1200 a day and not loosing

As it says in the title! Diary is open. Everything is weighed and accurate. No cheats, no alcohol. Female 34, 5"5. Lightly active. Plenty of walking, working mum. Weight at same time everyday. The scale hasn't budged in 8 days and I don't know what I am doing wrong. I am not eating back any calories or anything like that. So frustrated! Help!
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Replies

  • ACSL3
    ACSL3 Posts: 623 Member
    edited March 2017
    For me the scale tends to stay the same for several days/week and then I'll drop half to one and a half pounds (depending on my deficit). I use trendweight.com to smooth out the line - you won't always lose weight every day. You can also use happy scale (iOS) or something else for android, I forget the name. Give it some more time. If I graph my weight with what the scale tells me, my graph would like more like a staircase than a ramp (stay the same weight for 5-10 days, then drop, then stay the same, then drop, etc vs. a smooth downward line). :)
  • dustedwithsugar
    dustedwithsugar Posts: 179 Member
    How are you measuring your CO? (calories out)
    Also, you need to wait longer than 8 days to see changes, you might be losing weight and it's hidden by water retention, especially if you upped your activity level.
    Also I second suggestion about using trend weight app. On some weeks it seems I'm not losing anything, but my average still goes down and it's usually followed by whoosh and my weight catches up with moving average on the app.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    As it says in the title! Diary is open. Everything is weighed and accurate. No cheats, no alcohol. Female 34, 5"5. Lightly active. Plenty of walking, working mum. Weight at same time everyday. The scale hasn't budged in 8 days and I don't know what I am doing wrong. I am not eating back any calories or anything like that. So frustrated! Help!

    What is your actual weight now, and how low are you aiming to get? It could be that you're already at tyour ideal weight.

    Are you doing any exercise? Might be a good idea to eat a bit more, then burn some calories with a regular exercise schedule.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    its been 8 days...give it more time
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    its been 8 days...give it more time

    This. You're on the bare minimum calories, the losses will come.
  • metalmeow1
    metalmeow1 Posts: 111 Member
    You're eating more than 1200 calories. That's literally the only explanation. Try accounting for human error by lowering your cap to 1000.
  • l911jnt
    l911jnt Posts: 164 Member
    in 8 weeks I have found that I dont really lose for 8 to 10 days or so, then one day I will drop like .8 or .9 lbs and the next I will drop maybe .3 or .4. Its been mostly a pattern like that since I started. Give it time. It could be water weight holding you up.
  • Arapacana1
    Arapacana1 Posts: 117 Member
    Your actual weight loss could be masked by a temporary water weight gain if you are close to ovulation or your time of month. I always gain a few water weight pounds at those times, and it looks as if the weight stands still (or goes up!), but it all comes off in the end. If you are new to weighing yourself every day, you may not be fully aware of how your body weight fluctuates with your monthly cycle.
  • comeonnow142857
    comeonnow142857 Posts: 310 Member
    As it says in the title! Diary is open. Everything is weighed and accurate. No cheats, no alcohol. Female 34, 5"5. Lightly active. Plenty of walking, working mum. Weight at same time everyday. The scale hasn't budged in 8 days and I don't know what I am doing wrong. I am not eating back any calories or anything like that. So frustrated! Help!

    8 days is meaningless in the scheme of these things.
  • hoorayselma
    hoorayselma Posts: 127 Member
    I agree it will suddenly go down one day. Might be water retention
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    It's 8 days. What 8 days in your cycle is this? Are you ovulating by any chance? Due for your period soon?

    Be patient. Weight loss isn't linear.

    All will be well. Just sit tight and have faith in your logging.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    I recently went 3 weeks without losing weight. Then from one day to the next I lost a pound. Then the day after that another .6 lb. Stay the course! Many things can mask your true loss. I also use a weight trending app, Libra (Android).
  • sandlsales22
    sandlsales22 Posts: 14 Member
    I weigh 167 lb. aiming to be a 140. I am definitely not eating over 1200 - I did this 2 years ago with mfp and lost 2.5 stone in 6 months. I've walked about 4 miles this week as well at a fast pace. I am at my ovulation time though - didn't even know that was a factor. Is it true? Thanks for all your feedback guys, it's really helpful! X
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    It's true. When you get into that phase you tend to either gain or hold on to weight, darn you bodily functions!

    Just keep doing what you're doing, as the other people have said it's been 8 days at minimum calories, so even if ovulation weren't the case, it's just a matter of giving it more time. :smile:
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    Couple of thoughts.
    - it looks like you pre-enter your meals. While this is a good strategy, are you fully accurate or perhaps missing items of significance at the end of the day?
    - I'm steady on my calories but fluctuate between flat and dropping 3-4 lbs the next week
    - are you drinking enough water? It can help flush excess salt and thus reduce your H2O retention.

