Not losing weight on a 1100 calorie diet

Im on an 1100 calorie diet have been eating very healthy and doing an hour and a half of my elyptical bike every day and have only lost three pounds in two weeks i keep staying the same how is this possible ?? Im eating properly and getting very dicouraged! And yes drinking water and green tea alot

Replies

  • rkcampbell
    rkcampbell Posts: 188 Member
    1.5 lbs per week is a great rate. I wish I was losing at that rate. Although, I'd personally be starving everyday at 1100 calories. You're certainly not fueling your body properly, especially if you're working out as hard as you say.
  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 548 Member
    If you've lost 3 lbs in two weeks, then you are losing weight...

    3 lbs is GREAT, btw! No need to be feeling discouraged.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    How much did you expect to lose in 2 weeks???
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    That is a great rate to lose it, well done :)

    The problem seems to be your understanding of a healthy weight loss.

    What height are you?
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    You are losing at a very good rate. Take deep breaths. 1.5 is very respectable. Most people find themselves inching down in .2lb increments.

    The likelihood is that you aren't really consuming 1100 calories. Which is good because that really is too low to be healthy. 1200 is the bare minimum for women, and it's not arbitrary. Most people find they can lose at a much higher caloric consumption. Read below to make sure you're getting the logging right, and I HIGHLY suggest you up your intake at least some. 1200 is not arbitrary, there are a plethora of good reasons why not to go below that.

    zrx7t0g78ed1.jpg
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    How do you know you have been "eating properly?" You just created your MFP account on 2/10. Why are you ate 1100 calories? You are likely not eating enough calories to lose weight safely, but that is not the reason why you are "not losing."
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    But you're losing weight. :| It's been 2 weeks, how much did you expect to lose in 2 weeks?
  • AmandaOmega
    AmandaOmega Posts: 70 Member
    edited February 2016
    1.5 pounds per week is a GREAT rate. 2 lbs a week is typically considered the limit for healthy weight loss. If you want to lose more than 2 lbs a week, you should be warned that this is unhealthy. Consider this. Each pound consists of 3500 calories. That means to lose 2 lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of 7,000 calories, or about 1,000 calories a day (So on average, you'd have to have a net calorie intake of 800-1000 once food and exercise has been accounted for); to lose 3 lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of 10,500 calories a week, or about 1,500 a day!!! Considering that the average woman needs 1800-2000 calories a day, that means you'd have to eat 300-500 calories a day or implement some very harsh workout regiments!

    Weightloss isn't going to happen overnight. It's taken me 3 1/2 months to lose 27 lbs, but believe me, it is worth the wait. Just hang in there and keep up the good work!
  • ashmaro
    ashmaro Posts: 9 Member
    1. The weight doesn't come off overnight. 2. Eat to lose weight. Make sure you're eating enough! 1200 calories is bare minimum. 3. Patience, my friend. Rome wasn't built in a day.
  • ssddafu
    ssddafu Posts: 3 Member
    Thank u u have been helpful its just i weigh 263 five foot four inches and have alot to lose so i thought it should be faster
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    Thank u u have been helpful its just i weigh 263 five foot four inches and have alot to lose so i thought it should be faster

    If your that tall then you need to eat around 1300 minimum. You'll still lose weight but you'll be healthier and reduce the risk of loose skin.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited February 2016
    You're likely eating more than 1100 calories. Regardless, losing 3 pounds in two weeks is progress. Be patient and have reasonable expectations.
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
    edited February 2016
    1.5 pounds per week is a GREAT rate. 2 lbs a week is typically considered the limit for healthy weight loss. If you want to lose more than 2 lbs a week, you should be warned that this is unhealthy. Consider this. Each pound consists of 3500 calories. That means to lose 2 lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of 7,000 calories, or about 1,000 calories a day (So on average, you'd have to have a net calorie intake of 800-1000 once food and exercise has been accounted for); to lose 3 lbs a week, you have to be in a deficit of 10,500 calories a week, or about 1,500 a day!!! Considering that the average woman needs 1800-2000 calories a day, that means you'd have to eat 300-500 calories a day or implement some very harsh workout regiments!
    I'm having trouble following your arithmetic, so I'll start with an equation that describes no weight gain or loss:

    BMR+exercise = Intake
    If exercise was 0 before the diet, then Intake ~ 1800 (an internet calculator is in order for a better BMR estimate)

    If OP wants to lose 2 lbs a week, then as you say she has to be in deficit 100 kCal a day so
    BMR + exercise = Intake- 1000

    Her 90 minutes of elliptical is hard to guess correctly, but let's call it 500 kCal. So now
    BMR + exercise = Intake - 1000, and plugging in numbers
    1800 + 500 = Intake -1000
    1300 = Intake

