Help - 1200 is tough, but I'm not really losing much weight!
ghealai
Posts: 9 Member
Please help!!!
I'm on 1200 and generally sticking to it. I do go over but its only really into my exercise cals - over a week I'm in the 'green'.
1200 is just about manageable most of the time but I find I can only do it if I skip breakfast - once I have my first meal of the day I just get more and more hungry. This seems to be regardless of what I eat or when. I've tried adding more fat and protein. Can't decide if its helping or not.
Plus, even though I seem to be hitting the 1200+/- and am still exercising regularly, I've only lost about 0.35kg a week.
TBH I'm getting a bit tetchy!
Is this just a hump I need to get over?!
I'm on 1200 and generally sticking to it. I do go over but its only really into my exercise cals - over a week I'm in the 'green'.
1200 is just about manageable most of the time but I find I can only do it if I skip breakfast - once I have my first meal of the day I just get more and more hungry. This seems to be regardless of what I eat or when. I've tried adding more fat and protein. Can't decide if its helping or not.
Plus, even though I seem to be hitting the 1200+/- and am still exercising regularly, I've only lost about 0.35kg a week.
TBH I'm getting a bit tetchy!
Is this just a hump I need to get over?!
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Replies
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What do you mean by you are not really losing much weight?0
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You seem to be losing at a great rate!0
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.35 kg is just under a pound, right? Your profile says you only have 17 pounds to lose, so that's right about where you should be. Any quicker and you risk losing muscle mass along with the fat (that may be happening now as well, depending on if you do strength training and have adequate protein intake).0
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If you are legitimately eating only 1,200 calories per day, you should be losing some weight. I would guess that you're not accurately eating 1,200, but either underestimating your food intake or overestimating your exercise burns or a combination of both. This may not be intentional on your part; we're all guilty of eyeballing and guessing. I don't know your stats or goals, but I'd wager that 1,200 is to low for you. You're struggling with it, skipping breakfast, and ready to throw in the towel. This is not something you can sustain. I'm eating just under 1,600 per day and still losing slowly. The winner is the one who can effectively eat the most, while still losing. Find that balance for yourself.0
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I will let others critique your calorie goals/weight loss problem. As for being hungry after your first meal of the day, I had this problem. I found that if I load up on carbs in the morning for my first meal I dont try to eat everything in sight. I eat a mini bagel or piece of toast to get the carbs up.0
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Agreed with everyone, you are losing at 0.5-1 lb/week, which is great for the last 20 lbs. But make sure you are doing some kind of total body resistance training and upping your protein because this is the stage when muscle loss escalates, with little fat left to lose.
What kind of deficit are you eating at wrt your TDEE?
ETA: As for your hunger problem, try some low calorie high volume foods like ridge gourd and bottle gourd.0 -
Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism. Also, try some HIIT training. The high intensity will help you burn calories all day long even when you're not doing anything. Keep it up and good luck.0
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I see lots of things happening. 1. How much are you going over on your daily intake? If it's 300-500 cals that could be the bust right there. Are you counting calories correctly? Are you counting your exercise correctly? 2. If you do the same exercise every day - day in/day out your body becomes accustomed to the routine and you will not see the same changes in body and weight loss as when you first started. You need to mix it up with another routine. If you run all the time try Zumba or another exercise that works other muscles. 3. 1200 cal's is tough to maintain, I don't know enough about you but you may be in a starvation mode and your body is holding on to every calorie just to maintain. 4. Spend calories wisely. Eat breakfast! Skipping it does more harm than good. The body needs fuel to function. A protein like Greek yogurt (non fat is 130 cal a cup) with berries or banana or granola with a little honey. It's filling and healthy intake of protein/vitamins. Drink Almond non fat milk (30 cals a cup) it's high in protein, low in fat and loaded with calcium. Drink water!! You do need some fat in your diet but take in healthy fats like avocado instead of mayo. Stay away from fatty meat, eat healthy proteins like chicken, fish, lean pork - not ham (ham has a lot of sodium). Measure everything and account for everything! Snacks are good because they help keep the metabolism going, but snack healthy - an apple/FF popcorn/low fat granola or protein bar. I'm sure you know a lot of this already, but sometimes reading it again will trigger an "Oh yeah, that's right I forgot" Hope this helps you and good luck!! : )0
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schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism.you may be in a starvation mode and your body is holding on to every calorie just to maintain.
