Not losing weight on 1200 calories, BMR confusion

2 pounds in 2 weeks is a good weight loss rate at your current weight and height. The less you have to lose the slower you're going to lose it. Perhaps your expectations are just a little too high?

Weight loss is not linear. You'll have some weeks where you lose a bunch and some where you don't lose and might even gain a little. Our bodies hold and release water and that's usually where the fluctuations come from.

Keep in mind that you didn't put that extra weight on in a couple of weeks, it's not going to come off that quickly, either. Besides, a slow loss is more likely to be maintained especially if you're teaching yourself to eat like you'll need to continue to eat to maintain your goal weight once you've reached it.

Are you weighing your food to validate the calorie amounts you are entering into MFP? It's quite possible you are eating more calories than you think you are. Conversely, if you are eating back your exercise calories how are you validating the amounts being entered into MFP?

What she said ^. Plus if you are working out as well as changing your eatting habits you could be turning fat to muscle. This can mess with the scale. Try tracking measurements instead you could be shrinking but gaining muscle so your weight hasn't changed so much.

When you're short and near your goal weight, you're operating on a razor thin margin re: calorie deficits. Counting calories is a pretty precise task and if you're not tight with your counting, you can easily destroy your deficit. Do you have a scale to weigh your food? How is your logging?

Any more than 2lbs in 2 weeks at your weight would mean a significant loss of muscle tissue as well. The less you have to lose you have to take it slower. For you 0.5-1 lbs a week should be a good goal (250-500 kcal deficit). Since you are so small I suggest you stop worrying about your BMR put your stats in MFP, set 0.5 or 1 lbs loss and it will probably give you 1200 kcal to eat (this might not be the full 500 kcal deficit but going under is not advised and MFP will never suggest it). Follow that and you will lose weight. Don't set unrealistic goals...weight that goes away slowly...stays away Good luck!

P.S I'm 5'2 started at 149-155 and I'm now 128 lbs (22 lbs in 22 weeks - 1 lbs/week average) ... Just stick to it, log everything tightly and honestly and you'll be fine.

Jsallen87 wrote: »

What she said ^. Plus if you are working out as well as changing your eatting habits you could be turning fat to muscle. This can mess with the scale. Try tracking measurements instead you could be shrinking but gaining muscle so your weight hasn't changed so much.

sorry, fat doesn't "turn to muscle" and she is not gaining muscle at a rate that would cancel out fat loss. more likely a logging issue.

kamidake wrote: »

Yes I'm logging everything I eat, although not using a scale to measure food. I use the MFP library, but try to overestimate if anything that's home made or not in the system. I also exercise 2-3 times a week, I do a martial art for 90 to 120 mins each time. If I put in for .5 lb a week then my goal is 1290, don't feel like that's a significant enough amounts to change things. So sounds like I need patience. It just seems like the first 2 weeks went so well and then all of a sudden, nothing.

And therein lies your problem. With so little to lose your food logging needs to be as close to 100% accurate as possible. By just eyeballing portions you could easily wipe out your deficit. Buy a food scale and weigh everything you eat, use a measuring cup for liquids only.