    Now back to OP: if you are losing less than 2 lbs a week then one or a combination of the following is true:
    1. Your BMR is less than 1800 kCal a day
    2. Your are eating more than 1300 kCal a day
    3. You are exercising less than 500 kCal a day

    My advice ? If you know your current diet is healthy and your regimen is something you can keep up for a year or more then you have a great plan. Good Luck!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    Im on an 1100 calorie diet have been eating very healthy and doing an hour and a half of my elyptical bike every day and have only lost three pounds in two weeks i keep staying the same how is this possible ?? Im eating properly and getting very dicouraged! And yes drinking water and green tea alot
    3lbs in 2 weeks is 1.5lbs a week. So how is it you're not losing? That's about the average for most people a week.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • ssddafu
    ssddafu Posts: 3 Member
    That was first week second week was none
  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 548 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    That was first week second week was none

    Water weight can easily mask our weight loss. If you weigh yourself daily, weekly, etc, you'll get to see that our weight goes back and forth, but there should be a downward trend. Keep at it. :)
  • flaminica
    flaminica Posts: 304 Member
    Something in your math is off. Possibly several somethings. Assuming all of your supplied data is correct: Female, 5'4", 66 years old, 263 lbs, lightly active, your current TDEE should be around 2360 calories. If you were eating 1360 (a deficit of 1000 per day) you'd be losing 2 lbs a week. 1100 calories per day is too low, even allowing for your age, and at a reported loss of 3lbs one week and none the second week is clearly incorrect.

    Recommend raising your daily calories to 1350-1400. Get a scale if you don't have one yet. Log everything, regardless of how "healthy" you think it is (I'm frequently amazed at how many people think they don't have to log fruit or vegetables. Thanks for nothing Weight Watchers.) Give it another three weeks.
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    Echoing the choir, here, OP, but 3 lbs in 2 weeks is very good! What did you expect to occur?

    I'm in the 200s, so I understand that having a lot to lose makes you want to lose faster - but I also guarantee that demanding rapid weight loss is a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. Take it from someone who became discouraged after a few weeks several times before.

    We don't get to our current weights overnight, and it's absurd to expect it to go down any quicker. If you menstruate, also keep in mind that it is very, very common to gain weight around the time of your cycle. I've noticed that about a week before my period, I don't lose weight - in fact, I gain a little bit. I suck it up, wait for my cycle to pass, and weigh myself the next week. Sure enough, I drop a few pounds. Mind you, I'm only coming up on my third month, but still... if you know what to expect, it's easier to not let it ruin your day.

    Weight loss is not linear. You might be a pound or two heavier on any given day. It happens. Try to set up goals that AREN'T dependent on the scale, like working on running 5k or improving your strength. I find that giving myself goals that are independent of my weight help me stay motivated and focused :)

    I haven't lost too much - but it's less than where I began. Just enjoy the journey and allow your body to amaze you with how much stronger, faster, and healthier it can be!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited February 2016
    Truthfully, our bodies are not perfect machines. The work you do today, the food you eat today, may not magically have an impact on the scale as soon as the clock strikes midnight. But if you give it time, and consistently eat at a deficit (meaning consume less than your body uses in day) then over time you will lose weight. The key is over time. Meaning you've got to give it time to work.

    Consider your options. a) Give up now, and go back to what you were doing before. What results were you getting? You were either gaining weight or maintaining weight in the 260ish pound range. Assuming you were not happy with that status quo, option a is probably not a good idea. b) keep going - eat at a reasonable deficit (perhaps consume 1400-1500 calories per day) and make efforts to move more. Lose weight over time. A month from now you should see some pounds gone. A month later, some more pounds gone, and so on. And in the meantime b should/could mean other benefits to your health as well.

    I suggest 1400-1500 because its a little easier to get enough nutrition AND feel like you can satisfy some wants. If you feel deprived all the time, you're likely to give up. But based on your stats you should still easily have a calorie deficit. Meaning weight loss over time.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited February 2016
    ssddafu wrote: »
    Thank u u have been helpful its just i weigh 263 five foot four inches and have alot to lose so i thought it should be faster

    I'm older too. Our maintenance calories are generally lower than those for younger people. Calorie deficit is eating less than you take to maintain.

    I still eat 1400 calories. This does slow weight loss down further but it allows me a treat here and there, and adequate nutrition more consistently.

  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    At 263 you should be eating more than 1100 calories a day! You need to eat enough to get the nutrients you need and minimize the loss of lean body mass. As you get closer to your goal weight, your daily calories drop as there's less of you to maintain. Where are you going to go? 1000? 900? Lower? That's downright dangerous!

