56 days at 1200 calories

Options
VeeJF
VeeJF Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
and I've lost 5 pounds??? I almost cried when I got off the scale. I'm not cheating-- most days I'm slightly under 1200 calories, a few days over, but not by much. During this time I haven't had time to go out and walk, but when I can (and I know I need to clear time for it) I power walk for 35 minutes and then another 10 to cool down. When I was walking consistently the scale stayed put anyway. Now that I'm officially counting calories I realize that I'm really not eating much less than I ever did. I've had bloodwork that shows it's not my thyroid, and all my other blood levels/counts are normal. I'm post-menopause, take bio-identical estrogen and progesterone, have a desk job, and am about 30+ pounds overweight. I get so frustrated seeing people eat SO much more food than I could ever think of, yet have no weight problem. Aside from starting to walk again (my schedule is very, very full) does anyone have an idea why my scale is stuck, and has this happened to you? I see people losing so much weight when they start counting, but my experience from the start seems more typical of the plateau people experience at the END of their dieting periods. I'm afraid to eat more to stave off my body thinking it's in starvation mode because I know I'll just gain weight. I'm so frustrated!

Replies

  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    Options
    Have your measurements changed? Does your fat feel different? When I was eating 1200 calories a day the scale was going down by half a pound a week, but my fat started to feel really squishy. It was really weird. I bumped up my calories for a few days, then brought them back down, and lost a bunch of weight over the next two weeks. Maybe you're experiencing something like that?
  • csteuter
    csteuter Posts: 87 Member
    Options
    Experiencing the same thing. 2 months at 1200 calories and not much happening at the pace I want it to. It's frustrating to see so many others losing 15-20 pounds with the same amount of effort, and I just feel "stuck".
  • seamsstressed
    seamsstressed Posts: 1
    Options
    I agree krunshymama. I take one day every two or three weeks and increase my calories by 600 or 700 calories. It's not a free for all. I count everything. This seems to help the scale move.
  • sammycee15
    sammycee15 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    I've been eating 1200 calories for about 90 days. The first two months that I was doing it I had similar effects, I was seeing quick results at the beginning but then it started to go down incrementally. But honestly it depends on the workouts you have to do. For the last 30 days I've been doing 50 min exercises during lunch time, at least 3 Zumba classes per week, and then throwing in a yoga or something. I've gained weight as in I've gained muscle but I already am two dress sizes down.
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    Options
    VeeJF wrote: »
    and I've lost 5 pounds??? I almost cried when I got off the scale. I'm not cheating-- most days I'm slightly under 1200 calories, a few days over, but not by much. During this time I haven't had time to go out and walk, but when I can (and I know I need to clear time for it) I power walk for 35 minutes and then another 10 to cool down. When I was walking consistently the scale stayed put anyway. Now that I'm officially counting calories I realize that I'm really not eating much less than I ever did. I've had bloodwork that shows it's not my thyroid, and all my other blood levels/counts are normal. I'm post-menopause, take bio-identical estrogen and progesterone, have a desk job, and am about 30+ pounds overweight. I get so frustrated seeing people eat SO much more food than I could ever think of, yet have no weight problem. Aside from starting to walk again (my schedule is very, very full) does anyone have an idea why my scale is stuck, and has this happened to you? I see people losing so much weight when they start counting, but my experience from the start seems more typical of the plateau people experience at the END of their dieting periods. I'm afraid to eat more to stave off my body thinking it's in starvation mode because I know I'll just gain weight. I'm so frustrated!

    Can you open your food diary so we can have a look ? How are you logging your exercise ?
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Options
    Are you weighing your food? And logging every day?

    In two months you should definitely be seeing some losses if you're truly at 1200 calories. If you're trying to lose 30 pounds, you should be set to lose 0.5-1 pound per week, so you could eat more if you wanted :)

  • lindsayh87
    lindsayh87 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    If you're pretty sedentary - desk job - I'd say you should definitely try to find more ways to get active. And make sure that your cheat days don't outweigh your whole week. 1lb = 3500 calories above or below your TDEE. Do some math and see what's up. And make sure you are counting everything - coffee cream and even that handful of peanuts from the dish. Little things like that make a HUGE difference! I couldn't believe how many calories I was racking up grabbing a bite of my kids snacks throughout the day until I started counting them! Make sure you absolutely measure everything. Not just eyeball it. If you can, weigh it, but if nothing else, use a measuring cup/spoon. Good luck!! You can do this!!
  • jojo4613
    jojo4613 Posts: 18 Member
    Options
    Five pounds in two months isn't bad. It is a little over 1/2 lb per week, right? If you want to lose more you will need to increase your bodies energy expenditure. My daughter bought me an UP bracelet for Christmas. Wearing it has made me acutely aware of how much more I needed to move. At the end of a busy day I would come home and relax in front of the tv. After getting the bracelet, I realized thst busy day was mostly mental hustle. So niw, i dont stop moving until my calories are at a deficit.

    I recommend weight training to increase muscle mass and energy expenditure.

    I am also post menopausal and understand the frustration of a scale you want to move more quickly.
  • languageSteph
    languageSteph Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Grains are diff for everyone, but when I eat them my weight loss seriously slows down, not just wheat, even rice. I dont exclude them, but eat super small portions when.I do. I guess I am saying, what does your 1200 consist of. My stats are.deceiving cause.they dont show 20 pounds I lost 12 years ago, and although I lost more, they come back when I eat too many grains. Everytime. Just a thought
  • languageSteph
    languageSteph Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    languageSteph wrote: »
    Grains are diff for everyone, but when I eat them my weight loss seriously slows down, not just wheat, even rice. I dont exclude them, but eat super small portions when.I do. I guess I am saying, what does your 1200 consist of. My stats are.deceiving cause.they dont show 20 pounds I lost 12 years ago, and although I lost more, they come back when I eat too many grains. Everytime. Just a thought

    20 I lost and havr gained back, to clarify


Categories