1030 cal and not losing! why! ?

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Replies

  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
    i can't believe you're not losing on that little a day, i'm like 5ft and i can lose on 1100-1300 and maintain on like 1400-1500. maybe there is a medical issue or you have hit a stall!
  • Hamburgtexan
    Hamburgtexan Posts: 17
    First of all...thanks to everyone for responding. Perhaps I have hit a stall, maybe it's a thyroid issue, who knows. Was just wanting some feedback. It was really helpful! Thanks! :)
    For the record: I'm meticulous at counting calories.
    I will post again in a week. More time, more information. :)
    What surprises me is that supposedly I should be weak, etc. on so few calories. I don't want to give people with an eating disorder any ammunition...but I'm thinking that this rule doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. I have a full active life, healthy hair, skin and nails and I've never eaten more than 1200 cal. (Not including this past year~ thus the weight gain.)

    Will post again next Saturday.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I net quite low calories sometimes as I'm very active, and the same as you, I'm fine and healthy. I eat more than you do, but with 3 young kids I'm very active (I did 17000 steps yesterday) and when I'm at work (currently on maternity leave) I'm a teacher and on my feet all day. Plus I'm currently overweight as I gained in pregnancy, and I'm 5'6.

    I have to really go for it to lose 1lb a week. Some people would lose more doing as much exercise as I do, and netting the calories I do.

    I think some people can't accept that everyone is different.

    On the gaining weight forum you don't see comments like 'don't be silly, your metabolism can't be that fast, you don't really need to eat 4000 calories a day to gain' yet no-one will agree that some people can have a slow metabolism. Weird.
  • Hamburgtexan
    Hamburgtexan Posts: 17
    Thanks for your comments dawnie. It feels good to be understood.
    I've been googling today and feel more confirmed to do more muscle building. This increases metabolism.
  • Hamburgtexan
    Hamburgtexan Posts: 17
    Especially like this "On the gaining weight forum you don't see comments like 'don't be silly, your metabolism can't be that fast, you don't really need to eat 4000 calories a day to gain' yet no-one will agree that some people can have a slow metabolism. Weird." :p
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
    I believe that you do have a slow metabolism (since you seem to log accurately). However I also believe there must be a medical condition in there that maybe could be fixed.
  • yasmine334
    yasmine334 Posts: 187 Member
    Hamburgtexan wrote: »
    I'm at a healthy weight but at the top end of BMI.
    Maybe it is just slow going when you are trying to adjust a little. Thanks. That's encouraging.
    P.s. unfortunately, when I surpass 1100cal. I gain. :( I have a really really efficient metabolism. I just don't need much. Have healthy hair and nails etc.

    This is very strange. According to your height and BMI your resting metabolic rate is 1350-1500 cal/day . Which means if you just sit in your bed all day doing nothing your body needs "at least" these 1350 cal for your vital organs to function. And since you are not obese or overweight this means you dont have any energy reserves. Please consult a dietian because 1100 cal/day will eventually harm your body and decrease muscle mass.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Why are you starving yourself?
  • alonzoq03
    alonzoq03 Posts: 1
    You need to start doing bodyweight training. Cardio excercise alone sometimes is not enough for weight loss, instead it can only put your metabolism in a stall. Try some muscle building excercises like the ones shown on apps like Fitstar. It has worked for me. Good luck on your reaching your goal.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    If your metabolism needs so few calories to maintain it, I wouldn't call it efficient, personally I'd call it slow. Though the 1030 calories a day does seem lower than sustainable.

    If you had your thyroid checked 20 years ago, the standards for "normal" have changed (been lowered) so what was "normal" then would not be normal now. From someone who has hypothyroidism, I would always get your numbers, and not just accept that you're "normal." Many labs are still using the old numbers, even though they were changed years ago. There are other endocrine system issues that can interfere with your health/metabolism. Like PCOS. A doc would be a good way to go. My BMR is technically almost 1300. However, that's often what I stay at because I will gain weight if I'm not careful (even with exercise). My chemically induced metabolism isn't 100% efficient.

    Though it's likely it's not medical. I use Runtastic and wear a HRM. I can tell you the Runtastic calories are always higher than those on the HRM. Not MFP high, but still high. I go with the HRM burn (though I do sync Runtastic with MFP).

    Running is great exercise, but I would think about adding weight-bearing exercise. Yoga, weight-lifting, body-pump class. Lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat (though it takes a while to build it). I read somewhere that women over 30% lose about 1% of muscle mass every year unless they're actively maintaining or building it.

    You could also tweak your macros/diet. More lean protein and fiber, fewer simple carbs. More healthy fats, less sodium and added sugar. It takes time to see results, give whatever ever tweaks you make at least a few weeks to start working. It's a marathon, not a sprint and you're working on healthy life habits.

