Getting past being "trained" to eat only 1200 calories for 4

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kfuller27
kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the past 4 months, I've been on a pretty restrictive 1200 calorie diet and exercise 5-6 days a week. I've lost 62 lbs so far by doing this. I have been gaining/losing the same 3 lbs for the past 8 days and am starting to get frustrated. It hasn't discouraged me, but actually pushed me harder so I've upped my time in the gym from 45 min on the elliptical to an hour, and have now worked out for 8 days in a row. I also realize that I need to up my calories because 1200 just isn't cutting it anymore. I've planned my day out so I'm at 1500 calories and know I should eat back a portion of my exercise calories as well, but I have trained myself physically and mentally the past 4 months to only eat 1200 calories and am struggling with feeling guilty about eating more. I'm going to do it because I know I have to, but has anyone else had this issue and how did you get past it?

Thanks!

Replies

  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Yep. It's been ingraned in us that to lose weight you have to cut calories. CUT CUT CUT LOSE LOSE LOSE.

    It's hard to get out of that mind set.

    You are absolutely right though. You need to up your calories to start losing again.
  • kfuller27
    kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
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    Yeah, my Dad's solution was to exercise more and eat less. LOL! I shot him down immediately. I don't feel like I could possibly up my exercise any more than I have and definitely don't want to eat less.
  • misschoy
    misschoy Posts: 125 Member
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    I was in your shoes the last week or two. I ate 1200cals religiously, however I ate back my exercise calories. I got about halfway to my goal weight and stopped losing. I was stumped for 3-4 weeks at the same weight and the scale wasn't budging. I decided it was time to change things up, so I changed up my exercise routine (not by exercising more, just started C25K) and added more calories. I am now at 1450 calories a day. I changed up my goal on Sunday and by Saturday morning I lost 3.5lbs. No joke. Up your calories and eat those exercise calories back. I promise it will work. Good luck. :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    It's very hard to get past the "cut calories to lose" mindset. Trust me. It really is hard. We've had it ingrained in our brains that the ONLY way to drop weight is to cut our calories to a very restrictive level.
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    You shouldn't do 8 days of exercise without days off. It's not good for you. Your body isn't getting time to rest and recover. My trainer is constantly scolding me for going 5 days in a row. RELAX... it will be okay if you don't go to the gym 1 or 2 days a week. 5 is plenty!
  • gatorflyer
    gatorflyer Posts: 536 Member
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    I know exactly where your head is at. I've been thinking about this and I'm going to very soon be where you're at and I'm kind of dreading it because its been so ingrained about less calories = loss, that I'm not yet confident that eating more will equate to gaining more. I'm actually starting to slowly eat more calories, but just inching at the moment and I am curious with nervoous anticipation to see what will happen with my next weigh in. On the positive side, two weekends ago I ended up eating more calories than my restrictive amount and actually saw a tiny loss, but I don't know if that was because of the extra or other factors. Really curious to know how it goes for you.
  • kfuller27
    kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
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    You shouldn't do 8 days of exercise without days off. It's not good for you. Your body isn't getting time to rest and recover. My trainer is constantly scolding me for going 5 days in a row. RELAX... it will be okay if you don't go to the gym 1 or 2 days a week. 5 is plenty!

    In my defense, Friday I did about an hour of Just Dance 2 for the WII and Sunday I walked to the grocery store and back. So, they weren't intense gym days or anything, but I did get some form of exercise for 8 days in a row.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    I upped mine from around 1300 to 1500ish in the past week and a half and I'm losing more now. I was skeptical of it working, but the proof was in my weight dropping 2 lbs. last week. Try if for a week and see what happens.
  • kfuller27
    kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the positive comments! I am feeling better about this now.. hopefully it pays off!!
  • kel7298
    kel7298 Posts: 1,542 Member
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    I have the same mentality you do, tho I am trying really hard to get past it. When I first started MPF, I actually gained 2lbs. I have just now started to lose by eating back 1/2 my exercise calories.
  • ChattyNoSurrender
    ChattyNoSurrender Posts: 10 Member
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    You shouldn't do 8 days of exercise without days off. It's not good for you. Your body isn't getting time to rest and recover. My trainer is constantly scolding me for going 5 days in a row. RELAX... it will be okay if you don't go to the gym 1 or 2 days a week. 5 is plenty!

    Absolutely correct. I was training days in a row and gaining as opposed to losing...came to find out by researching & speaking to trainers, that your body needs time to recuperate! If you work it non stop & it does not have the energy required to fuel it, it will start storing fat as opposed to burning it!

    Work out one day, then rest for another. My trainer told me if I plateau again, stop for a whole week..shock your body. And as many mentionned, eat a little more. If this seems hard, you can also drink your calories, like a shake or soy milk + almonds after your workouts.

    You have done amazing, don't sweat a few pounds and remember the more you lose, the harder it gets!
  • kfuller27
    kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
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    You shouldn't do 8 days of exercise without days off. It's not good for you. Your body isn't getting time to rest and recover. My trainer is constantly scolding me for going 5 days in a row. RELAX... it will be okay if you don't go to the gym 1 or 2 days a week. 5 is plenty!

    Absolutely correct. I was training days in a row and gaining as opposed to losing...came to find out by researching & speaking to trainers, that your body needs time to recuperate! If you work it non stop & it does not have the energy required to fuel it, it will start storing fat as opposed to burning it!

    Work out one day, then rest for another. My trainer told me if I plateau again, stop for a whole week..shock your body. And as many mentionned, eat a little more. If this seems hard, you can also drink your calories, like a shake or soy milk + almonds after your workouts.

    You have done amazing, don't sweat a few pounds and remember the more you lose, the harder it gets!

    Thank you!! I had a really hard time upping my calories even to 1500 today and still only have a net calories of 500 after exercise. I don't know how I can possibly fit in another 700 calories since I have put in all of my meals already for the day. Maybe throw in a glass of milk with dinner or something. Why is this so hard to do when I used to stuff my face all day with no issues? lol!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    You shouldn't do 8 days of exercise without days off. It's not good for you. Your body isn't getting time to rest and recover. My trainer is constantly scolding me for going 5 days in a row. RELAX... it will be okay if you don't go to the gym 1 or 2 days a week. 5 is plenty!

    Absolutely correct. I was training days in a row and gaining as opposed to losing...came to find out by researching & speaking to trainers, that your body needs time to recuperate! If you work it non stop & it does not have the energy required to fuel it, it will start storing fat as opposed to burning it!


    Work out one day, then rest for another. My trainer told me if I plateau again, stop for a whole week..shock your body. And as many mentionned, eat a little more. If this seems hard, you can also drink your calories, like a shake or soy milk + almonds after your workouts.

    You have done amazing, don't sweat a few pounds and remember the more you lose, the harder it gets!


    I take a week off from the gym every 4-6 weeks or so. During those weeks, I also stop counting calories and such. Now. This doesn't mean I eat McDonald's or anything like that. I am just very easy going with myself that week. I always lose weight when I go back to the gym after my time "off"
  • salshere
    salshere Posts: 4
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    Agreeing with a couple of the other posts, I also hit that "wall" and stayed at the same weight for about 3 weeks, and yes, strange as it may seem, eating more worked! I upped my daily intake to between 1350 and 1500 and pushed myself a little bit harder at the gym 3 times a week. Lo and behold, have dropped nearly 3lbs this week.
    Good luck!
  • kfuller27
    kfuller27 Posts: 50 Member
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    Well, just as an update.. I upped my calories just a little and took 2 days off from the gym, and I've lost 2lbs! Crazy how our bodies work!

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