I'm 5'4" 155.6 lbs. It's taking me 1-2 weeks to lose 1 lb on a 1200 cal bal diet. Why so long?

Your diary is closed, but when people don't lose as quickly as they expect it is often due to logging issues.

khahn1031 wrote: »

HELP!!!

Do you weigh 100% of what you eat on a food scale? Measuring cups and tablespoons and the like are only appropriate for liquids. If you are eating solid foods and using anything other than a scale, you are likely eating more than you think. Additionally you state it takes 1-2 weeks to lose a lb. That averages to 0.75 lbs a week. That isn't a terrible rate of loss. In half a year you would have lost about 20 lbs which on a 5'4 frame makes a BIG difference in appearance.

khahn1031 wrote: »

HELP!!!

I sympathise whole heartedly.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Your diary is closed, but when people don't lose as quickly as they expect it is often due to logging issues.

This may be the case for a number of participants - but it is not always so.

As an example over 3 years ago I gained 3 stone after I gave up smoking but unfortunatley found it difficult to excercise vigorously for health reasons.

Over the years I tried on various occassions to diet to loose weight and calorie counted whilst doing so and keeping within the 'healthy' guideline of consuming no less than 1200 calories per day - but unfortunately I found it very difficult to loose weight.

A number of people responded to my lack of success just as you did and suggested it was a problem with my calorie counting - So a few weeks ago I decided to go on a concerted effort to loose weight and for 5 weeks daily ate nothing more than a bowl of cereal and a tin of soup with 2 slices of bread (or similar) for 5 days of the week, then a normal (but low calory) meal at weekends

During that time I went from 113kg to 109kg.
I roughly calculated that on that basis, as I was eating no more than 900 calories per day , in order to loose that weigh over that period my MBR must be somewhere around 1500 calories - which is low for a 6'1" male of 65.

So I signed up here and started to record (ACCURATELY) every morsel I ate.

The result - since starting to record my food here, and whilst slightly increasing my intake on some days but mostly keeping below 1200 calories per day - I am back up to 109.5 kg - whereas according to MFP I should now be less than 106kg heading towards 103kg after 5 weeks from the 13th April. So it looks like "back to 800/900 calories per day for me - miserable as it is to do so.



So please, the stock answer of 'you are not counting properly' may be true in a number of instances (which is sort of implied in your reply) but it does not wash in all situations and should be used a bit more sympathetically.

What I would like to know is why it is that TV programs have access to all sorts of equipment for monitoring/measuring calories in and out BUT the medical profession seem to have none and no clue where to source any so determining an actual BMR is impossible but would be extremely valuable.

You have about 30 pounds to lose until you are in an idea weight range for your height(if you have a small frame). With that amount to lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week is what you should expect. MFP bottoms out at 1200 calories for women. Let me guess you set it at 2lbs a week because you want to lose super fast right? 2lbs a week is not realistic, that goal is for someone who is more than 75 pounds overweight. The closer you are to an idea weight range for your height the less you can lose a week. Just keep at it, you are losing, that's the important part.

moguk wrote: »

khahn1031 wrote: »

HELP!!!

I sympathise whole heartedly.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Your diary is closed, but when people don't lose as quickly as they expect it is often due to logging issues.

This may be the case for a number of participants - but it is not always so.

As an example over 3 years ago I gained 3 stone after I gave up smoking but unfortunatley found it difficult to excercise vigorously for health reasons.

Over the years I tried on various occassions to diet to loose weight and calorie counted whilst doing so and keeping within the 'healthy' guideline of consuming no less than 1200 calories per day - but unfortunately I found it very difficult to loose weight.

A number of people responded to my lack of success just as you did and suggested it was a problem with my calorie counting - So a few weeks ago I decided to go on a concerted effort to loose weight and for 5 weeks daily ate nothing more than a bowl of cereal and a tin of soup with 2 slices of bread (or similar) for 5 days of the week, then a normal (but low calory) meal at weekends

During that time I went from 113kg to 109kg.
I roughly calculated that on that basis, as I was eating no more than 900 calories per day , in order to loose that weigh over that period my MBR must be somewhere around 1500 calories - which is low for a 6'1" male of 65.

So I signed up here and started to record (ACCURATELY) every morsel I ate.

The result - since starting to record my food here, and whilst slightly increasing my intake on some days but mostly keeping below 1200 calories per day - I am back up to 109.5 kg - whereas according to MFP I should now be less than 106kg heading towards 103kg after 5 weeks from the 13th April. So it looks like "back to 800/900 calories per day for me - miserable as it is to do so.



So please, the stock answer of 'you are not counting properly' may be true in a number of instances (which is sort of implied in your reply) but it does not wash in all situations and should be used a bit more sympathetically.

What I would like to know is why it is that TV programs have access to all sorts of equipment for monitoring/measuring calories in and out BUT the medical profession seem to have none and no clue where to source any so determining an actual BMR is impossible but would be extremely valuable.

You should probably go see a doctor.

OP, you're probably eating more than you think. /thread