How important is daily calorie intake?
VeryMinci
Posts: 9 Member
Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move...
... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move...
... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
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Replies
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Do you weigh your food? The most common error people make in the beginning is not weighing their food. It means you're eating more than you think you are.4
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Everything is getting measured/weighed and prepared by me ... also no salt, dairy, rice, pasta, breads in my diet .... it's driving me crazy ....
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Your body has probably gone into starvation mode because of the reduced calorie intake, which then makes weight loss very difficult.
This is "the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction. It involves a reduction in the amount of calories your body burns, which can slow down weight loss."
So try to increase your calorie intake to 1200 or so and see what happens good luck! 4 -
You are loosing fat and gaining muscle. Don't distress. Focus on how you feel and look, rather than the movement of the scale.3
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Don't distress.0
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http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
The idea that "not eating enough" causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into "starvation mode" is a popular myth among dieters.mayoosh_primrose wrote: »Your body has probably gone into starvation mode because of the reduced calorie intake, which then makes weight loss very difficult.
This is "the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction. It involves a reduction in the amount of calories your body burns, which can slow down weight loss."
So try to increase your calorie intake to 1200 or so and see what happens good luck!
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http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
The idea that "not eating enough" causes the body to stop losing weight because it goes into "starvation mode" is a popular myth among dieters.
New information for me
so no starvation mode but slightly slower rate of weight loss. Still, if she's not eating enough calories, she might not be getting all essentials vitamins and minerals, so it wouldn't be good for health.
Thanks for pointing out my error
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@mayoosh_primrose here's another great article re starvation mode, it is a myth that really needs to die. I think I've seen it mentioned in 5 different posts today..
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/13 -
Since when is 4 weeks "long term" starvation?
You are NOT gaining muscle.
Die. Myths. Die.19 -
So what am I doing wrong then? I'm eating very healthy lean protein (chicken breast and tilapia) lots of fresh veggies and fruit only for breakfast... also working out a lot...0
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Maybe you are not eating enough? If you are burning 500-900 calories 5/6 days a week and not eating min 1200 cals maybe your not providing your body enough energy to burn? Bulk up your meals a bit with good fats maybe so your consuming more cals? Like avocado etc0
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Your body needs salt. Make sure you're getting enough, especially if you're exercising or if it's hot where you are, because you lose it with sweating. If your salt gets too low, your potassium will get out of whack, and your magnesium, and then it's all just kind of a cluster. I say this because all my life people kept telling me to eat less salt, eat less salt, and I tried, but I felt so awful if I didn't eat it and I wanted it all the time... and it turned out that the reason I ate (and still eat) so much salt is because I have a disorder that makes me lose sodium like nobody's business, and if I don't get 4-5 grams a day everything goes wonky. Electrolyte derangement is not fun.
It's fine if you don't want to eat a lot of added salt, but do make sure you're getting it and the other minerals in your food/beverages. Also remember that salt isn't 100% sodium, so 1 gram of salt =/= 1 gram sodium. USDA has the actual numbers, I can't remember them right now.
I don't really understand the whole "clean eating" thing but you know, do what works, but make sure you're getting all the micronutrients as well as the macros. I thought I was fairly well educated about nutrition, but about a month ago I found out how wrong I was, LOL.4 -
Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
Eating clean means nothing, you need to weigh your food and log it accurately, don't worry so much about the scale ..judge movement over 6-8 weeks not a month. You have 2 metrics - visual and clothes sizing which say what you're doing is working
Not measured ....weigh every solid, no cups or spoons ...you can also weigh oils etcEverything is getting measured/weighed and prepared by me ... also no salt, dairy, rice, pasta, breads in my diet .... it's driving me crazy ....
The list of things you have excluded is totally unnecessarymayoosh_primrose wrote: »Your body has probably gone into starvation mode because of the reduced calorie intake, which then makes weight loss very difficult.
This is "the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction. It involves a reduction in the amount of calories your body burns, which can slow down weight loss."
So try to increase your calorie intake to 1200 or so and see what happens good luck!
This is all kinds of wrong I'm afraid. It's pervasive in the money making health and fitness industry but not true, there's an element of truth in adaptive thermogenesis and some evidence that long term cutting will affect maintenance calories but no such thing as starvation mode...unless actually starvingupromisejcd wrote: »You are loosing fat and gaining muscle. Don't distress. Focus on how you feel and look, rather than the movement of the scale.
