1200 calories-no weight loss

So frustrating, huh? I was completely stuck at 162-164 even though I stayed within my calories of 1200 a day and not eating back more than 100 calories of my 45 minutes of cardio. So I decided to take measurements and keep going. 10 days after measurements, still losing a pound, going up 1/2 pound, down 1-1/2 lbs. ARRGGH!! But then re-took measurements and I have lost 5 inches overall. So I must deduce that the the cardio and weight lifting is building muscle (which weighs more). So I HOPE it is the added muscle and lost fat???? Maybe try taking your measurements and then again in a week?

isra2011 wrote: »

Hi friends,
today is my one month on fitnesspal. I consume 1100-1200 calories a day and then exercise 20-30 minutes on elliptical. I have not lost any weight, not a single pound and I am so upset now. I have always been eating less and certainly not a food lover. any suggestions as to what am I doing wrong here. I am 33, a mother of two girls, 5"7' and weigh 180 pounds. please help:(

This http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10191216/the-most-important-thing-you-can-do-to-lose-weight/p1

jessy574 wrote: »

You have mentioned a few times that clothes are fitting better and you are noticing changes in your body. Try focusing on body measurements as weight isn't always a good indicator that your diet and exercise is making a difference. Per my dietician a woman should consume between 1200-1500 calories (depending on height) to lose weight. They also said not to calculate exercise burned calories unless you are working out at high intensity for more than 30 minutes each day. However with that said I'm betting your body is building muscles (which does weigh more than fat) and losing the fat just not the weight. Keep it up, you will see those pounds come off as you start building your body and it gets fit.

pound for pound muscle does not weigh more than fat(old myth is that it weighs more than fat), it takes up less space but otherwise it weighs the same.(unless you are talking volume) and she is not building enough muscle eating 1200 calories to make her weight stall. 1200-1500 would depend on not just height,but your age,activity level,etc. 1200 may be right for some and too low for others. I eat 1700+ and I lose.you lose fat in a deficit and build muscle in a surplus. if it were easy to build muscle in a deficit everyone would be doing it. its hard enough for a woman to build muscle in a surplus.

valwalter wrote: »

acorsaut89 wrote: »

valwalter wrote: »

dodea48 wrote: »

valwalter - stick with your advisor, A man cannot work out 5 days a week on 1200/day. If you log less than 1200 even MYFITNESS PAL tells me, a man, that I did not eat enough. I think the number might be slightly lower for a woman. The body needs protein to build muscle. Remember Biggest LOSER contestants mostly gained it back--- they has SLOWER metabolisms after the show

dodea48 - I plan on sticking with my advisor - thanks! I lift weights 2 to 3 times a week and I need the fuel.

Eating enough to properly fuel workouts is not what OP was concerned about, though. This isn't an example of eat more to lose less. Yes you need to fuel your workouts, but she isn't concerned about that. She is concerned about why she isn't losing weight. If your adviser is coaching you for work out-based fueling then my apologies but starvation mode doesn't exist like that and OP isn't talking about eating properly before working out she is talking about why she isn't losing weight. Those two things are not the same.

Understood but think of it as a fire - if you don't give the fire wood it slows down and doesn't give off as much heat. Under 1200 calories per day is not fueling your body properly whether you work out or not - metabolisms slows to a crawl so anything you eat your body holds on to it = no weight loss. This is my point.

Well with that I have to disagree. Starvation mode in that sense doesn't happen. You do need to fuel your body properly so that you aren't sluggish, your hair doesn't fall out and your nails don't become brittle and rip off. But, as many discussions have occurred around this topic, it is not 'starvation mode'. See: people who suffer from anorexia. They eat well below 1200 cals/day and they will become skin and bones. They don't stop losing weight until there is legitimately nothing left of their bodies, and they can't even support basic organ function. If your theory were correct, those held in concentration/labour camps over history should be extremely obese but when you see photos of them they are all skin and bones and look like skeletons. It just doesn't work like that. You do, though, need to fuel properly to have effective workouts and get the most out of your efforts.

isra2011 wrote: »

I do have thyroid issues and i take medicine for that. Maybe thats why its taking long for me to lose weight.

My mum aged 60 lost 50 lbs in a year and has medication for her thyroid as its not working hardly
You have to weigh and measure absolutely everything to eat and drink EVERYTHING

1000-1100 is way too low

valwalter wrote: »

Understood but think of it as a fire - if you don't give the fire wood it slows down and doesn't give off as much heat. Under 1200 calories per day is not fueling your body properly whether you work out or not - metabolisms slows to a crawl so anything you eat your body holds on to it = no weight loss. This is my point.

That does not happen at all. Please do some research and stop spreading old myths.