Assigned calories AND WEIGHT LOSS PROBLEM

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botography
botography Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I hope this is not a duplicate, my computer stopped cold. I also am venting,discouraged and ready to throw in the towel.

I am not getting anywhere. I have been assigned by MFP exactly 1,200 calories. I have been cautioned not to go below it. SO HOW CAN I END THE DAY BELOW MY CALORIE COUNT? And no matter which numbers or function I play with I end up with the system saying I will lose .5 pounds per week. I did have a choice and I asked for 1 pound. I cannot seem to manipulate the system. I notice some are getting to eat 1,500 - 2,000 calories a day with a 1-2 pound weight loss. HOW CAN I LOSE 1-2 POUNDS PER WEEK. ANYONE HELP WITH THIS. How can some eat more than me and lose more than me?

I take issue with the starvation mode below 1,200 calories. As my hubby bluntly puts it... THERE ARE NO FAT PEOPLE IN PRISON CAMPS. He can wear his wedding suit (after 45 years) so he does have a handle on diet and exercise. He suggests that i fast for a day and then eat as little as possible to get a new start. (I am not eating junk food - not with him around). My downfall was desserts and more desserts which I have cut out.

I do not like exercise. We do go for walks. We do do social dancing 4-5 times a week. I do not do the treadmill or the like because I find it boring. I have a 15 minute attention span anyway.

I am about to check out. Quit and go to a liquid diet, some plan with boxed meals, etc. I might even consider a third-world country. I want to get rid of 20-30 pounds.

You can see I am angry, venting. I want to to be 20 pounds lighter by Fall and haven't a clue how to do it. This is not working. Something is wrong with the equation FOR ME. I am healthy, no thyroid issues, etc. in case you might be thinking of having me check it out.

I would love to talk to someone who is having the same experience, perhaps overcome it and can give me some advice. My gut feeling, no pun intended, is to eat very very very less for a few days and see if the scale drops. At the same time increasing the activities I love to do.

Replies

  • NBabi91
    NBabi91 Posts: 270 Member
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    Well some people get to eat more and loss higher amounts of weight because they start the plan with a high weight. Someone starting a 300 pounds will get to eat more than someone starting at 180lbs. You should be able to change how many pounds a week in your settings under My Home.
  • JaycrazyRose
    JaycrazyRose Posts: 104 Member
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    It also depends on your exercise and actiivites. When you put them in the system it gives you additional calories to eat.
  • cautionista
    cautionista Posts: 1
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    first, don't give up!...everyone loses at a different base, each body is unique. men lose faster than women, because their physiology is different. how old you are impacts weight loss as well. After age 40, it is more challenging, but not impossible.

    Every step no matter how small, fuels a more positive direction.

    sometimes you do have to play with your diet and shock it into motion. such as one day with no sugar, or one day with no breads but only fresh vegetables and fruits with lean proteins. Maybe one day no meat, but proteins from legumes. 20 lbs by the fall. so we are looking at approx 2 2/3 months. That is more than doable.
    if you get bored with the treadmill, a liquid diet will put you in a coma. and you will only gain the weight back plus more.

    what about swimming...such as at a local pool or YMCA?

    do you drink alcohol? try cutting back for a few days. are you recording everything you eat? everything? that makes a huge difference.

    and then lastly perhaps the time of day you exercise. There has been a lot of research out there lately that indicates the morning is the best time to exercise.

    I am plugging for you! DON't GIVE UP!
  • Spayrroe
    Spayrroe Posts: 210 Member
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    I would suggest talking to a doctor. No, there aren't fat people at prison camps, but there are terribly malnourished people who come away with tons of health problems if they survive at all. Now, I had a trainer at my gym use their skippy Polar machine to give a full body break down for me and it turns out that my BMR is higher than what MFP sets it at. I also spoke with a nutritionist, and when I told her that I was trying to keep around 1200 cals per day because of wanting to go as low as possible without putting myself into starvation mode, she looked appalled. Because my weight is so much higher (and my BRM is higher), 1200 cals is terrible for me.

    Anyway, long and short of it is, I would really suggest consulting your physician about what is right for you. If you're smaller stature, then maybe you can go below 1200 cals per day without a problem, but a doctor can tell you much better than a website.