Eat breakfast! Skipping it does more harm than good.
Snacks are good because they help keep the metabolism going
Nah.0 -
schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism. Also, try some HIIT training. The high intensity will help you burn calories all day long even when you're not doing anything. Keep it up and good luck.
Sorry but this isn't true. Meal timing has no effect on your metabolism.
I was the same way as the OP. I now push my breakfast off until 10am. I drink black coffee in the mornings until then and it has helped eliminate a snack that I was needing to get through the mornings.
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I see lots of things happening. 1. How much are you going over on your daily intake? If it's 300-500 cals that could be the bust right there. Are you counting calories correctly? Are you counting your exercise correctly? 2. If you do the same exercise every day - day in/day out your body becomes accustomed to the routine and you will not see the same changes in body and weight loss as when you first started. You need to mix it up with another routine. If you run all the time try Zumba or another exercise that works other muscles. 3. 1200 cal's is tough to maintain, I don't know enough about you but you may be in a starvation mode and your body is holding on to every calorie just to maintain. 4. Spend calories wisely. Eat breakfast! Skipping it does more harm than good. The body needs fuel to function. A protein like Greek yogurt (non fat is 130 cal a cup) with berries or banana or granola with a little honey. It's filling and healthy intake of protein/vitamins. Drink Almond non fat milk (30 cals a cup) it's high in protein, low in fat and loaded with calcium. Drink water!! You do need some fat in your diet but take in healthy fats like avocado instead of mayo. Stay away from fatty meat, eat healthy proteins like chicken, fish, lean pork - not ham (ham has a lot of sodium). Measure everything and account for everything! Snacks are good because they help keep the metabolism going, but snack healthy - an apple/FF popcorn/low fat granola or protein bar. I'm sure you know a lot of this already, but sometimes reading it again will trigger an "Oh yeah, that's right I forgot" Hope this helps you and good luck!! : )
1. She said she's in the green for the week
2. No it doesn't
3. Starvation mode doesn't exist, and she's losing anyway
4. There are people who do fine not eating breakfast or snacks, and your metabolism is going 24/7 until you die0 -
schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism. Also, try some HIIT training. The high intensity will help you burn calories all day long even when you're not doing anything. Keep it up and good luck.
Nope. It won't boost your metabolism. Breakfast is not mandatory.0 -
Hi everybody
Wow, thanks for such useful and speedy replies! Exactly whats needed when you start losing the will..
So firstly, diet and measuring calories: I'm weighing everything. I am a little more 'flexible' with salad items such as lettuce or cucumber - if for example I know a piece of cucumber in my salad weighs next to nothing, and will therefore have very few calories, I might not bother recording it. On the flip side, if its something potentially high cal and I don't have a precise weight for some reason I usually err on the side of caution and go for a higher estimate.
I was veggie for a few years and these days I don't eat much meat. I have started eating wafer thin chicken slices during the day. Think they help fill me and get the protein up. For fats, I am careful with cheese, but allow myself a bit and I've also started eating more nuts, to see if either help with hunger. The rest comes from milk and yoghurt mainly.
I've actually recently stopped drinking almond milk and moved back to normal milk, just a personal preference. I eat a lot of fruit and veg. Overall, I think I'm pretty lucky to have such a good diet really.
On the metabolism thing. I used to think breakfast was important for metabolism, but I don't believe that anymore. I usually cycle to work though and I do think that exercise generally does get me going a bit. Giving up breakfast is heartbreaking for me - its my favourite meal of the day! But something like a piece of toast would barely touch the sides, so I don't think its worth it. I've wondered about flipping the day and having a big (dinner style) meal in the morning, lunch at lunch time and breakfast at dinner time. I'm scared to try it though because if I get it wrong my cals will go through the roof!
