Weight going down really slow

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needtolosethatweight26
needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I eat a 1200-1400 calorie diet, walk a lot and workout 4-5 times a week. I am noticing that my weight loss is slow, like really really slow. My question is, how much does exercise help in losing weight ? Or is it my eating habits that matter more?
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  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
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    How slow is "really slow"?

    Also, CICO is what matters when it comes to weight loss. You can work out for four hours a day and still gain weight if you eat at a surplus.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
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    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    How slow is "really slow"?

    Also, CICO is what matters when it comes to weight loss. You can work out for four hours a day and still gain weight if you eat at a surplus.

    Slow is like super slow. I've not lost more than 2 lbs in over a month. I am not even close to my goal weight. 20lbs more to go for GW.

    Definitely meeting my calorie goals. I might go overboard on macros a few times but mostly its alright.

    I am starting to worry if I am losing this battle.
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
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    What do you have your activity level set as? And are you logging ABSOLUTELY truthful logs?
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
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    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    What do you have your activity level set as? And are you logging ABSOLUTELY truthful logs?

    Activity level is set as less active

    Truthful logs, yes - truthful to my best but most of the foods I eat and log aren't verified foods because most of them are home cooked from scratch.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
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    Anybody else, help?
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
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    Set your activity level to a lower level or cut your caloric intake by 500 calories to start.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
    edited April 2016
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    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    How slow is "really slow"?

    Also, CICO is what matters when it comes to weight loss. You can work out for four hours a day and still gain weight if you eat at a surplus.

    Slow is like super slow. I've not lost more than 2 lbs in over a month. I am not even close to my goal weight. 20lbs more to go for GW.

    Definitely meeting my calorie goals. I might go overboard on macros a few times but mostly its alright.

    I am starting to worry if I am losing this battle.

    With only 20 pounds to lose your goal should be to lose 0.5 pounds per week, so at 2 pounds in about a month you are right on target.

    Nonetheless, if you want more tips, change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • ByronPrather
    ByronPrather Posts: 1 Member
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    Answer to your first question: Eating habits are the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you want to try something that really works eat three meals and two snacks every day for a couple of weeks. Make sure the meals are high in lean protein like grilled chicken breast. After a couple of weeks of that start to add in more veggies. Drop all sugar, simple carbs, and processed foods. Limit alcohol.
    Track everything and make sure you are at a calorie deficit every day. But not too much of a deficit. 1200-1400 seems a little low. If you are a man you should be somewhere between 1700-2000.
    Cardio is wonderful, I do it all of the time, but it is the least effective means of losing weight.
  • niamibunni
    niamibunni Posts: 110 Member
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    Advice given to me a few years ago that helped was to make sure you are eating enough fat and protein. I'm currently sitting on my rear for the tenth week with a broken foot along with ruptured planar plate and am losing weight.

    I log everything I eat and make sure to meet my macro goals each day. I'm eating around 1600 calories a day. I eat mostly LCHF with an everything bagel thrown in once in a while because I like them, but I still watch my carb intake and keep it around 100-120g a day.

    Tweaking your diet would most likely give you better results. Such as dropping diet sodas and artificial sweeteners if you indulge in them. Focusing on meeting macros and not going over on sodium at the same time. The little things like that matter a lot.

    With working out, are you doing cardio all the time or are you doing more weights?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    How slow is "really slow"?

    Also, CICO is what matters when it comes to weight loss. You can work out for four hours a day and still gain weight if you eat at a surplus.

    Slow is like super slow. I've not lost more than 2 lbs in over a month. I am not even close to my goal weight. 20lbs more to go for GW.

    Definitely meeting my calorie goals. I might go overboard on macros a few times but mostly its alright.

    I am starting to worry if I am losing this battle.

    With only 20 pounds to lose your goal should be to lose 0.5 pounds per week, so at 2 pounds in about a month you are right on target.

    Nonetheless, if you want more tips, change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Yeah, this.

    The closer you are, the harder it is and the less room for error. You're actually on target.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    See also 'Lyle McDonald: Fat Loss For Females' which is long; I watch it while doing my yoga warmups.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
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    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    Set your activity level to a lower level or cut your caloric intake by 500 calories to start.

    Cutting down 500 cal a day would make me starving all the time. I am already on a deficit. Maybe I should be watching my macros.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    How slow is "really slow"?

    Also, CICO is what matters when it comes to weight loss. You can work out for four hours a day and still gain weight if you eat at a surplus.

    Slow is like super slow. I've not lost more than 2 lbs in over a month. I am not even close to my goal weight. 20lbs more to go for GW.

    Definitely meeting my calorie goals. I might go overboard on macros a few times but mostly its alright.

    I am starting to worry if I am losing this battle.

    With only 20 pounds to lose your goal should be to lose 0.5 pounds per week, so at 2 pounds in about a month you are right on target.

