What am I doing wrong? Less than 16 lbs lost in 4 months (pics)
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You look fabulous! Even in your "updated" photos. If you are eating only 900 calories a day and you are exercising, your body is going into starvation mode where it will hold onto every calorie that it can. Especially women's bodies "like" to have a bit of fat stored so that will be the last thing your body gives up. You will also end up losing muscle because it requires less energy for your body to burn muscle tissue for energy than it does burning fat for energy. If you truly want to build muscle and be lean and toned, bring up your calories and add protein. I am just starting and have a long way to go but I have a background in biology so I do know something about this :-) Good luck and be healthy, no matter what weight you are at!0
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You will likely never look like pictures of fitness models in your daily life, because not even they look like that all the time. Honestly, consuming 900 calories/day sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder to me; you should never go below 1200. If you want to gain muscle and achieve a "hard" body, you need to eat MORE.0
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mellowcoton wrote: »You will likely never look like pictures of fitness models in your daily life, because not even they look like that all the time. Honestly, consuming 900 calories/day sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder to me; you should never go below 1200. If you want to gain muscle and achieve a "hard" body, you need to eat MORE.
The above in bold is exactly correct. Even fitness models don't look like they do in their photos. The day of a shoot they're typically dehydrated to near dangerous levels, dressed up, made up, and may even have muscle definition airbrushed onto their bodies.
Then of course, they may also photoshopped to further alter their appearance in post-processing.0 -
Thanks for the advice, people! I think I'll try me best from now on to always reach 1200. Well, at least for a week or so, then I'll look at the result in inches and weight.0
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Eat a little more, keep lifting, ignore the scale. You'll reach your goal.0
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To further amplify: http://www.mikemahler.com/online-library/articles/fat-loss/why-you-dont-look-like-a-fitness-model.htmlPeachyPlum wrote: »Even fitness models don't look like they do in their photos. The day of a shoot they're typically dehydrated to near dangerous levels, dressed up, made up, and may even have muscle definition airbrushed onto their bodies.Then of course, they may also photoshopped to further alter their appearance in post-processing.
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Because the body doesn't stabilize in response to changes that quickly.DeguelloTex wrote: »A week isn't enough time to be able to make a judgment.
Why so?
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PeachyPlum wrote: »mellowcoton wrote: »You will likely never look like pictures of fitness models in your daily life, because not even they look like that all the time. Honestly, consuming 900 calories/day sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder to me; you should never go below 1200. If you want to gain muscle and achieve a "hard" body, you need to eat MORE.
The above in bold is exactly correct. Even fitness models don't look like they do in their photos. The day of a shoot they're typically dehydrated to near dangerous levels, dressed up, made up, and may even have muscle definition airbrushed onto their bodies.
Then of course, they may also photoshopped to further alter their appearance in post-processing.
Definitely agree with this! You are going to need to eat more, and learn to ignore the scale. If you want tight, strong muscles (obviously, without steroid use), I'm pretty sure you're going to weigh more than 115 lbs. Simple fact, gaining muscle mass does not mean lower pounds on a scale -- it means more! If your goal is to have a muscular body, you need to seriously be rethinking your daily calorie intake and start rethinking your target weight.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »Because the body doesn't stabilize in response to changes that quickly.
I mean, I'll see if i gain weight/inches. I know I may not lose them in such short period.
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DeguelloTex wrote: »Because the body doesn't stabilize in response to changes that quickly.
I mean, I'll see if i gain weight/inches. I know I may not lose them in such short period.
Bad idea, if you increase your calories we would expect a little bump up on the scale just due to having more food in your system and more water in your system. That does not negate that in order to be healthy it is ESSENTIAL that you eat more. 1200 is a bare minimum for that. There is NO WAY you will gain actual fat on 1200 kcals/day.
I also think that you are at a healthy weight and look good. How distressing are you finding your current shape? Is it keeping you from doing things in your life?
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A week isn't enough time to know that what you've eaten that week is the cause of that gain. Or whether that gain is anything more than transient in the first place.DeguelloTex wrote: »Because the body doesn't stabilize in response to changes that quickly.
I mean, I'll see if i gain weight/inches. I know I may not lose them in such short period.
Eat more for a week.
"Oh, hell, look how much I gained."
Drop way back down in calories for a week.
"Sweet, look how much i lost."
It may well be the case that that weight would have gone away anyway, even on the higher calorie target.
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LovelyIvy466 wrote: »You look great, and that's what, half a pound a week or so? Seems right on track for sustainable long-term weight loss.
