause of weight gain is eating too much food.
For medical issues impeding weight loss, go to the doctor and get help.
"I'm say No to you saying the OP should be eating more.
When in reality the truth is, if the OP is in a deficit she will lose weight. If the OP is not in a deficit she's not going losing weight. Increasing calories isn't going to put her in a deficit"
Hopefully that makes more sense.
Oh no, what you said is spot on. I forgot to put I agree with you.:o
My further response is directed at people who think calories don't really count.
just break up.
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SLLRunner... Did I post something inappropriate for this board?
In all honesty, I agree with your previous post the laws of thermodynamics still apply... To lose weight you must operate at a deficit... Since the op was rather vague on her food intake... My first thought is that she is probably eating more than she thinks she is...Hence my food scale comment...0 -
I have to agree with a previous post. I am a nutritionist. I don't think you are eating enough. For the amount of cardio that your are doing, it looks like you are putting your body in what we call starvation mode. Back during the caveman days when times got hard and food was scarce, this was what inabled us to survive through hard times and keep ourselves alive. When you cut calories too drasticly, your body protects itself by holding on to all of the fat you have stored. Try increasing your intake in 500 calorie incriments, and see what happens. Be advised, every body is different. Just because your scale isn't budging doesnt mean you are not getting results. Pay attention to the way your clothes fit.0
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Queenofthedancehall... I am not sure that offering professional advice on so little data is the best solution... At this point we only have generic idea of the op's diet/nutrition... And please op correct me if I am wrong... You are eyeballing and measuring your food, not weighing ? Are you maintaining this schedule ie not going out on the weekends? (See HeyBales posts) I am not trying to be unkind.... But without accurate info we can only guess at your problem and it solutions.0
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