Advice to help frustration!

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dele27n
dele27n Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else get the same thing?
Yesterday I ate just over 1100 calories and I burnt 1,250. Jump on the scales and I've put 1.4lb on! Nothing more disheartening. I burn around 600 5 days a week I stick to the calorie goal 99% already lost 3stone but this seems to be getting more regular and weight loss slowing down. Still 37lbs to go. Any help appreciated

Replies

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    Why are you eating only 1100 calories? And do you mean you did 1250 calories worth of exercise on top of that?

    There are more comfortable ways to do this.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    Firstly, that 1.4lbs will be water weight. We all fluctuate day to day, it's perfectly normal. Unless you're absolutely terrible at counting calories and somehow managed to eat an extra 1,400 calories on top of your maintenance, it's not fat!

    Secondly, as @melonaulait said, why are you eating 1100 calories? And when you say 1250, what do you mean? Calories burnt through exercise, or in total?
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
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    My loss is slowing down as I get nearer to healthy weight. I was losing 2 lbs a week regularly. Now it's down to 1.5. And I'm assuming it might drop to 1. I decided that the best way to look at it is that I'm gliding into maintenance mode rather than doing a crash landing.

    In reality, I'm on day 75 and I'm guessing that I'm not as vigilant with portion control. I'm not sure I believe my own gliding story. haha*
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    I have felt the same frustration with the scales in the past. Especially when I have been under eating and exercising a lot as you have. How dare those scales go up! Two things.

    First, trust the math. You could be way way off in your calorie estimations and still not get anywhere near the 4900 calories over maintenance that it would take to gain 1.4lbs. It HAS to be water retention.

    Second, if you can, slow down. IMHO, you are doing too much suffering for the cause. It's no wonder you are pissed when the scales don't move. If you are anything like me, sooner or later your body is going to rebel, and you are going to binge. I'm dieting slowly for the first time ever, and loving it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    I am confused. Are you saying that your net intake for the day was negative 50 calories??????
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am confused. Are you saying that your net intake for the day was negative 50 calories??????

    this^ major bad to let this happen - you need to fuel your body if your going to work out so aggressively
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    If you are going to stress out over daily fluctuations, try weighing yourself only once a week.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am confused. Are you saying that your net intake for the day was negative 50 calories??????

    this^ major bad to let this happen - you need to fuel your body if your going to work out so aggressively

    I would be highly suspicious of a 1250 calorie burn ..

    OP - what exercise were you doing when you recorded this burn, and what did you use to record it?
  • kat_princess12
    kat_princess12 Posts: 109 Member
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    Slowing down as your weight loss progresses is normal. Nothing to worry about. Do you weigh yourself daily, or weekly? Weighing daily can be discouraging as you'll see fluctuations from water weight and such (as already pointed out by others). Weighing weekly or every other week gives a better idea of your actual progress.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am confused. Are you saying that your net intake for the day was negative 50 calories??????

    this^ major bad to let this happen - you need to fuel your body if your going to work out so aggressively

    I would be highly suspicious of a 1250 calorie burn ..

    OP - what exercise were you doing when you recorded this burn, and what did you use to record it?

    Agreed. That was my first thought. Interested to see if OP answers these questions.

    OP, even if you DID burn that many calories in one day weight loss will NOT show up the next day. It takes a while. The less you have to lose the slower the process becomes.
  • dele27n
    dele27n Posts: 38 Member
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    I burnt 1250 calories by hour and half swimming, 2 hours in the gym and walking. I ate just over 1100 calories equalling -50. I only do this around once a fortnight. I am confused now as I was under the impression that you stick to the calories without eating what you burn???? Could it be I'm effectively starving my Body? Thanks for advice
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    If you are truly working out 3 1/2 hours in a day and only eating 1100 calories, you are not eating enough. You should be eating a minimum of 1200 calories a day and eat back the calories you burn from hard exercise. If I only ate 1100 calories in a day, I would have a hard time walking on a treadmill let alone working out for hours. Your body requires fuel to function. However, that alone would not cause you to gain weight. It is more likely normal water fluctuations. Plus, inaccurate food logging and overestimating calorie burn could be a culprit as well. Do you weigh your food to get a true picture of your calorie intake? Are you swimming laps nonstop, participating in a water class vigorously or just splashing around in the pool with your kids for 90 minutes. Those would burn about 900, 500 and no different than any other normal activity in that order.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    This is a good start and will help answer many of your questions about eating back your exercise calories:

    http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I echo the other advice to eat enough. The base calories is to fuel your body; to keep the lights on as it were. You should have eaten 1,200 calories plus eaten your exercise calories back. Eating enough should reduce some frustration.

    Second of all, you can't let a single weight reading derail you. Use a tracker like weightgrapher to show you the TREND line. It's the TREND that matters as you can go up and down in water weight all day. I'm assuming you want to lose FAT, which does go down if you eat at a deficit. Doesn't always show right away.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    You should really try to stick to a moderate deficit at all times. I know people think "if I burn more - I'll lose more!" No. Unfortunately not. I am 5'4, 167# and was eating about 1100-1200 calories/day and burning an extra 500 through exercise and saw NO loss until I started adjusting my intake based on my workouts. I make sure to only have a 500-600cal deficit per day... and now I'm losing. You have to fuel your workouts. Now I eat anywhere between 1400-1700 depending on my workout and still consistently losing. Good luck! Also.. I find weighing and measuring everything has really helped so i'm not over estimating my calories (not sure if you're doing that or not). I see fluctuations pretty much all week and it always balances back out.
  • dele27n
    dele27n Posts: 38 Member
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    Thanks very much for the advice most appreciated

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