No she's not ...no progressive resistance and in defecit and a female ...gaining muscle doesn't happen without effort14 -
Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
You said you're not really seeing the scale move. Have you lost any weight at all, even just 1lb? A lot of people say they're not losing weight, but what they actually mean is they're not losing it fast enough, but have lost 1 or 2 lbs?6 -
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You are either eating more than you think or are not burning as many calories as you think.7
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Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
This does not add up at all. You wouldn't be able to exercise that much on that low a calorie amount without feeling like garbage.
On a side note, it's quite sad that some of the terrible advice in this thread got awesome and insightful marks.16 -
You're eating more than you think.4
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Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
Just a question, if your clothes are looser, and your body does look smaller, and the scale won't budge, how does it look like you are gaining weight? Also don't cut things out of your diet, just because somebody told you they are dirty foods or whatever the kids are saying these days, if it is driving you nuts to not have these foods in your diet, add them back in, but just make sure you keep an accurate log of what you are eating.
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When are people going to stop thinking that starvation mode is an actual thing and that you won't lose weight if you don't eat enough? You could eat 0 calories a day and burn off 600 and you would still lose weight (and probably pass out after a couple days but lose weight anyways). If you're not losing weight, then you're eating too many calories. Oh and you said that you're not eating pasta, rice and things like that. Is that just a preference or are you doing it because you think you won't lose weight if you do? The only thing that matters for losing weight is calories (other things matter for health, and satiation). it's possible that you could have been retaining water from the increase in exercise but if your exercise routine has been constant for 4 weeks it's probably not water retention. If you continue to not lose weight, maybe go to the doctor to get any health problem cleared. 8
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Weighing your food doesn't matter, only MFPers who want to eat way too much think it does.
If your body is smaller but the scale hasn't gone down, you probably have lost fat and are retaining water and some time soon it will all flush out. Just keep it up.0 -
Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
Huh?
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seekingdaintiness wrote: »Weighing your food doesn't matter, only MFPers who want to eat way too much think it does.
If your body is smaller but the scale hasn't gone down, you probably have lost fat and are retaining water and some time soon it will all flush out. Just keep it up.
Huh.. well I've lost 16 pounds in about 1 month by weighing all my food and not going over 1800 calories everyday, am I eating too much? lol5 -
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seekingdaintiness wrote: »Weighing your food doesn't matter, only MFPers who want to eat way too much think it does.
I read on a daily basis. Mostly trash and brain numbing articles on how to be more...anything. I read about the joke that is our election. I read about people crashing while hunting pokemon or falling off cliffs. I have even read about stupid criminals. The point of my banter is I read a lot of stupid stuff, YET the above comment is still the most absurd thing I have ever read....in my life.
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Try not eating back your activity calories and make sure you are drinking 2-3L of water daily. Check your sodium levels. Do this for 3 weeks (BAN your scale until your 3 weeks are up). Take mental notes on how your energy level is.
Activity trackers are often incorrect. If you burn more than you consume you will loose weight. No one defies physics.0 -
seekingdaintiness wrote: »Weighing your food doesn't matter, only MFPers who want to eat way too much think it does.
If your body is smaller but the scale hasn't gone down, you probably have lost fat and are retaining water and some time soon it will all flush out. Just keep it up.
Not sure why you use MFP but to bash the users for using a food scale. A food scale is a smart investment for future success and weighing your food teaches you portion size. You won't need to measure your food for very long because you get good at eyeballing. How do you approach portion control?6 -
Hey guys ...
Based on the calculations I should be eating no less than 1200 cals daily ... however I started eating clean 4 weeks ago and I can't seem to hit this number ... I'm also burning 500-900 cals daily 5/6 days a week with biking, running, lifting...
My issue is that I'm not really seeing the scale move... ... my body does look smaller and I also fitting into smaller sizes but the scale won't budge ... if anything it looks like I'm gaining weight....
Is anyone having similar issues? If so what have you done and what had helped? ...
Thanks so much!
Bottom line: you are eating more than you think. Otherwise, you would be losing weight. You don't gain weight eating too little food, you gain it eating too much.
Eating clean is preference only and has nothing to do with weight loss.
What are your stats? How much are you trying to lose?
Do you weight all your food and log everything you eat? Do you eat those exercise calories back? If so, what type of exercise, and where do you get the calorie burns from?2
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