    The real formula is CICO+H2O, monthly hormone swings and salt can introduce wide swings in your water retention and scale readings.

    Give yourself a couple weeks, and maybe eat some bananas (potassium)
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    My weight bounces all over the place. It's the trend that matters, not one data point.
  • virogo
    virogo Posts: 1 Member
    I have been there....I started my 50 pound weight loss journey August, 2016 also with a 1200 calorie eating plan (I was so skeptical that this would work) and I am now 16 pounds from goal (no, I do not regularly exercise but will go for a short walk now and then). It took me 3 weeks to see the scale numbers start to drop (man, was I discouraged) and then they did so very slowly. Yes, I was (and still am) constantly tempted to say "why bother". I had to (still have to) keep telling myself "but what is the alternative?" and my answer was always "yep, just more weight and more distress". Initially, it was very very hard to push past my discouragement but I kept telling myself "but the research says that cutting calories (no less than 1200/day) will eventually lead to a loss of weight". If I can offer some advice it would be, "no matter how discouraged you feel just keep honestly measuring your food intake (no guessing) and religiously log your caloric intake after each meal (don't rely on memory). Leave some "snack" calories for the end of your day BUT DO NOT GO OVER YOUR 1200cal. Get that snack ready early in the evening and put it aside. Do not go back into cupboards or the refrigerator again except to get your snack. Remind yourself that you have to eat to live and that is 1200 cal per day. Just hang in there ........
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    1. You have to weigh everything possibe and measure liquids in a cup.
    2. 8 days isn't enough time.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I looked in your diary and you have a few entries measured in cups, portions, and unspecified weights. Weight all your solids
  • catmomfat
    catmomfat Posts: 97 Member
    I'm on 1200 a day, lightly active and I'm loosing but only about a pound and a half a week. I am trying to loose 2 a week but...no luck.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Diem78 wrote: »
    My weight bounces all over the place. It's the trend that matters, not one data point.

    If you know that your weight "bounces around"- then I wouldn't worry about it. Chances are, you're retaining water or something. Keep at the caloric deficit and you WILL lose eventually. Patience is key. I know it's easier said than done but-- slow and steady wins the race.

    I'm not the OP. I was offering anecdote.
  • naelliving
    naelliving Posts: 94 Member
    I just went through this same thing last week. I was tracking everything, exercising more than before, and doing everything everyone accuses you of not doing.
    I'm not sure if the cause, it could have been that I started a harder workout than before and my muscles upped my water retention. It could be that I was on my ovulation time of the month (I was), it could be that medications I had just started taking messed with my system and caused water retention, it could be that I was "backed up" (I was, sorry if TMI), and it could have been that I wasn't drinking enough water.
    I say all of that to say, that sometimes it's not just a one solution answer, and I learned from others that all of these things could have been factors as well as a number of other things. As much as we know about bodies, there is no one size fits all and as much as many want to shout "calorie deficit," That isn't always the only factor (my nutritionist, personal trainer, and doctor have all confirmed this), especially if you have other medical factors.
    More importantly, I tweaked a few things.
    I downloaded an app to drink more water (it reminded me to drink water every 30-45 minutes). Not only did it work-I felt better within a day. I don't think I realized how little water I was getting.
    With my doctor's blessing, I took a laxative. Yup. That helped, too, for obvious reasons.
    I limited my sodium intake to inhibit further retention, and (shock) rested from exercise for a day.
    Within a day I began losing again and lost 7.5 pounds by the end of that week.
    I have also had a stall before that ended after I ate a large brunch (within guidelines) and then fasted the rest of the day. The next day my stall ended.
    I don't know if this helped, but I gave it a shot.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,259 Member
    catmomfat wrote: »
    I'm on 1200 a day, lightly active and I'm loosing but only about a pound and a half a week. I am trying to loose 2 a week but...no luck.

    ONLY???

    1.5lb week is perfectly OK, 2lb is probably unrealistic for most people.

    if you need more advice I suggest starting a thread of your own about it

  • sandlsales22
    sandlsales22 Posts: 14 Member
    Nep2 do you know what the recommended intake of sodium is? X
  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
    As it says in the title! Diary is open. Everything is weighed and accurate. No cheats, no alcohol. Female 34, 5"5. Lightly active. Plenty of walking, working mum. Weight at same time everyday. The scale hasn't budged in 8 days and I don't know what I am doing wrong. I am not eating back any calories or anything like that. So frustrated! Help!

    Weight?
    Goal weight?
  • MAH80T50
    MAH80T50 Posts: 23 Member
    Eat more calorie dense foods - increase your protein & fibre and eat higher calories ... 1.5lb a week is a very good weight loss, the speed of loss is dependant on how much you're wanting to lose in total - when I started losing weight (I needed to lose 165lb) I was losing about 4lb a week, nowadays I lose about 2lb a month, but I only need to lose about 10lb, it's all relative.