ETA: The info in the post indicates that you lost 16 lbs, not 9, which is 1 pound a week and freakin phenomenal. You are doing great, and could definitely eat more if you are only eating 900 calories a day. THAT is not sustainable at all, and dangerous to boot. Hard to get adequate nutrition at that level.
Oh, my mistake. 16 lbs in 4 months is not really a great progress, as for me... I don't starve myself, I don't even know why I get so little calories. I just enjoy salads and the mere fact of giving up on cakes and sausages has brought me to that 900/healthy_life2015 wrote: »You may be wrong about your start weight - it sounds like you didn't actually weigh yourself on Jan 1 so you may have been more than 65. I say this because you've lost over 4 inches in your waist, and usually an inch is roughly 5 lb.
You should be eating at least 1200 calories a day - i hope you are underestimating because 900 is just not enough
Well, I didn't weigh myself, you are right, I was just judging on the photo. 2 years ago I looked like this and had 65, so I assumed I had the same in January.
I know I have to eat 1200 but should I make myself eat something if I don't feel hungry? I'm not sure about that.
16 pounds in 4 months is FANTASTIC progress! To put this into perspective: I weigh 50 pounds more than you, and I haven't even lost 16 pounds in the past SIX months!
As for eating more...add in a couple more calorie-dense items to your day to bring you up to 1200. Yogurt and peanut butter are excellent for that.0 -
girlviernes wrote: »
Bad idea, if you increase your calories we would expect a little bump up on the scale just due to having more food in your system and more water in your system. That does not negate that in order to be healthy it is ESSENTIAL that you eat more. 1200 is a bare minimum for that. There is NO WAY you will gain actual fat on 1200 kcals/day.
I also think that you are at a healthy weight and look good. How distressing are you finding your current shape? Is it keeping you from doing things in your life?
I'm thinking that my way of life doesn't require energy at all. As I have previously said, I spend 15 hours a day motionlessly at the desk, weekends included. So may it be that my body doesn't requite a lot of calories and bare minimum is quite enough?
Yeah, I don't find myself beautiful and I want to become better. It doesn't keep me from doing things, but I work with models all the time and can't stop myself from comparing)0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »A week isn't enough time to know that what you've eaten that week is the cause of that gain. Or whether that gain is anything more than transient in the first place.
Eat more for a week.
"Oh, hell, look how much I gained."
Drop way back down in calories for a week.
"Sweet, look how much i lost."
It may well be the case that that weight would have gone away anyway, even on the higher calorie target.
Then how do I know I'm doing the right thing?0 -
16 pounds in 4 months is FANTASTIC progress! To put this into perspective: I weigh 50 pounds more than you, and I haven't even lost 16 pounds in the past SIX months!
As for eating more...add in a couple more calorie-dense items to your day to bring you up to 1200. Yogurt and peanut butter are excellent for that.
I'm afraid if i get a peanut butter pack in my hands I won't stop until it's empty
Is youghurt calorie-dense? I thought it's quite light on calories 0 -
girlviernes wrote: »
Bad idea, if you increase your calories we would expect a little bump up on the scale just due to having more food in your system and more water in your system. That does not negate that in order to be healthy it is ESSENTIAL that you eat more. 1200 is a bare minimum for that. There is NO WAY you will gain actual fat on 1200 kcals/day.
I also think that you are at a healthy weight and look good. How distressing are you finding your current shape? Is it keeping you from doing things in your life?
I'm thinking that my way of life doesn't require energy at all. As I have previously said, I spend 15 hours a day motionlessly at the desk, weekends included. So may it be that my body doesn't requite a lot of calories and bare minimum is quite enough?
Yeah, I don't find myself beautiful and I want to become better. It doesn't keep me from doing things, but I work with models all the time and can't stop myself from comparing)
Taking a guess at your height, but......
Your TDEE (what it takes to maintain your current weight at your current activity level) = 1600-1700 cals.
Your BMR (what would sustain you in a coma) = 1300-1400.
You should be a lot closer to 1500 cals than eating less than my 6 year old does.
What it sounds like to meat your goals is to throw the scale away, eat closer to maintenance, do some cardio if you like it and get on a solid lifting program. The scale can be a poor way to judge progress when you don't have much to lose, especially if you're looking for aesthetic changes. Trust the tape measure and the mirror.0 -
girlviernes wrote: »
Bad idea, if you increase your calories we would expect a little bump up on the scale just due to having more food in your system and more water in your system. That does not negate that in order to be healthy it is ESSENTIAL that you eat more. 1200 is a bare minimum for that. There is NO WAY you will gain actual fat on 1200 kcals/day.