    You can do this! :smiley:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited February 2015
    Hamburgtexan wrote: »
    I've been eating quite on target. I've always known that I have a frustratingly efficient metabolism. But I don't understand how I can not be losing weight with what I eat! ?
    I would be thankful for some constructive input! Thanks

    Because you're not eating 1030 calories.

    You are eating more than you think you are.

    Weigh your solid food and measure liquids, ensure you are using correct food entries, eat only about half your exercise calories back because MFP and Gym machine burns are overestimated.

    The only requirement to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn, but how you fulfill that requirement (dietary plan) is up to you.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    Clawsal wrote: »
    I believe that you do have a slow metabolism (since you seem to log accurately). However I also believe there must be a medical condition in there that maybe could be fixed.

    No, probably not. How do you know she's logging accurately? Sometimes we think we are logging accurately but we are not.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    It's only been 10 days! Maybe it's water retention, time of month water weight, or just normal fluctuation. Maybe it's just not long enough to see the scale move yet. When you're losing weight slowly, it can take a while to show up on the scale.

    Come back in a month, see how it goes.

    And yes, agree with everyone else that 1030 calories is probably too low unless you've been placed on that diet by a doctor. Tighten up your logging accuracy and make sure you're eating at least 1200 per day.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    First, 10 days isn't enough time to tell yet. Especially when running small deficits.

    Second, unless you're a dwarf, you will lose weight eating 1000 calories/day. There is no medical condition in humans that can prevent that. So IF this continues, and you don't lose weight, there is something wrong with your calorie counting.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Clawsal wrote: »
    I believe that you do have a slow metabolism (since you seem to log accurately). However I also believe there must be a medical condition in there that maybe could be fixed.

    No, probably not. How do you know she's logging accurately? Sometimes we think we are logging accurately but we are not.

    And how do you know she's not? It's so easy to come on here and say 'you're eating too much, problem fixed'. She states she had a thyroid problem in the past. I've got a friend with hashimotos, it was shocking to see how fast the weight went on, and once medicated, the weight then came off (obviously with a bit of work). Had my friend not pushed the doctor to check, she'd never have been diagnosed.

    Also, if the op has been eating the same way for years and is within healthy BMI, she's probably not overeating or she'd have gained.

    Like I said, no-one jumps all over the people in the gaining weight forum telling them they can't possibly have a high metabolism, so why is it so difficult to believe that someone can have a low metabolism? Some people need to eat 4000 calories to gain weight, some people have to eat below 1200 to lose, especially if they've been doing that for years.

    I agree with people who've said do some strength training.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited February 2015
    DawnieB1977 wrote: »
    I've got a friend with hashimotos, it was shocking to see how fast the weight went on, and once medicated, the weight then came off (obviously with a bit of work).

    Straight from the Mayo Clinic....

    Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

    Unexplained weight gain — occurring infrequently and rarely exceeding 10 to 20 pounds, most of which is fluid"

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Physics applies to all. You are either eating more than you think (likely with the units of measure such as "serving" that you use) and/or burning less than you think (none of your logged runs have a time or distance, just a pace which is always the same and a caloric burn).
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Clawsal wrote: »
    I believe that you do have a slow metabolism (since you seem to log accurately). However I also believe there must be a medical condition in there that maybe could be fixed.

    No, probably not. How do you know she's logging accurately? Sometimes we think we are logging accurately but we are not.

    Well, I don't know. But since she said
    I am weighing everything before I eat.
    I went back to see what you meant with "servings" . I only eat homemade food. Soo I weigh all the ingredients the recipe and divide the finished dish into servings. That is how the serving is measured. So I know the calories are accurate.

    She seems to be logging accurately.

    Your "one fits all" answer that "you are eating more than you think" doesn't seem appropriate here.
  • rachylouise87
    rachylouise87 Posts: 367 Member
    hi there i am 5ft1 and eating 1200-1300 per day and have been losing for the past few weeks after plateau. i ramped up the workouts with T25 and it seems to have worked. the only thing i can think which has been working is keeping within my carb limits and upping the protein for muscle build. carbs can convert to glucose easily where protein is 50% converted so maybe change up your snacks for ones high in protein i found this helped get me off that wicked stall
  • AnzhelaZ
    AnzhelaZ Posts: 7 Member
    In order to lose weight, you have to 1) consume slow carbs or fewer of them 2) work out somewhat 3) maintain a calorie count above your maintenance. this means that if you have set your profile on weight loss, in the end of the day you should see a red line with up to 100-200 kcal above the set goal. This way your body won't be stressed by what you're doing.

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