With regard to exercise, I think I'm fairly realistic - I've used google to cover things not on MFP, or in the case of a gym machine I just record whatever the machine says. I realise they can't be accurate but they can't be off by much more than 50% I'm sure, so I think it must balance out over the week. Also, as I'm not aiming to eat back the cals, theres less of an incentive to overestimate. My exercise if fairly mixed between cardio and strength I think. It could always be better, but I can't spend all day doing it!
And on to the weight... I am delighted to have lost some, don't get me wrong. Someone suggested I was losing nearly a lb a week - its more like 3/4lb, so not too far off, and certainly not bad. I think perhaps its an issue of managing my expectations. When I started this whole 'dieting' thing and really started looking in to it all, I discovered that 1200 was the generally accepted healthy minimum for a woman, and according to various sources one could expect to lose 0.5kg (1lb) if one could stick to that. I knew it would be hard but I set myself a challenge! But here I am nearly 6 weeks in, exercising hard (as was usual for me before) and eating less than ever, and apparently plateauing already. So I suppose I'm just a little disappointed not to see more impressive results and TBH slightly concerned that I will forever need to be really diligent with myself just to maintain a borderline 'overweight' physique. In terms of losing muscle mass - I don't think I'm slim enough for it to be an issue yet, and I guess the weight will have to go from somewhere if I'm to get smaller overall... if that makes sense?!
Thanks again one and all, just have to wait and see...
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It's basic math, you will lose a lb/week at 1200 if you are in a 3500 calorie deficit by the end of the week, or a 500 calorie deficit every day, because 1 lb = 3500 cals. Which means your TDEE has to be 1700 for you to lose a lb/week at 1200 (1700-500=1200). If your TDEE is closer to 1450, you will lose 0.5 lb/week at 1200, and so forth.When I started this whole 'dieting' thing and really started looking in to it all, I discovered that 1200 was the generally accepted healthy minimum for a woman, and according to various sources one could expect to lose 0.5kg (1lb) if one could stick to that.
Losing muscle mass is always an issue; it's only less of a risk in people who are at the higher end of obese (who still do lose muscle, just not as much). At simply 'overweight', you are definitely losing LBM, and apart from not being healthy, this will also probably result in you not looking as 'tight' as you might want. Some form of resistance training is a must at all stages.In terms of losing muscle mass - I don't think I'm slim enough for it to be an issue yet, and I guess the weight will have to go from somewhere if I'm to get smaller overall... if that makes sense?!0 -
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Some weeks we just don't see much weight loss. It looks like this is going to be one of those weeks for me. I might have even gained weight this week, even though I've been at a deficit all week, with the growling stomach to prove it. But some weeks we lose more than we expect.0
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Agree with those saying breakfast is not needed. It has a name IF intermittent fasting. Keep going you are losing weight. Mark it down as success.
Play with macros a bit to help with your hunger. Try more fat and protein. then try more fiberous carbs. you said you eat veggies so you've got low cal fiber with those. Real dairy milk is a sugar/water mixture if it is skim or low fat.
Keep going you are doing great!0 -
GreenIceFloes wrote: »It's basic math, you will lose a lb/week at 1200 if you are in a 3500 calorie deficit by the end of the week, or a 500 calorie deficit every day, because 1 lb = 3500 cals. Which means your TDEE has to be 1700 for you to lose a lb/week at 1200 (1700-500=1200). If your TDEE is closer to 1450, you will lose 0.5 lb/week at 1200, and so forth.
"GreenIceFloes", thanks again for the input. I am aware of the maths. Thats kind of my point though - as far as I can see there is no good reason why I wouldnt be in sufficient deficit to be losing closer to a kilo a week. My estimate of my TDEE is between 1799 and 2145 depending on ones definition of 'active'. Perhaps I shouldn't be counting any activity that would be included in my 'normal' routine, as the TDEE calcs are already assuming a certain level of activity.