I also think that you are at a healthy weight and look good. How distressing are you finding your current shape? Is it keeping you from doing things in your life?
I'm thinking that my way of life doesn't require energy at all. As I have previously said, I spend 15 hours a day motionlessly at the desk, weekends included. So may it be that my body doesn't requite a lot of calories and bare minimum is quite enough?
Yeah, I don't find myself beautiful and I want to become better. It doesn't keep me from doing things, but I work with models all the time and can't stop myself from comparing)
Basically, it takes a lot of energy just to keep the body alive each day. So, for example, it takes a lot of energy to run your brain, your heart, etc. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of Calories you burn just by being alive (so if you were in a coma and in bed all day you would burn this much. For most of us, the MAJORITY of what we burn is just the day to day living, and exercise or being physically active only adds a small amount to that. Being young and 5'4" your BMR is certainly above 1200 kcals per day. That is why I say there is no way you will gain fat eating that amount.
I think you are going to have to work very hard to keep your head on straight given the industry you work in. It is very hard to keep ourselves from making comparisons, and you are in an industry that is also constantly judging bodies and even the models I'm sure often have tons of insecurities. I think it is super critical that you keep a list of things that matter to you in life and continue check in with yourself that you are making contributions in those areas (e.g., relationships, volunteer work, spirituality, health, adventure, education, finances, etc) and keep an eye on whether your focus on weight and shape ends up getting in the way of those things. I'm just a little bit concerned and you work in a tough industry! Good luck!
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girlviernes wrote: »
Bad idea, if you increase your calories we would expect a little bump up on the scale just due to having more food in your system and more water in your system. That does not negate that in order to be healthy it is ESSENTIAL that you eat more. 1200 is a bare minimum for that. There is NO WAY you will gain actual fat on 1200 kcals/day.
I also think that you are at a healthy weight and look good. How distressing are you finding your current shape? Is it keeping you from doing things in your life?
I'm thinking that my way of life doesn't require energy at all. As I have previously said, I spend 15 hours a day motionlessly at the desk, weekends included. So may it be that my body doesn't requite a lot of calories and bare minimum is quite enough?
Yeah, I don't find myself beautiful and I want to become better. It doesn't keep me from doing things, but I work with models all the time and can't stop myself from comparing)
Taking a guess at your height, but......
Your TDEE (what it takes to maintain your current weight at your current activity level) = 1600-1700 cals.
Your BMR (what would sustain you in a coma) = 1300-1400.
You should be a lot closer to 1500 cals than eating less than my 6 year old does.
What it sounds like to meat your goals is to throw the scale away, eat closer to maintenance, do some cardio if you like it and get on a solid lifting program. The scale can be a poor way to judge progress when you don't have much to lose, especially if you're looking for aesthetic changes. Trust the tape measure and the mirror.
This is good advice. If you do want that fitness and stronger look, you'll also need to be lifting and eating at least a small surplus so that you can gain muscle.
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Taking a guess at your height, but......
Your TDEE (what it takes to maintain your current weight at your current activity level) = 1600-1700 cals.
Your BMR (what would sustain you in a coma) = 1300-1400.
You should be a lot closer to 1500 cals than eating less than my 6 year old does.
What it sounds like to meat your goals is to throw the scale away, eat closer to maintenance, do some cardio if you like it and get on a solid lifting program. The scale can be a poor way to judge progress when you don't have much to lose, especially if you're looking for aesthetic changes. Trust the tape measure and the mirror.
I'm 5'4 if it helps. I will be trusting the tape measure more in the future, though that today's weighing really shocked me. I was expecting to see something like 56, as that is the way I feel. I was wrong and that made me sad(0 -
You don't have much to lose and you've been losing 1 lb a week. That's pretty good.0
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Thank you very much for the support!girlviernes wrote: »
Basically, it takes a lot of energy just to keep the body alive each day. So, for example, it takes a lot of energy to run your brain, your heart, etc. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of Calories you burn just by being alive (so if you were in a coma and in bed all day you would burn this much. For most of us, the MAJORITY of what we burn is just the day to day living, and exercise or being physically active only adds a small amount to that. Being young and 5'4" your BMR is certainly above 1200 kcals per day. That is why I say there is no way you will gain fat eating that amount.