    Good luck! Sorry it's not going well for you, and I hope you do find a solution that's right for you.
  • beesareyellow
    beesareyellow Posts: 335 Member
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    I am set to lose 0.5 pounds a week and I get 1490 cals from MFP. I then also get to eat back my exercise calories ( anywhere between 200 to 800 per day). But, I only ever manage to eat back about half of them. So, on average, I have 1600 to 1900 cals per day. When I first started I made the mistake of setting my goal to 2 pounds a week, and ended up quitting in utter frustration shortly thereafter. I recommitted a couple of months later with my new goals, and the weight has been coming off steadily ever since. Lower you goal loss and give yourself enough time to get there. It took years for us to get to our overweight states, we are not going to fix this in a few short months. Good luck :)
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    It all depends on so many things but what are your height, weight to lose, current weight or BMI details

    TFR diets can have a role in weight loss but they have to be followed to the letter including the returning to food phase or you are likely to regain every ounce and then some. They are hard to stick to and very expensive too but with determination they can prove very successful, however the amount of people on the 3rd, 4th and even 5th go on them on another board I use speaks for itself, almost a case of easy come easy go or vice versa. Oh and many of the TFR diets have you stuck on 1200 calories as maintenance...and thats what you're already doing
  • HeatherFeather10
    HeatherFeather10 Posts: 92
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    MFP has set your calorie intake at 1200 so that if you were to do nothing you would lose .5 pounds a week - however you can lose more if you work out - just remember when you work out always to eat back the calories to at least 1200. Your body needs fuel, especially if you are dieting and excercising.
    Hope this makes sense.
  • irenerose25
    irenerose25 Posts: 41 Member
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    If you are assigned 1200 cals, that already factors in a deficit. So you don't need to go below 1200. Maybe try some strength training or like another suggested, switch up what you are eating? Good luck and I hope you don't give up!
  • botography
    botography Posts: 95 Member
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    I am not giving up. Thanks for the support. I just cannot figure out how the SYSTEM would assign anyone 1200 calories and then reward them for going under... and yet tell them not to go under. So and so finished the day under their calorie goal... not with 1200. That is issue one.
    The second part is eating back exercise. I am not an exercise person. I have an attention span of 15 minutes in general. And exercise about 2 minutes if that. I prefer yard work, house work, walking around malls. I want to get something done as I move around. I do not swim, petrified of water. I do square dance and ballroom dance 3 -6 times a week. Square dancing burns as much calories as fast walking, even more. SO MY POINT, IF I EXERCISE YOU WOULD BETTER KNOW I WILL NOT EAT IT BACK. IT IS TOO "UNFUN" FOR ME TO DO AND THEN GIVE UP TO FOOD. So I have to find a workaround. I lost . 5 last night. I accidentally ate 98 more calories yesterday.

    What I am trying to do is eat a variety of food everyday so I can keep up this diet. I do not eat beef, so I rely on fish mostly and eggs for protein. I eat salads and fruits as well. I eat a well balanced meal and I have cut out the desserts. My choices are good ones. I am not hungry anymore. I just think I am different than the system thinks I am. My doctor hasn't a clue, but we do have a hospital with a nutrition center which I think I will visit. It might cost but it might be worth it. Thanks all.
  • katetb
    katetb Posts: 2
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    I gotta chuckle that you are complaining that exercise is too boring for you. While I have worked hard to find exercise that I hate less than other forms, do you really think the rest of us love it? There are days when I force myself to go to the gym. I work out with a buddy because then there are less excuses.

    It does sound like you are getting in a workout with dancing - are you tracking that and then eating back part of those calories? I also get 1200 calories, but then I workout and get around 300, so I end up being under for the day, but I always eat at the very least those 1200. And the SYSTEM that you seem to be so angry at actually tells you not to eat under 1200 if you ever have a day when you eat less.
  • floatylight
    floatylight Posts: 7
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    You don't need to work out at the gymn or on a treadmill to burn calories so just go for the ones you enjoy such as walking and dancing.

    I find that my weight comes off a lot quicker if I walk to and from work each day (60 minutes in total). You said you like walking so maybe you could achieve this, even if you're just window shopping, or walking round a park etc it's still going to burn calories.