OP, it's been 1 week and you did lose weight, I'm not seeing the problem.
After 1 week you've already tried to make adjustments to your intake which isn't necessary. You need more patience.
And MrM27 - I don't know what you mean 'its been a week'
Thanks everyone else0 -
schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism. Also, try some HIIT training. The high intensity will help you burn calories all day long even when you're not doing anything. Keep it up and good luck.
absolute unadultered hogwash! Ignore this0 -
Nope to pretty much all that^^^^^I see lots of things happening. 1. How much are you going over on your daily intake? If it's 300-500 cals that could be the bust right there. Are you counting calories correctly? Are you counting your exercise correctly? 2. If you do the same exercise every day - day in/day out your body becomes accustomed to the routine and you will not see the same changes in body and weight loss as when you first started. You need to mix it up with another routine. If you run all the time try Zumba or another exercise that works other muscles. 3. 1200 cal's is tough to maintain, I don't know enough about you but you may be in a starvation mode and your body is holding on to every calorie just to maintain. 4. Spend calories wisely. Eat breakfast! Skipping it does more harm than good. The body needs fuel to function. A protein like Greek yogurt (non fat is 130 cal a cup) with berries or banana or granola with a little honey. It's filling and healthy intake of protein/vitamins. Drink Almond non fat milk (30 cals a cup) it's high in protein, low in fat and loaded with calcium. Drink water!! You do need some fat in your diet but take in healthy fats like avocado instead of mayo. Stay away from fatty meat, eat healthy proteins like chicken, fish, lean pork - not ham (ham has a lot of sodium). Measure everything and account for everything! Snacks are good because they help keep the metabolism going, but snack healthy - an apple/FF popcorn/low fat granola or protein bar. I'm sure you know a lot of this already, but sometimes reading it again will trigger an "Oh yeah, that's right I forgot" Hope this helps you and good luck!! : )
OP, it's been 1 week and you did lose weight, I'm not seeing the problem.
After 1 week you've already tried to make adjustments to your intake which isn't necessary. You need more patience.schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism. Also, try some HIIT training. The high intensity will help you burn calories all day long even when you're not doing anything. Keep it up and good luck.
Not true.
Listen to this though - because that right there, the part I bolded, is the only thing missing from your weight loss
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"GreenIceFloes", thanks again for the input. I am aware of the maths. Thats kind of my point though - as far as I can see there is no good reason why I wouldnt be in sufficient deficit to be losing closer to a kilo a week. My estimate of my TDEE is between 1799 and 2145 depending on ones definition of 'active'. Perhaps I shouldn't be counting any activity that would be included in my 'normal' routine, as the TDEE calcs are already assuming a certain level of activity.
True, only deliberate exercise calories should be counted. 'Normal' routine should be set in activity level only.0 -
OP, it's been 1 week and you did lose weight, I'm not seeing the problem.
After 1 week you've already tried to make adjustments to your intake which isn't necessary. You need more patience.
Listen to this though - because that right there, the part I bolded, is the only thing missing from your weight loss
Well, its been 6 weeks today not a week. But I take your point, thanks
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I am on 1200 and I started off with plateau of almost two weeks where nothing seemed to be happening. These last few weeks it has been melting off me. I discovered that in my case, the things that I was not measuring correctly were probably the problem as things came right as soon as I got a digital scale and measured everything that went in my mouth including all salad and veggies. Even cucumber and thin slices of chicken add up quickly on 1200. There are days where I have to skip a cup of coffee during the day (and I don't take sugar) to avoid it pushing me over the top - that is water, 30mls of milk and a spoonful of nescafe! Count it all, see where you actually stand.