I think you are going to have to work very hard to keep your head on straight given the industry you work in. It is very hard to keep ourselves from making comparisons, and you are in an industry that is also constantly judging bodies and even the models I'm sure often have tons of insecurities. I think it is super critical that you keep a list of things that matter to you in life and continue check in with yourself that you are making contributions in those areas (e.g., relationships, volunteer work, spirituality, health, adventure, education, finances, etc) and keep an eye on whether your focus on weight and shape ends up getting in the way of those things. I'm just a little bit concerned and you work in a tough industry! Good luck!
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Lose another 5 kg, why not. But take it easy, where's the fire? So you'll lose weight a little slower at 1200-1300 calories, big deal. It's not a race. But start a progressive lifting program like Stronglifts 5x5, if you haven't already. You should minimize muscle loss while you are still losing weight. Plus a program like that would help you lose fat too. And you'll definitely get some muscle through noob gains, which are always fun. If this really is about health and fitness and not just the way you look, then you will realize that taking it a little slower is the right thing to do. You are possibly depriving your body of nutrients, and getting healthy, fit and muscular does not happen like that.
ETA: Also, body fat percentage > measuring tape > weighing scale
Good luck!0 -
Taking a guess at your height, but......
Your TDEE (what it takes to maintain your current weight at your current activity level) = 1600-1700 cals.
Your BMR (what would sustain you in a coma) = 1300-1400.
You should be a lot closer to 1500 cals than eating less than my 6 year old does.
What it sounds like to meat your goals is to throw the scale away, eat closer to maintenance, do some cardio if you like it and get on a solid lifting program. The scale can be a poor way to judge progress when you don't have much to lose, especially if you're looking for aesthetic changes. Trust the tape measure and the mirror.
I'm 5'4 if it helps. I will be trusting the tape measure more in the future, though that today's weighing really shocked me. I was expecting to see something like 56, as that is the way I feel. I was wrong and that made me sad(
That's a big problem. You are saying that you felt good about yourself and now that you have seen a number on your scale you don't feel good about yourself anymore. That, despite multiple people on this thread saying that you look great and clearly don't need to lose weight. That's disordered thinking.
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A pound a week is pretty much perfect weight loss for someone as small as you right now, it's actually rather speedy. In high school you hadn't finished puberty yet, you probably won't look the same even if you hit 115. I reached my high school weight as an adult and it wasn't the same at all.
But I totally understand wanting to change the way your body looks. You need to eat substantially more and at the same time get fitter. You say you want muscles but you won't get there at 900 calories a day. I think what you are looking for is "body recomposition" or recomp. I don't know anything about that since I've been obese and in weight loss only mode for years, but a lot of people around here do.0 -
Taking a guess at your height, but......
Your TDEE (what it takes to maintain your current weight at your current activity level) = 1600-1700 cals.
Your BMR (what would sustain you in a coma) = 1300-1400.
You should be a lot closer to 1500 cals than eating less than my 6 year old does.
What it sounds like to meat your goals is to throw the scale away, eat closer to maintenance, do some cardio if you like it and get on a solid lifting program. The scale can be a poor way to judge progress when you don't have much to lose, especially if you're looking for aesthetic changes. Trust the tape measure and the mirror.
I'm 5'4 if it helps. I will be trusting the tape measure more in the future, though that today's weighing really shocked me. I was expecting to see something like 56, as that is the way I feel. I was wrong and that made me sad(
Reading comp fail....
So you were upset you lost 9lbs instead of 18 in the passed 4 months....even though you felt like you did?0 -
GreenIceFloes wrote: »Lose another 5 kg, why not. But take it easy, where's the fire? So you'll lose weight a little slower at 1200-1300 calories, big deal. It's not a race. But start a progressive lifting program like Stronglifts 5x5, if you haven't already. You should minimize muscle loss while you are still losing weight. Plus a program like that would help you lose fat too. And you'll definitely get some muscle through noob gains, which are always fun. If this really is about health and fitness and not just the way you look, then you will realize that taking it a little slower is the right thing to do. You are possibly depriving your body of nutrients, and getting healthy, fit and muscular does not happen like that.
ETA: Also, body fat percentage > measuring tape > weighing scale
Good luck!
Yes, Professor! I'll look it up, the Stronglifts you say. Though I'm quite limited with my exercises as I have no access to the gym and work out at home.0 -
That's a big problem. You are saying that you felt good about yourself and now that you have seen a number on your scale you don't feel good about yourself anymore. That, despite multiple people on this thread saying that you look great and clearly don't need to lose weight. That's disordered thinking.
Well, I can't just switch my thinking, can I...
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