    MFP set my calories at 1340 per day to lose 1 pound per week but if I do 60 minutes walking 5 days per week and still stick (more or less) to 1340 (including eating back calories burnt from walking), then I tend to lose 2-3 pounds per week.
  • botography
    botography Posts: 95 Member
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    Yes, exercise is boring to me and I do understand I am not alone. I see so many people doing it and cannot understand how they can handle it and that includes my hubby who has exercised since he was 14 daily. I live with that ;-) I personally think he is nuts but I still love him.

    Let me get this straight........ I stick to 1200 calories... as assigned... I cannot seem to change that.... and then I exercise and eat back what I exercise and I will lose weight. Why not just eat 1200 calories in the first place and not exercise anything. Or is the exercise the reason for the weight loss?

    I am trying to make sense out of this. Is it the calories or the exercise and even that I DOUBT I WILL LOSE 2 POUNDS PER WEEK no matter what I do.

    I just don't want to be on a plan that does not work. I would rather figure out what does work, and so far I am losing some weight but it is anyones guess how this is working since it is erratic.

    I have three scales, and on any given morning they do not agree, and within 10 minutes they agree and then they don't agree. I cannot even trust the new scale(s). Don't ask everyone thinks I need a scale for a present.
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Weight loss is always erratic, and it seems that the more people you see and speak to, the more different unusual weight loss events you will here about. Believe me, the "system" here can work, but it's different for everyone. It can't force you to lose weight. It helps you to track your caloric intake and output - simple as that. I have to believe that the mfp "system" is, maybe set up so that you cannot go below 1200 calories as the minimum intake setting - I don't know this for sure, but that's my best guess. Are you putting in all of those "non-exercises" that you do? You obviously are active and are burning calories.
  • floatylight
    floatylight Posts: 7
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    Even when I don't execise, if I stick to the calories set by MFP then the weight comes off, it will work I'm sure, try it for at least 3 weeks and you will start to see your weight come off :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    OK, lets see if I can make sense of some of your concerns:

    MFP doesn't suggest a calorie goal lower than 1200. So, depending on your height, current weight, age and activity level you may not get a calorie goal below 1200. The people who are eating more are probably taller, larger, younger and have more weight to lose. It's not really fair, but that's the way our bodies work!
    1200 calories is a general recommendation - not everyone agrees with it, but my understanding is that if you are eating less calories than this, it is hard to get enough of all the right nutrients to keep your body healthy, and this can have longer term ramifications. If you aren't sure that this is the right amount of calories for you, then perahps you would be better getting personal advice from a nutritionist and not relying on a general tool like MFP.

    Everyone wants to lose weight fast, but we all know that it's not easy. If it was, we'd all be thin and wouldn't be here! Eating healthy food in the right quantities and moving around will get you there, it just might not be as fast as you'd like. Welcome to the club!

    Exercise is good for you for many reasons. It is good for your bones, your circulation, your heart, your metabolism and much much more. It's more about general health than losing weight. If you want to sit still all day and just count calories, you can certainly do that and still lose weight, it will just be slower and you might not be so healthy.

    You say you like to walk and dance - fantastic, that is exercise! You don't have to go to the gym, or run, or sweat it out in front of the latest DVD to be exercising.

    I know that it seems counterproductive to exercise and then eat those calories, but you have to understand that losing weight is (largely) about burning more calories than you consume. You need to create that calorie deficit - and you can do it by eating less, by exercising more or by a combination of both. If you are following MFP recommendations, logging your food and exercise reasonably accurately, then you will have a calorie deficit and will lose weight. You can eat back the calories you've burnt through exercise and still lose weight. How good is that??
    If you don't eat back the exercise calories then you are creating a bigger calorie deficit. For some people this isn't a problem and they lose weight quite happily but for a lot of others it creates a deficit that is just too big for your body to cope with and weight loss stalls.

    How about giving MFP a go, as it is set up? Eat the calories suggested (1200 per day), log the exercise that you are doing (walking and dancing) and eat these calories back. Give this a month or so and if you aren't losing weight, then it is time to start tweaking the system. If you don't try it you won't know how it works!

    Good luck.

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