Need help 1200 calorie diet

leopardeyes72
leopardeyes72 Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for 3weeks and I am still at the same weight why can someone help

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited July 2016
    Can you open up your diary?

    ~
    Are you weighing your food or using measuring cups or eyeballing portions?
    Have you double checked your entries to make sure they are correct? (there is a lot of inaccurate stuff in the database)
    Did you recently start a new workout routine or increase the intensity of one you were doing?
    Are you close to shark week?
    Are you logging everything that passes your lips (drinks as well)?
  • leopardeyes72
    leopardeyes72 Posts: 39 Member
    I workout at curves 5times a week I have been doing portion sizes but I haven't been weighing it is drink a lot of water I don't drink soda at all and I don't like fruit juice
  • RobD520
    RobD520 Posts: 420 Member
    leopardeyes72 wrote: »
    I workout at curves 5times a week I have been doing portion sizes but I haven't been weighing it is drink a lot of water I don't drink soda at all and I don't like fruit juice

    Weighing solids and measuring liquids would help you know with greater certainty what you are consuming.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited July 2016
    You are most likely eating a bit more than 1200 calories then.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKPIcI51lU
  • leopardeyes72
    leopardeyes72 Posts: 39 Member
    I got it but I basically eat the same thing every day I might switch it out for tuna instead of chicken I eat in the morning 2 eggs lunch I eat a turkey burger on a sandwich thin and for dinner chicken breast and a vegetable and I eat fruit and I might have 12 almonds so that is not a lot of food .
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited July 2016
    You don't mention drinks. Do you only drink water?
    Do you use any butter or oils to cook with?
    Do you have any condiments or cheese on that turkey burger?
    What vegetables do you eat (some are very calorie dense) and how much?
    What fruit do you eat (again can be very calorie dense) and how much?
    Are you logging your food or just keeping mental notes? (it's not uncommon when just trying to keep mental track to forget little things)


    Right now you are just guessing at your portion sizes which isn't a very accurate way to count calories. Your not losing which suggests you are eating more than you think.
  • Annahbananas
    Annahbananas Posts: 284 Member
    edited July 2016
    Can you open up your diary? Also, I would buy a digital food scale if you don't already have one (some folks are shocked what 4oz of meat really looks like or even half a cup of cheese)I'm on a 1200 calorie too
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    I highly recommend the food scale. It is a game changer. It is amazing how easily portion sizes are over estimated. Plus, confirm you are using accurate entries in MFP.

    If you just increased your exercise, then your body is likely retaining water for muscle repair -- and will for two or three weeks.
  • leopardeyes72
    leopardeyes72 Posts: 39 Member
    I do have a scale and I started using it then i stopped because I thought I could judge
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

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