Help, not losing weight!!

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jlgindundee2015
jlgindundee2015 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 42 year old woman. I weigh 130 and am 5'5". I want to lose 5lbs. I have limited my calorie intake to 1,100 calories a day. I have been very good about my eating habits and watching my calorie intake, but I don't feel like I'm really losing weight. I do not exercise as I do not have the time right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Replies

  • lforner46
    lforner46 Posts: 103 Member
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    In my experience, it is good to rotate your calories up and down because it tricks your metablism. If you have a sit down job, and do not exercise, it will probably take you a long time to lose weight. Is there any way to fit in a 20 mins walk somwhere?
  • fvtfan
    fvtfan Posts: 126 Member
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    are you tracking....weighing and measuring your food? 5 pounds is going to be slow as you are already at a healthy weight, just keep doing what you are doing.
  • crimsonpaw
    crimsonpaw Posts: 12 Member
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    From what I've seen, 1200 is the minimum caloric intake you want or else your body starts going into preservation mode and you won't burn the fat. Keep in mind, this is 1200 without exercise, you need to bump that number up by the calories burned if/when you start working out. Try increasing your number to 1300 with an increase in protein and I think you'll see a change.

    Here's a link to an article that may help understand the "1200 calorie" limit: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Why-1200-Calories-Day-Important-When-Dieting-13080864
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    lforner46 wrote: »
    In my experience, it is good to rotate your calories up and down because it tricks your metablism. If you have a sit down job, and do not exercise, it will probably take you a long time to lose weight. Is there any way to fit in a 20 mins walk somwhere?

    No to the first, the second is technically true, though MFP sets you up to lose without exercise.

    OP, either it hasn't been long enough to worry about not losing or you're eating more than you think. As you're already at a healthy weight, it can take some time for vanity pounds to come off. Also, your goal should be much higher than 1100 calories.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    First off, if you have only 5lbs to lose, you aren't eating nearly enough on 1,100 calories. What does MFP give you if you put you want to lose .5lbs/week and you are sedentary? I'm gonna go with it's not 1,100 since MFP suggests everyone eat at least 1,200.

    Your body is holding on to your weight because you aren't feeding it enough.

    And everyone is right, it's gonna go slow. You aren't doing your body any favors at such a low calorie deficit.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    jlgindundee2015 wrote: »
    I am 42 year old woman. I weigh 130 and am 5'5". I want to lose 5lbs. I have limited my calorie intake to 1,100 calories a day. I have been very good about my eating habits and watching my calorie intake, but I don't feel like I'm really losing weight. I do not exercise as I do not have the time right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

    Make the time to exercise
  • librarydebster
    librarydebster Posts: 177 Member
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    Do you work a lot of hours or have children/parents to look after? Try to incorporate your children into exercise if so, for walks or at home soccer games. Exercise is important not just for losing weight but for health in general. I'm not one to get up early but if that was the only way to get my exercise I would. I have exercised as late as 9:30 at night if I'm desperate to work it in.
    But please eat more than 1100 calories. You aren't getting enough vitamins or protein. Your body is slowing your metabolism down because it thinks you're in starvation mode. And you are.
  • brandigyrl81
    brandigyrl81 Posts: 128 Member
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    My advice would be to definitely eat at least 1200 so you put your body in starvation mode. Also, drink plenty of water (if you're not already doing so), as this can help flush out excess water and salt from your body. Lastly, exercising may be just what you need to get off those last 5 lbs. You mentioned you don't have time right now, however if possible, you may want to try and find at least 20-30 minutes a day (or even 3 times a week), even if you're going for a walk.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    With so little to lose set you goal to lose 0.5 lbs/week and use a food scale to measure your portions
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    jlgindundee2015 wrote: »
    I don't feel like I'm really losing weight.
    What does this even mean? Either you are or you aren't.

    How often do you weigh? How long have you been eating at your current level? What is your weekly average caloric intake? And how big of a weight fluctuation range do you have? (Nobody is exactly 130 pounds. In reality, you fluctuate across 1-5 pounds or thereabouts. If you don't know how much you fluctuate, approximately, you don't know what your trend line is doing.)

  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    brandigyrl81 wrote: »
    My advice would be to definitely eat at least 1200 so you put your body in starvation mode. Also, drink plenty of water (if you're not already doing so), as this can help flush out excess water and salt from your body. Lastly, exercising may be just what you need to get off those last 5 lbs. You mentioned you don't have time right now, however if possible, you may want to try and find at least 20-30 minutes a day (or even 3 times a week), even if you're going for a walk.

    Starvation mode doesn't exist in this context. Stop spreading that misconception.

    OP, I'm gonna be honest with you. Keeping just a few pounds off is hard. When I weight myself I give it a 3 pound offset in either direction. Weight fluctuates normally so it may be hard to achieve and stay at an exact number. That, and give it some time. You have to be patient.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Assuming you're counting accurately, you can expect it to take you a month or two to lose five pounds without exercise.
  • jlgindundee2015
    jlgindundee2015 Posts: 2
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    Thank you.

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