I am of the "the stuff you eat and when you eat it doesn't matter" school of thought, as some days I eat a whole lot of crap (I had condensed milk for dinner last night) and still stay under calories, this has never impacted my weight loss, but on some days, too many carbs and junk does leave me feeling hungrier. I find that for me personally, more protein leads to more saiety, but I often ignore that to satisfy cravings. Hunger sucks, but it is not going to kill you. It really is not that bad to go to bed hungry once in a while. I no longer fear it, I actually feel smug about it. I like that a small feeling of discomfort no longer makes me lunge for the fridge. That feels like progress.
Don't fall for the "eat more to lose more" rubbish. That simply is not true. If you really must eat more, be ready to be satisfied with even slower weight loss.0 -
GreenIceFloes wrote: »
True, only deliberate exercise calories should be counted. 'Normal' routine should be set in activity level only.
Agreed. Its tricky to know what to count then I guess. Like the cycle to work - in or out? It is exercise, thats partly why I do it, then again I do it regularly... ahh decisions decisions!0 -
GreenIceFloes wrote: »
True, only deliberate exercise calories should be counted. 'Normal' routine should be set in activity level only.
Agreed. Its tricky to know what to count then I guess. Like the cycle to work - in or out? It is exercise, thats partly why I do it, then again I do it regularly... ahh decisions decisions!
Personally I'm set to sedentary and track my 'activity level' with my fitbit (simple Zip style, I don't agree with the HRMs ones and think they're just a marketing dream) .. I have negative calories enabled so I don't really care about my setting .. if I was guessing I'd probably put it around / just under active
I then track purposeful exercise with my HRM and overwrite the fitbit activity tracking
but the only way to be certain is judge your progress against your targets / data across 6-8 weeks, and adjust accordingly .. then do it again .. it's all estimates and what counts is what's happening in your body0 -
GreenIceFloes wrote: »
True, only deliberate exercise calories should be counted. 'Normal' routine should be set in activity level only.
Agreed. Its tricky to know what to count then I guess. Like the cycle to work - in or out? It is exercise, thats partly why I do it, then again I do it regularly... ahh decisions decisions!
I know what you mean. I've been at it for over a year and I still get confused sometimes.
The easiest way for me is to keep 'sedentary' as my activity level and just log everything (that counts) as exercise. 0 -
Well am 16.7 I was 31 stone about 4 years ago am now can't move my weight at all am only having 1100 cal a day and all I eat is 2 pieces toest with little paenut butter on then I have 2 chicken breast lettuce 2 cattorts some beetroot watercress half a bag and I do 20min boxing bag every morning 5sets off bend over rows then 5sets off dumb bells then 5sets of pulling bar two chin lol sorry don't know the name then every over day I do 50push ups and 5set of 8 pull ups but there the ones were you hold and go down slow to till I can do them and the app says it won't upload my cal count as it to low but to me I look like an getting fatter arrrrrrrrrrrrr
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hipeeps3010 wrote: »Well am 16.7 I was 31 stone about 4 years ago am now can't move my weight at all am only having 1100 cal a day and all I eat is 2 pieces toest with little paenut butter on then I have 2 chicken breast lettuce 2 cattorts some beetroot watercress half a bag and I do 20min boxing bag every morning 5sets off bend over rows then 5sets off dumb bells then 5sets of pulling bar two chin lol sorry don't know the name then every over day I do 50push ups and 5set of 8 pull ups but there the ones were you hold and go down slow to till I can do them and the app says it won't upload my cal count as it to low but to me I look like an getting fatter arrrrrrrrrrrrr
have you been on a calorie defecit at 1100 calories a day for 4 years?0 -
schrinerdc wrote: »Never ever ever ever skip breakfast. Eating in the morning will help boost your metabolism.
Wrong. I hardly ever eat breakfast, not more than coffee.0 -
Even though I seem to be hitting the 1200+/- and am still exercising regularly, I've only lost about 0.35kg a week.
Read the Sexypants post. So much good "how-to" information: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. (.25kg) per week for every 25 lbs. (10kg) you're overweight.0
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