    The weight didn't come on over night, and it won't come off that way, either. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to build sustainable habits so the weight stays off.

    Scooby can help you figure out your calorie needs: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calories-burned/
  • bebebacchus5
    bebebacchus5 Posts: 1 Member
    Thanks for the advice. I'm 4'11". And has been trying for the past years to lose that last 30 pounds or so. I was 160 and now I'm down to 139 but I'd rather be a 120 because of health problems. My problem is I'm not eating enough and still gaining. I pray that this new program works for me and all you guys.
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
    flaminica wrote: »
    Something in your math is off. Possibly several somethings. Assuming all of your supplied data is correct: Female, 5'4", 66 years old, 263 lbs, lightly active, your current TDEE should be around 2360 calories
    The internet calculator is found says that the BMR is about 1800, and that total daily energy expenditure for a sedentary person is about 1.25 the BMR **for a lean person**

    The additional metabolic demands of fat tissue is about 1/3rd that of muscle, which suggest that the fudge factor should be around 1.10 rather than 1.25. All in all the "TDEE" is under 2000 kCal a day.

    I personally just go with the BMR and ignore the "TDEE" calculation but to each their own.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    edited February 2016

    Weight loss is not linear, some weeks youll lose weight, sometimes youll find that you are in maintenance, or sometimes you will actually gain back a few pounds (due to water retention, sodium intake, etc).

    3 lbs is great- that is progress. I know it is hard, but youll have to be patient.

    Unless directed by your doctor and closely monitored, you really should not be eating only 1100. In is extremely hard to get all of your nutrients if you go below 1200. You will also likely end up crashing and burning since you are over restricting yourself.

    What do you mean by "eating properly"? I would highly suggest you get a kitchen scale to weigh all your food. I have a feeling you are eating more than you think. If you were truly sticking to a 1100 calorie diet, you would be losing weight, since just anyone actually eating 1100 would lose weight.

    If you are drinking the green tea because it tastes good keep it up, however if you are drinking it to "boost" your weight loss, ditch it. Green tea doesnt have much of an impact on weightloss.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    At 263 you should be eating more than 1100 calories a day! You need to eat enough to get the nutrients you need and minimize the loss of lean body mass. As you get closer to your goal weight, your daily calories drop as there's less of you to maintain. Where are you going to go? 1000? 900? Lower? That's downright dangerous!

    This is ridiculous. At 5"3 and 68kg my maintenance calories are around 1700. I needn't ever go lower than 1200 calories a day because I will ALWAYS have a daily deficit of at least 500 calories.
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    Thank u u have been helpful its just i weigh 263 five foot four inches and have alot to lose so i thought it should be faster

    I;m 5ft 4 also and weigh around 20lb less than you. I know it's not an exact science but I lose 1.5lb a week on average eating around 1600 calories and about 50% of my exercise calories.

    Are you logging absolutely everything? Weighing and measuring every thing that you eat?

    Anyway 1.5 a week is a totally great sustainable weight loss and you should be happy with that. But I'd certainly look at your calories a bit closer. 1100 is too low for your weight / height.

  • farmerpam1
    farmerpam1 Posts: 402 Member
    You must be starving, 1100 calories seems waaay too low. No need to torture yourself. Are you using a food scale and logging everything correctly? Slow and steady wins the race. Congrats on your loss so far.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    That was first week second week was none

    Open up your diary, log your food, list your calorie burn for a typical workout (duration/HR/kcals burned). Here's a great blog article that is honest and worth the read...

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    ssddafu wrote: »
    Thank u u have been helpful its just i weigh 263 five foot four inches and have alot to lose so i thought it should be faster

    I;m 5ft 4 also and weigh around 20lb less than you. I know it's not an exact science but I lose 1.5lb a week on average eating around 1600 calories and about 50% of my exercise calories.

    Are you logging absolutely everything? Weighing and measuring every thing that you eat?

    Anyway 1.5 a week is a totally great sustainable weight loss and you should be happy with that. But I'd certainly look at your calories a bit closer. 1100 is too low for your weight / height.

    This! I weigh 60 lbs less, same height, and lose 1.5 lbs a week on about 1600-1700.

    First - be patient. Weight loss isn't linear. Sometimes I will lose 2 lbs one week, and then not lose anything for the next several weeks. Over time, it averages.

    Second - you are probably not eating 1100 calories but you probably shouldn't be. Double check your MFP settings, it shouldn't go any lower than 1200. But you can choose 1 or 1.5 lbs a week and eat more too. That will be more sustainable. Then, measure all your liquids, weigh ALL your solid food on a food scale. This is the only weigh you are not fooling yourself.