    Nonetheless, if you want more tips, change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    This sounds good. Though I feel like I am putting in a lot of hard work and 2lbs a month is so less.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    ByronPrather wrote: »
    Answer to your first question: Eating habits are the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you want to try something that really works eat three meals and two snacks every day for a couple of weeks. Make sure the meals are high in lean protein like grilled chicken breast. After a couple of weeks of that start to add in more veggies. Drop all sugar, simple carbs, and processed foods. Limit alcohol.
    Track everything and make sure you are at a calorie deficit every day. But not too much of a deficit. 1200-1400 seems a little low. If you are a man you should be somewhere between 1700-2000.
    Cardio is wonderful, I do it all of the time, but it is the least effective means of losing weight.

    I don't do cardio so much. But I do walk a lot. I don't have a car so walking is my means of transport. I do Jillian Michael workout 4-5 times a day.

    I haven't stopped sugar because I wanted to drop it only when I have the last 10 lbs to lose.

    I am a vegetarian so I so don't do meat. But I am including tofu and eggs. I was doing lentils also but they have a lot of carbs.

    But that's some great advice that you have given me. Thank you so much because I need all the guidance and support.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    niamibunni wrote: »
    Advice given to me a few years ago that helped was to make sure you are eating enough fat and protein. I'm currently sitting on my rear for the tenth week with a broken foot along with ruptured planar plate and am losing weight.

    I log everything I eat and make sure to meet my macro goals each day. I'm eating around 1600 calories a day. I eat mostly LCHF with an everything bagel thrown in once in a while because I like them, but I still watch my carb intake and keep it around 100-120g a day.

    Tweaking your diet would most likely give you better results. Such as dropping diet sodas and artificial sweeteners if you indulge in them. Focusing on meeting macros and not going over on sodium at the same time. The little things like that matter a lot.

    With working out, are you doing cardio all the time or are you doing more weights?

    This sounds about rite to me. I do 150 grams of carbs a day and at times the carbs I gain from exercise calories too.

    I do Jillian Michael 4-5 times a day and walk around a lot
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    Set your activity level to a lower level or cut your caloric intake by 500 calories to start.

    Cutting down 500 cal a day would make me starving all the time. I am already on a deficit. Maybe I should be watching my macros.

    thats not what they are saying... they are saying cut your maintenance calories by -500... so if your maintenance is 2000 eat 1500...
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    niamibunni wrote: »
    Advice given to me a few years ago that helped was to make sure you are eating enough fat and protein. I'm currently sitting on my rear for the tenth week with a broken foot along with ruptured planar plate and am losing weight.

    I log everything I eat and make sure to meet my macro goals each day. I'm eating around 1600 calories a day. I eat mostly LCHF with an everything bagel thrown in once in a while because I like them, but I still watch my carb intake and keep it around 100-120g a day.

    Tweaking your diet would most likely give you better results. Such as dropping diet sodas and artificial sweeteners if you indulge in them. Focusing on meeting macros and not going over on sodium at the same time. The little things like that matter a lot.

    With working out, are you doing cardio all the time or are you doing more weights?

    This sounds about rite to me. I do 150 grams of carbs a day and at times the carbs I gain from exercise calories too.

    I do Jillian Michael 4-5 times a day and walk around a lot

    you don't need to eat low carb to lose weight. doesn't make a difference.
  • needtolosethatweight26
    needtolosethatweight26 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    fishshark wrote: »
    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    Set your activity level to a lower level or cut your caloric intake by 500 calories to start.

    Cutting down 500 cal a day would make me starving all the time. I am already on a deficit. Maybe I should be watching my macros.

    thats not what they are saying... they are saying cut your maintenance calories by -500... so if your maintenance is 2000 eat 1500...

    Ah alright. Is there any Accurate way to calculate maintenance calories?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    You're losing 1/2lb a week that's not bad at all.
    Exercise matters but not as much as tracking your cals and being as accurate as you can.

    And yes you can calculate approx maintenance cals by using sites such as scooby workshop to give you an idea.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    anusharajesh13 wrote: »
    ByronPrather wrote: »
    Answer to your first question: Eating habits are the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you want to try something that really works eat three meals and two snacks every day for a couple of weeks. Make sure the meals are high in lean protein like grilled chicken breast. After a couple of weeks of that start to add in more veggies. Drop all sugar, simple carbs, and processed foods. Limit alcohol.
    Track everything and make sure you are at a calorie deficit every day. But not too much of a deficit. 1200-1400 seems a little low. If you are a man you should be somewhere between 1700-2000.
    Cardio is wonderful, I do it all of the time, but it is the least effective means of losing weight.

    I don't do cardio so much. But I do walk a lot. I don't have a car so walking is my means of transport. I do Jillian Michael workout 4-5 times a day.

    I haven't stopped sugar because I wanted to drop it only when I have the last 10 lbs to lose.

    I am a vegetarian so I so don't do meat. But I am including tofu and eggs. I was doing lentils also but they have a lot of carbs.

    But that's some great advice that you have given me. Thank you so much because I need all the guidance and support.

    My vegan friends have tons of carbs from legumes like lentils and are healthy and fit.

    When I have carbs from legumes I feel satiated but when carbs are from flour products I am not.

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